Work Text:
come to find you, four in some velvet morning, years too late.
well, are you mine? are you mine tomorrow?
or just mine tonight?
“Kim Jongin?”
Jongin feels it the moment he hears his name being called; the feeling of nostalgia, sort of like a déjà vu strikes him to the core, stilling him with the familiarity of it. It’s as if he has been waiting for those words to be said, specifically by the one who just said it.
The voice, the tone, the way the syllables of his name roll out of the other’s tongue, it’s soothing yet also prickling, creating a shallow dent in his heart, tenderizing it. And suddenly he misses something he has never imagined having.
“Yes, that’s me.” He turns around and is greeted by a petite male who’s almost a head shorter than him. Shorty is good looking; small face, round eyes, long lashes, thick dark brows and full lips. He owns a pretty face that’s universally adored, a face that not only mothers would love.
A hand is offered and Jongin takes it without any hesitation. It’s warm and soft and smaller than his owns that are tanned and calloused. Their distance is close enough for him to tell that the male in front of him is an omega.
The scent is barely noticeable—probably because the other male is on suppressant just like most omegas in the city—but it’s still there, hitting Jongin’s nostrils in weak force.
It smells sweet, like a mixture of chocolate and strawberry. One inhale and he is already addicted.
Without thinking he grips the hand firmer, but not enough to hurt or to make the owner uncomfortable. His instinct tells him to do so, to assert dominance even if it’s just a slightest. It’s weird. He has never felt the need unless he’s angered, threatened or aroused, and he’s very sure he is neither at this moment. He’s confused but decides there’s no time for him to think much about it right now.
“Doh Kyungsoo.” The omega introduces himself and then smiles, lips heart shaped. It’s pretty, and it makes Jongin dizzy. “Um—“
Jongin’s eyes widen and brows shoot up once he realizes he’s still holding Kyungsoo’s hand. Quickly, he lets go of it as if it’s a scalding iron. “Sorry,” he apologizes, mentally berates himself for being awkward on their first meeting.
Thankfully Kyungsoo doesn’t dwell on it. He murmurs a small; “It’s okay,” and gives him another smile, though this time it’s bashful and wobbly. The omega seems to be still a bit flustered. “So, about the interview—“ He says and just like that, Jongin is no longer distracted by pretty lips and pretty eyes.
“Ah, yes. The interview, can we start now?”
“Of course, this way please.” Kyungsoo directs Jongin to an empty room he assumes is often used for meetings, though only by small teams since the room isn’t big enough to fit many people. Plus there are only six chairs; three on each side of the long white table. Jongin chooses the one that’s next to the frameless glass window.
“I’m really sorry for keeping you wait by the way.” Kyungsoo apologizes as he serves Jongin a bottle of mineral water. “There was a sudden meeting and the whole department had to be present.”
“It’s alright.” Jongin wants to say he has waited longer—close to twenty-four hours just so he could catch a glimpse of a politician who was involved in a huge scandal at that time. He yelled out some questions, just like many other reporters who had waited alongside him, yet the old man only said ‘talk to my lawyer’ repeatedly as he tried to walk pass through them. “Thank you for having me today.” Jongin says instead.
An hour waiting is nothing and much better than another reschedule. The deadline date is near so he needs to finish the article as soon as possible. Delayment only means his head will get chewed off by the editor.
The company Kyungsoo represents is one of the key players in the topic he’ll cover. Supposedly the company’s Chief Communication Officer would see him, but Mr. Roh cancelled their meeting after four times rescheduling. Then the old man promised he’d send one of his staffers to be interviewed on his behalf. Jongin thinks he should have done that in the first place because it would’ve saved much time.
Kyungsoo takes a seat across Jongin and the interview begins. At first nothing out of ordinary happens, but then Jongin notices Kyungsoo’s scent has become sweeter, more prominent.
It’s either Kyungsoo is flaring it out on purpose or Jongin’s nose is too sharp to not notice it since there are only two of them inside the small and enclosed room. Alphas tend to have keen sense of smell and Jongin—fortunately or unfortunately, depends on the circumstances—does.
The longer he stays in the room the more he can’t concentrate. He hears but he doesn’t listen as his attention is fully on Kyungsoo’s scent. When it isn’t, he’ll be focused on Kyungsoo’s moving lips and his pale, milky throat.
He tries his best to remain professional and to block out the scent, the second doesn’t work but the first does and the interview goes well from start to end. He packs his belongings right after they finished, afraid if he lingers too long he’ll do something that shouldn’t be done.
Needless to say, Jongin’s grateful that Kyungsoo agreed to do face to face interview instead of telephonic or via video call, since those two had been an option as well and almost chosen for convenience. The omega is pleasant to be around and quite straightforward with his answers, although there are some questions he couldn’t answer due to company’s policies. He’s glad he ends up meeting the omega, in more ways than one.
They shake hands once again before part ways. After he left the building, he can still feel the warmth of Kyungsoo’s hand on his palm.
*
Jongin wakes up at six to start his usual morning routines; breakfast, shower and then check his phone. The news editor orders him via text to bring her bagel and venti sized espresso. She’s an alpha in her mid-forty and no one in their department dares to defy her, including Jongin, so he sends an ‘okay’ despite feeling annoyed. He’s been working in the industry for five years yet his superior still treats him like an intern boy.
With navy scarf messily looped around his neck, he steps out of his modest apartment. Late November’s air is cold and unforgiving. Shivering, he wonders if it’s going to snow soon.
He walks to the subway and then waits near one of the platform screen doors. Usually, he would play with his phone as he waits, but the device is low on battery and he plans to let it be until he is at the office, so he opts to look around to save himself from boredom.
There are lots of people—mostly office workers and students—which is a normal thing considering the rush hour, something he often experiences, too often for his liking. So many people come and go, alone or with friends, some chatter some don’t and prefer the companion of printed papers or phones. Yesterday was the same too, yet despite the sameness somehow today feels different.
He can’t explain why or how, can’t even word it with another adjective besides ‘different’. He just feels that way even though nothing has changed. The interior of the station is still the same; the same billboards that are full of idols face are still plastered on the walls while the floor is still bleak gray.
His mind stops pondering about it when the passenger cars arrive. The doors open and Jongin walks into one that’s near him, a bit hurried in the hope to claim an empty seat. Too bad for him high schoolers are faster and he has no choice but to stand.
More and more people are getting in and despite having a large and tall physique of an alpha, Jongin ends up being pushed to the middle. The push stops and he stands behind someone who oozes out an obnoxious scent; cheap perfume mixed with tangy body odor. Not wanting to torture his nose, Jongin turns around.
Only to see a familiar face from yesterday.
People are shifting again, pushing each other and creating a domino effect, and before any of them can utter a word, Kyungsoo falls into Jongin’s embrace.
The omega squeaks, voice muffled by the fabric of Jongin’s scarf as his hand instinctively grips Jongin’s forearm.
“Sorry!” Kyungsoo pulls away with face flushed red. The man behind him doesn’t give him the chance to distance himself from Jongin and he ends up being pushed back to the broad chest again.
“It’s okay.” Jongin assures because really, it’s more than okay. His height gives him the advantage to inhale the scent that’s accumulated on the omega’s hair. He can smell the shampoo Kyungsoo uses; lavender scented, and the faint smell of strawberry and chocolate.
His body relaxes as he breathes in more of Kyungsoo’s natural scent.
Eventually people stop acting uncivilized—no longer pushing each other—and Kyungsoo succeeds in creating a short distance between them. Jongin is slightly disappointed but he tries not to show it on his face.
“I’m so sorry about that.” Kyungsoo apologizes again. He has to look up when he speaks because of his short stature. From Jongin’s point of view his doe eyes look even rounder. Cuter.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” He says, eyes not leaving Kyungsoo’s face. “The rush hour is getting crazier nowadays.”
Kyungsoo nods in agreement, a small smile on his face, and then throws his gaze on the floor. He looks bashful and Jongin internally swoons.
The alpha wets his lips. “Are you heading to work?” He asks the obvious, desperate to make a small talk with the smaller omega. He knows he sounds stupid, but he doesn’t care.
“Yeah, I am.” Kyungsoo looks up again. The color of his eyes reminds Jongin of liquefied chocolate—the irises are light brown with pupils slightly dilated. His lashes are long and thick, casting shadows like angel-wings beneath. Kyungsoo’s eyes are pretty and captivating and Jongin can’t look away.
“You too, Jongin?”
Jongin feels it again; the strange sensation that makes his heart flutters and aches.
There’s something nostalgic in the way Kyungsoo pronounces his name and he can’t help but to reminisce even though the only memory of Kyungsoo he has is from their yesterday’s meeting that barely lasted more than two hours.
