Chapter Text
The thing was it’s a Sim trait to present late.
Just like his grandmother, uncle, and even a distant cousin he only heard about in legends. And yet after every generation it seemed easy to forget by the time another rolled around. Maybe that’s why he didn’t speak out when his peers started to associate beta with his name. It bled slowly from Sim Jake a probable Beta, to Sim Jake Beta to be, to simply Sim Jake: Beta.
It was hard to protest when everyone made their assumptions so quickly and said them with a confidence a shy young boy had yet to muster. Soon even his own parents were talking around the word like it was a given to fill in the blank.
“When you find a nice beta partner you’ll understand, son”
“I’m sure nursing school would be best Jakey, that’s a beta dominated field.”
Beta beta beta. Just like dad and mum.
It was so comfortable, like an old sweater knitted to fit around him. So he let the stories fade into old urban legend, his fears of what's to come drained by the assurance that every adult near him seemed to agree. After all, Omegas and Alphas always presented before 16. And Jake Sim had just turned 17 last month.
It should be no surprise then, when Jake kept his mouth shut as his school counselor made the same fatal assumption. The stuffy room and cold breeze of the air conditioner didn’t help, leaving Jake somehow sweating and shivering at the same time. The counselor, a rather taciturn Beta with a slight accent, clacked away on the computer like she was paid by the decibel. Her bright red nails looked fake under the harsh fluorescent above them, but Jake wasn’t sure he knew enough about acrylics to say for sure.
She looked up at him like he was old news, a sentence she was doomed to read again and again, stuck in a purgatory of new faces as she remained the same.
“It says here you're in good academic standing, that's always great. And I see you're in the soccer club- you know it looks good on a college resume to be engaged in extracurriculars.”
Jake did know. Every adult within two seconds of hearing it liked to remind him.
“And here we are almost done just…”
She held a long pause. Her eyes narrowed at the screen as if daring it to continue to display what she was seeing, for once her brow wrinkled in concentration. Jake had a suspicion on what had caught her eye.
“No presentation yet? What trouble…”
She smacked the gum in her mouth with a satisfying crack and leaned over just enough to peer at Jake's shrunken figure.
“Look we all know what you're gonna be kid why bother wasting a whole new locker set for ya. I’m just gonna put you in the Beta one and have it done with.”
Jake didn’t even hesitate to nod. He was and always will be a good boy- an obedient son, a solid friend, a dutiful student. Ultimately he just wanted to bring as much happiness and as least trouble to the people around him as possible. Maybe that should have been the first sign that everyone’s assumptions weren’t quite right.
But then again maybe there were a million. Because that was the thing about assumptions- once you let them go they often fell apart. It was the way Jake supported the people he loved fiercely, nurturing any lost strays he found without a place to go. It was his comforting nature and compelling smile, like a safe haven in the stormy world. It was his small desire to be held, to be cared for, to be gently guided, which he buried deep in his heart. Because it wasn’t very Beta- and that’s what everyone seemed to want him to be.
So Sim Jake fit in. He moved his stuff into a locker right next to his Beta best friend, smiling proud as he closed the front with a slam. Sunghoon just looked amused at the joy beaming off his long term pal.
“Is it so great to be placed here?”
“It is when it means I get to chill with you for a while!”
Sunghoon couldn’t hide his pleased grin. That was one thing he couldn’t help but love about Jake, he never backed down from showing just how much Sunghoon meant to him. For a boy with the emotional expression of a tree trunk, Sunghoon felt like he had learned a lot from Jake’s unapologetic care.
“Yeah, I guess that is pretty cool.”
And for a month, that was that. Nothing really changed. He still sat at the same table bickering with Hoon or gossiping with Sunoo about the latest drama. Apparently someone had started the rumor that the school goddess Yu Jimin was secretly planning to mate with their resident Ace Lee Heeseung once they graduated.
Jake thought it was probably a load of crap considering he hadn’t seen those two more than glance in each other’s vague direction, but you know that’s enough for some. And where popularity lay a lot of whispers was sure to follow.
Jake thought it must be exhausting being under the heat of the spotlight. He wondered how those two ”perfect” students weren’t sweating from all the gazes that burned into their backs. Maybe you knew what you signed up for when you were ranked number one and two in the school while heading the dance and basketball team respectively. Either way Jake was glad it wasn’t him. He was perfectly content to blend into the background, someone generally liked but never scrutinized apart.
And that’s how life passed him. Just day by day, dreaded English assignments to bland school lunch to the buzz of a much anticipated Friday. At least that must have been what was keeping Jake all wired up.
The week had been especially tiring, his body feeling almost like he had a mild flu. His face hadn’t lost color all day, red permanently staining his high cheekbones. Sunoo had expressed some concern at break but Jake waved him off and promised he’d go to the nurse if it was too much. He missed the troubled stare that lingered long after he left.
