Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The classroom smelled faintly like coffee and a variety of other mixed scents; cheap suppressants, nerves, fabric softener, his gaze fell quickly to the windows that were still fogged from the morning rain.

Sunoo pressed the sleeve of his hoodie over his nose for a second before looking around and sitting down near the middle row, he opened his laptop, and adjusted the brightness until the screen stopped glaring back at him.

His own sweet scent of warm brown sugar, tended to slip through whenever the air got too humid. He’d sprayed some suppressants that morning, but they never fully covered it.

He had woken early enough to blow dry his black hair, perfectly straight, falling just past his eyebrows but humidity always made it subtly curl at the ends. He brushed his hand through it, adjusted the glasses resting on his face, and pretended to read some slides from the class.

Media Ethics. He sighed softly to himself, it was one of those elective courses you had to pick just to earn extra credits. He’d chosen this one because it seemed easy and at least not as boring as the others. He even tried to convince Jungwon to take it with him, but his friend was set on the First Aid course. What for, if he was majoring in literature? Sunoo didn’t know.

The door swung open just before the clock hit the hour, pulling his gaze for a moment toward the noise. Someone walked inside, half‑jogging, a little out of breath, backpack hanging loose off one shoulder, Sunoo barely glanced at them before turning back to the glow of his computer screen. Then came the soft thud of shoes beside him, and with it, the warm and strong scent of dark chocolate, unmistakably Alpha.

“Hey, anyone sitting here?” A voice asked.

Sunoo looked up quickly, and a pair of wide, black doe eyes met his. The man in front of him was unfairly handsome, his dark‑blond hair was slightly messy covering his forehead, framing a high nose bridge, a sharp, perfect jawline, and gorgeous tan skin. He was tall, taller than him, and looked slightly older as well, probably a senior. The guy’s gaze lingered on the omega, waiting for his answer, an attractive grin curving across his lips, white teeth catching the faint light.

He was… hot. Very hot, to say the least.

“Uh… No,” Sunoo said curtly after a beat of silence, snapping out of his thoughts and quickly looking away, hoping the blush on his cheeks wasn’t too obvious. 

“Cool.” The Alpha’s voice was easy, unbothered. “Lee Heeseung, business.”

Lee Heeseung.

Sunoo thought to himself. He’s heard that name around campus before, of course he had. The basketball team’s golden boy, he never really put a face to it until now, so this was him.

Sunoo murmured, “Kim Sunoo… literature” though he doubted Heeseung actually cared. 

The alpha nodded softly as the professor started talking, while the class listened, Heeseung leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out, tapping a rhythm against the floor.

Sunoo tried to ignore it as he began typing notes into a document, pretending not to notice the way the air between them carried the delicious mix of dark chocolate and brown sugar.

About ten minutes in, Heeseung murmured, “You think this guy even reads his own slides?”

Sunoo glanced at him. “What?”

“I’m just saying,” Heeseung whispered, “if he did, he’d fix the typos.”

Sunoo pressed his lips together, fighting a smile. “You’re not even paying attention to them.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t judge.”

When the lecture was coming to an end, Heeseung stretched until the hem of a team jersey showed beneath his hoodie, he caught Sunoo’s stare. “Basketball,” he said. “Third string, don’t worry, I’m not famous.” the alpha said in a playful tone.

Sunoo raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t worried.”

Heeseung chuckled under his breath. “You’re funny.”

Then, nodding toward the laptop screen, “Hold on– you actually took notes? Can I borrow them?”

“Maybe,” Sunoo replied.

By the next week, maybe had become habit.

Heeseung always arrived at the last second, smelling faintly of shampoo and the gym air, and Sunoo always pretended not to wait for him, though he stared at the classroom door until the alpha showed up.

Outside of class, they started talking more, first about coursework, then about professors, and even the absurd price of coffee at the campus café.

Soon enough, they exchanged numbers under the excuse of sharing notes, but their conversations quickly drifted to everything else, and Sunoo found that Lee Heeseung was surprisingly… easy to talk to.

That realization unsettled him a little, it made his chest feel too warm, too aware, so he decided to ignore it, for his own good.

୨୧‧₊˚　

Back in the dorms, Jungwon noticed.

They had been roommates since Sunoo’s first semester in college, matched by the housing algorithm since they were both omegas in the same major, and kept together by choice ever since. 

Jungwon had a way of settling into Sunoo’s life effortlessly, he was so friendly, quick to laugh, impossibly kind, caring and soft hearted and somehow always knew what was going on even when no one else did, he could read sunoo like an open book.. it was natural that they had grown close immediately, becoming best friends soon after. They just clicked.

That night, while Sunoo typed up class notes on his desk, Jungwon sprawled across his bed, scrolling through his phone.

“You know, I noticed you keep checking your phone,” he said. “Alpha behavior.”

“It’s not like that,” Sunoo replied without looking up. “It’s just… someone in my class.”

Jungwon rolled onto his side. “Spill now. Who is it?”

“Um, Lee Heeseung?”

Jungwon blinked slowly. “Lee Heeseung… as in the basketball team Lee Heeseung? Like Jay hyung’s teammate?”

“Yes?” Sunoo replied.

“Business major, dark blond, tall?” 

“Yes, Jungwon that Lee Heeseung.”

“Oh…” Jungwon drew the sound out. “You do know what’s being said around campus, right? He’s kinda a manwhore. Jay hyung can corroborate that information.”

Sunoo paused mid keystroke. Jungwon and Jay had been dating for a couple of months now. Jay, also an Alpha and on the basketball team, they were one of those couples people complained about for being disgustingly adorable, inseparable, but in a way that made you happy for them.

“Why do you think I care about that, Jungwon?” Sunoo said finally, pursing his lips.“I’m not going to hook up with him or something, If that’s what you’re worried about, I’m telling you, it’s not like that.”

Jungwon grinned without looking up. “That’s how it starts.”

“Shut up.” Sunoo threw a pen cap at him. Jungwon caught it one handed and kept smiling. 

“No, but Sun… seriously,” he said, sitting up this time. “You have to be careful. People like Heeseung don’t do feelings. I just don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all” he finished, with a serious tone now. 

Sunoo exhaled, the cursor on his screen blinking patiently. “Jungwon, you don’t have to worry about me. Really. Nothing’s happening. Can we talk about something else?”

“Okay, okay,” The omega said quickly, holding up his hands in the air, still unconvinced. “I’ll shut up now. Don’t you want to watch that new drama with me? I’ll heat up some leftovers, so come to my room when you finish that.” He disappeared toward the kitchen, the sound of the microwave door clattering shut behind him.

Sunoo stared at his screen for a moment longer, fingers still hovering above the keyboard.

He didn’t know why the conversation sat so heavy in his chest, or why it left that strange, restless feeling under his ribs.

He shook it off, closed the laptop, and decided to let the evening be what it was, a quiet night cuddling and watching some series with his best friend.

୨୧‧₊˚　

Heeseung texted the night before midterms:

heeseung: you finish the reading?

sunoo: obviously.

heeseung: great, because i didn’t. coffee tmr?

sunoo: fine.

The next afternoon, they met at a café on campus, Heeseung arrived a little late, dark-blond hair still damp, hoodie thrown on like he’d rushed out.

Sunoo noticed the familiar warmth as soon as he got close, unmistakably Heeseung.

“You come straight from training?” Sunoo asked, glancing up from his cup.

Heeseung blinked. “Yeah. Why?”

“Your chocolate scent gets… intense,” Sunoo said quickly, eyes dropping back down, feeling kinda embarrassed.

Heeseung hummed, amused. “Better than smelling like sweat, right?”

Sunoo huffed a quiet laugh despite himself.

“And for the record,” Heeseung added casually, leaning back in his chair, “you always smell sweet… like sugar, it’s nice.”

Sunoo felt his cheeks warm, of course he knew that, everyone did but still, hearing it from the alpha felt different, it made the air feel heavier somehow.

They talked until the light outside faded and the café windows turned into mirrors, when they finally stood to leave, Heeseung promised to send his part of the notes “sometime before graduation.”, Sunoo just chuckled, nodding his head like he believed him.

Once he was settled on his bed, Sunoo’s phone buzzed.

heeseung: made it back?

sunoo: yeah.

heeseung: good. sweet dreams, sugar.

Sunoo stared at the message until the screen almost turned off, then he typed one word, deleted it, and closed the chat. The room was quiet except for Jungwon’s even breathing from the other room and the faint trace of dark chocolate that still clung to his clothes.

Chapter Text

He didn’t see Heeseung much after that week.

Not even around campus, where the Alpha had become a familiar figure since having class together, hanging around with his basketball teammates, heading to the gym with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, always laughing at something and with his big charming smile.

The texts stopped too, no messages asking for his notes, no short replies. Sunoo told himself it didn’t mean anything, he didn’t know what he was expecting but the quiet left him feeling a little unsure. 

In class though, Heeseung was the same, balancing his pen on one finger, tapping out some uneven rhythms on the desk, whispering some silly remark under his breath about the professor that made Sunoo press his lips together to keep from laughing out loud, pretending to keep typing.

But some days, Sunoo noticed how tired he looked, eyes dim around the edges, his dark chocolate scent softer and weaker than usual.

When Sunoo asked his roommate one night, Jungwon told him that the basketball coach was being relentless, that the team barely slept with a big match coming up. Sunoo nodded nonchalantly, pretending it was just another piece of gossip for him.

“Why? Are you worried?” Jungwon asked, raising an eyebrow. Teasing.

Sunoo rolled his eyes at him. “What? I can’t be worried about a... friend?” He replied.

“Oh so you guys are friends now?” Jungwon continued. “You didn’t tell me you were close like that.” he said while picking up his phone and opening his messages, probably texting his boyfriend good night. 

“You’re so annoying, I don’t even know if he actually considers me a friend, anyway” Sunoo said, sighing. “I was just curious, he looked really tired the other day.”

“Don’t say that, Sun. I’m sure he does,” Jungwon said softly, meeting his eyes. “Actually, Jay hyung mentioned he talked about you during practice the other day.” he murmured. 

Sunoo’s head snapped toward the other omega immediately “What??”.

His voice came out sharper than intended. “Why didn’t you tell me?.” He pressed, catching himself afterwards and coughing like he didn’t care. “I mean, it’s whatever… I’m sure he talks about plenty of omegas anyway, I don’t-” he started, words tangling mid sentence.

“Sunoo,” Jungwon interrupted amused, giggling. “Jesus, you almost broke your neck, calm down, oh my god.”

Sunoo shot him a glare sharp enough to kill the laughter, but it only made Jungwon laugh harder.

“He only said you were really kind for sharing your notes,” Jungwon continued, grinning, “and let me quote ‘laughing at his very stupid jokes.’”

Sunoo froze and his heart skipped once, like it had tripped over itself.

“Anyway,” Jungwon said with a yawn, ignoring Sunoo’s internal mess and already heading for his room, “you need to stop overthinking everything, I told you this so many times.”

“Good night, love you.” He blew a kiss.

Sunoo mimicked the yawn as he stood up. “Okay, okay, love you too, Jungwonie, good night.”

Once he was snug in his bed, the dorm quiet except for the soft snores coming from the next room, Sunoo told himself it didn’t matter and yet, his thoughts still drifted to the Alpha until sleep came to him.   

୨୧‧₊˚　

The days passed in a blur and a week later, the professor’s voice carried over the rustle of papers. “For the upcoming media ethics final project, you’ll be working in pairs,” he said, scrolling down a list.

Names echoed off the walls, a blur of chatter until.

“Lee Heeseung and Kim Sunoo.”

The sound of his name next to Heeseung’s made him look up before he could stop himself. Next to him, Heeseung was already smiling, as if the universe had just confirmed something he’d been waiting for. 

After class, Heeseung caught up easily, sneakers soft against the hallway floor.
“So, you’re free this week?”

Sunoo glanced over, confused. “For what?” The dark chocolate filled the air between them, distracting him.

“The project,” Heeseung said like it was obvious, falling into step beside him.

Right. The project, Sunoo mentally scolded himself, of course, the project, idiot.

“We can do it at my place, you know,” Heeseung continued. “It’s close, quieter, too.”

“You mean your dorm?” Sunoo asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“My apartment,” Heeseung replied easily. “It’s off campus, better lighting, better food.” He brushed a hand through his hair, looking unfairly handsome for someone who had just walked out of class.

“You cook?” Sunoo asked before he could stop himself, eyes darting away from the alpha.

Heeseung grinned. “Enough to impress.”

Sunoo hummed, pretending indifference. “The library is fine.”

“Too quiet,” Heeseung said. “It makes me sleepy.”

“That’s your problem.”

Heeseung tilted his head, still smiling. “Friday, six?”

“I never said yes.” Sunoo bit back a smile.

“You didn’t say no.”

The omega exhaled, already giving in. “Text me the address.”

Heeseung’s grin softened, just a little. “Got it, see you Sunoo.”

By the time Sunoo got back to the dorm, the message was already waiting.

heeseung: friday, 6 pm. ramen’s on me.

sunoo: wow, ramen. how very fancy of you.

heeseung: you’ll change your mind after you try mine.

sunoo: that’s a bold claim for instant noodles.

heeseung: you’ll see. just wait :p

Sunoo smiled before he realized it, then quickly locked his phone and set it down on his desk. A few minutes later, he picked it up again just to check if Heeseung had said something else.

୨୧‧₊˚　

Friday came by too fast, the omega would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little nervous about meeting Heeseung at his apartment.

Sunoo pulled on a simple hoodie and a pair of jeans, suddenly feeling self conscious. After a moment’s hesitation, he dabbed on a bit of light makeup, just enough to even out his skin. He double checked himself in the bathroom mirror before finally leaving the dorm.

The sky had already started to darken when Sunoo reached Heeseung’s building. It was only a ten minute walk from campus, but the sights along the way were enough to pull his mind away from everything else. He let the rhythm of his steps settle him, the cool evening air filling his lungs.

When he arrived at the building, he paused for a moment, staring up at the windows. Light spilled out from the top floor, creating a warm glow over the pavement. For a second, everything felt quieter, the hum of the city fading into the background.

He stepped into the elevator, trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart. What was happening to him? His omega felt restless, the familiar feeling of anticipation.

When Sunoo knocked, the door opened almost immediately revealing the alpha.

“You’re early,” Heeseung said, leaning against the frame with a lazy grin.

He looked good; almost too good. Dressed in simple sweatpants and a black tank top, the easy fit of the clothes only made him seem more comfortable in his own space. Sunoo couldn’t help but glance at his arms, the muscles there clearly defined due to hours of training, before quickly looking away and clearing his throat.

“You said six,” Sunoo replied, raising an eyebrow. He tried to seem unaffected, but the casualness of Heeseung made it hard.

Heeseung stepped aside with a shrug. “You’re punctual, I’ll give you that.”

The apartment smelled faintly of something earthy and woody, and then there was Heeseung’s scent, rich; dark chocolate. It filled the air instantly, Sunoo wasn’t prepared for it at all. It was everywhere.

Without thinking, he kicked off his shoes and stepped inside. The space was large enough to feel open, big enough for more than one person, it also looked very neat which surprised the black haired boy.

Books were stacked near the window, probably not Heeseung’s, since Sunoo doubted he’d choose a book over a game or practice. There were framed pictures on the walls, some with the basketball team, others with faces Sunoo didn’t recognize. It felt lived-in. Warmer than his dorm, certainly. 

“Make yourself at home,” Heeseung said, motioning to the couch. He moved to the kitchen, swiftly unwrapping a packet of noodles. It was an American kitchen, and from the couch, Sunoo could see Heeseung as he pulls out a pot, setting it on the stove.

“Ramen’s ramen,” Sunoo said, watching him with a little smile. “I’m not that impressed.”

Heeseung gave a soft laugh at that. “You will be, I told you”

Sunoo sank further into the couch, watching Heeseung with quiet curiosity.

There was something so easy about the way he moved. He seemed to fill the space without effort, his presence steady in the room.

It felt like that back in campus too, whenever they bumped into each other, or Sunoo caught a glance from afar, he always looked laid back, without a care in the world, a total contrast to the omega’s mindset; he was a chronic overthinker and some days he had such anxiety he could barely get out of bed. Thank god for Jungwon, who always seemed to know how to pull him out of it.

Sunoo wondered if Heeseung was always like this, or if this was some sort of facade.

“So, uh,” Sunoo began, glancing over at Heeseung’s back, “you cook often?”

“Sometimes,” Heeseung replied, concentrating on the stove, his voice low. “I can’t live off of takeout all the time.”

“Are you sure? You kinda seem like the type who does,” Sunoo teased him, grinning.

Heeseung looked over his shoulder, amused with a smirk playing on his lips. “You’d be surprised.”

The noodles started to bubble, and the scent of the broth filled the space, rich and savory. Sunoo’s stomach growled softly, betraying him.

Heeseung set a bowl in front of him, handing him chopsticks. “Don’t act like you weren’t waiting for it.” He looked into the omega’s eyes intently.

Sunoo met his eyes for a moment, then quickly glanced down at the steaming bowl, glasses fogging up a little. He picked up a bite slowly, humming surprised at the good flavor “Not bad,” he said, his tone playful.

Heeseung raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased. “Told you, Sunoo.”

The two ate in quiet comfort, exchanging small comments between bites and Sunoo was once again surprised at how easy it felt, just existing in the same space as the alpha. 

“Okay,” Sunoo said after a moment, putting his chopsticks down. “I’ll admit it, this is better than I thought.”

Heeseung’s eyes glinted with something mischievous. “See? I can make it again whenever you want, just say the word.” 

There was a moment of stillness, just the two of them looking at each other for what felt like an eternity. Sunoo shifted his gaze, his face blushing subtly and scent sweetening the tiniest bit. 

As he cleared his throat, Sunoo then asked “So do you live here alone? I thought you had a roommate." He remembered Jungwon mentioning something about meeting Heeseung’s roommate a few weeks ago at Jay's party.

“Yes, name’s Park Sunghoon. He is not here right now, he's been busy with… relationship problems, I guess.” Heeseung paused, then added, “He is nice, though. We’ve been friends for so many years. You’d get along, Jungwon met him too” he said as he stood up while picking up the now empty bowls and taking them to the kitchen.

Sunoo shifted softly on the couch. “Oh, right he told me something about it.” After a few seconds of silence filled only by the sounds of dishes clinking.

“What’s next?” Sunoo asked, changing the subject and picking up his phone to distract himself despite there being zero new messages to answer. “We finish this thing by midnight or what?”

Heeseung laughed, low and easy, as he dried his hands. “You’re already bored of me?”

“Hardly,” Sunoo muttered, giving him a teasing look. “But I don’t like working at a slow pace.”

“Alright,” Heeseung said, sliding back into the couch. “Let’s get this over with.”

They worked side by side, the laptop between them, the light from the screen flickering across their faces.

The omega could feel the quiet tug in his chest every time Heeseung leaned in close to make a point, or when his leg brushed against Sunoo’s. The small moments that should’ve felt insignificant kept lingering in the back of his brain.

The night wore on, the words on the screen fading into background noise as Sunoo’s focus drifted. He’d meant to pay attention, to finish the damn thing. But Heeseung’s presence kept pulling his thoughts elsewhere.

Sunoo yawned. “We should call it a night.” He continued, adjusting the frame of his glasses. “We can finish this in the week, only the conclusion's missing”

“Yeah.” Heeseung stood, stretching his arms over his head, his shirt riding up to reveal a sliver of perfect tan skin. Sunoo averted his gaze, suddenly looking anywhere else. “It’s getting late.”

They both lingered there for a second longer than necessary. Sunoo’s stomach twisted uncomfortably, a strange pull that he didn’t want to acknowledge, his omega clawing inside him too.

He pushed the feeling down and stood up fast. “Thanks for the food,” he said, picking up his jacket.

“No problem,” Heeseung replied easily, grabbing his keys. “Want a ride back?”

Sunoo shook his head. “No need, It’s only a short walk.”

“Alright, Sunoo-yah,” Heeseung said softly, standing in the doorway. “Get home safe,” There was a glint in his eyes.

Sunoo stopped, turning to look back for the last time. There it was again, the shift in the air. He swallowed, managing a quick smile. “Goodnight, hyung.” 

Heeseung’s smile softened, almost imperceptibly. Sunoo noticed though. “Goodnight, sugar.”

Sunoo walked back to his dorm with the night’s quiet still following him. The cool air felt sharper and colder now, a contrast to the apartment and the warmth Heeseung seemed to carry with him.

Sunoo was just about to swipe his key into the lock when he heard voices from inside the dorm. He opened the door and paused.

Oh.

Jungwon and Jay were tangled up on the couch, lips pressed together in a deep kiss that made Sunoo immediately look away.

“Sorry!” Sunoo said quickly, backpedaling to give them space, but it didn’t stop Jay from pulling away with a cheeky grin.

“You’re fine, Sunoo,” Jay said, sitting up with his arm still tight around Jungwon’s waist. “You’re just in time for the grand show.” He wiggled his eyebrows annoyingly.

Jungwon let out a groan. “Shut up, hyung.”

Sunoo started walking straight to his room, trying to pretend he didn’t hear Jay’s snicker. “I’ll just-“

“No, no,” Jungwon said, standing up and catching him before he could enter. He wiped his lips dramatically, then shot a glance at Jay. “We’re done anyway.” He tossed his phone onto the coffee table and gestured for Sunoo to sit on the couch. “You’re not going anywhere. Tell me everything, how was Heeseung?”

Sunoo froze, he really didn’t want to talk about it and much less with Jay, Heeseung’s teammate here.

Jay raised an eyebrow. “Heeseung?” he echoed, now clearly interested in the omega’s conversation.

“Yeah,” Jungwon said with an exaggerated tone. “What’s the deal with you two? You stayed the whole afternoon at his place and now you come here with that look on your face, not to mention his scent is all over you.” His gaze did not leave Sunoo for a second. 

“Are you crazy? I don’t have any look, and of course I smell like him. It was his place!.” Sunoo shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair. “It’s... just the project. We’re just working on this thing for media ethic’s class.”

“Uh-huh,” Jungwon said suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. “And how’s that going?”

Sunoo felt his face warm. He swallowed, trying to keep his tone neutral. “It’s fine, nothing special.”

Jay leaned back into the couch, his gaze turning more serious. “Come on, Sunoo, don’t act like we don’t see it, we’re talking about Heeseung here, the guy has a reputation for... being friendly with a lot of people.”

Sunoo felt a strange twinge in his chest, he bit his lip, trying to mask his discomfort at Jay’s words. “Aren’t you guys close? Why are you talking about him like that, anyway.”

“I mean yeah, that doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes, Sunoo. Also Heeseung doesn’t even care what people say about him, he jokes about it sometimes.” Jay giggles softly.

Sunoo hesitated, glancing down at his feet. “Whatever, for the thousand time… It’s not like that, we’re just working.”

Jay hummed, raising an eyebrow. “Okay, but to be fair, Sun, I’ve been to Heeseung’s place a lot and I never left smelling like a whole ass chocolate factory, you know.” he said, hands raised in mock surrender.

Sunoo groaned loudly. “Oh my god, I’m going to bed!” He grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it right at Jay’s face, standing up quickly and turning toward his room.

“Good night, Sun!” Jungwon called after him. “You deserved that, hyung,” he added towards Jay quietly after a beat.

Sunoo closed the door softly behind him, the feeling of a certain Alpha lingered in the air, refusing to leave. 

Chapter Text

“You know” Jungwon said without looking up, “you type like someone who’s mad at their keyboard.” 

The café near campus was busier than usual, loud conversations mixing with the sound of the espresso machine.

Sunoo sat by the window, fingers tapping against his laptop as Jungwon sat across from him with some notes on the table, his strawberry scent entering his nose and softly blending with his own sugary one. It was their usual routine: meet up after class, pretend to study, and spend half the time gossiping.

“I’m just focused,” Sunoo replied, eyes still on his laptop. “This essay is beating my ass,” he sighed loud enough to make Jungwon look up.

At times like this he really questioned his life choices, he loved literature, sure, but if he had to write one more essay about “symbolism”, he was going to bang his head against the nearest wall. Performing arts or something might as well have been a better idea.

Damn past Sunoo. 

“Actually… speaking of asses, mine still hurts from Jay– ” Jungwon started, snickering.

“If you finish that sentence I’ll throw this nasty coffee at you, Won” Sunoo said before his friend could continue. “We are in a public space, just reminding you”. 

“Ugh, you are no fun,” Jungwon groaned, sticking his tongue out like a child. “Since when did you become such a prude, Sun? Don’t you remember our first semester? We went out every night! You were barely in the dorms back then.” After a few seconds of thinking, he continued. “Also... whatever happened to Jaemin hyung? have you not talked to him again?” he asked slowly.

Sunoo froze for a second, not expecting that name to be brought up. “You know I haven’t,” he said quietly. “I don’t even know if he’s still in Korea anymore.” The omega shrugged, his scent souring a little.

He met Jaemin his first year of college, back when everything still felt exciting, it was at a party, music loud, air thick with different scents and too many sweaty bodies pressed together.

The alpha smelled like peppermint, sharp and clean, his smile had been friendly, he was also undeniably attractive, strong physique and a face you saw on fashion magazines, he was three years older than him, confident. That night he stayed by Sunoo’s side, offering him shots, jokes and attention he very much needed at that moment.

The rest unfolded from there, rustling sheets, rushed kisses around hallways in campus, pulling all-nighters together with the excuse of “studying” and if they got a little distracted in the middle no one needed to know but them. 

Sunoo liked him, a lot. He wouldn’t call it love, but it had been good, comforting even, it felt nice having someone to rely on, on that deeper level.

Jaemin was kind and attentive, he genuinely cared about Sunoo, he was the opposite of those loud self absorbed older alphas who thought confidence was a personality and looked at omegas like they were just a quick fuck.

It ended suddenly too, one afternoon, Jaemin told him he was moving to the States after his graduation to pursue a job opportunity. it surprised the omega for sure, he felt betrayed, hurt, even if he had no right to be, they were never something official.

He didn’t know how to handle it so when Jaemin reached out before leaving, he didn’t answer. 

And then he didn’t answer again.

And after that, there was nothing left to answer at all, he blocked the older’s number and forced himself to move on, bury any lingering feelings for his own good.

“God, you really ghosted him, huh?” Jungwon sighed after a beat, leaning back in his chair. After a few moments, he added. “Sun, that’s it, you know what I think? You need to go out, get drunk, have fun. Get some knot.” He wiggled his eyebrows flirtyly. 

“Jungwon, just because you got a boyfriend doesn’t mean we’re all desperate for a knot,” Sunoo said flatly, staring at him, unimpressed.

“No, no, no Sunoo, I’m not saying everyone’s desperate for a knot,” Jungwon continued, lips twitching. “I’m saying you are, I know you.” 

Just as Sunoo was about to open his mouth to argue, the chair next to him scraped against the floor. A backpack hit the ground, and a familiar presence slid into the free seat beside them.

“Why are we talking about knots?” Riki asked, grinning, his chin resting lazily on his hand.

“Omega chat, none of your business,” Jungwon replied without missing a beat. “Just pretend you didn’t hear anything before Sunoo grow grey hairs.” He giggled. “You’re late, by the way.” He checks the time on his phone. “Where were you?”