“Yeah.” He almost forgets to answer, eyes too busy drinking the sight of Kyungsoo’s cherubic face.
None of them says anything afterwards. Their eyes are locked together and everything but them loses its importance. All Jongin can see inside the cramped passenger car is Kyungsoo.
The faint smell of strawberry and chocolate dominates his respiratory system, suffocating his lungs with sugary scent. His nose is numb to any scent that is not Kyungsoo’s, even the obnoxious one behind him is no longer traceable.
He sees his reflection on Kyungsoo’s light brown eyes and pride surges through his veins because at this moment, the omega only has his attention on him. Instinctively, his chest puffs outward and he doesn’t miss the way Kyungsoo’s pupils dilate even more and his scent turning keener.
Kyungsoo breaks their locked stare by looking away to the side. His cheeks are tainted with pretty pink that Jongin finds endearing.
Jongin keeps staring without caring until the train stops at their designated station.
They get off the passenger car together, side by side, and Jongin is tempted to hold Kyungsoo’s hand that has brushed against his thrice, but he refrains himself for he is fully aware they’re no more than acquaintances.
Jongin wishes he could change that.
And so, he braves himself to ask Kyungsoo out before they part.
“I’m sorry, Jongin.” The sensation his body feels when Kyungsoo says his name is still the same despite the polite rejection he has just heard.
Jongin coaches his face into neutrality to conceal his disappointment. Though the hurt in his voice betrays him when he asks; “Maybe another time?”
Kyungsoo shakes his head, there’s a guilty smile on his lips. It’s tight lipped and not as pretty as his happy or bashful smile. “I can’t.” He says, voice soft. “You’re really attractive—“The compliment is not enough to soothe the bruise that Jongin’s ego suffers.
“—but I’m already with someone. I have a fiancé…a mate.” He adds the last bit reluctantly.
The revelation stings even though it shouldn’t—because they’ve met only once and it was yesterday and Jongin barely knows him on personal level. It shouldn’t have hurt this much but he feels like his heart is slowly being split into two by the information that Kyungsoo is already taken.
“Oh.” He manages to say after few seconds of silence. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know—I can’t smell their scent on you.” Because usually mated omegas have their partner’s scent lingering on them as a warning so others—especially those who bear the alpha status—won’t come on to them.
For a brief moment, Kyungsoo looks shocked and Jongin almost wonders if there’s something wrong with his own nose. “No. Don’t. Don’t be sorry. I haven’t met him for quite long, so maybe that’s why…” The omega trails off, looking a bit embarrassed and unwilling to talk about his personal life.
Jongin is curious and before he can stop his mouth the word spills from his mouth. “Why?”
“He’s been busy.” Kyungsoo gives him another tight lipped smile that tells him to drop the subject.
There’s nothing more can be said so they bid each other goodbye and then part ways. Jongin arrives at his office empty handed, the rejection has made him forget to stop by the nearest coffee shop, and consequently he has to bear the sarcastic remarks his boss laments on everytime she walks pass his cubicle.
He thinks today can’t get any worse but when he rummages through his messenger bag, there’s no charger to be found. He then remembers the object is actually at home, on the top of the nightstand.
When he fishes out his phone from his pocket, it’s already dead.
*
They meet again two weeks later.
It’s already late, almost midnight and Jongin is exhausted. He has spent extra hours sitting in the office doing research for his new piece. His back is killing him and he plans to take a warm shower once he is home.
He’s rendered paralyzed, heart thumping harder for only a beat, when he sees Kyungsoo on the seat across the automatic door he just walked through in. The omega’s eyes are closed and Jongin assumes he’s sleeping. Even if the passenger car they’re in is basically empty, it’s still dangerous for an omega to look vulnerable in public place like this.
Kyungsoo might be on suppressants but if Jongin can still smell his omega scent, then there’s a big chance other alphas can too.
Without thinking any further, Jongin flops down besides Kyungsoo. The omega doesn’t acknowledge him, seemingly to be in a deep slumber. Jongin doesn’t have the heart to wake him up, so he decides to waste his time playing with his phone.
He is in the middle of scrolling down his social media feeds when Kyungsoo nuzzles into his shoulder. He tenses, phone forgotten and slowly turns his head to the side to take a look at Kyungsoo. He can’t see much due to the angle but he knows for sure that the omega is still sleeping soundlessly.
Awkwardly, he pats Kyungsoo’s head. The omega whines and Jongin’s hand freezes but relaxes when Kyungsoo scoots closer instead, nose still buried into the fabric of Jongin’s brown coat. He puts his phone back into his pocket and relishes in the feeling of having Kyungsoo clinging onto him.
If he really has to admit, Jongin won’t deny that Kyungsoo’s rejection still hurts him even after two weeks passed—thanks to deadline, he’s able to distract himself from broken heart and bruised pride—but the reason behind the rejection hurts more than the rejection itself.
The prospect of not going to be able to have something—anything with Kyungsoo hurts and Jongin can’t explain why it does. Why the omega he barely knows has such a big impact on him?
“Jongin,” Kyungsoo suddenly mumbles, he’s talking in his sleep.
With just one word, Jongin is hit by the feeling of nostalgia that somehow stronger than the previous one. It is as if the hollow that he didn’t know exists in his chest is rapidly filled with warmth.
Kyungsoo saying his name reminds him of the sweet memories he doesn’t remember having. There are no pictures or sounds flashing in his mind, only waves after waves of tender emotions he can’t understand and make his chest tighten with longing.
“I’m here.” Jongin whispers against Kyungsoo’s temple. The dark locks of the omega’s hair tickle his lips.
Jongin doesn’t wake Kyungsoo up until they reach the station he walks to almost everyday. Coincidentally, Kyungsoo also uses that station and their apartments aren’t that far from each other’s.
He offers to take Kyungsoo home, using late hour as an excuse. Kyungsoo hesitates but accepts the offer with a giggle after Jongin convinces him that he swears, he’s not a creep.
Kyungsoo rewards him with a small thank you and an invitation to come inside for a cup of warm tea. It’s tempting and Jongin almost says yes but he remembers it’s already late at night and Kyungsoo has a mate who’s probably waiting for him inside. He rejects the offer with a polite smile and bids Kyungsoo a farewell.
(He misses the disappointed look the omega sports on after he took his leave; the deep sigh he lets out as his shoulders sag down. Kyungsoo watches him leave until he turns on the corner and disappears from his view before he goes inside the building.)
The next morning he receives another thank you in the form of text message, with a smiling emoticon at the end. Jongin types his reply with a smile on his face and after the message is sent he’s off to work, feeling more energized than he has ever been.
*
They meet again in cold December; at a fundraising event that’s held on Christmas Eve.
The agency he’s work at is on the guest list and he’s sent to the event as their representative. Jongin has no reason to reject, different from his co-workers who are either already married or have special someone to celebrate Christmas Eve together. Besides, the event is held at five stars hotel that he knows will cost his one month salary for one double room. Kim Jongin is not one to waste luxurious opportunities.
After talking to multiple men and women who clearly would want their name to be mentioned as one of many donators, Jongin takes a short break to fill his stomach. As he lingers near the buffet table while munching down the savory delicacy he can’t pronounce the name, he sees a group of people in front of him migrate to somewhere else, revealing the sight of Kyungsoo’s side profile.
The omega has his hair parted to the side; bangs no longer obstructing his forehead. Despite being claded in a slick black tux, Jongin still finds Kyungsoo adorable.
He takes a sip of the champagne in his hand, puts the glass flute on the table and then marches forward. Kyungsoo is alone and he looks like he needs some company.
Except, after few steps he’s not and doesn’t anymore.
Jongin’s legs instantly stop when a tall man wraps an arm around Kyungsoo’s middle, his hand rests on the latter’s slim waist so intimately. He kisses Kyungsoo on the cheek which seems not appreciated by the omega—Kyungsoo recoils from the touch immediately and says something to the man. It seems he’s complaining about the sudden public display of affection because as he does so he tries to push the man away. The man only laughs and still doesn’t let go of him.
Seeing Kyungsoo inside the embrace of another man hurts and Jongin wants to look away, but before he could, their eyes meet.
Kyungsoo’s eyes turn rounder and his lips are slightly parted, clearly surprised to see Jongin. He quickly wiggles out the taller’s hold and Jongin forces himself to continue his steps. It would be rude of him to turn around. Kyungsoo has caught him looking.
“Good evening. Nice meeting you here.” Jongin greets with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
Kyungsoo blinks and for a split second Jongin thinks there’s a guilty look on his face. That can’t be it. He must be imagining things.
“It’s nice meeting you here too.” Kyungsoo greets back, a bit flustered.
