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Flowers were fickle things. They grew only when it suited them, with no regard for the weather or outside circumstances. If a flower so chose, it could bloom as everything else died away in the metamorphosis from autumn to winter.
For Jisung, flowers were so much easier to communicate with than words. It was simple; each flower had a meaning, something that was difficult to misconstrue. Like the gladiolus, Jisung knew whenever someone came in requesting them, they were being used for a type of mourning and he was always able to offer condolences. Not once had he gotten it wrong— it was straightforward.
Even the colors requested for certain flowers had specific significance. With carnations, a white bouquet normally meant good luck, while pink or red meant love and admiration. These were almost always purchased for congratulatory purposes; graduations, promotions, birthdays.
Flowers were easy; people were not.
Jisung often had difficulty getting along with people. He had friends, of course, like most people his age. He just tended to not interact with strangers outside of work unless strictly necessary.
Felix was the exception. Jisung’s friend for as long as he could remember, Felix was the one person Jisung truly understood, wholly and completely. They were like half of a whole, drawn together at any early stage in life due to their close birthdays and interests.
There was little Jisung couldn’t confide in Felix about, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something Jisung kept to himself.
Namely one man named Lee Minho.
Felix’s older brother— step brother, to be precise. Only two years older than Jisung and Felix, Minho was everything Jisung was not. He was dark, intimidating, and undeniably attractive. And an alpha.
For as long as Jisung could remember, he’d had a juvenile crush on the older Lee sibling. From the moment he’d laid eyes on him, only a couple of years into his double digits and definitely not through puberty, Jisung had still known exactly what those feelings stirring in his stomach were. Even before they’d both presented, before he knew their subgenders matched perfectly.
Now, more than a decade later, Jisung still harbored those feelings. Even more so when Minho developed into what cheesy romance novels and movies would categorize as a ‘bad boy’.
He’d let his hair grow longer, curling around the tips of his ears and brushing over his forehead, the jet black emphasizing the equal deepness of his sharp eyes. He’d gotten tattoos and piercings. Jisung still remembered when Minho had come home, freshly eighteen, with a dark blob under his sleeve that Lee eomeonim had seen and thrown a fit over.
It had only grown from there, along with Jisung’s feelings. It was as if every time Minho modified his body again, Jisung fell deeper.
That had never been the intention— he had been hoping, praying even, that the attraction would fade over time. Despite his efforts, Jisung was hopelessly infatuated with his best friend’s brother.
Jisung wasn’t sure what exactly drew him to Minho. Even before the dark aesthetic, there had been something alluring about the older boy that Jisung had never been able to shake.
As Jisung was finishing up in the shop for the evening, he was reminded of Minho when his phone rang. Taking off his glove, he fished around in his pocket to find the device. Lix flashed on the screen, accompanied by a photo of the brightly smiling boy. He swiped to accept the call, putting the phone on speaker so he could continue his work.
“Hey, Lix! What’s up?” Jisung set the phone down on his workbench as he moved back to put the finishing touches on the bouquet he’d been working on.
Felix’s bright voice rang through, cheerful as always. “Jisungie! Are you still coming over tonight? Minho’s making your favorite.”
Right. Despite both being students, Felix had been lucky enough to secure an apartment with Minho who’d already graduated. It had been an unspoken expectation from their parents for Minho to take care of and watch over Felix until he was done with school.
Jisung, on the other hand, lived in a shoebox of an apartment and worked every available waking hour at the florist in order to pay for it.
“Of course!” Jisung scoffed as he wrapped the flowers delicately in plastic wrap for transport the next morning. “Who would pass up free bulgogi?”
Felix’s laugh— loud and high in comparison to his lower register— sounded just as Jisung moved to set the bouquet in the refrigerator to preserve its freshness.
“What would you do without Minho-hyung’s cooking?”
“Die, probably.”
“You can’t die before I get married!” Felix whined. “Who would be my best man then?”
“You and Seungmin have only been dating for five months, Lix.”
Felix gasped into the phone. “That doesn’t mean anything! He could be the one, you know.”
Jisung had been the one to set the two up. Seungmin, surprisingly, had been someone Jisung had been able to get close to during his and Felix’s first year at university. Seungmin had taken a liking to Jisung early on, though Jisung hadn’t been sure why. It had been easygoing— Seungmin was sort of like a flower, easy to read and always meant what he said. That made it easier to set him up with his own sunflower after he’d noticed Felix asking one too many questions about the cute guy he always hung out with.
“Sure, Lix. I’ve gotta finish up a few things and then I’ll be on my way, ‘kay?”
“Oh! Can you bring me some flowers, please? I always love your arrangements.” There was a muffled voice in the background for a moment. “Hyung says you better not forget some for him too.”
Minho wanted flowers? From Jisung?
What kind of flowers could you even give to an insanely attractive, intimidating man?
“Hm, I’m sure I can spare a few. Anything for you.” Jisung teased, trying to keep the thought of Minho out of his mind.
“Thanks, Jisungie! See you soon.” An obnoxiously loud kissing noise sounded through Jisung’s phone speaker before the call disconnected. Jisung shook his head at his friend’s antics, but didn’t resist the smile that tugged at his lips.
He hurried to finish the client orders he had before he attempted to dig around for any spare florals he could bring to the siblings.
Flowers were usually easy, but this time, they were more complicated than words.
Giving flowers, even if they were requested, was no simple task. Jisung couldn’t risk offending either Felix or Minho, though he knew deep within that neither man would truly understand or care about the significance of whatever flowers Jisung chose to present to them. To the average person, flowers were just pretty decor, something to gaze at and smell.
Jisung had gifted flowers to Felix on various occasions previously, so he knew the blonde’s favorites. Alstroemeria, gerbera daisies, and sunflowers were on the top of the list. All beautiful, vibrant flora for an equally vibrant soul.
Able to scrounge up a handful of extra alstroemeria, Jisung threw together a small bouquet for his best friend with ease.
The hard part was Minho.
Jisung considered himself fluent in the language of flowers, where roses were a delicate garden of love, needing careful nurturing to blossom and unfurl their deepest secrets. Where a broken stem was a shattered dream, the fragility of its own body succumbed to the pressures it put on oneself. Jisung knew flowers, knew what people liked, how to say things that were too difficult to convey in words.
But Minho was an enigma.
Never once had Jisung needed to find flowers for someone so dark, so baleful.
Jisung had a few safe choices— alstroemeria was one, but it felt wrong to give two different people the same flowers. No two people shared the same soul, and every flower meshed with those souls differently. Giving identical flowers to two souls was a recipe for disaster. Other options were tulips, or lilies, as long as they weren’t pink. Never pink.
Yellow was safe.
Tulips, specifically when yellow, were cheerful, offering the warmth of the sun and the affection of a warm hug without the romance of physicality. They were laughter between friends on a sunny afternoon, accompanied by the sweet aroma of lying in a blooming field in the height of spring.
While they were a stark contrast to Minho’s aura, Jisung knew they were the safest option.
He quickly arranged them, throwing in some neutral greens just for the aesthetic— he was a perfectionist, after all. Even if his heart felt ready to burst from his chest and do a little jig, Jisung would never put less than one hundred percent of his effort forward.
Jisung wrapped both bouquets in a light blue paper to transport them easier before setting them on the counter to finish closing up.
The florist’s shop closed early on Fridays, allowing the few employees to work on larger custom orders that needed to be prepared for the weekend. Jisung was almost always the last one in the shop on Fridays.
He swept the workshop area thoroughly, rushing to wipe down all the surfaces he’d been using for his arranging. In record time, Jisung was at the door, two bouquets in his arms, locking it behind him as he exited.
It was an early spring day, the wind caressing him softly as he walked, running its fingers through his dark hair and leaving it mussed every which way. The trees were beginning to blossom, delicate pale pink bulbs making themselves known as they grew on the branches above Jisung’s head.
Jisung liked to believe the wind carried secrets, stories only for nature to hear. When it was soft and timid, it was a tale of happiness, bright and inspiring. Maybe a baby being born across the sea, or a child learning to ride a bike. It was a sign of excitement, of things to come. When it was harsh and angry, whipping at your cheeks in the dead of night, it was a recollection of sadness. He didn’t like to imagine those tales, likely the mourning of a life lost, or the despair of a heart shattered so completely that the earth felt it and sympathized.
Nature was easy for Jisung to understand, to harmonize with.
Jisung wished he were able to connect with people the way he did with nature. He wished to understand Minho the way he understood plants.
He quickly shook off that thought as he approached the building the siblings lived in. It was near campus, barely far enough to even be considered off campus. From Felix’s bedroom window, Jisung could see the sciences building and the commons behind it.
Taking a deep breath, Jisung buzzed the intercom to be let in. Their building had better security than his, requiring a tenant to remotely unlock the door or catch someone leaving in order to enter without a keycard.
The door buzzed almost instantly without warning, which told Jisung that Felix had likely been waiting for him. Trying to steady the rapid beating of his heart, Jisung took slow steps inside and up the stairs to the second level.
When he reached their door, it was already open and a blonde head of hair was sticking out with a bright smile.
“Jisungie!” Felix greeted, with no regard for his neighbors.
Jisung smiled warmly at his friend. “Hi, Lixie. I brought flowers.”
Felix’s face lit up more than it already had been. His smile was a sunflower, bright and eager, cheeks freckled like pollen. It brought joy to Jisung’s heart each time he saw it.
“Ooh, thank you! Come in, come in. Minho-hyung’s almost done cooking.”
Jisung was ushered into the apartment and he slid his sneakers off in exchange for a pair of house slippers that Felix had purchased just for him. They were light pink with small daisies dotting across them— Felix had told him they reminded him of Jisung.
He turned to his friend, matching his bright grin as he offered up the bouquet of alstroemeria. “These are yours.”
“These are my favorite!” Felix gasped, taking the bouquet with delicate hands. “Thank you, Sung-ah!”
“I hope you didn’t forget about me, Jisung-ah.”
Jisung turned on his heel to see Minho, clad in his typical all black, leaning against the wall that led to the kitchen. His hair was slicked back away from his forehead, showing off his brand new eyebrow piercing. Silver earrings dangled from his ears, a variety of designs including a cross— the irony was not lost on Jisung. The tight black shirt he wore showcased his equally dark ink, the intricate designs dancing across his tanned skin beautifully. Jisung quickly zeroed in on a new one peeking out from the collar, the black point standing out against the untouched skin of his neck.
“Of course not, hyung.” Jisung managed, presenting the blue-wrapped flowers to the alpha. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so…”
Minho’s small hands took the offering, briefly ghosting against the skin of Jisung’s fingertips. A shiver ran down his spine, but he tried his best to stay calm.
“Tulips?”
Jisung swallowed. “Yeah. If you don’t like them, I can—“
“Thank you, Jisung-ah. They’re pretty.”
Jisung’s cheeks were painted the color of a field of peonies at Minho’s words. He bowed his head with a small smile, attempting to quell his rapidly beating heart.
Before either could say another word, Felix was ushering Jisung into the living area, telling him all about the date he’d been on with Seungmin the night before.
As they took their positions on the sofa, Jisung couldn’t help the glance he shot Minho’s way as the elder stepped back around the corner into the kitchen and out of view.
“I’m gonna go stick these in some water and put them in my room, I’ll be right back!” Felix spoke, grabbing Jisung’s attention. He turned his head, nodding at his friend. “These are really beautiful, thank you again, Jisungie.”
Felix walked off down their hall, likely to grab a vase. Their apartment was a decent size for two grown men. It was fairly open with only a divide between the living room and kitchen. The area down the hall held their bedrooms and bathroom, allowing enough privacy for one sibling if the other had company. Though, Jisung had spent plenty of time at the apartment and knew Felix was the only one to ever invite anyone over.
In his daze, Jisung failed to detect the presence coming to stand beside him.
“So, what do yellow tulips mean?”
Jisung blinked as he turned to look at Minho, the elder wearing an amused smirk as he stared down at him, his lip ring glinting in the light overhead. It was an innocent question, yet something Jisung had never expected to come from the older man.
“Uh,” Jisung said dumbly, “friendship. F-friendship and joy.”
Minho hummed, twirling a single tulip stem around in his fingers that Jisung didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Am I not joyful enough, Jisung-ah?”
“N-no! Of course you are!” Jisung spit out, much more forcefully than he meant to. “I just thought—“
“Minho-hyung, stop picking on poor Jisungie.” Felix reappeared, a glowing guardian angel in Jisung’s darkest hour. One more moment alone with Minho and he was sure he’d combust.
Minho’s smirk widened infinitesimally before it disappeared completely. Jisung watched as he put on a look of indifference, turning to Felix with an eye roll.
“Who said I’m picking on him?” He retorted, but retreated back to his cooking nonetheless. Just as he turned the corner back into the kitchen, he paused and locked eyes with Jisung. “Thanks again for the flowers, Jisung-ah.”
Jisung swallowed, sending Minho a nervous smile that was sure to appear as more of a grimace. As Minho disappeared from view, Felix flopped down on the couch, leaning his entire weight on Jisung.
“So, Channie is hosting a little get together tomorrow. Wanna come?” He swung his legs over Jisung’s lap as he spoke, pulling his phone out in the process. Chan, even older than Minho, was a friend of Seungmin’s, somehow roping Felix into his close knit friend group
“You know I don’t like parties.” Jisung sighed.
Felix didn’t look at him as he spoke, typing away on his screen. “It’s not a party, Jisungie. It’s, like, 5 other people. Just some of his friends.”
“Then I definitely don’t belong there.”
“Come on, please?” Felix begged, finally looking up at Jisung with wide puppy eyes. Even pleading, he still radiated the sun. “Hyung’s coming too.”
This catches Jisung’s attention pathetically fast. “Minho-hyung? He knows Chan?”
Felix nods. “They hit it off when Channie-hyung came over a few months ago. It was the most friendly I’ve ever seen hyung. He was actually smiling.”
“I didn’t think he knew how.” Jisung muttered.
“I heard that!”
Felix cackled, slapping Jisung weakly on the arm. “Careful, or he’ll come for you.”
I’d let him, Jisung thought.
“So, you’re coming, right?” Felix spoke again when Jisung didn’t respond.
Jisung considered his options. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world— he could think of plenty of other terrible situations he could end up in. There wasn’t much else he had to do this weekend, only a few assignments that he could easily do before or after. On the other hand, social interaction was something Jisung was anything but proficient in. He could go and make a giant fool of himself, make himself out to be the Dracula simia he truly was— a joke of a being clearly meant to be something else entirely.
“Sure, why not?” He decided before he let his mind linger any further.
Felix let out a squeal, leaning forward to wrap his arms around Jisung. Jisung, being the ever so dutiful best friend, reciprocated the embrace with a laugh. Freshly squeezed lemons surrounded him.
The two sat and chatted while Minho finished dinner. They discussed outfits for the gathering, Felix wanting to doll Jisung up as much as humanly possible. With a smile that could rival even the brightest center of a beautiful zinnia, Jisung found it impossible for him to deny his friend.
Felix often told Jisung he was jealous of his style, but Jisung couldn’t see why. The blonde was striking in anything he wore— he’d even look good in a garbage bag, Jisung was sure. His extensive wardrobe was surely better than Jisung’s endless supply of pastel sweaters that were way too big for him and jeans that had the opposite issue.
Just as they finalized their plans for Felix to stop by before they headed to Chan’s, Minho called them for dinner.
The three sat at the table with a plentiful spread of food. Cooking was something Minho always excelled in, and Jisung always looked forward to tasting his food.
He wished it wasn’t just a coincidence that the elder made his favorite meal.
They chatted as they ate, talking of their plans for getting to Chan’s, how their days went, and everything in between. Each time Minho spoke, Jisung tried his best to not let his gaze linger for too long on the alpha’s lips.
After they were finished, Minho walked Jisung to the door while Felix cleaned off the table and began dishes, though Jisung was practically a third tenant at this point and didn’t need to be escorted. He appreciated the gesture, though the rose petal stains on his cheeks gave away his nerves.
As Minho opened the door, he leaned against it, eyeing Jisung with that damned smirk. His eyebrow, the one with the new piercing, raised as Jisung met his gaze.
“Goodnight, Jisungie. Safe travels.”
His mind was a bell tower as the nickname rang through his brain, chiming again and again his entire walk home.
❁
The moment Felix stepped into Jisung’s apartment, it became a warzone. No surface was safe from the blonde’s wrath. Within minutes of entering, he had his hands on nearly every article of clothing in Jisung’s closet and had thrown half of it across the tiny apartment as he searched for the perfect outfit.
Jisung sat aside on his bed, allowing himself to be a coat rack for the possible items Felix wanted him to try on.
“You own too many pastels, Jisungie,” Felix commented as he dug through the depths of Jisung’s closet.
“Half of my clothes are black, what do you mean?”
Felix paused, turning and putting a hand on his hip. “It’s easier to make you look hot with dark colors than pastels. I love you, but you look so much better in dark clothes.”
Jisung flopped down on his bed with a groan, disturbing the growing pile of shirts behind him. “Just pick something,” he whined.
“Fine, fine,” Felix grumbled, turning back to the closet. He continued to rifle through the various hangers, humming to himself as he went. Eventually, he chucked a baby blue sweater and a pair of tight black jeans at Jisung. “Put these on.”
Sitting up, he glanced down at the clothes, then back up at Felix. “These are like, two of the most basic things I own.”
“You look good in blue. Don’t make me change my mind.”
Jisung hopped up and stripped himself of his pajamas, changing into the clothes quickly. Felix giggled at him, flopping down on the bed while Jisung hopped in place to pull his jeans up.
“See, you look good!” Felix beamed once he had them fully on, gesturing to the mirror hung beside the closet. Jisung stepped over to it and gazed at himself. His dark hair was a mess, not yet brushed and sticking out in various directions. The sweater was a little oversized, hiding the narrow curve of his waist. The jeans, on the other hand, were one of the tightest pairs he owned. They hugged his legs in all the right places, and when he turned, accentuated his ass perfectly. He looked good.
But that didn’t matter– he was meeting Felix’s friends, not trying to impress anyone. Except Minho. Always Minho. Not that Felix was aware of that.
Felix ushered him to his bathroom and pulled out his makeup, covering the counter in every product possible. Jisung didn’t hate makeup, he actually liked wearing some on a semi-daily basis, but Felix tended to go a little overboard when he did his.
“Light, please,” Jisung reminded him, giving him a pointed look as Felix grinned at the vast selection. Felix only rolled his eyes and grabbed foundation and a brush. Jisung tipped his head back slightly and looked up, letting Felix work his magic.
The feeling of the brush on his skin always made him jump a little, and he had to try his best to sit still as Felix brushed product after product onto his skin.
He watched the blonde grab a blush from the pile and dip his brush into it. It was Jisung’s favorite, a little peachy and not too bright, nearly matching his natural blush. No glitter, nothing too extravagant. Just Jisung, only a little better.
Felix left his face fairly natural, only letting his creativity run wild on Jisung’s eyelids. He brushed various tones onto his lids, berating Jisung when he flinched at the touch.
“Okay, all done.”
Jisung opened his eyes and blinked at himself in the mirror. Felix always did a great job with his makeup, as long as he kept it toned down. This time was no different– his skin looked flawless, with just a hint of the peachy blush he loved, and his eyelids were coated with neutral shadows that accentuated the warmth of his eyes.
“Looks great, Lixie. As always.” He smiled at his friend, and the room swelled with his lovely lemony scent.
“Alright,” Felix clapped, then pulled Jisung up by his hands. “Let’s get going. We’re going to be late!”
According to Felix, Chan didn’t live far from his apartment, barely far enough to require driving. Felix called them a cab, and while they waited around outside Jisung’s building for it to arrive, Felix gushed about Chan and his friends. Jisung didn’t know any of them aside from Seungmin, and Chan if the handful of times he’d dropped by Felix’s apartment while the alpha was there counted.
As they slipped into the back of the cab that pulled up minutes later, Felix gave Jisung a rundown of the relationships between the friends.
“So,” he began, grinning at Jisung. “Chan’s boyfriend is Jeongin, they’re both alphas. Changbin is Chan’s roommate, he’s also an alpha. His boyfriend is Hyunjin, he’s an omega. And you know Minho-hyung and Seungmin already.”
Jisung blinked. “Wait. You’re all dating someone in the group?”
“Yep!” Felix beamed, popping the p. “That’s how some of them even became friends. Jeongin wasn’t friends with any of them until he and Chan met. Sort of like me and Seungmin.”
Nodding slowly, Jisung tried to process what his friend was telling him. There were eight of them total, and six were already in relationships. With each other. Meaning he and Minho were the only single ones. Yeah, he was totally normal about that thought.
The cab pulled up to a curb beside an apartment building that looked much nicer than Jisung’s. The front entrance was gated, with the call box inside the gate with a keypad on the outside to get in. It wasn’t a super tall building, but still tall enough that Jisung hoped they didn’t live on the top floor. A little too high for his tastes.
When they climbed out of the car, Felix made a beeline for the keypad, expertly typing in a code he seemed to have memorized.