He missed a lot actually. Too busy sweeping things under the rug to notice what was growing underneath. Even as a sharp cramp hit him at the bottom of his spine he refused to look. As the last bell rung he didn’t even consider leaving right away, not bothering to do much more than wipe the sweat gathering on his brow. There was one more thing he had to do before he left the school: get his P.E. uniform from his locker to wash at home.
His mother had scolded him for it one too many times and he knew it meant problems to leave it again. And Jake was a good boy. One that was so eager not to cause trouble.
It only really hit him once he was uncontrollable shivering on the stiff wooden bench that he was an idiot. His head was spinning so badly he had to rest it between his tucked up knees, jaw clenched as he tried to hold on. But it was over. Beta Sim Jake was falling away to pieces, something else clawing its way out from under the carpet. Something that refused to be brushed aside a minute longer.
Jake could hardly think, mind processing the same realization again and again. The word popped up and he pushed it back down, biting his lip as a whimper escaped him. His forehead bumped into the mercifully cold metal in front of him and Jake moved on instinct to curl around the lockers as best he could. His whole body was starting to throb now, an ache as inescapable as the truth bubbling inside him.
Omega.
Jake finally let it fully form. Here almost completely swept up into his heat he had to. He had run and run but the riptide was dragging him under the water filling his lungs again. His spine burned like it was dripping with boiling water and his back arched off the floor. He could hear a desperate pant and a loud groan in the formerly silent room.
“Please… Please!”
It was him. Begging, shivering, squirming on the ground. Senses overloaded with stronger smells and deeper cravings than he’d ever come close to before. He could barely remember why it even mattered now- of course he was an Omega. And he craved to be satisfied, to fulfill what his body was made for. It felt animalistic the way his instincts took over as he fell apart on a cold tile floor.
He gasped as he rubbed along tight thighs, his mouth trembling as his fist balled up in his shirt. The air stung as he breathed it in with more desperation than ever- willing to try anything to cool this fever.
His tongue tasted the salt on his skin as he bit his lip so hard he thought it might begin to bleed. Yet he was numb to any pain but the one at his core, his muscles clenching as he tried to hold it all in one last time.
His own thoughts were so loud he didn’t even notice the door open, at least not until the smell hit him. A few footsteps barely registered but the smell . Oh, that smacked him into oblivion.
Sharp and strong, as natural as wood and as spiced as pepper, and most of all- icy cool. It felt like liquid menthol to his airway and Jake gulped it down with greed. Finally his ears worked too, just enough to process a thump and a loud shout.
“Fuck!”
Jake's eyes fluttered open, long lashes framing the vision of Lee Heeseung standing before him. Perhaps standing wasn’t the right term. He was collapsing, sinking slowly with his back against the wall and a large hand clasped across his nose and mouth. His normally wide eyes were circles now as the shock set in. His hand already shook with a small tremor, his gaze stuck on Jake’s sprawled figure.
For a moment they just took each other in. Jake had seen Heeseung plenty of times in the hallway and gym, passing by briefly or flying through the court as the whole school cheered him on. He knew what his giggle sounded like behind him in history class and he thinks he might have even borrowed a chewed up pencil from him. But now Jake consumed him whole.
Devoured the strong set of his brows, the sharp cut of his chin, the striking outline of his adam's apple in his throat as he swallowed. Lee Heeseung was everything Alpha. Had been since he presented 3 years ago at 15, one of the first of their grade to do so.
Everyone had celebrated like it was their own son, patting him on the back with a weird amount of investment. But it had just been so expected- so perfectly Heeseung to be an Alpha. And people loved when others met their expectations.
But there was still some curse to the status. A weakness to pride, a susceptibility to anger, an urge to fulfill the need the body always whispered. And while Heeseung was a man of surprising control, he was after all an Alpha.
One who had wandered in at just the wrong time. He was only in search of the notebook he had let Jungwon borrow, an apologetic text letting him know it was still in his gym locker. He almost didn’t bother to get it- the test wasn’t until Wednesday after all. But Heeseung hadn’t gotten to number one by telling himself it was fine to stall.
The truth was it couldn’t have been anything different. Heeseung would have never ignored the way his nose had scrunched before he opened the door if it hadn’t been the Beta’s locker room. He wouldn’t have stepped inside, fighting his instincts warnings, if he hadn’t been so sure it couldn’t be what it sounded like. It never would have occurred if he didn’t assume the truth first.
But be it a small set of mistakes or destiny’s relentless hand, here they both were. Eyes searing into each other as the beat of a heart reached fever pitch. Heeseung’s breaths were coming out in pants and Jake's body was still in the long stretch of silence. Jake watched as Heeseung tore his eyes away just long enough to glance at the door like it was within heaven's reach. But no savior came bursting through the entrance.