Jongin doesn’t say anything afterwards as he’s too focused on Kyungsoo’s scent that doesn’t smell as sweet as before. It still smells like a mixture of strawberry and chocolate, but there’s something else tangled with it that annoys him to no end.
He hates it.
“Oh! Um, this is Seonho. My fiancé.” Kyungsoo sounds like he almost forgets about the said man’s existence.
Unwillingly, Jongin drags his eyes away from Kyungsoo’s face to take a look at Seonho’s. From the scent the latter waves off, he is definitely an alpha.
The scent is unpleasant to Jongin’s nose. It’s pungent and almost putrid and its sharpness triggers his alpha’s territorial mode. Fortunately this isn’t high school anymore where he was hormone driven. He’s a grown man and can control himself, including his secondary natures. So instead of giving the other a bristling growl he gives him a polite smile.
Though, it seems Seonho picks it up—the challenge he’s trying to suppress—perhaps the insincerity in his smile gives it away, or it’s his scent, or perhaps it’s the mix of both.
The other alpha’s face hardens for a moment—his eyes were downright glaring and brows furrowing down, and his jaw clenching and lips frowning—then it contorts into wariness when Kyungsoo begins to speak again.
“Seonho, this is Jongin—“ Jongin’s chest tightens at the mention of his name. It seems he always has to deal with this sensation whenever Kyungsoo says his name. “—he’s… um… he’s my…“
The choice of word ‘my’ and the awkward pause that follows it are worthy enough to be questioned—Kyungsoo could’ve introduced Jongin with the title of his profession but instead he opted to use the word that symbolizes possession when there’s absolutely nothing going on between them. They’re not even friends—and questioning seems to be what Seonho is internally doing as the pause continues.
Jongin breaks the silence by offering his hand to Seonho—at least the latter is polite enough to accept his handshake, though Seonho’s grips is tight and strong and Jongin wonders if there’s a threat behind it—and then introduces himself as someone Kyungsoo works with. Technically he isn’t lying since he did work with Kyungsoo for a piece of article.
He can tell Seonho is suspicious of him still, so he plays it safe by telling him Kyungsoo has mentioned him before, which again, isn’t a lie. Kyungsoo did mention him, but without his name.
Seonho finally smiles back at him, though it looks a bit strained but it’s better than nothing at all.
The three of them ends up chatting about mundane things yet the awkwardness from earlier hasn’t yet dissipated. Jongin notices the squirm and the uneasiness Kyungsoo displays whenever Seonho touches him—an odd thing considering the guy isn’t only his fiancé but also his mate, skinship among mates should’ve been natural.
Their conversation stops when a male approaches them, or more precisely; Seonho. He looks like he’s in his mid-forty and he waves off a scent that’s definitely of an alpha—it neither smell irritating nor unpleasant to Jongin, just neutral, the opposite of Seonho’s.
The male greets Jongin yet disregards Kyungsoo’s presence even though he clearly sees the omega, and then whispers something in Seonho’s ear. Jongin frowns at his action.
“My father needs me, sorry, Soo.” Seonho announces and he gives Kyungsoo a peck on the cheek—the omega recoils again while the much older alpha looks away, clearing his throat as he does so—before he goes disappearing into the crowd with the other alpha.
“I’m sorry that you have to witness that.” Kyungsoo mumbles when the two alphas are out of their sight. Jongin isn’t sure what Kyungsoo means by that; is it the PDA or how he’s been purposely ignored by someone who seems close to Seonho?
“Don’t worry about it.” Jongin assures him immediately. He badly wants to ask what that was about but he’s unsure if Kyungsoo would be comfortable with that.
It’s quite for a while, in any other occasion Jongin would’ve said a polite goodbye to avoid the awkwardness, but he doesn’t want to leave Kyungsoo alone. He wants to stay by his side, even if it’s only for tonight.
He’s about to make a small talk about the deserts that are served on a round table few meters away from them when Kyungsoo asks; “You came alone?”
Jongin blinks. “Yeah. Got no one to take.” He answers with a small self-deprecating laugh.
Kyungsoo looks hopeful, and Jongin thinks he’s delusional for having such thought or his eyes are playing trick on him. “No one’s waiting at home?” The omega asks, his voice is softer and a bit higher in pitch than before. Now Jongin thinks his ears are also playing trick on him.
“No.” Jongin wets his lips and subconsciously leans closer. Kyungsoo mimics his movement, closing their distance to almost nonexistent. “I was hoping to take someone home,” Kyungsoo’s expression deflates and there’s a small pout on his face. Jongin thinks it’s cute but he doesn’t want Kyungsoo to misunderstand. “But that was weeks ago, he’s got a fiancé already so I guess I can’t.”
He tries hard not to cringe at the way he’s said it, nonchalant and flirty, as if engagement and mating is a child’s play. A pretend game that could be stopped whenever the players want, when they’re simply bored of it or when they’ve found a new thing to play with. When in reality it isn’t.
It’s as if he’s forgotten Seonho is still in the same room as they are, only few meters away from them. The other alpha is probably watching them with fleeting glances. But he couldn’t help it.
He couldn’t. Not when Kyungsoo looks at him in a way that fuels his hope. In a way that tells him he still has the chance, despite everything, they could be something. He could be someone to Kyungsoo—
Someone who’s more than a friend.
The look in Kyungsoo eyes tells him he can and he wants it.
*
Their lips meet once the door is closed shut with a soft click.
Jongin had expected the night was going to be spent with him making small talks with men and women of importance, instead he’s inside a hotel room his agency has paid for him—an hour early, because the party is still going, will not end until midnight—making out with someone else’s fiancé. Someone else’s mate.
Kyungsoo is needy and eager to please, his mouth is slightly parted and Jongin isn’t shy to dive in. The taste of his tongue is sweet and reminds Jongin of fond summer memories. No vivid image, no chiming laughter, only waves after waves of a feeling of coming home. Both of his arms loop around Jongin’s neck, fingers tugging and mussing locks of dark brown hair.
He smells sugary sweet, yet not as sweet as he was during their previous encounters. Seonho’s scent is still there, tangling with his and it irritates Jongin to the bone. The alpha withdraws his mouth only to latch it on the omega’s jaw and begins to nibble on the skin.
“Bed,” Kyungsoo pants out and Jongin gives one more bruising love bite before he grabs a pair of full thighs and lifts the omega only to throw him gently onto the soft duvet. He shrugs the black tux off Kyungsoo’s shoulders and then unbuttons the collars of his white dress shirt with fumbling hands and determination.
A growl escapes his throat when he sees there’s a bite mark on Kyungsoo’s skin, fading red and purple stark against ivory. From the look of it, it’s been there for a long time, an old scar that hasn’t been renewed—alphas often renew their mark once it fades. Kyungsoo squirms beneath him as he inspects it, body writhing against white bed cover.
“I hate this.” Jongin announces in a voice that’s thick with distaste before he laps on the mark that doesn’t belong to his. His mind no longer thinks logically and it seems Kyungsoo’s doesn’t either because instead of pushing Jongin away, he bares his neck even more as an invitation.
To pursue an omega who already belongs to someone else is frowned upon in their society, and to mark a marked omega is even more, some people—elderly, those who are raised with conservative beliefs—even consider it as taboo. Forbidden.
Marks are supposed to last forever, they’re permanent because they can’t be undone. Even though mark removal procedure exists, it’s still considered risky and immoral even until this day—because marks are seen as a sacred thing that symbolizes the unity between two people, two souls becoming one—thus quite a lot of qualified doctors reject the request when they’re asked to do it. It is a flawed system because accidental markings do happen and sometimes without the omega’s consent.
“I want this gone.” Jongin harshly says as he continues sucking on the skin, teeth scrapping against bruised skin. His mind is buzzing, adrenaline high due to Kyungsoo’s sweet scent that still carries someone else’s in it; the sweetness of it makes him swoons yet the prominent smell of another alpha aggravates him into a state of distress.
Kyungsoo doesn’t respond so Jongin looks up only to find him staring, his eyes half lidded and expression unreadable. Jongin’s heart’s rate is becoming slower, more relaxed, shoulders no longer tense as he stares back, getting lost in Kyungsoo’s brown eyes. They’re beautiful yet dull at this current moment, sad. They make Jongin’s heart ache but he can’t look away.
“Will you mark me?” Kyungsoo speaks first, breaking their shared reverie. His voice is heartbreakingly small. It makes him sound like a child who wants something he’s not allowed to have.
“Do you want me to?” Jongin questions back, fingers caressing Kyungsoo’s cheekbone. The skin is soft underneath his fingertips.
He knows he can’t, and shouldn’t. He knows Kyungsoo is already someone else’s. By customary laws the omega is off limit, untouchable. Yet there he is above him, only separated by the fabric of their clothes—mostly his, because Kyungsoo’s are half undone. His canines are aching, longing to pierce. He wants to mark Kyungsoo, wants to claim him as his.