“Are you here that often?” Jisung asked, incredulous, as Felix pushed open the gate.
Felix shook his head. “No, Channie-hyung just texted me the code this morning. I didn’t want to forget it in case my phone died, so I memorized it.”
Nodding, Jisung trailed behind the blonde as he stepped over to the front door. He pressed a button halfway up the pad, and it only took a few moments for the door to buzz and then click, signaling it unlocking. Felix grabbed the handle and tugged it open, ushering Jisung inside.
It was just as nice on the inside as it was outside. The lobby was small, with no formal front desk, just a small corridor with a seating area and a walkway that led to a pair of elevators. At least this building had elevators– Jisung had to walk up and down three flights of stairs every day.
Felix guided him to the elevators and pressed the upward button. The blonde was much less nervous than Jisung, clearly, as he bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet. When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Felix tugged him inside. He pressed the button for the eighth floor and Jisung breathed out a sigh of relief. Eight wasn’t too high, not enough to freak him out if he looked out the windows.
The elevator ride was quick, and Felix’s near vibrations gave Jisung something to focus on. His hand was still on Jisung’s wrist, a grounding weight as the doors opened to a hallway similar in tone to the front lobby. It was empty, only a few doors lining the walls.
Felix dragged him down the hall to the last door. It was blank aside from the number 801 adorning the wood. Felix brought a hand up and knocked, and commotion on the other side stirred the nerves in Jisung’s belly.
The door swung open, and Chan greeted them with a smile. “Hey, you made it! Come in, come in!”
Jisung knew Chan, at least. He’d met him only a handful of times through Felix, usually with Seungmin around.
The alpha was nice, smelling of fresh sea salt and a hint of sandalwood. He always had a large grin on his face, much like now, and always welcomed Jisung with open arms.
“I’m glad you could make it, Lix-ah. You too, Jisung-ah!” He patted their shoulders as they entered the space. Jisung took the opportunity to look around. He’d never been to Chan’s apartment before— was never invited, and had never expected to be.
It was a wide, open floor plan with a decently sized kitchen to one side, and an open area split into a dining room and living room. It was well decorated, nothing too fancy for the type of building it was in, but much nicer than his own.
The living room was already filled with people, five heads from what Jisung could count. Then his eyes landed on a dark head of hair, accompanied by dark clothes, and he froze.
“Felix,” Jisung hissed, slowing his pace to pull Felix aside. “You didn’t tell me Minho-hyung was already here!”
Felix looked at him, then to the living room and back again, brows furrowed. “And? He didn’t want to wait around for us to get ready, so he came on his own.”
For some reason, the comment made Jisung’s heart sink.
Nodding with a tight lipped smile, Jisung allowed himself to be guided over to the living room for introductions after Chan took their coats and hung them in the front closet.
“Guys, you know Felix,” Chan grinned, gesturing to the blonde. The group all smiled and waved, aside from Minho who stuck his tongue out at his brother. Felix returned the gesture, rolling his eyes. “And this is Jisung.”
Jisung awkwardly held up a hand. “Hey, nice to meet you all.”
Seungmin waved back at him from his perch atop the arm of the couch, and Jisung noticed the two people occupying the cushions were sitting halfway on top of each other.
“Oh, right! Let me introduce everyone.”
Chan gestured to Seungmin first. “You already know him, so no need there. On the couch,” he pointed behind Seungmin, where the two both grinned at him. One with hair the color of a fox, and the other with black hair tied back in a half updo. “That’s Jeongin and Hyunjin.”
Jisung’s brow furrowed, because their positions contradicted what Felix had told him, but he allowed himself to store it in the back of his mind and listen to Chan.
The alpha gestured to another loveseat across from that couch. Minho sat on one end, with another, buff looking man with fading purple hair next to him. “You know Minho, and that’s Changbin.”
Jisung smiled at them all, bowing his head slightly.
Felix hurried past Chan to his boyfriend, leaning into his side to press a kiss to his cheek.
“Jinnie, can I have my boyfriend back now?” Chan crossed his arms, but there was a fond smile on his lips. Hyunjin, the one nearly sitting on top of the redhead, groaned and forced himself up off the couch. As he passed Jisung, he grinned at him, sending a wink his way. Jisung watched, wide eyed and dry mouthed as Hyunjin moved to sit on the muscular man’s lap. He wrapped his arms around his neck and nuzzled against his cheek, and the man— Changbin, Jisung reminded himself— looked so pleased Jisung was sure he would hear a purr in a moment or two.
“Don’t mind them,” Seungmin spoke up, rolling his eyes. “They’re always like that.”
“Are not!”
“Are too,” Felix agreed, hiding behind Seungmin when Hyunjin held a fist up.
Jisung hadn’t realized Felix was so close with the whole group, and it made something ugly bubble in his gut. That was, until a soft voice called his name.
“Jisungie, come sit with me,” Minho called, patting the small space between him and Changbin.
Jisung eyed the spot between them. It was small, barely enough space for him to fit if he squeezed. He wasn’t sure how Changbin, let alone Hyunjin, would feel about him being so close when he’d just met them. But when Minho patted the space again, smiling softly at him in a way that contradicted his dark appearance, Jisung found himself trailing over.
Changbin scooted as much as he could with hyunjin in his lap, shooting Jisung a wide smile, a dimple popping out on one cheek. Despite his well built physique, his aura was much more aligned with a teddy bear, aided by his colorful hair. Jisung felt at ease slotting himself next to him, his legs brushing both Changbin and Minho’s.
Chan took up the seat beside Jeongin, tugging the other alpha into his side despite his protests. Jisung could tell he wasn’t all that upset by it, judging by the smile tugging at his lips.
“So, Jisung,” Hyunjin spoke up from Changbin’s lap. “Felix says you’re a florist?”
JIsung nodded. “Just for now, while I’m in school.”
“What’re you going to school for?” Chan asked, a kind smile directed at Jisung.
“Horticulture and plant science,” Jisung answered, flushing. He wasn’t embarrassed by his major, he was extremely passionate about plants and flowers in particular, but it wasn’t necessarily a normal degree to pursue.
An arm slid around his shoulders and he was suddenly tugged into Minho’s side. “My Jisungie is so smart.”
Jisung’s cheeks burned, and he had to avert his eyes from the way Felix’s were boring into him, head tilted.
“That’s so cool!” Hyunjin exclaimed, unaware of the turmoil Jisung was going through. “Is that how you met Seungminnie?”
Seungmin nodded for him, still sitting on the arm of the couch as if Felix wasn’t hanging off his back. “We were in the same biology lecture freshman year. He sat next to me and asked for a pencil like every day.”
“Hey!” Jisung whined, pointing at the beta. “It was only a few times!”
“Yeah, until I started just giving you one at the start of every class so you wouldn’t ask.”
Defeated and embarrassed, Jisung slunk back against the couch. Minho’s arm squeezed him, tugging him further into his side with a chuckle. The scent of black currant and leather filled Jisung’s nose.
He could also smell Changbin and Hyunjin beside him, just faintly. The warmth of coffee, a spicy aroma of cinnamon that mingled with vanilla and a somewhat floral undertone. He couldn’t help but notice their scents meshed perfectly.
Conversations flowed easily from there, and Jisung felt as if he became acclimated with the group fairly well. Where Seungmin and Minho were somewhat reserved, staying mostly quiet, Jisung, Felix and Changbin kept up the conversations. Changbin was loud, boisterous with his words, saying everything with conviction.
He liked Seungmin’s friends. Before this, even when he and Seungmin were friends and Felix wasn’t yet part of the beta’s life, Jisung had never been introduced to them. He’d only had Felix, and by extension Minho. It was a welcomed change of pace.
Eventually, Chan stood, clapping his hands. “Anyone want a drink?”
Minho abruptly shot up, motioning for Chan to sit. “I’ll get them, you sit, you’ve done enough.”
“But—“
“Nope!” Minho turned to Jisung, holding a hand out. “Help me carry them?”
Jisung eyed his hand, a deer caught in headlights. Minho smiled down at him, his lip ring moving with the stretch, and Jisung found himself so entranced he raised a hand and set it in Minho’s palm, allowing himself to be tugged to his feet.
They made their way into the kitchen, which really wasn’t separated at all from the living room, so they were able to hear the conversations relatively well.
Minho seemed to be comfortable in Chan’s apartment, opening the fridge and locating the packs of beer inside. It stirred something ugly in Jisung’s stomach— in over a decade of knowing Minho, the alpha had only been to Jisung’s home a handful of times. Definitely not enough to be comfortable like this.
Leaning against the counter, Jisung watched Minho move around. He was wearing all black, as per usual, but this time he looked somehow… soft. The sweater he was wearing was soft, Jisung knew that much from his body being pressed against him on the couch, but he’d never seen Minho wear it. The collar was low, allowing Jisung to peer at the new tattoo that crept up the alpha’s neck, black swirls of ink that he couldn’t see a cohesive design in.
“What’s your new tattoo?” He asked, unable to help himself.
Minho turned to him, hand inside the case of beer as he grabbed out another one.
“Oh, this?” He pointed at his neck. “I didn’t think you’d notice. Felix didn’t. It’s vines.”
“Vines?” Jjisung couldn’t tell, it looked abstract to him.
“Yeah.” Minho pulled down his collar more, baring his neck for Jisung. Now, he could see the way the vines snaked around his collarbone, the tips of them creeping up his neck. They blossomed with small flowers, though they were so small Jisung couldn’t tell what they were supposed to be. They grew thicker towards his shoulder, where the ink disappeared back under the fabric of his sweater.
“It’s pretty.”
“Thank you, Jisung-ah.” Minho resumed grabbing cans of beer, setting them out neatly on the counter. “You look pretty today.”
Jisung paused. Blinked at the alpha. Minho avoided his gaze, but Jisung could see the way his neck turned pink, the color grazing the tattoo.
“I— thank you, hyung.”
A hint of black currant hit his nose, and Jisung nearly melted.
Nothing further was said after that. Jisung allowed himself to bask in the compliment and the reaction Minho’s scent gave off. They gathered the beers and carried them back to the living room together, four in each of their arms. They passed them out to the group who thanked them each as they went.
When Jisung settled back on the couch, Minho was quick to plop down next to him and pull him into his side, arm tight around his shoulders. Jisung wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but he wasn’t about to complain about the affection.
Seungmin eyed them curiously, brow raised at Jisung, and the omega only shook his head in as miniscule a manner as possible so Minho wouldn’t notice. The alpha was oblivious, sipping peacefully on his beer. Jisung watched the way his lip ring turned to the side when the metal of the can pressed against it.
The group was nice, Jisung decided. They all chatted freely, and it felt natural. Like Jisung was always a part of the group. He didn’t fail to notice the way all of the couples were grouped off in a way, cuddling into each other or touching in some way, and it made his cheeks flare up at the thought that he and Minho looked the same from the outside.
Time passed faster than he expected. Before he knew it, the sky outside the windows was dark and Jisung was holding back a yawn. He nestled into Minho’s side as indiscreetly as possible, his eyes feeling a little heavy. He wasn’t used to so much social interaction.
“Tired?” The alpha’s voice came from beside him, hushed and close. Jisung tilted his head to look at Minho from the corner of his eye before nodding slowly. “I can take you home.”
“You’re leaving?” Hyunjin whined from Jisung’s other side. “But I was just starting to get to know Jisungie!”
Minho rolled his eyes. “You’ll have plenty of other opportunities for that, Hwang.”
Jisung sat up straight when Minho tapped his shoulder and he rubbed his eyes as the alpha collected their now forgotten and empty cans from the coffee table. Felix moved with him, grabbing everyone else’s cans and walking with his brother to the kitchen to dispose of them.
“So,” Seungmin slid into the spot Minho had been occupying. “Want to explain whatever the hell is going on?”
Jisung shook his head, too tired for Seungmin’s antics. “Not particularly, no. I don’t even know what’s going on.”
Seungmin gave him a look. “Sure you don’t.”
The brothers returned with three coats, Felix sliding his on as Minho held two in his arms. Jisung stood quickly, avoiding Seungmin’s questions and taking his coat from the alpha. He bundled into it, zipping it all the way to his chin and avoiding Seungmin’s gaze as he watched the interaction.
“It was really nice meeting you, Jisung-ah,” Hyunjin spoke up from the couch, still perched in Changbin’s lap. “You should come along more often.”
“He will,” Minho answered before Jisung could even open his mouth. Jisung just nodded, eyes wide.
Chan stood, clapping a hand on Jisung and Felix’s shoulders. “Get home safe, okay? Thank you guys for coming.”
Felix smiled brightly at the alpha, his scent sweetening. “Thank you for having us, Channie-hyung.”
The three bid the others farewell. Instead of Felix calling a cab to take them home, Minho offered to take Jisung home on their way. Sitting in the back seat gave him the opportunity to watch Minho the entire drive home.
❁
Jisung couldn’t deny that he was waiting for another opportunity to give Minho flowers.
It presented itself a week after their get together at Chan’s. An order that was anticipated to be large and complicated ended up using less flowers than needed, but some had been special inventory intended for that specific fulfillment, so the owner offered them up to the staff if they wanted.
Jisung jumped at the chance, snagging the rare flowers that he’d only seen a handful of times in his time at the shop. They were absolutely beautiful, similar in shape to roses but a little flatter. They were a rich purple, a beautiful royal hue that expressed many sentiments, depending on the goal. A somewhat bolder choice than the yellow tulips, but a subtle one all the same.
For Felix, he managed to snag a decent amount of gerbera daisies in a lovely orange hue, bright and nearly glowing, the same way Felix did.
Being the end of the week and the early afternoon, Jisung was able to take the time to create beautiful bouquets with both flowers. The shop was closed for the day, the large order out the door with his coworkers tasked with the delivery. A wedding, or something of the sort, Jisung couldn’t recall. He was too focused on putting together the lovely arrays for his friends.
With two colorful bundles wrapped in complimentary paper, Jisung snapped a photo and sent it to Felix. His phone vibrated in his hand a moment later, Felix’s bright smile flashing on the screen, and he swiped to answer.
“Are those for me? Please say they’re for me.”
Jisung laughed, holding his phone between his ear and shoulder as he put the finishing touches on both bouquets— ribbons tying the stems together around the paper.
“I love daisies!” Felix exclaimed.
“As you’ve told me ten times before, Lix-ah.”
He could practically hear the omega’s eye roll. “Who are the purple ones for? They’re gorgeous.”
Jisung paused, hands tying the bow of the ribbon on the lisianthus bouquet. It wasn’t an odd thing, he’d taken flowers to Minho before. But was it weird to admit such a beautiful flower was for his friend’s brother, when his friend was only receiving daisies?
“Minho-hyung,” Jisung finally admitted, trying to keep his voice even.
“Really?” Felix sounded incredulous, and Jisung had to bite back a grimace. “They’re so pretty. You want to waste something like that on him?”
“Yeah, they’re just leftovers from an order today.” It wasn’t technically a lie, but he didn’t have to tell Felix he’d jumped on the opportunity the moment he was offered them. Tried to remain nonchalant. Cool, calm, collected. Totally not in love with his best friend’s brother.
Felix made a curious noise, and Jisung could picture his face in his mind. “Oh, okay. That makes sense. But,” he said then, dragging out the vowel in a teasing manner. “You could always switch them, give me the pretty ones. Hyung won’t appreciate them as much as I will. He’s a meanie.”
A sound in the background made Jisung pause, followed by Felix’s squeal. There was a light commotion on the other end, and moments later Felix came back to the phone with a groan.
“Hyung heard me. He said he better get the gift he was originally supposed to get, or he’d lock me out tonight.”
Minho said things like that often, threatening— albeit in a playful manner— to inconvenience Felix’s life in one way or another. He never followed through on any of his threats, all talk and no bite. He loved Felix too much to actually do anything to make his life difficult. The alpha practically catered to Felix on hand and foot.
“I won’t be switching them, Lix. Hyung doesn’t have to worry,” Jisung teased, flicking the shop lights off and gathering the bouquets in his arms. “Are you busy tonight?”
“Nope! Stopping by?”
Jisung hummed, pushing his way out the front door and setting one of the bouquets down on the floral display outside so he could lock the door. “Figured I’d drop these off on my way home. I’m just locking up.”
He dug the keys out of his pocket and locked the door, jiggling the knob to make sure it was really locked, a curious habit.
“Sounds good,” Felix spoke into his ear, and Jisung could hear his grin. “See you soon!”
He tucked his phone back into his pocket as the call ended, gathering the bouquets back into his arms and heading on his way.
It was beginning to warm outside. The spring weather was breezy, as it was a week prior, but it felt refreshing. It whipped Jisung’s hair around his face, but it wasn’t unwelcome. It was nature’s hello.
The path lined with cherry blossoms was nearly in full bloom now, and a few stray petals fell from their branches to drift in front of Jisung’s eyes to the ground. He did his best not to step on them.
He carried their scent with him everywhere, a gentle reminder of nature and his connection to it.
Jisung liked his scent. It was soft, floral and a little sweet, but perfect for him. Many omegas had overly sweet scents, fruity or floral in an overpowering sense to entice potential mates. Felix was blessed with citrus, a lovely and refreshing aroma that still carried that note of sweetness that made Jisung want to eat him whole. He had heard plenty of stories about how it drove alphas even crazier.
He’d never attracted another alpha himself. No one had ever approached him on campus the way they did Felix. Not that Jisung was complaining— he would turn them all down regardless. He had his sights set on one alpha and one alpha only, even if that alpha didn’t know it yet.
Did it bother Jisung that he wasn’t seen as desirable? Maybe a little, but he tried to not let it get to him. Sure, he lacked experience and the knowledge of what to do in a situation should it become intimate, but he didn’t mind waiting for the right person to come along. He just had to hold out hope that it would be the one he wanted.
He also knew Minho wasn’t a stranger to those things. One too many times he’d heard Minho bragging about his latest lay and had to do his best to keep his scent from souring. Minho was an alpha, someone attractive and wanted, of course he would have been with countless people.
It didn’t bother Jisung any less every time he told himself that.
When he reached the sibling’s building, Jisung hit the button to be buzzed in like always. It took a second this time, but he wasn’t in a hurry.
He took the flight of stairs slowly, clutching the flowers in his arms and watching his feet. The last thing he wanted to do was faceplant and crush the buds.
Felix wasn’t waiting for him this time. He didn’t always, it depended on how busy the blonde was. When Jisung knocked on the door, he still expected his best friend to come to the door, but he was surprised when a pair of deep brown eyes met his when the door swung open.
“Ah, Jisung-ah,” Minho smiled at him. More of a smirk, really. “I heard you were stopping by.”
Then his eyes flitted down to the flowers in Jisung’s grip, and his eyes widened a fraction along with his grin.
“Yeah,” Jisung breathed out. Held up the flowers. “Had some left over from an order today.”
Minho stepped aside, giving Jisung a path to enter. He tried his best to keep his scent under control, but the warm black currant that hit his senses as he walked by nearly made his scent gland go haywire for a second.
The alpha shut the door behind him as he toed off his shoes and slid on his house slippers. “So, which ones are for me?”
Jisung glanced over at him. His arms were crossed, the material of his shirt stretching across the muscles of his biceps as he leaned against the wall.
“Oh,” Jisung said dumbly. “Right. These ones.” He held the purple bundle out to the alpha, wrapped in a pale yellow.
Minho took them delicately, his eyebrow raising. Jisung watched the piercing move with it. Minho glanced down at the bouquet for a moment, the side of his mouth twitching, before he moved his gaze back to Jisung.
“Beautiful,” Minho mumbled, his voice much softer than Jisung had expected. As he spoke, he didn’t look back at the flowers— he looked at Jisung.
Jisung wasn’t sure whether to scream, cry, or lunge forward and kiss the living daylights out of Minho. But he didn’t have time to think over his options as a certain blonde omega came bounding up behind him and wrapped his arms around Jisung’s torso.
“Jisungie! Did you bring the flowers?”
Jisung nodded, eyes still locked on Minho’s as he held the flowers up in his hand, passing them back to Felix. The omega squeaked, snatching them from his grip. “They’re so pretty! Thank you, Sung-ah.”
“Yes, thank you, Jisung-ah,” Minho parroted, eyes not leaving his. Jisung saw his lip twitch, and the lip ring on his lower lip was licked over.
Minho has always been shameless. Open, a little blunt, and always teasing. But he’s never flirted with Jisung. Was this flirting? The gaze the alpha had on him felt like it burned, like he could set Jisung on fire if he were to stare too long.
He shook it off, mumbling out a half baked ‘you’re welcome’ before turning to Felix, trying to ignore the itch on his nape where Minho’s gaze settled after.
Following Felix into the living room, Jisung listened to the blonde talk about another date he had with Seungmin a few nights ago. He tried not to let his gaze wander to the alpha that slinked into the kitchen.
“He’s so sweet, Sungie, I swear,” Felix rambled, busying himself with cleaning up a few blankets as Jisung took a seat on the sofa. He folded a navy blue one, one that Jisung knew smelled just like black currant and a good book.