“Alpha…”
Jake was the moon high in the midnight sky, his pull inescapable to the current that flowed below. When Heeseung’s focus snapped back to his presence, Jake knew the future was sealed. Heeseung was carried by the waves as he staggered up and onward. His body was sluggish, too full of the blood that pulsed relentlessly in his ear. It washed the world into a rhythm as the steady beat drove him wild.
The initial touch of skin was the crackle of summer’s first storm. Jake felt more than heard the gasp that escaped his widening mouth. How could a simple grip on his arm bring such mercy? Jake’s clouded mind sharpened in a full body point. It filled him with greed for just a little bit more, just a chance at salvation. He extended a shaking hand of his own, resting it at the junction of Heeseung’s neck. The muscles tensed under his touch and Jake bit his nails into it’s flesh.
“Please, Alpha please …”
Heeseung growled loud enough to make Jake freeze on the spot. Large eyes sunk into slits as Heeseung’s other arm wound its way around Jake’s waist. It pulled him up just enough to feel the press of their chests causing a choke out of Jake’s tightly wound throat. Heeseung’s breath tickled Jake’s ear as he whispered a simple secret.
“I’ll give you what you need, Omega. Always.”
A fission ran through the image of Sim Jake. It pulled at stitched up seems until nothing was left but unraveled string. A part that had been buried for so long had just been seen, observed, recognized finally for what it was. A gaze so tender it cut to the core was all it took for Jake to pull harder than ever, finger’s tangling into thick hair as he pressed his mouth in furfirsh hope for more.
Immediately his passion was tamed into bite sized pieces, Heeseung guiding his mouth to a more comfortable slide. Jake melted so quickly Heeseung’s hand rushed to catch the back of his head. The pressure was overwhelming but the reward was worth every gasp for air. For a moment Jake was outside of his body, far from his own mind. He was nothing but five senses firing at full power.
His skin rippled at the slow slide of Heeseung’s fingers up his torso and Jake whined through another shiver as his shirt was peeled away. It felt too fast and tortuously slow as Heeseung warmed his skin all over with soft touches and light scratches.
Jake could only clench his jaw in a sob as a mouth sealed onto his neck with punishing suction. Teeth scraped the sensitive spot right above his shoulder and Jake sunk his head into Heeseung’s chest as tears gathered at the ends of his eyelashes.
Flushed, whining, curling and unfurling.
What must Jake look like if Heeseung was observing him with that gleam in his eye. It was quiet power, unmistakable control. Heeseung didn’t force his body to move, he simply pointed the way and waited for him to follow.
And to be honest it felt like nothing but relief. Jake knew how to proceed, after all Heeseung was showing him the path. No doubts, no mistakes, no move just waiting to see if it was right. Here in a tight hold, Jake felt a taste of freedom for the first time.
Jake could only sigh in relief as his pants finally met his shirt's fate. Any other day Jake would be too embarrassed by the soaked state of his boxers to let Heeseung bunch it in his grip, but today he just moaned as it too was peeled away. Heeseung’s arms refused to let his bare skin back on the tile, his hips suspended a few inches above the ground. Jake lost his last bits of sound mind as their bodies fully pressed together, spine arching to deepen the touch.
Heeseung ground their hips together extracting mewls and pleas from Jake’s plush lips, the words sliding off his tongue straight from his center. He was stripped down to bare emotion- pleasure, pain, want, blinding numbness- each one causing his fingers to curl and his eyes to overflow. Heeseung pressed a surprisingly tender kiss under one eye that tasted like sweet saline.
Heeseung swept his hand gripping Jake’s hips lower and met the warm sticky mess below. Jake's eyes fluttered shut as he finally felt a touch where his body had been craving, his legs spreading instinctively wider to welcome the intrusion. He heard a sigh from above, something long and deep, that shuttered at the end of the breath.
He peeked his eyes open and really stared at the man on top of him, his brow wrinkled in an intense concentration. Even in his haze Jake could appreciate the alpha was handsome. Sweat slicked dark hair back, small sections falling back out onto his forehead to frame his sculpted face. His ears were flushed red with effort and his eyes were lidded low. A quick swipe of his tongue on his lips brought an even darker color to Jake’s cheeks. In his admiration however, he had lost track of Heeseung’s actual intention.
Which is why he seized with shock at the first press of a thick finger inside him. Jake gasped as he felt every centimeter inside, initial pain releasing the moment he felt the endorphins kick in. He lost track of his mouth- the moans and groans and sighs escaping him were new to his ear like they were not his own. One became two became three. Jake always craved more by the end of each addition. He knew satisfaction wouldn’t come until he got what he really needed.
And Alpha was going to give it to him. If there was anything Jake could read in the pursed line of Heeseung’s mouth and glazed eyes, it was determination. Heeseung didn’t bother to hesitate any longer and released Jake’s hip just long enough to get his own pants pulled down to his thighs. Jake whined at the fact that the other clothes had stayed on, but couldn’t put enough words together for it to be properly known.