Nishimura Riki was a year younger than them, an exchange student from Japan, he joined their “study” sessions from time to time. They’d met him through Jay, who had introduced them not long after Riki arrived in Korea, the two of them had bonded after Riki got lost one day and asked Jay, in broken Korean, for help finding his lecture room.

Jay, being the friendly person he was, took him under his wing immediately. Back then, his korean was average at best, and since Jay was fluent in Japanese, they’d grown close quickly.

Originally, Riki had planned to stay for just a semester, but he decided to extend his program for a couple years since he ended up loving the university much more than he expected and made many friends. He was also an alpha, all long limbs, a deep voice but surprisingly soft spoken, laughs at everything and always quick with a joke, he fit into their dynamic effortlessly.

He was majoring in Performing Arts, the young alpha was an incredible dancer, unsurprising really, given that his family owned a dance studio back home.

“I had to talk to Jay hyung," Riki explained, pulling off his hoodie. “I’m trying to get a recommendation for basketball tryouts next month.”

Sunoo looked at him confused. “You want to join the team? You never mentioned that before?.” 

“Maybe,” Riki said with a shrug. “I used to play a little back home, I thought it would be fun to pick it back up, and I need to put this height to good use,” he continued with a cocky grin. "But the competition here is insane.” 

“Oh, then you’ll need Heeseung hyung’s approval, Jay alone won't do it” Jungwon said casually, sipping his drink.

Riki blinked. “Heeseung hyung? Like that Heeseung?”

“The captain of the team,” Jungwon said simply. “Don’t you know him?”

Riki nodded. “Of course. Everyone knows him. Why?”

Jungwon smirked, with that kind of look in his eyes that never meant anything good. “Because our Sunoo here knows him personally.”

Sunoo froze mid sip, nearly choking on his coffee. “Jungwon– ”

“What? It’s true!” Jungwon laughed. “You two are working on that project together, aren't you?”

Riki looked between them, eyes wide. “Wait, wait. You know Lee Heeseung?”

“Oh, he doesn’t just know Lee Heeseung, he even went to his place the other day.” Jungwon finished with a grin.

Sunoo set his cup down carefully. “It’s not that deep,” he said, his voice quieter than he meant. “we just worked together.”

Riki’s grin widened. “Still, that’s crazy, you hung out with him? what’s he like?”

Sunoo hesitated, reminiscent of that night, the ramen, the warmth of Heeseung’s apartment, the sound of his laugh, the way his scent surrounded him fully. “He’s… nice,” he said finally. “a little annoying sometimes I guess, but nice.”

Jungwon chuckled. “You sound like you’re describing a pet.”

“Shut up,” Sunoo said with no real bite in his tone.

Riki leaned forward eagerly. “So you think he’d let me try out? If you asked him?”

“What? Why would I ask him?” Sunoo scoffed.

“Because he will listen to you,” Jungwon said, grinning.

Sunoo blinked. “He wouldn’t-”

“Come ooonn," Jungwon dragged the words out, clearly enjoying himself. “He’d probably say yes if you asked nicely.” Riki nodded his head aggressively beside him, looking at him intensely like Sunoo was his last hope.

Sunoo rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the small flutter in his chest. “You’re both insufferable.”

“Maybe,” Jungwon replied, still grinning. “But we’re right.”

୨୧‧₊˚　

By the time Sunoo finally got back to the dorm, he was exhausted. The walk felt way longer than usual, his bag heavier, the air thicker and suffocating somehow.

He told himself it was just one of those days, too much caffeine and not enough sleep. Jungwon wasn’t here yet.

The lights were off except for the soft glow from his desk lamp, still left on from the morning when he rushed out. Sunoo dropped his bag on the chair and sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing at his temples.

He felt… strange, warmer than usual, warmth that settled low in his stomach and refused to go away.

He brushed it off as a simple fever or maybe stress from midterms that were coming up. He plugged in his phone, glancing at the time, suddenly remembering something before opening his messages and searching for one specific contact, typing out a message, deleting it, then retyped it, twice, before finally hitting send.

sunoo: hey, do you want to finish the last part of the project tomorrow?

heeseung: sure, your place or mine?

Biting his lip, Sunoo thought about being in the alpha’s department again. The idea made him nervous, and after a few minutes of hesitation, he finally replied.

sunoo: hyung, the library’s just fine. It'll be quiet and we can focus.

heeseung: boringgg. come on, come to my place. we’ll finish fast anyway.

sunoo: you just want an excuse to avoid campus again.

heeseung: and you just don’t want to admit you like my ramen.

He stared at the screen for a moment, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. 

sunoo: fine. your place.

heeseung: sure, sugar. see you tomorrow then.

He locked his phone after that and let it fall in the bed beside him. The room was quiet except for the sound of the air conditioner.

That strange heat inside him lingered, restless like something waiting, he changed into his pajamas and pulled the blanket tight over himself, telling his brain to stop thinking about it, stop overanalyzing.

It was nothing, probably a cold or exhaustion. It was also impossible for it to be his heat, he’d just gone through one a few weeks ago.

Right?

Suddenly his phone buzzed with another notification distracting him from his thoughts.

won: gonna stay at jay hyung’s tonight don’t wait for me ( ˶˘ ³˘)

sunoo: have fun, wonie

won: for sure i will ^^

Gross.

୨୧‧₊˚　

The next morning, Sunoo woke up feeling the same. His throat felt dry. His skin was warm, not feverish exactly, just… wrong. Off.

He dragged himself out of bed, brushed his teeth, and told his reflection in the mirror that he looked fine, it wasn’t really a lie.

Maybe he looked a little pale, maybe his eyes were too bright, but he looked fine. By the time afternoon rolled around, the dull ache in his stomach did not stop, his sweater felt too warm, his shirt collar too tight.

He almost texted Heeseung to cancel, but his pride stopped him halfway through typing a text. He wasn’t going to bail because of what was probably just a mild cold.

Jungwon wasn't back yet so he sent a quick text informing the other omega, he was gonna go to Heeseung’s place for a bit to finish their work, of course earning a sneaky remark he decided to ignore. 

The walk to Heeseung’s apartment was exhausting, the wind cold against his flushed skin. When he finally reached the door, he stood there for a second, waiting for his pulse to slow down before knocking.

Heeseung opened it with the same lazy smile that always made something in Sunoo’s chest trip.

“Hey,” he greeted, taking his appearance in, his doe eyes filling with worry.  “You look kinda tired.”

“Yeah, didn’t sleep much,” Sunoo said simply, stepping inside.

“Mm.” Heeseung shut the door behind him. “You should rest more. You’re pale right now.”

Sunoo gave a quiet laugh. “You sound like Jungwon.”

The apartment was the same as the other day, clean, tidy, faintly smelling of cedar and dark chocolate, but for some reason It was too much today. The scent hitting stronger, richer, almost dizzying. He could almost taste it in his mouth. Sunoo blinked hard, trying to focus.

Heeseung was already on the couch, laptop open on the coffee table, flipping through documents. He glanced up, noticing the way Sunoo lingered by the door. “You good, Sunoo?”

“Yeah,” Sunoo said quickly. “Just warm, I guess.” The omega scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

Heeseung nodded. “I can open a window if you need it.” Sunoo gave a small nod with his head, grateful. The breeze that slipped through the room helped, but only a little. His heartbeat refused to calm down.

He tried to concentrate on the project, formatting citations, editing their last few paragraphs, but as time passed his eyes kept drifting toward Heeseung; his blonde hair falling softly into his eyes, the bob of his adam’s apple whenever he swallowed, the veins on his hands while typing on the keyboard, the rings on his long fingers, the focus in his expression and the slight pout on his lips.

That delicious scent of dark chocolate, smoky and warm, with the slightest trace of vanilla. It wrapped around him, thick and heavy, like it was trying to pull him closer.

Is he going crazy?

He didn’t even realize he was staring until Heeseung looked up, meeting his gaze.

“What?” He was smirking faintly, one eyebrow raised in question.

“Nothing,” Sunoo said too fast, moving his eyes back to the laptop screen, his cheeks heating up. “Just… making sure we are almost done.” 

“Almost.” Heeseung leaned back in the couch, stretching his arms. “You get this serious face when you’re editing, makes me nervous.” He chuckled.

“I do not.”

“You do,” Heeseung said, amused. “It’s cute though.”

Sunoo’s fingers froze on the keyboard. He forced a laugh, light, casual. Like he wasn't affected at all. He wasn’t, he tried to convince himself. “Don’t say stuff like that.”

“Why not?” The alpha pushed. 

“Because it’s… distracting.”

Heeseung grinned, a satisfied smile dancing on his lips. “Good, means I’m doing my job.”

The heat under the omega’s skin spiked again, too sharp now to ignore. He cleared his throat and shut the laptop a little harder than intended.

Yeah, he needed to leave. Now.

“We’re done,” he muttered whilst looking away. 

“Already?” Heeseung questioned surprised, glancing at him.

“Yes.” Sunoo replied in a rush, adjusting his sweater sleeves. “I should go.”

The room felt even warmer now. The window was open, but the air inside of the apartment seemed to barely move. Sunoo blinked hard, trying to steady his breathing. His vision blurred for a second, the edges of everything softening.

Heeseung noticed.

“Hey,” he said, his voice gentler now. “You okay?”

Sunoo nodded quickly.

“I should probably– ”

When he stood up, his knees wobbled. The rush of the scent that hit him next made his head spin, his own one too sweet now. His body wasn’t listening to him anymore. 

“Sunoo?” Heeseung was already moving closer. “You’re burning up.” He said while feeling his forehead to check the omega’s temperature.

“I’m fine,” Sunoo insisted, moving his hand away, though his voice cracked around the words. “It’s– I think I’m sick or something.”

Heeseung frowned. “You shouldn’t walk home like this.”

“I’ll be fine,” Sunoo said again, but his throat was dry. “It’s a small walk–”

“No,” Heeseung cut in quiet but firm. “It’s not safe. You’re not yourself right now.”

“I am,” Sunoo snapped, but it came out shaky, breath catching. His heart was pounding too fast, he suddenly felt exposed, humiliated, panic creeping in. His scent smelled scared. 

Heeseung’s voice softened. “Hey, hey. Breathe, calm down.”

Sunoo took a step back, then another, bumping into the corner of the couch.

Heeseung didn’t follow, just stood there watching him with concern written all over his eyes, close enough for Sunoo to feel the calming pheromones coming from the alpha. 

“What do you want me to do?” Heeseung asked, still calm, still careful. “You’re not walking out alone like this.”

Sunoo didn’t have an answer. His skin buzzed, his pulse loud in his ears. He pressed his palms to his eyes, voice trembling. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

Heeseung hesitated. After a silence that stretched for an eternity he stepped forward, slow and deliberate.“I think I do,” he said. “You’re in pre-heat, aren’t you?” 

Sunoo froze. The word landed heavy in the air. His breath caught, shame crawling up his throat.

Everything clicked at that moment, his sweet heavy scent, the warmth under his skin. No, please. Not right now, he thought painfully. Not in Heeseung’s apartment. He couldn’t have this bad luck, not here, not now, for god’s sake. He felt like crying, how was he so dumb?

“I didn’t– I didn’t realize,” “God, I'm so sorry” he managed to say, whispering, shaking and embarrassed.

“It’s okay, Sunoo.” Heeseung said softly, reassuring him “It happens.”

“I should go”

“You can’t,” Heeseung said again, gentler this time. “Not like this.” When Sunoo didn’t respond, Heeseung spoke again, voice barely above a whisper. “I can help you calm down. Just… scent you, a little. It will make you feel better, and then I can walk you back to your dorm.”

Bad. Idea.

He couldn’t believe his ears. Sunoo’s breath stuttered. “That’s– that’s… not necessary, hyung.”

Heeseung’s eyes softened. “You’re shaking.” 

Sunoo hadn’t even realized it, but he was. The trembling started in his hands and worked its way up his arms, uncontrollable. “I won’t do anything you don’t want,” Heeseung continued quietly. “Just let me help, okay?” “Friends do this all the time, don’t they?, I’ll be fast” 

Sunoo didn’t answer, but he didn’t pull away either when Heeseung stepped closer.

The scent between them shifted, dark and steady. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the world outside blurred to nothing it was just them right now.

“Can– Can I scent you, Sun?” The alpha asked in a low raspy voice with his pupils blown wide. Guess his sweetened scent was also affecting the alpha. He looked like he was putting everything in his power to control himself at that moment.

Sunoo did not know what came over him, every rational thought thrown straight out the window, his omega clawing inside of him, begging him for something, anything to ease the ache. He felt like everything was too much but not enough at the same time, it was too hot, he just needed to be grounded, to drown in that rich scent of dark chocolate, that was all he needed right now.

So he nodded.

At that, the alpha wasted no time. He guided Sunoo gently back to the couch, his touch firm, tilting his chin up until their eyes locked.

“Okay, Sunoo. If you want to stop, just say so. I need your full permission for this,” Heeseung said, his voice suddenly too serious. Sunoo nodded again, restless, a flicker of frustration building in his chest. Why wasn’t the alpha scenting him already? His body felt like it was vibrating with want. 

“No, Sunoo,” Heeseung murmured, his hand coming up to hold his jaw gently, guiding his gaze. “Use your words.”

“Yes, hyung… just do it. Scent me, please,” Sunoo whispered, the plea slipping out before he could stop it.

Chapter Text

With a shaky exhale Heeseung nods his head, the blond reaches for the smaller boy’s wrist with the utmost care, wrapping his whole hand around it like he was holding the most fragile thing in the world. 

Carefully, he nuzzles his nose and breaths against his scent gland there, slow and deliberate. It gives Sunoo whiplash.

The effect was immediate; he suddenly couldn’t smell anything but rich, dark chocolate, filling every single part of his body, mind and even the apartment itself.

The mix of their scents was heavenly, to say the least. Melting brown sugar, almost caramel at this point, blended with the deep, lowkey bitter chocolate, it was maddening.

Sunoo swore he felt the world shift on its axis at that moment. He couldn't get enough of it.  

“Fuck, Sunoo… you smell so good,” the alpha slurred his words, a dazed expression painting his face.

“I don’t think this is– we should stop,” he said, voice breaking as he forces himself to let go of Sunoo’s arm.

Sunoo’s chest tightened, panic blooming sharp and fast. The sudden distance made something in his stomach twist painfully.

His omega reacted too, feeling distressed. “No, please I need this.” he whined loudly. “Heeseung hyung, please help me,” he continued. 

Heeseung’s expression softened instantly, the conflict in his eyes clear.

“Sunoo, this isn’t you talking,” Heeseung said carefully, his tone strained. “It’s the preheat.” He hesitated for a few seconds, clearly debating on what to do next, before adding, “Stand up. I’m calling Jay, he can tell Jungwon to– ”

Before he could move, Sunoo grabbed his hand in a tight grip, interrupting him, eyes wide and desperate.

“Hyung, wait- please.” His voice cracked, unsteady but full of sincerity. “I’m sure about this. It’s not just the heat. Please, just… trust me.”

The omega gathered courage and met those big, pretty doe eyes, pleading, silently wishing Heeseung could see how badly he needed him. “Alpha… it hurts.” he ended. The words hung heavy between them. 

It was like something inside the older man snapped, if his pupils were big before, right now, they were completely darkened.

“Can I kiss you?” He raises a hand to tightly cup Sunoo’s jaw, the pads of his fingers lingering over his cheekbones, never breaking eye contact. 

“Please,” The omega fists his shirt desperately. At this point he couldn't wait any second more.

Their mouths meet in a searing, fervent kiss, teeth clacking together in their haste.

Heeseung’s hands reached beneath the fabric of Sunoo’s sweater, circling his arms around his tiny waist tightly, feeling up the warm skin underneath, pulling him impossibly closer until the smaller boy was almost straddling the alpha’s lap.

Sunoo whines into the kiss, a little moan escaping him when Heeseung’s tongue slides deliciously against his own, moving in sync, swirling together.

Heeseung kisses like a starved man, the alpha’s lips feel slightly dry and chapped against his own plump, soft ones, the contrast only making Sunoo feel hotter.

The alpha is relentless, he sucks and nips against his bottom lip, making it bleed a little.

Heeseung moves his big hands lower to grab Sunoo’s round ass, he grips it hard making the omega moan out loud and finally settling him fully on his lap.

In this position Sunoo can feel the hard outline of Heeseung’s cock right on top of his butt.

Fuck. It's big. Sunoo thinks to himself, feeling desperate as he starts grinding on him while he grips the hair on the alpha’s nape with one hand. They finally pull apart for air with a string of spit still connecting their lips.

“Fuck, baby.” Heeseung starts, out of breath, lips shiny with saliva, a hazed expression on his face.

He leans back on the couch to take a good look at the omega on top of him. “You are driving me crazy, Sun,” he grips Sunoo’s hips hard. “Your scent… “

He wastes no time as he dives into the omega’s neck this time, sucking on his scent gland. The alpha leaves blooming purple marks down the column of the omega's neck, earning breathy moans from the black haired boy as he tilts his head to give the other more space. “Mmm Heeseung..”

Soon enough the omega starts to feel wet between his asscheeks, slick pouring out of him, heavy amounts of slick. Heeseung has to smell it by now, knowing how desperate the omega is for him.

If it had been any other moment, it would’ve been kinda embarrassing, but Sunoo didn’t care, his mind too clouded to think straight.

Heeseung lets out a low growl, sniffing the sweet air around them, his fingers digging harder onto the omega’s ass. “You are wet baby.” he groans. 

“It’s for you alpha, do something, need you right now.” They keep grinding on each other with a delicious friction on their cocks. “Heeseung hyung, please”.

“Sunoo, tell me what do you need.” he nips hotly at his earlobe.

“Touch me” he begs the older man. 

Heeseung chuckles at his desperation. “I'm doing that sugar,” he teases.

“S’ not enough hyung,” Sunoo whines loudly. “Fuck me please.”

Suddenly the alpha grips the back of Sunoo's thighs, standing up with the omega firm on his arms as the smaller boy wraps his legs around his waist.

He starts making his way towards the bedroom as Sunoo captures his lips again in a hungry kiss.

Once they make it to the alpha’s room he lowers Sunoo gently on the middle of his bed with their lips still connected he introduces his hand beneath the omega’s sweater, lifting it up until his hardened nipples are visible.

“You want me to take this off?” Sunoo nods eagerly. “Yes, hyung.” his chest heaves.

Sunoo doesn’t need to say it twice, Heeseung takes the piece of cloth in a swift movement leaving him naked from the waist up. 

Heeseung pauses for a second, drinking up the sight in front of him, the omega was pale, very pale, contrasting on the dark duvet of his bed, lithe body and the tiniest waist, lips red and swollen from their kisses, black hair falling messily in front of his eyes, eyes glassy and unfocused with desire, he looked like something out of the alpha’s wet dreams

“Shit, baby you are gorgeous, Sun.” he exclaims as he latches onto one nipple, lightly biting at it and expertly swirling his tongue around it making the omega under him let out a loud gasp.

He goes for the other one giving it the same attention until they are both swollen and puffy, wet with the alphas spit. “Please, Heeseung, please” Sunoo moans.

The alpha moves fast, he starts gently kissing down the skin of Sunoo’s flat stomach until he reaches the hem of his pants, he looks up at the omega meeting his eyes in question.

The omega nods his head, Heeseung pulls down his pants and underwear together in one movement, the smaller boy now naked and exposed in front of his eyes. The omega’s pink small cock rests painfully hard against his stomach. 

Cute. The alpha thinks.

“S–stop staring hyung” the omega whines trying to close his legs, but Heeseung keeps them spread with a tight grip on his pale thighs. 

“I can’t help it baby, you’re just so pretty everywhere.” he adds with a dazed look, getting closer to the most sensitive part of his body.

Heeseung sticks his tongue out to lick a stripe from the bottom to the top of the omega’s cock, swirling his tongue around the head, tasting the precum coming out from the slit, he then engulfs the whole length with his mouth in one go, bobbing his head up and down in a steady pace, making the omega almost go light headed.

He moans Heeseung's name in a broken voice as he throws his head back into the soft pillows, his eyes shut tight. 

“Can you turn around now, sugar?” Heeseung says, the omega barely registering the words as the alpha man handles him to lay on his stomach, from this view the alpha takes a good look at his ass, those big round globes standing perky in front of him, he closes his hands around them, gripping until he leaves faint red marks on the pale skin, he then spreads them apart, the omega’s pink pretty hole greets him, all clean and hairless clenching around nothing, dripping with shiny, thick globes of slick, just waiting to be filled, he gets closer blowing hot air on it making another wave of slick drip down his thighs.

“Look at you… so fucking wet for me, you are dripping baby.” the alpha continued. 

“Ah! Hee- !  stop teasing plea- “ The omega can barely end his words before the alpha plunges in, sucking hungrily on his tight hole, groaning at his sweet taste. “You’re so sweet Sun, how are you this sweet?” He murmurs around his rim, tongue swirling inside of the omega swallowing all of that delicious nectar, a finger now joining the tongue.

Sunoo nearly screams, it sends shockwaves throughout his body.

Heeseung fingers him slowly, alternating between his mouth and opening him up. He adds another digit and soon enough he has three fingers knuckle deep inside the moaning omega. “Alpha, I’m ready please.. just– ..just.. fuck me.. I can’t anymore, I need you." Sunoo babbles, his words muffled by the pillows.

He turns the omega around once again so now they are staring deep into each other's eyes. The alpha hovering on top of him. “Okay sugar, I’ll do it now.”

They connect their mouths in another wet kiss, Sunoo whimpers as he tastes his own sweet slick on Heeseung’s tongue.

He starts tugging at the alpha’s shirt desperately “Off..” Heeseung obliges, stepping away so he can get rid of his clothes, revealing his tan muscular upper body.

But Sunoo’s jaw drops as Heeseung’s length stands there, tall and proud in front of his eyes. It's big, really big and thick, probably bigger than any alpha cock he has taken before, veiny too. The blunt cockhead is a painful shade of purplish red probably from holding back.

The thought of it inside of him makes Sunoo’s mouth water. 

“See something you like, Sunoo?” The alpha chuckles, noticing the smaller boy's wide eyes, making the omega flush. 

Heeseung goes over to his bedside table, opening the drawer and rummaging inside for something. He takes out a shiny packet and rips it open, rolling the condom on his length. Sunoo watches him quietly while biting his lip.

He steps closer to the omega, positioning himself in between his spread thighs. “You're still sure about thi– ” he starts.

“Hyung, I swear to God, If you don’t fuck me right now, I might die.” Sunoo utters with desperation, making the older man let out a soft chuckle under his breath.

He doesn’t say another word, just lines up his blunt cockhead with the omega’s wet hole as he pushes slowly inside, his eyebrows furrow from trying to stop himself to thrust right into Sunoo’s tight heat. “Holy shit you’re so– fucking tight.” the Alpha groans roughly, unable to stop himself, he pushes his cock, slowly, inch by inch, wet heat surrounding him, sucking him in, deeper and deeper until he finally bottoms out. 

Sunoo throws his head back, his mouth open, a loud moan escaping him once Heeseung’s entire length enters him. He is so full, fuller than he has ever been before.

He takes a few minutes to get used to the painful but delicious stretch of Heeseung's dick almost splitting him open, once he stops feeling the sting of the cock inside him, he says “You can move now.” voice shaky. 

Heeseung starts pulling out slowly before burying himself back in with a sharp thrust, Sunoo clenching impossibly tight around his cock everytime he thrusts into him.

Soon moans and gasps fall from their lips as Heeseung fucks Sunoo in a consistent rhythm, his balls slapping against the smaller boy’s ass.

After a few beats he finds the omega’s sweet spot. “A– ah!– Alpha!– Heeseung– there– harder!” he screams. The Alpha starts grinding into Sunoo’s prostate, making the omega delirious, his scent spikes more and more. 

“Shit– That’s it. so good for me, such a good omega, screaming so prettily.” The alpha says, “You’re gonna let everybody hear you, right?. Let everybody know how good you’re getting fucked, huh Sun?”

“Yes, yes, yes.. Heeseung don't stop.” Sunoo grips the sheets, as he rolls his eyes back he starts feeling that familiar heat on his stomach, his muscles tensing.

“M’ close Alpha, please,” he cries. 

At those words the Alpha picks up a brutal pace, the bedframe rattling against the wall of his bedroom, the boy beneath him shaking and babbling incoherent sentences.

“Cum for me omega.” Heeseung demands.

Only a heartbeat later his lips fall open, a loud sob tearing from his throat, and then he’s arching, coming in thick spurts, his flushed cock twitching with each of them, coating his own stomach and chest.

The Alpha finds his own release not long after, spilling his seed into the condom with a guttural moan. “Holy fuck.” he brushes a hand through his damp hair.

“Yeah.” The omega exhaled loudly.

They both roll onto their backs in the bed staring at the ceiling for a few moments, still catching their breath, chests rising and falling in uneven rhythm. Their bodies are flushed and damp with sweat. 

“I’ll clean you up,” Heeseung said, breaking the silence. He gets up and heads to the bathroom, disposing of the used condom in the trash can. He grabs a towel, dampens it lightly with water, and returns to the bedroom.

There, he finds Sunoo already asleep, eyes closed, soft puffs of air escaping his parted lips.

Heeseung chuckles quietly to himself and kneels beside the bed, gently wiping the slick from Sunoo’s thighs with the towel in his hand. Once he’s cleaned away the sticky fluid, he tosses the towel aside and climbs into bed next to him.

“Good night, Sun,” he whispers into the dark, sleep quickly overtaking him.

Chapter Text

The next few days pass in a blur.

They fuck. A lot.

The two spent Sunoo’s heat tangled up in bed, skin against skin, breathless kisses, bodies damp with sweat and other fluids. The omega drifts in and out of consciousness, somewhere between exhaustion and relief.

Every time he opened his eyes, it was the same: Heeseung’s steady presence beside him, the rich scent of dark chocolate hanging in the air, grounding him before everything slipped away again.

୨୧‧₊˚　

For a long time, Sunoo didn’t move, keeping his eyes shut even though he was already awake. When he finally stirred, the sheets rustling softly beneath him, his body felt heavy, aching all over. The moment he tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through his lower back, forcing his eyes open.

Sunlight bled through the curtains. The first thing he noticed was the room, it didn't have much inside it, just the bed, a gaming chair, a desk with a computer, and a bunch of keyboards stacked in the corner. It was spacious, unfamiliar, it looked nothing like his dorm. 

What the fuck? he thought, panic starting to crawl up his chest.

His mind was slow to catch up, thoughts scrambled on his head. It wasn’t until he felt the weight around his waist and the low puffs of air that everything clicked.

An arm, steady and warm.

Heeseung. 

His breath caught.

Short flashes and pieces of memory come to mind, some moments where he was lucid enough, others blurred and lost somewhere in his heat induced haze. Of course he doesn’t remember everything.

But he does remember coming here for the project, and then… the trembling, the warmth of Heeseung’s body, his burning skin, the way he had begged—god, begged—for the alpha’s touch. He presses a hand against his mouth, horrified. 

The scent in the room was thick, almost suffocating, dark chocolate, but now tangled with the sweetness of his own warm brown sugar. It clung to the air, to his body, to the sheets, making something deep in his chest twist. He glanced down; the sheet was pulled up to his waist, and just above it, Heeseung’s fingers rested lightly against his skin.

