Work Text:
“Call me as soon as you land.”
“Yes, Sunghoon.”
“And send me a photo of you two once you guys meet. Oh, and send me a photo of his car too, as well as his license plate and—“
“Oh my god,” Jake grumbles. “Sunghoon, I promise it will be fine. You’ve met him before, he’s not going to be a catfish.”
“Met him over FaceTime,” Sunghoon points out. “He might not be a catfish, but he could still be a serial killer, or one of those alpha creeps that love to prey on unmated omegas.”
Jake groans, which causes Sunghoon to go off on another one of his tirades as they pull up to the airport departures lane. “I’m serious Jakey! Do you know how many people get kidnapped or murdered by people they thought they could trust online?”
“Do you?”
Sunghoon pauses. “Okay, I don’t know the exact number, but I’m guessing it has to be at least a few thousand every year.”
Jake snorts at his best friend’s antics, but reaches over to pat his back. “Okay, okay I get it. I’ll call you as soon as I land, and send you a photo of hyung’s license plate and car when I get there. I’ll be careful, I promise.”
Sunghoon parks the car, running a hand through his dark hair. His face is still slightly puffy from sleep, and there’s still a pillow crease on his cheek, evidence of the rush he was in after Jake ran into his room to yank him awake this morning. Jake feels a twinge in his heart. He knows Sunghoon is just trying to look out for him, and Jake is forever grateful for Sunghoon’s presence in his life. He places a hand on Sunghoon’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.
“Thank you for looking out for me,” he says, and Sunghoon sends him a wry smile back.
“Someone has to, and we both know it’s not you.”
Jake sighs, reaching across the console to pinch Sunghoon’s pillow-creased cheek. He giggles at Sunghoon’s yelp, and quickly escapes from his seat to grab his suitcase from the trunk before Sunghoon has a chance to retaliate.
“I’ll see you in a few days,” Jake calls out, and Sunghoon waves him off, still grumbling about his cheek.
The airport is thankfully not too busy, and Jake thankfully manages to get through security with no issues. He scoots through the terminal and heads to his gate to make sure the gate indeed exists before heading back through the airport to grab a bite to eat. While waiting for his food, he pulls out his phone to text his boyfriend.
이크💕
i’ve escaped sunghoon’s clutches, i’m waiting to board now!!
also just letting you know he wants me to send him a photo of your license plate and car once we meet up
and possibly your driver’s license :/
승이형💕
ㅎㅎㅎ
it’s ok i get it, i’d also be very wary if my best friend were to be on the other side of the country with some alpha i’d never formally met
have a safe flight <3 text me once you’ve landed, i’ll be waiting for you at arrivals. i can’t wait to finally see you in person
Jake smiles and tries to will his heart and wolf to stop jumping in his chest but it feels impossible. It’s as if they know he’s just a few measly hours away from meeting his long distance boyfriend, and yearn to leap out to greet him.
Jake and Heeseung met in a very unexpected manner, when Jake mistyped one of the numbers in the area code and accidentally sent Heeseung a text meant for one of his university friends. He didn’t expect for Heeseung to respond, and didn’t expect to continue talking even after explaining the misunderstanding.
Since that first text, he and Heeseung have texted each other every day and have talked about everything and nothing all at the same time. Over their daily interactions, Jake came to find that Heeseung is everything that he dreams for in a partner and a possible mate.
It scared him initially, especially since they were physically so far away from each other, and Jake was particularly worried about the practicality of being in a relationship with someone he’s never properly met in person. It took a lot of tears and late night rants turned into pep talks with Sunghoon for Jake to accept his own feelings and, eventually, Heeseung’s feelings.
However, despite having talked for a year and a half and officially dating for six of those months, they’ve still never had the chance to meet in person. They’ve had video calls before, of course, but with Jake being busy finishing up his final year in university and Heeseung’s job not giving him much time off, they’ve never been able to schedule a time to actually meet in person.
An opportunity arose when Jake’s research PI notified him that they were going to attend a conference in Heeseung’s city, and that he would like Jake to present a poster. The opportunity got even better when Heeseung casually brought up the fact that his roommate would conveniently be out that same weekend, and that he wouldn’t mind if Jake slept over at their apartment.