When Heeseung slipped free Jake paused his whining just to stare. It was so thick and a deep red at the tip that shined with precum. Instantly Jake could feel his own body respond with a gush of slick dripping down to the floor below, his mouth falling open in a long shaky moan. Heeseung’s lips flipped up with a smug turn as he took in the reaction that rippled through Jake’s lithe torso.
His mouth tucked itself back into the crux of Jake’s neck, teeth lining up at the most delicate spot as his dick did the same below. Jake was pinned in from all sides, his hips clasped into a tight hold and his throat clenched between a powerful jaw. In the end all he could do was wrap his legs around Heeseung’s waist and sink into the embrace with complete submission.
One long second held them suspended, moments before the inevitable, seconds away from a powerful shift in both their fates. Everything and nothing had changed before this- the step of no return. But this act was written in their DNA, as old as mankind itself, and no modern sense could stand in the way of ingrained desire.
Jake didn’t dare to breathe before he felt the first press to his opening, the air leaving his lungs all at once. He squeezed his eyes shut as the wide head pushed inside and his spine tingled with shocks of electric stings.
As was the theme of the hour it was way too much and still too little. His muscles unlocked just enough to get another inch and his eyes rolled back to the heavens. By now his body was shivering nonstop, the pain choking up his throat as he gasped for more air than he could get.
Heeseung sunk open mouth kisses into his neck and shoulders, his thumb digging a comforting circle into his hip bone. Jake tried to focus on the small acts of kindness as the alpha drove mercilessly deeper, slow but relentless, filling Jake so fully he was convinced it would never end. The heat that had been haunting him since the minute he entered the room reached a new peak as his body fully flushed.
Finally he could feel the press of Heeseung’s hips to his own. His toes flexed with the effort not to move, although if he would push away or jerk closer he couldn’t say. The only sound in the room was the pants that echoed off the walls. Jake’s body ached in a way he never imagined it could, the pain like the burn of mouthwash- almost unbearable yet so satisfying. After all, this is exactly what his body had needed.
Jake let out a noise almost above human hearing at the sensation of the first thrust. His blunt nails drew deep welts along the top of Heeseung’s shoulders as he clung on for dear life. Heeseung’s mouth nipped along Jake’s jaw as he moved up and down as slow as he could bear, pride inflating at the plethora of noises coming from the boy below him.
At that moment they were simply Alpha and Omega. One in need and one filled with the desire to satisfy it. Thoughts of identity and consequences were absolved for pure emotion and sensation. Raw and yielding they both forfeited themselves to deeper urges, sharing in a primal connection.
Heeseung’s movements grew sloppier as Jake’s voice cracked on a well placed jab. Pleasure overwhelmed Jake to the point that any pain morphed back into bliss. His throat must be raw but it couldn’t have mattered less, his mouth unable to close. His limbs shook with the effort to hold himself up as his hips were pounded, the rhythm climbing as he felt his core tighten until it snapped.
Nothing could be mistaken for the scream he let loose as he felt his mind and body blank into fuzzy white euphoria. His eye’s rolled and his thighs vibrated in Heeseung’s tight hold. He cut off with a choke as the pace only increased, his voice almost a sob as he called out Alpha again and again.
Heeseung seemed on the verge himself, each shove inside accompanied by a deep groan. His grip was firmer than ever and Jake shook like a leaf in his arms. The base of his knot was beginning to catch, just enough to have both of them clenching their teeth hard. Jake was limp but his core still tightened on each impale, body unwilling to let go when it was so close to getting what it wanted.
The next thrust was harder to fit, then the next harder than the last. Jake full on howled as the knot reached its final swell, his body stretched beyond belief, his mind a mess of too many nerves firing at once. Heeseung moaned low and shaky right in his ear as the Alpha pushed inside his first release. His canines sharpened to a point, mouth hovering right where it wanted to sink into.
Jake reached up a desperate hand and curled it around the back of Heeseung’s head. The second Heeseung’s lips touched skin they parted to reveal a wide set of pearly teeth- ones that dug straight into delicate flesh. The bite stung like crazy before it all went completely, blissfully blank.
Nothing mattered anymore. Not the sweat, not the ache, not the way their bodies shivered in the drafty locker room. All they felt was the ambrosia of total completion. At that moment Jake couldn’t tell where he began and Heeseung ended. Two bodies pulsed with the same heart beat, their senses wired for only one other person. Some said mating was the most beautiful moment one would ever have in this life, the kind of fulfillment meant for fairy tales.
Perhaps they weren’t wrong.
Jake wasn’t sure how long it lasted or when it ended. One moment he felt everything and nothing and the next he was cold. His feverish skin had chilled and the sweat on his body was catching every light blow of air.