“Seungmin? Sweet?” Jisung teased, leaning back against the cushions. He could hear clattering in the kitchen, his senses way too tuned to Minho’s frequency.
Felix gave him a look. “Sweet to me. I know he’s a menace to everyone else, that’s why I love him.”
Jisung blinked. “You love him?”
“Well, duh.” Felix folded the last blanket, plopping it on top of the pile in their designated blanket basket beside the couch. He threw himself down on the couch, nearly halfway on top of Jisung.
“Have you guys said it to each other yet?”
He wasn’t sure why he was asking, nor why the feeling in his stomach opened up, hollowing out.
“Not yet,” Felix admitted, playing with one of Jisung’s curls. “I was going to tell him on our six month anniversary next week. He’s taking me out to dinner.”
“How often do you guys go out?”
“Like every week,” Felix shrugged. “I think Minnie feels bad invading hyung’s space, so he takes me out and then we go back to his place instead.”
“Yeah, keep your nasty make out sessions off my couch.”
Jisung whipped around, eyes widening as they landed on Minho. He was holding a vase with the purple flowers spilling out the top, moving to set them on the dining table.
Felix pouted at his brother. “It was one time! I didn’t know you were home!”
Jisung heard them continue to bicker, but his ears filled with static as instead of going back to the kitchen or his bedroom once the vase was out of his hands, Minho moved to sit on the couch with them. It was a three seater, plenty of space for all of them, but he sat close enough that his thigh brushed against Jisung’s. Even through his jeans, Jisung swore he felt an electric shock.
“You got plans tonight, Jisungie?” The way he asked it was so casual, so nonchalant, as if Jisung weren’t in the middle of an internal crisis.
He shook his head, maybe a little too rapidly. “Nope, nothing. Why?”
Minho tilted his head, a smirk tugging on the corner of his mouth. “Stay for dinner? We can watch a movie while it cooks.”
“Oh, I don’t—“
Felix threw his arms around Jisung, tucking his face into his shoulder. “You can’t leave if I don’t let you go.”
Minho rolled his eyes. “That’s kidnapping, Lix-ah.”
“False imprisonment at best,” Felix bit back. “Please stay? I miss my Sungie.”
“You saw me like, a week ago.”
“That’s too long!”
Jisung was always weak to Felix’s requests. He could never say no to his best friend, regardless of how bad the request was.
“Fine. What’s for dinner?”
Somehow, Jisung found himself in the kitchen, helping Minho put the finishing touches on their dinner— galbitang— while Felix chatted away to Seungmin on the phone in the living room.
He could hear Felix’s giggles all the way in the kitchen, despite the way his nerves thrummed in his ears at being alone with Minho.
The elder barely paid him any mind though, only giving him small tasks while he finished cooking. He had Jisung season vegetables and set the table, not that Jisung minded being given menial tasks. He was shit at really cooking anyways.
“So,” Minho broke the silence as he was finishing putting the dish together. “I’ve never seen those flowers before. What are they?”
He hadn’t expected Minho to be curious. Nearly dropping the utensils in his hands, Jisung sputtered. If Minho noticed, he didn’t say anything.
“They’re lisianthus flowers. We had them specially ordered for an event.” He tried to play it cool, not looking Minho in the eye as he spoke.
Minho hummed, turning toward Jisung with the pot of galbitang in hand. “So they’re special?”
Jisung felt his cheeks heat. “Uh, I mean— sort of? Not typical, at least.”
He could feel Minho’s eyes on him as he tried to flee to the dining room. His escape didn’t work when the alpha followed behind, black currant hot on his heels. Jisung hastily placed the utensils down by the three place settings he’d set out while Minho set the pot down in the middle of the table. With his hands free, he leaned against one of the chairs and watched Jisung.
“What do they mean?” He asked, head tilted when Jisung chanced a look up at him.
Jisung swallowed hard. “Appreciation.”
“Oh?” Minho’s lips curled into a grin. “You appreciate me, Jisungie?”
He was sure the redness on his cheeks was unmistakable, but he still tried to hide it. He ducked his head, staring intently at his hands. “Of course I do, hyung.”
It wasn’t technically a lie, telling him the flowers meant appreciation. He just happened to leave out the romantic connotation, the way they represent bonds and are used in weddings. He just bent the truth a little.
He was saved when Felix seemingly finished his call with Seungmin, letting out a disgusting smack of a kiss into the speaker of his phone before he said goodbye and pocketed it, bounding over to Jisung and draping himself over his back.
“Is dinner ready yet? I’m starving,” he whined, tucking his face into Jisung’s neck, rubbing lightly. Leaving his lemony sweetness along Jisung’s skin.
The air was tinged with a slight sour scent, but when Jisung looked up at Minho it was gone.
“Yeah,” Minho said, voice flat. “I’ll grab it.”
Jisung moved to follow him. “Do you need help–”
“I got it. Sit down.”
The scent of black currant followed the alpha out of the room.
Jisung spent the entirety of dinner wondering just where that soured smell came from.
❁
“Jisung-ah, come to the store with me.”
He wasn’t planning on stopping by, let alone Minho even being home , but Felix had texted him and begged him to bring coffee while he crammed for a midterm in a class he was close to failing.
He’d just happened to have some more flowers lying around the shop to bring to the siblings. Two different flowers, again.
He’d walked inside and had instantly been greeted by a groaning Felix from where he held the door. When Jisung had given him his flowers— baby pink sweet peas in a small bundle— the omega had brightened, his soured scent turning warm and summery again.
Jisung had a sneaking suspicion in the back of his mind that Minho enjoyed the floral gifts just as much as his brother, if not more. So when Jisung had presented him with the bouquet as he laid on the sofa, he’d expected more of a reaction. Maybe a smile, a teasing smirk as he asked what they meant this time.
But he did none of that.
Instead, he’d taken the flowers, leaned his head down to smell them for a fraction of a second, before he popped off the couch and headed to the kitchen with a simple, ‘thank you, Jisung-ah’. Jisung had watched, blinking and confused, as Minho set a new vase filled with water on the dining table, the small purple lily of the nile buds sticking out the top.
He hadn’t acknowledged Jisung after that, returning to his place on the couch with his phone in his hand. His arm behind his head, bicep stretching and sprawling with ink where it supported his head.
Jisung had simply turned on his heel and headed to his friend’s room, mind reeling.
Now, Jisung whipped his head around, staring at the doorway to Felix’s room where Minho was leaning on the frame. Felix occupied his bed as Jisung spun in aimless circles in his desk chair, staring at the ceiling. He hadn’t wanted to leave Felix alone in case he needed help— it was a biology class, after all. Jisung’s strong suit.
“What?”
Minho rolled his eyes. “The grocery store. I have to go, come with me.”
“Don’t steal my friend from me, I need moral support!” Felix complained, throwing a pillow at his brother. Minho caught it easily, chucking it back into Felix’s face with little force. Jisung watched the way his muscles flexed beneath his t-shirt. The weather warming was really going to be Jisung’s downfall.
“Why me?” Jisung asked, chin on his knee as he hugged his leg in front of him.
Minho glanced at him, and Jisung swore his eyes softened. “I can’t pull Felix away from his studies, but you’re not doing anything. Make yourself useful.”
The jab should’ve hurt, implying Jisung did nothing, but when Minho’s mouth pulled into a smirk, JIsung found himself eager to comply.
He hopped off the chair, much to Felix’s displeasure.
“Hey!” He exclaimed, pointing a finger at his friend. “Don’t leave me here!”
Jisung gave the blonde a pointed look. “I’ll be gone for like, an hour max. Right?” He turned to Minho, who nodded. “See? We’ll be back soon.”
Felix groaned, flopping down face first into his blankets. He mumbled something that Jisung couldn’t make out.
“What was that, Lix?”
Pulling his head back up, Felix glared at him. “I said, leave me here to die.”
“You’ll be fine, Yongbok. Come on, Jisung-ah.”
Jisung sent his friend a sheepish smile, as if apologizing, before hurrying out of his room behind the alpha.
He hadn’t worn a jacket to their apartment, wanting to bask in the sudden warmness of spring, so when Minho passed him a leather jacket from the closet beside the door, he raised a brow.
“That’s not mine, hyung,” he tried to explain, but Minho just shook the coat again until Jisung took it.
“You’ll want it.”
Jisung was confused, but complied. He shrugged the jacket on over his sweater, a purple one today. It was still a little too big for him, even with the added bulk of his sweater.
Minho eyed him, gaze trailing down a moment before snapping back up with a grin. “Looks good.”
A voice called from the hall. “Wait, hyung, you’re not taking him on the—“
“Bye, Yongbok!”
Jisung’s eyes flitted between the hall and Minho, who opened the door and gestured for Jisung to step out first. His lip ring stretched with his smile.
When Jisung stepped out, Minho followed close behind, locking the door. His scent drifted into Jisung’s nose from the proximity, the deep fruity smell mixing with the hint of antiquity.
Minho didn’t speak as he guided Jisung to the garage of their building. He’d never been in there, had never had a need to— he and Felix always walked or took a ride service when they went somewhere. He knew the alpha had his license, a car, and a—
“Have you ever ridden a bike?” Minho asked as they stepped into the garage.
Jisung’s mouth dried as his eyes settled on the black sportbike.
Right. Jisung had forgotten one grave detail. Minho also drove a motorcycle.
“I’ll take that as a no,” Minho chuckled, stepping up to his bike.
“Can’t—“ Jisung began, but choked on his words. Cleared his throat to continue as Minho gazed at him, amused. “Can’t we take the car?”
“I only need a few things. Plus, it’s nice out. Perfect for a bike ride.” He opened the back door of the car beside the bike— a normal, completely average, safe vehicle— and grabbed out two helmets. As he turned back to Jisung, his grin widened. “Unless… you’re scared?”
“I’m not!” His voice came out too high, too strained. “I mean— I’m not scared, I just don’t understand how we’ll carry groceries.”
“That’s what these are for.” Minho patted two black bags on either side of the back of the back, strapped around the seat. “Saddle bags.”
“Oh.”
Jisung wasn’t trying to get out of riding, definitely not. He was definitely just concerned about safety and logistics.
“I promise I’ll drive safe,” Minho spoke, as if reading his mind. He passed Jisung one of the helmets, blue unlike the black one in the alpha’s hand that matched the bike. “That one’s Yongbok’s. He won’t mind.”
Jisung nodded, voice caught in his throat. He watched as Minho slid his own helmet on and locked it into place before Jisung slid his over his head. It smelled faintly of floral shampoo and citrus.
Minho swung a leg over the bike, promptly seating himself on the front, hands gripping the handles.
“Get on.”
Jisung scrambled over the back half of the seat, hands hovering as he realized his entire front would be pressed to Minho’s back. But the alpha was impatient, reaching back and grabbing Jisung’s wrists on both sides and tugging him forward until he was embracing Minho from behind.
“Hold on tight. Do not let go.”
And with that, he pushed the key into the ignition and turned it, the engine roaring to life. Jisung felt the rumble in his bones.
He held on for dear life as Minho pulled out of the parking space, though it was slow and steady. Jisung fisted Minho’s jacket, canvas unlike the leather one he gave to Jisung.
Minho was right. Outside, the air whipped at him as they sped up to the speed limit, chilling him to the core. He hugged Minho tighter as the alpha weaved around a slow car, pinching his eyes shut and tucking his head as close to Minho as he could with the helmet on.
As if Minho could sense it, he chuckled loudly, yet it was barely heard over the wind and the purr of the engine. “Don’t close your eyes!”
On a slow turn, Jisung managed to open his eyes and peer out the visor on his helmet. The world sped past him, cars and people on the sidelines as they raced to their destination.
A stoplight put a pause on their race. Minho pulled up to the light, putting his foot down onto the pavement to balance them. He leaned back, sitting up straighter and glancing back at Jisung over his shoulder.
“How do you feel?” He asked, a little quieter than while they were moving but still loud enough that Jisung heard it clearly.
“Like the wind is about to carry me away any second.”
Minho chuckled, loud and unrestrained. Jisung blushed, his cheeks heating exponentially in seconds, and he was glad for the visor blocking Minho’s direct view of him.
He nearly jumped off the bike when a hand slid to his thigh. He looked down, seeing the glove covered fingers splayed out across his jeans. They squeezed lightly, his thigh melding to the touch easily.
“I won’t let you fall, flower.”
A moment later, the touch was gone, and Minho was kicking off the ground and revving the engine as the light turned green.
Jisung’s ears rang, and not from the engine. Had he heard correctly? Flower ? Minho had never called him any nickname other than a variation of his name, which was nothing special and definitely not something only Minho did. But flower was new. Flower was special.
He didn’t pay attention to any of their surroundings as their ride came to an end. His mind was too busy running the word through again and again like a broken record.
Flower. Flower. Flower.
Jisung barely registered when Minho pulled the bike into a parking space outside the store and cut the engine.
“Jisung-ah.”
His eyes snapped to Minho, who was looking back at him. His visor was flipped up, allowing Jisung to see the way his eyes were on him, twinkling in amusement.
“Huh?”
Minho chuckled, his body shaking Jisung’s. “You kind of have to let go for us to get off.”
Jisung suddenly realized how tightly his fists were clutching Minho’s jacket. He was pressed fully against his back, glued like a permanent fixture. He sputtered, releasing his grip and backing away as far as he could on the small seat.
“I’m so sorry, hyung—“
“No need to apologize, Jisungie. Why would I complain about a cute omega clinging to me?”
Jisung blinked, brain short circuiting. He was glad his visor was still down so Minho couldn’t see the way his mind blanked.
The alpha swung his leg off the bike, pulling his helmet off at the same time. His hair puffed up, mussed by the gear, but he ran a hand through it, allowing it to fall back in place. The studs on his eyebrow glinted in the light, peeking through the strands of his dark hair.
Jisung scrambled to follow, clumsily sliding off the bike and pulling his helmet off. He could tell his hair was a mess by the way Minho looked at him, the corner of his mouth pulling up. Jisung ran a hand through his hair, trying to make it look at least a little presentable. Minho gave him a tiny nod and he relaxed, deflating a little in relief.
He watched as Minho lowered his helmet to the side of the bike, where a small mechanism was drilled into the frame. He pushed the clasp of the helmet into it and it made a clicking sound, holding the helmet in place when he removed his hand. He reached out for Jisung’s and he quickly handed it over, allowing the alpha to do the same near the back of the bike.
“Shall we?”
Jisung nodded, following Minho inside.
This was a grocery store he’d never been to himself– too expensive for his tiny paycheck. Minho seemed to know exactly where he needed to go as he took a sharp turn and headed down an aisle, Jisung scrambling to follow.
“So what do we need?” He asked, eyeing the shelves. They were in a… pet aisle.
“Cat treats.”
Jisung paused. “Cat treats?”
Minho nodded, scanning the shelf for something. His eyes lit up when he spotted what he needed and he snatched a packet off the shelf. He didn’t say anything as he turned on his heel and headed out of the aisle. The alpha didn’t wait for Jisung to follow him as he made his way down another aisle, grabbing items here and there until his arms were full.
“Do you need help carrying stuff?” Jisung asked, gesturing to his arms.
Minho shook his head. “No, I got it. Thanks, flower.”
Jisung blinked, cheeks reddening. He hadn’t been imagining it, then. He didn’t question it though, just nodded and allowed Minho to guide their way to the checkout.
He wondered where it came from. It wasn’t exactly something Jisung had ever heard Minho say before, nor did he ever expect him to come up with a nickname like that. Was it because of the flowers? Did it mean anything, or was he simply giving Jisung a name that connected him to the gifts? In their decade of knowing each other, he’d never been anything besides a variant of his name. Never something so special, so pretty sounding. So intimate. The nickname lingered in his mind, like a petal caught in a soft breeze, tender and fleeting.
As Minho placed the last item in his arms– a loaf of bread– Jisung cleared his throat, summoning his courage. “So… cat treats?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
Minho glanced at him, the corner of his mouth twitching like he was suppressing a smile. “Yeah. For the alley cats.”
Jisung tilted his head, curious. “Alley cats?”
“Mm.” Minho adjusted the items in his arms, motioning for Jisung to follow him toward the checkout. “There’s a small group of strays that hang around the bar. I started feeding them a while back, and now they expect it.”
Jisung blinked, momentarily distracted by the image of Minho crouched in an alley, coaxing a group of wary cats with treats. The mental picture was unexpectedly endearing. “That’s… nice of you,” he said softly.
Minho shrugged, like it was no big deal. “They’re harmless. And they keep the pests away.” He glanced at Jisung again, his tone light. They reached the checkout, and Jisung watched as Minho efficiently unloaded his arms, placing the items on the conveyor belt. The cashier greeted them with a polite smile, and Jisung fidgeted with his jacket again, the question he’d been avoiding bubbling to the surface.
“Hyung,” he began hesitantly, waiting until Minho turned his attention back to him. “About… the nickname.”
Minho raised an eyebrow, handing over his card to pay. “What about it?”
Jisung shifted his weight, looking down at his sneakers. “I was just wondering… why ‘flower’?”
For a moment, Minho didn’t respond. The cashier handed him the receipt and bagged items, and he took them with a quiet “thank you” before turning to Jisung. His expression was unreadable, though there was a faint trace of hesitance in his eyes.
“Does it bother you?” Minho asked, his tone careful.
“No,” Jisung blurted out quickly, his face heating. “I mean– it’s just… I’ve never heard you call me that before.”
Minho’s lips curved into a small smile, and he gestured for Jisung to follow him outside. The cool night air greeted them as they stepped into the parking lot, and Minho led the way to his bike, placing the bags into the storage compartment. Once everything was secured, he straightened, leaning casually against the bike.
“I guess it just… felt right,” Minho said finally, his voice quieter now. He looked at Jisung, his gaze steady. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop.”
Jisung’s heart did a strange little flip, and he shook his head quickly. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I… I like it.”
The smile that spread across Minho’s face was warm, genuine, and it made Jisung’s chest ache in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying. The warm, somewhat sweet fruity scent that followed wasn’t unwelcome, either. “Good,” Minho said simply, pushing off the bike. “Because I like it too.”
Jisung didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply nodded, his cheeks flaming. Minho chuckled softly, his hand brushing briefly against Jisung’s arm as he moved to retrieve their helmets.
“Ready to head back?” Minho asked, his tone light again.
Jisung swallowed hard, nodding. “Yeah. Ready.”
He took the helmet Minho handed him, slipping it on and fastening the strap with slightly trembling fingers. As they mounted the bike again, Jisung hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around Minho’s waist. This time, it felt less like clinging for dear life and more like… something else.
Minho glanced back at him briefly, the visor of his helmet hiding his expression, but Jisung thought he saw the faintest hint of a smile.
When Minho guided the bike into the parking garage beneath the building, Jisung’s mind drifted back to their conversation. Back to the nickname.
Flower.
He wanted to bask in the warmth of it, but another thought crept in, dimming his excitement. Minho still hadn’t said a word about the flowers Jisung had given him. Not after the initial thank you, not even a passing comment about the gesture. He thought back to the moment he handed them over– the way Minho had smiled but didn’t dwell on it. Maybe he didn’t like them. Maybe Jisung had been too obvious, and Minho was politely pretending it didn’t happen.
Swinging off the bike, Minho grabbed the bags from the storage compartment, handing a few to Jisung.
“Here,” he said simply, hoisting the remaining bags onto one arm.
Jisung took them wordlessly, following Minho to the elevator. The ride up was quiet, the soft hum of the elevator filling the silence. Jisung’s thoughts were racing, replaying every moment of the evening as he tried to suppress the growing frustration in his chest.
Once they stepped into the apartment, Felix’s warm, sugary scent greeted them. The omega was sprawled on the couch, one hand holding his phone while the other absentmindedly tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth. So he was done studying, then. His gaze flicked to the door as they entered.
“That was fast. Got everything?” Felix asked, sitting up a little.
“Yeah,” Minho replied, heading straight for the kitchen to drop off the bags.
Jisung lingered near the door for a moment before following, his steps slower. Felix gave him a curious glance as he passed but didn’t comment, turning his attention back to his phone. Turning into the kitchen, Jisung set the bags on the counter and began unloading them, Minho doing the same to his own bags beside him.
“Thanks for coming with me,” he spoke, sliding the packet of cat treats onto the counter.
Jisung mustered up a small smile. “No problem.”
The rest of their unpacking was done in relative silence, and Jisung quickly slunk off to the living room and plopped down halfway on top of Felix when he was done. Felix let out a huff, but wrapped his arms around his friend nonetheless.
“What’s up, Sungie?” He asked, phone still in hand. Jisung maneuvered until he was able to snag some popcorn, popping a kernel into Felix’s mouth in the process.
“Nothing,” he hummed, chewing softly.
Minho emerged from the kitchen a moment later, brushing his hands off on his jeans as he glanced between Jisung and Felix. His gaze lingered on Jisung, who was still sprawled on the couch in a semi-pout, idly snacking on Felix’s popcorn.