Sunoo shifts carefully, trying not to wake up the sleeping alpha beside him. Heeseung looks peaceful, lashes brushing his cheeks, hair messy, his expression calm. It was unfair, Sunoo thought, how can someone look that good after everything that went down. A quiet sound escaped him, half a sigh. He pulls the blanket higher up, suddenly aware of how close and how very naked they were. 

Heeseung suddenly stirred, a soft hum leaving his throat as he blinks awake. His eyes finding Sunoo immediately, still hazy with sleep.

“Hey,” Heeseung said, his voice rough and low from sleep. “You’re up,” he added casually, like this was just another ordinary morning for him.

Sunoo nodded, his throat dry, mouth tightening. “Yeah.”

Heeseung moved onto his back, rubbing a hand over his face, still half asleep. “Feeling better?” 

“I think so,” Sunoo murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “It’s… over. Um, how long was I…?”

Heeseung nodded slowly, then turned his head toward him. “Three days.” The words hung in the air for a moment, silence settling between them. “You don’t have to look so scared, you know,” he said finally, voice calm, almost gentle. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It was just your heat, s’ natural, that’s all.”

The omega paused for a beat, brows furrowing. How can he be this casual about it? he thought. Just how familiar is he with this?

Sunoo, still flushed with embarrassment, starts to stammer out an explanation. “Right… but hyung, I didn’t know, I don’t want you to think that I wanted this to happen like this… my heat wasn’t supposed to– I mean, if I knew– ”

Before he could finish, Heeseung moves closer, meeting his eyes. “Hey, Sunoo,” he interrupted softly. “I know. Don’t worry about it, okay? I’m just… glad I could help you.” he reassured the omega.

Ignoring the way those words made his heart race weirdly in his chest, Sunoo fake coughed nervously, trying to ground himself. He pushes himself up to sit, the sheets still covering his waist. “Um, so can I use the shower?” he utters quietly.

“Yes, of course,” Heeseung replied, voice still rough with sleep. He yawns, stretching slightly before nodding toward one door that was inside of his own bedroom. “It’s the door right in front. I’ll make something for breakfast. You can use whatever you need.”

Sunoo nods silently at his words, while Heeseung stands up in all his naked glory, completely unbothered and walks to his closet to get some clean clothes. The omega’s eyes focus on the view in front of him, staring at the broad lines of his back, the faint flex of muscle under skin and that small but perky ass. 

But what catches Sunoo’s eye the most is the red, angry, raw scratches all over the expanse of the alpha’s back.

Holy shit. He did that.

His face nearly goes up in flames. Sunoo snaps his head down, staring at his hands in his lap, mortified.

He waits in silence as Heeseung tugs on only a pair of sweatpants, the fabric hanging low on his hips. He starts making his way to the kitchen, the soft pad of his feet getting farther and farther away.

Once the alpha left the room, Sunoo finally felt like he could breathe again. He exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, stretching his arms above his head, only to wince at the dull ache that ran through his body again. He honestly felt like he’d been run over by a truck or something. 

As his head started to clear, the weight of everything that had happened began to sink in. The past three days replayed hazily behind his eyelids, making stomach twist tight.

Okay… at least it was only three days, it could’ve been way worse, he tells himself, trying to stay calm. But then he thinks about all the lectures he missed, the assignments probably piling up in his inbox, and groans, dragging a hand down his face.

Suddenly, a thought pops into his head, one that makes his heart drop to his stomach.

Jungwon. 

He didn’t give his roommate a single sign of life for three whole days. He was definitely freaking out, probably already called the cops, filed a missing person’s report, and organized a full blown search party around campus. That’s just how dramatic his best friend was.

He lets out a quiet groan. “He’s going to kill me.”

His eyes scan the room in search of something, finding his phone on the nightstand next to him, screen lighting up with notifications.

15 missed calls and 28 unread messages.

won: hello >⩊<

won: sun where r you, i just got back to the dorm

won: sunooooo are you coming back soon? it’s late

won: ????

won: u still at heeseung’s? answerrr i wanna order some takeout

won: stop ignoring me come ooonnn

won: kim sunoo answer!!!!! 

won: i swear why do you even got a phone if you are not going to read your messages 

won: PICK UP MY CALLS 

won: okay i’m getting worried now, it’s been hours. did you get kidnapped or something 

won: sunoo if you don’t answer right now, i’m calling the cops.

won: WHAT THE FUCK HEESEUNG HYUNG JUST TEXTED, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU GOT YOUR HEAT AND HE IS HELPING YOU?? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND KIM SUNOO?!???!!

won: we’ll talk later. 

He was grateful that Heeseung had been thoughtful enough to tell his best friend what was going on so he wouldn’t panic.

The alpha had probably asked Jay for Jungwon’s number, and Sunoo was thankful for that, really. Still, he wasn’t sure he was ready for the inevitable interrogation waiting for him. Mostly because… not even he had the answers to those questions.

Shaking his head in anticipation, the omega notices his clothes neatly folded on Heeseung’s desk chair, with a fresh pair of underwear that most likely belonged to the alpha. His own one definitely got ruined with… slick. He stands up on shaky legs, goes over and grabs them as he makes his way to the bathroom.

Once inside, he takes a good look at himself in the mirror and gasps. There are purple marks blooming across his neck and collarbones, faint bite marks over his skin. God, he was gonna have a hard time covering those.

The omega moves to the shower and starts it immediately, basking in the warmth of the water.

He grabs some body scrub and gives his body a much needed rinse, getting rid of any fluids still on his skin, then he does the same with the shampoo in his hair, fingers digging gently onto his scalp. Once he is satisfied, he steps out, grabs the towel hanging inside, and dries himself thoroughly before getting dressed. 

With a quiet sigh, he starts walking to the kitchen. The alpha has his back turned, moving easily around the counter, focused on making breakfast. Sunoo can’t help but let a small smile slip as he watches him.

He takes a seat on one of the kitchen stools, clearing his throat softly before speaking. “What are you cooking, hyung?” he asks, voice low, still shy.

“Just some pancakes. Thought you might want something sweet,” Heeseung replies, glancing over his shoulder long enough to wink before turning back to the stove, leaving Sunoo flustered.

The omega leans against the table, resting his chin in his hand as he patiently waits for Heeseung to finish. The only sound in the room is the sizzle from the pan. After a few quiet moments, the older man finally turns off the stove and sets the plate of pancakes in front of him, handing him some cutlery before sitting down beside him with his own plate. 

“Try them, Sun,” he says, watching the omega closely, eyes sharp. 

Sunoo cuts the pancake, a small piece on his fork. The first bite is soft, warm, almost too good. Sweet and buttery. He blinks once, twice, caught off guard by how much he likes it.

Heeseung notices, of course. “Good?” he asks, voice lazy, like he already knows the answer.

Sunoo chews slowly, trying not to smile. “You keep surprising me, hyung,” he says, the words slipping out before he can stop them.

Heeseung hums, pleased. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Sunoo murmurs, eyes fixed on his plate. “First the ramen, now this. Starting to think you’re secretly trying to impress me.” he jokes.

Heeseung chuckles, low and easy. “Maybe I am.”

Sunoo looks up at him then, fork frozen midair. For a second, it feels like the world goes still.

He clears his throat, looking away. “You’re impossible.”

They eat breakfast together and the conversation drifts, light, easy, nothing important. Sunoo doesn’t even notice how natural it feels until he glances at his phone and realizes how late it’s gotten.

His chest tightens a little. He’s been here too long.

“I should go,” he says, setting his phone down and brushing invisible crumbs off his sweater. “I already taken up too much of your time, hyung.”

Heeseung shakes his head, smiling. “You’re fine. But yeah, I should probably get ready for practice anyway, I missed a few days after all.”

Sunoo stands, grabbing his bag, trying not to think about how strangely hard it is to leave. “Thanks,” he says after a moment. “For everything. Really.”

Heeseung walks him to the door, hand brushing lightly against the back of Sunoo’s arm when he reaches for the handle. “It’s nothing, Sunoo.”

He forces a small smile, nodding his head before stepping out–

And colliding straight into a solid chest.

“Oh my god, I’m so– ” Sunoo stops mid apology, eyes going wide.

The man in front of him is tall, broad shouldered, his skin very pale against his perfectly styled black hair. There are a few small moles scattered across his face, one on his nose and other on his cheek. His scent hits next, sandalwood, an alpha.

He raises an eyebrow at the omega, faintly amused. “Uh… hi?” “Kim Sunoo, right?”

Sunoo stares for a beat too long, words stuck in his throat, before Heeseung’s annoyed voice comes from behind him.

“Sunghoon, what the fuck are you doing here?. I told you to come back later.” 

Park Sunghoon. The roommate.

God, how could he have forgotten about that tiny detail? He didn’t even think to ask if Sunghoon had been home that day, that day. Heat floods his face at the thought.

He’s really going to die of embarrassment.

“Hey man, chill, I just needed some fresh clothes,” Sunghoon says casually. “You locked me out of my own apartment without notice for three days, after all.”

Sunoo’s face burns instantly. Three days. The words echo in his head like a cruel reminder.

God, how shameless could he be, just occupying someone else’s apartment because of his heat? The place probably still reeked of the heavy mix of their scents… his scent. His slick.

Yeah, he needed to leave. Maybe transfer schools. Or let the earth swallow him.

“Whatever, dude, just come in,” Heeseung says, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sunghoon steps inside but pauses halfway through. He turns back, eyes meeting Sunoo’s for a second, a faint smile curving on his lips. “Also, nice to meet you, Kim Sunoo.”

Once Sunghoon is out of sight, Heeseung lets out a small sigh. “Sorry about that, Sun. I really did tell him to come back lat– ”

“Don’t worry about it, hyung, really,” Sunoo cuts in, his voice rushed. “I gotta go. Bye!”

Before Heeseung can say another word, Sunoo’s already halfway down the hall, practically sprinting toward the elevator, his heart pounding and face burning.

By the time Sunoo reaches his dorm, his heart is still beating at a rapid pace. His hand shakes a little when he unlocks the door, hoping, praying, that Jungwon’s not inside yet. He needed to gather his thoughts. Alone.

No such luck.

Jungwon is sitting on the couch, hoodie half zipped, brown hair sticking out like he’s run his hands through it. His phone is on his lap, the screen still lit up. The moment Sunoo steps in, Jungwon’s eyes snap up, wide and sharp.

“Finally,” he says, voice tight. “You’re alive.”

Sunoo freezes in the doorway. “Hi to you too.”

“Don’t you ‘hi’ me.” Jungwon stands up, crossing his arms. “Do you have any idea what the past three days were like for me? I thought you were dead! I was two seconds away from calling campus security!”

Sunoo blinks, his throat dry. “I– ”

“And then,” Jungwon cuts in, “I get a text from Lee Heeseung.”

That shuts him up instantly.

Jungwon grabs his phone, waving it in his face like evidence. “Hey Jungwon, just letting you know Sunoo’s with me, he went into heat. He’s safe, don’t worry. That’s what it said.” He lowers the phone slowly, eyes narrowing. “So imagine my confusion when my best friend tells me he’s going to Heeseung’s place for a bit to finish this project, and then disappears for three days to spend his fucking heat with him.”

 Sunoo groans, dragging a hand down his face. “Jungwon, please– ”

“No, seriously. What the hell, Sunoo? You couldn’t have texted me?” 

“I couldn’t,” Sunoo says quickly. “It just, everything happened so fast. I didn’t even realize what was going on until…” He trails off, pressing his lips together. “Until it was already happening.”

“Even better,” Jungwon snaps, throwing his hands in the air, “didn’t you notice you were in literal preheat before leaving?”

Sunoo exhales sharply. “Are you insane? Of course I didn’t know. You knew I just had my heat, like two weeks ago. Why would I ever think it was happening again? God, Won.”

Jungwon sighs, the anger slipping from his expression. “Okay, okay, You’re right. I'm sorry, I just freaked out, I was so worried.”

Sunoo nods after a moment. “Yeah, I'm sorry too.”

Jungwon opens his arms without saying a word, and Sunoo doesn’t hesitate, he steps forward, burying himself against his best friend. Jungwon’s arms wrap around him, holding tight. He smells that familiar strawberry scent surrounding him.

“Missed you, Sun,” Jungwon whispers, voice gentle. “I’m glad you are okay.”

Sunoo hums, words muffled against his shoulder. “Mhm. Missed you too, Jungwonie.”

Jungwon goes quiet for a while. The room hums with silence, until it is broken by his friend's voice. “You know, I did tell you, you were desperate for a knot.”

“Was it big, anyway?.” he chuckles. 

Sunoo groans in disbelief, freeing himself from Jungwon's arms and throwing himself onto the couch. He buries his face into a pillow, muffling a long, frustrated sound.

After a moment, his voice comes out, quiet against the fabric. “He didn’t even knot me.”

Jungwon blinks. “What?!”

Sunoo lifts his head just enough to glare at him. “Of course he didn’t, we used condoms, Won!”

Jungwon lets out a low whistle. “Damn. I’m surprised Heeseung actually thought with his brain and not his dick. Props to him.”

Sunoo just rolls his eyes and tells him to shut up.

୨୧‧₊˚　

He can’t believe he let Jungwon drag him here.

They’re currently at the college’s gymnasium, watching the basketball team practice. Jungwon had begged Sunoo to accompany him to come watch his boyfriend once their classes ended, of course, Sunoo said no at first, but saying no to Yang Jungwon was something he didn’t know how to do yet.

So here they are, watching a bunch of sweaty men pass the ball to each other, and of course, Heeseung, being the captain, is there. 

It’s the first time Sunoo’s seen him in what feels like weeks.

The elective course they shared had ended; since it was one of those that only lasted half a semester. Their final project was done, submitted, and with that, any excuse to text or meet was gone.

Sunoo told himself he didn’t care. He didn’t care about Heeseung’s silence. He didn’t care that the alpha hadn’t reached out either. And he definitely didn’t care about those three days they’d spent together.

Not at all.

His eyes drift to the dark-blond boy for what feels like the thousandth time since they got here. Heeseung has this way of drawing attention without even trying, he looks so good, natural in his element, even if it’s only practice and they’re playing for fun. He moves easily, beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, brows furrowed in focus.

Sunoo feels his heart pick up, a flutter in his chest, and his cheeks flush the tiniest bit before he forces himself to look away.

“Jungwon, can I leave now? You can wait for Jay hyung alone, I’m tired.”

“Sunoo, if you leave, I swear I’ll dump all your skincare into the sink,” Jungwon warns. “We’re not even staying until practice ends, I just wanted to come say hi.”

“God, you’re annoying,” Sunoo mutters under his breath.

The coach blows the whistle, signaling a break, and Sunoo watches Jay grab his water bottle and towel. His black hair bounces as he jogs toward them, sweat clinging to his temples.

“Hey, Wonie,” Jay greeted, stepping close to press a quick kiss to Jungwon’s lips.

Sunoo looks away, suddenly very interested in the ceiling.

“Hey, Sun,” 

“Hello, hyung,” 

Jay grins, tossing his towel over his shoulder. “To what do I owe this honor, baby?”

“Nothing! We just wanted to come say hi,” Jungwon explained, pouting at him. “You’ve been so busy lately, I missed you, hyungie.”

“I know, Wonie, I’m sorry,” Jay says, ruffling his boyfriend’s hair gently. “You know this match is coming up, we can’t slow down. But after Saturday, I’m free. You guys are coming to the party, right?”

Party? What party? Sunoo blinks, confused.

“Oh, right! I forgot to tell you,” Jungwon said, turning to him with an excited grin. “The guys from the team, Heeseung and all, are throwing a party at Beomgyu’s house. You have to come, Sun!”

From the corner of his eye, Sunoo spots Heeseung sitting on the bleachers, phone in hand, brows furrowed as he types quickly on it. He looks serious, deeply focused and unaware of Sunoo’s gaze on him.

Sunoo exhales softly, dragging his eyes away. He’s not big on parties anymore, not since his third year started, but still… an invitation from him would’ve been nice. 

His chest suddenly felt heavy with something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Uh, I don’t know, guys… I might have to study for some tests coming up,” Sunoo said, voice small, tone carrying a faint trace of disappointment. His sweet scent soured just slightly, almost imperceptibly, except to Jungwon, who noticed right away.

“Oh come on, Sunoo– ” Jay started, but Jungwon cut him off quickly.

“Hyung, drop it. He’ll think about it,” he interrupted, giving Sunoo a quick glance before changing the subject. “Anyway, the coach is gonna start calling for you. We’re leaving now, alpha.”

He pulled the older man close, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. “See you, hyung. Love you.”

“Love you too, Jungwon,” Jay replied with that same soft, lovesick expression, practically melting at the omega’s affection. He turned to Sunoo, then. “Bye, Sunoo.”

“Bye, hyung,” Sunoo murmured, offering a fake smile as they started walking toward the exit. Jungwon hooked an arm through his as they left, eyes flicking up curiously to study his best friend’s expression.

Neither of them noticed the pair of dark eyes that followed Sunoo’s back across the gym, their owner’s gaze sharp, unreadable, lingering too long. 

Chapter Text

The walk back to the dorms was quiet. Too quiet.

Usually, Jungwon would fill the air with random chatter, complaining about assignments or humming some random song he heard from Jay, but tonight, even he seemed to sense something was off. Sunoo trailed beside him, eyes fixed on the ground, hands buried deep in the pocket of his hoodie. His scent was calm on the surface, but faintly off.

By the time they reached their building, Jungwon had enough. He pushed the door open, dropped his bag by the couch, and turned toward his best friend.

“Alright,” he said simply, “what’s going on with you?”

Sunoo blinked, pretending to be confused. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been weirdly quiet since the gym,” Jungwon said, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. “Don’t even try to tell me you’re just tired. I know you.”

Sunoo sighed, kicking off his shoes. “I am tired. That’s all.” He walked further into the room. He wasn’t exactly lying, but exhaustion wasn’t the only thing twisting in his chest. 

His mind had been a mess ever since he spent his heat with the alpha. Heeseung had been so sweet and caring during those days, maybe even before that. Sunoo couldn’t stop thinking about him. And yet, he had no idea where they stood now. They felt like strangers again, and that hurt more than he expected.

Heeseung didn’t spare him a glance while they were watching the team practice, or even send a quick text inviting him to his stupid party. He was frustrated at himself too, why did he even care this much? They were barely even friends, if he could even call them that.

Jungwon’s voice broke his thoughts.

“This about Heeseung?”

Sunoo froze, halfway to the couch. “Why would it be about Heeseung?” he asked too defensively.

Jungwon just stared at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, quietly, he said, “Didn’t say it was, just asking.”

The silence that followed stretched on, heavy and uncomfortable. The low hum of the air conditioner was the only sound that filled the room.

After a beat, Jungwon sighed. “Look, Sunoo. You don’t have to go to the match if you don’t want to. Or the party. I won’t force you to go.” 

Sunoo nodded, sinking into the couch cushions. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Jungwon lingered a second longer, as if he wanted to say something else, but didn’t. Instead, he walked toward his room.

Left alone, Sunoo leaned his head back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. God, he really needed to get his shit together. He hated how much space the alpha took up in his head lately. 

୨୧‧₊˚　

The day of the match came faster than he expected. The campus was buzzing since early morning, some groups of students wearing jerseys with the distinct colors of the team, laughing, heading toward the gymnasium. 

Riki and Jungwon were going, of course, the latter to support his boyfriend, and Riki to cheer on the team and to beg Jay, for the thousandth time, to let him join. Sunoo, however, had no intention of tagging along. He’d convinced himself that staying in to study was the smarter choice, the responsible thing to do.

For the first few hours, he flipped through his notes, highlighting random sentences that refused to stick. His eyes scanned the pages, but his mind kept drifting back to Heeseung on the court, to the way his gaze must look under the gym lights, the way his muscles flex whenever he threw the ball, the beads of sweat sliding down his neck–

This is ridiculous. He groaned, shutting his laptop with a sigh. What was he doing?

By the time the sun began to set outside his window, the idea of staying in felt unbearable. Why was he staying in anyway? This test was in a week and he had time to study other day. He needed to have a little fun, get drunk or something, that’s what Jungwon would say, anyway. 

Sunoo grabbed his phone, typing quickly:

sunoo: u still at the gym or already at the party?

The reply came fast.

won: we’re about to leave with jay hyung and riki! want us to pick you up? ᯣ.ᯣ

He hesitated for a moment, chewing on his lip before replying.

sunoo: yeah sure, wait for me.

As soon as he hit send, he got up, heart beating faster than he’d like to admit. He rummaged through his closet, debating what to wear, something casual, he thought, but also not too casual. After a few tries, he settled on a black slightly cropped shirt and a dark jean jacket, with simple but flattering jeans. He put on contacts, added some makeup and gloss on his plump lips.

He sighed quietly to himself. He looked good. 

He was fixing the last details of his hair when his phone buzzed with a text from Jungwon saying they were outside. With one last look in the mirror, he exhaled quietly and grabbed his jacket before heading out.

Jay’s car was parked right in front of the dorm. Sunoo climbed into the back seat, sliding next to Riki.

“Hey, you look good, hyung,” the younger alpha said with a smirk.

“For anyone in particular?” Jungwon added from the passenger seat, voice laced with teasing. Even without seeing his face, Sunoo could hear the smile in his tone.

“No,” Sunoo replied quickly, glaring at the back of Jungwon’s head. He was sure the omega mumbled something under his breath, but he couldn’t quite catch it.

Jay chuckled from the driver’s seat. “So what made you change your mind? Thought you were gonna stay in and study, Sun.”

“Uh, I don’t know,” Sunoo muttered, fingers fiddling with his jacket. “Figured I can study another day. It’s been a while since I went out with you guys, anyway.”

It was a lie, he knew what made him change his mind. He just wasn’t ready to admit the real reason.

“Well then,” Riki said, clapping his hands once, grinning wide, “let’s have fun tonight!”

Jay laughed, starting the engine as music began to play through the speakers. The city lights blurred past the windows. 

The ride to Beomgyu’s place was short, fifteen minutes at most. The car filled with conversations and laughter. Riki was going on about the match earlier that day, animated and loud, he kept praising how good the team had played, how they crushed the other college.

Jungwon chimed in, adding how proud he was of Jay, his hand resting on his boyfriend’s thigh and giving it a squeeze every few minutes.

Sunoo sat quietly by the window deep in thought. The omega smiled faintly when the others laughed.

Jay announced, “We’re here.”

The car slowed to a stop in front of a big house, windows glowing with colored light and the pulse of music spilling out into the night air. Laughter and voices drifted from the backyard.

Parties at Beomgyu’s house were infamous for going a little… crazy.

They all climbed out, the cool air brushing against Sunoo’s skin as he adjusted his jacket. Riki went ahead, already greeting some people by the door. Jay did the same, saying hi to some of his teammates and getting congratulatory hugs from others.

Jungwon linked arms with him as they started walking inside, the music pounding in their ears, bodies bumping into them as they made their way through the crowd.

Sunoo’s heartbeat picked up, the air was thick with the heavy mix of alcohol, sweat, perfume, and different scents all blending together. His eyes began wandering around the room before he even realized it, searching for something, or maybe someone.

Across the room, near the sliding door that led to the backyard, stood Heeseung.

His dark-blonde hair was pulled back away from his face, revealing his forehead, a pair of sunglasses perched on top of his head, because of course he’d wear sunglasses indoors at night. 

He had a buttoned denim jacket on, with nothing underneath, a teasing sliver of his stomach flashing every time he moved, paired with some simple black pants. He was surrounded by a few people, drink in hand, smiling brightly at something a girl beside him said. They looked close, her hand resting on his arm in a flirty way. 

Sunoo stared for far too long as he walked beside Jungwon.

Jungwon noticed, eyes flicking before leaning close to his ear to whisper, “You good?” 

Sunoo forced a breath, straightened his shoulders, and lied through his teeth.

“Yeah. Totally, let’s get something to drink.” 

Jungwon didn’t say anything, just grabbed Sunoo’s arm and pulled him toward the kitchen.

The counter was a mess of half empty bottles, red cups scattered everywhere, and a large bowl of something that smelled suspiciously sweet. A few people were gathered around, chatting too loudly or just mixing drinks.

As Jungwon started preparing something into a cup, Sunoo leaned against the counter, trying to keep his composure. He could still feel Heeseung’s presence from across the room.

“Here,” Jungwon handed him a drink, snapping him out of it. “Try this. It’s sweet enough that you will forget it’s alcohol.”

Sunoo took a sip and nodded absentmindedly, the sweetness lingering on his tongue. He had no idea what Jungwon had mixed into his drink, he just knew he needed to get drunk. Anything to get his mind off things.

“Jungwon?”

His friend turned around, smiling instantly. “Sunghoon hyung!”

Two figures walked in, Sunghoon, and next to him a slightly smaller boy.

“Hey!” Sunghoon greeted, his fanged smile in place. “Good to see you.”

“Yeah, same” Jungwon said, moving closer to hug him quickly. “You remember my friend Sunoo, right?.”

“Oh, I met him the other day,” Sunghoon answered simply. Then, the other guy stepped forward with a friendly grin. “I’m Jake,” he said, offering his hand first to Jungwon and then to Sunoo. “His boyfriend.” He smelled faintly floral, like jasmine, definitely an omega.

“Oh!” Jungwon blinked, surprised for a second before smiling wide. “Boyfriend? Congrats, hyung!”

Sunghoon laughed, eyes crinkling. “Thanks. It’s still pretty new.”

The alpha slung an arm around Jake’s waist, the two fitting so perfectly together that Sunoo felt a pang of something he didn’t want to name. He took a sip of his drink to hide it.

Jungwon looked between them, still smiling. “Wait, so you know each other already?”

For a moment, there was silence, then Sunoo and Sunghoon spoke at the same time.

“Kind of,” Sunoo said quickly.

“Yeah,” Sunghoon added, glancing briefly at him.

Jungwon’s brows furrowed. “Wait… when?”

Sunoo shifted awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck. “When I… uh, was leaving Heeseung’s place that day.”

Sunghoon nodded, tone casual. “Yeah. That was the morning I got back to grab some stuff.”

Jungwon blinked, connecting the dots a second too late. “Oh.” His lips parted, like he was about to say something else, but he caught the look on Sunoo’s face, that tiny, nervous smile, and thought better of it. “Right. That day.”

The silence that followed was awkward, Jake looked between them, clearly missing the subtext. 

Jungwon clapped his hands once, breaking it. “Well! Drinks, anyone?”

Jake grinned. “Now you’re talking.”

Sunghoon’s laugh was quiet as he let Jungwon pull him toward the counter. Sunoo stood there for a second longer, the sound of their laughter blending with the loud music outside, before forcing himself to smile and join them.

After a while, Riki came out of nowhere, dragging them both toward the dance floor. Jungwon only laughed, saying something about finding Jay before disappearing into the crowd.

Sunoo let Riki pull him in, drink still in hand, moving along to the beat as lights flashed over their faces. The bass was heavy enough to feel through the floor, the alcohol buzzing on his body.

They swayed together, laughing, spinning, until Riki leaned close, breath brushing against Sunoo’s ear.

“I think Heeseung is staring at you.”

Sunoo froze, mid step, blinking through the haze of lights. Riki couldn’t be serious. He had no idea what happened between them, there’s no way he’d tease him about that.

“What are you talking about?” he scoffed, trying to sound casual.

“No, hyung, I swear. Look behind you.”