All in all, this is a very good chance for them to test out their compatibility beyond the screen. Earlier in the school year, Jake applied and got accepted into an excellent graduate program only an hour’s drive away from Heeseung’s city. There were programs offered in the city, but Jake hesitated on the off chance that the two of them really weren’t compatible at all. For the sake of his heart, he really hopes that’s not the case.
The plane takes off and Jake, exhausted from waking up so early, falls asleep against the hard surface of the plane’s interior. He sleeps the entire trip over, and is only woken up by the rough landing on the tarmac.
Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Jake squints out his window as he takes in his first glances at the city—his boyfriend’s city. He’s practically vibrating with nerves as he walks through the airport, just a few minutes away from seeing his long distance boyfriend for the first time ever. What if he makes a fool of himself and gives Heeseung the ick? What if Heeseung takes one look at him and decides Jake isn’t what he wants at all, and decides to break up with him in the middle of the airport?
It’s with these thoughts running wild through his mind when he finally sees Heeseung.
First of all, Heeseung is tall. Like, really tall, even for an alpha. He practically towers above everyone else in the waiting zone, which makes it so much easier for Jake to find him. Second, Jake is left dumbfounded at just how pretty Heeseung is. The first time the two of them decided to video call, Jake was rendered speechless for a solid ten seconds, taking time to just stare at Heeseung. In real life, the effect is magnified tenfold—with his wide doe eyes, slender nose, and pouty lips, Heeseung resembles a real life doll.
He sees the moment Heeseung seeks him out in the crowd. He’s scanning through the horde of people before his eyes catch onto Jake’s, and a grin rivaling Jake’s own splits across his face. A second later, Heeseung is beelining over to him, which doesn’t take long with his stupidly long legs.
Then, they’re finally standing face-to-face after a year and six months of being confined to seeing each other through a screen. Jake finds that he has to tilt his head up slightly in order to make eye contact with Heeseung, and that sends a rush of adrenaline down his spine.
“Hi,” Heeseung says, breathless.
“Hi,” Jake giggles.
It’s a little awkward for a few seconds as he and Heeseung share shy smiles and get used to physically seeing each other. Jake thinks he’s probably rivaling a tomato with how much he’s blushing.
Then Heeseung clears his throat. “Can I…can I hug you?”
Jake nods just a bit too frantically, but Heeseung doesn’t seem to mind as he opens his arms for Jake to fall into.
Jake’s face fits right into Heeseung’s collarbone, and if he tiptoes a little, he can fit himself into the crook of Heeseung’s neck. Heeseung is warm and smells crisp, like the ocean on a bright, summer day. It pairs well with Jake’s own citrusy scent, and his wolf howls internally at the idea that his (possible) mate already matches with him so well.
“I can’t believe you’re real,” Heeseung whispers into his hair, and Jake snorts a laugh into his neck.
“Me neither,” Jake says. “You’re even prettier in person. Which is insane because you’re really pretty through the screen too.”
Heeseung laughs heartily and runs a soothing hand down Jake’s back. “Jake, you're one to speak. You’re so stunning I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest.”
Indeed, Heeseung’s heart is thumping wildly, and Jake can feel it against his own chest. It mimics Jake’s own frantically beating heart, and it makes Jake feel a little better knowing Heeseung is just as nervous.
“Have you eaten yet?” Heeseung suddenly asks, and Jake pulls back slightly to stare up at his handsome face.
“I ate something light before taking off,” Jake replies. “But I wouldn’t mind grabbing something to eat with you if you like.”
“Later then,” Heeseung promises and shyly moves his arm down to take one of Jake’s hands in his own. His hands are warm and comforting against Jake’s palms, and his face is back to a cherry red color as Heeseung tugs him toward the exit. “Let’s go back to my apartment and put your stuff down for now. Then I want to show you around the city.”
제이크
me and hyung
성훈이
👍
Text me every few hours just so I know you’re okay
And have fun 🍆💦 ‼️
제이크
…
Genuinely why are you like this
Heeseung’s apartment is surprisingly well-decorated for how much Jake knows Heeseung spends on gaming equipment.