“You staying for dinner?” Minho asked casually, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorframe.
Jisung froze mid-chew, his mind scrambling for an answer. He wanted to stay– hell, he really wanted to– but the thought of sitting across from Minho at the table, his every movement amplified by his overactive imagination, felt like too much.
“Nah,” he said quickly, swallowing his popcorn a little too hard. “I, uh, should probably get home. Got some stuff to take care of.”
Felix arched an eyebrow but didn’t comment, though his gaze flicked curiously between the two.
Minho frowned, his expression unreadable for a moment before he nodded. “Alright. Want me to drop you off?”
“No need,” Jisung replied, standing and brushing off his jeans. “I can walk.”
“Okay,” Minho said slowly, still looking unconvinced.
Jisung grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, avoiding Minho’s gaze as he headed for the door. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“See you,” Felix said, his tone neutral but tinged with something Jisung couldn’t place.
Jisung kept his eyes fixed firmly ahead as he slipped out of the apartment, the door clicking shut behind him. The cool air of the hallway did little to soothe his frayed nerves, and by the time he made it outside, he was cursing himself under his breath.
Why couldn’t you just stay? He invited you, didn’t he?
But his chest ached at the thought of staying, of being so close to Minho and still feeling a million miles away.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Jisung headed in the direction of his apartment, his mind a tangle of frustration and longing.
❁
It was nearly a month after starting Jisung’s scheme when Felix finally caught on to it. After Jisung’s reaction to Minho’s reaction— or lack thereof— Felix stopped into the shop without warning.
“Why do you give me and Minho-hyung different flowers?” Felix questioned, setting his hands on the counter between them and staring intently into Jisung’s eyes.
Jisung swallowed, attempting to keep his eyes from widening at the question. He continued working on the bouquet in front of him, arranging the beautiful warm hues of the peonies and the stunningly contrasting lavender. It was futile as Felix grabbed his stem trimmers, holding them behind his back.
“Well?”
Clearing his throat, Jisung tried to appear confident in his answer. “No two people are the same, so—“
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Jisung-ah. You like him, don’t you?”
It was less of a question and more of a statement, the twinkle in Felix’s eye telling Jisung his best friend already knew the truth. There was no use in trying to hide it.
With a sigh, he hung his head, avoiding Felix’s gaze as he nodded.
“How long?” Felix asked, his voice softer this time.
“Since I met him.” Jisung admitted.
Footsteps sounded, but it was silent aside from them. The atmosphere wilted around Jisung, the once vibrant flowers dulling and dying before his eyes. Felix said nothing until Jisung felt a hand on his shoulder.
Jisung lifted his gaze to meet his best friend and was taken aback by the smile on Felix’s face.
“Why didn’t you tell me, idiot? I could’ve been helping you this entire time!”
“Wait, you’re… you’re not mad?” Jisung asked, his brows furrowing.
Felix rolled his eyes before wrapping his arms around Jisung, squeezing him tightly. “Why would I be mad? Is it a little pathetic you’ve been pining over my brother for over a decade? Maybe, but it’s also cute as hell.” He rubbed his cheek against Jisung. “Besides, if you guys got together, you could get married and have cute babies and then you would be my brother too.”
“Just because I’m an omega doesn’t mean I want children, Lix.” Jisung pointed out.
“Let me dream.”
Jisung shot him a glare and he giggled, patting Jisung’s cheek with his hand.
“Now, we need to brainstorm.”
“Brainstorm what, exactly?” Jisung asked.
There was a glint in Felix’s eyes, one that Jisung knew all too well. He was plotting, and Jisung wasn’t sure he wanted to be involved.
Felix hoisted himself onto the counter, sitting beside the floral arrangement. “How to get my brother to fall in love with you! If he hasn’t already, that is.”
“Not going to happen, Lix. And get off my counter,” Jisung groaned, shooing his friend. He snagged the trimmers from where Felix had discarded them and focused on the arrangement in front of him, trying to distract his mind.
“But Jisung,” Felix whined, draping himself over his side. He nuzzled his cheek against Jisung’s scent gland, dousing himself in cherry blossoms. He shouldn’t, Jisung’s scent was soured and took on an almost acidic tinge. “It would be so sweet! Imagine the story you could tell your kids—“
“What did I say about kids, Felix-ah?”
“Right, right. Imagine the story you could tell our friends.”
They both knew Jisung was joking. Mostly. It wasn’t that he didn’t want children. It was more of the expectation that omegas had to have pups, to provide babies for their alpha, or in some cases beta. He didn’t want to feel forced. Wanted to find the right person first. Someone like Minho.
The thought tugged at his brain, poked and prodded at him as if saying exactly . As if urging him to listen to Felix.
“Fine,” he sighed, “what do you have in mind?”
Felix grinned, his scent swirling around them, saccharine and bright. Lemons coated Jisung’s tongue when he swallowed.
“I think the flowers are working already. I’ve never seen him so adamant about keeping something alive like this. He changes the water out every day, he even bought some plant food stuff, some powder packet thing, I don’t know what it is,” Felix rolled his eyes, leaning against the counter as Jisung resumed trimming the stems of the remaining flowers for the bouquet. “Anyway, he’s taking such good care of them, clearly they mean something. So keep doing that, for sure.”
“Okay,” Jisung nodded. “What else?”
“Your scent.”
Jisung paused, trimmers still in his hand as he turned and raised a brow. “My scent?”
Felix hummed. “Yeah. You’re over so often, your scent is kind of… there. You know? But I think you could turn it up a notch. Scent his favorite blanket, leave a jacket that’s totally drenched in your scent. Little stuff, stuff that’ll mess with his subconscious.”
“Isn’t that like… conditioning? That’s bad, Lix. I don’t want to make him think he’s feeling things that aren’t real.”
“No, no,” Felix assured, holding a hand up. “It’s not bad! It’ll just make him think about you even when you aren’t there! I promise, I wouldn’t suggest something if it were going to hurt my brother. I’m not heartless.”
Jisung considered it. While it was true he was at their apartment enough to have some clothes in Felix’s closet and a permanent place at the dining table, it didn’t mean Minho felt anything for him other than brotherly love. Like he was just another Felix to him. Would it be wrong to try and change that? Jisung wasn’t sure, but he would consider trying.
“I’ll think about it, Lix.” He decided to not give Felix a direct answer, not wanting to get his hopes up. Sure, Minho called him a pretty omega not long ago, but that could’ve meant nothing.
Felix nodded, still smiling. But it was softer now, warmer. Jisung loved this smile on him.
“I’ve got to run now, but I’ll see you later?” Felix began walking back towards the front door, looking back over his shoulder at Jisung with his hand on the door knob. “Just, think about it, okay? I want you to be happy, and hyung would make you happy. I know it.”
Jisung took a deep breath, giving Felix a tight smile with a nod. “I will, Lix. Thank you.”
“Love you, Sungie.”
“Love you too, Lix.”
❁
Jisung’s phone buzzed with a text as he was locking up the store for the afternoon only a few days later.
Fishing it out of his pocket, he froze as he saw the name.
Why was Minho texting him?
The alpha barely ever did so. Only when Jisung forgot something at their apartment, or he needed him to pick something up on his way to visit. It was a rare occurrence, and Jisung was sure he hadn’t left anything at their apartment the last time he’d been over. But still, there was Minho’s name on his screen.
Minho hyung:
Jisung-ah
Are you busy?
Jisung typed out a response as he walked toward home.
Jisung:
No, I just locked up the store
Why, what’s up?
Minho’s response didn’t come in the form of a text. Instead, his phone lit up and vibrated in his hand, Minho’s picture full screen in the background. It was from their annual holiday get-together a few years ago– adorned in a bright red bow around his neck and a scowl on his face.
Jisung swiped to answer.
“Hello?”
Shuffling came from the other end. “Hi, Jisungie.”
Jisung snorted. “What’s up, hyung? Do you need something? I wasn’t planning to come over, but–”
“Do you want to go to the mall with me?”
Pausing his walk, Jisung blinked. “What?”
“The mall. You know. Tons of stores, stupid stuff to buy.”
“Why me?”
“Felix is getting ready for another,” fake retching came from the phone then, “ date with Seungmin. I’m bored. Do you want to come or not?”
Jisung thought it over for a moment. He could turn around and head to the siblings’ apartment– he hadn’t walked far at all. But he had a lot of studying to do before his next class.
But this was Minho asking.
“I’ll buy you food,” Minho added on when Jisung didn’t reply.
“I’ll be over in fifteen.”
He made it in thirteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds. He may have been panting and out of breath, but he made it.
The door swung open the moment he knocked. He’d been let in by another tenant at the front door, so neither brother had buzzed him in. Minho looked amused when he gazed at him, eyes sparkling and lips curling into a smirk.
“Did you run here, Jisung-ah?”
He couldn’t deny it. “Maybe.”
A light giggle rang in his ears, and Jisung decided that was his favorite sound. He didn’t get to hear it often. When Minho laughed, it was usually loud and manic, something that controlled his whole body when it happened. Jisung loved those sounds, too, but this one. This one was beautiful. Like a little glance into paradise. It reminded him of a flower just beginning to bloom– gentle, fleeting.
“Cute.”
Jisung paused. Looked at Minho, who seemingly didn’t realize he said it, or maybe was ignoring it. He turned to open the door wider, not bothering to wait for Jisung to enter as he headed back into the apartment, leaving Jisung wondering what the hell just happened.
He scrambled to follow him, kicking his shoes off and tugging off his coat because it seemed like Minho wasn’t ready yet. Jisung took a second to observe the alpha— his hair was messy, but that could have been intentional. He was only wearing a t-shirt, black and hanging off his frame like it was two sizes too big. Maybe it was.
“I’ll be ready in five. Felix is in his room if you want to go say hi.”
Jisung nodded at Minho, who stepped down the hall and into the bathroom, closing the door with a click. Trailing after him, Jisung stopped in front of Felix’s door. He smelled the faintest hint of lemons, but it wasn’t sweet, wasn’t sugary. It smelled almost rotten, overripe and out in the sun for too long. Like a fritillaria imperialis, trying its best to deter predators.
“Lixie?” Jisung called softly, rapping his knuckles against the door.
He heard some scrambling on the other side before the door swung open. A wide eyed, tense face greeted him.
“You weren’t supposed to come over today.”
Jisung was taken aback by the statement. Because that’s precisely what it was— a statement. No confusion, no questioning. Simply the truth. It wasn’t like Felix.
“You’re right, I wasn’t,” Jisung agreed, stepping into the room without being invited. It was clear Felix was distressed, and he wouldn’t let his best friend stay that way if he had anything to say about it.
“Why are you here?”
Plopping himself down on Felix’s bed, Jisung narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Minho invited me to hang out. But we’re not going to talk about that right now. What’s wrong?”
Felix shifted on his feet. “Nothing.”
“Felix.”
He sighed, dragging his feet over to the bed and slumping down beside Jisung.
“I’m going on a date with Seungminnie,” he explained, as if that would give any context. It didn’t.
“Okay, and? You’re always excited to go out with him.” Jisung reached up and began running a hand through his friend’s blonde hair, making sure not to mess up the styling.
“I’m scared, Sungie.”
He paused, hand on the nape of Felix’s neck. “Why?”
“I— we talked about… marking. A few days ago.”
Jisung was still confused. Felix loved Seungmin, and after their six month anniversary date, it was clear the beta loved him just as much. Felix had come home and called Jisung immediately, gushing about how sweet he’d been, how caring and kind Seungmin always was.
“Lix,” Jisung rubbed his friend’s back soothingly. “Why does that scare you? You brought it up, right?”
Felix nodded. “Yeah, I did. I just— what if we do it, and then he decides he doesn’t want me anymore? It’s only been six months. What if he finds someone better?”
Now Jisung understood. Felix has always been this way, conscious about himself in many ways that he didn’t let show to anyone who wasn’t one of his closest friends.
As a male omega, it was sometimes difficult to come to terms with the stereotypes in the world. Though they were male, omegas in general were seen as something more feminine, something softer, sweet. But their primary genders contradicted this. Not that men couldn’t be soft– everyone was different. But Felix seemed to struggle with it more than the average person. With a deep, masculine voice and a softer face, it seemed like he was torn between two sides of him. He was a magnolia– a bloom soft and delicate, but born of a sturdy tree. Two sides of the same coin.
“Lee Felix,” Jisung spoke, gripping his friend by the shoulders. “You are a wonderful person. And Seungmin loves you. You know this. I know Seungmin, and he would never be the kind of person to do something without meaning it. Is it a little fast? Sure. But if you both love each other and you truly want to be together, I don’t see why you should hesitate. You deserve happiness, Lix.”
Felix sniffled, and Jisung could see the tears welling in his eyes. He quickly pulled his sleeve over his hand and dabbed the other omega’s eyes with a fond smile.
“You’re going to ruin your makeup, stop it.”
This drew a giggle from Felix, who then leaned into him. “Thank you, Sungie. I needed that. I do want it, I think. I love Seungmin a lot, and I think I do want to be with him forever. It’s just… a big commitment. That’s scary.”
“I know,” Jisung agreed, bumping his forehead against Felix’s. “But just talk to him about it. Seungmin will understand. He won’t get mad at you for being scared.”
Felix nodded before he pulled away, dabbing his eyes again.
A knock on the door made them both look up.
“Everything okay?” Minho questioned, eyes flitting between the two of them.
Felix smiled at his brother. “Yeah, hyung. All good. Just needed a little dosage of Sungie cuddles.”
Minho hummed but didn’t say anything. He eyed Jisung, raising a brow. Jisung nodded, pushing himself to stand. Felix grabbed his hand, halting him.
“You deserve happiness too, Sung-ah.” His voice was quiet, only for the two of them.
His eyes bounced to Minho, who was observing them silently. When Felix looked back at him, his eyes were sparkling.
Jisung could only nod.
When Jisung followed Minho out of the room, he caught his friend wiggling his eyebrows at them. Jisung chose to ignore it.
“What was that about?” Minho asked, sliding his boots on at the front door. Jisung crouched down to tie his own shoes, glancing up at the alpha.
“Oh,” he said, surprised. “I don’t know if he told you—“
“About marking? Yeah, he did. Couldn’t shut up about it, actually.”
Jisung snorted. “Sounds like Lix. Well, he’s just nervous. Needed a little reassurance, that’s all.”
“And that little thing at the end?”
“I guess I needed some too.”
Minho didn’t say anything after that, just staring at Jisung with something curious as they both pulled on their jackets. It was a little unsettling, but Jisung couldn’t let that show in his scent.
They took the car to the mall rather than the motorcycle. Jisung sat in the passenger seat, curled in on himself as much as possible. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous— it was just Minho. There was no reason to feel this way.
But then again, it was Minho. Minho always made him a little nervous.
“You okay, flower?”
Jisung’s head whipped over to Minho. The alpha was glancing at him every few moments, unable to keep his gaze on him while driving. But concern was laced in his voice and in his expression, and Jisung suddenly felt bad for acting so oddly.
“Yeah,” he nodded, straightening up a little. He didn’t offer any further explanation, and Minho didn’t request one.
The rest of the ride was silent, and Jisung was grateful. He wasn’t alone with Minho often, and each time he was it felt like his heart was threatening to beat out of his chest and run off. He needed to keep his scent under control, his emotions at bay. Now was not the time for a sudden confession.
Minho pulled into the underground parking of the mall only a short drive later. When he turned the car off, he climbed out without waiting for Jisung. It hurt a little, until Jisung’s door was pulled open and Minho was staring at him with an indiscernible look.
“Are you coming?”
Jisung reddened, hastily unbuckling himself and rushing to exit the vehicle. He followed after Minho, walking across the parking lot to the stairs on the other side. Their footsteps echoed in the silence, making Jisung self conscious of how loud he was stepping.
They climbed the stairs to the main level of the mall, instantly being hit by the loud atmosphere. Jisung found himself inching closer to Minho without meaning to.
An arm wrapped around his waist, tugging him closer to the alpha. Jisung did his best to keep his scent controlled.
“Do you want to get food right away?” Minho asked, voice close to his ear.
Jisung shook his head, focusing on the pounding of his heart, trying to keep it in his chest. “We can walk around a bit first.”
The mall was huge, and Jisung wasn’t sure where Minho was planning on going. Five stories of stores, too many escalators to count, and crowds of people that Jisung didn’t even want to think about pushing his way through. He barely even knew where the main food court was in this mall.
“Okay,” Minho agreed easily. He pulled away slightly, and as Jisung was about to mourn the loss, the alpha’s hand slid down his wrist and entwined their fingers. “Let’s go.”
Jisung let himself be pulled to an escalator in the middle of the open atrium. It took them up two stories to the third floor, where he seemed to know exactly where he was going. He tugged Jisung along, weaving through crowds of people until they ended up in front of a store Jisung recognized all too well.
“Spencers? Really?”
Minho shot him a look. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Sung-ah. I happen to buy my facial jewelry here.”
Jisung let himself be dragged into the store by his hand, around the first display of rather provocative shirts and assorted paraphernalia to a rotating stand near the checkout counters. He definitely didn’t fit in— not in a cream sweater, fluffy hair and wide jeans. Minho, however, looked like he was meant to work there, with his assortment of tattoos and piercings, black hair and matching clothing.
Minho began sifting through the jewelry— conveniently labeled ‘buy one, get one half off’. Jisung took the time to wander around, eyes catching on everything that was even remotely suggestive, from the shirts that boasted about liking hot dads to the tiny shot glasses that featured giant breasts. It was not his scene, not at all, but he was here for Minho. He would have to endure it.
He wandered further into the store, where the lights were slightly warmer and dimmer. His eyes trailed along the shelf to his right, where there were countless mugs and random trinkets that sported a variety of raunchy sayings. A mug caught his eye, white unlike the rest of them, and when he read the words on it, he giggled. Kindly fuck off. That, he could get behind.
“Find anything interesting?” A voice came from behind him, and he jumped with a squeak. When Jisung turned, Minho was grinning at him. “Sorry, flower, didn’t mean to scare you.”
Hand on his chest, Jisung grumbled, “you didn’t scare me.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Jisungie.” Jisung watched as Minho trailed to the back, and his eyes widened at what the alpha began looking at.
A wall, nearly floor to ceiling, covered in toys. Not children’s toys, trinkets and fun things. Adult toys, varying in design and intended use, all displayed proudly along the shelves.
Minho turned on his heel and smirked at Jisung. “What? Never seen a dildo before?”
Jisung blinked. Bit his lip and his eyes scanned the array of toys. “No, I have. I just— I’ve never seen any in stores. I always buy mine online.”
He realized what he’d admitted a moment too late. But where he expected the alpha to smirk, tease him a little, he was left hanging. Minho only hummed, a knowing look in his eye as he turned back around. Jisung wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed at the lack of response.
Minho clasped his hands behind him, holding two piercing packages in his hand as he scanned the wall. Jisung stood back a bit, unable to bring himself to really look at them all. Until Minho reached forward and grabbed something off the shelf, spinning around and presenting it to Jisung.
“What do you think about this one?”
It wasn’t at all what Jisung expected. He’d expected the alpha to grab a fleshlight, maybe a cock ring. Something useful for a typical alpha. But no, what he held in his hands was the last thing Jisung thought he’d want or need.
“A plug?”
Minho only nodded, eyes watching Jisung as he waited for a response.
“I mean, it’s nice? I just—“
“Just what?”
Jisung swallowed hard. “I wouldn’t expect an alpha to use one, is all.”
Recognition flashed in Minho’s eyes, and his lips spread into a grin before a light chuckle passed through them. “Oh, this isn’t for me.”
Jisung’s heart sank. Plummeted to the depths of the ocean, gone and destined to be forgotten. Of course Minho was buying a gift for someone. Probably an omega partner, someone he spent his ruts and their heats with. Someone better than Jisung, someone—
“It’s for Hyunjin.”
Oh. “Huh?”
Minho giggled. “His birthday was a few weeks ago, and we didn’t celebrate because he had his heat. I wanted to get him a kind of gag gift, you know? Something that would piss him off, and Changbin if I’m lucky, but would actually be useful.”
Staring at Minho in bewilderment, Jisung tried to wrap his head around it. He didn’t realize Minho was that close with Felix’s friends, but it did make sense. He had a tendency to click with people, to have room made for himself the moment he entered a group. Jisung had seen it firsthand countless times growing up— in school, every friend Minho had was someone who clung to him the moment they met them. Like they needed to be friends with the bad boy, needed to be seen as someone who was as cool as him.
But Jisung knew Felix’s friends weren’t like that. If they accepted Minho into their group, became close friends, it was for nothing but pure friendship.
“Oh,” he managed to respond, oh so eloquently, as he glanced back down at the box in the alpha’s hand. “I mean— I’m sure he’ll like it?”
Minho groaned. “I don’t want him to like it, Jisungie. I want him to get so mad he wants to slap me. That’s what makes it fun!”
Jisung blanched, nearly choking on his spit. “Well, that’s—“
“Oh, this one!”
