Chapter Text
Soobin’s not a guy with a single romantic bone in him. He’s not exactly a fan of romance-related media, has never really felt any romantic attraction towards anyone – alpha, omega, fellow beta, or anything else – and most definitely can taste a little puke at the back of his mouth when his two best friends engage in shameless public displays of affection.
He swears he’s happy for them though.
So when he’s sweaty and exhausted after a grueling rugby practice session, there’s nothing he wants more than to down an entire bucket of ice water, get an ice-cold shower, and devour his dinner before knocking the fuck out.
Not arrive at his locker in the gym showers to find a single stalk of rose carefully tucked in the crevice of his locker’s louver.
Blinking slowly, he hears his teammates beginning to let out low whistles and pesky whoops that come shortly after.
You see, never in his life had he received any sort of romantic proposition, and a red rose left on his locker is well… slightly romantic in connotation, to say the least. He’d seen such surprises left by people for their significant others, especially seeing them frequently by alphas who pursued more traditional courtship rituals in hopes of securing their omega mates.
The non-issue 'issue', really, is that Soobin’s a beta. And it’s not that he’s conservative or buys heavily into gender stereotypes or heteronormative beliefs. Hell, he even prides himself in playing matchmaker for his two insufferable omega best friends who wound up getting together, all thanks to him locking them in a random classroom till they sorted their feelings out.
But as a beta who had grown up around a plethora of alphas and omegas who took interest in him before backing away awkwardly when they got close enough to ascertain that he was just a beta, he finds it hard to believe that anyone would be attracted to him, much less bother courting him.
It has to be a mistake. A joke. A sick sick sick prank, maybe.
Swinging open the locker door and getting his stuff out without so much as batting an eyelid, he drowns out the suggestive cackles behind him.
He pulls off his nonchalant act for a total of ten seconds before slamming the locker door, staring at the single stalk of rose before prying it out wordlessly.
It has to be a mistake.
-
“An alpha.” Yeonjun sniffs the rose again, nodding. “It’s definitely from an alpha. A male alpha, probably around our age too. His scent is pretty… musky. You know like when alphas are young and full of vitality, especially when it comes to–”
He puts up a hand.
“Thanks, that’s enough information.”
“Just being honest. His scent would be considered pretty sexy to many, just so you know.”
Sometimes Soobin envies the sharp sense of smell alphas and omegas had, but at this very moment, he simply elects to ignore the odd additional information shared.
“Was it accidentally left there?”
His genuine question is met with an eye-roll. “An alpha is courting you, Soobin. What’s your damn problem. Did my words just fly right over your head or what?”
“Stop being pissy. That’s just not logical. Courting? Courting me?! That’s plain preposterous.”
“Big words for a man in denial.” Yeonjun twirls the single rose stalk between his fingers. “An alpha gifted you a flower that’s the textbook representation of passionate, fiery love.”
“Not at all. Mayhaps he simply found the locker room boring and wanted to add some a pop of color to it.”
“It’s a fucking rose. Removed of all its thorns so you wouldn’t prick yourself.” Yeonjun brings the stalk closer to scrutinize it and the action grates Soobin’s nerves somehow. “Mayhaps handicraft is truly your boy’s forte.”
Yanking the flower from Yeonjun’s hand on autopilot, Soobin soon realizes how horrifyingly wrong his reaction could be misinterpreted, the realization exacerbated the moment his friend’s look of surprise gives way to a shit-eating grin.
And it’s only natural for him to simply toss the stalk across the table as flippantly as he can muster.
“Uh. Yeah.”
“Dumping your alpha’s courting gift? How cruel,” Yeonjun smirks, leaning lazily against his palm. Soobin wishes for nothing more than the opportunity to break that man’s joints.
“First of all, this isn’t a courting gift. This is simply a single rose mistakenly placed in my locker. Maybe even a prank. Second of all, I’m just a beta.”
Haughtiness disappearing, Yeonjun frowns, leaning back on his chair.
“What does being a beta have to do with an alpha courting you?”
“I’m a beta, Yeonjun. A beta. Hello? Nobody courts betas, no one even voluntarily wants to be with a beta unless it’s to balance a pack.”
“Don’t say that. That’s not true.”
Ignoring the sting his own words leave him, Soobin continues, “More than that, I’m tall, built, athletic, rough, everything an alpha wouldn’t want.”
“Not true again.” Yeonjun’s tone is sterner now and he sits upright, folding his arms across his chest. His scent must be souring right now, because a few students milling about are quick to cast curious glances over before scampering out of the vicinity.
Now, it must be souring. But it’s not like Soobin would be able to tell. Betas are never blessed with a sharp sense of smell. It's not like they need it anyway.
Soobin shrugs, ignoring the way his friend looks increasingly concerned and annoyed.
Eventually, Yeonjun gives up on trying to rebuke him with his stern gaze, sighing loudly in resignation.