“Most of this stuff is my roommate’s,” Heeseung admits sheepishly. “He’s always been more creative and artsy between the two of us, so I leave the interior decoration to him.”
Ah. Jake nods, looking at the guitar hanging off the wall ingrained with the initials PJS. That makes more sense.
Taking off his shoes, Jake follows Heeseung deeper into the apartment, still making sure to take in everything that he can about his boyfriend’s space. The apartment is washed in dark, earthy tones and there are several pieces of abstract art framed in various areas of the room, all tastefully placed. The apartment is also doused in a mix of Heeseung’s light, breezy scent and another heavier, slightly artificial woodsy scent. It’s not unpleasant, but Jake finds himself gravitating more towards Heeseung’s smell.
“Jay’s room is this one here,” Heeseung says, and opens a door to reveal a tidy bedroom, where the other scent is strongest and is indeed decorated similarly to the rest of the apartment. “His boyfriend’s sister is getting married, which is why he’s out for the weekend. He said he would be alright if you slept in his room for the weekend, if you would like.”
Jake takes in the room and, as nice as it is, he can’t help but feel that something is missing. It only takes him a few seconds to realize his inner wolf is craving the smell and environment of Heeseung, his potential mate. He looks up at Heeseung who regards him with kind eyes and suddenly feels bold.
“What if I want to sleep in your room?”
Heeseung swallows hard. “That can definitely be arranged,” he stutters. “I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable since it’s technically our first time meeting. I wanted to offer another room as an option just in case.”
Jake feels the heat crawl up his skin, burning hot at the alpha’s consideration.
“U-Uh, anyway,” Heeseung coughs, face as red as Jake’s face feels. He turns to the last room in the hallway, and vaguely gestures towards it with one hand. “This is my room. Don’t laugh at me.”
Then Heeseung opens the door and Jake has to stifle his smile. Indeed, the interior design of the room is very different compared to the rest of the apartment. It seems that compared to his roommate, Heeseung is a very pragmatic person. That is to say, his room is completely bare with the exception of his full sized bed and desk, along with a small bedside dresser seated just to the left of his bed. There are a few posters scattered on the walls, but they seemed to be placed without any rhyme or reason, like they were placed there because it was the first place Heeseung could reach. It’s very fitting.
“You’re laughing at me,” Heeseung complains, and Jake can’t hold his giggles back any longer. He wraps his arms around his sulking boyfriend, burying his face into Heeseung’s shoulder.
“You’re just too cute,” Jake coos. “And your room is cute too. It suits you.”
Heeseung huffs in mock exasperation, and Jake grins at Heeseung’s petulant look.
In the end, Jake rolls his suitcase into Heeseung’s room, setting it off to the side. He pulls on a light jacket before heading back toward the front of the apartment, where Heeseung is patiently waiting for him.
They head over to the center of the city, which is just a few subway stops away from Heeseung’s apartment. Compared to the sleepy city that his university is in, which is honestly more like a glorified college town, Heeseung’s city is filled with the hustle of residents as they go about their daily routine and the bustle of tourists as they explore the streets. There’s so much commotion and life that Jake squishes close to Heeseung to make sure he doesn’t get lost.
Heeseung notices his hesitation and reaches out for him to lace their fingers together. Jake feels his chest warm with this small but greatly appreciated action and follows Heeseung through the streets, hands clasped together as one.
They stop at a few iconic tourist locations, and Heeseung takes him to some of his favorite locally known stores. He also takes Jake to the convention center where the conference will be held. As it turns out, it’s just a few blocks away from Heeseung’s office building, and Jake smiles at the thought of being able to leave with Heeseung before his conference in the morning.
Before long, the sky starts to turn into a myriad of pinks and purples, and Jake’s stomach is rumbling for some food. Dinner is at a swanky pizza place one of Heeseung’s friends recommended, followed by some ice cream at an ice cream parlor Heeseung recommended.
The entire time, all Jake can think about is how perfect being with Heeseung is. It doesn’t feel like a chore, and there’s almost no disconnect between their conversations over text and in person. Here, with Heeseung, Jake feels like he can truly be himself, and his chest warms to a concerning degree.