He just needs the permission—not from anyone else but Kyungsoo himself. Customary laws and Seonho be damned.
“Do you want me to?” He asks again, tone softer than before—he sounds pathetic, almost like he’s begging for the omega to say yes. Perhaps he is—as he nuzzles into Kyungsoo’s neck. The tip of his nose is touching the mark that isn’t his.
“Yes.” Kyungsoo says, voice barely a whisper. “Yes, I want you to. Only you.”
Jongin gulps and nods, face looking resolute. A rational part of him is nagging, yelling at him, about how wrong the thing he will soon do, but then Kyungsoo cups his cheeks and brings his face down so their lips can meet again for the second time tonight.
The kiss is gentle and unhurried, Jongin lets Kyungsoo take the lead. He closes his eyes and lets himself drowned in Kyungsoo’s scent. It’s much sweeter than before, the smell of chocolate and strawberry invades his respiratory system in continuous waves, it feels like his lungs are being stuffed with cottons that have been dipped in saccharine liquid.
There’s still someone else’s scent tangling with it, but unlike before it’s weak, almost unrecognizable. The omega’s natural scent has overpowered it and Jongin croons in joy as he’s high inside the warm embrace of someone who’s rightfully not his.
“Take it off,” Kyungsoo demands after he pushes Jongin away slightly. His lips are red and swollen, cheeks flushed in pretty pink. It’s an image Jongin would want to see forever.
He does as what he’s told, eyes not leaving Kyungsoo. The omega does the same, taking off all the remaining clothes he has. The fabrics fall onto the floor and Jongin would’ve paid no attention to it weren’t it for the small clanking sound of metal falling onto the floor.
It’s a ring. Silver and shiny.
Jongin has never seen it before—if Kyungsoo had worn it on the days they met, he would’ve noticed.
Kyungsoo quickly scrambles off the bed to pick it up and then holds onto it tight. The tips of his ears are red as he looks down, eyes staring at nothing in particular.
“I—“ He begins with a look of hesitation on his face, like he’s having a second thought. So Jongin takes his hand—the one that’s balled into fist, with a silver ring inside—and brings it to his lips. When his lips touch pale knuckles, Kyungsoo finally looks up, surprised. And relieved.
“It’s okay,” Jongin says, even though he knows—they know—it is not okay. “It’s okay,” he repeats, this time to convince himself.
Kyungsoo loosens his hold and Jongin seizes it as the opportunity to take the ring away—it burns against his skin like a silver bullet that’s just been fired out—and throws it inside the nightstand’s drawer so none of them can see it. So they can pretend it has never existed in the first place.
He guides Kyungsoo to bed and kisses him again, on the cheek this time, which earns him a hug from the latter. He nuzzles into Kyungsoo’s neck, inhaling the sweet scent that makes him happy and giddy and relaxed. He smiles, worries forgotten. Just like inside the passenger car of a moving train, everything but them loses its importance. There’s no ring, no bite mark, no Seonho, no guilt. It’s just them. Only them.
Kyungsoo is already wet when Jongin snakes his hand below, fingertips grazing the crack of his opening. He starts with one finger, stopping when Kyungsoo’s breath hitched, only continues when the omega asks him to. It’s a tight fit, warm and wet. Jongin can feel his knot begins to swell even though it’s not touched yet and he’s far from his orgasm.
He takes his time in taking Kyungsoo’s apart with his fingers—one has turned into two and he parts them occasionally in scissoring motions so he could fit inside without making him uncomfortable. His other hand is busy engulfing and massaging the omega’s cock, it’s short and the tip is pink and he thinks it’s cute. The thought of tasting it crosses his mind but he ignores it, opting to focus on Kyungsoo’s expression instead.
The omega is flushed red; from the tips of his ears, his cheeks, and down to his chest. His eyes are closed while his mouth is parted open a little bit. He bites his lips whenever Jongin crooks his fingers in the right way, upward and slowly. It is a futile attempt to keep himself quiet because the noise, his whimpers and little sobs, always manage to escape from his mouth in hitched breaths as he gasps for air.
Jongin gulps and wets his lips sometimes, taking a long breath after. Kyungsoo smells saccharinely sweet and he feels intoxicated.
“Can I—?” He asks, unable to finish his question because Kyungsoo opens his eyes, glassy with lashes clumped in tears.
“Yeah,” Kyungsoo nods, eyes not leaving Jongin’s, and spreads his legs wider.
Jongin nods too and pulls out his fingers. His lips twitch when he hears Kyungsoo’s whine slightly. He grabs his shaft with the same fingers he used to stretch Kyungsoo and coats it with the remaining warm slick. A shiver runs down his spine when he touches the base of his cock, the knot is already there, swelling steadily and sensitive.
Ragged breaths escape his mouth as he lines himself up, rubbing the tip of his drooling cock on Kyungsoo’s wet opening and making the omega whimper. He doesn’t push in, not yet, and lets himself enjoy the puckered muscles pumping out more and more slick and pulsing against the head of his cock.
“You’re so—“ He begins in an exhale of breath, eyes not leaving where their bodies almost connected. “Wet.” The tip slips in, just a little bit and Kyungsoo gasps. “How can you be this wet? I haven’t done anything to you.” He says in fascination as he pulls out, Kyungsoo’s hole clenches—as if trying to prevent him from leaving.
“Put it in.” Kyungsoo commands, or tries to. His voice cracks, he sounds like he’s whining, begging. The disheveled looks he’s displaying places him in no position to dictate anybody at this current moment. “Jongin, just put it in—“
Another pang. This time it’s as if the invisible strings of his heart are being tugged, giving him an aching feeling of longing. There’s something acutely familiar in the way Kyungsoo say his name, especially when his voice is trembling due to the shuddery breaths he lets out.
Jongin feels he’s heard it before for so many times. But there’s neither recollection nor memory. He’s never had Kyungsoo, or anyone who resembles him, like this; on the bed, underneath him with legs spread open and face flushed. Yet here he is, staring down at Kyungsoo in flesh like he’s part of his old summer fling.
“Say it again—“ he asks after a gentle peck on the lips. When their lips part Kyungsoo slightly lifts up his head, his mouth searching for Jongin’s and the latter chuckles—he’s relieved he’s not the only one who’s desperate to feel the other’s touch, though he gives in and grants him another kiss. This time, a longer and deeper one. “My name, say it again Kyungsoo.” He pleads in the middle of the kiss, right after giving Kyungsoo’s lower lip a small nip.
“Jongin.” The omega complies immediately, his pupils are fully blown. Lust has completely reigns his body and Jongin really hopes something else, something’s that far tender and pure, does too.
“Yeah, keep saying it,” Jongin encourages, trailing kisses down Kyungsoo’s flushed neck, sucking bruises he knows will last for days. “Say my name.” He tenses when his lips graze two shallow dents that had been momentarily forgotten. He tries not to let Seonho’s bite mark affect him as he continues exploring Kyungsoo’s soft skin.
He rolls his hips forward, the entire tip slides into Kyungsoo’s wet opening and the omega whimpers because he makes no move afterwards. He hisses because it feels so good, too good even.
“More,” Kyungsoo asks, his lips almost touching Jongin’s ear—the alpha shudders when warm breath hits his skin. “Give me more,” his fingers latch on broad shoulders, nails digging into tan skin a little. “I want all of you. I want to feel you. Jongin, plea—”
Kyungsoo’s breath hitches as a groan left Jongin’s mouth when he thrusts all the way in. He doesn’t stop until his knot flushes against Kyungsoo’s ass cheeks. It’s already swollen and pulsing. If he slides all the way in he definitely will finish early—earlier than they would like him to be.
He stays unmoving for a while, not pulling out, relishing the warmth Kyungsoo provides him, from inside and out. His face is still on the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck, lips not far away from the marks he badly wants to erase and replace with his own.
Underneath him Kyungsoo is slightly shaking, fingernails still yet unlatch from the alpha’s shoulders. If anything, his grip has grown tighter and he surely will leave marks on the other’s back, not that the owner minds.
“Ahh—I feel so—“ A gasp because Jongin is moving a bit, changing position so he can see Kyungsoo’s flushed face. “Full. Didn’t expect you to be this—“
“Big?” Jongin chuckles, though his expression ends up betraying the smugness in his tone. His teeth are grinding, brows furrowing in deep concentration as he tries to keep himself under control. Kyungsoo has to adjust to his size first before he can move. He keeps on nibbling on Kyungsoo’s neck, sucking hickeys and branding the milky skin there with his trace. With a shuddery breath the omega asks him to move.