“You’re saying all these things about yourself but if Taehyun or I ever felt insecure about dating as two omegas, you know you’d step in and argue that subgenders are really just constructs.” He leans over to flick Soobin’s forehead. “You’re amazing, Soobin. And you need to stop putting yourself down like this.”
Yeonjun picks up the discarded rose, waving it in his face.
“Someone took lots of care to bring this rose to you, even going as far as to remove each thorn on their own. You’re very much lovable.”
“And I’m saying it’s a mistake. There was no note, no nothing. Maybe even worse, it was a prank. Someone saw how much I looked like a loser and decided to make fun of me for it”
His friend shakes his head, launching into a tirade about gender stereotypes and how hypocritical and self-deprecating Soobin always got whenever it came to himself.
Meanwhile, the man himself can hardly stop his gaze from straying back to the stalk of rose, now laid innocuously on the table. Its petals are slightly frayed and Soobin wonders how long it’d take for this little flower to breathe its last.
Wonders if it’s fair for his heart to thud a little heavier as he considers the unbelievable, one-in-a-million chance that the rose placed on his locker wasn’t a mistake or prank.
-
‘K’.
That’s probably the initial of the alpha who had left the rose for him three days ago.
Soobin had nearly forgotten about that random rose he’d received, till he made this groundbreaking discovery that the alpha’s name likely starts with the letter ‘K’. And another earth-shattering discovery that whatever this alpha had been doing, he wasn’t done with it yet.
Because Soobin returns to the locker room after his next practice, only to find a drawstring pouch haphazardly tied to the door handle of his locker.
Raucous hoots and suggestive whistles fill the room once again – this time more boisterous than the first time he’d received the rose – and he settles for shooing his teammates away and maybe flipping a couple of them off before he snatches the pouch and stuffs it into his bag, skipping his shower and deciding to scamper off to his dorm to clean up instead.
For one, he isn’t exactly one who appreciates being perceived this much. But more importantly, it seems oddly sacrilegious to be opening the mysterious package in front of a bunch of his teammates who could easily announce it to the world.
As much as he tries to convince his cynical self that this was either a prank or a mistake, he can’t deny that being gifted anything leaves him a bit fidgety. And if this gift was for him, then it made sense for him to be the only one to see it.
Right?
Absolutely.
When he finally slams his dorm door behind him, he can’t help but plop down on his ass without hesitation, pulling the drawstring pouch out and opening it cautiously. It’s a little bento with tiny bunnies on its lid, and he can’t help the huff of laughter that leaves his lips when he opens the box to find plain rice paired with a considerably charred omelet and some kimchi.
Most of all, the bento is accompanied by a note, words neatly scrawled on it, as if the writer were overly conscious of how his handwriting looked.
You shine so much, especially on the field.
Our Soobinie did well again today. :)
- K ♡
Call him simple. Call him stupid. Call him an absolute fool who eats his words right away. Because those two simple lines leave his heart skipping a whole beat.
Maybe the rice is a little stiff and clumpy, maybe the charred bits from the omelet could potentially be hazardous to his health.
But maybe. Just maybe. This might also have been Soobin’s best meal in a long time.
-
To nobody’s surprise, Yeonjun greets him the next time they meet with a hearty slap to his back and a string of boisterous guffaws. At least, this time, that loose cannon’s boyfriend is present to keep him in check.
“I apologize for his embarrassing behavior.”
Soobin blows at his bangs as coolly as he can manage while his two friends settle down on the chairs opposite him.
So much for a nice peaceful lunch.
“We heard all about it. It’s actually spreading pretty wildly on campus. Everyone wants to know who has the balls to pursue the most eligible bachelor on the rugby team. Balls of steel, I’m sayin! Balls of steel!”
“God. Shut up, please. This thing is just spreading because everyone finds it ridiculous a beta appears to be courted.”
“Appears to be or is being courted?” Taehyun cuts in, clearly trying to read him with his large glittery eyes. “And the other thing you mentioned is also grossly incorrect. Stop imposing gender stereotypes that you wouldn’t impose on anyone else, on yourself.”
“What?”
“I’m saying. Number one, you know better than us whether someone is genuinely expressing their adoration for you. Number two, your subgender doesn’t dictate shit. Betas deserve love for who they are and that includes you. You deserve love. Stop using that as an excuse to deny forging proper relationships with anyone.”
Taehyun’s words sink in heavily, leaving him exposed and speechless.
Always boasting impeccable timing, Yeonjun begins clapping slowly, shaking his head exaggeratedly. “Took the words right out my mouth, babe.”
Shrugging, Taehyun simply folds his arms as he stares at Soobin. Meanwhile, Soobin can’t help but realize how being disgustingly in love has left the couple nearly mirroring each other’s actions.
And perhaps it’s a little far-fetched and humiliating for him to wonder whether that sort of love between Taehyun and Yeonjun could ever be his.
Whether he would ever be deserving of such love from anyone.
-
Soobin doesn’t bag himself to be a rash or particularly brave person. But sometimes, Taehyun just has some sort of eerie hold over him, his words always impacting Soobin greatly. Somewhat like a motivational speaker, if he’s being nice, or if he’s being harsh, somewhat like a pyramid scheme salesman.