After ice cream, they head back to Heeseung’s apartment. It’s getting late, and both Heeseung and Jake have to wake up early in the morning.
As they prepare for bed, Jake can’t help but keep sneaking glances at Heeseung. His gaze shifts to Heeseung’s bow-shaped lips and fights to swallow the lump in his throat. Obviously, Jake is very attracted to Heeseung. His boyfriend is a very handsome man and, so far, has been nothing but gentle and attentive in a way that makes his head spin.
“Can I kiss you?” He blurts out.
Heeseung sucks in a breath, face once again filling out to a beautiful shade of pink. It’s so cute how Heeseung gets flustered so easily, like a bunny or a hamster. He’s nothing like those stereotypical alphas Sunghoon was worried about. Jake melts watching Heeseung’s wide doe eyes as he nods shyly.
Jake isn’t sure who leans in first, but both he and Heeseung seem to gravitate toward each other like moths to a flame. When their lips finally meet, Jake lets out a sigh against Heeseung’s lips. It’s chaste and sweet, and Heeseung tastes a little bit like the chocolate ice cream he had before. Jake presses in closer to him to chase the taste. There’s a hint of sandalwood, something so distinctly Heeseung that causes Jake’s arousal to spike to new heights.
Without realizing it, he’s being pinned to Heeseung’s bed, lying flat on his back as his boyfriend continues kissing him like there’s no tomorrow. Jake has never been kissed before, especially not as intensely as Heeseung is kissing him now, but he thinks this is what heaven feels like.
Then he feels a light pressure against his core, followed by a short burst of tingling pleasure shooting up his spine. He gasps when it happens again, and he realizes it’s Heeseung lightly grinding against him.
“Oh,” he gasps as Heeseung’s erection rubs against his clit again, causing more pleasure to radiate up from his core. It’s intoxicating. It’s not enough.
Heeseung stops almost immediately, pulling away to stare at Jake with a worried expression on his face. “Is…is this okay?”
Jake nods frantically, pulling his boyfriend in for another searing kiss. “Yes,” he breathes out, grinding his hips up harder, leaving no question about his feelings about their current position. “Please. More. I need you, hyung.”
For a second, Jake is worried that he might be coming on just a tad too eager, but his worries are relieved when Heeseung grips his waist tighter. He grinds his hips into Jake’s core with more purpose, swallowing Jake’s moan in his mouth as he slots their lips together again.
“Fuck,” Jake pants into Heeseung’s mouth. With every passing second, their movements become more and more uncoordinated, and the heat in Jake’s stomach grows until it becomes unbearable. Heeseung’s erection is rubbing against Jake’s clit just right, and he swallows a moan before it bubbles out of his throat.
Fleetingly, a small thought in the back of his mind flashes through the rest of his brain. He’s never done anything like this before, and the small part of his brain is yelling at him to take it slow. That thought is quickly replaced by the overwhelming pleasure generating from his clit and soon enough, Jake pushes it out of his mind.
“Hyung.” Jake moans out, “It’s so good.”
“Yeah?” Heeseung mouths at his throat, licking over his scent gland as he ruts against Jake. “Can you feel what you’re doing to me? Fuck, you drive me crazy, Yunie.”
Jake chokes on his breath, eyes fluttering shut as he continues grinding against Heeseung as his pleasure reaches its peak. It takes one more full grind against Heeseung before he’s pushed over the edge. Jake gasps, shaking as he falls apart from his orgasm. He gasps at the feeling and moans when he registers Heeseung still rutting against his sensitive clit. He looks up just in time to catch Heeseung’s face go slack with pleasure as he too reaches his climax.
For a second, neither of them move or say anything as they catch their breaths, panting in each other’s arms.
“Wow,” Heeseung laughs, breathless. “I can’t believe we just did that.”
“Me neither,” Jake replies, but suddenly feels his chest tighten as an intense sadness spreads deep from within his core. He’s hyper aware of all his senses, from how his underwear is damp and sticky from his releases to how his throat feels like he’s just swallowed a million bees. Everything just feels so wrong. He feels so out of place, and he digs his nails into his forearms in an attempt to ground himself as he blinks away tears.
Heeseung is quiet as he shifts on the bed, and his light, breezy scent turns a little more heavy as it gets tinged with worry.