He turned slowly, the room spinning slightly from the alcohol Jungwon mixed him earlier. His eyes scanned through the people until they found him.

Heeseung was leaning against a wall near the back, still talking to that same long haired girl from earlier. But his eyes were locked on him, sharp and dark, unblinking.

The moment their gazes met, Sunoo snapped his head back toward Riki.

“See?” Riki said, grinning.

“I don’t know. Whatever,” Sunoo muttered, suddenly self conscious. He needed a breather. “I’m gonna get another drink, be right back”

He didn’t wait for a reply, slipping through the crowd until he reached the kitchen. It was empty now, thank God, he thought to himself. He scanned the counter, picking up a random bottle and pouring some into his cup, just to do something with his hands.

“Hey, Sunoo. Long time no see.” 

A voice behind him made him stop. He turned, and there he was… Heeseung.

Fuck.

“Hyung, It’s been a while.. How have you been?” Sunoo said, keeping his tone flat but his cheeks blushed lightly.

“Good, yeah. You?”

“Great,” Sunoo muttered.

“You look pretty today,” the alpha said with a sly smile, scanning the omega’s body with his eyes.

Sunoo didn’t process the words at first, staring blankly for a beat, before blurting out, “Uh– thank you. You… you look good too, I guess. Yeah.”

Heeseung smiled faintly . “Didn’t see you at the match.”

“No, I didn’t go, had to study. Coming here was very last minute.”

“Well, I’m glad you did… I missed you.” Heeseung stepped a little closer.

Those words made his heart drop to his stomach, leaving him silent. Heeseung missed… him? Then why hadn’t he invited him? Why hadn’t he texted or just talked to him? Sunoo wanted to ask, but the questions caught in his throat.

“Missed me? Don’t lie,” Sunoo chuckled, flushing more as he took a step back until the counter pressed against him.

“Why would I lie, Sun?” The alpha’s voice dropped lower, as he moved closer again. That familiar dark chocolate scent now filled the space, wrapping around him. 

“You didn’t congratulate me on the win either.” He continued.

“I– I didn’t want to interrupt you. You seemed busy earlier,” the omega stuttered, recalling seeing the alpha with that girl, the alcohol in his system doing nothing to calm his nerves at this point.

He stopped just in front of Sunoo, his eyes locked onto the omega’s, gaze flickering briefly to his lips. Heeseung licked his own unconsciously, then leaned one arm against the counter beside Sunoo, close enough that Sunoo could feel the heat radiating off him. The omega’s heart pounded in his chest.

“Hyung,” Sunoo whispered, just loud enough for Heeseung to hear.

“Should I stop?” The alpha was now mere inches away, his warm breath fanning Sunoo’s cheeks.

Sunoo went quiet for a moment too long. Then, he shook his head slowly, signaling the alpha in front of him to continue. Heeseung’s lips were on him in an instant. 

At first, Sunoo didn’t move, his pulse thundered in his ears, after a moment, he responded, their lips meeting in a desperate kiss, breaths mingling. Sunoo wrapped his arms around the alpha’s neck, pulling him closer until their chests were pressed together.

Heeseung’s tongue flicked out to lick at Sunoo’s lower lip, the omega parted his mouth immediately, welcoming the wet muscle as it explored the inside of his mouth. The alpha tasted like alcohol, sharp, warm and intoxicating.

“Shit, sorry guys,” a voice interrupted from behind them, followed by a chuckle.

They broke apart with a wet smack, lips swollen, eyes locked together as they caught their breath, chests rising and falling in sync. 

“Just want another drink, I’ll be right out,” the guy slurred, Sunoo vaguely recognized him from around campus. He was clearly drunk, swaying slightly as he made his way to the counter.

“Sunoo, wanna go upstairs?” Heeseung suddenly whispered close to his ear, his hands touching his waist in a firm grip. The arousal on his scent clear.

“Sure, yeah.” the omega replied, voice shaky.

Heeseung smirked as he grabbed Sunoo’s hand, leading him through the crowd of people and up the stairs. He seemed to know his way around the house, walking straight down the hallway and stopping at the door at the very end. He opened it, entered and let go of the omega’s hand to lock it behind them.

Noticing the flicker of doubt in Sunoo’s eyes, he started, “It’s one of the guest rooms. Beomgyu lets me crash here sometimes.”

“Right,” Sunoo said, a small laugh bubbling from his chest as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

“What’s so funny?” the alpha asked, amused, taking a seat beside him.

“Just… wondering how many people have been here like this with you,” Sunoo teased, tone playful but with something uneasy underneath.

“You’re the first one, sugar,” Heeseung said, looking straight at him. His hand came up to hold the omega’s jaw gently, his fingers brushing lightly against Sunoo’s lower lip.

Without letting himself overthink or question whether he believed Heeseung or not, Sunoo parted his lips, letting his tongue flick out to lightly brush against the alpha’s fingers still resting near his mouth.

Heeseung’s breath hitched, his eyes darkening as he watched Sunoo’s tongue graze his fingers. The gesture was bold, unexpected, and it sent a wave of heat through him. 

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” Heeseung murmured, voice low and rough.

Sunoo met his gaze, heart pounding, but his expression didn’t waver. “I know, alpha.”

Heeseung’s hand slid from Sunoo’s jaw to the back of his neck, fingers threading through soft hair.

Heeseung surged forward, capturing Sunoo’s lips in another kiss. The omega moaned softly against him as they stumbled back onto the bed, Sunoo now straddling Heeseung’s hips. Without hesitation, he leaned down, pressing kisses along the alpha’s neck, trailing lower until his lips brushed over Heeseung’s scent gland. The contact drew a deep groan from the older man, his fingers tightening around Sunoo’s waist.

The omega’s hand slid lower, palming against Heeseung’s crotch. He could feel the hardness through the layers of clothes.

“Wanna suck you off, please.” Sunoo whispered against Heeseung's lips.

“Fuck, of course go ahead.” he exhaled. 

“Sit up, hyung,” the omega said as he dropped to his knees beside the edge of the bed, Heeseung’s legs framing him on either side. Sunoo’s fingers toyed with the hem of the alpha’s pants before unbuttoning them and sliding them down, leaving Heeseung in nothing but his boxers. The outline of his arousal was unmistakable, straining against the fabric. 

Sunoo tugged the boxers down swiftly, Heeseung’s flushed cock sprang free, Sunoo wrapped his hand around it, pumping it until it reached full hardness, his fingers barely able to close around the thick girth. The alpha’s scent was sharper here, muskier, almost overwhelming, it made Sunoo’s head spin.

Holding the length firmly, Sunoo leaned in and gave a kittenish lick to the blunt tip, feeling as it twitched on his hand in response to the teasing. The taste of the bitter precum met his tongue, making his own cock inside his pants get harder.

“Don’t tease baby.” Heeseung groaned, biting hard on his bottom lip.

The omega leaned in, his tongue licking a fat stripe of skin right from his balls to the cockhead, savoring every inch. He paused at the head, swirling his tongue around it before taking it into his mouth. With steady rhythm, he began working up and down Heeseung’s shaft, sucking the sides and licking long stripes up the thick veins.

Heeseung leaned back on his arms, throwing his head back as deep moans and grunts escaped him, the pleasure overwhelming. Sunoo reached for the alpha’s hand and guided it in behind his head, looking at him with a glint in his eyes. Heeseung understood instantly, threading his fingers into Sunoo’s hair and gripping tight, setting the pace as Sunoo bobbed up and down on the alpha’s cock. 

“Holy fuck, Sun… you’re so hot—shit,” Heeseung groaned loudly, voice breaking with need, not being able to contain himself. 

Sunoo’s mouth was slick, spit trailing from the corners to his chin as he worked around the sheer size of the alpha’s cock, relentless and eager.

The omega pulled back with a wet pop, catching his breath for a moment, lips slick and parted. Then he leaned in again, wrapping his plump lips around the head, before sinking down slowly. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he fought the urge to gag, swallowing around Heeseung’s length with determination. 

When he looked up at the alpha, his eyes were glassy, cheeks flushed. Heeseung met his gaze, dark, sharp, and dazed with satisfaction, completely entranced by the sight in front of him.

“Fuck, you look so pretty like this, your mouth full of cock- I won’t last long,” Heeseung exhaled shakily, dragging a hand through his hair, leaving it messy.

The omega pulled back again, more saliva trailing down his chin as he caught his breath. His hand continued stroking Heeseung’s length at a fast pace, then he leaned in lower, taking the alpha’s balls into his mouth one at a time, alternating between them with deliberate sucks.

Sunoo hollowed his cheeks, maintaining a steady rhythm as he bobbed his head up and down. The alpha’s hips jolted involuntarily, driving deeper into his throat with each thrust.

“Sunoo– gonna come,” Heeseung warned between grunts. “Pull out if you don’t wanna– shit– swallow.”

But the omega didn’t budge. He took Heeseung’s cock back into his mouth, driving him closer and closer to the edge. Suddenly Heeseung’s body tensed up, hips stuttering and his cock twitching as warm spurts of cum jolted out of him. Sunoo wrapped his lips around the tip quickly, swallowing every drop that came out, though a little escaped, trailing from the corner of his lips.

When Sunoo took a look at the alpha, Heeseung was still catching his breath, chest rising and falling heavily, head tilted back with a hazy expression, and a light sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead. “You’re insane, Kim Sunoo,” he laughed, breathless.

Sunoo rose silently, legs a little unsteady, and climbed into Heeseung’s lap, straddling him with ease. He leaned in, capturing the alpha’s lips in a deep kiss, one that made him taste himself on the omega’s tongue. It was so messy and dirty that it drew a breathy moan out of him. 

Heeseung pulled back just enough to breathe, his eyes searching Sunoo’s face. “Stay with me tonight, baby.” he murmured with a hint of desperation, voice low.

Chapter Text

“Okay, hyung,” he said in a small voice. Heeseung grins, satisfied, and leans in to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Wait just– I’m gonna send a quick text.”

He reaches for his phone that was abandoned on the bed, Heeseung's hands still firm on his hips, his thumbs hover over the screen for a second before typing.

sunoo: wonie gonna stay with heeseung tonight. don’t kill me haha i love you <3  

He stares at the message for a moment, debating whether to add something else, maybe an excuse, maybe just lie, but decides against it. That would only make things worse.

With a quiet exhale, he hits send.

He doesn’t wait for a reply. He can already picture it, Jungwon’s name lighting up the screen, a string of messages in all caps. Before any of that can happen, he presses the side button and tosses the phone back onto the bed.

Sunoo knows he probably shouldn’t have agreed. His mind was already too much of a mess. What does this mean? Why are they doing this again?.

It’s not like he was in heat this time. Not like they were drunk either, just a little tipsy, if anything.

Any excuses are gone, he knew staying would only make things worse for him, and would blur lines that were already too confusing. 

“Want me to take care of that, sugar?” the alpha uttered, pulling Sunoo out of his spiraling thoughts.

Heeseung leaned in, inhaling the sweet scent lingering in the air, clearly from Sunoo’s slick.

“You got wet just from sucking my cock, huh?” he added, voice low and teasing, before attaching his mouth to the omega’s neck, drawing a needy gasp from Sunoo.

“Mhm, yes, alpha,” Sunoo replied, voice breathy. 

His body was already responding again, a fresh wave of slick starting to come out, his scent laced with arousal, as he grinded his ass on Heeseung’s already half hard cock, chasing friction.

The room turned hot fast, filled with the scent of slick and sweat.

Clothes were thrown around everywhere, the bed creaked beneath them, slamming against the wall with the force of each thrust. Sunoo’s fingers clawed at Heeseung’s back, his open mouth spilling out broken moans.

It wasn’t slow. It wasn’t gentle. It was desperate, like they were holding back and finally snapped. Every touch was rough, every kiss messy. Sunoo clung to Heeseung like he couldn’t stand even an inch of space between them.

They didn’t stop until their bodies gave out, too exhausted to keep going. Sunoo lay half sprawled over Heeseung, skin flushed, hair damp and lips swollen from too many kisses. The alpha’s arm draped over him as they both finally drifted to sleep.

୨୧‧₊˚

Morning came, and he opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the light spilling through the window since they had forgotten to close the curtains last night. A pair of doe eyes were already fixed on him.

“What are you doing?” he chuckled, covering his face with his hands.

“Watching you sleep,” he replied easily.

“Mm, don’t be creepy, please,” the omega joked lightly, turning around on the bed so his back faced Heeseung, Sunoo winced lightly at the ache in his lower back, the sound didn’t go unnoticed by the alpha.

“Sore? Was I too rough, baby?” The pet name made Sunoo’s heart skip.

Sure, Heeseung had called him that before, but only when they were… well, fucking. Hearing it outside of that was definitely new.

“No, I… liked it,” he admitted, cheeks burning with a blush.

The alpha smirked, leaning in until his breath brushed Sunoo’s ear. “That so?” he murmured, his voice low.

His hand traced up Sunoo’s waist, pulling him flush, so the omega’s back was against his chest.

Sunoo squirmed against him. “We should get up, hyung,” he muttered, a smile tugging at his lips. “It’s probably late, I need to go back to my dorm and shower, we’re so dirty,” he added, recalling last night's activities.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he sighed, untangling himself from the omega with a faint frown before standing to search for their scattered clothes.

“I can drop you off, my car’s here,” he added while putting on his underwear.

“Oh, sure, thanks,” Sunoo replied as he stood, mimicking Heeseung and beginning to put on last night’s clothes.

Just as he tugged his shirt over his head, a thought popped on his head.

“Hyung, Beomgyu isn’t going to be mad that we used his guest bedroom, right?” he asked, blushing and glancing around to look at the messy state of the room.

“Nah, people have done way worse stuff in his house, trust me, he doesn’t care,” he chuckled.

“I’ll just take off the sheets and we can leave.” he removed them swiftly and tossed them into a cest in the corner of the room. 

“Okay, I’m ready,” Sunoo stated once he was fully dressed. He picked up his phone and jacket that were laying on the floor.

“Let’s go,” Heeseung replied, opening the door and going ahead as they went down the stairs.

The state of the house after the party was… something.

Cups scattered everywhere, the lights and music still turned on, a drink spilled across the floor.

Beomgyu was actually sprawled on the couch hugging some guy, both fast asleep and snoring loudly. A couple of people were sleeping on the floor in uncomfortable positions.

God, what a mess, Sunoo thought, his expression twisting just from thinking about cleaning this. 

Heeseung went ahead and turned off the lights, unplugging the speaker as well. “It’s fine, he just pays people to clean up his house after his parties,” the alpha said, noticing Sunoo’s troubled expression.

He opened the front door quietly, careful not to disturb the sleeping people. Sunoo followed him out to a black car parked right in front of the house. Heeseung unlocked it with a soft beep, and Sunoo slid into the passenger seat, grateful for the warmth inside. Heeseung got in next, buckled up, and turned the key. He drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily on the center console. 

Sunoo’s gaze flicked between the passing buildings and Heeseung’s profile, sharp jaw, sleepy eyes, hair falling perfectly despite the night they had.

They sat in a comfortable silence for most of the way, the soft music spilling from the speakers filling the air.

As they slowed to a stop in front of his dorm, Sunoo hesitated, licking his lips before gathering the courage to speak. “Hyung… about last night–”

Before he could finish, Heeseung’s phone pinged loudly in the cupholder. 

Then again.

And again. 

A chain of notifications buzzing insistently.

Heeseung’s gaze flicked down, brows knitting together for a split second, confusion? annoyance? Sunoo couldn’t tell. He reached for the phone, unlocking it with his thumb. 

A series of messages lit up the screen. He read quickly, jaw tightening, then typed something back just as fast, fingers flying before he turned the phone face down.

Sunoo swallowed, his voice now caught in his throat.

Heeseung offered him a small smile, clearly distracted. “Sorry… you were saying?” he asked vaguely.

“It’s fine. Nothing. Doesn’t matter,” Sunoo murmured with a fake smile, his scent shifting into something indistinguishable.

It wasn’t fine.

Not really.

“Um… thank you, hyung. I’ll see you around,” Sunoo said with a sigh, unlocking the door.

“Yeah. See you, sugar. Take care,” the alpha replied low, an unreadable glint flickering in his eyes.

Just as he stepped into his dorm, Sunoo kicked his shoes off. The strawberry scent hit him first, Jungwon was sitting on the kitchen stool, eating breakfast.

“Hi,” Sunoo said with an awkward smile.

“Yeah, hello, enjoyed last night, or what? Can’t believe you ditched us for some dick,” Jungwon blurted out, shaking his head. “So much for wanting to party with us again.”

“Oh, come on. You were probably just sucking face with Jay hyung all night anyway, don’t act so offended.”

Jungwon hummed under his breath. “Guess I can’t deny that.” He exhaled slowly, not annoyed, just resigned. “I’m not mad,” he said quietly. “I’m just confused.”

Sunoo swallowed hard, feigning ignorance. “About?”

Jungwon’s gaze didn’t waver. “What’s this, Sun? A fuckbuddies situation? Do you actually like him?”

Sunoo flinched, words refusing to come out.

“Just reminding you how Heeseung hyung is,” Jungwon continued. “You know he’s not looking for a relationship.”

“I know,” he whispered, barely audible.

“Do you?” Jungwon pressed softly.

Silence stretched between them. Sunoo’s throat tightened until he could barely breathe.

“I’ll go shower now,” Sunoo muttered, ending the conversation.

“Please don’t let him hurt you,” Jungwon said in a low tone, when Sunoo was halfway through the bathroom door.

Sunoo froze. He opened his mouth, to deny, to laugh it off, to say he was fine but nothing came out. 

୨୧‧₊˚　

The days after the party passed quietly, and then it just… started happening.

At first, Sunoo thought maybe that night would be the last time, Heeseung didn’t reach out the next day or the one after, and neither did he, so Sunoo assumed,

Okay. That was it. This was for the better, he convinced himself.

Then, on a random afternoon, his phone buzzed.

heeseung: you free?

No further explanation, nothing else.

Sunoo stared at the screen for a full minute before replying.

sunoo: yeah.

And that was all it took.

After that, the pattern stuck.

It was mostly Sunoo going to Heeseung’s apartment, slipping inside after class and spending the night, because at some point that just became… normal.

On some days, Heeseung would even come to Sunoo’s dorm instead, whenever the omega was alone, when Jungwon stayed over with Jay, the nights always ended  the same way, the two of them tangled up together and then leaving the next day like nothing had happened.

Heeseung kept everything easy, relaxed, no labels.

The alpha didn’t act differently around him in public, didn’t act like Sunoo was someone special.

Not rude either, just normal. Like whatever they did behind closed doors stayed there, sealed away from everyone.

The alpha gave just the usual wave of a hand or a brief nod whenever they crossed paths on campus. 

And Sunoo pretended that was fine.

Among their friends, the only one who knew was Jungwon, mostly because it was impossible to hide anything from the omega.

And well, Sunghoon, since he lived with Heeseung. Sunoo doubted the alpha ever actually talked to his friend about their… arrangement, but it was pretty obvious he didn’t come over just to “friendly hang out.”

୨୧‧₊˚　

Sunoo was halfway through a paragraph about Romantic era poetry when his phone buzzed on the desk.

heeseung: what are you doing?

He blinked, thumb hovering before typing back.

sunoo: studying

A few seconds passed, then another buzz.

heeseung: wanna come over? i saw this new ramen at the convenience store. wanna try it?

Sunoo blinked at the messages, confused.

Ramen?

Not come over with that tone he used sometimes. Not a late night visit ending with his back against Heeseung’s sheets.

Just… ramen?

Still, he typed back.

sunoo: yeah, sure

heeseung: cool

heeseung: come now ill wait outside

Sunoo got up, smoothing his shirt, and brushing his hair in the mirror before stopping himself. 

Relax.

He walked over to Heeseung’s building, and sure enough, the alpha was waiting at the entrance, hands buried in the pockets of his black hoodie, breath fogging lightly in the cold air. Sunoo shivered a little, regretting his choice of stepping out in a thin shirt. 

“You’re freezing,” was the first thing Heeseung said, brows pulling together. “Sun, you’re literally just wearing a shirt.”

“It didn’t feel that cold before…” Sunoo muttered, arms wrapping around himself.

Heeseung tugged his hoodie off in one smooth motion and shoved it at him. “Put it on.”

“I’m fine–”

“Put it on,” the alpha repeated, eyes soft but firm.

Sunoo swallowed and slipped into it. He ducked his head, hiding the small smile tugging at his lips.

It was very big on him, but so, so warm. It smelled strongly of the alpha, dark chocolate and something deeper, it wrapped around him so suddenly that his knees almost buckled.

“Better,” Heeseung said, taking a look at him, and starting to walk. “Come on.”

They made their way to the convenience store near the building, the street was empty except for a few people, lights washing softly over the pavement, the cold brushing against their faces as they walked. Sunoo found himself close enough that their hands brushed every now and then, and Heeseung didn’t move away.

“So, did you finish that poetry thing you mentioned the other day?” Heeseung asked suddenly.

Sunoo was surprised for a second that the alpha even remembered something he probably just said in passing.

Sunoo sighed. “Don’t even talk to me about poetry right now.”

A small laugh left the alpha. “It can’t be that bad.”

“Trust me, it’s the worst.”

They pushed the door open, the bell chiming softly. Inside, it was warm and familiar, the aisles buzzing under fluorescent lights.

Heeseung went straight to the instant ramen section and grabbed the new one he mentioned, holding it up like a prize.

“See? Limited edition. We have to try it.”

Sunoo laughed, amused. “You’re way too excited about this, hyung.”

“Don’t disrespect ramen,” Heeseung shot back, grinning.

In the end, Heeseung grabbed two packets for them and another flavor for his own stash. He paid, and they headed back to the apartment.

Once they stepped inside, Heeseung went straight to the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves.

“Sit,” he said, pointing at the stool.

Sunoo obeyed before he even thought about it, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the alpha boil water, crack an egg, add toppings like he had done it a thousand times.

Steam from the ramen curled into the air, warming up the kitchen, Sunoo sat at the table, hoodie sleeves pulled over his hands, watching the alpha move around with confidence.

It wasn’t like their usual nights, no rushed touches, no unspoken expectation hanging heavy between them, just Heeseung humming a song under his breath, stirring noodles, soaking in the calm of the moment. It felt almost domestic.

“You know, this brings back memories,” Sunoo said, recalling the first time he came over for the project.

Heeseung glanced over, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Mm. Even back then, I knew you’d come back for more.”

Sunoo’s heart stuttered in his chest, and before he could even respond, Heeseung set a steaming bowl in front of him.

“Try it.”

Sunoo blew on the noodles and took a bite with his chopsticks, immediately coughing. “God, how much spicy sauce did you put on these, hyung?” the omega gasped, with red cheeks.

“Shit, sorry, baby,” Heeseung said, moving quickly to grab a glass of water from the cabinet. “Didn’t know it was this spicy.” He chuckled at Sunoo’s expression, a cocky smile tugging at his lips.

“Don’t make that face. Just wasn’t expecting it, I can handle the spice,” Sunoo pouted, hiding a smile as he sipped the water.

He shouldn’t enjoy this as much as he did, shouldn’t feel this soft flutter in his chest.

But here he was, in Heeseung’s hoodie, eating ramen at his counter, pretending it didn’t mean anything, pretending he didn’t wish it did. 

By the time they finished eating, Sunoo checked the time on his phone, not expecting it to be this late already.

The apartment was quiet, the city outside hushed. He yawned, rubbing his eyes, already thinking about the walk back to his dorm.

“You should just stay,” Heeseung said suddenly, from where he was rinsing the bowls in the sink. “It’s late.”

Sunoo blinked, caught off guard. “Stay? Here? I mean… to– to sleep?”

“Yeah,” Heeseung replied, glancing over his shoulder with a small smile. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna pounce on you or anything. Just crash here.”

The words surprised Sunoo, they hadn’t really hung out outside of hookups before, every visit ended the same way so this was... different.

Once Heeseung was done, he gestured toward his room. Sunoo hesitated but followed him anyway.

“I can lend you some sweatpants and just sleep in my hoodie,” he said, rummaging through his closet.

“These are the smallest I have, sorry, sugar.” Heeseung handed him a pair of black ones, still big.

Sunoo chuckled as he put them on, blushing when the alpha’s eyes lingered on his pale thighs as he removed his jeans. Ironic, since the alpha had seen him naked plenty of times by now. “They’re fine, hyung. Don’t worry.”

The omega slipped onto the bed, pulling the blanket around himself. Heeseung joined him a moment later, lying on his back and scrolling through his phone. 

Sunoo stared at the ceiling, the warmth of the alpha’s hoodie still clinging to him, the faint sound of Heeseung’s steady breathing beside him. His chest felt strangely full, a soft ache he couldn’t name. For once, it wasn’t about the physical. It was just about being here.

“You know, just ’cause we’re not fucking, doesn’t mean you need to be so far away, Sun,” the alpha blurted out without shame, setting his phone on the nightstand.

Sunoo blushed in the dark. “Shut up,” he chuckled, closing the distance between them.

Heeseung immediately slipped a hand inside the hoodie at his waist, pulling him flush against his chest and nuzzling softly at the omega’s neck, inhaling his sweet, sugary scent. Sunoo let out a soft, satisfied sigh. At this closeness, he felt safe and warm, sleep already creeping in.

“Good night, hyung.”

“Night, sugar,” the alpha whispered.

୨୧‧₊˚　

“Oh, by the way… didn’t know you were dating Lee Heeseung, hyung,” Riki said, sipping from his cup of matcha. “Why didn’t you tell me!”

Jungwon’s eyes widened, mouth gaping like a fish.

Sunoo snapped his head up so fast from his laptop that his glasses almost fell. “What are you saying? Lower your voice!” They were at their usual coffee shop, packed with students, as always at this hour.

“Yeah, Jay hyung said so the other day,” Riki explained.

Sunoo’s gaze immediately shifted to the only person who could have told Jay, Jungwon. The other omega stared at him with puppy eyes.

“I’m sorry! He just asked why you weren’t home the other day. You know I can’t lie to him, and I didn’t even tell him you were dating, just that you were at his place. You know he gets… creative” Jungwon threw his hands up. “Also, he was more surprised that Heeseung hadn’t told him anything.”

“Ugh, whatever, Won. And no, Riki, for the record, we are not… dating. Don’t say that again,” he muttered, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Oh, but you want to, don’t you?” Riki pressed on, a teasing smile dancing on his lips.

Both of them stared at Sunoo, waiting for a response. The words caught in his throat, and before he could say anything, a familiar voice broke the silence.

“Hey! How are you guys?” the omega exclaimed, a happy smile on his face, floral scent drifting around him.

“Oh, Jake! Hello!” Jungwon responded immediately, matching the big smile. “We’re fine, how about you? It’s been a while.” They hadn’t seen Jake since the party.

“Good, good. Yeah… I was wondering if I could sit here until Sunghoon comes. This place is packed, so no tables available,” he said, scratching the back of his neck.

“Yes, of course,” Sunoo replied, grabbing his bag that was resting on a free seat and making space for Jake to sit.

“This is Riki, by the way, our friend, performing arts major,” Jungwon said, introducing the young alpha.

“Cool, nice to meet you, Riki,” Jake said with his friendly smile, as always. Riki nodded in return. “Likewise,” he replied.

“So, how’s Sunghoon hyung?” Jungwon carried on with the conversation.