Minho’s free hand reached out, grabbing another box from the shelf at head level. It was larger than the one in his other hand, and Jisung couldn’t see what it was from the angle, but Minho’s face was mischievous as ever as he looked it over.
When he turned it so Jisung could see, the omega’s mouth fell open. No words came out, and he had no idea what to say. He closed his mouth a second later.
It was a double ended dildo.
Minho watched Jisung’s face with humor, and when he stayed silent, the alpha broke out in laughter.
“You act like you’ve never seen one before,” Minho joked, wiggling the box in his hand.
“I have,” Jisung argued, face burning.
“You think it’ll make him mad?”
Jisung thought for a second. He didn’t know Hyunjin all that well, but he seemed like the type of person to be easily offended. Or to at least take things to heart.
“Most likely.”
“Perfect.”
Minho set the other box back on the shelf where it belonged and took the larger box and his jewelry packages to the counter. Jisung stood idly beside him while he checked out, avoiding the eyes of the cashier who probably cared less that they were there or what they were buying.
When they left the store, Minho guided Jisung with a hand on his back. It burned even through his sweater and jacket.
“Want food now?” Minho asked, leaning in closer as a group of teenagers passed them, rowdy and taking up almost the entire walkway.
Jisung nodded, humming out an affirmation. He tried to keep his scent toned down, the cherry blossoms threatening to make themselves known to everyone around them.
It was hard, being around someone he had such strong feelings for. Minho was so casual in everything he did, the way he spoke and the way he touched Jisung. It could’ve meant everything or it could’ve meant nothing, and he wouldn’t know unless he confronted the alpha. And that was the last thing he was planning on doing.
Minho took him up another escalator to the food court on the fourth floor. It was bustling, loud and busy. Jisung stepped a little closer, clutching Minho’s jacket sleeve, and the alpha didn’t complain. If he allowed himself to be just a tiny bit delusional, he’d let himself acknowledge the fact that Minho moved in towards him just as much.
They chose a chicken place, the line being one of the shortest, and the smell drew Jisung in. As promised, Minho paid for him, and the action shouldn’t have made Jisung’s omega preen as much as it did.
They found a table far enough away from the bustling noise of the rest of the food court, and Jisung didn’t waste any time digging in. He grabbed the box with his food in it, nearly ripped open the lid, and took a large bite.
As he chewed, he let out an embarrassing moan, eyes closed. When he opened them, his mouth paused mid chew.
Minho stared at him with a small smirk, pierced eyebrow raised.
Jisung hurried to swallow. “What?”
The alpha shook his head, breaking eye contact as he moved to grab his own food, but his smile grew. “Nothing.”
Fighting the urge to whine, Jisung pouted as he bit into his chicken again.
He made sure to eat silently after that, keeping his satisfaction to himself. Jisung observed the people around them. The children running unsupervised around an empty table. The couples clearly on dates, leaning inward and giggling to themselves over milk tea. Families, laughing and interacting like they were the only people in the mall.
“Stop pouting, flower. You look like you’re wilting.”
Jisung paused, eyes snapping back to Minho. The alpha was smirking at him, eyes twinkling as he took a bite of his own meal. Jisung squirmed under his gaze, evening out his expression and focusing on anything but Minho.
They ate in silence after that, Jisung trying his best to remain calm and not look like a wilting flower, and Minho acting as if he said nothing, only smiling at Jisung when he glanced up at him.
As Jisung finished up his food, a couple sat down at a table near them. They were young, probably a little younger than Jisung. One was clearly an omega, her sweet scent reaching his nose even before they sat down. She seemed excited, grinning wide at her partner. In her arms was a large plush, and Jisung paused when he saw it.
It was a Totoro plush, fluffy and big enough that she had to wrap her arm around it to keep it in her lap. But what caught his eye wasn’t just the fact that it was one of his favorite characters— it was the large flower tucked next to his ear.
He needed it.
Before he could even come up with a way to ask her, or look it up himself, Minho was up and crossing the space between their tables.
Jisung watched, wide eyed, as Minho greeted her. She looked shocked for a moment, and her partner straightened up at the intrusion, but they both relaxed and grinned when Minho pointed to the plush. A moment later, Minho was bowing his head and turning away from them.
“What—“
“Let’s go,” Minho interrupted, grabbing their tray. “The store’s on the second floor.”
Jisung stared at him dumbly. Had he really just noticed Jisung’s want in seconds, and acted on it without even thinking? Minho had always been observant, but never like that.
When Jisung didn’t move, Minho raised a brow and tilted his head. This snapped Jisung out of his stupor and he scrambled to stand and follow the alpha. As they passed the couples table, the girl smiled at him and bowed her head. Jisung’s cheeks burned crimson.
He let Minho take his hand again when they got to the main walkway. The alpha dragged him towards the escalator that went down two floors. He didn’t let go of Jisung’s hand even as they rode down.
The store was one Jisung had been to before, but had never purchased from. It was full of merchandise from various animated movies, games and comics. He knew they carried a variety of plushes, and he’d looked at them on occasion even though he knew he couldn’t afford them.
Minho was on a mission the second they stepped foot in the store. He dragged Jisung along, eyeing every display until he located Studio Ghibli.
It was funny, the way Minho stood out so drastically against the bright colors of the store. There were other people in the store with similar vibes, but none quite as menacing as him.
The Totoro plush was on a higher shelf, and Minho had to reach on his tiptoes to grab it— his menacing aura unfortunately stopped at his height.
He didn’t hand the plush to Jisung yet, instead turning and tugging him to the checkout counter. Jisung eyed a display beside it while they checked out, stepping away a bit but keeping his hand in Minho’s.
As the cashier– a teenage girl, probably no older than sixteen– bagged the plush, she smiled at Minho and then glanced at Jisung. Jisung wasn’t far enough to miss what she said to Minho as she handed the bag to him.
“I hope your mate enjoys it!”
Jisung’s cheeks bloomed pink.
Minho only thanked her politely, taking the bag and turning his attention to Jisung. He smiled at him, soft and reserved, as they made their way back to the entrance of the store. As they exited, Minho held the bag out to Jisung.
“Here,” he said, his face neutral. But Jisung could see the red that crept up his neck.
Thanking him quietly, Jisung reached out and took the bag with his free hand. Minho’s other hand didn’t leave his.
They wandered around for a while longer, popping into random stores to check out their clothes. Jisung mostly just tagged along, allowing himself to be tugged around as Minho took him wherever he wanted to go. The alpha didn’t seem interested in separating once, his hand clasping Jisung’s tightly the entire time. The only point their hands separated was when Jisung got a little too hot and took his jacket off, opting to carry it in his hand with the bag holding the plush.
Eventually they decided it was enough, after having wandered nearly every floor and buying nothing else. With one bag each, they headed back to the parking garage.
Minho didn’t release Jisung’s hand until they were at the car. When he did, it was to open the passenger door for Jisung. Jisung was sure his face was stained rosy at that point— he hadn’t stopped blushing since the food court.
He thanked Minho quietly, climbing into the car while Minho rounded to the driver’s side. When he situated himself in his seat, Jisung swore he smelled a hint of sweetness coming off him. But it was gone a second later, replaced with the warmth of leather and only a hint of fruit.
“Do you want to come back to the apartment?” Minho asked as he pulled out onto the main road.
Jisung paused as he thought it over. He knew Felix was out, knew the other omega likely wouldn’t be home at all— not after their earlier conversation. It would be the perfect time to try and put their little plan into action. But was it weird to hang out with his best friend’s brother, at their apartment, without his best friend? Maybe a little.
There’d been times over the years that it had happened, albeit unintentionally. Jisung would stop by, hoping to catch Felix at a good time, only for the omega to be out and for Minho to be the apartment’s only occupant. Instead of going home, Jisung always stayed, lounging in the living room or on Felix’s bed until he returned. He and Minho never interacted much when that happened. It wasn’t until recently that he felt more comfortable being alone with the alpha.
He wanted to say yes, he really did. But he wasn’t sure if it would be too much too quickly. If he wanted to catch Minho’s attention in the way he desired, he needed to be tactical about it. Not blatant.
“I can’t,” he lied, biting his lip. “Not today, at least. I have a midterm I need to study for, for tomorrow.”
There was an extended pause in the car. It was uncomfortable, a tension filled silence that Jisung didn’t understand the reason for. He was about to take it back, say he could hang out for a little while, when Minho beat him to it.
“Okay,” the alpha said, voice even. But his scent was soured, just ever so slightly. “I’ll take you home.”
Was Jisung reading things wrong? Did Minho really want to spend more time with him?
Maybe Felix’s plan wasn’t such a bad one after all. Jisung just needed to figure out how to get to the bottom of this just a little faster.
A voice popped into Jisung’s brain. A deep voice, one full of mischief that matched the face of his best friend.
Leave a jacket that’s totally drenched in your scent.
Jisung had been wearing this jacket all day— it was definitely scented enough, even if it wasn’t intentional. But was he willing to stoop to that level? He could play it off as an innocent slip of the mind, sure, but would it even matter to Minho? What if he didn’t pay it any mind, or didn’t even notice Jisung left it?
But it couldn’t hurt to try. Worst case scenario, Minho didn’t find it for a few days and didn’t give it a second thought.
Best case scenario, Jisung wasn’t sure.
As he noticed them approaching Jisung’s street, Jisung slid his jacket off his lap as slowly as he could. It made little noise, the music in the car and the hum of the engine drowning it out enough that Minho didn’t react to it.
He moved his foot on top of it, pushing it down into the corner as he could, away from where Minho could see. He clutched the plush bag in his arms, trying to remain normal as Minho pulled up to his building.
“Do you want me to walk up with you?” Minho asked as he parked the car on the curb.
Jisung shook his head, cheeks burning. “No, no it’s fine! Don’t worry about me.”
Minho hummed, tilting his head as he observed Jisung. A tiny smirk tugged at his lips, and Jisung was worried he could see right through him, see that he was acting odd. But Minho only smiled wide after a moment, eyes shining.
“Thank you for coming with me, Jisungie. I had a fun time.”
Jisung tried his hardest not to blush or make a fool out of himself. He really did. But the way Minho looked at him, the way he spoke so softly, made it impossible. Jisung’s face fired up, burning bright as he sputtered out an incoherent mixture of ‘no problem’ and ‘me too’.
The alpha’s grin only grew and he let out a light huff, shaking his head. He mumbled out something Jisung didn’t catch, but he was somewhat glad he didn’t. He wasn’t sure he could bear whatever it was.
“I should— I should get going,” he blurted, jerking a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of his building.
Minho nodded, but his smile fell slightly. Didn’t quite make his eyes sparkle anymore. “Of course. Don’t let me hold you up.”
“You’re not!” Jisung was quick to assure, punching himself internally for the eager tone of his voice. “I mean— I like spending time with you.”
This brought the sparkle back. Minho’s smile softened, and he tilted his head. His eyebrow piercing glinted from the streetlight outside the car. “Me too, Jisung-ah.”
It felt too intimate. Too real. Jisung was overwhelmed, choked by his own feelings, with the urge to blurt out words that could make or break their entire decade-long friendship.
So he did what he knew best. He felt behind him for the door handle and forced it open, tumbling out backwards.
“I’ll let you get going,” he rushed out, clutching the cat plush in his arms. “Thank you for this again!”
Before Minho could respond, Jisung slammed the door shut, maybe a little harder than necessary, and ran to the entrance of his building. He didn’t stop running until he was back in his apartment, slamming the door shut and inhaling what little black currant lingered on his clothes.
❁
Jisung’s midterm went as expected. He’d been slacking off when it came to studying– too focused on Minho and his little flower experiment. As soon as he’d submitted it, he knew it was going to be a terrible score. But as long as he passed, he didn’t care.
He had no time to dwell on it either as he rushed to the flower shop. It was late morning, and he had a shift for the rest of the day. He hadn’t even had a chance to text Felix and ask how the talk with Seungmin had gone.
The bell above the door chimed as he pushed it open. The shop always smelled so nice– a beautiful myriad of the countless varieties of blossoms. He blended in well, his own scent spiking, his nerves settling. It was like his second home.
“Morning, Jisung-ah!” His coworker, Seonghwa, called from behind the counter. The omega was prepping a bouquet of yellow and white flowers, trimming the stems on the workbench beside the register.
Jisung rounded the counter, reaching up to poke Seonghwa’s cheek as he passed. He snagged an apron from the hook on the back wall and slipped it over his head, tying the strings around his back. “Good morning. What’s on the agenda today?”
Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “Not a lot. Just a few single orders, but other than that it’s a slow day.”
Nodding, Jisung joined Seonghwa in trimming the stems. He liked Seonghwa. He was a nice guy, sweet and funny, with a face meant to be on magazine covers. The perfect omega, someone jealousy inducing. And to top it off, he smelled like caramel and almond cream.
They worked together to finish up the few orders they had– the yellow and white bouquet of lilies that Seonghwa had been working on, a bright array of reds and oranges made up of carnations and roses, a few gorgeous arrangements of pink and white for a baby shower, to name a few. It was just the two of them, which was the norm for the shop. They never had enough foot traffic to necessitate more than two staff members on the schedule at a time, unless they had a giant order.
It was nearing early afternoon when they finished up, wrapping the last of the baby shower bouquets in the white paper the client chose. Just as Jisung was setting the last one in the cooler by the counter, the bells chimed above the door.
He turned on his heel, a greeting already forming on his lips, when the words died on his tongue.
“Minho,” he breathed, the cooler door falling shut behind him. “What’re you doing here?”
The alpha stepped further into the shop, a polite smile on his face. Jisung was extremely conscious of the fact that Seonghwa still stood at the counter, trying to appear like he wasn’t paying attention.
“Hi,” Minho spoke, and while it sounded casual, Jisung could smell the change in his scent. He smelled… nervous? “Sorry for stopping by without letting you know. You forgot your jacket in my car yesterday.”
Jisung’s eyes locked on Minho’s hand, where his own jacket was gripped tightly in his fingers.
“Oh,” Jisung blushed, wiping his hands off on his apron. “Thank you for bringing it! You didn’t have to do that.”
“Can’t have my flower wilting in the cold, now can I?”
Jisung heard a snort from the counter, and he had to resist the urge to turn and throw his stem trimmers at his coworker. Instead, he took a deep breath and smiled at Minho.
The alpha handed his jacket to him, and he accepted it with a nod. They both stood there, unmoving for a moment. Just stared at each other.
It took Seonghwa calling Jisung over to help with something to knock them from their… whatever it was. Minho blinked rapidly, his pierced brow twitching as he refocused, his lips curling into a soft smile. He brought a hand up and ran it through his hair— Jisung noticed it was getting long enough to cover his eyes if he left it in his face. He wanted to run his hand through it himself.
“Sorry, I’m sure you’re busy. I’ll get out of your hair.”
Jisung bit his lip and nodded, fighting away a smile. “No worries. Thank you for bringing this back.” He lifted his arm slightly, gesturing to the jacket.
Minho began to turn back to the door when an idea— probably a stupid one— crossed his mind.
“Wait!”
The alpha stopped, and Jisung rushed to the cooler where they had pre-made bouquets ready to purchase— ones that weren’t made to order. Setting his jacket on the counter, he hurriedly made a decision, grabbing two bouquets he’d arranged the day before. A small bunch of red tulips, mixed with greenery and pink wax flowers, along with a bundle of yellow and white freesia. Turning on his heel, he approached Minho and shoved them toward the alpha.
“What—“
Jisung blurted out, “Felix wanted more flowers. I was going to drop these by later anyway.”
It was a complete, total lie, but he was in too deep. The red tulips were a terrible idea, too obvious, too forward, and it was too late to take it back. He wasn’t sure why he’d even chosen them, there were so many other options that would’ve been just as—
“Thank you, flower. They’re beautiful.”
Jisung really needed to be sedated. The rapid beating of his heart was definitely not good for his health.
Minho took the bundles, his fingers brushing Jisung’s momentarily. Jisung had to strain to not react, putting a tight lipped smile on his face.
“Don’t forget to put them in water when you get home,” he commented as Minho gazed at them.
“I’ll take extra care of them. Thank you, Jisungie.”
He watched Minho retreat to the door where they shared one more smile and wave before the alpha was gone, the bells jingling behind him.
“So,” Seonghwa drawled out from the counter. “You finally caught your alpha’s eye, huh, flower?”
Jisung glared at him for the rest of their shift.
❁
It was unusually hot for the time of year. Jisung knew it was heating up, but this was beyond any kind of weather they’d had in the last few weeks.
Walking out of the building he just had his class in, he felt his skin instantly begin to perspire. Even inside it had been warm— way warmer than it felt two days ago in the same class.
He tried to brush it off as he began his familiar walk to Felix’s apartment. He’d been spending more time at their place than his own, but he wasn’t complaining. If he was awake, he was at class, work, or Felix’s. The only time he went home was if he really needed to study, shower, or sleep.
Pulling out his phone, Jisung shot a quick text to his friend to let him know he was coming over, receiving a thumbs up almost immediately. He was jealous of Felix’s mostly online classes. It seemed like the omega was always home.
Everything felt too warm, too much , as he walked. He swore he could smell everything way too heavily. The trees around him, the blooming flowers around storefronts. Even the scents of the people passing by him— and maybe they smelled him, if their glances were anything to go by. It must be from the sun.
When he reached Felix’s building, he moved to press the button to get buzzed in, but someone walked out of the building as he did so. They held the door open for him— a middle aged woman, probably only a little older than his mom. When he stepped by her, bowing his head in thanks, her eyes widened.
“Oh, my,” she spoke, making him pause. “You really shouldn’t be outside, dear.”
“I know,” Jisung laughed. “It’s really hot out, huh?”
Her brow furrowed for a moment, head tilting. Then a soft smile spread over her lips and she nodded. “Sure is. Get inside, dear.”
He thanked her and bowed again before she went on her way.
In the elevator, he leaned against the cool metal in an attempt to not overheat. He usually took the stairs since it was only one floor, but he felt so tired . The building was just as warm as outside, making him exhausted.
When the doors opened, Jisung stepped out and turned toward their door down the hall. It was further from the elevator than the stairs, but it was less walking in the long run. A few feet away from the door, it swung open. He was expecting Felix’s blonde head of hair to peek out— the omega knew how long it took from campus to their apartment, and had the timing down perfectly. But it wasn’t Felix.
Black hair poked out the door, sharp eyes narrowing on him as he stepped closer.
“Hyung?”
Minho reached out and tugged him forward, shutting the door the second Jisung was past the threshold. He pushed him against the wall, not harshly, but just enough to hold him there.
“Are you crazy?”
Jisung’s eyes widened, mouth dropped open as he stared at the alpha. “What do you mean?”
“Can you not smell yourself, flower?”
When Jisung paused, really took a moment to take a deep breath and focus on it, he did smell it. He was sweet, too sweet.
“Shit.”
Minho rolled his eyes, backing away and releasing Jisung. “Yeah, shit. Why are you walking around alone? Anyone could’ve taken advantage of you.”
Sighing, Jisung ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t realize. Really.”
Minho began walking toward the living room. “I’m going to get Yongbok to take you home—“
“No!”
The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it, and Jisung forced his lips together in a thin line as Minho turned on his heel.
“No?”
“I-I mean,” Jisung stammered, ”if my scent is that strong, maybe you should take me home? An alpha next to me is more likely to keep people away than another omega.”
It wasn’t untrue— having an alpha near him would deter anyone way more than an omega. But really, Jisung’s body was screaming at him to stay near Minho, to not let him leave. That was definitely his pre-heat talking.
Minho groaned, pulling at his lip ring. “Fine. You’re right. I’ll just let Yongbok know quickly, then we can go.”
He walked off down the hall and Jisung slumped against the wall. He listened to the quiet knock against Felix’s door, then the way it creaked open. He heard hushed voices, not clear enough to make out what was being said. Moments later he heard a rush of footsteps coming toward him and he looked up just in time to be engulfed by a fluff of blonde hair.
“Jisungie, why didn’t you say something!” He crushed Jisung into a hug. “I would have told you to go home!”
“I didn’t know,” Jisung argued, pulling away enough to look Felix in the face.
Felix’s eyes were full of concern, his mouth pulled into a pout and his brows drawn in. “You didn’t feel it?”
“I did, I guess. I just didn’t realize it was heat symptoms. I really just thought it was hot out today.”
“Jisung-ah,” Minho spoke up, leaning against the wall a few feet away. “It’s only ten degrees out today.”
“Great, okay, so can we all just agree I’m stupid and oblivious and move on already?”
Felix giggled. “Well, that part was never up for debate.”
Jisung rolled his eyes before he was pulled into a hug again.
“Hyung is going to take you home,” Felix whispered in his ear, quiet enough that he knew Minho couldn’t hear his brother’s words. “Maybe this is it.”
“I’m literally going into heat, Lix. Now is not the time to be thinking about that.”
“Or maybe the perfect time.”
Felix pulled away before Jisung could spit out a retort, but his eyes were shining with mischief. He turned to his brother, hands clasped behind his back.