Regardless, as he hides in the storage closet beside the locker room after his teammates have headed for practice, he feels more nervous about being mistaken for a creep than actually meeting the alpha who had been leaving him gifts. He had even gone as far as to call in sick from practice.
If he’s being honest, he doesn’t really have an end goal in sight. What’s he going to say if he manages to catch the alpha? What if it all turns out to be some sort of fucked up, elaborate prank? What if the dude doesn’t even show up?
But he’s instantly torn out of his spiraling by approaching footsteps and soft humming. Peering out from the little cracks along the closet door, he’s glad for once that he’s a beta with more muted scents that wouldn’t give way to his presence easily – especially with how hard his heart is pounding right now.
And the man of the hour skips past the janitor's closet, presumably to head into the empty locker room, and Soobin catches a glimpse of yet another drawstring pouch in his hand.
The man’s gone all too fast and Soobin waits a grand total of fifteen seconds before creaking open the janitor’s closet and heading straight for the locker rooms as quietly as he can.
Sure enough, he’s greeted by the view of someone tying the drawstring bag to the door handle. This time, he seems more careful to attach it more securely, deep in concentration as he does a whole double knot and ribbon to make sure it stays there perfectly safe and neat.
Yet, it’s incredibly humiliating how Soobin can hardly function when he takes in the pretty side profile of the man and how his hands disappear into his oversized hoodie as he steps back to grin proudly and admire his handiwork.
But the moment his secret gifter turns in his direction, he’s jolted out of his silly stupor.
Long, drawn-out seconds crawl by, the silence and tension between them palpable as Soobin simply stares at the man as his eyes widen and lips part in shock.
“Fuck.”
Soobin snaps back to reality and he has no idea what balls of steel he’d suddenly grown as his lips curl into a grin.
“That’s the first thing you’re deciding to tell the beta you’re courting?”
Bold words.
Courting. Courting. Said with all his chest and full confidence. God. Can Soobin get a refund for these balls of steel? He genuinely doesn’t want them right now.
But the stranger in front of him doesn’t correct him, his face instantly turning into an alarming shade of crimson.
“Why aren’t you at practice?!”
Confidence surging in his veins with the implicit acknowledgment that yes he was being courted – god fucking dammit, Soobin, someone’s courting you! – he steps closer to the other man who looks like he’s about to pass right out.
“I called in sick.”
It alarms him when the other man’s nervous demeanor drops, replaced instantly by genuine worry.
“Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Are you unwell? God. Was it the bento? Did my bento make you sick?” The other man takes one step toward Soobin, then another larger lunge backward instantly as he settles for gnawing on his thumb.
It’s painfully awkward. Like some sort of hokey pokey choreography goofily executed.
More concerningly, it’s also painfully adorable.
Soobin can hardly believe his eyes.
“God I must have made you sick. I’m so sorry. Fuck. I didn’t mean to! I just tried to– Tried to make something nice for you.”
Maintaining a good elbow’s length from him, Soobin stops in front of Kai, folding his arms to physically stop himself from reaching out to pinch the distraught man’s cheeks.
“I’m not sick, don’t worry. And your bento, I finished it. Still alive as you can see, right?”
The other man heaves an audible sigh of relief. “Thank fuck I– Huh? Then why are you... Why?”
His confusion technically mirrors Soobin’s because he too has no clue why he’d come all the way to catch this alpha in his anonymous, secret courtship.
“I wanted to find out who had been gifting me things,” he settles finally, tilting his head and surveying the other man who blinks his doe eyes, almost resembling some sort of baby deer. “If it was a prank, I was ready to make that person pay.”
“Prank?!”
“Yeah. No one exactly courts betas, in case you forgot.”
For a brief moment, the other man looks slightly affronted and ready to argue, though he snaps back to his previous demeanor quickly, laughing nervously.
“Y-Yeah. It’s– It’s me. Haha. Uh… Not a prank so uhm surprise? Right so uh– I gotta. I gotta run. Like I really need to uhm. Piss. In a restroom. Haha. We’re near a restroom? Haha uh– I mean another restroom. Preferences. You know?”
Clearly embarrassed by his own sputtering, the stranger attempts to bolt past Soobin, only to get yanked back by his backpack.
Soobin turns around slowly to face him, smiling in amusement.
“You didn’t tell me your name.”
The other man’s gulp is audible, both hilarious and cute.
“K–Kai. It’s Kai.”
“Okay Kai, I’ll see you around.”
-
“Second-year art major, alpha, doesn’t seem to have many friends apart from an unidentifiable omega he’s usually seen with. Ah and this one. Was on the cheerleading squad in his first year. Unclear why he left but he has been keeping quite a low profile since then.”
The way Taehyun recites everything on Yeonjun’s excited cue the next time they meet is alarming, to say the least.
“Should I be worried about my personal information being divulged to others too?”