“He’s fine, yeah just kinda busy lately. We were supposed to meet here like ten minutes ago, but he got trapped by a professor over some project. Heeseung hyung was coming too.”

At the mention of that name, Sunoo’s heart raced in his chest. Jungwon and Riki both glanced at him briefly.

“Right, right… you know how busy things get this time of year,” Jungwon added.

After that, they changed the topic, the conversation drifting naturally from one thing to another, Jake being a film major, how he met Sunghoon, how crazy everything had gotten at Beomgyu’s party, and other little stories. Jake was so friendly, and they all clicked with him easily.

After about fifteen minutes later, the bell chimed, signaling someone had entered. It was Sunghoon.

“Thought you said Heeseung hyung was coming too?” Jungwon asked, looking at the alpha who had just walked in.

“Yes, he was supposed to– ” Jake started, but stopped when he saw Heeseung a few steps behind. “There he is.”

Heeseung wasn’t alone. The same girl Sunoo had seen with him at the party walked beside him, talking excitedly. Now that Sunoo could see her clearly in daylight, she was… striking, long brown hair, pale skin, and a delicate face. Sunoo felt a strange weight in his chest.

“And who’s that with him?” Riki asked.

“Right… I think that’s Jisu. Sunghoon mentioned her before,” Jake replied, noticing the three confused faces staring right back at him. “Oh, Heeseung’s ex.”

Chapter Text

Heeseung’s ex. 

He was expecting a lot of things to come out of Jake’s mouth, just… not that.

The words echoed cruelly in his head, they sat heavy, sinking deep, twisting his stomach immediately. His heart dropped hard in his chest as a million questions crashed into him all at once. Why were they together again? At the party too… What is going on?.

Sunghoon was the first to spot them and reach their table. “Oh hey, you guys are all here,” he greeted, and everyone responded in return. He dropped into the empty chair next to Jake with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, Jakey, the professor kept us longer than planned,” he said to his boyfriend in a soft tone while planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

Jake waved it off. “It’s fine, Hoon. Yeah, I asked them if I could sit here since all the other tables were taken.”

“Right, it is so packed, thankfully you guys were here.” Sunghoon replied.

As they all slipped into a new conversation, Sunoo stayed quiet now, not uttering a single word, the omega forced himself to stare at the table, at his drink in front of him down, at anything to ignore the tightening in his chest, but something suddenly tugged at him, curiosity.

He glanced up again.

Heeseung stood at the counter, waiting for his order… and of course she was right beside him. Close. While they were talking, she said something that made Heeseung laugh under his breath, head turning slightly toward her. 

A sharp, ugly twist formed in Sunoo’s stomach. Heat crawled up his neck, annoyance and a hint of something else, blooming so fast inside, it startled him. 

What now? Were they going to come sit here, together?.

He tried to hide the undertones of bitterness creeping into his normally sweet scent, but he failed miserably. At this point, he was too pissed off to care.

Jungwon nudged him gently. “Sunoo?”

“Yeah?” He replied fast, pulling himself together and noticing the confused stares on him. 

“You alright?”

“I’m fine,” Sunoo lied instantly, voice too tight to convince anyone. 

His eyes flicked back up once again, Heeseung was still there, leaning forward to pick up the drink the barista had placed on the counter. She leaned forward too, brushing against him like it was nothing.

That did it.

“Actually,” Sunoo blurted, already reaching for his bag, “I need to go. I forgot I had something to do.”

Jungwon stared at him with confusion in his eyes. “Right now? But– ”

“Yeah,” Sunoo stood up so quickly the chair scraped loudly against the floor. “It’s important. I really have to leave.”

“Hyung– ” Riki began, clearly confused too.

But Sunoo couldn’t hear anything over the thudding in his chest. He kept his eyes away from the counter, from Heeseung, from the stupid tight ache in his throat, he just needed to get outside before anyone asked anything else.

He slung his bag over his shoulder, swallowing hard.

“I’ll text you guys,” he said, almost whispering. “Sorry.”

He turned to leave, heading for the door and just as he passed the counter, Heeseung turned around, iced coffee in hand.

Their eyes met.

The alpha’s face lit up with a warm smile, but it faltered almost instantly, eyebrows furrowing in question like he could sense something was off just from looking at him, he opened his mouth, clearly about to say something, but Sunoo didn’t stop

He broke eye contact first, shoulders going rigid as he brushed right past him without a second glance, pushing straight for the door.

Sunoo felt the air hit his face the moment he stepped outside, the loud noise of the café fading behind him as he started walking.

His phone buzzed in his pocket a second later, he took it out, staring at the screen as it lit up in his hand, Heeseung’s name glowing across the notifications.

For a moment, he wanted to read it, wanted to know what the alpha had to say

But the part of him still burning with jealousy won.

Sunoo exhaled shakily and turned his phone off without reading any of the messages, shoved it deep inside his bag and kept walking.

He walked straight across campus, not even sure where he was going until he found himself at the library. Quiet. Safe. Somewhere he could disappear into the silence and pretend nothing was happening for a while.

He slipped inside, head down, and let the door close behind him as he found himself a seat.

୨୧‧₊˚

He wasn’t sure how many hours had passed since he’d gotten there.

Sunoo took off his glasses for a moment, rubbing his eyes softly. The dim glow of his laptop screen illuminated some class notes in front of him. He stretched in the chair, cracking his neck, then let his gaze drift out the window, admiring the sun going down, the sky painted in pretty shades of orange.

He watched it silently for a while, until he realized he couldn’t keep escaping reality.

With a quiet sigh, he reached into his bag, pulled out his phone, and turned it on.

The message notifications were there waiting for him, resigned, Sunoo tapped them open and began to read.

won: sun, i know you are at the library, just reminding you i’m staying with jay hyung tonight

won: let me know if you’re okay whenever you can, or if you need anything i can cancel the plans with jay too

Sunoo smiled softly at the message. He didn’t know what he did to deserve a friend like Jungwon.

sunoo: i’m fine, wonie. sorry for leaving like that earlier… I’ll explain later.

sunoo: and no, don’t worry, just stay with hyung! i’m okay, really!

After a few minutes, he replied:

won: he lives.

won: okay, but please do call me if you need anything. love you

sunoo: yes, will do. love you more 

He then opened another chat.

heeseung: sunoo

heeseung: are you okay?

heeseung: what was that, why did you go out like that?

heeseung: …hello?

The omega suddenly felt a pang of guilt for leaving him without an answer for hours, he bit his lip, thumbs hovering over the screen as he started typing back, realizing how irrational he was being.

It wasn’t like he and Heeseung were dating.

Wasn’t like Sunoo had any right to care if he was hanging out with his ex or anyone else for that matter.

Except he did.

God, he really did.

sunoo: hey hyung, yeah i'm okay ;)

sunoo: sorry, something came up and i had to leave 

The alpha’s reply came surprisingly fast.

heeseung: wya?

sunoo: at the library, why?

Then the messages stopped.

Sunoo tried to focus on his laptop again, typing class notes mechanically, but his eyes barely tracked the words at this point. The sudden silence on his phone confused him, why ask where he was if he wasn’t going to respond anymore.

Whatever. He whispered to himself.

Minutes later, a shadow fell across his desk.

Sunoo looked up.

Heeseung stood there, hands inside the pockets of his hoodie, chest rising and falling like he’d walked fast to get here. His usual confident expression was still there, but softened with something like worry.

“What– what are you doing here?” Sunoo asked.

“Hey,” Heeseung said softly, leaning a little against the edge of the table. “Mind if I sit?”

Sunoo’s throat went dry, he opened his mouth, then closed it again. 

“I… was around,” Heeseung continued, voice low, almost hesitant. “And I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

His eyes flicked down to Sunoo’s hands still resting on the keyboard, then lifted again to meet his gaze. “You seemed… off earlier.”

Sunoo swallowed hard, the library suddenly felt smaller, or maybe it was just Heeseung’s presence, he somehow filled every corner of Sunoo’s mind the second he was near.

“I’m fine,” Sunoo mumbled, though even to his own ears it sounded unconvincing.

Heeseung’s brows pulled together, as if he didn’t buy it. Still, he didn’t push, he simply sat down beside him. Not too close, careful not to crowd him

For a long moment, neither of them spoke, the only sound was the faint hum of other students studying, the occasional page turn, keys clacking and the thrum of Sunoo’s racing heart.

Then, finally, Heeseung broke the silence.

“Why did you leave like that earlier?” he asked quietly. “You walked right past me like I wasn’t even there.”

Sunoo’s gaze dropped to the table again. He didn’t know whether he should feel guilty, annoyed, or… something else entirely.

“Were you mad at me or something?” Heeseung pressed.

“No,” Sunoo said quickly. “Why would I be mad at you.”

He kept his eyes glued to the screen, refusing to look up.

“Told you something came up,” Sunoo muttered, barely above a whisper. “I was in a rush.”

Heeseung leaned forward a little, elbows resting on the table.

“Sunoo– ”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Alright, then,” Heeseung said quietly, the word soft and resigned.

That made Sunoo look at him.

He regretted it immediately, because Heeseung didn’t look annoyed, he just looked worried. His eyes were gentle, searching Sunoo’s face like he was trying to figure out how to fix it.

It made Sunoo’s chest painfully tight.

Heeseung held his gaze for a moment longer, then finally exhaled and leaned back, hands lifting in quiet surrender. 

Just… letting it go.

Sunoo blinked at him, stunned by how easily the alpha released the tension between them. No more questions, no pushing, just acceptance.

Heeseung glanced at Sunoo’s laptop screen, squinting exaggeratedly.

“So what are you studying, huh?”

Sunoo huffed before he could stop himself.

“Nothing interesting.”

“Come on,” Heeseung insisted, leaning over the table to tap a random key. 

Sunoo swatted his hand away, and Heeseung laughed under his breath, the sound tugged at Sunoo’s mouth before he could supress it.

“You know,” Heeseung said quietly, “I never told you how cute you look with your glasses.”

Sunoo blinked up at him, caught off guard.

“…What?”

“What?” Heeseung echoed in the same tone, smirking. “It’s true.”

The words hit harder than they should’ve, making him blush intensely and before he could gather himself, Heeseung shifted his chair closer, close enough that their knees brushed under the table. 

Sunoo froze. Heeseung didn’t budge.

“Anyway,” Sunoo said quickly, trying to steady his voice, “I was about to leave, hyung. I've been here long enough. My legs are cramping at this point.”

The alpha’s smile only stretched wider, something teasing flickering in his eyes, Heeseung shifted again, this time a deliberate slide forward, and Sunoo felt a warm hand settle on his thigh under the table.

Sunoo’s breath hitched, heart stuttering violently.

“Heeseung…” he whispered, breathier than he intended.

The alpha’s thumb brushed the side of his thigh, slow and careful.

“Relax, Sunoo,” Heeseung murmured. “S’ just a massage.”

Sunoo swallowed hard, pulse thundering in his ears.

And despite everything his body didn’t pull away from the touch, if anything, he leaned in the slightest bit closer.

“I’ll walk you to your dorm, then,” Heeseung said.

“I thought you had practice at this hour, hyung,” 

“Coach is sick. I’m free for the day.” Heeseung’s hand paused, thumb resting warm against his clothed leg. “So can I?”

“Sure… yeah,” Sunoo murmured, clearing his throat as he started gathering his things.

Heeseung was on his feet instantly, helping without being asked, closing Sunoo’s laptop, tucking his charger into the side pocket, slipping his notebook into the bag. 

Once everything was packed, Heeseung pushed the chair back for him, the simple gesture making Sunoo’s face warm.

Sunoo slung the bag over his shoulder and headed toward the exit, Heeseung following close behind.

୨୧‧₊˚

Once they arrived at Sunoo’s door, he slowed to a stop and turned toward him.

“So… um.” He cleared his throat. “Thanks for walking me, hyung. You didn’t have to.”

Heeseung slipped his hands into his pockets, watching him with that soft look that made Sunoo feel a little too warm inside.

“I wanted to,” he said simply.

“Well, still. Thank you.” he gave a small smile, eyes darting anywhere but Heeseung’s face.

“And also… for coming to the library, for worrying about me.”

“Of course, sugar,” Heeseung replied gently.

Sunoo nodded quickly, his gaze lingering on the man in front of him for a moment, he swallowed, and without thinking, without giving himself even a second to reconsider, he leaned forward, standing on his tiptoes just enough, and pressed the quickest, softest peck to Heeseung’s lips.

Sunoo froze as reality slammed into him so fast he nearly tripped backward.

“I–  I’m sorry, I don’t know why I– ”

Heeseung didn’t let him finish.

A hand came up, warm and firm, cupping the side of Sunoo’s jaw just enough to tilt his face back up.

And then Heeseung leaned in, to give him a real kiss, his thumb brushed along Sunoo’s cheek as their lips met once more, deeper this time. Sunoo let out a tiny breath against his mouth, fingers curling into the front of Heeseung’s hoodie for balance.

When they finally pulled apart, barely an inch of space between them, Sunoo felt dizzy, his heart racing, lips tingling, the world around them suddenly got quiet.

Heeseung’s forehead rested against his.

“Don’t say sorry for that, Sun.” he whispered.

Heeseung’s thumb caressed the corner of Sunoo’s mouth, eyes lowering to his lips again like he was already thinking about kissing him a third time.

“Is Jungwon inside?” he murmured, breath warm against Sunoo’s skin.

The omega shook his head, still a little dazed. “No… he’s staying with– ”

He didn’t even finish the sentence before Heeseung leaned in, kissing him again, even hungrier this time.

“Sunoo” he exhaled, eyes dropping to his mouth again, “can I stay? please?”

Sunoo blinked, then let out a breathy laugh, pushing lightly at his chest.

“Hyung… desperate much?”

Heeseung didn’t even deny it, he just gave a tilted grin, hands sliding down to Sunoo’s waist.

“Yeah,” he murmured, leaning closer. “For you? A little.”

Sunoo rolled his eyes, cheeks warm, but he tugged Heeseung inside by the sleeve anyway.

“Fine,” he muttered, trying and failing to hide his smile. “Come in.”

The omega opened the door, took off his shoes, and went straight for his bedroom, he heard Heeseung closing it behind him and following. 

Once he entered his room, he dropped his bag on the floor and he felt the alpha’s arms wrap around his waist firmly from behind, backhugging him, he sucked in a small breath as Heeseung pulled him flush into his chest, the warmth of the alpha’s body melting right into him.

Then Heeseung started pressing wet kisses to his neck, drawing a needy moan from the smaller boy.

“Ah– Heeseung,” Sunoo tilted his head to give the alpha more skin to taste, reaching to grip Heeseung’s forearm around him, fingers curling lightly.

“Always so sweet, baby.” Heeseung murmured against his skin, he gave one last lick to Sunoo’s scent gland before turning him around, their faces close, eyes locking.

Sunoo’s breath catches as Heeseung leans in, brushing their mouths together, they stumble toward the bed, while making out sloppily, Heeseung pushes Sunoo gently down onto the mattress, hovering above him, his necklace dangling in front of the omega.

Their lips connect again in a searing kiss, their tongues coming out to taste each other’s mouths, and spit rolls down to their chins, the heat between them rising even more.

When the alpha’s hand reaches for the button of his jeans, suddenly, Sunoo remembers something.

“Wait, hyung– I don’t have condoms here,” he said, breaking the kiss, breathless. “We used them last time.”

“Fuck,” Heeseung muttered, brushing his dark blond hair back in frustration, pupils blown wide, lips slick with spit. “I didn’t bring any either.”

“I mean I’m clean. I haven’t really been with anyone else since we started, you know,” Sunoo admitted in a small voice, cheeks burning with embarrassment. If he were completely honest, he hadn’t been with anyone else long before he even met Heeseung, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud. 

His lips pressed tight as he waited for the alpha’s response, heart pounding and suddenly fearing his answer, he didn't want to hear it, didn’t want to know if the alpha was actually… seeing other people. 

“Oh. Yeah, me too, Sun. It’s been just you since your heat,” Heeseung replied sincerely.

Sunoo’s chest fluttered in relief at the words. “Then… we can go without one. I trust you.”

Heeseung’s gaze softened. “Sure, baby?” he murmured, cupping Sunoo’s jaw gently, fingers brushing his skin as he stared into his foxy eyes.

Sunoo nodded, pulling him down into another kiss and palming Heeseung’s hard cock over his pants, making him let out a deep groan into his mouth.

The alpha wasted no time now, undoing the button of Sunoo’s jeans and sliding them down his milky thighs, leaving him in nothing but his underwear, the sweet scent of his slick was already permeating the air of his room.

Heeseung’s eyes dropped to his pale legs, noticing the faint purple marks along the inside of his thighs.

“They haven’t faded,” the alpha noted, caressing with his thumb softly, his glazed eyes glued to the hickeys.

“Course not, you went too hard the other day, you animal,” Sunoo replied, cheeks blushing.

Heeseung just chuckled in response, grabbing his remaining clothes and stripping them away, leaving the smaller boy fully naked in front of him. 

The omega then reached for the hem of Heeseung’s hoodie, tugging at it, the alpha understood immediately, pulling the fabric over his head in one swift motion. His bare torso came into view, since he hadn’t worn a shirt underneath, and Sunoo basked in the sight before him, biting his bottom lip. God, he’s unreal, the omega thought quietly.

The alpha lowered himself, nuzzling at Sunoo’s neck, unable to get enough of the omega’s intoxicating scent.

“Gonna prep you now, baby,” Heeseung whispered, licking over Sunoo’s scent gland, making the omega’s fragrance bloom even stronger. Sunoo dug his fingers into Heeseung’s hair, holding him in place.

“Please.” Sunoo whined.

Heeseung kept mouthing at his neck, along his jawline, while his fingers crawled slowly down every inch of the omega’s body. Sunoo shivered prettily under the touch, until finally Heeseung reached the omega’s leaking cock. He stroked it a couple of times, making the black haired boy let out the prettiest moans, he kept moving lower, down toward his wet hole. His long fingers caressed around it, collecting the slick that was already there and smearing it as he circled gently around his rim, his finger not quite going in yet. 

“H-Heeseung… s-stop teasing,” Sunoo bit his swollen lips, clinging to the sheets beneath them.

“Sorry, it’s just so fun to do it, baby,” 

The omega groaned as two fingers slid right in, aided by all the slippery, syrupy liquid.

“Alpha…” Sunoo whispered, eyes rolling slightly at the sensation of Heeseung’s long fingers inside of him, fresh waves of slick spilling out under him.

“That’s right… so pretty for me, omega… shit, so fucking wet for me…” Heeseung breathed, his mind filled with nothing but the vision below as he added another finger, making Sunoo cling to him.

Sunoo whined at the back of his throat, a needy sound that Heeseung understood without even being told. He stoped low and captured the omega’s plump lips with his own, increasing the pace of his fingers as Sunoo moaned unabashedly into his mouth, Heeseung greedily swallowing the sounds.

After a while of stretching Sunoo out, with the omega writhing beneath him, “I-I’m ready, hyung… enough, please,” Sunoo whimpered.

“Okay, baby,” Heeseung said, taking his fingers out of the omega and getting up for a moment to strip himself of his pants and boxers. The omega’s eyes followed the fine lines of his naked body, and he unconsciously licked his lips.

Back in the bed, Heeseung spread Sunoo’s legs and pushed them up until the back of his knees were touching his chest, marveling at his flexibility.

“Hold yourself like this for me, sugar,” Heeseung urged, and Sunoo immediately complied. The alpha couldn’t help but stare at the way Sunoo was so obscenely laid out, completely bare right before his eyes.

Heeseung kissed Sunoo briefly while rubbing his achingly hard cock up and down Sunoo’s hole to lube himself in the omega’s sweet, sugary slick.

“Please… just… do it…” Sunoo begged, breathing right into Heeseung’s mouth, both of them panting into each other. 

Heeseung finally lined himself up and pushed in slowly, waiting for the omega to get used to the burn so as not to hurt him, without the extra layer of protection of the condom, the tightness and heat of the omega was almost unbearable, as he could feel everything fully, his alpha going wild within.

“Holy fuck, Sunoo, you feel so good,” he groaned deeply, sweat beads running down his forehead from trying so hard not to thrust right into that heat.

“Alpha–! Oh my–” Sunoo whined loudly at the sensation of his raw, big cock filling him up so deliciously.

He finally bottomed out, his scent surging and filling the already thick air of the room. Heeseung placed his hands at the curve of Sunoo’s hips and pistoned himself relentlessly, the omega’s body nearly jostling with the force of his thrusts. Sunoo’s sounds of pleasure were pure music to his ears, hitting right with the beat of his thrusts.

“Do you have any idea how fucking beautiful you are?” Heeseung panted, his beautiful doe eyes watching the omega beneath him with an intensity that made him shiver.

Sunoo responded by pulling him in for another heated kiss, ignoring the way his heart flipped like crazy inside his chest at the older’s words.

“Wa–wait, Alpha… wanna ride you… ahh… please let me?” Sunoo blinked innocently, stopping Heeseung in his task of fucking him.

“Fuck yeah, baby. Go ahead,” he replied.

The omega sat up, and Heeseung helped him by flipping their positions until he was lying on his back with Sunoo on top, straddling his lap. He trailed his hands down the omega’s back, landing at the swell of his ass, squeezing the round globes tightly. The moan that action drew from Sunoo made Heeseung’s cock throb painfully, resting just beneath the omega’s butt.

Silently, the omega grabbed the hard length, lined the alpha’s cock up, and sank down in one smooth motion, dragging a loud moan from both.

“God…” Heeseung’s head dropped down to the pillow, growling at the warmth of Sunoo’s soft insides.

Sunoo didn’t waste any more time, bouncing like no tomorrow on the alpha’s cock. In this position he could feel every inch of the alpha’s length inside him, and it drove him crazy, while Heeseung guided him by alternating between holding his hips, knowing he’d be leaving his fingermarks on the pale skin and squeezing his butt, making him go up and come down at a brutal pace.

“Fuck…” Sunoo whined when Heeseung hit his sweet spot, head falling forward, his hands pressed over the alpha’s chest.

He trailed his hands, first cupping the side of the omega’s face, his messy hair, teary eyes, flushed cheeks then brushing his thumb over his scent gland, making Sunoo moan, he caressed over his nipples, pinching them between thumb and forefinger, watching as the omega nearly teetered over the edge. Finally, he wrapped a hand around his cock, that was weeping all over Heeseung’s stomach, all while keeping a steady pace.

“Look at you… you’re leaking so much, baby…” Heeseung said breathlessly, feeling the wet squelch on his cock from the way Sunoo’s slick was gushing out of him.

“Ahh…” was the omega’s only response. The alpha could see that Sunoo was beginning to get tired, his muscles straining from working himself too hard on his lenght, so without a word he sat up and flipped Sunoo over, resuming their earlier position and pushing right back in, hitting his sensitive spot dead on, over and over again. 

Sunoo was nearly screaming at this point, it wouldn't be surprising if he got a noise complaint from other students’ dorms, the omega drooling at the corner of his mouth, eyelashes fluttering.

“Shit, you like my cock that much?” Heeseung breathed.

“Mm– yeah, Alpha– like it… so much,” Sunoo replied deliriously.

Heeseung growled at that, satisfied with the response, as he grabbed Sunoo’s hands and held them in a grip with one hand above the omega’s head and increased his pace even more. 

He took the omega’s cock in his hand again and began stroking him once more, collecting the slick leaked from Sunoo’s hole to use as a lubricant to make the slide easier. He knew Sunoo was close by the way the omega was trembling every two seconds, body begging for its release. 

“Heeseung, please… wanna–” Sunoo begged.

“Come for me, baby.” he said softly. 

And Sunoo did. 

He arched his body, eyes screwed tight as he whispered a string of curses and then repeated Heeseung’s name like a mantra, squeezing painfully tight around the hard length inside of him as he came all over himself in hot white spurs. 

“Fuck, Sun… I’m close.”

Sunoo silently took what the alpha was giving him, even though he was already feeling oversensitive, he lifted a hand to caress the side of Heeseung’s face, brushing his thumb tenderly with a soft smile. Heeseung was overwhelmed by the look for a second, his throat feeling dry, the moment suddenly felt too intimate.

“Heeseung– come inside, please,” he whispered, voice thick with emotions.

“Yeah? Want me to fill you up, Sunoo?” the older rasped.

“Mm– yes, hyung… ah– give it to me.”

Heeseung felt his body tense up at that exact same moment, with one last sharp thrust, he buried himself deep and emptied everything he had inside of the omega, filling him up to the brim, painting his insides white. Sunoo cried out in pleasure one last time at the feeling of the warm release filling him up. Heeseung collapsed on top of Sunoo, completely spent.

“Holy shit.” Heeseung groaned roughly.

“You are heavy, hyung,” Sunoo whined out of breath. 

“Sorry, baby,” the alpha chuckled, shifting himself so they were facing each other on the bed and beginning to slowly pull out his flaccid cock from Sunoo’s sensitive hole.

“Wait, don’t– don’t pull out yet.” The omega hummed against his neck, nuzzling softly at Heeseung’s scent gland as the rich dark chocolate scent filled his lungs, grounding him. “Let’s just stay like this for a minute, please.”

“Alright,” he complied easily, pulling Sunoo in closer as well, sneaking a hand around his waist as they cuddled while steadying their heavy breathing and racing hearts.

 ୨୧‧₊˚

Steam clung to the bathroom mirror as Sunoo stood in front of it, patting moisturizer onto his cheeks with soft, practiced motions. His hair was damp, sticking adorably to his forehead.

Behind him, Heeseung stepped closer, breath brushing over Sunoo’s shoulder before he lowered his head and nuzzled into the curve of Sunoo’s neck.

The omega let out a surprised little laugh.

“Hyung, why do you keep smelling me so much?” he said, trying not to grin as he dabbed cream along his jawline. “You’ve been glued to my neck since we left the shower.”

Heeseung didn’t move away, if anything, he buried his nose deeper, inhaling slowly.

“Can’t help it,” he murmured against Sunoo’s skin. “Your scent is… addictive.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“I’m serious.” Heeseung’s arms slid around his waist, pulling him back slightly. “You always smell so good.”

Sunoo’s cheeks warmed annoyingly fast, his heart doing cartwheels, but the softness in his chest didn’t last long. As he continued his skincare, his eyes drifted up and met Heeseung’s reflection in the mirror, and something he’d been carrying since yesterday suddenly pressed harder against his ribcage.

He hesitated a couple of times, biting his bottom lip before speaking up.

“Hyung… the girl from yesterday, at the café.”

His voice was soft, but the words felt sharp.

Heeseung paused, tugging a shirt he left in his dorm once, over his head. “Hmm?”

“Jisu,” Sunoo said, forcing the name out. “She’s your… ex girlfriend, right?”

Heeseung blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, yeah. How did you know?”

“Jake told us yesterday when we were sitting,” Sunoo muttered, eyes fixed on the mirror. “Also, I saw you two at Beomgyu’s party, and yeah at the café too, you guys seem to hang out a lot.”

“Oh.” Heeseung grabbed his phone, shrugging. “Well, we still talk sometimes, she’s the cheer captain and I’m the basketball captain, we have joint meetings sometimes and stuff and we’re on good terms now, so… it’s chill.”

Chill.

The word made Sunoo’s jaw clench.

He hesitated, turning around to face Heeseung. “Right… so, how was it? You two.”