He starts slow and very carefully, pulling out until only the tip is in and then pushing it back gently. All while his eyes are focused on Kyungsoo’s face. He silently takes a mental note on which angle yield the most reaction from Kyungsoo—the longest, highest pitched moan. Which one causes him to twitch more, with back arched beautifully and short gasps leave his mouth continuously.
When he finds it—the one that drives Kyungsoo mad and makes him see stars and white—he accelerates. His hips gradually move faster, his pace heightens and so does the octaves in Kyungsoo’s voice. The omega is whining underneath him, calling his name over and over like a broken record he doesn’t mind listening forever. If he’s allowed to wish, he wants him to keep saying his name until the end of times.
Kyungsoo eventually loses the strength to hold onto him and he seizes the opportunity to change his stance and bend him in half. The omega looks like he’s nearing his end, flushed and sweaty and ready to cum at any given moment. Precum leaks out every now and then in small spurts, tainting his soft little belly. His hole quivers and squeezes around the alpha’s cock tightly, before it goes loose slightly and repeats.
Jongin’s movement falters a bit because of it but he’s quick to regain the control of himself. Determined to please Kyungsoo, he rears back and pound into him with new strength that causes the headboard bangs against the wall. Kyungsoo is downright wailing, tears stream down from his glassy eyes to leave wet trails on flushed cheeks. His lips, red and bitten, are parted open, absolutely having no restrain to let out high pitched whimpers. He looks absolutely, beautifully wrecked.
“Hha—Jongin,” Kyungsoo cries out for the nth time. His fingers are clutching and unclutching the pillow underneath his head. “Want your knot,” Jongin’s cock twitches and he can feel his knot swells even more. “Please.”
The alpha slows his pace and instead of ramming in full force he slides in in a much gentler way. His knot catches on the rim but manages to get pushed inside completely and Kyungsoo comes instantly with a tiny shudder and a weak mewl escaping his red swollen lips.
Driven by instinct Jongin bites Kyungsoo on the neck, right exactly where Seonho’s mark is. The omega convulses even more underneath him, calling out his name, though his voice sounds weaker this time and hoarse as well.
He’s only able to deliver three more shallow thrusts—with his teeth still piercing Kyungsoo’s skin, where he can taste and smell the iron in Kyungsoo’s blood—until he comes too with a mellow, prolonged groan. He takes his time coating Kyungsoo’s inside, as if he’s got extra to unload.
When he lets go, Kyungsoo is already unconscious. Panic washes over him for a split second until he realizes the omega is just sleeping. Carefully he switches their position with Kyungsoo on top of him so he won’t be able to crush Kyungsoo’s body that’s much smaller than his while they still stuck together by his knot.
In the middle of it, he tenses and feels like he’s coming again. He does and frowns, thinking it shouldn’t have happened, just like how his knot was formed before he entered Kyungsoo. It shouldn’t be possible. He wonders if he’s in rut.
Kyungsoo shifts in his embrace, snuggling closer, and the speculation leaves Jongin’s mind. He brushes the bangs off the omega’s forehead and relishes in the feeling of skin against skin, damp with sweat, and warm breath hitting his chest, right where his heart is hidden underneath. It feels right to have Kyungsoo in his embrace, it feels like he’s finally home after so long.
“Good night, Kyungsoo,” he says, voice hushed, as he pulls the blanket to cover both of their naked bodies and turns off the light.
He can feel Kyungsoo’s finger twitch against his skin right after but thinks nothing of it as sleepiness overtakes him.
*
The blaring sound of the telephone forces Jongin’s eyes to open. He rubs his face, getting rid of the crust in his eyes, before he answers. On the other end of the line the receptionist politely tells him that his stay in the hotel will end in an hour. His voice is hoarse when he says; “Okay, thank you for reminding me. I’ll be out soon.” After ending the call and putting the phone down, his hand reaches to the other side of bed—it’s cold.
He grimaces when he comes out of the bed, the inside of the quilt sticks to his naked body. There are multiple stains on the bed sheet and he feels sorry for whoever has to clean it later.
His eyes search the floor, remembering he had carelessly thrown his clothes there last night, before he notices they’re on the small coffee table near the floor-to-ceiling window, tidily folded. His shoes and socks are placed beside the table. It must’ve been Kyungsoo’s doing. Jongin scoffs, Kyungsoo had the time to tidy up his things but not to wake him up so they could talk before he left?
Sluggishly, Jongin puts on the clothes sans the jacket suit and socks. The first two buttons of his shirt are unlatched and he lets his hair stay unruly like a bird nest because he’s not in the mood to look prim and proper. Not when he feels like utter shit.
He’s about to open the door and leave for good when he remembers he’s tossed Kyungsoo’s ring into the nightstand’s drawer last night. He stands still in front of the barely opened door, right hand gripping the door handle loosely, as he mulls over whether he should check the drawer or not. It’s pointless he thinks, Kyungsoo wouldn’t forget something so important like his engagement ring, would he?
He eventually decides to check it just simply to satisfy his curiosity. His heart starts to beat slower when he sees the silver ring is still inside the mahogany drawer.
So, Kyungsoo does forget. Jongin isn’t sure what to make of this, but he still takes the ring with him anyway instead of giving it to the receptionist when he returns the key. The staffs behind the desk look unfazed by his messy appearance and give him a bright smile after he finished his checkout; he asked them to order a taxi for him while he was at it.
A black sedan comes into view right after he steps out of the building. He gets in, tells his address to the driver and checks his phone. There are dozens of notifications filling up his phone’s screen, most of them are messages from his coworkers and family. They’re wishing him a Merry Christmas, his eldest sister is asking him to come visit her house today to have a dinner together with her family, and so on.
None of them is from Kyungsoo.
It’s disappointing but at the same time it’s also relieving. He expected the omega would tell him via text that they couldn’t meet any more, or last night was a mistake and they should’ve forgotten about it and pretend it never happened. Though it would be very hard to do so, considering Jongin’s mark is on his neck, overlapping Seonho’s.
Perhaps there’s a hope. Or perhaps Kyungsoo will tell him all that later, in the afternoon or maybe in the evening. Or perhaps Kyungsoo won’t tell him anything and is actually waiting for him to ask first.
With those possibilities in mind Jongin ignores all the new messages he has and taps on Kyungsoo’s profile instead.
Kyungsoo’s ‘Thank you for walking me home tonight :)’ along with his ‘No problem.’ from weeks ago are still there. Jongin recalls the giddiness he felt when he received the message. It was the first and last time they texted about something outside works.
He types in ‘We need to talk about last night.’ on the message bar, contemplating whether he should add something else but ends up pressing send anyway.
His message is read instantly and to his surprise, instead of a reply what he gets is a phone call. He accepts it.
“Kyungs—“
“Don’t bother him anymore.” Jongin’s brows furrow and frown deepens as he listens to the voice that’s much deeper and nasally than the one Kyungsoo owns. “Don’t text him. Don’t call him. Don’t meet him. Piss off.”
“Put him on the phone.” He demands calmly despite not appreciating the imperious tone in the other alpha’s voice.
“Are you fucking stupid? Didn’t you hear what I said?” Seonho’s voice rises up. He sounds absolutely livid. “Stay away from him. He’s mine, Jongin. He’s been mine before you even knew of his existence. Like hell I would put him on the goddamn phone. Be grateful I won’t file a lawsuit against you for marking my mate.” And the call ends.
Jongin tries to call back only to hear a robotic female voice telling him the number he’s currently dialing “—is unavailable right now, please try your call again later.” He tries again and it ends up with the same result. Seonho most definitely has blocked his number on Kyungsoo’s phone.
“Cunt.” He mutters quite harshly as he throws his head to the back in frustration. His eyes meet with the driver’s on the rear-view mirror, the young beta probably has been eavesdropping the entire time. He doesn’t care. The driver quickly looks away and turns on the music, faking a cough while doing so.
The apartment is dark and cold when he arrives. Instead of living beings, what greet him are dirty dishes in the sink and clutters of books and papers scattered on the dining table where he usually work.
After washing away the remnants from last night and comfortably dressed, he opens the windows even though it’s cloudy and wintry outside to let the fresh air in, and finally cleans the mess to make the place feels less of ‘where I sleep and store my stuffs’ and more of an actual home. It’s futile. It still doesn’t feel like home, even though he is home right now.
As he sits there on the sofa, staring blankly at the flat screen TV that’s currently displaying a gag-show, his mind drifts off and replays the memory he’s got from last night. Even though it happened only for a short period of time, it holds emotions that could last a lifetime. He knows it’d be hard for him to forget, not that he plans to.
His heart aches as he realizes how empty the apartment is, how alone and lonely he is. The familiar four walls he’s been inside of for years feel like a stranger’s embrace now.