It’s even more unnerving when Taehyun simply smirks at the comment. “Unfortunately, this is all public information. Be careful of your digital footprint, Soobin.”
He shudders, busying himself with carefully trimming the claws of Taehyun and Yeonjun’s pet cat. Apparently, he had to make himself useful in exchange for wolfing down all the snacks they had and sitting his ass down to lament his inexsitent love life in their apartment. Thankfully, Kuro is a sweetheart that doesn’t fight him for clipping his nails. The only good thing about this whole shitshow, really.
Some friends.
“Tae showed me a pic of him. God, he’s hot!” Yeonjun whoops, flopping onto his back and that statement alone makes his eye twitch.
Some friends indeed.
It’s crazy because just a week ago, he’d been in such confusion and denial about having some random alpha being interested in him, and now that he can put a face and name to this secret admirer, it feels real in a way that leaves stupid butterflies in his stomach.
God, he wants to die.
He most definitely wanted to die the second he opened up Kai’s third courting gift to find a box of heart-shaped cookies with a note that simply said.
An apology for the charred egg the last time T_T
You worked hard today as always. :)
- K ♡
It’s embarrassing how the note left him smiling stupidly till he caught himself and scampered home in a hurry. And of course, his friends were unsurprisingly quick to search up on this mysterious, shy alpha the moment Soobin vaguely mentioned his encounter.
“Anyway, I do know a bit more about him. He used to be really outgoing and well-known to be one of the few alphas in his major and the first alpha in a long time to join the cheer team. Incredibly talented and popular. He keeps mostly to himself now though, we share a visual arts class and he doesn’t talk to anyone except for this one omega friend he’s always glued to.”
If Soobin’s being honest, he’s very much curious, and very much puzzled by how Kai seems to have drastically changed between his first and second years, quitting club activities despite being seemingly known for it and quite obviously retreating to some sort of shell. But it feels impolite to pry, even if Taehyun’s the one voluntarily sharing information about him.
“Okay. That’s enough. If I want to, I’ll find out more about him myself.”
Pin-drop silence fills the air and he doesn’t expect anything less when Yeonjun breaks the golden silence with a loud wolf-whistle, startling Kuro who meows loudly, leaping from Soobin’s lap.
“You’re fucking claiming your alpha? After weeks of denying he was courting you?!”
Soobin takes the chance to lunge at Choi Yeonjun.
-
Despite how nonchalant Soobin had tried to play off this whole thing with Kai’s crush on him, he can’t help but feel his annoyance dial up to a ten when the other man stops his string of secret little sweet gifts. If anything, he doesn’t get any chance to see the other man around campus either.
It isn’t that strange, given how huge the university is and how he doesn’t recall having seen Kai around before his confrontation either. But that doesn’t make it any less infuriating and he finds his gaze straying to the bleachers by the field every time he has practice, wondering if Kai had always been observing his games and practice sessions without him noticing. It seemed plausible, but Soobin doesn’t like to be presumptuous, though it doesn’t alleviate any of his irritation.
He thinks his displeasure only peaks the moment he actually does see Kai again – which is kinda crazy since he’s supposed to be somewhat glad that their paths are crossing again, despite the other man’s apparent desire to stay hidden from him as best as he can.
Though the displeasure doesn’t exactly come from finally seeing Kai after weeks.
In fact, it comes from seeing a horrifyingly gorgeous boy cling onto Kai’s arm – much too beautiful, much too happy to see Kai, and most importantly, much too touchy as he intertwines their hands and leans on Kai’s shoulder.
And blissfully unaware of Soobin quite literally staring in pure stupefaction, partially concealed by a row of cubby holes in the hallway, Kai looks at his companion, smiling down at him and tilting his head. That must be the omega that Taehyun mentioned was Kai’s friend.
Now you see, Soobin has two options – he can, for one, in Yeonjun’s crude words, storm up to them and ‘claim his alpha’ instead of letting him run away again, which would be absolutely ludicrous, because even though Kai had acknowledged that those gifts were from him, they could’ve just been simple acts of expressing his admiration.
Or two, he could simply walk away and remind himself never to get carried away by his stupid fantasies.
He manages to do neither. Because his dumbass forgets that he has two horrible fiends for fake friends and the moment his own name reverberates from the other end of the hallway as Yeonjun jumps up excitedly to wave at him for no fucking reason, he’s gifted the god-given opportunity to watch the smile drop from Kai’s face and his ears go beet red the moment they lock gazes.
This time, Soobin’s positive he looks like an absolute creep, body half hidden behind the row of cubby holes. Yet, he has hardly any time to process how misleadingly odd his actions are because there’s no preamble before Kai bolts, startling the pretty boy who’s quite literally ripped off his side with how abrupt the series of motions are.
Soobin may be self-deprecating, constantly fickle-minded, and also incredibly petty.
Soobin may be a million things, but he is most importantly also an athlete. A very rash one at that. And he just knows with utmost haughtiness that this alpha would not be able to escape him the moment he sets his long, sexy, muscular legs in action. So he does – on instinct, mostly – sprinting down the rest of the hallway and chasing after Kai, barely breaking a sweat by the time he catches up with him and corners him into the nearest classroom.