Heeseung let out a breathy laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Honestly? Complicated. I mean, we started as friends, then things went further and we decided to give it a try, but… we argued a lot. Misunderstandings, expectations, all that relationship drama, it got really messy at the end of it.”

“Oh.”

“I don't know what I was expecting, I don't really like relationships.”

“I mean, just because it was like that with her, doesn’t mean every relationship you have is gonna be like that,” Sunoo replied, a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Yeah, I guess so, I just never had good experiences, but whatever… I don’t know.”

Sunoo nodded silently, not knowing what to say anymore.

Until Heeseung added, without thinking. “Anyways, that’s why I like what we have.”

Sunoo stilled. “…What?”

Heeseung continued. “It’s easy with you, Sun. No complications, no pressure. Just comfortable, convenient, isn’t it?”

Convenient.

The word echoed in Sunoo’s head, sharp and dismissive, something inside him snapped and his normally sweet scent soured instantly.

“Right,” Sunoo said in a clipped tone, staring ahead. “Convenient.”

“Sunoo, come on. You know what I mean.” Heeseung frowned. 

“No, actually, I don’t.” Sunoo stood up, his voice trembling with offense. “Because the way you’re talking… it sounds like you don’t even care about me, like I’m just something you slot in when you’re not busy, because it’s what? easy?”

“That’s not what I said, don’t put words in my mouth.” Heeseung groaned under his breath, frustrated.

“You literally said ‘comfortable and convenient,’” Sunoo snapped back. “What am I supposed to think?”

Heeseung ran a hand through his hair, irritation creeping in. “Sunoo, why are you getting so worked up? We have fun together, we get along, we don’t have to make everything… heavy.”

“It does feel heavy to me!”

The words slipped out before Sunoo could swallow them.

Heeseung froze, his big doe eyes staring right back at him in confusion.

Sunoo’s heart hammered painfully, hating how exposed he suddenly felt.

He lowered his gaze. “Forget it.”

Heeseung stepped toward him. “Sun– ”

But Sunoo stepped back first.

“No. I get it. You want something easy, convenient.” His voice wavered. “Good to know.”

Heeseung’s expression tightened, something defensive rising in his eyes. “You’re being so dramatic.”

Sunoo’s laugh was small and disbelieving. “And you’re being a fucking asshole.”

The room went still.

Heeseung crossed his arms, his scent growing heavier. “So what, now you’re mad I don’t want something serious? We never even talked about that.”

“Yeah,” Sunoo whispered, chest twisting painfully, his eyes beginning to sting with unshed tears. “That’s the problem, Heeseung.”

“You should go,” he continued before the alpha coould say another word.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Heeseung froze. “What?”

“I want to be alone right now.” Sunoo swallowed hard.

He stared at Heeseung's face, confusion, hurt, the start of something like panic flickering through his eyes.

“Sunoo, don’t– don’t do that.” Heeseung took a step forward. “We can talk, I don’t want to leave like this.”

Sunoo shook his head.

“There’s nothing else to say.”

“But– ”

“Heeseung,” Sunoo interrupted, voice cracking while trying to keep himself together. “Please, just go.”

Heeseung looked like the words had physically hit him. His mouth opened, then closed again, and his hands flexed uselessly at his sides.

Heeseung lingered half a second more, as if silently begging Sunoo to stop him.

He didn’t.

So the alpha stepped out of the bathroom slowly, Sunoo could hear him moving around the bedroom, collecting the rest of his belongings.

He stayed in the bathroom, frozen, listening.

Finally, he heard Heeseung walk to the front door, there was a brief pause, like he hesitated, and then the soft click of the door closing behind him.

The moment it shut, Sunoo let himself sink to the bathroom floor, the tears he had been holding in finally breaking loose as he covered his face and cried.

Chapter Text

Sunoo’s sobs came in waves, raw and unrestrained before he could even think of stopping them, echoing against the tiled walls of the bathroom, his chest ached with every breath, the weight of everything he had been holding back pressing down on him until it felt impossible to move. 

And for the first time, he stopped pretending, stopped lying to himself. 

This thing with Heeseung wasn’t just about pleasure anymore for him, maybe it had stopped being about that a long time ago, what he really craved now was simply being with the alpha, and if this was the only way to spend some time with him, he had been willing to accept it. 

Sure, he was probably having the best sex of his life, but this… went way deeper, the ache in his chest whenever he saw Heeseung wasn’t lust, it was something heavier now.

Looking back, with his only ex boyfriend from high school, it had been cute, new, exciting, full of discoveries and with Jaemin… yes, he had felt things, but they were fleeting, never important never enough to leave him aching the way he was aching now, even when he left the country.

This was different, this was real.

This hurt so much he didn’t even know what to do with himself.

And admitting it only made his chest feel tighter, the declaration burned through him, sharp and undeniable, he liked the way Heeseung’s voice softened whenever he spoke to him, even when he was teasing, he liked the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, how his laugh filled a room and made it feel warmer, he liked how his scent wrapped around him, seeping into every part of his body and making him feel safe whenever Heeseung was near.

He liked the stupid little mole on his forehead, his pretty doe eyes that seemed to hold stars inside them, his perfect nose, the way his lips were always a little chapped, yet somehow felt like the softest thing against his own plump ones.

He liked the quiet strength in his presence, the way he carried himself with confidence, never arrogance.

He actually liked Heeseung, no, not even liked. God, he loved him in a way that terrified him, in a way he wished he could turn off, every fiber of his body seemed to reach for the alpha even when he didn’t want it to.

But of course… none of it meant anything to Heeseung.

Convenient.

He rolled that word around in his mind, bitter and heavy, those simple syllables were enough to tell him exactly how Heeseung felt or didn’t feel about him.

Sunoo pressed his palms harder against his face, tears slipping through his fingers, his heart was unbearably heavy, aching with the truth he had tried so desperately to bury. 

His feelings, once hidden, now poured out with every tear, he wanted to hate himself for it, for being so naive, for wanting more than he was ever meant to have. 

When Heeseung remembered the little things, the snacks Sunoo preferred, the songs he hummed when he was nervous, how he cooked for him whenever he had the chance, the way he held him when they slept together, like he didn’t want to let go, it had all felt like maybe Sunoo wasn’t imagining it.

But now, alone in the suffocating silence filled only by his ragged breathing, Sunoo understood those moments were never promises, just kindness, habit, the alpha hadn’t meant them the way Sunoo had wanted to believe.

And the cruelest part was that even now, even after the door had closed, Sunoo couldn’t hate him, still loved him and still ached for something that was never his to begin with.

୨୧‧₊˚

Sunoo wasn’t sure how long he sat on the bathroom floor, tears dripping down his wrists and face, breath coming out in thin, shaky pulls but eventually, his legs felt numb so he pushed himself up slowly, wiping his face with trembling hands, the moment he stepped into his room, the scent hit him.

Their scent.

The sheets still smelled like Heeseung, dark chocolate and underneath it, unmistakably, Sunoo’s own brown sugar sweetness, mixed together, layered, lingering in a way that made his chest hurt so sharply he had to hold onto the doorframe for a second.

He crawled into the bed anyway.

He buried his face into his pillow, the familiar scent breaking something inside him, a small sound escaped him, half sob, half breath and he curled onto his side, he pressed his face deeper into the sheets, even though every inhale made the ache worse and at some point, the tears started again, quieter this time.

Then he heard the front door open and soft steps in the living room.

“Sun? Hello? I’m back!” Jungwon called out cheerfully.

Sunoo didn’t have the energy to respond, so he stayed silent, swiping quickly at the dampness on his cheeks.

“Sunoo! I hope you are not naked right now, I’m coming in,” Jungwon joked as he knocked and pushed his bedroom door open.

Jungwon stepped inside mid smile… until he saw him, curled up in a messy bundle of blankets, eyes swollen and red.

The omega’s scent was faint, drowning with sadness.

Jungwon’s smile vanished immediately.

“Hey,” he breathed out, blinking. “Why do you smell so… sad?”

He walked closer, worry overtaking his whole expression.

“Sunoo, are you okay?”

Sunoo opened his mouth, but the words stuck on his throat, his chest tightened painfully again.

“I’m fine,” he tried to say, but it broke halfway through, coming out as a tiny, pathetic crack.

Jungwon didn’t hesitate, he was on the bed in seconds, climbing beside him, arms wrapping around Sunoo’s shaking body, pulling him in close.

“Hey… hey,” he murmured softly, one hand on the back of Sunoo’s head. “I got you.”

Sunoo buried his face into Jungwon’s neck breathing in his strawberry scent, and the calming pheromones he was putting out, his shoulders shaking with every uneven breath.

“What happened?” Jungwon whispered into his hair.

Sunoo shook his head, voice muffled.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“God, Sunoo,” Jungwon said gently, firm but soft, “it does matter if it got you like this, just– please talk to me.”

Silence stretched between them, until Jungwon spoke again.

“Is it about Heeseung?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

Sunoo’s breath hitched, and he nodded, defeated against Jungwon’s neck.

“He said… some things,” Sunoo whispered, voice trembling. “And it just– hurt. I didn’t think it would hurt this much.”

Jungwon’s arms tightened around him in a protective way.

“What did he say?” he asked quietly.

Sunoo swallowed, his voice trembling.

“We were just talking… and I asked about his ex, Jisu, how things were with her and he said it was complicated and then he said that’s why… he liked things with me, because it was… convenient and– ”

Jungwon’s jaw tightened and his strawberry scent sharpened instantly, growing smokier with anger. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he muttered, barely under his breath as he pulled Sunoo even closer. “He actually said that?”

Sunoo’s fingers curled tighter into Jungwon’s shirt, needing something to cling to.

“I–… I like him, Jungwon,” he confessed out loud, voice breaking into pieces. “I actually like him, I didn’t want to, but I– I do.”

Jungwon shut his eyes, exhaling slowly like he was trying not to get angrier on Sunoo’s behalf.

“I know you do, Sun,” he murmured.

He didn’t say I told you so or lecture him, just held him firmly.

“You’re not alone,” Jungwon whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Sunoo’s temple. “I’m right here. I got you, always, okay?”

As Sunoo’s breathing had finally slowed down, his eyes were still glossy, unfocused, Jungwon stayed right beside him, keeping him grounded.

“No, but I can’t believe he said that, he’s either really dumb and terrible with words or an actual asshole, God, I wanna kill him.” Jungwon muttered.

A tiny, broken chuckle escaped Sunoo.

“Am I really stupid for thinking it meant something to him?”

Jungwon hesitated just for a second. As he swallowed.

“Sunoo… don’t say that, you’re not about to blame yourself for this,” he said gently.

“You don’t have to do this, Wonie,” Sunoo murmured, voice wobbling. “Even you told me multiple times to be caref– ”

“I know what I said,” Jungwon cut in softly but firmly, “but still, he doesn’t get to treat you like that, you don’t call people convenient, that’s… messed up.”

He exhaled, frustration simmering.

“Honestly, after a while even I thought you guys were gonna get serious… I don’t know, Jay hyung told me he’s never seen Heeseung like this…”

Sunoo froze for a few seconds, those words hitting the exact part of him that still, stupidly, hoped.

“Whatever,” he whispered, looking away. “I know how he feels about me now.”

“I swear I’m going to tell Jay hyung to– ”

“Please don’t,” Sunoo cut him off immediately. “Don’t tell him, I don’t want to make things weird between them because of this, they’re friends, I don’t want him picking sides or…something.”

“But Sunoo– ”

“Jungwon, please.”

The desperation in his voice made Jungwon shut his mouth and nodded his head, he pulled back to look at him fully, brushing the hair gently off Sunoo’s forehead.

“So, what do you plan on doing? you can’t go back to him.” Jungwon said softly.

Sunoo shook his head immediately.

“Of course I won’t, Won, I guess I’ll just… distance myself, I doubt he would even care, anyway.”

Jungwon cupped Sunoo’s cheeks with both hands, firm but gentle, making him meet his eyes.

“Listen to me, Sunoo, you are kind, warm, stupidly pretty, and literally the best person I know, anyone would be lucky to have you beside them, if Heeseung can’t see that, or doesn’t know what he wants, that’s his loss, alright?”

Sunoo’s eyes filled with tears all over again as Jungwon immediately brushed them away with his thumbs.

“Wonie…” he whispered, voice small and tired.

“I’m here,” Jungwon murmured instantly, pulling him back into his chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Sunoo clung to him, burying his face in Jungwon’s strawberry scented clothes, letting himself fall apart again this time safely, in the arms of someone who loved him without hesitation.

୨୧‧₊˚

The next couple of days were rough, to say the least, realizing you were in love with someone who didn’t love you back was painful in a way Sunoo hadn’t been prepared for, the ache lingering stubbornly in his chest no matter what he did, he tried to drown himself in university assignments, studying until his eyes hurt, anything to keep his head filled with something other than the alpha. His routine became strict; class to dorm, dorm to class, back and forth, all carefully planned to avoid even the smallest chance of running into Heeseung.

He stopped passing by the places he normally would, at the times he usually did, he obviously avoided the college’s gymnasium at any cost, knowing that’s where Heeseung spent most of his time training, he also avoided his usual coffee shop, enough that Riki started wondering why he ditched their ‘study’ sessions out of nowhere.

If he sensed even the faintest trace of dark chocolate in the hallway, he turned around and took another route without thinking, if he heard a voice that sounded too much like Heeseung’s, he ducked into the nearest classroom or pretended to take a call.

He avoided him like the plague, because he didn’t know what would happen if they crossed paths again and that uncertainty scared him more than anything.

Heeseung had tried to reach out through messages, but Sunoo stopped reading them altogether, he archived their chat instead, because he honestly didn’t have the courage to block him, leaving the messages there, unread and unanswered, it took everything in him not to open them.

Only now did he realize just how much time he had spent with the alpha, how empty and monotonous everything felt without him, he had grown used to slipping into Heeseung’s apartment before class, or him staying the night at his dorm, to waiting for basketball practice to end just so they could walk back together, and now, the absence was unbearable, he missed him so badly it almost hurt to breathe.

His omega clawed at him from the inside, begging to forget everything, to run back into Heeseung’s arms and surrender, but he couldn’t, he knew he had to be stronger, if he ever wanted to get over the older boy.

୨୧‧₊˚

The omega was currently back in his dorm, serving himself a big scoop of his favorite ice cream mint chocolate, sue him, he deserved it.

“Hey, that’s not yours,” Jungwon started from where he was sitting on the couch.

Sunoo stared at him, puzzled for a second before replying. “What do you mean? I bought this at the store the other da–”

“No, not the ice cream, Sun,” Jungwon interrupted. “That hoodie, it’s not yours.”

Of course Jungwon knew.

Sunoo glanced down at himself, the hoodie he had on was grey, with a pretty print of wings on the front, and it was big, way too oversized on his body to be his. It was one of Heeseung’s, he had left it behind one of the nights he came over, and the smaller boy never gave it back, honestly, the alpha never asked for it either, so Sunoo kind of forgot about it for a while. 

Lately, though, he had been wearing it, only around his dorm, of course, the fabric was still soaked in Heeseung’s scent, and ironically, it was the only thing that seemed to calm him down whenever he was missing him too much, whenever the sadness or restlessness became too strong, which it had been happening a lot. 

“Oh, yeah, I– I mean, it’s not like I can give it back right now, and it’s… comfy, so..” Sunoo explained weakly.

“Right,” Jungwon sighed, clearly holding himself back from saying anything else about it. “so, anyway,”  he continued changing the topic. “You know how Jay hyung’s birthday is this Saturday, you must– ”

“Nope,” Sunoo replied immediately, not even letting Jungwon finish.

“Come on! It’s gonna be at Daydream Club, he even reserved a private booth! It’s just gonna be the usual group and a couple of guys from the team.”

“Won, you know I’d go in a heartbeat, but… he’s obviously gonna be there too, and I really don’t want to see him.”

“I know, I know, but you can’t keep doing this, Sunoo, you’re gonna have to face him at some point, and hiding like this won’t do any good, I mean you can’t stop acting like a functioning human just because of the possibility of running into him.”

“Jungwon…”

“When was the last time you stepped out of this dorm to go anywhere other than class?”

“I– ”

“You know Jay hyung wants you there on his birthday, he misses you too, he asked me why you haven’t been hanging out with us lately… we’re gonna have a good time. Don’t let him ruin this for you, please?” He stared at Sunoo with puppy eyes.

“Fine, yes, you’re right… I’ll go,” Sunoo said after a beat, taking another bite of his ice cream.

“YAY!! I’ll go call him right now, wait!” Jungwon skipped excitedly to his room.

Sunoo sighed once he was left alone, staring down at his melting ice cream, wondering if he was going to regret agreeing to this.

୨୧‧₊˚

The bass thumped through Sunoo’s chest the moment they stepped inside Daydream, neon lights washed over the crowd as the bodies moved in sync with the music, the air smelled like alcohol, sweat, perfume too much, all at once.

Sunoo stayed close to Jungwon, fingers gripping the sleeve of his jacket like an anchor, while Riki followed close behind.

“You okay?” Jungwon leaned in to shout over the music.

“Yeah,” Sunoo answered.

They spotted Jay immediately, sitting in the middle of one of the booths, already tipsy and loud, laughing as one of the basketball team members had an arm thrown loosely around his shoulders.

There were a few familiar faces scattered around like Yunjin and Chaewon, both from Jay’s major and close friends of his, their smiles as warm as ever. Sunghoon and Jake were there too, sitting side by side, leaning in close as they talked.

And of course… Heeseung was there too.

The moment Sunoo’s eyes landed on him, his heart started beating wildly in his chest, Heeseung was deep in conversation with one of his teammates, black leather jacket hugging his frame perfectly, his hair styled just enough to look effortless and drink rested in his hand.

Fuck. Had he always looked this good?

Before, seeing Heeseung had always left Sunoo feeling warm inside, a quiet comfort that he carried with him, but now that he had admitted to himself that he was in love with the older boy, it was different, his heart raced uncontrollably, his chest tight with a mix of longing and nerves. 

“Hyung!” Jungwon yelled once they were close enough.

Jay turned toward them, eyes lighting up instantly, he was already on his feet, meeting them halfway before they could slide into the booth.

“Hey guys!” 

“Hyung, sorry we’re late,” Jungwon pouted. “Riki took forever to get ready.” Then he leaned in without hesitation, pressing a sweet kiss to Jay’s lips. “Happy birthday, my love.” He clung to him, hugging him tightly, hiding his face in the older’s neck.

“Thank you baby, don’t worry about it,” Jay replied with a small laugh, squeezing Jungwon in his arms.

“You’ll have your gift later, babe.” 

“Yah, Jungwon, stop being gross, let us greet hyung too,” Riki chimed in, rolling his eyes.

Jungwon shot him a glare but reluctantly let go, Riki stepped forward, wishing Jay a happy birthday, pulling him into a brief hug and handing him their gift, Sunoo lingered just behind them, watching quietly, waiting his turn.

“Sunoo,” Jay pulled him straight into a warm hug. “I thought you were dead or something, where have you been?” he joked.

Sunoo laughed softly, hugging him back.

“Happy birthday, hyung. I’m sorry, I've been really busy lately.”

“It’s fine, I’m just glad you could make it today.” Jay grinned.

“Of course, hyung,” Sunoo said with a small smile.

For a moment, Sunoo relaxed.

And then his eyes shifted back to the table, where Heeseung was already staring at him, their gazes locked. Suddenly, the noise of the club dulled, like someone had shoved cotton into Sunoo’s ears, his body stiffened immediately and his heart stuttered hard in his chest.

The smile that had been dancing on Heeseung’s face faded at once, he looked… shocked or maybe worried, Sunoo couldn’t really tell.

The omega broke eye contact first as nervousness crept under his skin. Self-conscious, he bit the inside of his cheek before looking back at Jay, forcing a smile that felt wrong on his face.

“Come on, let’s sit, guys,” Jay said quickly, already moving toward the booth.

Jungwon grabbed Sunoo’s hand tightly, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Sun?” he asked carefully.

“Let’s go,” Sunoo replied, already moving.

Once they reached the table, they greeted everyone with quick hellos and got settled on the couch. Jay sat next to Jungwon, Sunoo beside him, with Riki on his other side near the edge of the couch. Heeseung and the other guys were sitting right across from them, Sunoo did everything in his power not to look his way, ignoring him as if he didn’t exist but he could feel the burning stare of the alpha right on him. 

There were glasses and bottles of liquor scattered across the table. So, to distract himself and keep his hands busy, Sunoo reached for a few and mixed a drink for himself and Jungwon. Beside him, Riki kept it simple, twisting the cap off a plain bottle of beer.

And for a while, it was… okay.

They talked and laughed for most of the night, letting the pounding music carry the moment, Sunoo found himself laughing when Jay clumsily spilled his drink, and at the painfully bad jokes he tossed out, the kind that only made sense in the haze of alcohol, for the first time in what felt like forever, he was genuinely having fun.

“Wait guys, let’s go dance!” Jay suddenly screamed, standing up and already making his way out of the booth toward the dance floor hand in hand with Jungwon, some people followed him, laughing, while a couple stayed behind at the booth.

Sunoo and Riki stood up too, weaving through the crowd toward the dance floor.

“Wait– Riki, I’ll go buy something at the bar, tell Jungwonie,” Sunoo yelled over the loud bass into Riki’s ear, he was a little tipsy from his drink earlier, but he wanted something sweeter.

“Sure, hyung, be careful,” Riki smiled cheerfully, already picking up the rhythm and dancing with the group of people.

The noise of the club swallowed Sunoo as he disappeared into the crowd, he slipped through bodies pressed too close together, the lights flashing in dizzying colors, until he finally reached the bar.

There were a couple of people waiting, Sunoo slid onto a stool, resting his elbows lightly against the counter as he waited to be attended, fingers drumming against the surface, his eyes flicked over the rows of bottles glowing under neon lights, wondering to himself what he was gonna order. 

“Sunoo?”

The voice hit him like a splash of cold water, Sunoo turned sharply to the side.

“…Jaemin hyung?”

For a second, he just stared, blinking like his eyes were deceiving him, Jaemin stood there, and Sunoo honestly thought he might be hallucinating or that he was seeing a ghost, his hair looked darker, his jaw sharper, and his clean peppermint scent filled Sunoo’s nose, that same smile was there too, the one that used to make Sunoo’s stomach flutter ages ago.

“What– I, uh… I thought you left,” Sunoo blurted, disbelief written all over his face. “like… left the country.”

Jaemin laughed softly. “Yeah, I did, took that job overseas, but it didn’t really work out.” He shrugged easily. “I came back a few months ago.”

Sunoo let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Wow, that’s… sorry it didn’t work out.”

“It’s alright,” Jaemin said with a small chuckle. “No place like home anyway.”

“Right, It’s just so… unexpected to see you here.”

“Um, I actually tried to reach out,” Jaemin added carefully. “But I think you blocked my number?”

Sunoo winced. “Ah– yeah, I did, sorry, things were just… messy back then.” He let out a breath. “That was so childish of me, I’ll unblock you, hyung.”

“It’s okay,” Jaemin said quickly. “I get it, I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

They stood there for a moment, the noise of the club booming around them, Jaemin smiled, warm and familiar, and Sunoo felt strangely unsteady.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Jaemin asked.

Sunoo hesitated for a second before replying. “Sure, yeah.”

“Something sweet, right Sun?” He asked with a glint in his eyes.

Sunoo only nodded, with a small smile on his lips, he watched as Jaemin called the bartender over and ordered their drinks.

They started talking after that, just small things, catching up and the usual gossip, time slipped by easily, laughter coming more naturally than Sunoo expected and before he even realized it, the first drink was gone, the second followed not long after.

Sunoo felt light, more than a little tipsy now, his head pleasantly fuzzy, words spilling out easier than they had in weeks, but he was having fun, really having fun.

“Hyung, we should dance!” Sunoo said with a bright smile.

Jaemin blinked, then laughed. “Now? Just like that?”

“Why not?” Sunoo shrugged. 

Before Jaemin could argue, the omega was pulling him toward the dance floor, the music growing louder with every step, Sunoo let himself move with the beat, body loosening thanks to the alcohol, his hips swaying without thinking too much, Jaemin matched him easily, hands finding Sunoo’s waist like muscle memory, light at first, like testing the waters.

Jaemin’s grip tightened, their bodies pressing closer as the song shifted slower. His hand stayed firm at Sunoo’s waist, thumb brushing just under the hem of his shirt, people pressed in, leaving almost no space between them.

Jaemin’s mouth hovered near his ear. “Missed this.”

Sunoo’s heartbeat spiked.

Across the room, unseen by Sunoo, Heeseung’s gaze locked onto them, his posture going rigid, jaw tightening as he watched Jaemin pull Sunoo closer to him, way too close. 

Jaemin leaned in, close enough that Sunoo could feel his breath against his cheek, so for half a second, the omega thought he was just going to say something but instead, Jaemin leaned in to kiss him on the lips.

It was quick at first, almost tentative, his mind went blank for a second, for a split moment, he kissed back, pure instinct, muscle memory, the fuzziness in his head clouding his better judgment completely, he tilted his face to deepen the kiss, opening his mouth to reciprocate as Jaemin’s hands settled on his waist, exploring lower and lower.

But it didn’t feel right, the alpha’s peppermint scent didn’t make him feel all warm inside, the hands on his body now felt unfamiliar, wrong somehow, it just wasn’t him, it wasn’t Heeseung, it wasn’t the man his heart longed for. 

Sunoo pulled back abruptly with his heart racing, eyes wide as he stared at Jaemin, the noise of the club rushed back all at once.

Jaemin looked at him, confusion written all over his eyes. “Wha– ”

“Sorry, hyung,” Sunoo blurted out. “I gotta go to the bathroom, I'll be right back.” He forced a fake smile before turning away.

Sunoo didn’t wait for an answer, just pushed through the crowd without looking back, he barely registered the faces around him as he stumbled toward the hallway leading to the bathrooms once he opened the door the noise dulled instantly, Sunoo braced himself against the sink, chest heaving, he stared at his reflection, his cheeks were flushed, blown pupils, pink lips still tingling from the kiss.

“What the fuck am I doing,” he whispered to no one.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe through the tight feeling in his chest but the omega barely had time to steady his breathing before the bathroom door swung open again, he smelled him before he saw him, the dark chocolate scent cutting through everything else.

“Sunoo.”

Chapter Text

“Sunoo.”

To say his heart dropped to his stomach at that voice would be an understatement, it felt more like it fell straight through him.

“Heeseung.” He answered, masking his internal turmoil, turning around to face the older man, his tone short and sharp. 

“Uh, hey, so… how have you been?” Heeseung asked, clearing his throat nervously. 

“Good, yeah.” Sunoo shrugged, his expression unreadable.

Heeseung nodded, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket like he didn’t know what to do with them. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the tension between them almost unbearable.

“You’ve been… avoiding me,” Heeseung said quietly.

“Just been busy,” Sunoo answered, eyes fixed anywhere but on the alpha in front of him.

“Busy enough to not even check your phone?”

“I guess,” The omega replied.

“You’re… still mad at me?” Heeseung sighed, his voice a little shaky.

Mad. Sunoo almost wanted to laugh, he wished it was only anger what he was feeling, that would have made things so much easier, but it wasn’t. He was hurt, in a way he had probably never been before.

Sunoo finally looked at him. “I’m not,” he lied easily.