Kyungsoo has felt like home and now Jongin is homesick.
*
Jongin blows warm breath to his hands. He’s forgotten to wear gloves and now his skin is paying the price by having to be kissed by the bristling cold, turning his fingers numb and icy.
He checks the time on his phone and holds back a shiver as snow begins to fall, they make such a pretty sight but their appearance means the temperature has dropped lower, and wonders if he really is a fool, waiting for Kyungsoo like this, out in the cold in front of his apartment building.
Five days have passed and there’s still no reply from Kyungsoo, a given since his number has been blocked. Seonho was the one who did it. Jongin is unsure whether Kyungsoo is aware of his fiancé’s doing or not. He’d like to think he isn’t because if he is, then he should’ve unblocked him because they have to talk about it; about the mark on his neck, the one that’s overlapping his fiancé’s.
He waits for another few minutes and almost gives up because the cold has become unbearable, but as he’s about to leave Kyungsoo appears. The omega is bundled up in a long black padded coat that reaches his ankles, holding a big paper bag full of grocery with two hands.
“Jongin.” Kyungsoo breathes out, surprised. This time Jongin can’t hold back the shiver, his chest tightening. Kyungsoo is here, he’s here, he’s finally here. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.” The words leave Kyungsoo’s mouth in hurry.
The omega walks pass him to unlock the gate door. He struggles to grab the key from his pocket so Jongin silently offers a hand. Kyungsoo is hesitant at first but ends up giving the grocery bag to Jongin.
“We need to talk.”
Kyungsoo shoots him a look, eyes doe and lips frowning. “You shouldn’t be here.” He repeats as he fumbles with his keycard.
Jongin’s jaw clenches. “Is Seonho inside?”
“No.” Kyungsoo shakes his head. The gate opens with a soft click. “But he’ll know you’re here.” He looks around from left to right with wide eyes, and then up to where a tiny CCTV is installed. “You really shouldn’t be here,” he stresses.
From the scent he exudes, Jongin can tell the omega is panicked. He frowns.
“Then would you like to go to my place instead?” He proposes, desperate. At this point he’ll fight Seonho if that what it takes to talk to Kyungsoo. “We really need to talk Kyungsoo. We can’t pretend nothing happened when my mark is on your neck.”
Kyungsoo has the audacity to blush. “I know,” he sighs out. “You’re already here, so let’s just talk inside my place.”
The apartment is small and modern, dominated by white color scheme. It’s tidy and homey and full of Kyungsoo’s natural scent; Jongin discreetly breathes in long and deep, wanting to suffocate himself with the sweetness of it. Strangely, there’s no Seonho’s.
The omega turns on the heater immediately and tells Jongin to make himself comfortable in the living room as he stores the groceries in the kitchen.
Few minutes later Kyungsoo shows up with a tray of tea pot, two cups and a pack of cookies. He’s no longer wearing his long coat and Jongin’s breath hitches when he spots the mark on his neck. It’s purplish and yellow, still looks freshly bitten. If Kyungsoo notices his blatant staring then he’s really good at pretending he doesn’t.
“How long have you been waiting?” Kyungsoo asks as he seats himself on the floor, across Jongin who sits on the couch. The alpha feels rather bad, so he moves and sits on the floor as well. Kyungsoo blinks at him, seemingly perplexed, before he pours the tea into the cups.
Jongin wets his chapped lips. “Ten minutes or so.”
“Don’t lie.”
Jongin sighs. “Forty.”
“In this weather? Are you crazy?”
I marked you even though you’re already mated, so yeah, Jongin wants to say but he settles with; “It’s not that cold to be honest,” and a shrug. “Your ma—Seonho blocked my number on your phone. I think. Was sorta hoping you would, you know, unblock me, so we can talk but you never did.”
Kyungsoo looks down guiltily. “I can’t. I don’t have a phone anymore, I mean, it’s broken. I’m planning to buy a new one tomorrow.” He says, his voice is almost a whisper, like he’s telling a secret no one’s supposed to hear.
Jongin frowns. “Did he hit you?” He asks hotly. Kyungsoo goes quiet and still has his gaze lowered, not daring to meet his. The alpha softens his tone. “Kyungsoo, please tell me, did he hit you?”
“He only slapped me,” Kyungsoo confesses, voice small. “But it didn’t hurt, and there’s no mark, see? So there’s no need to worry.” He quickly adds. “He was—he was so mad, I thought he’d beat me up. He threw my phone at the wall after you called and then he… I know I deserved it, I cheated. We had s—we did that and I let you mark me. I shouldn’t have—we shouldn’t have—“ He blubbers out incoherently.
“Hey hey hey,” Jongin scoots closer. Kyungsoo looks like a second away from sobbing and the sight pains him. “You didn’t deserve it.” Thinking about what Seonho did to Kyungsoo makes his blood boiling but he suppresses his anger and tries to focus on calming the omega down. “It’s my fault. I marked you. What we did was…wrong,” he doesn’t really think so, “But he shouldn’t have done that. He shouldn’t have touched you like that.”
He brushes the cheek Kyungsoo showed him, the skin is unblemished and the flesh is soft underneath his thumb. How dare Seonho tried to paint a bruise on it.
Kyungsoo finally lifts up his eyes, they glisten with tears but not a single drop is shed. “Have we met before, Jongin?” he asks instead, “Before that day,” the day of the interview. “Because I feel like we have. The way you say my name, it always sounds familiar. And the way you…on that night…It’s strange. I feel like I know you—have known you for long, but I know I don’t.” He looks down, biting his lower lip. “Sorry, it sounds stupid. Forget I’ve ever said anything.”
“It’s not stupid,” Jongin shakes his head. “I feel it too. I don’t think we’ve ever met though, because if we had, I would remember.”
Kyungsoo stares wordlessly and Jongin stares back. He can’t bring himself to look away, not when Kyungsoo’s looking at him like that, like he’s the only one that matters.
“You’re right, I would remember too,” Kyungsoo says as he places his hand on top of the hand that’s resting on his cheek. “I wouldn’t forget you, I don’t think I could.” His scent is getting keener, turning sickeningly sweet, luring Jongin in.
Jongin can’t help it. He leans down and Kyungsoo’s lips are his.
The kiss is hesitant and slow at first until it’s not—until it involves biting and licking and then Kyungsoo is on his lap.
Everything tastes sweet; the kiss, the warmth, the weight of Kyungsoo’s body in his hold, the way he trembles and the way his mouth searches for his, seemingly not wanting to part. The longer they kiss the faster his heart beats, and the more he feels like he’s home. It feels right to have Kyungsoo in his arms.
Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo is all he can think about as his hands slide down, caging Kyungsoo’s wide hips then cupping his round rear. They rut against each other desperately, drunk on hormones and pheromones, as their kiss deepens.
He’s hard and so is Kyungsoo. The latter is leaking; he can feel the dampness on the tips of his fingers, he presses and rubs them harder on the clothed split, where the entrance is. It’s wet and warm and waiting for him to breach in.
It’s Kyungsoo who breaks the kiss, eyes dazed while lips red and swollen and glisten. Jongin want to kiss him again, but before he could Kyungsoo says; “Talk. You said we need to talk.”
“Right.” Jongin puts no effort to conceal the disappointment in his voice. “We need to.” But none of them moves. Kyungsoo is still on his lap and his hands are still on Kyungsoo’s ass. “We need to talk.” He repeats. Kyungsoo only blinks at him. Alright then, we’ll talk like this, he thinks and then notices the purplish and yellowish patch on the omega’s neck. “Does it still hurt?” He asks, referring to his bite mark.
“A little.” Kyungsoo answers, eyes not leaving Jongin’s. “It’s itchy too.” He shudders and jerks his hips when Jongin touches it, making it harder for both of them in their current position. “And sensitive,” he adds after, blushing.
“What did Seonho say about it?” Certainly the alpha isn’t happy his mate has been marked by somebody else.
Kyungsoo’s face turns mellow in an instant. “He called me whore for letting you marked me. He didn’t—well, hasn’t said anything about the mark itself. I haven’t seen him since Christmas morning. I’m not sure if getting rid of it is possible. Besides, finding a doctor who’s willing to try will be difficult, since, you know…” The marks overlap and they belong to two different people. It’s taboo and a self-righteous doctor would want Jongin to be jailed.
Jongin nods in understanding. The mark most likely can’t be undone, he’s expected it. “So what now?” What does this make us? He wants to ask but decides not to.
“I don’t know. What should we do? What should I do?”
“Leave him.” Jongin answers in a heartbeat without thinking.