“Is everything okay?” He asks, voice gentle. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, no,” Jake shudders and sucks in a deep breath, and feels an overwhelming need to apologize. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, it’s okay.” Heeseung hushes him and tentatively rakes his fingers through Jake’s hair. His hand is warm and Jake leans up into it as he shuts his eyes, trying to focus on anything except for the gaping feeling in his chest.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Jake hesitates and shakes his head because, really, he’s not sure what’s wrong. He feels stupid. Sex is supposed to be a satisfying occasion. He’s supposed to glow in his post-orgasm endorphins and bask in his alpha’s arms. Instead, Jake is hunched into himself and giving off waves of depressive pheromones while his alpha tries his best to soothe him. Distantly, Jake wonders if this makes him a bad omega. This causes another wave of sadness to wash through his body, and he can’t stop himself from bursting into tears.
Heeseung is patient as Jake cries himself dry on his bed, gently rubbing small circles into his back. He murmurs sweet words of encouragement even though he doesn’t know why Jake is so upset. His attentive behavior only makes Jake cry harder. His alpha is the sweetest, kindest person ever and doesn’t deserve someone like Jake.
He manages to reign in his tears after a few minutes, and his loud sobs subside into little sniffles. There’s a low, calming tune in the air, and it takes Jake a while to realize that it’s coming from Heeseung, who stops as soon as Jake’s breathing evens out.
“Feeling better now?” He asks.
“Yeah,” Jake nods, hiccupping over a breath. “Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“It’s okay, baby, you don’t need to apologize. I just want to make sure everything is okay.”
Jake nods, but doesn’t say anything more. He can tell Heeseung wants to ask more but keeps quiet out of respect for Jake’s boundaries.
He snuggles close to Heeseung, who welcomes him with open arms. He can still feel Heeseung’s worry, but he kisses Jake and offers him any reassurance he can. Jake knows he needs to address it at some point, but he has had enough excitement for today and is way too tired to deal with anything right now.
With his alpha’s comforting presence behind him, and the exhaustion of the day’s events, Jake finally falls into a dreamless sleep.
성훈이
It’s been five hours since your last update
You better be getting dicked down right now
That’s the only excuse I’ll accept
제이크
DUDE WHAT THE FUCK I’m just getting dinner with hyung
See?
성훈이
Hm. I guess that’s acceptable too
Carry on
제이크
You seriously need a lobotomy
The next morning, Jake is rudely awakened by his alarm blaring into his ear. Blearily, he reaches for his phone to shut it off, and nearly jumps out of his skin when the arm around his waist tightens. The calming scent of the ocean fills his senses and Jake relaxes as he remembers where he is.
As gently as he can without disturbing Heeseung, Jake twists around in his boyfriend’s grip to face him. Heeseung looks extra angelic when he’s asleep, and Jake carefully brings his arm up to trace the delicate features of his face, starting from the gentle slope of his nose to the soft curve of his lips. For a second, Jake allows himself to pretend this is his daily routine, that it’s a regular occurrence and not a luxury to wake up in his boyfriend’s arms.
“Hm?” Heeseung suddenly murmurs, and cracks an eye open to squint at Jake. “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty,” Jake whispers, and leans forward to press a kiss to his cheek. “Go back to sleep, baby.”
Heeseung makes a few more grunting sounds before he forces himself into a sitting position, eyes still heavy with sleep.
“I wanna send you off to the conference before I go to work,” Heeseung yawns. “And get something to eat.”
“Okay,” Jake says, giddy at the prospect of spending more time with his boyfriend.
The apartment is engulfed in a light atmosphere as they figure out how to move around each other in the small space of Heeseung’s bathroom. Jake laughs when Heeseung’s elbow accidentally hits his wrist, and he shrieks when Heeseung purposefully splashes him with water from the sink faucet.
He gets dressed and laughs fondly when he has to help Heeseung with his tie. Here, standing in the middle of his alpha’s room while he fixes his outfit almost makes it seem like they’re a mated couple, and Jake’s heart can’t help but swell at the notion.
