Chapter Text
"One day, you'll be mated and have pups."
That's what Jisung had been told his whole life.
And now, it was finally happening.
Jisung had presented earlier than most. While other children spent years waiting and wondering, he had always known what he was. He couldn't decide whether that made him lucky or unfortunate. At least they had gotten to hope.
Jisung didn't know anything but being an omega.
He didn't know what it felt like to have control over his own body. To go through a month without preparing for a heat. To make plans without wondering if his instincts would interfere. To be seen as anything other than what he could provide.
An omega.
He learned not to expect.
But this... this was different.
Because until now, his future had always been something distant. Something people talked about over his head while he sat quietly and listened.
Now it had a name.
A family.
A mansion waiting for him.
An alpha waiting for him.
"Jisung."
The sound of his father's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
He looked up to find both of his parents standing in the doorway. Neither entered. They rarely did.
His father regarded him for a moment before speaking.
"The Lee family has invited us to dinner tonight."
Jisung straightened automatically.
"Tonight?"
"Yes."
His mother glanced up from the tablet in her hands. "The arrangements have already been finalized."
Arrangements.
His father continued as though discussing an upcoming business meeting.
"You'll be staying with the Lee family from now on."
Jisung's fingers tightened around the fabric of his sleeve.
So this was it.
He had always known this day would come. He just hadn't expected it to arrive so suddenly.
"I understand," he said quietly.
His father gave a satisfied nod.
"Good. Begin packing immediately. The staff will transport the remainder of your belongings later."
Later.
As though he would not be returning. And he probably, most definitely, wasn't.
As though this room had already stopped belonging to him.
His mother finally lowered her tablet and studied him carefully, her gaze lingering on his neck and wrists.
"And don't forget your scent suppressants," she said. "This first impression is important, Jisung."
He resisted the urge to touch the small bottle hidden in his pocket.
"Of course."
"The Lee family is doing us a great honor," his father added. "Make sure your behavior reflects that."
Jisung lowered his head obediently.
"Yes, Father."
Neither of them asked if he was nervous.
Neither of them asked if he was ready.
After all, readiness had never been part of the equation.
After they left, the silence fell once more.
Not that there was ever much excitement, but it was the feeling he couldn't name, the realization that this room had always been temporary.
He stood slowly and crossed to the wardrobe. The suitcase stored at the bottom had not been used in years. When he pulled it out and placed it on the bed, the sound seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet room.
How much of a life could fit inside a single suitcase?
There was no point delaying.
He folded the first shirt with practiced precision, then another. Trousers. Sleepwear. Formal clothes. Shirts.
His hands moved automatically, guided by years of lessons on how to behave properly, how to present himself properly, how to be proper.
A dull ache twisted low in his abdomen.
Jisung paused, fingers tightening around a neatly folded sweater. He waited for the pain to pass, but it lingered, faint and insistent.
Stress, he told himself. Anyone would be stressed.
But the ache in his abdomen sharpened.
By the time he reached for his toiletries, a chill had begun to settle beneath his skin despite the warmth of the room. He rubbed his arms absently and tried to ignore it.
His heat wasn't due for another week.
The thought arrived uninvited. Jisung immediately pushed it away.
Heat cycles could fluctuate. Stress affected hormones. Every omega knew that and that was all this was.
He placed his toothbrush in the suitcase. His hands were shaking slightly.
Another cramp hit him, stronger this time. Jisung bent forward on instinct, pressing a hand against his abdomen as he waited for it to pass. A fine sheen of sweat had formed at the back of his neck.
No.
Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small bottle his mother had reminded him about. The label stared back at him: scent suppressants.
His fingers tightened around the bottle.
Of all days.
For a moment, he simply sat there on the edge of the bed, the packed suitcase beside him and the suppressant bottle clutched in his hand. Then a weak laugh escaped him before he could stop it. The sound was thin and strained, bordering on hysterical.
He pressed a hand over his mouth immediately, as if someone might hear.
This couldn't be happening.
Not tonight. Not when he was about to meet the family he would belong to.
Jisung unscrewed the bottle with trembling fingers and took another suppressant.
He would get through dinner.
He would make a good impression.
No one needed to know.
Jisung returned the bottle to his pocket and forced himself to stand. The suppressant would take time to work. There was no point sitting there and waiting for the pain to disappear.
There were still a few things left to pack.
He moved around the room slowly, gathering the last of his belongings. A charger from his desk. A notebook from the shelf. The book he had been reading before his parents interrupted him. The suitcase was nearly full now.
The realization should have felt strange.
Instead, it felt inevitable.
As though someone had started packing his life away years ago and he was only just catching up.
A fresh wave of discomfort settled low in his abdomen. Jisung ignored it and crouched in front of his dresser, pulling open the bottom drawer.
Tucked beneath a folded blanket was a stuffed rabbit.
The sight of it made something tighten painfully in his chest.
The rabbit was old. One of its ears bent awkwardly to the side and the once-soft fur had become worn from years of handling. He couldn't even remember when he'd gotten it. It had simply always been there.
His fingers brushed against the fabric.
For a moment, he hesitated.
An omega from a family like theirs should know better.
A future mate shouldn't cling to childish things.
His parents had never said those exact words, but they may as well have.
The rabbit had disappeared from his bed years ago. Then from his shelves. Eventually, it had been tucked away inside a drawer where no one would have to see it.
Jisung picked it up carefully.
He imagined arriving at the Lee estate with a stuffed animal hidden among his belongings and felt heat crawl up the back of his neck.
It was ridiculous.
Embarrassing.
Immature.
Another cramp twisted sharply through his abdomen.
Jisung closed his eyes for a moment and tightened his grip on the rabbit.
When the pain eased, he opened the suitcase and placed it inside.
Right on top.