He’s mildly offended by how Kai looks as if he would rather be literally anywhere but standing in front of him.
“Okay. Spit it out. Why are you running away from me?”
“I’m… not?” he squeaks, eyes wide and looking plain delectable just by standing there and gaping, Soobin wishes he didn’t feel that much cuteness aggression looking at someone he hardly knows.
With a quirk of his eyebrow, the other man deflates visibly.
“I don’t know,” he settles with that eventually, shoulders slumping. Something possesses Soobin to move closer and boldly tilt Kai’s chin up with gentle hands. Regret over his rash actions sinking in, he thanks the gods when Kai doesn’t react badly apart from having the tips of his ears tint crimson again.
“Did I scare you away?” Soobin purrs softly, smiling at the other man’s bashful reaction. “Did I scare my alpha away?”
It’s mostly meant as a joke, but Kai begins to flush from his neck right up to his cheeks and for that brief moment, Soobin allows himself to wonder if the thought of really being with him had genuinely crossed Kai’s mind.
But Kai frowns, and he’s forced out of his ridiculous daydream. “Is this some sort of joke? Are you making fun of me?”
“Were you making fun of me when you sent those presents?” he counters instantly.
“How could I– How could I be making fun of you?! Each one of those gifts, though silly, held a piece of my heart.”
“Then why would I make fun of you for that?”
The words seem to take Kai by complete surprise and he freezes.
“You know, those gifts weren’t silly at all. They meant a lot to me and uh,” – he lets go to rub his nape awkwardly, his teasing facade falling – “I genuinely wanted to get to know you.”
“... Why…?”
It’s his turn to shrug and Kai huffs – a cute sight to behold.
“Maybe because you’re cute? And I like being courted by someone cute?”
Blinking owlishly, Kai doesn’t respond any further and Soobin takes it as his cue to draw away reluctantly.
“I’ll see you around,” he continues. “I mean it this time.”
Kai nods blankly, clearly thrown off or perhaps even enraptured to a certain degree, if Soobin allows himself to be presumptuous.
-
Kai keeps his word and the next time Soobin sees him, he’s nestled at the corner of the bleachers, swallowed up by a hoodie and sporting a facemask as he tries to be as inconspicuous as possible.
It’s pretty ridiculous, because being bundled up in a hoodie near the field where tons of people are simultaneously sweating it out bolting across the grass and chasing after a stupid white ball, is pretty counteractive in stopping himself from being spotted. It dawns upon him that the boy might have often watched his training sessions and maybe even his practice matches quietly like this, the few notes he’d received all cheering him on for his hard work on the field.
This time, when he heads straight up the stone steps to get to Kai once practice is concluded, Kai doesn’t make any effort to move, though he stares resolutely at the now-empty field, twiddling his thumbs.
“Hey babe.”
Now this gets the other man’s attention and he jolts in alarm, staring up at him incredulously as Soobin pulls his hood down.
“Isn’t it hot? What if you suffocate?”
Kai blinks rapidly and Soobin gestures for him to remove his mask.
“I spotted you a long time ago. There’s no need to hide,” he laughs, leaving the tips of Kai’s ears reddening as he slowly moves to remove his mask, still averting his gaze.
Soobin settles down beside him. It seems as if Kai wasn’t interested in talking much today.
That’s okay. He’s heard from Yeonjun and Taehyun that he can talk incessantly enough for several people.
“Did you always watch my practices and matches?”
Kai draws a sharp breath beside him.
“You don’t have to answer anything you aren’t comfortable with sharing.”
Pausing for a moment, Kai shakes his head slowly, gaze trained on his hands.
“I don’t mean to be a creep. I just sit here watching your practice sometimes. It’s just nice to see you practicing. I used to watch your matches when I was a freshman.”
“As a cheerleader?”
Kai tenses up, smiling stiffly. “Uh. You.. You know about that?”
“My friend is in one of your classes. He mentioned it.”
“Oh.” And then he looks up in alarm. “You- You mentioned me to your friends?”
It seems as if teasing Kai and watching him blush furiously has become Soobin’s hobby, and he offers the alpha a smug grin. “Of course I did. To have such a pretty alpha court me? I had to brag a little.”
As expected, it leaves Kai sputtering. “I– I wasn’t!”
Ah. Soobin can’t help the way his stomach sinks slightly in disappointment, though he simply raises an eyebrow.
“Wasn’t what? You mean you weren’t courting me? I read it all wrong?”
“I– It’s not what you think. I just… I wouldn’t dare court someone like you,” Kai sighs eventually and for a moment, Soobin pictures the other man’s metaphorical ears drooping.
“Someone like me?”
“Someone so… So… Cool. I just wanted to know how amazing you were.” Rubbing his nape, Kai looks as if he’s hesitant to step into some sort of TMI.