They’re out the door thirty minutes later. Heeseung leads him to a quaint restaurant a couple of blocks away from his apartment that already has a few patrons despite the early hours. They’re greeted by a tall, bored looking student and an elderly lady who coos at Heeseung as soon as they walk through the doors.
“Heeseungie!” She crows.
“Hi auntie,” Heeseung laughs, and lets her fuss over his unruly hair.
“Look at you, you’ve gotten too skinny recently! You need to eat more. Come down more often, I’ll have some meal packages for you to take.” She waves off Heeseung’s protests with a wave of her hand before turning to Jake. “And who is this young man?”
“This is Jake,” Heeseung beams and shyly pulls Jake into his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. “My boyfriend. He’s visiting just for a few days. I told him we had to get the best food at the best establishment in the city.”
The auntie takes a few seconds to scrutinize Jake. He dips his head at her in a small bow as he greets her and puts on his best auntie-charming smile. She must decide she approves of what she sees as she reaches up to pinch his cheek.
“You young people these days are all too skinny.” She says. “Go sit down at a table, I’ll bring out my specials for you.”
Jake lets out a startled laugh, holding his cheek as the woman hobbles away into the kitchen. Heeseung smiles at his flustered reaction and leads him to a table by the back.
“I stumbled upon this place one day while I was in my first year in university.” Heeseung says once they’ve settled in their seats, hooking an ankle around Jake’s feet. “I had just taken this exam that I knew I bombed even after pulling an all-nighter and was feeling so homesick that I needed to get some comfort food. I ordered a haemul pajeon and cried at this table.”
Heeseung’s gaze turns fond as he reminisces about his old memories. “Auntie took one look at me, pathetic tears and all, and decided I was to be her newest nephew. I think she saw how much I was struggling and would always make some excuse to discount my meal prices no matter how much I tried to fight her on it. I try to come back often to check up on her just like she did with me in university. Plus, she really does make the best pajeon in the city.”
Jake has to hold in a coo as he thinks about 19 year old Heeseung, crying into a bite of pajeon while mourning his GPA and missing home. He thinks about his own experiences sobbing over a bowl of Shin ramyeon at three in the morning while his heart aches for home, and thinks that he would’ve really liked to meet Heeseung sooner, if they went to the same university.
“That’s really sweet,” Jake smiles, lacing his fingers with Heeseung’s over the table. “She seems like a really nice lady.”
“She really is,” Heeseung agrees. “I don’t think I would have gotten through university if it wasn’t for her.”
Their food gets brought out by the bored looking kid, who dodges Heeseung’s attempts to ruffle his hair when he gets close. He seems to be a beta, by his lack of scent, but his gaze is as intimidating as an alpha’s when he turns his attention to Jake.
“So,” he says. “You’re Jake.”
“Yes I am,” Jake gulps, nervous. “It’s nice to meet you…?”
He trails off, attempting to get the other boy to say his name. The other boy does nothing of the sort, only giving Jake a brief once over before saying, “You better treat Heeseung-hyung well.” He then walks off, leaving Jake a little stunned and Heeseung sighing into his palms.
“I’m sorry about him,” Heeseung sighs again. “That’s Riki. He’s in his second year at my alma mater. I met him in a gen ed class my fourth year. He’s a little rough around the edges but I swear he means well.”
Jake looks back toward the front of the restaurant. Despite Riki’s piercing gaze on him, Jake can’t help but feel a little bit of affection for the boy. It’s obvious he cares for Heeseung, and Jake is more than grateful that his boyfriend has people around him who truly care for him. It’s very sweet.
He turns back to the food and, truly, everything looks amazing. Jake’s wolf howls with delight when he notices that Heeseung has cut up the pajeon and has given the first piece to him, waiting for Jake to take the first bite. Even though the practice is a bit outdated, waiting for an omega to take the first bite often signifies the status of a pack’s head omega, and Jake blushes as he thinks of Heeseung regarding him in such a high manner.
The auntie hobbles over to them when Jake takes his first bite and catches him making a pleased noise at the taste. She jumps on it immediately, and insists on packing at least three boxes for him to go. Heeseung once again just laughs at Jake’s flustered state, but can’t do anything to stop the auntie as she actually brings them three sizable take out boxes with their meal. Jake leaves them with Heeseung for him to eat for lunch.