Heeseung exhaled, a hint of sarcasm slipping into his voice. “Right.”

Another silence filled the space. Sunoo sighed, already wanting to leave, to escape this entire situation.

“If you don’t have anything else to say–”

Heeseung cut in before he could finish and his eyes flicked toward the door for a second, back toward the club, like the thought had been burning at the back of his mind this whole time.

“The guy you were with,” he said quietly. “On the dance floor.”

Sunoo’s expression cooled instantly. “What about him?”

Heeseung hesitated, jaw tightening. “Are you… seeing him?”

Sunoo laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. “Since when do you care who I see?”

“I’m just asking.”

“Why?” Sunoo shot back. 

“You guys kissed” Heeseung’s scent shifted, smokier now as he got closer to stand right in front of the omega. “I didn’t… like it” 

Sunoo’s chest tightened, irritation flaring hot and fast. “You don’t get to say that.”

Heeseung frowned. “Why?”

“Because you made it clear what this was,” Sunoo said pointing between them, voice low.

“Sunoo—”

“Don’t,” Sunoo warned, voice low, head still spinning. “I’m not doing this.”

“Who was he?” Heeseung demanded.

Sunoo laughed, short and disbelieving. “You serious right now?”

“Yes,” Heeseung snapped. “I am.”

The alpha stepped even closer, the bathroom suddenly thick with his scent, dark chocolate edged with something sharp, territorial. Sunoo felt it crawl under his skin and hated that his body still reacted, leaned into familiarity even when his heart wanted to bolt.

“You don’t know him,” Sunoo said, trying to sound bored, unimpressed. “And it’s none of your business.”

“He had his hands on you.”

Sunoo’s eyes flashed. “And?”

“Sunoo— fuck,” he hissed, frustrated. 

Sunoo just blinked at him, cheeks flushed and eyes glassy from alcohol and emotion, Heeseung’s gaze dragged over him, sharp and furious, taking in the way Sunoo’s lips were swollen, the way his jacket sat slightly crooked on his shoulder.

“Who is he?” Heeseung repeated again, almost snapping, stepping closer, voice dropping into something dark.

Sunoo shrugged exaggeratedly, swaying just a little. “Does it matter?”

“Yes!” Heeseung barked, then caught himself, lowering his voice. “Yes, it fucking matters.”

Sunoo laughed again, breathy and bitter. “You’re insane.” “You said it yourself, what we had was nothing serious so why do you look like you’re about to kill someone?”

Heeseung’s jaw flexed hard, his scent also spiked, thick and unmistakably jealous.

“Because— fuck.” Heeseung dragged a hand through his hair. “Seeing you with someone else— ” His voice cracked, frustration spilling out before he could stop it. “It makes me feel sick.”

Sunoo’s chest tightened and he forced his expression to stay neutral, hiding the way his own scent shifted at the words. “That sounds like a you problem.”

“You vanished, you won’t even look at me and then I come here and see you kissing some random guy–” Heeseung shot back suddenly.

“He’s not random,” Sunoo snapped.

That did it

Heeseung’s eyes darkened. “Oh, so he has a name.”

Sunoo rolled his eyes. “Jesus Christ.”

“Why are you acting like I cheated on you!” Sunoo continued. “You don’t get to do that, you don’t get to feel entitled to me after everything you said.”

Heeseung looked like he’d been punched, he dragged a hand down his face, breathing hard.

“I don’t want anyone else touching you,” he admitted, raw and ugly. 

Heeseung didn’t move for a while, then suddenly, he did.

Before Sunoo could react, Heeseung stepped in close, so close their chests almost brushed, the bathroom felt even tighter, the air thick with their scents.

“Don’t,” Sunoo muttered, but it came out weak, barely a warning.

Heeseung’s head dipped anyway, slow and deliberate, breath brushing the side of Sunoo’s neck, he inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering shut for just a second like it was instinct, like his body moved before his brain could stop it.

God.

Sunoo’s knees nearly buckled.

His fingers curled against the edge of the sink, lips parting on a shaky breath as that familiar dark chocolate warmth wrapped around him again, his scent shifted without permission, sweetening, betraying him. For a heartbeat, he leaned back into it, eyes squeezing shut as Heeseung exhaled shakily against his skin.

“Baby,” he murmured, voice rough. 

Heeseung’s jaw clenched as he stepped closer, sniffing him deeper, crowding Sunoo against the sink, his scent rolled forward in waves, laced with a burning jealousy he wasn’t even trying to hide anymore.

“…Fuck,” he muttered, voice rough. “You smell like him.”

The words landed low in Sunoo’s stomach, he let out a small whimper, but it cracked halfway through, his head felt light, the alcohol buzzing in his veins, emotions slipping past the walls he had worked so hard to build.

But then Sunoo snapped out of it, he shoved a hand against Heeseung’s chest, not hard but firm enough to break their closeness.

“Stop,” he said, breathless now. “Don’t do that.”

Heeseung’s eyes flew open, guilt and frustration colliding in his expression.

“Sunoo, I just— ”

“I can’t do this anymore, hyung,” Sunoo cut in, shaking his head.

“What do you mean?” Heeseung frowned, frustration flashing across his face.

“You don’t get it, do you?”

Sunoo looked up, really looked at him, at the tension across his shoulders, the way his eyes were dark and restless, searching Sunoo’s face like he was afraid.

“Get what, Sunoo?” Heeseung asked, voice wavering.

For a moment, Sunoo hesitated, the noise of the club thudded faintly through the walls and then the omega exhaled hard, like he was finally letting go of the last bit of restraint holding him together.

“…Hyung… I like you.”

He watched the alpha swallow hard, his adam’s apple bobbing with the movement,

“I like you, Heeseung.”

“Yeah, Sunoo, I— I like you too, of course,” Heeseung replied, a little breathless.

Sunoo’s heart stuttered, then slammed painfully against his ribs, something inside him finally gave way, maybe it was the alcohol that made him feel brave, maybe it was weeks of pretending he didn’t care, of hiding, of swallowing everything he felt. He let out a soft, broken laugh, his eyes already burning.

“No, hyung,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “That’s not it.”

Heeseung blinked, confusion flickering across his face as he waited for him to continue speaking. The omega swallowed, his chest tight, but he forced the words out anyway, because if he didn’t say them now, he never would.

“I’m in love with you.”

The room went completely still for what felt like an eternity, Heeseung was frozen, like the floor had dropped out from under him.

“Sunoo…” His voice cracked. “What?”

“Yeah,” Sunoo said, the words coming out breathless. “I am.”

Heeseung shook his head slowly, panic bleeding into his expression, his eyes darting away.

“Are— are you joking?”

Sunoo let out a rough, broken sound. “God, why the fuck would I joke about something like this?” he rasped, eyes burning, his vision blurring as they filled with tears.

“I don’t—” Heeseung dragged a hand through his hair, pacing half a step before stopping. “You know I can’t— I can’t do that.”

He expected that but the words still landed like a crushing blow, Sunoo nodded, even though it felt like something inside was splitting him open.

“I know,” he whispered. “That’s the problem.”

At that moment, the bathroom door creaked open, breaking the moment.

“Sunoo hyung?” Riki’s voice cut through the moment. “Oh you’re here, we’ve been looking for you—”

He stopped when he took in the scene, the omega’s distressed scent in the air and Heeseung looking completely lost, almost afraid, Riki’s eyes widened.

“Oh” he said awkwardly, shifting his weight. “Sorry for interrupting, I can come back later.”

Sunoo stepped back immediately, creating space where there had been too much closeness. 

“No, Riki,” Sunoo said, voice steady despite the way his hands trembled. “You’re not interrupting anything.”

He glanced at Heeseung once, without anger in his eyes anymore, just tired at this point, resigned.

“I was just leaving.”

He turned and walked out, disappearing into the noise and lights of the club, leaving the alpha behind. He walked towards the dance floor again, following Riki’s figure.

Jungwon spotted him almost immediately.

“Hey!” He was at Sunoo’s side in seconds, fingers closing lightly around his wrist. “Where were you?”

Sunoo forced a smile, masking his expression the best he could, he swallowed hard, trying to keep himself together, to push everything down to the point it couldn’t spill out, his chest still felt tight, and a sob was caught in his throat, but he shook his head.

“Bathroom,” he said quickly. “I just needed a little calm.”

Jungwon didn’t look convinced, his scent flickering with concern as his eyes searched Sunoo’s face.

“Are you sure?”

Sunoo glanced past him, Jay laughing too loud, Riki already pulled into a messy circle with someone from the basketball team, everyone was glowing with joy, he didn’t want to be the one to ruin it.

Not tonight.

“Yeah,” Sunoo said again, firmer now. “I swear.”

Right on cue, Jay slung an arm around Jungwon’s shoulders, clearly drunk.

“Oi, what are you two whispering about?” he laughed. “C’mon, let’s get another round! It's on me!”

Sunoo nodded in agreement, taking a steadying breath.

“Yeah,” he said, voice light despite everything twisting inside him. “I need another drink. Right now.”

୨୧‧₊˚

The headache came in the morning, Sunoo woke with his throat dry, head pounding painfully, light leaking through the thin gap in the curtains, he heard loud voices coming from the living room. For a second, he felt lost, confused, until everything rushed back at once.

The club, the bathroom.

No, hyung… I’m in love with you.

His chest tightened, he rolled onto his side, curling in on himself, pulling the blanket up to his chin like it could protect him from the memory. At least, he wasn’t holding it in anymore.

The thought surprised him, he felt strange, hollow, but also… lighter, still hurt, yes but free in a way he hadn’t expected, he had said it out loud, he didn't swallow it back down or let himself be pulled into something that would only break him again.

Sunoo wasn’t good at communicating, he always knew that, but last night, he had stopped himself, he stopped Heeseung, he chose not to let it turn into another disaster.

And for that, despite everything else, he was a little proud of himself.

The omega stretched on his bed before standing up, grimacing when he noticed he was still wearing the clothes from last night. 

“Great,” he muttered to himself as he grabbed his pajamas and changed quickly.

“God, why are guys so loud on a Sunday morning,” Sunoo groaned as he stepped into the living room, taking in how Jungwon and Riki were sitting on the couch, their voices overlapping, mid argument. Riki had crashed last night, too drunk to make it back to his own dorm.

“Take it up with Riki, he’s not letting me watch this drama, he wants to watch this stupid F1 race,” Jungwon whined, trying to yank the remote from the alpha’s hands.

“No one wants to watch your boring dramas, hyung, come ooon,” Riki shot back.

“You brat.”

Sunoo made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water, then taking a pill for his headache.

“Just put something on and stop fighting,” he muttered. “You’re making my headache worse.”

“F1 it is,” Riki said, changing the channel.

“Whatever.” Jungwon sighed dramatically, giving up and slumping back into the couch. 

“So… I saw Jaemin hyung last night,” Sunoo started, changing the topic.

“Sunoo, what?” Jungwon laughed. “How drunk were you? You literally told me he left South Korea.”

“No,” Sunoo shook his head. “He came back, and please, I was not that drunk.”

“Oh,” Jungwon raised an eyebrow. “And… how was he then?”

“Good, yeah,” Sunoo shrugged. “We did kiss.”

“Oh wow– ”

“Wait,” Riki cut in suddenly. “Then what were you doing with Heeseung hyung in the bathroom?”

Sunoo froze.

“Um, what?” Jungwon blinked. “When did all of this happen? And how did I not notice?”

“You were probably busy doing God knows what with Jay,” Sunoo replied, dropping onto the couch between them. “And I just… talked with Heeseung in the bathroom.”

“I don’t know,” Riki frowned. “Didn’t really look like just talking, it looked way too tense.”

Sunoo swallowed.

“Well…” he muttered, barely audible, “I might’ve told him I’m in love with him.”

“WHAT!?” Jungwon almost screamed.

“What the fuck—” Riki dropped the TV remote from his hand, choking on his own spit as he coughed. 

“…What did he say, Sunoo?” Jungwon asked more quietly now, concern softening his voice as he turned toward him on the couch.

Sunoo shrugged sadly, gaze dropping to his hands. “You know what he said, Won…”

Jungwon’s expression fell and he shifted closer, placing a hand on Sunoo’s back, rubbing slow, comforting circles.

“I’m so sorry, Sun.”

“It’s fine. It’s fine…” Sunoo forced a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I guess I’m glad I said it, now I can move on after being rejected or whatever they say.” he let out a weak laugh. “I didn’t even cry this time.”

Riki clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. “Ugh, Heeseung is so dumb, hyung and you know what?” He crossed his arms. “I don’t even wanna join his stupid team anymore.”

That finally pulled a real chuckle out of Sunoo.

୨୧‧₊˚

Later that night, when the dorm had gone quiet and Jungwon had fallen asleep, Sunoo lay awake, staring at the ceiling, his mind refused to rest, then another memory surfaced.

Jaemin.

The way he had looked at him at the club, surprised, almost hopeful, their kiss, the one that probably shouldn’t have happened, the way Sunoo had pulled away abruptly and disappeared the rest of the night without a word.

Guilt settled heavy in his stomach so he rolled onto his side and reached for his phone, the screen lighting up the dark room, his thumb hovered for a second before he opened his blocked contacts.

There he was.

Jaemin.

Sunoo swallowed and tapped the unblock button. For a moment, he just stared at the empty chat, after a beat, started typing..

sunoo: hey hyung… i’m sorry about last night, i kinda just disappeared on you.

The reply came quicker than he expected, despite the late hour.

jaemin: oh, hey, you unblocked me haha. don’t worry about it, really. i figured you got overwhelmed.

Sunoo let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

sunoo: still. i should’ve said something, that was shitty of me.

Jaemin: it wasn’t. really, it’s fine.

jaemin: plus… it was good to see you again.

Sunoo just stared at the screen then Jaemin sent another message.

jaemin: by the way, i’m gonna be around campus more.

sunoo: oh? but you were done with uni.

jaemin: yeah, but i’m assisting one of the psych professors this semester, just grading and research stuff.

sunoo: wow… that’s actually cool.

jaemin: yeah, kinda missed this place, ngl.

jaemin: also, no pressure at all, but if you ever wanna grab something to eat or something, i’d really like that.

Sunoo set the phone down on his chest, staring up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

Why not? He owed him that much and he always had a good time with Jaemin, even as just friends, it would help him distract himself.

The omega picked the phone back up.

sunoo: sounds nice.

A few seconds passed.

jaemin: really?

sunoo: yeah.

jaemin: so this friday? sounds good?

sunoo: okay, hyung. see you then :)

Sunoo locked his phone and set it aside, curling back under his blankets.

୨୧‧₊˚

As the week passed quickly, they met again a few days later, late in the afternoon, at a nearby restaurant, it was busy at that hour, the evening sunlight spilling through the windows and warming the wooden tables, when Sunoo walked in, he spotted Jaemin immediately, the alpha stirring his drink with the straw even though he hadn’t taken a sip yet.

The alpha looked softer here much like he remembered, away from the club lights and noise, hair falling naturally over his forehead, peppermint scent faint but familiar, he smiled brightly when their eyes met.

“Hey,” Sunoo said, sliding into the chair across from him.

“Hey,” Jaemin replied, returning the smile.

“Hyung, you didn’t tell me this place is kinda fancy,” Sunoo joked lightly, pouting. “I feel underdressed.”

Jaemin chuckled. “No, Sun, don’t worry. You look pretty as always.”

Sunoo just gave him a small nervous smile as a reply as they started looking at the menu.

It was easy, the conversation just flowed between them about professors, how the campus hadn’t changed much, how Jaemin got the assistant job and Sunoo’s classes, they laughed comfortably, and it felt normal, like time hadn’t passed between them.

Then there was a pause and Jaemin’s fingers curled around his glass, but he didn’t drink it.

“…Sunoo,” he said carefully.

That made him look up from his food plate.

“Actually, I didn’t ask you here just to catch up.”

Jaemin took a deep breath as he continued, steadying himself.

“I’m gonna say this now because if I don’t, I know I’ll regret it.”

Sunoo froze, heart thudding.

“I’ve liked you,” Jaemin continued, voice calm but raw underneath. “Ever since we met, back then.”

Sunoo blinked. “What?”

Jaemin let out a quiet laugh, not amused, more nervous. “Yeah. I know.”

Sunoo stared at him, brain scrambling. “But you never– ”

“I wasn’t brave enough,” Jaemin interrupted gently. “You were just… bright, people gravitated toward you and honestly, I didn’t think I stood a chance.” He hesitated. “So I stayed where it was safe.”

“And then I left,” Jaemin went on. “And that’s on me, I should’ve said something before I did.”

Silence stretched between them.

Jaemin met his eyes again, serious now. “I just didn’t want to hide it anymore.”

Sunoo swallowed hard.

“And now that I’m back, I would… like to try something real with you,” Jaemin said quietly. “Something serious, not whatever half thing we had before.”

He lifted his hands slightly, palms open. “No pressure, I mean that, I just needed you to know how I feel.”

“I…” He tried to speak, but the words tangled up in his throat. “I didn’t know, I really didn’t.”

“I figured,” Jaemin said softly.

Sunoo’s gaze dropped to the table, thoughts crashing into each other, but every one of them led back to the same person, Heeseung. God, he wished he could just erase him from his heart, his brain, but sadly that wasn’t how love worked, it never was.

“Hyung… I– I’m so sorry. I don’t– ” he admitted quietly, voice barely holding together.

Jaemin nodded, unsurprised. “There’s someone else, isn’t there?”

“…Something like that,” Sunoo said, biting his bottom lip nervously. “Right now it’s just complicated and I don’t think it’s fair to you if I lie, you deserve to be with someone who can love you… fully.”

He looked back up at Jaemin’s eyes, his own glossy but honest, guilt settling heavy in his chest for the feelings he couldn’t return.

“Thank you,” Sunoo whispered, a sad smile tugging at his lips. “For telling me.”

Jaemin hesitated for a second. “Can I hug you?”

“Of course,” Sunoo said softly.

They both stood up, closing the distance between them. The hug was brief but warm, and it felt like a goodbye to something that never quite had the chance to exist.

“I’ll see you around, yeah?” Jaemin said as he pulled back.

“Yes… again, I’m sorry, hyung.”

Jaemin shook his head with a small chuckle. “Stop apologizing.”

He smiled, gentle. “Take care, Sunoo.”

“You too, hyung,” 

୨୧‧₊˚

Sunoo was halfway down the hallway of his dorm when he saw him. At first, he thought he was imagining it, exhaustion or heartbreak playing tricks on his mind, he squinted his eyes, even rubbing a hand over his face, but as he got closer, the broad shoulders, the familiar stance, the basketball jersey hanging loose with ‘LEE’ printed boldly across the back, it all became too real, impossible to deny.

His heart dropped straight to his stomach.

Heeseung stood in front of Sunoo’s door, one hand rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, the other holding his phone like he’s been debating whether to call or not, he looked up the second Sunoo cleared his throat once he was close enough, and their eyes met.

“Oh, hey” Heeseung breathed. “You’re… you’re back.”

Sunoo stopped in front of him, crossing his arms.

“What are you doing here?” he asked quietly.

“I–” Heeseung swallowed hard, taking a step closer before stopping himself. “I heard from Jungwon you went out with someone today.”

“You’re eavesdropping now?” 

“I just happened to be there at the right moment.”

Sunoo’s jaw tightened. “Whatever, that’s none of your business.”

“I know,” Heeseung said quickly. “I know it isn’t, but I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I realized if I didn’t come here tonight, I'd regret it for the rest of my life.”

Sunoo looked away, fingers curling at his side.

“I fucked up. Badly, Sunoo. I know that, and I’m so fucking sorry,” Heeseung continued, his voice shaking now. The omega had actually never seen him this nervous before, his scent filled with something like fear.

“I said things I didn’t mean. Or… no,” he corrected himself. “I said them because I was scared, and I didn’t want to admit what they actually meant.”

Sunoo let out a bitter laugh. “You called me convenient, hyung.”

“I know.” Heeseung’s eyes glistened. “And I hate myself for it but what I meant was… you were safe, you were just so easy to be with, being with you didn’t feel like a constant battle, and I actually… I’ve never felt like that with anyone before, but instead of saying that, I made it sound like you didn’t matter to me.”

Silence pressed in between them.

“And of course you do, Sun,” he continued quietly. “God, of course you matter to me, you matter so, so much.”

Heeseung swallowed, shoulders tensing.

“I was afraid, and I acted like an asshole because of it,” he admitted. “I was… afraid of wanting you the way I did, afraid of us ending the way my last relationship ended, afraid of ruining what we had, which is funny, because I ended up doing exactly that.”

Sunoo finally looked at him. “So you hurt me first.”

Heeseung nodded, tears threatening to spill from his doe eyes. “Yeah and I’m so fucking sorry, for the other day too, at Jay’s birthday, I’m sorry for demanding explanations, you don’t owe me anything at all.”

He stepped closer now, careful, slow.

“Sunoo, I don’t want casual with you,” he said softly. “I probably never did, I want you, all of you, even the parts that make things complicated.”

Sunoo’s breath hitched and just stood there, speechless, unable to believe the words coming out of the alpha’s mouth.

“I tried so hard to pretend I didn’t care,” Heeseung whispered. “But seeing you pull away? Seeing you with someone else?” He shook his head. “It felt like I was suffocating.”

“Hyung… you hurt me so bad and I can’t just– forget about it right now.” Sunoo’s voice came out barely above a breath.

“I know, baby,” Heeseung said immediately, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not asking you to forgive me tonight, I just needed you to know the truth.”

He took one last step forward, stopping just inches away.

“I’m in love with you, Kim Sunoo,” he confessed, raw and unguarded. “And I’ve been in love with you for a while, I was just too much of a coward to say it.”

Sunoo’s chest burned inside, his eyes filling with tears at the words he had wanted so desperately to hear from the alpha. For a long moment, neither of them moved, then Sunoo reached out for Heeseung, wrapping his arms around him and ducking his head into his neck, finally letting the tears fall, he filled his lungs with the familiar scent of dark chocolate, and Heeseung wasted no time circling his own arms around Sunoo’s waist, squeezing tightly like he didn’t want to let go of the shaking, smaller boy.

“I’m so sorry, Sun, please forgive me,” he repeated against him, voice shaky and face wet with his own tears. “For everything.”

He didn’t know how much time passed with Sunoo held in his arms, letting it all spill out, but when the omega finally calmed enough to speak, he lifted his head from where it rested against the alpha’s neck and looked up at him, eyes still glossy.

“I know you’re sorry, hyung,” Sunoo said softly. “And I do want to forgive you too… but I think I need a little time.”

“Of course,” Heeseung replied immediately, sincere, his hands rubbing slow, comforting circles against Sunoo’s waist. “Yes, take all the time you need.”

“Thank you,” Sunoo smiled weakly. “I’ll… go inside now, It’s getting late, hyung, you should head back too.”

“Right…I just..” Heeseung hesitated, then admitted quietly, “I missed you so fucking bad.” He reluctantly let go of a blushing Sunoo.

“Me too, hyung.” He closed the distance once again, pressing a sweet kiss to Heeseung’s cheek before pulling away. “See you soon, yeah?”

“S-see you, Sunoo,” Heeseung replied, a dumb smile stretching across his face, pupils blown wide and expression dazed as he watched Sunoo retreat back into his dorm.

Chapter Text

As soon as Sunoo entered his dorm, he felt as if what had just happened wasn’t real, he leaned his back against the door, sliding down slowly until he was seated on the floor.

A wide smile he couldn’t contain spread across his face as he ducked his head, his hands covering his mouth to hold back a squeal, if anyone saw him right now, they would probably think he was insane. He knew Jungwon wasn’t home, so he just  stayed there for God knows how long, staring at the wall in the silence and complete darkness of his dorm, still unable to believe the words that had just left Heeseung’s mouth.

I'm in love with you. 

After what felt like an eternity of sitting there, he pulled his phone from his back pocket, the light illuminating his face in the dark, he unlocked it and scrolled through his messages until he found the Heeseung’s contact, he had muted and archived their chat for weeks, so with a quiet sigh, he tapped on it and all the messages Heeseung had sent, ones Sunoo had never read, filled the screen, the first starting back from the night he had kicked Heeseung out of his dorm.

heeseung: sunoo

heeseung: come on, you know i didn’t mean it like that.

heeseung: sunoo? please answer my calls

heeseung: please

heeseung: hey sunoo, i’m sorry about last night. can we talk? in person

heeseung: sun

heeseung: it’s been days, i didn’t want things to end up like this, let’s just talk

heeseung: please stop avoiding me.

heeseung: are you coming to jay’s birthday?

heeseung: i just wanna see you.

He gulped hard as he read through the messages, had Heeseung been having a hard time too, like him? The thought lingered on his mind as he started typing, his fingers moving slowly, suddenly feeling nervous.

sunoo: hyung… you made it back? 

The familiar vibration of a message came fast.

heeseung: oh

heeseung: yes, i did 

He saw the typing bubble appear on the screen a few times, as if the alpha didn’t know what to say next.

heeseung: thank you… again, for hearing me out, sunoo. i know i’ve been such an asshole to you.

sunoo: it’s fine now, really

heeseung: also, i meant everything i said earlier, i really don’t want to mess this up again

sunoo: i know you did, hyung

heeseung: i’ll let you sleep now, sweet dreams, sugar

sunoo: night, hyung

୨୧‧₊˚　

As time passed Sunoo starts noticing it in the little things first, how Heeseung doesn’t only text when it’s late anymore, how he asks about random things now, like Sunoo’s classes, what he did during the day, whether he’s eaten, what he ate, how he sends a “got home?” message at the end of the day, the alpha actually tries to make up for the time he hurt Sunoo, it feels unfamiliar, but it’s also… nice, very nice.

He would stop by the library where he knew Sunoo studied, not distracting, just him quietly slipping into the seat across from him, pushing a snack over the table with a hopeful look.

“I know you forget to eat,” he’d murmur.

Which was true, the omega would get so focused on studying that he often skipped meals or even forgot to bring a little snack. 

Heeseung didn’t linger too long or interrupt Sunoo’s focus. Sometimes he didn’t even stay at all, just made sure Sunoo ate, drank some water, it was thoughtful, and proof that Heeseung was seriously trying to be there for him and fix things between them, in ways that mattered the most, at least to him.

When Sunoo told Jungwon about Heeseung’s confession, he was happy for him but also kind of skeptical, it took a while for Jungwon to stop ignoring Heeseung whenever he saw him or to want to hang out with him again, which was understandable, after all, he had been there for Sunoo through all the days he cried, he was reluctant but as he started seeing the alpha’s genuine intentions with Sunoo, he slowly began to accept him more and more. As for Jay, nothing really changed, since he had no idea they had fought in the first place.

They don’t jump back into anything physical right away since things are still fresh, and Heeseung is cautious around him, there are moments, though, usually when they’re all hanging out together at Jay’s apartment, with Sunghoon, Jake, Riki, and of course Jungwon like lingering looks when they sit too close. Heeseung’s hand brushing Sunoo’s knee under the table, the way his chocolate scent still settles something deep in Sunoo’s chest but Heeseung never pushes, and to be honest is becoming harder and harder for the omega to stay away from the older man. 

୨୧‧₊˚　

Heeseung texts him the night before their basketball game against a college they had a history with, so most students were looking forward to it.

heeseung: are you coming tomorrow?