He hummed in delight as two warm thighs lifted up to cage him around where their hips sealed together and two thick arms tucked him in tighter to a heaving chest. Jake nuzzled into the crux of Heeseung’s throat, glad to get his nose closer to that comforting scent. His head was still much too soupy for real thoughts, but he felt a pang of gratitude for the Alpha that took care of him.
Not just an Alpha- his Alpha .
Jake’s omega instincts purred at the possessive, the throb of his neck more than enough proof of what had just occurred. But if he was still happily lost in an overheated brain the same could not be said of the Alpha above him.
Heeseung’s eyes peeled open with a reluctant parting, his vision forcing him to reckon with reality. There were dented gray lockers lining his back and a warm body that smelled of sweet citrus on his lap. More than on- in .
Jake just heard one word as his high crashed down around him, the world coming through with a loud crack.
“ Fuck.”
Heeseung swallowed something so large it threatened to choke him until he passed out. He could physically feel his pupils start to shake.
“I think I need to call my mom.”
…
Jake sat sprawled in the bathtub shoving out every single thought that entered his head.
No fully formed coherent sentence could be helpful two solid weeks into his ruin. The hoodie clinging to his torso had been there the last three days and he was beginning to form a headache from laying down too long. But what was the alternative? Go down and face the parents who won’t even fully look at him?
Jake let out a tired chuckle. When you’re all out of tears all that’s left is dry humor. It’s funny isn’t it? A little ironic at least. Good boy Beta Jake Sim, always trying to fit in, always trying to play his part, always trying to ease his parents burden, and now look at him.
The white test sticks still lay scattered on the blue tile floor next to the tub, all 3 types his parents had bought this morning. He was sick of pissing at this point. They ‘just wanted to be absolutely sure’. More like they were praying to any god that would listen.
But believe it or not, buying brand name wasn’t going to make a difference this time. Whether it was two pink lines, a plus sign, or an O they all spelled out the same damn thing. Sim Jake was a 17 year old knocked up Omega.
Fuck.
He sure was failing at this head empty thing.
He let his hand come up to cover his eyes from the bright bathroom light, a deep sniff trying to stop the inevitable. Maybe he did have a few more tears in him after all. He curled up on his side, his other hand automatically coming to his middle before he jerked them away at the last second. Instead he tucked it under his armpit in a vain attempt to keep himself warm.
This house was always too cold for him, something he used to whine on and on about to his mom. She would just smile at him fondly and fold down the wisps of his hair, telling him to put on a jacket and then he could ask again. He wondered if he would ever see that adoring look now, her eyes folding up as if she was staring at a troublesome puppy. Suddenly it felt too painful to swallow and he coughed before his eyes could burn again.
His lips trembled but he squeezed them together until they held firm. At this point he simply couldn’t lose the water any more. He had two straight weeks of red eyes and sleepless nights and it had to come to an end somehow. It wasn’t even like his parents were that bad about it.
Sure, they barely acknowledged him, and yeah he heard his mom crying in the living room several times asking what she did wrong, and he has perhaps never felt less loved in his life but… they hadn’t kicked him out. Yet.
That drew another snort from his raw throat, this one darker than the last. In some ways Jake understood. As sad as it is, as awful as he feels, he can’t help but still understand. Because these were his parents: calm, light hearted, and oh so bad with change.
And Jake- well he had quite literally transformed overnight. Their little boy, their soon to be Beta, their never in trouble Jakey was gone so fast it must have felt like he died. And now, he had to watch his parents mourn. Like a ghost in his own house he wandered the halls when no one was looking and wondered if he still had a place left in this world.
God he was being so dramatic. But forgive him if he felt like just maybe this was the end of everything. Because Jake was not just an unexpected Omega, not just a pregnant teen boy, but he was also mated to a stranger. One who could very well want nothing to do with him.
Lee Heeseung. Alpha, a quiet part of him whispered. Jake shuddered at the sound, ripping his hands from his face and letting the white light pierce his eyes again. Maybe that would cleanse him from the thoughts that haunted him.
Life rarely worked so simply. Now all Jake had was a headache and a buzzing that stung the back of his mind. He closed his eyelids again, at least he could get rid of that annoyance. He let out a groan as he shifted, this time dropping his forehead into the worn out sleeves of his old varsity sweatshirt.
To say he hadn’t thought much of the boy would be a fat lie. If anything it was the only thing that occupied his mind when he wasn’t actively sobbing. His parents had informed him that the school had already called to tell the Lee’s about the news. They were going to have a meeting tomorrow night with the school to try and sort out how to proceed.
Jake had tried to seem unaffected when they told him, just nodding in response like he usually did these days. But his mind hadn’t stopped spinning round and round since they spoke about it. His imagination was running wild thinking of all the ways it could have gone down, all the reactions morphing into a million different faces.
Jake didn’t remember the mating perfectly- in many senses it felt as hazy as a dream. But he did recall Heeseung’s carved face as it dripped with sweat, and the calming kisses he pressed into Jake’s forehead once they were done. Jake squeezed his eyes tighter. On instinct his fingers slid up to his neck to find the proof that it was all real in the deep indents of a bite mark.