“You can tell me whatever you’re comfortable with. I might joke around and tease you a lot, but I’d never make fun of you.” It comes off a little more sincere than he’d intended and maybe even a little like some sort of love scam artist, and he stretches his arms, trying to break the tension. “Ah but well. Trust is built and you can take all the time you need.”
“You kinda saved me. In some way at least,” Kai blurts abruptly, and Soobin looks at him in surprise, further thrown off by how Kai seems more determined and sure than anything. Almost as if he’d deliberated for a long time before voicing those words.
“I had a hard time as a cheerleader,” he laughs shakily, breaking their locked gazes again to stare at the field ahead. “The team and sport itself was fun. But certain senior jocks hadn’t seen an alpha cheerleader before and found it funny to joke about... things.”
Soobin has no idea how to respond. Not when rage surges in his veins and he’s left inhaling sharply through his teeth, trying not to interject while Kai’s sharing something that must be close to his heart, despite how flippantly he’s trying to gloss over it.
“I cheered for one of your games, and I was mesmerized, truly. Because you were confidently leading a team of alphas and had to get roughhoused by teams that mostly comprised alphas that were cocky and poked fun at your subgender. After one match, I saw you bite back at one of the opponents who called you a second-grade captain because you weren’t an alpha and I was starstruck.”
He turns to Soobin and smiles lightly. “It might seem silly but your words helped me to push on for a while more before the comments escalated and I got tired of them betting on who could be the first to bitch an alpha cheerleader first. You didn’t know it, but I felt like I failed you in some way by running away, so I never dared to approach you.”
“That’s why the secret gifts.”
“Yeah I guess. I was always thankful and in awe of you. My friend egged me on to do something, and I heeded his advice because I wanted to at least brighten your day in some way. It just… ended up looking like some sort of courtship.”
It’s the most Soobin has ever heard Kai speak and somehow, he wants to listen on forever, maybe offer him a little bit of comfort, maybe bask in the giddiness of having Kai trust him with such vulnerable sides of himself even when they've just met.
He settles for ruffling Kai’s hair, laughing easily when the other man’s calm demeanor is quickly shed and replaced with flustered stuttering from the sudden action.
“You didn’t fail me. You didn’t fail anyone. To be honest, it’s easy for people to say to ignore comments. But everyone’s different. And words well… they’re a lot more vicious than we think. You never did anything wrong. Wanting to pursue your passion, and leaving after people decided to be bullies. You still did well. Whether it was being yourself, or prioritizing your own wellbeing eventually.”
“Most of all, you were never the one at fault.”
Kai stares at him, lips parted soundlessly.
“If it helps, I’m still not always confident about being a beta and I’m glad I could at least offer you some comfort just by being my bitchy self,” he sasses, trying to ease the tension when Kai goes silent for a long beat.
The boy nods quietly, and Soobin decides to spare him from having to continue talking about something this heavy, standing up to offer Kai another head pat.
“Well. For the record, even if you were really courting me, it’d be my honor.”
He winks, cackling when Kai’s jaw falls wide open.
-
When Soobin made the comment about courtship, he’d never expected Kai to take him seriously. Well, to be fair, he’d admittedly been thrilled over the idea of being courted through such genuinely sweet actions by a cutie, but still! That comment had mostly been meant to tease.
So he’s pleasantly surprised when he finds another drawstring bag tied to his locker door.
This time, it’s smaller and lighter, and he yanks the bag free from the door before his teammates can tease him about it, slamming against the lockers with a loud bang as he leans against it and shoos the nosy fuckers away.
But his surprise and excitement give way to giddiness when he finds a beaded bracelet inside along with a note.
The bracelet might by far be the most polished gift he’s received from Kai so far, a simple combination of black glass beads and pearls, embellished with a dainty diamond charm.
It’s beautiful, and hearing how Taehyun mentioned he was known to have amazing artistic sense, he can’t help but wonder if he’s the first to receive something made by Kai.
Yet, it’s the note accompanying the gift that leaves his stupid smile widening into an even dumber grin.
If you’re free and if you want to, I’d like to take you out for lunch this Saturday ^^
- Kai ♡
Soobin’s no simp. But he’s definitely free and definitely wants to be taken out for lunch by Kai this Saturday.
Nearly chiding the silly alpha mentally for not leaving a contact number, he retracts his curses instantly when he flips the note around to find a string of numbers hastily scrawled across the piece of paper. Despite the short time he’s gotten to know Kai, he can still picture the boy gnawing on his lip, debating whether to leave the note at all, before deciding to throw caution to the wind and scribble his number on it before stuffing it into the bag.
And just from pure vivid imagination, Soobin is left giggling to himself, keeping his focus on the note while flipping off his curious teammates who have stuck their heads behind the lockers to peep at him.
It might sound juvenile and silly, but nothing will dull Soobin’s excitement.
-
By the time Saturday morning rolls around, his excitement isn’t dulled.
It had simply vanished into thin air. And in its place, nestled a great deal of stress over the sudden realization that this is very much some sort of date, and he does not exactly have an idea of what he should be wearing.