Sunoo stares at the message longer than necessary, to be honest, he hadn’t exactly planned on going, but Heeseung and Jay had talked about it so much that now he feels like he needs to be there.

sunoo: yeah, i’ll be there

The reply comes almost immediately.

heeseung: really? i’ll play even better then

Sunoo snorts, shaking his head, but his heart does that stupid little flip anyway because of course, Heeseung always has that effect on him.

୨୧‧₊˚　

The gym is loud the next day, louder than Sunoo remembers and the air buzzes with the crowd’s energy, everyone is dressed in the university’s distinct red color, sneakers squeak against the floor, voices shout names, the ball echoes as it hits the court, Sunoo sits in the stands with Jungwon and Riki, fingers fidgeting nervously as his eyes keep drifting back to the court, to one person, to Heeseung.

He looks focused, of course, his dark blond hair damp with sweat as droplets fall down his neck, jaw set, body moving fast and sharp, knowing exactly what to do on the court. Every time he scores a point, the crowd erupts in cheers, and every single time, without fail, Heeseung glances toward the stands, eyes searching through unfamiliar faces until they land on Sunoo, like he’s checking that the omega is seeing everything.

The game stays close until the very end, tense, but in the final minutes Heeseung makes the winning shot and as the buzzer goes off, the whole gym explodes. Sunoo finds himself on his feet without realizing it, clapping loudly and smiling so hard his cheeks start to hurt, Jungwon cheers beside him, squeezing his arm.

“That’s your man,” Jungwon yells into his ear over the noise of the gym.

Sunoo flushes red. “He’s not—” He stops himself, then swallows. “…whatever.”

After the game, people flood the court, teammates, friends, strangers, everyone just  celebrating the win, Jungwon and Riki are long gone, already rushing off to congratulate Jay. Sunoo, on the other hand, hesitates near the edge, unsure whether he should wait or leave.

Then Heeseung spots him and everything else seems to fade away.

Heeseung weaves through the crowd, ignoring the shouts and congratulations, until he’s standing right in front of Sunoo, chest heaving, eyes bright, his smile wide.

“You really are here,” he says, a little breathless.

“Of course I am,” Sunoo replies softly.

For a moment, they just stare at each other, the noises fade into background static, Heeseung lifts a hand like he wants to touch Sunoo’s arm, then stops himself.

“I—” Heeseung exhales, running a hand through his hair. “Can we go outside? Just for a second.”

They step out into the cool evening air, the alpha leading the way, the gym doors swinging shut behind them. It’s quieter here, just some distant voices can be heard, Heeseung turns to face him fully, suddenly serious.

“So, I’ve actually been thinking about this all game,” he admits. “Which is probably not great for my performance, but we won anyway, so— um, sorry, I’m rambling.” He lets out a shaky laugh, then steadies himself.

“Sunoo… I don’t want to do this halfway anymore.”

Sunoo’s heart starts pounding.

Heeseung continues, “I—I want you. I want to be with you, properly. If you’ll… let me.” He swallows. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

For a split second, Sunoo can’t breathe, all the doubt, all the hurt, all the fear, it’s still there but so is the way Heeseung looks at him now, open, vulnerable, waiting and Sunoo has never been more sure of anything in his life. He smiles, eyes already stinging.

“Yes,” he says, voice trembling but sure. “Yes, hyung.”

Heeseung’s face breaks into the most disbelieving, radiant grin Sunoo has ever seen.

“Yeah?” he asks softly, like he needs to hear it again.

Sunoo nods. “Yeah.”

Heeseung doesn’t hesitate this time, he cups Sunoo’s face gently and kisses him on the lips, warm and sweet, it’s not rushed, like they have all the time in the world, they keep kissing for a while, tangled in each other, as people start leaving the gym, walking past them.

Someone whistles loudly at them, this makes Sunoo pull back, laughing into Heeseung’s shoulder with his cheeks burning.

“We’re gonna be talked about,” he murmurs.

Heeseung laughs too, forehead resting against Sunoo’s. “Mhm, let them talk, I won.”

The omega smiles, heart fuller than it has ever been.

“I’m so sweaty, sorry, baby,” Heeseung says, scrunching his nose slightly. “I’ll take a shower and change in the locker room– wait for me?” he asks, eyes bright.

“Okay, hyung,” Sunoo replies, planting one more soft kiss on the older’s lips.

Heeseung wraps his arms tightly around the omega’s waist, pulling him even closer to him. “I’ll be right back, wait inside,” he whispers against Sunoo’s lips.

The omega sits inside the gym, waiting for Heeseung to be done, it is mostly empty now, only a few scattered people left chatting, he watches as some of the players, freshly showered, step out of the locker rooms with smiles on their faces, a few of them nodding at him with knowing looks that make Sunoo blush slightly.

Soon enough, Heeseung is done, he steps out with damp hair pushed back from his forehead, his basketball uniform long gone and replaced with casual clothes, looking unfairly handsome under the gym lights, Sunoo stands up immediately, already walking toward his boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

The word feels good, too good, Sunoo can’t quite believe Heeseung is actually his boyfriend now, and there’s a smile on his face that nothing could wipe away.

Heeseung extended his hand for Sunoo to hold, and the omega did so immediately, intertwining their fingers tightly, just as Sunoo is about to open his mouth, one of Heeseung’s classmates breaks the silence from behind them.

“Yo, Heeseung! You're not going to the after party?”

The alpha only turns slightly to reply. “Nah. I’ll be with my boyfriend tonight,” he says easily, guiding Sunoo toward the gym exit.

୨୧‧₊˚　

The elevator doors slid shut with a soft ding, sealing them into the small space together, as the alpha pushed the button, the tension between them snapped instantly, they couldn't stand to be apart for even a second longer. Their mouths crash together, hot and eager, as Heeseung’s hands slip beneath Sunoo’s clothes, touching the warm skin and sending shivers through the omega’s body, Sunoo clings to his clothes, heart racing as Heeseung presses him back against the mirrored wall, the mixed arousal of their scents already filling the small space of the elevator.

“Hyung…” Sunoo breathed against his lips, voice breaking into a moan, he pulled back just enough to look at him, eyes dark and unfocused. “We– we’re here.” He said, referring to the floor.

The elevator doors opened and Heeseung swallowed hard, neither of them said anything else as Heeseung laced their fingers together and tugged Sunoo forward, urgency buzzing between them. When they reached his door, the alpha fumbled for the keypad, shoulders tense, fingers shaking showing how desperate he already was. 

“Hold on– ” he muttered, trying to focus as he punched in the code.

Sunoo, very deliberately, did not help, instead, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Heeseung from behind, his cheek rested between Heeseung’s shoulder blades, and his hands slid lower and lower to play with the hem of his pants.

“Sunoo,” Heeseung warned weakly, already losing the battle.

Sunoo smiled against his skin, nuzzling just slightly, his arms tightening. “You’re taking too long,” he murmured, voice playful.

Heeseung cursed under his breath as the keypad beeped, wrong code.

“Baby– ” he started, half laughing, half groaning as Sunoo shifted, fingertips sliding to feel up the hardness on top of his pants.

“Hyung,” Sunoo whispered, lips brushing the back of his neck. “Focus.”

“That’s the problem,” Heeseung breathed, trying again, shoulders sagging as his head tipped back just a little.

Then the door finally unlocked with a soft click, Heeseung didn’t even turn around properly before grabbing Sunoo’s wrist and pulling him inside, the door closing behind them with a thud, cutting off the world completely.

Sunoo squeaks as Heeseung’s hands lift him up by his thighs, forcing him to wrap both legs around his waist as the alpha turns and walks a short distance to the nearest wall, pinning Sunoo against it before hungrily returning for another kiss.

Sunoo already feels weak as he wraps his arms around the alpha’s neck, moaning into the kiss as Heeseung’s tongue dances with his, drowning in the alpha’s chocolate scent. They kiss for God knows how long, Sunoo feeling Heeseung’s growing hardness against his own, both of them straining against the fabric of their clothing, it’s not long before Sunoo begins to leak slick, the sweet sugary smell permeating the air.

The omega whimpers as Heeseung leaves his lips to nip and bite at his throat and neck, sucking bruises into his skin as he presses his cock forward, the pressure making Sunoo stutter and gasp. He throws his head back against the wall, not even noticing the impact as his senses are overwhelmed by the alpha holding him, when Heeseung finally pulls back to admire his work, Sunoo sees his doe eyes completely darkened.

Heeseung surges forward, connecting their lips in a kiss that is far less calculated, replaced by a ravenous hunger, a desperate need to devour.

“You’re mine now, omega,” Heeseung growls between kisses. “Gonna make sure everyone knows that.”

“Yes,” Sunoo gasps back, “yours, alpha, only yours.”

Heeseung growls low in his chest at the words as he goes in for another kiss, he bites at Sunoo’s lower lip, licks away the sting, and eases his tongue back into the omega’s mouth.

“Hyung— bedroom,” Sunoo breathes into the alpha’s mouth, barely holding himself together.

Heeseung wastes no time, walking them further into the apartment toward his bedroom without breaking their kiss, his arms tightening under Sunoo’s thighs to keep him secure, once they reached the room, he guides Sunoo down gently, hands firm but careful as he sits him on the edge of the bed before easing him back onto the sheets, the mattress dips softly beneath Sunoo’s weight, and for a second, Heeseung just stays there, standing between his knees, breathing a little too hard and looking at him like he was trying to memorize every detail.

Sunoo’s hair was a mess, his neck filled with hickeys, lips swollen and wet, eyes glossy in a way that made Heeseung’s chest ache, he reached out slowly, as if afraid Sunoo might disappear if he moved too fast, brushing his thumb along the omega’s cheek.

“I missed you,” Heeseung said quietly. “So much it actually hurt.”

Sunoo swallowed, fingers curling into the sheets. “Hyung… I missed you too,” his voice shaky.

Heeseung leaned down, pressing a soft peck to Sunoo’s lips before his hands came up to the hem of Sunoo’s shirt, he paused there, thumbs brushing warm skin just barely exposed, eyes lifting to Sunoo’s face. 

“Okay?” he asked quietly.

Sunoo nodded while staring deeply into his eyes, that was all the permission Heeseung needed, he eased the fabric up inch by inch, fingers careful as he lifted it over Sunoo’s head, letting it fall to the floor beside the bed, his hands traced Sunoo’s sides before moving to take off the rest of his clothes with the same patience, he kissed Sunoo’s shoulder, then his collarbone, he lingered there, inhaling deeply the sweet scent of the omega.

“So beautiful, my love,” Heeseung whispers as he grounds Sunoo by his hips, moving lower to press kisses all over the soft flesh of Sunoo’s inner thigh. “Fuck… smell so good too.”

He places his hands on the back of Sunoo’s thighs, pushing them up until Sunoo’s knees are bent, his hole on full display, the omega can feel the air hitting his hole, making him clench and unclench around nothing and knowing that Heeseung is so close to his most sensitive part makes his cock twitch in anticipation, more slick gushing out as he feels something wet and hot press against his entrance.

The omega’s back arches as Heeseung presses his face between his ass cheeks, running his tongue all over Sunoo’s pink dripping hole, making him let out high, broken moans.

“Mmhm… missed your taste, baby,” he murmurs, diving back in.

“H-hyung, please,” Sunoo begs, not even sure what he’s begging for, but he wants something, he wants more, wants the alpha to wreck him completely.

The sounds Heeseung is making are filthy, making Sunoo blush hard, the alpha’s hands are splayed on his ass, spreading him open and he’s slurping so loudly, trying to take in as much sugary slick as he can, sunoo’s body produces more with each wet sound from Heeseung’s mouth.

Everything is so wet, so loud, and so warm, and Sunoo’s eyes are brimming with tears from all the sensations he’s feeling. He reaches down, fingers searching for the alpha, managing to hold on to his hair, his fingers curl around the dark blond strands, tugging slightly when Heeseung sucks particularly hard on his hole. After a while of eating him out, Heeseung adds a finger along with his tongue.

“Hee–!” Sunoo almost screams at the intrusion.

He arches his back with a yelp when Heeseung curls his finger, and the alpha grins at him, his thighs tremble where they rest on the bed, bending up to give Heeseung better access while he continues to stretch Sunoo open, one finger becomes two, then three, until he’s a writhing, crying mess on the bed. 

“Fuck me now, please,” Sunoo begs.

Heeseung comes up, the lower half of his face glistening with Sunoo’s slick, the smaller boy giggles at the sight, running his thumb along the alpha’s bottom lip, spreading it around before catching his lips, tasting himself on Heeseung’s tongue, he can taste the sweet undertones of his scent, warm brown sugar and caramel, and he’s so turned on by it that he starts leaking slick again.

Heeseung reaches down to work his pants open, Sunoo’s eyes fix hungrily on the alpha’s bulge through his boxers, he licks his lips, noticing the patch of precum staining the front of the grey fabric. Wordlessly, Sunoo reaches forward to pull the alpha’s cock free from the confines of his underwear, Heeseung gasps as the cold air hits him, and Sunoo swallows thickly.

The alpha lets out a guttural groan, relief flooding him as he’s finally touched for the first time that day, Sunoo ignores the slick gushing slowly out of him as he strokes his alpha’s cock with his hand. 

“Ready, baby?” Heeseung stares at him with dazed eyes.

“Yeah,” Sunoo says softly, looking at Heeseung shyly.

Heeseung pecks him on the cheek as he takes hold of the base of his cock, positioning it against Sunoo’s fluttering hole, with a deep inhale, Heeseung starts pushing inside slowly, letting out a breathy moan when the blunt head of the alpha’s cock pops into his tight hole, sliding in until he bottoms out completely.

“Oh– fuck, hyung,” Sunoo whines, closing his eyes tightly.

“You alright, sugar?” the alpha asks, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“Yes… just… been a while, forgot… how big you are.” Sunoo hides his face in his hands, blushing.

Heeseung just giggles, not moving, waiting for his boyfriend to get used to the stretch of his cock.

“Okay… it’s fine now.” 

Heeseung nods as he pulls out until Sunoo’s hole is left clenching around the head, then starts thrusting in a steady rhythm into the omega’s heat. “Shit, baby, so tight,” he groans roughly.

Sunoo keens when he feels the cockhead rub against his prostate, practically sobbing as Heeseung suddenly thrusts up into him.

“A-ah, hyung, oh God, Heeseung– I’m, oh– m-more,” Sunoo begs, fingers curling around the alpha’s shoulders, nails pressing crescent marks into his skin.

Heeseung groans, thrusting up before suddenly fucking into Sunoo’s tight, wet hole with hard, fast strokes. Sunoo cries out, his limbs going weak as he lets Heeseung do the work, lets the alpha fuck into him against his prostate. “B-baby,” Heeseung grunts, one arm wrapping around Sunoo’s waist and the other gripping his thigh firmly, after a while he feels Heeseung somehow get bigger.

His knot.

Although alphas could knot outside their ruts, it was mostly unusual so Sunoo couldn’t help but feel kinda proud he had that effect over the alpha.

“Shit, fuck, Sun– my knot, sorry, I didn’t– ” Heeseung rasps out brokenly as he starts to pull out.

“No! Hyung, I want it! Need your knot, please,” Sunoo whimpers, clenching around him and wrapping his arms around the alpha’s torso, clutching at his shoulder blades desperately.

“Baby, are you sure? I ca– ”

“Don’t. Stop.” The omega says, finality in his tone.

He yelps sharply when Heeseung thrusts hard into him without warning, hips slapping against Sunoo’s ass, the sounds are louder and wetter with how much slick there is, he’s fucking into Sunoo hard and fast, so that Sunoo is getting jerked up the bed, the omega holds on to his boyfriend tighter, tears running down his cheeks at this point.

“Harder, hyung, f-faster– fuck, oh God, there,” Sunoo cries out, Heeseung shifts his hips and rams his cock against Sunoo’s prostate continuously until he is reduced to a blubbering, pleading mess.

When Heeseung suddenly grinds into him deeply, the head of his cock pressing against Sunoo’s abused prostate deliciously, he screams, his orgasm hitting him hard and without warning, he shakes beneath Heeseung, eyes shutting tight as his cock spurts out the last few ropes of cum weakly.

“So fucking gorgeous, Sunoo,” Heeseung rasps, leaning down to wrap one arm around Sunoo’s waist as he keeps fucking into him roughly, he whines beneath him, body weak and spent, but he lies there anyway as Heeseung uses him. He shakes from the overstimulation, yet doesn’t tell the alpha to stop, he wants him to continue ramming into his clenching hole because it’s just so good.

“W-want your knot, hyung,” he whispers weakly, voice hoarse from how much he’s moaned and screamed.

“Yeah? You want my pups, love? Fuck, Sunoo—” he grunts with each thrust, skin slapping against skin. He rams into Sunoo once, twice, and then Sunoo feels it, the alpha’s knot expanding fully inside. He starts squirming, the stretch a little too much for his overstimulated hole.

“H-hurts—hyung, s’too big—”

“Shh, baby, don’t move, you’ll hurt yourself,” Heeseung says, gripping Sunoo’s hips to keep him in place.

Sunoo whines loudly, his ass stretching around Heeseung’s knot. It’s so big, and he feels full to the brim, fuller than ever. Heeseung presses little kisses to his face to soothe him, whispering praises and compliments.

Sunoo gasps softly when he feels all of Heeseung’s cum filling him, it’s so much that his stomach swells just a tiny, but noticeable, bit. A low hum escapes his throat, a happy and content feeling settling in his gut as he thinks about the fact that Heeseung bred him well, logically, he knows he won’t get pregnant, it’s not his actual heat, and with Heeseung not in rut, the chances are practically zero and he’s also on birth control, but he still feels happy, his omega preening at the warm cum inside him.

Once he stops filling the omega, Heeseung maneuvers them carefully until they’re on their sides, facing each other, breathing heavily damp with sweat and other fluids. 

Sunoo brings his hand up to caress the alpha’s cheek softly with his fingers, staring at him with stars in his eyes as he kisses him, soft and sweet, full of warmth, affection and love.

“I love you, Heeseung,” Sunoo whispers against his boyfriend’s lips, tired but with a content smile on his face, completely gone for the man in front of him.

“I love you too, Sun,” Heeseung replies, pulling the omega even closer as Sunoo sighs in content. “So much.” 

The room was quiet afterward as they waited for Heeseung’s knot to go down, locked together while steadying their heartbeats. When it finally deflated, Heeseung carried Sunoo to the bathroom to take a shower. There, they went for another round, unable to stop themselves. Once they were clean, they stepped out, the steam still clinging faintly to their skin, hair damp, limbs heavy as they got into bed again.

Sunoo was curled half on top of his boyfriend now, cheek resting against his bare chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, one of Heeseung’s arms was wrapped securely around his back, thumb tracing slow, absent circles against Sunoo’s bare skin, Heeseung pressed a kiss into Sunoo’s hair, breathing him in.

“I missed this,” he murmured. 

Sunoo hummed softly in response, eyes fluttering shut as exhaustion finally caught up to him, suddenly his phone buzzed loudly on the bedside table, Sunoo cracked one eye open, groaning quietly as he reached for it.

A message from Jungwon.

won: you’re not at the party?

Sunoo glanced up at Heeseung with a mischievous expression, the older raised an eyebrow lazily, already knowing, a smug smile tugged at his lips.

“Answer him,” Heeseung said, amused.

Sunoo bit his lip, then lifted his phone, angling it just enough to capture the scene, him resting against Heeseung’s bare chest, the alpha’s arm snug around him, their messy damp hair and flushed cheeks, the omega’s neck littered with hickeys.

Click.

sunoo: busy with my boyfriend 💋 

There was a pause, then:

won: OH

won: WHAAAAT 

won: BOYFRIEND?? 

won: WHAT THE FUCK 

won: sunoo wait omg that’s gross 

won: PUT ON SOME CLOTHES NEXT TIME!!

won: NO ACTUALLY DON’T EVER SEND ME SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN, THANK YOU

Sunoo burst out laughing, shoulders shaking as he buried his face back into Heeseung’s chest, the alpha laughed too, tightening his hold around him.

won: jay just asked why am i screaming

sunoo: goodnight, won 💗

He tossed the phone aside before Jungwon could reply again, snuggling even closer, fitting perfectly against Heeseung like he always had, his boyfriend kissed his temple.

“Goodnight, my love.”

Sunoo smiled, eyes closing again.

“Goodnight, hyung.”

୨୧‧₊˚　

As their relationship progresses, the omega falls more and more in love with Heeseung everyday, Sunoo finds himself slipping into routines he never thought he’d have with his boyfriend, unmistakably domestic.

For starters, with Sunghoon spending most of his time at Jake’s, Heeseung’s apartment is usually free, so Sunoo starts staying over more often than not. Eventually, it feels like he practically lives there, leaving spare clothes, a toothbrush, and other essentials behind.They cook together, study together, shower together, watch movies or series tangled up on the couch, sometimes they don’t even make it through the opening credits before getting distracted by… other things, sometimes, Sunoo would fall asleep first, curled up in one of Heeseung’s oversized shirts 

The mornings were everything too, Sunoo waking up tangled in long limbs, Heeseung half asleep behind him, face buried in the crook of Sunoo’s neck like it was pure instinct, breathing in his sugary scent. The alpha would mumble nonsense, voice rough with sleep, his arm tightening around Sunoo’s waist whenever he tried to slip out of bed.

“Five more minutes, baby, please,” his boyfriend would grumble every time.

Sunoo learned to stop fighting it, even if it meant arriving late to class, spending a little more time wrapped up in his favorite person and his favorite scent in the world was always worth it.

Going to Heeseung’s basketball games also became a regular part of Sunoo’s schedule, he sits in the bleachers every single time, bundled up in Heeseung’s hoodie, cheering louder than anyone else which is kind of crazy, considering he didn’t know a thing about the sport just months ago. 

Every time Heeseung scores, his eyes flick up to find Sunoo, grinning like he’s the only person in the gym, it becomes their thing: Heeseung playing for him, Sunoo cheering for him, to the point where Heeseung actually sulks whenever Sunoo says he can’t make it to one of his friendly games.

“Hyung, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it toni–” Sunoo starts, perched on his desk.

“What? You’re not coming?” Heeseung sprawls dramatically across Sunoo’s bed. “You know I need you there.”

“C’mon, hyung, you’ve won countless games before even knowing me, you’ll be fine, don’t pout.”

“But, sugar, please.”

Sunoo sighs, glancing at the pile of textbooks spread out in front of him, he walks over to the bed and lies down beside the pouting alpha, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his pink lips.

“Hyung, you know I would love to go, but I really need to study,” he says gently, cupping Heeseung’s face in his hands. “I can’t fail this class.”

“I’m gonna miss you, though,” the older one mumbles, voice small.

“It’s just one game, Hee.”

Heeseung reaches for his waist, pulling him closer and burying his nose in Sunoo’s neck before muttering a sulky, “Okay.”

But when the game rolled around, Sunoo couldn't help it so he slipped into the gym anyway, heart racing as Heeseung spotted him from the court and the way his boyfriend’s face lit up made the late‑night cramming absolutely worth it.

There were interruptions too, of course

Once, in Sunoo and Jungwon’s dorm, things got a little too heated on the couch, laughter fading into quiet breaths and foreheads pressed together, Heeseung’s hand found Sunoo’s ass without thinking, as the omega sat across his lap, lips connected in a deep kiss, the omega practically one second away from leaking, when the door suddenly burst open, in his defense his best friend had said they weren't gonna be back until much later. 

“Here they go,” Jungwon announced flatly, carrying grocery bags. Jay peeked over his shoulder. “Can y’all stop being horny for one second?”

They sprang apart so fast that Sunoo nearly fell off the couch if his boyfriend didn't catch him in time. Heeseung only smirked as he casually fixed his clothes, while Jungwon and Jay shook their heads as they headed into the kitchen.

“You guys are actually worse than us when we started dating,” Jay says, setting the groceries down by the fridge.

“Hyung, you know that’s not true,” Sunoo starts. “Do you remember the time I caught you two–”

“Kim Sunoo, don’t you dare finish that sentence!” Jungwon yells.

Sunoo and Heeseung just look at each other before breaking into giggles.

୨୧‧₊˚　

Heeseung’s apartment was quiet except for the clicking of a keyboard and the low hum of his PC. Sunoo sat comfortably on his lap, back pressed against Heeseung’s chest while he watched the screen with mild concentration. Heeseung’s arms were loosely wrapped around him, one hand on the mouse, the other resting warm and absentminded on Sunoo’s bare thigh, his thumb brushing small circles without thinking, the omega was only wearing one of Heeseung’s big oversized t-shirts and some tiny shorts. 

“You’re terrible at this,” Sunoo muttered.

“Hey,” Heeseung protested lazily. “I’m multitasking. You’re literally sitting on me.”

Sunoo laughed softly, the sound vibrating right against Heeseung’s chest, he leaned back just a little more, fitting there like it was where he belonged, Heeseung smiled without looking away from the screen, tilting his head to press a quick kiss to Sunoo’s cheek before refocusing.

After a while, Heeseung paused the game.

“Hey, baby,” he said casually.

Sunoo hummed in response. “Mm?”

“So… Sunghoon’s moving out next month.”

Sunoo lifted his head, glancing up at him. “Oh? Really?”

“Yeah,” Heeseung nodded. “He got a new place with Jake."

“Oh,” Sunoo says again, then smiles. “That’s so nice! Good for them, I need to text Jake hyung to congratulate them.”

“Yeah,” Heeseung echoed.

There was a brief silence before Heeseung shifted slightly, setting the controller aside completely and pausing his game. His arms tightened around Sunoo just a bit, grounding himself.

“So.. that means,” he continued, voice softer, “I’ll be here alone”

Sunoo blinked. “Mhm,,”

“I was thinking,” Heeseung said slowly, carefully, like every word mattered, “maybe you’d want to… move in with me.”

Sunoo froze.

Heeseung rushes on immediately, his nerves finally bleeding through. “I mean—only if you want to, no pressure. I just– you’re here all the time anyway, and I like waking up with you, and cooking with you, and falling asleep with you, and it just… feels right, you know?”

Sunoo turned fully in his lap now, knees pressing into the chair on either side of Heeseung’s thighs, he stared at him, light brown eyes wide as he looked into the alpha’s doe ones.

“…You’re serious?” Sunoo asked quietly, tears filling his eyes

Heeseung nods, hopeful and terrified all at once. “Yeah. I mean, I know we’re still young, and it’s okay if you don’t want to– but there’s… actually, there’s no one I’d rather spend my life with.”

“Yes, hyung, of course I want to,” Sunoo whispers. “I want to come home to you. Always.”

He leans forward, wrapping his arms around Heeseung’s neck and pulling him into a tight hug, sobbing softly into the crook of his neck. Heeseung blinks in surprise before melting into it, arms circling Sunoo’s waist like it’s pure instinct.

“Why are you crying, Sun?”

“Because— I love you so, so much, hyung and you make me so happy,” Sunoo says against his ear, his words breaking between sobs.

Heeseung lets out a soft laugh, the sound cracking with emotion as he pulls Sunoo even closer. “God,” he murmurs. “I love you too, sugar, forever.”

Sunoo smiled into his neck, fingers threading through his hair.

As the afternoon light dips lower through the windows, they stay wrapped together and it feels less like a decision and more like the most natural next step, like something that had been waiting for them all along, tangled in each other’s arms, they can’t imagine anywhere else they’d rather be, content to stay like this for as long as forever allows them.