On the bad days he dug into it just to feel the ache again. It was painful, but it was tangible. And it stopped the way his heart yearned for someone who wasn’t ever going to be there. Jake shook as another wave of self pity crested over his head. Not only did he have his past to bemoan but also his future. An Omega once mated could never have that connection again, although the bond would decay with time. At least some day he wouldn’t have to deal with this bottomless void.
Jake wondered if Heeseung thought of him at all. He must at least a little, he did accidentally mate him for gods sake. For some reason Jake couldn’t picture it. The prince of the school was always so cool-headed, so in control and easy going. He passed by screaming fangirls with a gentle smile and handed in his tests with 20 minutes to spare. It was hard to imagine him crying and shaking over someone like Jake was, just as uncertain of what the future held.
Maybe he was upset but coping, charmingly bashful but ready to move on. His parents were probably shaking their heads and then patting him on the back, telling him it would be alright, he still had plenty to live for. They might be handing him adoption papers, reassuring him it really was for the best.
Jake was just growing bitter here, stewing in his own filth for too long. He took in a long breath and scrunched his nose at the smell. It was time for a shower or maybe a long hot bath. He struggled to his feet and glanced in the mirror for a second, barely recognizing the face staring back. He snapped his eyes to the ground and focused on picking up the pieces once more.
The next day came and went too fast.
Jake would be lying if he said he wasn’t anticipating this moment with both dread and impatience.
The car ride was about as awkward as one could expect considering none of the parties involved had anything to say. Well that wasn’t quite accurate, if Jake had to pinpoint the problem then it would be that none of them had the guts to say it.
That was the issue with this family- none of them were great with confrontation. Which often meant things got swept under the rug, lingering in the unspoken. But some things simply couldn’t be hidden and Jake was feeling like he got a good taste of that this time. Unfortunately that didn’t change old habits, so they sat in the heavy silence until his dad pulled the car into the lot.
Jake was the first to hop out, if not eager to enter the school then simply glad to leave the oppressive atmosphere of before. He slammed the door shut in a way his father never liked but not a single reprimand came his way. He couldn’t believe there was a day when he’d miss it.
They all shuffled into the main office and the secretary looked up immediately. Jake couldn’t help but notice she looked mighty guilty, he wondered what about. Maybe it was just the pity that came with witnessing a kid in the middle of a life shattering meltdown.
Jake shrunk under her gaze, realizing now that this was the first person to see him after the incident. He wasn’t sure how to stand, how to act, how to live his life as a newly made Omega. And a mated and pregnant one at that. His parents ushered him to the waiting area outside the beige wall in the hallway.
There were only two black plastic chairs and his mother carefully sat down in one. Jake waited for his father to join her but he paused, large hand flexing for a moment. He glanced in Jake’s direction- not all the way to his face, but close to his feet at least, and waved a limp arm towards the seat.
“You should… probably, you know.”
Sit, Jake assumed. He should sit because he was an Omega now. Maybe even because he was knocked up. Either way that puts him in a different category: one who sits down. So he dragged himself over to the other chair and folded with as much grace as he could manage.
He tried not to flinch as his mother shuffled, closer or farther away it was hard to tell. If the silence in the car had been heavy the one now was crushing. The tick of the school clock was all the separated Jake from insanity, part of him wanting to jump up and scream and shout. Just to prove it was real. Just to show he was alive.
Finally a firm knock saved them from themselves. The principal looked as plain as always, a tired old suit tugging at the folds of his wrinkled neck. At least Jake knew he wasn’t going to be shocked by anything, not when his lids never moved from half mast.
They made their way into his small personal room, a sturdy oak desk lying in the center of it. There were three chairs on one side of it and Jake almost sighed in relief. His parents and him got settled quickly and quietly, and predictably it was the head of the school that broke the ice to speak.
“So I just spoke to the Lees about what went down and what could potentially happen now. They had some opinions , surely but that’s all I’ll say for now. At this point I’d like to hear from you what your family is thinking.”
His dad cleared his throat, swiftly taking the role left open for him.
“Well to be clear, we understand what happened was an accident. We have no plans to come after the school or the… boy involved, when most of what occurred couldn’t have been avoided.”
The principal simply nodded, neither bowing down in thanks or defensively snapping at the possibility of an accusation. He didn’t look bothered at all, in fact, and Jake envied his calm.
“I’m glad to hear that. It seems that way to us as well. We have determined from what has been told that there weren't any instances of untoward conduct, simply an unfortunate meeting of instincts.”
‘Unfortunate meeting of instincts’. What a polite way to say Jake got thoroughly fucked. Metaphorically and physically for that matter. He held in a snort, just barely.
“Yes, certainly.”
The older man sighed and leaned his chin against his weathered palm.