“You’ll care of him, right hyung? Do you need instructions?”
Jisung watched the way Minho’s eyes flared for a moment, widening before narrowing at Felix. But he didn’t hide the spike in his scent, the spicy, fruity smell reaching Jisung’s nose. He had to clench his muscles to stop from reacting physically.
“I’m taking him home. I’ll make sure he has everything he needs, Yongbok. I’m not new to heats.”
Jisung knew Felix’s words were meant to be taken differently, and he was sure Minho understood as well, but he was grateful the alpha kept it civil. He wasn’t sure he could handle Minho even alluding to helping him through his heat without dropping to his knees and sucking him off right in front of Felix.
Besides, he was sure Minho wouldn’t help. He would do exactly what he said— get Jisung everything he needed, then leave him to his own devices. He had no obligation to help in any other way.
“Let’s go, before it gets bad.” Minho’s voice was closer, and he didn’t even realize when the alpha had stepped near them.
Jisung nodded, giving Felix one more smile before turning back in the direction of the door.
“Be safe!” Felix called behind them as Minho guided Jisung out the door, and Jisung had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.
Minho led him down to the garage in silence. He could tell the alpha was trying to keep his composure, reining in his scent as much as possible. He preened at the knowledge that Minho was affected by him.
He took Jisung to the car this time, opening the door for him. He still said nothing as he closed the door and rounded the car to the driver’s side and climbed in. Still said nothing when he started the car and pulled out of the parking space at a speed much faster than he should’ve. Was completely silent the entire short drive to Jisung’s apartment.
Jisung should’ve been upset by it, but he was actually glad. If he had to keep hearing Minho’s voice, talking to and focusing on him, he would go insane. Would probably jump him before they even got up to his unit.
“Come on,” Minho spoke softly, and Jisung blinked a few times. He looked over to see his door open, Minho holding a hand out to him. He didn’t even realize they’d arrived, let alone that Minho had gotten out of the car. His heat was progressing a lot faster than he thought.
“Sorry,” Jisung blushed, unbuckling and taking Minho’s hand to pull himself out. It sent shocks through his veins, his body crying out for him to press fully against the alpha, but he resisted it. Released his hand as soon as he was fully out of the car.
Minho led him inside, holding the door for him. There was no one around, luckily, so Jisung didn’t mind letting his scent out just a little in thanks. And maybe, just maybe, to tease.
The trek up to the third floor was where things got bad. Halfway up the first flight of stairs, Jisung doubled over as pain wracked his system. Minho was by his side in a flash, hands on his shoulders as he crouched beside him.
“Are you okay?” Jisung nodded, but grimaced as another cramp pinched at his core. “Do you need me to carry you up?”
His eyes shot up to meet Minho’s, but the alpha was only looking at him in concern. His touch burned Jisung’s shoulder. Jisung could only nod again, teeth clenching at the pain.
Minho braced himself on the handrail and bent his knees. “Climb on,” he ordered, motioning to his back.
Jisung did so, but slowly. He wrapped his arms around Minho’s neck and slid forward, the alpha’s hands coming to hold him under his knees. Jisung clasped his hands around Minho’s neck, holding on tightly as he straightened and continued up the steps. Easily, like it was a normal Tuesday activity.
They reached his door a few minutes later, and Minho made no indication that he was going to put Jisung down.
“It’s not locked,” Jisung admitted as Minho paused outside his door.
“It’s— Jisung, you can’t leave your door open when you live alone. Especially as an omega.”
Jisung whimpered as another wave of pain pricked his body, and Minho quickly pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind them and turning the lock.
“It’s not like I have anything worth stealing,” Jisung mumbled, his cheek pressed against Minho’s shoulder.
“It’s not objects I’m worried about, Sung-ah.”
Minho crossed the room and stood in front of Jisung’s bed, turning so he could climb off and onto the sheets. His bed was already a nest, set up perfectly, just the way he liked it. He instantly curled into a ball as the cramps worsened, no longer coming and going but just a constant pressure on his abdomen.
Looking around the space, Minho asked him, “do you have everything you need? Do I need to run to the store for you?”
Jisung shook his head as panic flooded his mind at the idea of Minho leaving. “Don’t leave. Please.”
Minho sighed, crouching down beside Jisung. “I just want you to be comfortable, Sungie. Do you have everything here? I can order groceries if you need anything.”
Though Minho was speaking to him, Jisung could only focus on his lips. The way they moved, how his lip ring moved with them. The pinkness of them. And then he smelled Minho’s scent, the warmth of it, the fruity yet antique smell that he loved. He wanted to tug Minho in, press his lips to the alpha’s own, ask for more. Beg, even. Until he was had in the way he wanted to be had. He could already feel the slick leaking from him as he thought about—
“Are you listening to me?”
Jisung blinked, mind clearing as he focused back on Minho’s eyes. “Sorry, what?”
The alpha sighed. “You’re a lot further along than I thought. I should go before it gets any worse.”
“No!” Jisung shot up, the cramps forgotten as he grabbed at Minho’s shirt, though the alpha hadn’t even made a move to get up.
The idea of Minho leaving, of leaving him alone and in pain, set off alarms in Jisung’s mind. He had him right here, right where he wanted him, in a time when he needed him. All he had to do was ask.
“Please, stay. Help me.”
Minho’s eyes blew wide, blinking rapidly.
“What?”
“Help me with my heat.” Jisung released Minho’s shirt, curling back into a ball when the pain became too much to ignore. His mind was emptying of all thoughts but Minho, of being taken care of, being bred.
“I can’t, Sungie,” Minho gritted through his teeth. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
Jisung did know what he was asking for, but he didn’t blame Minho for not understanding– alpha’s tended not to know exactly how heats worked, how they affected an omega’s brain. SO he could let it slide, he supposed. He just wanted Minho. “Please, Minho. It hurts.” He begged, clutching his stomach.
Minho ran a delicate hand through Jisung’s hair, scratching softly at his scalp. It barely helped distract him from the pain, but he bucked his head up into the alpha’s touch regardless. It was silent for a few moments aside from Jisung’s groans.
“If you want,” Minho started, hesitant. “I can help. But I’m not gonna fuck you, Sung-ah. Not like this.”
“Then help how?” Jisung complained, his eyes squeezed shut.
“I have hands. And a mouth. And I’m sure you have toys.”
Jisung’s eyes shot open, wide as they settled on Minho. The alpha was close, his face only inches away from Jisung’s, and his gaze was already on him.
“Would you?” Jisung asked, his voice weak. “You’d help me?”
Minho nodded, bringing his hand down to caress Jisung’s cheek. Like this, he didn’t seem like the guy with countless tattoos and piercings, with jet black hair dyed even darker than his already deep natural tone. He wasn’t the man that wore leather unironically, who rode a motorcycle way too sexy for Jisung to admit to his face. Minho was soft, careful, as he gazed at Jisung. Even somewhat nervous.
Jisung breathed in deeply, the scent of leather bound books filling his nose. It helped him to relax.
“You have to promise not to make fun of me. I get needy in heat.” Jisung whined, unabashed at his own words.
“I would expect nothing less, flower.”
Jisung felt a gush of slick leave him at the word, and he blushed when he saw Minho’s eyes darken. He was sure the alpha could smell it.
But Minho said nothing about it. Instead, he stood from his crouch and Jisung whined at the loss of his hand on his face. He made a grabbing gesture towards Minho, who only chuckled fondly.
“Come on, Sung-ah. Let’s get you something to eat first. We can’t have an omega in heat on an empty stomach.”
Jisung whined, not wanting to move. He heard Minho sigh, and in moments an arm was wrapped around his torso and another under his legs, lifting him off the bed. Jisung squeaked, wrapping his arms around Minho’s shoulders and tucking his face into the alpha’s neck, right on his scent gland. The fruity, black currant scent was so overwhelming, he couldn’t stop the slick that continued to spill from his hole. When he felt Minho’s arms tighten and heard the unmistakable growl in the alpha’s chest, he wasn’t sure he cared about it anymore.
Minho carried him to the small kitchen across the room, setting him gently on the kitchen counter. Jisung knew the countertop would be wet with slick in only a few minutes, but that was a problem for future, non-heat Jisung.
“I’ll make something simple, I promise. It won’t take long.” Minho spoke softly, stepping across the small space to Jisung’s cabinets. He dug around for a few seconds before he found a bowl of instant ramen. “Good?”
When Jisung nodded, still clutching his stomach, Minho’s eyes softened. He hurried to fill the bowl with the desired amount of water before he stuck it in the microwave, letting it cook. Once the microwave was going, he stepped back to Jisung, placing a hand on either side of him on the counter, caging him in. Jisung’s breath hitched at their proximity.
“You can scent me, if that’ll help.” Minho murmured, eyes locked on Jisung.
Feelings stirred in Jisung’s core, not only heat-induced feelings but emotions he’d been too scared to act on out of heat. But Minho was so close, staring at him with so much fondness, and his scent was so comforting that Jisung couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of Minho’s mouth. Not quite on his lips, but close enough to make the alpha suck in a breath.
“Thank you,” Jisung whispered. Then, he tucked his head into Minho’s neck and rubbed, spreading his own cherry blossom scent on the alpha’s skin and in turn dousing himself in the familiar scent of fruity black currant. The cherry blossom bloomed into something warmer, smoother. Lacing itself with the scent of amber.
Minho let him for as long as he wanted, not making a sound as Jisung rubbed himself ravenously over his scent gland. The more he rubbed, the deeper the scent got. A different aroma drifted into his senses, something warmer with a hint of sweetness. A touch of leather amongst black currant.
A sound nearly broke Jisung from his scent-drunk state, but when he realized it was coming from Minho, he grinned. The alpha was purring. It was deep and quiet, barely there, but Jisung heard it.
When the microwave beeped to signal Jisung’s meal being done, he was reluctant to pull away. He was so invested in Minho’s scent, trying to cover every trace of fruit and leather he could smell and replace it with the overwhelming sweet cherry blossom he pumped out. He wanted to mark him, and not just with his scent. When Minho pulled away, whispering out apologies, Jisung whined high in his throat.
“Just a second, flower. I’ll be right back.” Minho promised, stepping back to the microwave and retrieving the bowl. He emptied the water into the sink and mixed in the sauce packet, still stirring it as he crossed back over to Jisung. “Open wide. Careful, it’s hot.”
Jisung preened at the realization that Minho was feeding him. His alpha was feeding him.
Wait. His alpha? No, Minho was not his. He was only there to help Jisung after he begged for him to stay. No matter how much Jisung wanted it, this was temporary. Minho was only helping, and as soon as his heat was over, their lives would go back to normal— Jisung uselessly pining after his best friend’s brother despite the voice in his head telling him to confess, mate, breed .
Minho fed Jisung slowly, pausing to make sure he was actually chewing and taking his time with the noodles.
Jisung was content. He’d never had anyone to take care of him during his heat, always cursed to spend it alone due to his own stubbornness and unrequited feelings. He’d always held out hope that Minho would someday have the epiphany that Jisung was the perfect omega for him, opposite in every way, two halves of a whole, and that he wouldn’t have to search for anyone else. He’d been so set on following what his inner omega had deemed perfect for him that he never even looked at other alphas. And yet, Minho had never so much as spared Jisung a second glance. He was just his brother’s best friend.
If he couldn’t have Minho normally, maybe being shameless in his needs now wouldn’t be the end of the world.
“No more, hyung,” Jisung whined, shifting on the counter, feeling his sweats getting uncomfortably sticky. “Need you.”
Minho sucked in a breath, setting the half eaten bowl of ramen down on the counter beside Jisung. He then caged him back in, leaning close.
“What do you need, Sung-ah?” He breathed out, close enough for the waves of leathery warmth to overtake Jisung’s senses.
“You, need you.” He grabbed at Minho’s shirt, the thin material bunching in his fist. Minho let himself get tugged forward as Jisung buried his face back in his scent gland.
“Come on, flower. I need you to tell me exactly what you need.” Minho coaxed, a hand coming up to thread through Jisung’s increasingly sweat-coated hair.
Red-hot embarrassment swirled through Jisung’s veins, but he couldn’t find it in his heat-riddled brain to care.
“Need your knot.”
Minho tsk’ed, “I can’t do that, Sung-ah. I told you.”
Jisung pulled away, his eyes tearing up of their own accord. He was in pain, the mixture of cramping in his abdomen and the ache of his painfully hard cock in his sweats was enough to make him emotional.
“Why?” He cried out, pouting at the alpha. “You said you’d help!”
Cooing at him, Minho stroked his cheek with his free hand. “Has your heat made you cock dumb already, flower? You don’t remember what I told you?”
Jisung shook his head, but the words made his cock twitch.
“You like that, huh?” Minho bent his head down, bringing his lips close to Jisung’s ear. “My omega likes being talked down to? So dumb you just want a knot?”
“Yes, please, please! Need your knot.”
Without warning, Minho slid his hands under Jisung’s thigh and hoisted him into his arms, Jisung’s crotch pressing painfully against Minho’s stomach and making him cry out.
“Shh, flower. Just a minute.”
The alpha carried him back to his bed, placing him delicately on it. When Minho went to stand up again, breaking their contact, Jisung keened, reaching out for him.
Minho grasped his hand, a small smile tugging at his lips. The lip ring on his bottom lip wiggled with the movement, catching Jisung’s eye. He wondered how it would feel against his own lips, against his aching cock.
“Where are your toys, Sungie?” He asked, glancing around the room.
Jisung unabashedly motioned to the bottom drawer of his nightstand. Minho, not letting go of his hand, knelt down and opened the drawer. He whistled at the sight.
A myriad of toys sat within, ranging from knotting dildos to cock rings and vibrators.
Glancing up at Jisung, Minho smirked. “So this is what you meant at Spencer’s, hm, flower?”
Now, Jisung felt the embarrassment flare up on his cheeks. He attempted to bury his face in his free hand, but it didn’t do much when Minho pried it away with ease.
“No need to be shy. It’s just me,” he coaxed, rubbing his thumb into the back of Jisung’s hand. “Now, which ones do you normally use during heat?”
Crimson stained his features as he pointed out the dildo he usually used, as well as a vibrator and a knotted plug.
While he knew it was just the heat making him less shy than usual, Jisung felt uncharacteristically comfortable showing Minho his stash, telling him without words how he liked to spend his heats alone. He wasn’t a flower, but he felt as if he were unfurling his petals to show Minho his core, all his secrets.
“Let’s get you out of these clothes, hm? I’m sure you’re uncomfortable.”
Jisung’s body tensed, but the voice in his head screamed at him to comply. It kept telling him Minho wanted him to undress for him, to mate him, to breed him. The thought brought forth unwanted giddiness.
He complied hesitantly, first tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it aside. Even without it, Jisung felt as if he were boiling, like his apartment was twenty degrees hotter than what he knew he had it set at.
Minho watched him, eyes widening. It took Jisung a moment to realize they were focused on his chest. On his nipples, specifically, where silver glinted in the dim light of the room.
“You have nipple piercings?”
Jisung flushed, nodding. The spike in Minho’s scent, fruity with a hint of spice, made another gush of slick leave him.
“These next, baby.” Minho brushed his fingers over the expanse of Jisung’s thigh, sending a shiver up his spine.
This time, he moved easily, lifting himself up enough to shuffle the material down his legs, freeing himself slightly from the restrictive material. Underneath, his cock was still angrily hard and restrained in his boxers.
“Those too, come on. Don’t be shy.”
Though he blushed profusely, Jisung hurried to remove them, wanting to rid himself of the painful restriction. As soon as the air hit the reddened tip of his cock, he sighed in relief. Minho moved forward, setting the various toys on the bed beside Jisung. He knelt in front of him, his eyes level with Jisung’s crotch.
“What do you want me to do, flower?” He set a hand delicately on the skin of Jisung’s knee.
Jisung sucked in a breath. He was ready to throw caution out the window. “Touch me, please.”
“Where?” Minho urged. “Use your words.”
“H-here.” Jisung mumbled, pointing to his leaking cock.
Minho tilted his head, gazing at Jisung with a raised, pierced brow. “Where’s ‘here’, baby? Tell me exactly what you want.”
Jisung was growing frustrated. He was in heat, he was more turned on than he’d ever been in his entire life, and Minho was teasing him.
“Touch my cock, alpha. Please.”
Minho grinned, “Now was that so hard?”
Then his hand slid from Jisung’s knee to his cock, making him hiss at the sudden contact. But it was instant relief at the same time, having someone, having his alpha , touching him.
He decided to disregard the thought of Minho being his once again in favor of pleasure.
Minho stroked him lazily, his eyes watching him like a predator the entire time. His gaze was darkened, deep with want. Jisung couldn’t break away, couldn’t even close his own eyes, as Minho sped up his strokes.
With the thread pulled taut in his core before Minho even touched him, it didn’t take long for Jisung to snap. He cried out as he reached his peak, spilling over Minho’s fist as he worked Jisung through his orgasm. His cock didn’t let up, its angrily red, hardened state returning almost immediately. Jisung keened as Minho removed his hand, but his eyes bulged and the sound caught in his throat when the alpha brought his cum coated hand up to his lips and lapped it up with his tongue.
“Hyung!”
Minho hummed, eyes locked on Jisung’s as he sucked his finger into his mouth. Jisung’s cock twitched at the sight.
He popped off with a wet sound, then grinned at Jisung.
“Not enough, huh?” He gestured down to Jisung’s cock, clearly not satiated.
Jisung didn’t even blush when he nodded. “Need more.”
“You’re a menace, flower.”
Minho reached over and grabbed the vibrator, the wand large in Minho’s small hand. He reached over and grabbed a bottle of lube from the drawer with the toys before he climbed up on the bed and settled himself between Jisung’s legs.
Jisung spread his legs further without prompting, knees raising off the bed. He knew Minho could see everything from his position, but he didn’t care. He just wanted more, wanted him .
Minho’s hand settled on his hip, eyes still on his. With his other hand, he clicked open the lube. “Can I finger you, Sung-ah?”
Jisung nodded rapidly, drawing a breathy chuckle from the alpha. His scent was running wild, cherry blossoms and amber drifting into his nose. He removed his hand and squirted the liquid onto his fingers, rubbing it down the length of Jisung’s cock before he let go again. Clicking the bottle closed, he chucked it aside and grabbed the vibrator with his free hand.
“Can you handle both?” He asked, holding up the device. Jisung nodded again, bucking his hips up in anticipation. He just wanted to be touched, to be taken apart and put back together again by the person he wanted most. He would take it in any way he could get, even if he was terrible at double stimulation out of his heat.
Minho smiled, saccharine and sparkling as he clicked the vibrator on. The low hum filled the small space. Minho lowered it slowly, resting it on the skin just to the side of Jisung’s groin. He bucked up at the touch, wiggling his hips to try and move it to where he needed it most.
“Let me know if it’s too much,” Minho whispered, then slid it over to the base of his cock. It was the ghost of a touch, barely there and only a low vibration, but it was enough to make Jisung cry out. He bucked up, eyes rolling back as he finally got the relief he’d been wanting.
Minho moved it up his shaft, settling on the tip. Jisung was so focused on the feeling, the near overstimulation of his tip, that he didn’t notice Minho’s fingers rubbing over his entrance. When his fingertip applied enough pressure to push through the ring of muscle, Jisung gasped. Slick poured out of him, coating Minho’s fingers in sweet cherry blossom.
Dragging the vibrator down his shaft, Minho pushed his finger in further until his knuckles hit the skin of Jisung’s ass.
“Okay?” He asked, raising a brow. Jisung nodded rapidly, wiggling his hips. He wanted more. Needed more.
“Please.”
Though it made no sense, Minho knew exactly what Jisung was asking for. He always knew, somehow. His finger slid almost entirely out before another one joined it, prodding at his hole and pushing its way in, the muscle giving easily.
“You’re doing so good, flower. Take me so well.”
Jisung preened at the words, biting his lip as Minho began to move his fingers in and out of him, stretching him open as he spread them. The vibrator sent waves of pleasure to his core as it ran up and down his shaft, settling on his tip for a few seconds before being returned to the base.
It was a perfect mix, stimulating both parts of him that he needed touched. Minho knew exactly what to do, seemed to realize when Jisung needed more as he pressed a third finger in beside the other two. Knew when to turn the vibrator up a notch. Read Jisung’s body like an open book.
Minho pressed his fingers in deep, curling them up. Jisung jolted, moaning out loudly, hips bucking.
“There we go,” Minho praised, pressing against Jisung’s prostate with his fingertips.
The combination of the vibrator on his tip and his prostate being stimulated was too much. Jisung clenched, crying out as his cock spurted ribbons of white over his stomach. Minho worked him through it, taking away the vibrator but continuing to pump his fingers languidly until Jisung was twitching. His cock stayed hard, even as Minho removed his fingers.
“Do you need a break?” Minho asked, his free hand trailing a pattern over his thigh.
Jisung shook his head even though his body felt like jelly. He needed more.