Kyungsoo looks at him like he’s mad before he removes himself from his lap to sit on the floor. He tries not to feel disappointed by the omega’s reaction. “It’s not…it’s not that simple, Jongin. We’re engaged. He’s my fiancé.”
“Call it off,” Jongin shrugs and earns himself another scandalized look from Kyungsoo. “Why him?”
“What do you mean?”
“Out of all people, you are with him and he’s not exactly…” Jongin trails off, remembering the night he saw Seonho; his unpleasant scent, his leering eyes, the way his advancements got rejected by the omega, how he let another alpha blatantly disrespecting his mate, and his violent outburst after he found out about their affairs.
Is Kyungsoo happy with him? Jongin can’t imagine it. He doesn’t look like he’s happy. They don’t look like they’re mates, at least not on that night. Why did he let Seonho mark him in the first place?
“It was an accident.” Kyungsoo says, seemingly able to read his mind. “One of my co-workers got promoted and she invited the whole division to go out drinking to celebrate it. I didn’t want to go because I was in pre-heat state, but she’s my senior and everybody was going, so I couldn’t really say no.” He pauses. “We went to a bar downtown. I met Seonho there. On the next day I'm already his."
“You were drunk,” Jongin concludes. Kyungsoo drops his gaze again, nodding and seemingly ashamed. “Did you consent? Did you give him the permission to mark you? To touch you?”
“I don’t remember,” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I was drunk and also in pre-heat state. He was too, drunk I mean. I only remember he approached me and then it’s all blurry to me. When I woke up I was already in his bed, with him beside me. He said he’d take responsibility and I said yes.”
“By marrying you.”
The omega nods. “His family is conservative. He is too, kind of. I think he feels like he’s obliged to marry me because I’m an omega and marked by him, even though the marking was accidental. When he introduced me to his parents he said we’ve been dating for some time and he marked me after he proposed to me. He said they’d go ballistic if they found out what actually happened.”
Jongin says nothing as his brain takes it all in. Seonho and Kyungsoo’s situation sounds complicated and now with him in the picture, it’ll bound to be even more so.
It’s quiet again for a while.
“Do you want to?”
“Want what?”
“Marry him.”
Kyungsoo laughs at that, though it sounds hollow and sad. “No, but what choice do I have? Even if I declined my body would still need him because his mark is on me. Though I’m not sure about now.” He mumbles out the last part.
“Well, then leave him,” Jongin urges on, his words spill out harshly from his mouth without him intending to. “If you don’t want to marry him, then you don’t have to,” he says sternly.
“It’s not that—“
“Simple. I know, but you have me now. I can take care of you too,” better than he can, he wants to add, but Kyungsoo himself seems to hear the words even though none is said. “I will,” he promises.
Kyungsoo looks like he’s contemplating it, like he wants to say yes.
“We don’t have to get married. We don’t have to be anything if you don’t want to,” Jongin offers, licking his lips after the words leave his mouth.
They don’t have to, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t want to.
“I know marked omegas need their mates when the marks are new, or when they’re, uh, in heat. I’ll take care of you. My mark overlaps his and it seems you—“ want me more than you want him, “—and I are more compatible.”
Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything, biting his lip instead so Jongin continues.
“I can try to mark you again, if you want me to. Maybe it could work. Two marks should be stronger against one. You can mark me back too, to make it fair.” The offer makes the omega lifts up his head and goes wide eyed.
“But…you’re an alpha.”
Marking people of higher ranks is almost unheard. It’s uncommon for omegas to mark their betas or alphas back, but some pairings do it even though it’s considered as something that goes against traditions. Jongin has met two alphas who have marks on their shoulder and neck, given by their omega spouses.
“It doesn’t matter.” Jongin shakes his head. “I marked you, it’d be fair if you mark me back, don’t you think? I’ll be yours as much as you’re mine.”
The perplexed look remains on Kyungsoo’s face until he looks down again at his laps, fingers playing with the hems of his sweater. Jongin notices his nails are short and bitten.
“I…I don’t know, Jongin.”
Wordlessly, Jongin reaches for his wallet and Kyungsoo goes wide eyed when he pulls out the ring—the look on the omega’s face tells him he didn’t realize it was forgotten. He places the ring on the table and pushes it towards Kyungsoo.
“Honestly I don’t think I can bear seeing you coming back to him,” this time it’s Jongin who looks down, gaze focused on the silver ring on the table. It’s pretty, he supposes, and suits Kyungsoo well. “But if that’s what you’re gonna do, you can still have me—I’ll take care of you still, when your body needs it, if your body needs it. Unless Seonho is enough.”
Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything so Jongin gets up and grabs his coat he’s placed on the couch. “I’ll give you some time to think.”
“Are you leaving?” Kyungsoo asks instead, surprising him a bit.
“I am.” He nods slowly, eyeing Kyungsoo’s blank expression.
“It’s snowing outside.”
“Don’t worry about it, I live close by.”
“It’s snowing.” Kyungsoo insists and Jongin finally gets it.
He can’t help but to smile a little. “Earlier you said I shouldn’t be here.”
“That didn’t stop you to be here now.”
“That’s true. Do you want me to stay?” Kyungsoo goes quiet; looking down and biting his lip instead, so he tries again. “I’ll stay if you want me to.”
The omega nods.
“Alright, then I’ll stay.” Jongin announces, placing his coat back on the couch.
To his surprise, Kyungsoo stands up and hugs him. “I don’t want it.” He mumbles against his chest; his voice gradually becomes louder as more words, his confession, spill from his mouth. “I don’t want to go back to him. I don’t want to marry him. I don’t want him.” The hold he has against the back of the alpha’s shirt tightens. “I want you.”
Jongin’s heart skips a beat before it rapidly pounds against his ribcages. His lips twitch into a small fond smile as he hugs Kyungsoo back, tucking his head underneath his chin. “Then say yes to me.” He pleads, hand gently brushing the omega’s hair. “Say yes to me and I’ll be yours.”
*
Kyungsoo’s bed smells even more like him, Jongin realizes as he sits on the edge of it. Kyungsoo stands in between his parted legs, entrapped by his knees on each side, so he has to crane his neck up a little to take a good look at his face. Their fingers are intertwined; his left hand is linked to Kyungsoo’s right one.
He loves the feeling of Kyungsoo’s smaller hands against his; the skin soft and the flesh warm.
He has kissed him again after he told him yes, and things escalated quickly afterwards until the omega put a temporary end to it. “Not here,” Kyungsoo said—sighed out, with swollen lips and red tinted cheeks, “Bed.” Jongin nodded, dazed and drunk on sweet pheromone the omega emits, complied to the request immediately.
So here they are, in Kyungsoo’s bedroom, on his bed. No trace of Seonho can be found; neither his scent nor his belongings. Jongin wonders if that means Kyungsoo lives alone, and if he really does, then why he has looked so worried Seonho would find out he’s sneaking in another alpha here?
He wants to ask, there are so many things he wants to know about Kyungsoo, but his brain stops working the moment Kyungsoo straddles his thighs and bends his neck down to reconnect their lips. Kyungsoo lets go of his hand in favor to run his fingers through his hair, pulling it slightly without causing any pain.
The kiss is desperate and demanding but no less sweet than the previous one. He grips Kyungsoo’s wide hips to make sure he won’t slip and fall, and kisses him back with the same fervor.
When his hands slither under Kyungsoo’s shirt and begin to caress the skin beneath, Kyungsoo shudders and lets out a moan—breaking their lip locking momentarily. The omega’s scent flares up and its sweetness intensifies.
Jongin feels slightly light headed but excited beyond measure, like he’s drunk and high on sugar, hungry and encouraged by Kyungsoo’s scent.
Their clothes are shed and forgotten on the floor, and he’s not surprised when he sees Kyungsoo’s already hard, his inner thighs and buttocks are glistened with slick. He himself is hard too, with his knot has slightly formed and is steadily swelling.
It’s not supposed to happen, none of them is in rut or heat—and if Kyungsoo were, Jongin’s sure he would’ve gone feral the moment he inhaled his scent—so the only explanation he can come up with is that their bodies want each other so much to the point it changes their biological clocks.
It’s not love, he’s well aware, but it’s not purely lust either, at least not on his part and he has no doubt Kyungsoo is the same. Mere lust wouldn’t cause the ache in his heart. Mere lust wouldn't make Kyungsoo chose him.
It’s not love, but it might as well be, and it could be—it shall be. Jongin knows whatever he currently feels would grow into love eventually, because Kyungsoo is already precious to him despite the very little time they’ve spent together, despite there are so many things he still doesn’t know about him.
His heart soars when he’s inside Kyungsoo again; the omega winces slightly, due to their position his size feels much bigger because it allows him to reach deeper, but keeps going and slowly engulfs everything he has to offer until none is left.