“Junnie’s pink sweater is giving babygirl showing just the right amount of sexy skin. Go with it.” Taehyun sounds sick and tired as fuck but Soobin can hardly care if his friends are getting annoyed with him.
“I have a horrible feeling that you both fucked in that specific pink sweater.”
“To be fair, we probably fucked in every single article of clothing we own,” Yeonjun pipes up, impish grin grating Soobin’s nerves greatly.
“Now I’m definitely not borrowing any of your clothes.”
Yeonjun launches into a string of complaints, but Taehyun takes none of his shit, cutting in quickly. “Well then, figure something out and get the fuck out of your room unless you want to be late on your first date!”
Wise words, though angrily spat, and Soobin jumps in alarm when he notices the time.
“Yeonjun please…”
Yeonjun rolls his eyes. “Even though you pissed my boyfriend off, I’ll let you know to go in those boot-cut jeans. They make your ass look good but aren’t circulation-cutting. I remember this horrible first date I had with a douchebag and that fucker told me to get new jeans because they looked so tight–”
Soobin shimmies into those jeans so quickly, he wishes he’d listened to Yeonjun earlier because damn his ass does look pretty perky.
“Okay and then?”
“The cropped sweater. It shows off your waistline and your breedable hips–”
Soobin’s halfway out the door by the time they’re done and with a shout for them to eat anything in his dorm but the cookie dough in the fridge and vacate the room in two hours.
Sprinting down to the bus stop, he realizes a grave mistake when the chilly winds hit him.
Fucking crop tops and their lack of functionality.
Still, he manages to make it to their meeting spot and he clambers off the bus, praying for his teeth not to start chattering.
Except, instead of the alpha, he’s greeted by a stranger who stands up, staring right at him. Okay, perhaps this isn’t exactly a stranger. Soobin’s seen him exactly once, clinging onto Kai’s arms and leaning into his space.
Vivid memory, and he has no idea if Kai’s omega friend is specifically here to see him.
“Ah Soobin. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Unfortunately, it appears to be the case.
“Yep, that’s me. You must be Kai’s friend.”
The other man nods, clearly surveying him. It’s more awkward than uncomfortable, and Soobin tries to pretend to be polite.
“Yeah. Choi Beomgyu. Aren’t you cold? Dressed like this?”
“All the better for Kai to warm me up with his steaming hot alpha body,” – a chilly gust of wind smacks right into him – “Never mind, my dumbass just forgot it’s cold as fuck. God, fuck crop tops.”
Beomgyu stares at him blankly for five whole seconds and he swallows awkwardly. Maybe he shouldn’t have rambled too much.
“I like you already,” he comments with mirth and Soobin exhales in relief.
“Glad so. You’re important to him, wouldn’t want to make a bad impression though I’m about to turn into a popsicle standing here.”
Beomgyu blinks slowly, almost as if he’s surprised. “Right. I guess I am important to him.”
“Yep. For sure.”
He nods towards the direction of a row of quaint cafes and stores. “He’s in the last unit waiting for you. It might be hard to navigate so text him if you can't find it. He stressed the whole week about how to do this so at least pretend to like whatever he has planned, okay?”
Huffing out a laugh and watching the small cloud mist up in front of him, he grins at Beomgyu. “I don’t think I’ll need to pretend.”
Beomgyu shakes his head, though he continues to smile, clearly more relaxed. “Have fun.”
With a salute, Soobin heads in the direction of the cafes, only to get stopped abruptly before he can get any further.
“Hey Soobin.”
He turns around, tilting his head.
“Treat him well okay? He’s been through some… things and… And I don’t just trust anyone with him.”
Beomgyu’s gaze is earnest, and he’s reminded of how Yeonjun and Taehyun were always protective of him despite how they joked around constantly.
“Of course. He deserves nothing less.”
He jogs towards the park after Beomgyu shoos him away and it takes a while for him to orient himself when he crosses a row of nearly bare trees.
Choi Soobin
wherefore art thou, romeo
Sent: 12.04pm
Pretty boy kai
did you know wherefore means why so you’re asking me why I’m romeo
Received: 12.05pm
Choi Soobin
how did you know I like smart men
now wherethehell art thou, baby
Sent: 12.05pm
He bites his lip. They hadn’t been texting or acquainted for that long and he didn’t want Kai thinking he was rude.
Choi Soobin
am sorry, didn't mean it badly
just freezing cold
and I wanna see you asap too ;)
Sent: 12.05pm
Pretty boy kai
noo don’t be sorry, I’m sorry, I was setting up
walk towards the end of the row of stores
store facing the lake, small entrance with a stone door, I'll be there
Received: 12.07pm
Choi Soobin
aye aye alpha omw
Sent: 12.07pm
Pretty boy kai
😳
Received: 12.08pm
“Boo,” he shouts, popping up in front of Kai and grinning as the man jumps in shock. “How are you even cuter on text?”
Now Kai is a clear live specimen of the last emoji he’d responded to Soobin with.