“Are you sure?” Minho raised a brow, wiping his slick covered fingers on Jisung’s sheets, not that Jisung cared. He could wash them later. He moved forward, bracketing Jisung between his arms as he leaned over him. “I need words, flower.”
Jisung nodded. “Need a knot.”
“Right now? You don’t want to wait a little while?”
Shaking his head, Jisung felt a blush rising to his cheeks. His head wasn’t as cloudy due to the orgasms, but there was still a weightlessness there. “If I wait too long, the waves start to hurt more.”
Minho tilted his head, smirking. “Well, we can’t have that, now can we? Better give my omega the knot he needs, huh?”
My omega . Jisung knew Minho was just playing into it, giving him exactly what his heat-riddled brain wanted, but it didn’t stop him from letting out a mewl anyway. He nodded eagerly, clutching Minho’s shoulder. His eyes were locked on Minho’s lips, curled into that little smirk. Lip ring dangling teasingly.
Before he could filter the thought out, his lips formed, “kiss me?”
Minho’s eyes widened, and Jisung felt the way his muscles tensed under his hand. He worried he ruined it, made Minho uncomfortable with only a few words. Now his alpha would leave, and Jisung would be alone without his mate—
“Are you sure?”
Jisung nodded, not even having to think the question over. He wanted Minho, in any way the alpha would allow him.
“Please.”
Minho leaned down with a small smile, face only inches from Jisung’s. He could feel his breath fanning his lip for a moment before soft lips were on his own.
Jisung arched up into it, scrambling to get as close as physically possible. The lip ring on Minho’s lower lip was cold on his skin, but he loved it. The warmth of the alpha’s lips balanced it out, and Jisung was intoxicated. He wanted to do this forever.
When Minho pulled away, it was too soon. Even if he couldn’t breathe, even if Jisung gasped for air himself when given the chance, it wasn’t long enough. He wanted more, never wanted to part.
“Let’s get you that knot now.”
Minho climbed off him, locating the dildo and lube. The dildo was Jisung’s favorite— flared knot at the base, just long enough to press against his prostate when it was fully inside him. But he found himself turned off by it, it wasn’t what he wanted. But it would have to do.
“Do you want to stay like this?” Minho asked, rubbing Jisung’s knee.
“No, uh—“ Jisung paused, face flushing. “I usually go on my knees.”
“That’s fine, flower. Whatever will be the most comfortable for you.”
Jisung flipped himself over, face burning when he realized Minho would be staring straight at his hole. He hoisted himself up on his knees, elbows on the bed as he arched his back.
“Pretty,” Minho whispered, almost too quiet for Jisung to hear. But he did, just barely.
The sound of the lube opening came from behind him, and then the slick sounds of lube being rubbed around. A hand on his lower back made him jolt slightly, and Minho apologized softly.
“Ready?” He asked, rubbing a circle with his thumb. Jisung nodded quickly, wiggling his hips slightly.
“Please, hyung,” he whined, and realized what this looked like. Without being able to see Minho, it was as if it was Minho. When the tip of the dildo pressed against his rim, he pictured Minho being the one to do so. He didn’t have to imagine the groan Minho would make when he breached him, as the alpha did make a sound when the tip of the dildo pushed through. Like he was watching it, observing the way Jisung’s hole sucked it in eagerly.
Jisung imagined Minho’s cock being the one to split him open, working its way in slowly, one inch at a time. Pictured him pausing, watching Jisung’s body language as he adjusted to the size before he pushed in further.
It wasn’t as warm as a real cock, but it was close enough. Minho’s hand on his lower back helped, giving Jisung the illusion that the alpha was fucking into him and holding on to anchor himself.
When the knot pushed against his skin, Jisung mewled. hung his head down between his arms, moaned out loud and unabashed. He felt so full, so perfectly filled and sated. But it was missing something. Something small, just a little detail, but it was missing.
“Hyung,” Jisung breathed out, unable to hold his head up.
“What is it, flower? Everything okay?” Minho’s voice was concerned, and he felt his fingers around the base of the dildo, ready to pull it out with any given notice.
“I’m good!” Jisung was quick to assure, wiggling his hips. “I just…”
Minho’s thumb circled his hip, soothing. “You can tell me, Sung-ah.”
“C-could you, maybe,” he bit his lip, trying to think over how to ask without embarrassing himself and wanting to never show his face again. “Press against it?”
“Like this?” He flattened his palm against the bottom of the base, pushing the dildo slightly further. Jisung moaned quietly, stomach clenching.
“No, uh… with your hips.”
“Oh.”
His face burned, and he was suddenly glad Minho couldn’t see him. But a second later, his body froze as he felt the unmistakable brush of fabric against his ass cheeks.
“Like this?”
Warmth spread across his backside as Minho pressed up against him, hips pushing into his ass. It pushed the dildo further, and this time it felt right. Like Minho was the one fucking into him, hips flush against him.
“Perfect,” he gasped, eyes rolling up in pleasure.
Minho seemed to understand exactly what Jisung was playing at, the dildo becoming a placeholder for what he really wanted. Pseudo sex, in a way.
The alpha catching on may have not been the best for Jisung’s sanity, because when he spoke again, Jisung nearly burst then and there. “Can I move, flower?”
“Yes, please,” Jisung breathed.
It was a little difficult, and Jisung could tell Minho struggled to find a way to move the dildo in time with his body, but eventually a hand wrapped around the base once more and Minho pulled his hips back, the dildo sliding partially out of him at the same time. When it pushed back in, they both moaned. Jisung couldn’t tell if Minho was doing it just to play the part, but it made his omega preen nonetheless. He was pleasing his alpha.
Minho started at a slow pace, and Jisung didn’t mind as long as it was Minho. He didn’t want to demand Minho move quickly or harshly, he wasn’t sure how the alpha was holding the base and if it was even easy to move in general. He would take what he could get.
Each time Minho’s hips pressed against him, even through the fabric of the alpha’s sweatpants, he felt like he was on fire. Jisung was overwhelmed, moaning without restraint with each thrust of the dildo.
Minho’s hand gripped his hip harder, tugging Jisung back against him. He went willingly, eager to feel as full as possible. The tip of the dildo brushed his prostate and he moaned loudly, back arching.
“That’s it, flower,” Minho breathed, and it sounded strained. Like he was trying to hold it together. Jisung didn’t realize how much he was asking of the alpha at the moment, but his head was too cloudy to care. “Doing so well.”
Jisung whined, rolling his hips back into Minho. He was so close, he could feel the heat building in his core. He hoped being knotted, even by a fake knot, would help satiate his heat, even just for a little while.
“Close, hyung,” he breathed out between moans.
Minho sped up slightly, putting more force into the movement of his hips. The knot of the dildo pushed against Jisung’s rim, and he gasped out little breaths each time.
“You want me to knot you, flower? Push it in?’
Jisung keened high in his throat as his orgasm wracked through him, painting his sheets below him with white. At that same moment, Minho pushed forward completely, the knot of the dildo pressing in through the ring of muscle and settling inside him. Minho ground his hips down, sliding his hand away from the base and using both to grind Jisung back against his groin by his hips. It pushed the dildo deeper, squeezing more cum from his leaking cock.
It felt so real, and the thought made Jisung’s cock twitch once again.
Minho rubbed soothing circles into his hips, not moving from his position until Jisung whined.
“What do you need?” He ran a finger down his spine, making him shiver.
“This is gonna sound really weird,” Jisung mumbled, still hanging his head. “But can you grab the lube and my plug?”
“Why do you need— oh. I think I understand.”
Minho didn’t back away, instead leaning sideways and reaching for both items. When he settled back behind Jisung, he rested one hand on his back again, drawing a small circle with his thumb.
“What do you need me to do?”
Jisung lifted his head and chanced a glance backwards. That was a mistake. From this angle, even though Minho was clearly still clothed, it looked like he was seated deep inside Jisung. The fullness he felt was no longer silicone, it was hot and pulsing, knot inflated and locking them together for real.
He whimpered, willing himself not to come again just from the visual. “Uh— take out the dildo, and then, like, squeeze the lube in. A lot of it.”
Minho’s gaze drifted to his eyes for a moment before it flitted down to his lips and then down again, trailing along Jisung’s body to where his hips were pressed against him. His hand shifted from Jisung’s hip to his ass, squeezing lightly at the flesh before his fingers wrapped around the base of the dildo. He backed his hips up with his pull, still playing into Jisung’s fantasy.
Jisung whined at the loss of being full, but it was quickly replaced by a moan as Minho clicked the lube open and hovered the tube above his hole, squirting a steady stream down into it.
Because he was slightly gaping from the dildo, and the addition of Minho’s hand squeezing his cheek, it dripped in easily. He felt the cold sensation seep deep into him, and while the chill was slightly uncomfortable, the feeling of being filled again overshadowed it.
Minho kept squeezing, keeping his cheeks spread as he emptied the bottle into him. It had been nearly full, one that Jisung had recently purchased, but soon enough Minho was squeezing it tighter, making squelching sounds with the bottle as it reached the end of its life.
When the bottle was empty, Minho raised the plug and swirled it around Jisung’s rim, collecting the mixture of lube and slick that accumulated there. He rolled the glass around in his palm, warming it slightly, before he pressed it against Jisung’s hole, applying pressure to the muscle. It gave way easily, sucking the glass in completely in seconds. When it was seated completely, locking the lube in place, Jisung moaned, hanging his head once again.
“Feel good, flower?” Minho asked, wiping his hands on the sheets again before pressing his hips back to Jisung’s ass. His hands rested on Jisung’s hips, kneading the flesh with soft fingers.
He knew exactly what he was doing, he had to know. He had to realize that this way, it felt like he’s bred Jisung, that he was locked inside him with his seed filling him. There was no way he didn’t understand, not with the way he pressed his hips against Jisung with enough pressure to push him forward slightly.
“Feels good, hyung. Full.”
He knew he’d have to escape to the bathroom at some point and empty himself of the lube, but he just wanted to bask in this moment. Wanted to pretend he was full, that his alpha had bred him, sated his needs.
“Wanna stay like this?” Minho’s finger ran along his waist, drawing abstract patterns on his skin.
Jisung nodded. “Just for a little while.”
“That’s fine, Sung-ah. However long you need.”
They stayed there for a while, as he wanted. What he really wanted was to never move again, but he knew Minho would get uncomfortable, and his knees began to scream at him in pain.
The fire in his stomach was sated for now, aided by both the proximity of Minho and his scent, and the feeling of being knotted— even if it was a fake knot. It wouldn’t be long before he felt the urge again, so he needed to move quickly.
“Hyung,” Jisung breathed out, picking his head up. Minho hummed, rubbing his hip. “Can you help me to the bathroom?”
Minho didn’t hesitate to help Jisung up, scooting from behind him to his side. The loss of heat at his rear made him whine, but he swallowed it quickly. Minho helped him to slide off the bed, the plug still buried inside him. It felt odd, almost as if he could feel the lube sloshing around in him, but it felt good at the same time.
Together they managed to get to the bathroom, taking small steps. Jisung’s legs felt like jelly— to anyone else, it would look like he got seriously fucked. He wished that were the case.
Minho helped him to sit on the toilet while he started the shower. Sitting on the plug wasn’t very comfortable, but he didn’t think he could stand that long without Minho’s support.
Once the shower was going, Minho helped him over to it, supporting him by his hips. The water was warm, not too hot. Minho left him leaning against the wall of the shower for a moment as he backed up and stripped his shirt from his body. He didn’t take off his sweatpants, letting them get soaked as he returned to Jisung’s side and held him steady by his waist.
Jisung could only stare at him. He’d seen Minho shirtless a million times, a perk of being the Lee siblings’ friend since a young age. He’d witnessed first hand the way Minho’s body changed over the years. How, over time, milky skin was replaced with black and grey ink. Now, he could see just how much he really had. His collarbones were both covered, vines on both sides. On one side, budding with flowers, and the other pricked with thorns. Down his ribs were words and swirling designs, covering nearly everything there. His upper arms were portraits of gods, stretching as he moved. Jisung could see the memorial portrait of their childhood cat hidden amongst them, an ode to the once king of the household.
Minho was beautiful. Jisung had never been a large fan of tattoos, but anything on Minho’s body was perfect. They suited him so well; they were a part of him. He wanted to trace each and every stroke of ink, every swirl and line that graced Minho’s skin.
But he held himself back. He couldn’t, not without permission. No matter how much his heat brain wanted him to.
As Jisung’s eyes trailed down Minho’s body, one thing became painfully apparent.
While Jisung had begged for help, wanted nothing more than for the alpha to help him, he didn’t think about the possibility of it affecting Minho. Not in a physical way. But the bulge in Minho’s sweatpants, the now dark material clinging to his skin and making it that much more obvious, made Jisung’s breath hitch.
Minho seemed to notice as he glanced down and back up, his chest reddening. “Sorry, I—“
“Don’t be,” Jisung was quick to interject, a single hand on Minho’s bicep to keep himself upright under the water. “That’s a compliment for an omega, especially in heat.”
The alpha didn’t respond, but his hand tightened on Minho’s waist. Jisung allowed himself to turn toward the stream of water and put his head under, wetting his hair. Minho kept a hold on his waist, stepping closer as Jisung grabbed the body wash and began to scrub his body. He didn’t feel the need to wash his hair– he would take a thorough shower once his heat was over. He just needed to get off the sweat and clean the lube and slick from, well, everywhere.
It was silent in the bathroom aside from the water, and Jisung’s thoughts began to wander. The hands on his waist were small, but firm, and he wondered how it would feel to be bent over by them, to be shoved against the wall and be taken from behind by the alpha that held him. The thought had his cock twitching, reawakening as he attempted to wash the cum and sweat from his stomach and avoid touching his groin.
“Sung-ah,” Minho murmured, his voice strained and way closer to his ear than Jisung expected. He hadn’t felt Minho press his body against him, but now that he was aware of it, he felt the erection poking into his ass. He realized he was wiggling his hips, practically grinding on Minho.
Jisung instantly tried to jump away, squeaking out an apology, but Minho’s hands held him firm.
“Is another wave coming?” Minho asked, his chest warm against Jisung’s back.
Sucking in a breath, Jisung slumped back against him. “I think so.”
“Do you have a clear head right now?”
This made Jisung freeze. His eyes widened and he slowly turned his head to look at the alpha. Their faces were only inches apart when their eyes locked, and Jisung knew his next wave was a lot closer than he hoped with the way his stomach immediately clenched.
“For now,” he managed, breath caught in his throat.
Minho’s eyes flickered to his lips and back. They were darkened, dilated. Sharp and predatory. “I need you to tell me exactly what you want.”
“But, you said–”
“I know what I said. And I’m probably going to regret going back on it, but if you promise me you’re in your right mind and it isn’t the heat talking, I will.”
Jisung turned in his arms, hands resting on Minho’s chest. He pressed his fingertips into the inked skin, blunt nails scraping for a hold. Minho’s hands held him firmly by the hips, eyes focused on his.
“It’s not the heat talking. I want you.”
Minho huffed. “Want me how, Jisung-ah?”
Rolling his eyes, Jisung trailed a finger up Minho’s chest, up his neck and along his jaw. He could excuse his words later, but for now, he wanted to be blunt.
“I want you to push me up against this goddamn wall and fuck me. Please.”
He wished he’d asked Minho for help before his heat started, because the way the alpha kissed him was mind numbing. He tugged him forward by his hips, pressing their lips together with a hunger Jisung craved more of. He wrapped his arms around Minho’s neck, pulling him impossibly closer. Jisung’s cock was filling out between them, bumping against Minho’s still covered erection, making them both moan into each other’s mouths.
The heat wasn’t clouding his mind just yet, but it was close. He wanted to remember this moment as much as possible, and he would fight it off as long as he could withstand it.
“Wait, Sung-ah,” Minho panted into his mouth, forcing them apart just enough to look at him. “I need to go grab a condom–”
“I’m on birth control,” Jisung cut him off, trying to press his lips to his again. “And I’m clean. We don’t need one.”
Minho groaned, nipping at Jisung’s lip. “You’re going to drive me insane, flower.”
Jisung slid his hands down, tugging at Minho’s waistband. The material was soaked, clinging to his skin and making it heavy. He tried to dip his fingers in, but Minho’s hand stopped him.
“Promise me one more time. I don’t want you to regret this.”
Tilting his head, Jisung raised a brow. “Like I would ever regret this.”
“Jisung, I’m serious.” Minho’s eyes narrowed. “If you can’t promise me, I’m not doing it. I’ll help you in other ways.”
Panic surged through Jisung’s veins. His grip tightened on Minho’s pants and he bit his lip.
“I promise you, hyung. I want this, not my heat. Please fuck me.”
Sighing, Minho releasing Jisung’s wrists. Jisung wasted no time in tugging the material down, sweatpants and underwear in one go. Minho’s cock sprung free, already hardened and red at the tip.
“Fuck,” Jisung whispered.
He wasn’t planning on telling Minho he was a virgin, that this would be his first time having anything inside him that wasn’t made of silicone or glass. But looking at Minho’s cock, much bigger than even his biggest dildo, he was beginning to second guess that decision. Even in heat, he worried his knot would be too much for Jisung to handle.
“You’re drooling, Sungie.”
Jisung’s eyes shot up to meet Minho’s, which were twinkling in amusement. His mouth was pulled into a smirk, lip ring stretching with it. Jisung quickly wiped his mouth, only for his hand to come away clean. Minho chuckled, high and breathy, as his hands tugged Jisung forward again. When their cocked rubbed together, Jisung mewled, eyes rolling back for a moment.
One of Minho’s hands trailed up his side, across his chest. Fingers pinched one of Jisung’s nipples, lightly rolling the bud. Jisung whined, back arching as Minho’s fingers flicked over the metal piercing. He tugged it softly, smirking when Jisung moaned out. It hurt a little, but he liked the pain.
“Hyung, please,” Jisung gasped, and Minho swallowed it with a kiss. He swiped his tongue across Jisung’s bottom lip and Jisung opened willingly. The cold metal against Jisung’s lip drove him insane, filled with a thirst for more. He wanted to feel all of Minho, every inch and surface. Wanted to touch every piercing, trace every tattoo. He wanted to memorize his body so he could picture it in his dreams, or maybe during his future heats.
“Turn around, flower,” Minho mumbled against his lips, nibbling at the bottom one once more before pulling away.
Jisung obliged, pressing his palms against the cold tile of the wall and spreading his legs slightly. He was suddenly aware of the plug that was still nestled inside him, and could smell the way his arousal spiked when Minho kicked his sweats off his ankles and knelt down.
Hands spread his ass cheeks, fingers digging into the skin. Sliding one hand inward, Minho wrapped his fingers around the base of the plug and tugged softly. Didn’t pull it out, only teased it. Repeated the action a few times, drawing a string of moans from Jisung’s throat.
When he did remove it, Jisung flushed at the feeling of lube and slick gushing from him. He definitely hadn’t had that much in him to begin with– his slick has built up the longer he’d been plugged.
A finger probed at his entrance as teeth scraped the flesh of his ass. Minho bit down as he sunk a finger all the way to the knuckle, instantly curling it and making Jisung see white. He quickly added a second finger, pumping them steadily as Jisung’s palms grappled for a hold on the wall.
“I’m ready, hyung, please.”
Minho didn’t acknowledge him, instead sliding a third finger in beside the other two. Then something warmer, something softer, prodded at his rim.
“Hyung!”
Chuckling, Minho lapped at his rim, sliding his tongue around the muscle as his fingers worked in and out. He spread his fingers wide, sliding his tongue in between them, licking at the inner walls of Jisung’s entrance. The fingers disappeared and Minho sucked on the rim, tongue still exploring and prodding for a moment before he finally pulled away. But not before pressing a soft kiss to the swell of Jisung’s ass.
Hands were back on his hips a moment later, and he could tell Minho was standing even without looking back. When Minho pressed forward, his cock rubbing between Jisung’s cheeks, Jisung whined.
“Are you absolutely sure–”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Jisung rushed to say, wiggling his hips back. “Now please stop asking and fuck me.”
“So demanding, Sungie.”
But Minho listened nonetheless. Jisung felt the tip of his cock press against his hole, and a moment later he was being spread open.
It didn’t hurt– he sent a quick thanks to his heat and their thorough prepping– but he still felt the stretch. Minho moved slowly, pausing when he was only a few inches in to give Jisung a second to adjust.
Hands gripped his hips firmly, fingertips digging in enough to bruise. Jisung wanted them to.
“You can move,” Jisung spoke after a minute, hips shifting.
Minho pushed forward, burying himself further. When his hips stilled against Jisung’s ass, Jisung moaned loudly, the sound echoing in the small bathroom. He felt so full, much fuller than any of his dildos ever made him feel. And to feel warmth, the pulsing of Minho’s shaft inside him, was a whole new experience.
Then Minho started moving, and Jisung saw stars.
He pulled back until only his tip was in, then plunged back in. It punched the air from Jisung’s lungs, causing him to gasp out. His forehead fell forward against the tile wall, cooling his burning skin. Minho set a slow rhythm, snapping his hips forward languidly. Each thrust reached depths within Jisung that he didn’t even know existed. He felt like he was being split down the center, opened up and put on display like an orchid waiting to be pollinated.