“So I suppose the only real question is where to proceed from here.”
His dad opened his mouth but closed it in an instant at the principal's raised hand. Jake squirmed as his gaze turned to him, slowly blinking as Jake maintained a speck of eye contact for the first time in weeks.
“If you don’t mind I’d prefer to hear it straight from him. After all, it is his decision to make.”
Any other time Jake would be sure he’d appreciate the empowerment, but now he wanted nothing more than to keep silent. Weirdly enough in all his dreaded spiraling thoughts he hadn’t given much time to this part of the future, not even really considering the next step. Maybe he had just assumed someone else would be making it for him.
“I don’t- I don’t know yet.”
His voice cracked on the second syllable, probably from disuse. Or from the hours of sobbing. Damn life sure had gotten rough.
The principal once again looked unruffled, tilting his head slightly to the side.
“Well your options are somewhat limited. As you probably know, abortions for male Omegas are almost entirly out of the question, the uturoes lies much to close to the spine for the risk to be worth it. If you had severe complications then maybe but, I wouldn’t count on it. That leaves us with adoption, partial foster care, and obviously raising it yourself.”
Jake had heard stories about the foster care system, not in the slightest good. Adoption certainly could be fine but then- then he would have to give up all his rights altogether. And who knows if the home would really be good, all they’d have to do is pass an inspection or two. Almost immediately a sick feeling began brewing in his stomach and without thinking he raised a palm to rest on it. Jake wasn’t sure where the words came from but suddenly he didn’t hesitate to open his mouth.
“I want to keep it.”
His mother audibly gasped. He wondered what her face must look like now. However he kept his gaze strong, eyes firm where they met the man in front of him.
“I doubt the quality of the home the foster care could provide, and adoption…”
He lingered off but his hand tightened. In the end he just shook his head, breaking contact to stare at the floor.
“I see. We will have to discuss everything more of course, but I’m glad you shared.”
Jake felt monumentally small. He was such a fool, declaring such big words when he knew nothing good could come of it. He bit his tongue to cut off a yell that was building in his throat, blinking rapidly. The principal’s voice sounded far away while he explained a few more details.
“I’ll call the Lees back in for a last talk and we can go over thing’s farther. I told them to wait close by so it shouldn’t be long. If you wouldn’t mind waiting outside…?”
Jake took a second to realize that the last part was pointed at him. He stood up one last time and nodded, glancing his parents' way just to be met with the tops of their heads. He walked out without looking back, slumping into the same creaky chair in the hall. His mind wandered and left his body behind. He barely noticed the click of the door and the quiet chatter behind him.
He didn’t really register anything until he heard yelling through the wall. His spine straightened with a shock of fear as a voice rose beyond the normal hum, words muffled but still just clear enough to make out. It was a woman’s voice, shrill in a way that could pierce an eardrum.
“ - ruined my son’s life! How does it not matter how it happened! It’s not like that boy tripped and fell on my son’s dick, he seduced him right through the damn locker room. He was getting offers from Harvard you know, hell Stanford was practically a guarantee! And now what! It’s all over, its all fucking over and you just sit here and-”
Whatever it was that she was going to say was cut off for one reason or another, although it was enough to get the message across surely. Jake sunk his head into trembling hands, his gut churning with equal parts fury and guilt. It’s not that he thought she was right about the seducing part, although looking back he really should have known better, but to hear about the wasted potential- he thinks he might really be sick.
He tried to focus on the ticking of the clock to tide away the deep black hole that was threatening to overwhelm his thoughts. Darker and darker avenues were popping up, all from being disowned right here in the school hallway to the look of resentment that would be on Heeseung’s face the minute he saw him. Oh how bitter he must be, how disgusted with Jake for tearing away all that he was working for.
It’s not like Jake would stop him from leaving. He could still go to Harvard or Stanford or whoever would have him. Even if the thought of it made him want to curl into the smallest ball possible and sob he would never stand in his way! God know’s Heeseung probably was excited to travel to another country, dying to run away from this twist of fate that should have never happened. Itching to never see Jake and their mistake for the rest of his life-
“Jaeyun?”
Jake took a surprised inhale and it was a terrible decision. His nose was flooded with a scent he couldn’t recreate no matter how much he had imagined it. Woodsy, spiced, cooling.
He didn’t want to look up but his instinct, as always these days, overruled him. Tired eyes met a tentative gaze, their connection causing a round of sparks in Jake’s chest. He wanted to slap himself for the strong reaction, especially knowing what must be coming.
“... Yes?”
Jake wished his voice hadn’t come out so close to a plea.
Not when the man standing in front of him was Lee Heeseung.
But it was exactly because of that that Jake felt he couldn’t hold himself back, the emotions he’d been battling for weeks all flooding in at once. It would take little more than a flick of Heeseung’s fingers to peel the layers of Jake Sim back.