“I–I… I was surprised!” He pouts and that might be the cutest thing Soobin has ever seen and he gives in to temptation, nuzzling Kai’s cheeks as he coos.
“What a cutie. Now what do we have here?”
Kai blinks rapidly, completely thrown off as he pushes the door and holds it open for Soobin to duck his head slightly and enter the small space.
When he told Beomgyu he wouldn't need to pretend to be impressed, he really hadn't been kidding. Because he’s left speechless when he takes in the mix of fairy lights and hanging plants lining the corners of what appears to be an empty, quaint cafe.
“Was the cafe always this pretty or did you…”
Kai rubs his nape shyly. “I did the deco, the cafe owner was kind enough to let me decorate the place, said it'd be nice to liven up the place for the upcoming holiday season too.”
“All of this? You– You did all of this?”
“Yeah…? Beomgyu befriended Taehyun and he said you're a dedicated plant dad.” And then he pauses, clearly in shock. “Sorry! I didn't mean to snoop around, I was just at a loss and Beomgyu tried to help me–”
Soobin cuts him off by leaning into his space. And maybe it's a bit unfair, but he's overwhelmed by emotion and there's no better way for him to express how moved he is apart from–
“Are you okay with me kissing your nose? You're too cute.”
“Huh? Just my nos– I mean uh yes. Anything that makes you comfortable is okay with me.”
He's clearly nervous, ears glowing bright red, and Soobin laughs with affection.
“Are you not happy I only want to kiss your nose?”
Completely thrown off, Kai stares at him blankly and Soobin takes the chance to peck him on the tip of his nose, then press another soft kiss on the beautiful bump along his nose bridge.
“Where else would you like me to kiss you?”
Averting his gaze, Kai bites his lip for a long beat before tapping his own cheek.
It’s quite a bit of intimacy considering how fleeting each of their meetings has been thus far, but if Kai’s comfortable with it, Soobin can’t find it in himself to mind either. So he leans in, pressing another kiss on the soft apple of his cheek.
“Anywhere else?”
Soobin has never simultaneously felt like an absolute cheeseball and a lecherous pervert, but he supposes sometimes, the right person comes around and proves worthy of throwing every ounce of dignity and shame straight to the bin.
But the way Kai's lips part easily when he runs a thumb along his lower lip has him dizzy and he forces himself to focus and regroup before he scares the other man away.
“I'm messing with you. As much as I'd like to, that's for later.”
Snapping upright, Kai slaps him half-heartedly.
“Okay okay,” he concedes, letting Kai nudge him till he sits his dumb ass down. “So pretty boy, what's on the menu?”
“Just to preface, I actually didn't cook anything you’re about to be served.”
“And that's okay? Your presence is the main dish.”
He thinks all his years of mocking Yeonjun for his cheesiness have wound up full circle. A full karmic circle as he cringes at the corny words that fall from his lips concerningly smoothly.
But Kai narrows his eyes cutely, pouting a bit, and it sparks a little more fire in his chest. Almost as if Kai's growing increasingly comfortable around him.
“Alright alright. Continue, babe.”
“This is Beomgyu's boyfriend's cafe, and he agreed to lend me the place and help me prepare the meal so…”
“He's a good boyfriend.”
“Yeah, he is, he even let me display some of my sculptures here though I’m an amateur. He just can't ever say no to Beomgyu.”
“Like me to you.” He winks and Kai freezes, setting off alarm bells in Soobin's head when the implication sinks in.
“I mean–”
“That's okay. It's okay, I can take jokes like that,” Kai laughs nervously, much too loud, much too shaky.
Ah.
Soobin straightens up. “Hey. That's not what I mean. Not at all. It’s not just a joke. I’m just afraid we might be moving too fast for your comfort.”
“So is that something you would consider?”
He thinks this might be the most seriously Kai has spoken to him.
“Me as your… Your boyfriend or something.”
“I don’t see why not.”
“You’d date me?”
Lips twitching into a smile, Soobin leans on one hand. “This doesn’t count? It’s not easy to get me on a single date, you know?”
Hope flits across Kai’s orbs, though it falters quickly. “You’re not doing this out of pity, are you?”
“Hmm. You might have made the first moves, but I was the one who chased you down constantly after, didn’t I?”
There’s a long pause and Soobin gives Kai all the space he needs to contemplate what he needs to.
“I like you, Soobin.” The confession is abrupt, and Soobin’s sure he’s never heard Kai say anything with such unparalleled surety. “I convinced myself that… That I just liked that version of you that gave me strength. The version of you that shone and I was allowed to admire secretly. But now that I’m given this chance to learn more about you, to inch closer to you, I– I can’t help but want more.”
“You’re allowed to want more.”
Maybe Soobin’s being hasty. Maybe he’s jumping into things too quickly, giddy from the idea of being the object of someone’s affection. But with Kai baring his heart to him, shining eyes reflecting such heavy desire, rationality is not exactly something he’s keen on clinging on to.
More than ever, Soobin’s sure that he’s the one who wants more.