And he supposed that’s exactly what was happening. He was putting himself out there, presenting himself for the alpha he wanted, waiting to be bred.
“You’re still so tight, flower,” Minho grunted on a hard thrust. His tip brushed Jisung’s prostate, bumping up against the bundle of nerves and drawing a moan that bordered on a whine.
Jisung squeezed his eyes shut, letting himself focus on the feeling. “Hyung.”
“What is it, Sung-ah? Feel good?”
“So good, hyung. So, so good.”
He could feel his brain turning to mush, clouding over as the wave of his heat approached its peak. It reduced him to nothing but a whining mess, babbling incoherencies amongst begs of faster and harder. All mixed with a constant hyung, hyung, hyung.
His orgasm hit him without him realizing. One moment, he was completely oblivious to every sensation besides the way Minho split him open, and the next he felt his stomach clench as he tipped over the edge. His cock spurted against the wall, the floor of the shower. It was all washed away in seconds, the spray of the water removing any trace of what they were doing.
“Shit, did you–”
Minho began to slow, and Jisung backed himself up into him. “Keep going. Need your knot.”
The fingertips on his hips dug in further and Minho snapped forward, filling Jisung once more. He let out a string of moans and incoherent babbles as Minho began a steady fast pace, thrusting forward with deep strokes each time. Each one reached the deepest parts of Jisung, driving his mind to go blank.
Jisung was edging into overstimulation when Minho’s thrust started losing their rhythm. He whined, the sound caught in his throat as he felt Minho’s knot swelling, bumping against his rim with each thrust. Minho was mostly silent, only short breaths and quiet grunts falling from his lips as he pulled Jisung back onto his cock. The alpha’s scent spiked, spicier and warmer with arousal. His knot pushed through the ring of muscle and he stopped thrusting, opting to instead grunt himself further into Jisung, as if he could get any closer, any deeper. A moment later, his hips bucked forward, his knot fully locking into place. Jisung felt the moment Minho reached his own release, the warmth painting his walls, the alpha’s cock twitching inside him as he pumped him full.
Before he realized, Jisung was coming again. His cock, completely untouched, twitched as it let out a pathetic dribble of cum onto the wall and floor of the shower. Jisung cried out, back arching from the pleasure.
Minho’s head fell to Jisung’s shoulder, hot breath fanning his skin as he panted.
“Hyung,” Jisung murmured, head beginning to clear as he realized something.
Humming, Minho rubbed a hand up Jisung’s hip in acknowledgement.
“How are we going to move now?”
❁
They’d eventually decided to wait it out. Minho’s knot had taken a good ten minutes to deflate, and in that time they cleaned each other– mostly Minho doing the work for both of them as Jisung couldn’t exactly turn to clean Minho himself.
When it finally went down enough for Minho to detach himself from Jisung’s back, Jisung had keened at the loss. Minho had cooed at him, grabbing the plug from where he’d discarded it on an empty shelf and pressed it back into Jisung’s hole. Keeping his cum in there, keeping Jisung full and sated.
Together they’d cleaned up, tidied Jisung’s bed and had simply laid down and cuddled.
That was two days ago.
The next afternoon, after spending more than half the morning buried inside Jisung, Minho announced he had to go. He’d called in sick to his shift the night prior, but he couldn’t miss again without risking his job.
Jisung knew Minho worked evenings, bartending at a popular club not far from campus, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. He hadn’t wanted his alpha to leave, hadn’t wanted to be alone.
But then he had to remind himself that Minho wasn’t his. He wasn’t his alpha, wasn’t his to ask to stay. Wasn’t his to ask to do what they did.
So he let Minho go. Albeit reluctantly, Jisung had untangled himself from the alpha and sat observing as he got dressed. Watched the way his back muscles flexed as he tugged his shirt on, wrinkled and probably stained from their first wave of Jisung’s heat. Sat and tracked every movement Minho made, up to slipping his shoes on by the door.
Jisung had to take care of himself for the two days following that. He’d cried a few times, if he had to be honest with himself. He felt empty, but not physically. There was barely a moment where he wasn’t sitting on a dildo or using another toy, but each orgasm was more pathetic than the last. His heat drove him to continue, but his heart felt hollow. Now that he’d had a taste of Minho, of what being with the alpha was like, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to have a normal heat on his own again.
He hadn’t heard from Minho since he left. The alpha was radio silent and it made Jisung uneasy. Had he ruined everything? Had he forced Minho to help him, to cross a boundary he’d set for himself when he agreed to help Jisung?
Jisung didn’t regret it. Minho was the perfect partner, he’d been sure of that before and their time together only strengthened that belief. But he couldn't help but feel like Minho didn’t feel the same way. He hadn’t even checked on Jisung since he left.
He’d felt when his heat broke, when the final pathetic orgasm wracked through his body, pulling the last remains of cum from his softening cock. He’d wished Minho had been there, but he was alone.
It’d been a day since, and Jisung was only now cleaning his bed. He tugged his sheets off and stuffed them into his washing machine— the only perk of his tiny apartment, tucked away in the closet beside the bathroom. He scrubbed every surface of the shower, trying to wash away any remnant of his and Minho’s actions. Then showered, rubbed until his skin was raw and red. Wanted to remove the lingering scent of warm fruit and aggravatingly enticing leather.
When he was done, he went to the kitchen to make himself something to eat. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a proper meal— he’d been eating nothing but protein bars and drinking half-full bottles of water that were within reach of his bed for the last two days. He missed Minho’s cooking.
That was when he realized something terrible. His kitchen counter glistened, and the scent of soft cherry blossoms filled his nose.
Right. He forgot to clean the counters.
The thought of food set aside for now, Jisung grabbed a rag and disinfectant from under his sink. He rubbed the counter with a fervor, the dried slick too stubborn to remove without pressure.
Just as he finished up, tossing the rag into the laundry basket near his closet, his phone vibrated somewhere in the apartment. Jisung scrambled to find it, following the sound of the vibrations to his bed. Without the sheets, it was clear the device wasn’t on his bed, so he knelt to the floor, pushing away discarded clothes and a fallen pillow. He found it underneath, lit up and vibrating on the floor with the picture of his best friend displayed on the screen.
Swiping to answer, Jisung grabbed the phone and raised it to his ear.
“Hi—“
“I’m down the street, I’ll be there in two minutes.”
Then his friend hung up, leaving Jisung staring at his screen in confusion.
He had texted Felix as soon as his heat ended to let him know. And to maybe, just maybe, pry about what Minho was doing. Felix hadn’t known, but said Minho had locked himself up in his room as soon as he got home from his last shift.
That didn’t make Jisung feel any better about his worries.
The first thing Felix asked when he walked in– without knocking– was, “so, did you fuck or what?”
Jisung gaped at him, crossing the room and shutting the door with a sigh once the omega was inside his tiny apartment.
Felix turned on his heel, toeing off his shoes and gazing at Jisung with bemusement. “What? I can’t ask if my best friend lost his virginity to my brother?”
“Felix.”
The blonde held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just curious!”
Sighing, Jisung crossed the room to his living area, flopping down on the couch. “Fine. Yeah, we did, and I think I ruined everything.”
Staring up at the ceiling, Jisung didn’t look as Felix sat by his feet. He felt the couch dip, felt the hand on his calf.
“Why do you think you ruined everything?”
“He didn’t want to, Lix,” Jisung groaned, throwing his hands up in the air as if that would give any additional explanation. “He told me no, because he thought it was just my heat asking for it. But then he changed his mind, and I’m scared he regrets it.”
Felix hummed, patting Jisung’s leg. “Why don’t you just talk to him?”
This made Jisung shoot up, sitting to stare at his friend in horror. He couldn’t do that, couldn’t force Minho to talk about it. If he never wanted to see Jisung again, felt coerced in any way, or maybe even disgusted by the omega’s actions, then Jisung couldn’t fault him for it. If Minho never reached out to him, then Jisung would live with it. He wouldn’t approach him first. Couldn’t approach him first.
When Jisung told Felix such, Felix rolled his eyes.
“He’s my brother, Jisungie. You can’t avoid him forever.”
“I can, and I will.”
A pillow was thrown at him, and Jisung didn’t have enough time to react as it smacked him in the face.
Felix hummed to himself, leaning back against the couch armrest with his phone balanced on his knee.
“Fine. You know,” he began casually, like he wasn’t about to dismantle all of Jisung’s fragile defenses with a few simple words, “Hyunjin’s been begging me to invite you to another hangout.”
Jisung blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic. “What?”
Felix nodded, tapping at his phone like this was a completely normal conversation and not a direct attack on Jisung’s carefully curated solitude. “Yeah, he’s been all, ‘When’s Jisung coming? He’s so funny, Felix, I miss him!’” Felix imitated Hyunjin’s exaggerated tone with unsettling accuracy, even tossing his hair back dramatically. “And you are funny, so I don’t even blame him.”
Jisung squinted suspiciously, clutching the throw pillow like it might shield him from whatever scheme Felix was cooking up. “Hyunjin doesn’t talk like that.”
“Doesn’t he, though?” Felix smirked, his freckles crinkling as he patted Jisung’s leg again. “You should come. The group misses you.”
Jisung stiffened immediately, his thoughts leaping to Felix’s brother. His fingers curled tighter into the fabric of the pillow, and he held it to his chest like a lifeline. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” Felix’s voice was light but firm, the same tone he used whenever Jisung whined about eating vegetables or folding his laundry. “It’s just Chan, Changbin, Seungmin, Jeongin, Hyunjin, and me. No Minho.”
Jisung’s heart stuttered at the mention of Minho’s name. He hesitated, eyeing Felix suspiciously. “Are you sure?”
“Sure as the sky is blue and I’m irresistible,” Felix replied breezily, locking his phone and giving Jisung his full attention. “If he was going to be there, I’d tell you. He’ll be at work.” His lips quirked like he was fighting a smile, though he quickly masked it with an innocent expression. “Besides, Hyunjin said he’d cry if you didn’t come. Full-on tears, Sungie. Do you really want that on your conscience?”
“Hyunjin’s dramatic,” Jisung muttered, but his resolve was cracking. He knew Felix was laying it on thick, but the idea of Hyunjin actually being upset tugged at his heartstrings. He groaned, slumping further into the couch. “You’re playing dirty.”
“Whatever works.” Felix grinned, nudging Jisung’s knee with his own. “You need to get out of the house anyway. And it’s just dinner or something. Low pressure.”
“Low pressure,” Jisung echoed flatly, though the flutter in his stomach betrayed his apprehension. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Felix’s friends– it was the opposite. He wanted to see them so much it hurt. But the idea of being in the same circle that Minho usually occupied– one that saw them so close, was nerve wracking. Even without Minho there, the void he’d leave behind was impossible to ignore.
Still, Felix’s excitement was infectious, and Hyunjin’s alleged dramatics were enough to pull a reluctant smile from Jisung. “Okay. Fine. I’ll go. But—”
Felix cut him off with a cheer, throwing his arms around Jisung and nearly tackling him into the couch. “You won’t regret it!” he promised, ruffling Jisung’s hair for good measure. “Hyunjin’s going to be so excited.”
“Don’t tell him I was hesitant,” Jisung mumbled, batting Felix’s hand away. “He’ll guilt me into going to the next fifty hangouts.”
“No promises.” Felix grinned mischievously, grabbing his phone again. “I’m texting him now. He’ll probably scream.”
“Text quietly,” Jisung muttered, though he couldn’t help the faint smile tugging at his lips. Even though it hadn’t been long, he missed Felix’s– and his, he supposed– friends. He hadn’t known them long, but he felt like he belonged. And Hyunjin asking for his presence just made that feeling even stronger.
And he missed Minho.
The thought came unbidden, sharp and unwelcome. Jisung squeezed the pillow tighter, his smile fading. He didn’t want to think about Minho, didn’t want to dredge up all the thoughts he’d spent the last two days burying as deep as possible. Wanted to avoid it for as long as he could.
Felix’s phone buzzed, and he let out a delighted laugh. “Hyunjin says he’s already planning what to wear. He wants to impress you.”
“That’s not necessary,” Jisung said weakly, trying to ignore the twist of guilt in his stomach. “It’s just dinner.”
“With Hyunjin, it’s never ‘just dinner.’” Felix grinned, typing something quickly before locking his phone and leaning back. “You’ll figure that out eventually.”
“Yeah,” Jisung muttered. A part of him was grateful for Hyunjin’s enthusiasm, even if it was a little overwhelming. He just hoped it wouldn’t backfire. The last thing Jisung wanted was to ruin everyone else’s night because he couldn’t stop feeling sorry for himself.
“You’re overthinking,” Felix said, his voice cutting through Jisung’s spiraling thoughts. “Relax, Sungie. It’s gonna be fun.”
Jisung huffed, burying his face in the pillow. “If it’s not, I’m blaming you.”
“Deal,” Felix replied easily, his smile softening. He reached out to pat Jisung’s hair, the gesture more comforting than teasing this time. “You’ll be okay.”
Jisung wasn’t sure he believed him, but he nodded anyway. For Felix’s sake– and maybe for his own– he’d try.
❁
When a knock sounded on Jisung’s door, he was confused.
Felix never knocked, and Felix was the one he was expecting. The omega knew he never locked his door– even after being berated by Minho for it. Old habits died hard.
They were supposed to be meeting Felix’s friends for dinner. It was only a few days since Felix had stopped by, and Jisung had spent the better half of his afternoon getting ready and making sure he was presentable enough for a get-together.
“It’s open, Lix!” He called, brushing through his hair with his ratty, old hairbrush in front of the mirror near his bed.
Another knock sounded.
Jisung groaned, tossing the brush down on his bed before he stomped across the small space.
Throwing the door open, he rolled his eyes as he said, “you know I don’t lock–”
“Hi, Jisung-ah.”
Blinking, Jisung held the door open as he stared at the alpha in front of him.
“Uh– Minho, hi.” Totally normal. Totally not awkward at all. “What’re you doing here?”
Minho smiled at him sheepishly. Jisung missed that smile. Missed that warm, fruity scent. “Can I come in?”
“Oh, right. Of course.” Jisung stepped aside, allowing Minho to enter his apartment.
It was messy. Messier than the last time Minho had been here. During his heat, Jisung reminded himself. Take out boxes were strewn across the counter and coffee table. Clothes were laying messily around the space, draped over the arm of the couch, on the end of his bed, and in a pile near his closet. He hadn’t been motivated enough to clean.
When he shut the door, he turned to look at the alpha. He seemed nervous, his hands behind his back and his lip ring caught between his teeth.
“So…” Jisung began, stepping away from the door.
They looked at each other, and at that moment Jisung decided he needed to speak up. Needed to apologize for his behavior during his heat.
“Hyung, I’m sorry–”
“I wanted to apologize–”
Both paused as they stared at each other. Jisung’s heart was pounding in his chest, and he could tell his scent glands were threatening to let out a soured, unpleasantly nervous scent. He could smell the hint of sourness in Minho’s scent– not angry or upset, but nervous. Unsure.
“You first,” Minho gestured to him after a moment, hands still behind his back. “Why are you sorry?”
“I thought I scared you off,” Jisung admitted, hands wringing in front of him. “I thought I took advantage of you being willing to help.”
Minho chuckled, hand raising to brush Jisung’s hair behind his ear.
“I thought I scared you off, flower. If anything, I took advantage of you. I was the one in the right state of mind, I’m older, I’m the alpha. I should’ve known better.”
Jisung shook his head rapidly, clutching at Minho’s shirt. “I wanted it. I promise. You did nothing wrong.”
“Then why didn’t you talk to me?”
A narrowed glare shut him up. “You haven’t even acknowledged me, what was I supposed to think? I thought you didn’t want me.”
Jisung could feel the tears welling in his eyes and before he could raise a hand to brush away a stray one, Minho’s hand swiped it away.
“I’m sorry, Jisung-ah. I needed some time to think things over. I didn’t want to mess this up.”
“Mess what up?” Jisung sniffled.
Minho smiled, and this time it was soft, delicate. Like it was reserved just for Jisung to see. It was a stark contrast to his dark appearance.
“You think I don’t know what those flowers all meant? It took me a while, but I caught on. I was planning on asking you on a date, a proper one. But your heat kind of ruined that plan, and I was worried I messed things up. I thought maybe you wanted nothing to do with me, or felt violated, or something. I don’t know, I wasn’t really thinking, I guess.”
Jisung blinked. “You want to take me on a date?”
That was what he heard, right? Minho, the alpha he’d been in love with for over a decade, hopelessly pining for, wanted to take him on a date?
Minho chuckled, breathy and sweet. “That’s all you got from that?”
“No, no,” Jisung shook his head, hand clinging to Minho’s shirt. “I got it all. But you want to take me on a date?”
The alpha tilted his head. “Jisungie. Do you think I would have agreed to help you, to fuck you, if I didn’t feel anything for you? Contrary to what you and Felix may think, I don’t sleep around.”
Jisung sputtered. “I never thought that! I just knew you were… experienced.”
“If experience means two ex boyfriends and a few hookups with a coworker, then sure.”
“Three more than me, then. Or two, now.” Jisung’s eyes widened when he realized what he’d said, and Minho’s hand on his cheek stilled.
“Wait–,” Minho spoke, then seemed to malfunction. He blinked rapidly. “You were–”
“I was a virgin, yeah.”
Minho groaned, leaning his head forward until his forehead rested against Jisung’s. His hand slid down and around his waist, tugging Jisung’s body into him.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve waited.”
Jisung let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t want you to wait, hyung.”
“Yeah, but it should’ve been special. Not in a shower–”
“Hyung,” Jisung interrupted, pushing away to stare at him. “I wanted it. I’m glad it happened how it did, because I think if it had been any other situation I would’ve begged you to mark me. And we both know an alpha around an omega in heat already has to resist a lot . I’m surprised you held it together as well as you did.”
“Trust me,” Minho breathed, “it was really hard to not pull that fucking dildo out and just take you then and there.”
Jisung’s scent flared and he felt his cheeks redden.
Minho grinned at him, his lip ring shifting with the movement. Jisung wanted to tug at it with his teeth.
“Anyway,” Minho murmured, thumb rubbing a circle into Jisung’s hip where his shirt had ridden up ever so slightly. “That’s not what I came here for. I wanted to give you these.”
When the alpha brought his other hand out from behind his back, Jisung was speechless. Vibrant red blossoms spilled over on themselves, bright and blooming widely. They were fragrant, wonderful and fresh, and Jisung wondered how he hadn’t smelled them until now. Beautiful, bright camellias. And he knew the meaning of nearly every flower he’d ever come across, these included.
“Minho, I– these are beautiful,” Jisung gasped, fingers caressing the edge of a petal.
Minho’s thumb brushed over his hip again, grounding him. He passed the bouquet to Jisung, who held them tightly in his fist, gazing at them in wonder. “Not as beautiful as the person they’re for.”
The words settled in Jisung’s chest like a spark, igniting something reckless. He let out a shaky laugh, unsure of how to respond. Instead, he did what felt natural– what he’d wanted to do since Minho stepped in the door.
Standing on his toes, he leaned in, his lips brushing Minho’s hesitantly at first, testing the waters. When Minho didn’t pull away– when he leaned into it instead, his free hand curling against Jisung’s side– it felt like the world had shifted into place.
The kiss was fleeting but perfect, the kind that left Jisung’s heart hammering and his thoughts spinning. As they pulled apart, the realization hit him like a bucket of cold water.
“Wait, Felix is supposed to be–”
“He’s not coming,” Minho interrupted. His cheeks were reddened, and the leathery scent seeping from him seemed suspiciously guilty. “He never was.”
Jisung blinked. “What do you mean?”
Minho sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I kind of… asked him to come that day. I wanted to know how you were doing, and he was my best option. The whole lie wasn’t my fault, trust me. It was all his idea, I had nothing to do with it.”
It made sense. Felix was the type to create elaborate plans– Jisung wouldn’t put the entire thing past him. Did it make him a little sad that he wasn’t going to see Felix’s friends? Sure. But at the same time, he had a certain alpha in front of him. One who wanted him, wanted to be with him. And Jisung would be a fool to waste the opportunity.
“So, what you’re saying is that I have nowhere to be tonight?” Jisung asked, hand trailing up Minho’s chest.
The alpha’s scent flared, warm and leathery. “Yeah.”
Jisung grinned, wide and saccharine. He tossed the bouquet in his hand onto the counter only a few steps away and reached down, gripping Minho’s wrist. The alpha came willingly, allowing himself to be dragged across the small apartment. Jisung glanced at him the entire time.
“Then I guess you’re not going anywhere, either,” he smirked, pushing Minho down onto his messy bed. He didn’t care about that at the moment.
When he climbed into Minho’s lap, legs straddling the alpha’s thighs, Minho’s hands came up to settle on Jisung’s waist.
“There’s nowhere I’d rather be, flower.”