In an effort to comfort him, he rubs gentle circles on his hips and licks and sucks on the bite mark—his bite mark—making him shudders and whines and tightens even more around him. “You feel so good,” he showers him with praises and encouragements, in between bites and kisses as his lips aren’t yet ready to part from tender skin, “You’re doing so well, so good for me.”
Kyungsoo responds to him with even more flushed cheeks and a strained smile that doesn’t last long, his lips part and form a small ‘o’ when his hips begin to shift and then gently rotates, moving in a circling motion. The pain subsides and leaves him completely and he bounces excitedly, prettily, making Jongin unable to take his eyes off of him.
“Jongin,” Kyungsoo gasps out before he slows down and buries his face in the crook of the alpha’s neck, kissing and nibbling the tanned skin.
Jongin takes it as a cue to take over and thrusts up, gripping Kyungsoo’s hips tighter as their owner flops down—limply, tiredly—on top of him. He bares his neck, giving the omega more expanses of skin and a silent permission to mark him back.
It doesn’t take much for Kyungsoo’s orgasm to hit him, and when it does instead of letting out a garbled moan, he bites the alpha neck and huffs against the skin. His blunt canines pierce through the flesh, causing blood to seep out and taint his lips with red.
The bite triggers Jongin’s own orgasm and he thrusts up for one last time, pushing his entire length in one go including his swollen knot, and he shoots his loads deep inside the omega. He shudders when Kyungsoo begins to tend the mark he’s just made, licking and kissing it softly. He can feel he’s not yet stopped coming, the attention Kyungsoo gives to the bite mark prolongs it and intensifies the sensation.
“Mine,” the omega mutters, his voice is slurred. He sounds sated and tired.
“Yours.” Jongin says back, hands caressing Kyungsoo’s spine as he goes lack in his embrace. He can feel Kyungsoo nods against his skin.
“I’m yours too, Jongin. Only yours.”
*
Jongin spends the rest of December with Kyungsoo; and instead of getting shitfaced with the guys he went to college with, he celebrates his New Year’s Eve with the omega. It’s nothing grandeur but still quite meaningful for him, since it’s the first time for Kyungsoo to visit and spend the night at his place.
They eat the dishes Kyungsoo's cooked and cuddle for the rest of the night. When the clock hits 12 they watch the fireworks blooming in the sky from the balcony.
Jongin bites him again after, per Kyungsoo’s request, and now the omega has two marks on his neck.
January comes and everything goes well so far, too well even, Jongin almost forgets about Seonho’s existence; that he’s been the first alpha who marked Kyungsoo and because of that technically Kyungsoo still belongs to him, not Jongin.
It’s on Kyungsoo’s birthday that reality hits him again.
Jongin unlocks the gate of Kyungsoo’s apartment with a smile on his face and a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He’s learnt Kyungsoo adores flowers, loves the fragrance even more.
He’s contemplated to buy him an actual gift, like a watch or bracelet or necklace, but he’s not sure if he’ll like it or if they’re already at the stage where he can give the omega such things. He’s planning to take Kyungsoo on a date tonight, hoping it would suffice for his birthday gift.
They hug, kiss and do more, but nothing between them has been established except that they belong to each other. He doesn’t know what they are, doesn’t know what he is to Kyungsoo, but he doesn’t make an effort to find out; to make Kyungsoo say it. He’s quite content with what they have, for now, labels still haven’t yet mattered to him.
What matters is that he and Kyungsoo are happy—he seems happier and bubblier than he’d ever seen him. He glows whenever he smiles or laughs and Jongin can feel he’s quickly falling for the omega. His chest still tightens when Kyungsoo says his name, but it’s not painful this time; and instead of longing, every time he hears the words spill from Kyungsoo’s mouth, he feels elated, peaceful even. He loves his voice, and loves it even more when he says his name.
He didn’t expect he’d see Seonho and Kyungsoo in the hallway, arguing—or more like Seonho is yelling at Kyungsoo while the latter evades him and tries to get inside his apartment.
“Let go.” Kyungsoo hisses when Seonho grabs his hand with too much force, causing him to drop his keycard. “You’re hurting me.”
Jongin sees red and without thinking he runs, grabs Seonho by the shoulders and punches him square in the jaw. The impact is strong enough to send the other alpha to the floor.
Seonho spits out profanities before he gets up and returns the blow Jongin has just given him. Jongin manages to avoid the first, but not the second.
He stumbles back, he’s lucky his footing is strong enough to support his weight, and tastes the iron of his own blood; Seonho’s punch tears a little skin on his lower lip and his anger flares. He pounces the other alpha a heartbeat later.
He can hear Kyungsoo asking them to stop, but most of his attention is on his assailant whom he manages to knock down again. He’s about to kick him on the chest, but Kyungsoo stops him by hugging him and pulling him from behind.
“Jongin, please, enough—stop, it’s not worth it, he’s not worth it,” Kyungsoo is all but begs as he tries to drag him away from Seonho, “Let’s just go insi—“
“You let him mark you back.” Seonho says; his eyes are on Jongin’s neck. He’s no longer on his back though he stays seated on the floor. “Is that what you want, Kyungsoo? A bitch for an alpha?” He asks, tilting his head to the side as he sneers.
The mockery makes Jongin’s blood boil but with Kyungsoo holding him tightly while smelling distressed and scared it’s hard for him to move and leave the omega. He growls instead but it does nothing to Seonho’s guts, if anything it urges the other alpha to speak even more.
“Just wait ‘till he grows bored of you, he’ll find another alpha to offer himself to.” Seonho adds with a little smirk. “He’s a whore, he’ll spread his legs for anyone who’s willing and he’ll let them mark him like how he did with you. He’ll throw you away like he just did to me. You better leave Jongin, before he leaves you.”
“You better shut up before I—“
“Please, let’s just get inside, Jongin, please,” Kyungsoo begs again, his voice’s a bit shaky. “Jongin, please.”
Jongin hears the urgency in his pleas and as much as he wants to satisfy his alpha’s ego by giving what Seonho deserves for talking so much shit, Kyungsoo is still his main priority.
He places an arm around the omega’s narrow shoulder, side hugging him as they walk towards the door—it is then he realizes the flower bouquet he’s bought is now ruined; the brown paper wrapper is torn and the red and white petals are scattered on the floor. Both of them ignore the insults Seonho spits out, his voice grows louder and louder until he’s practically yelling at them.
Kyungsoo gives him the keycard with trembling hands. Seonho’s voice is finally muffled once they’re inside and the door is shut.
“Where did he hurt you?” He begins and inspects the omega’s wrists to see if there’s any cut or scratch.
“He’s lying,” Kyungsoo says instead, shaking his head and starting to cry. “He’s lying, I won’t do that to you. I won’t spread my legs for anybody—I won’t throw you away. I won’t. I won’t. I promise I won’t. He’s lying. It’s all lies.”
“Don’t cry.” Jongin cups his face and wipes the tears away with his thumbs. “I know he’s lying.”
“I—“ Kyungsoo hiccups, “I won’t cheat on you.”.
“I know. I know you won’t.”
“It’s different—what we have is different, I know it is, I can feel it. I’ve been thinking about you a lot ever since we met on that day, when you shook my hand and forgot to let go. You make my heart ache sometimes, you make me miss you even though I know I shouldn’t, you’re—you were not the person I should’ve missed.” He blubbers out between sobs.
Kyungsoo’s tears are unstoppable at this point but that doesn’t stop Jongin from trying to wipe them away with his hands.
“But I missed you so much. And I still do, sometimes, when you’re not here, so please, don’t leave. Don’t leave me.” The omega buries his face in Jongin’s neck, hugging him tightly.
“I won’t.” Jongin shakes his head as he returns the hug. “You’ve marked me anyway. I’m yours now, so it’s not like I can leave,” he chuckles, trying to lighten up the mood.
Kyungsoo hugs him tighter instead. “I’m yours too.”
“I know.”
“Only yours.” Kyungsoo adds sternly.
Jongin kisses the top of the omega’s head and smiles when Kyungsoo’s scent becomes sweeter, happier, clearly loving the affection he gives. His voice is gentler when he says another; “I know.”
“I’m glad it’s you, despite everything, I’m glad I’m yours.”
Jongin makes a meek sound in the back of his throat, not expecting such words coming from the omega. “I’m glad too, I’m glad you’re mine.”
Despite their circumstances, despite Seonho and his accidental bite mark that can’t be undone, despite the troubles they’ll have to face in the future, he knows Kyungsoo is still going to be his, as he is now, and vice versa. Nothing’s going to change that because the bond they have, even though young and new, feels much stronger than the ones they have with different people. Jongin has felt it the moment Kyungsoo said his name; that he is his.
—end.