“Hey, um, I’ve been meaning to see you.”
That was the first thing to go off his predicted track. The second was the way Heeseung was looking at him. Heeseung’s hair was fluffy for once and it was falling into his eyes as he peered down with a gentle demeanor. He didn’t look… mad persay, although he was certainly not leaping for joy either. Jake tried to untangle the mess of knots in his head, but all he could manage was a nod. It was enough at least for Heeseung to swallow and continue.
“I know we haven’t gotten much time to get to know each other and our meeting was, um, less than ideal. But I’m excited to learn about you and I hope you feel the same.”
Jake simply didn’t take his next breath. The world, the spiraling, the ticking of the clock- it all stopped. He blinked so rapidly he wasn’t sure his eyes were open at all before he leaned in like he was trying to read Heeseung’s words on his smooth face. He knew he must look a little bit crazy but he goddamn was.
“Huh?”
Heeseung started to fidget now. White teeth gnawed at an already splitting lip, fingers pulling at the end of his long black sleeves. He glanced away for just a flash but Jake mourned his focus fully for that second. When he looked back his brows were furrowed.
“Well I just meant, it would be good to get better acquainted since you know, we will be together for a long while.”
There it was again. That implication . An assumption about what the future had in store. Jake let it sink in just enough, settling under his skin where paranoia and loneliness had already dwelled. Just like always with Heeseung he moved before he thought, mouth opening with his raw unfiltered words on the tip of his tongue.
“But that means you're going to stay.”
Now it was Heeseung’s turn to pause, mind visibly churning over his words. Eventually he just settled on a cute head tilt and a curious tone.
“Stay where?”
Jake must be really and truly out of his mind. Completely crazy, lost all grip, to say what leaves him next.
“With me .”
It sounded so pathetic even to his own ears. Jake winced, immediately darting his watery gaze back to the marked school floors. His shoulders crept up to his ears as he tried to calm his rapid heartbeat that threatened to over run his body. Before Jake could offer a single explanation or an even more pathetic chuckle, he saw movement out of the top of his vision.
Suddenly Heeseung was kneeling before him, eye’s determinedly seeking out his own. Two firm hands landed on each of Jake’s knees and he tried not to tremble under the solid touch. He could only breath as best as possible as Heeseung pushed in just a little further, features lit with a fire from within.
“Jaeyun, I don’t know what you think of me, and I guess I can’t blame you for whatever you do assume, but I can promise you one thing. You are my mate, and- and the mother to my child. I know I can’t do much for you but I swear I’ll give you everything I have.”
Something burst, emotions and thoughts long bottled spilling out to fill Jake to the brim. It was a bad habit he was already developing around Heeseung- this outburst of whatever was being pushed deep inside. He didn't even bother to try to stop the sobs from flooding his face, just pressing his aching eyes into Heeseung’s neck as he was pulled into a snug hold.
A child.
No one had ever called it that yet.
Their child.
Jake’s arms wrapped around the alpha’s neck until he was pulled fully into his chest. Comforting strokes made their way up and down his back, his senses drowned in that powerful calming scent. Here it was so easy to be Sim Jake, new Omega. If the outside world had felt strangely foreign then Heeseung’s arms felt oddly familiar.
Like a storm that was quick to pour, his emotions were also quick to drain once expressed. Only a couple minutes after the waterworks started they dried up. And after a few solid sniffles he thought he might have his throat clear enough to speak.
“I want to keep it Heeseung, I- I really do.”
The hold around his waist tightened as Heeseung buried his own face in Jake’s shoulder. Jake could feel the air puff out on his neck as he responded.
“Me too.”
Jake shivered. With relief, with joy, with anxiety for what was to come. It was foolish and it was a lot of trouble, but somehow Jake was willing to risk it. Especially now that he knew he had someone who was truly by his side.
Jake peeled himself away, just enough to get a good look at Heeseung’s features. His eyes were wide, rounded with the glaze of youth, but his hands were as steady as they come. Jake shuttered a breath, an unexpected smile coming to his face as he raised his arm. Heeseung noticed the movement and watched carefully as Jake bent every finger but one.
“Let’s promise. We’re going to be the best we can be, for each other but most importantly for our kid when they come.”
Heeseung’s slow grin matched his own, large eyes sparkling with amusement. His hand rose even as he spoke.
“Really? We are officially mates and you're going to make me promise on a pinky swear?”
Jake huffed a tiny giggle. He enjoyed the tease after long weeks of heavy silence and stilted words.
“Hey! Don’t doubt the magic of a vow made on a good pinky hold.”
Heeseung and Jake’s face matched each other’s large smile as their promised pinkies met in the middle, wrapping around each other in an oath. Jake let his lips lift up until they squished his cheeks and Heeseung whispered a quiet ‘cute’ under his breath.
Jake wasn’t sure what fate the future might hold, but he was willing to assume it was something worth working towards.