They leave the restaurant shortly afterward, and the auntie makes Jake promise to visit again if he’s ever in the area. Heeseung gets waved off by the auntie as she fusses over Jake, and he laughs at his boyfriend’s slightly miffed expression. Riki is still cautiously eyeing Jake as they leave, but still grumbles out a farewell. Jake will take that as a win.
Soon, they make their way to the convention center. Heeseung drops him off with a kiss, which Jake shyly reciprocates.
The first day of the convention starts off well enough. Jake’s poster presentation isn’t until the next day, so he spends his time listening to seminars led by academics who are at the top of their field, as well as some presentations led by a few graduate level researchers describing their latest research developments. Jake soaks up everything like a sponge, eyes shining with wonder at every word spoken.
He’s in paradise. With each presentation, Jake gets more reassurance that he went down the right track, that this is what he wants to do. The day almost goes by too fast, but Jake gets excited as he remembers he’s about to see his boyfriend again.
At the end of the day, his PI pulls him aside to remind him of the poster session for the next day, then sets him free. Jake waves off the members of his lab then pulls out his phone to text his boyfriend.
이크💕
I’m done!!
승이형💕
yay! how was the afternoon?
이크💕
Really fun!! I got to listen to a talk about quarks :O
승이형💕
i’m glad you enjoyed it! tell me all about it later?
이크💕
Of course :)
승이형💕
<3
unfortunately i still have an hour’s worth of work to do :(
이크💕
That’s ok! I brought my laptop, so I’m probably just going to find a cafe nearby to sit in and do some work while I wait for you
승이형💕
sounds good, i’ll text you once i’m done
see you soon baby <3
He ends up finding a cute cafe about a block away from Heeseung’s company building. He goes in and orders a blueberry muffin, and finds an empty corner to set up his stuff to catch up on his school work while he waits for his boyfriend.
Jake finishes up his problem set for his thermodynamic physics class and checks the time to see he still has twenty minutes left until Heeseung can get off work. He decides to use this time to prepare for his presentation tomorrow, when his mind wanders back to yesterday and how he reacted after his moment of intimacy with Heeseung.
Obviously, his reaction was not normal, and he feels bad for putting Heeseung through what must have been a traumatic and confusing experience. Pulling up a private browser on his phone, he decides to scour the internet to see if there is anyone else that has experienced the same thing. He finds some accounts of similar experiences on online forums, but they aren’t particularly useful. An overwhelming majority detail how they didn’t enjoy the experience to begin with. Jake doesn’t think that’s his problem, but he just gets in his head.
Jake sighs. He has one omega friend that he theoretically could ask these sorts of questions. He knows Jungwon won’t judge him, but he can’t help but fear what the younger omega would think. Jungwon always seems to have his life together and, although he knows it’s an unfounded thought, Jake can’t help but fear that Jungwon might think of him less of an omega.
Additionally, Jungwon is dating his best friend, and there's a reason why Jake didn’t reach out to Sunghoon for help. Honestly, he would probably die of embarrassment if Sunghoon somehow finds out.
In the end, his need to know wins over, and Jake swallows his reluctance as he pulls up his text thread with Jungwon.
제이크
Have you ever cried after having sex with Sunghoon?
냥 정원
woah
what happened to “hello”? or “good afternoon”?
제이크
Hello, good afternoon
Have you ever cried after having sex with Sunghoon?
냥 정원
jake hyung i love u and i’ll answer if there’s a good reason but Why r u asking
제이크
I
Nevermind this is embarrassing forget I asked anything
냥 정원
wait no now i’m intrigued u can’t just ask if i’ve cried after fucking ur best friend then leave
what’s wrong?
제이크
Wow, so vulgar Jungwonie
And it’s stupid it’s just…I got a little intimate with Heeseung yesterday and it felt good while we were doing it but after I…orgasmed I just got this intense feeling of sadness
Like someone ripped my heart out of my chest and left it hollow, and I felt like the world’s shittiest omega
냥 정원
ahhh i see
ok first to answer ur question no i have not
but i think i know what u might be feeling, something called omegan postcoital depression
some omegas experience it after partaking in sexual activity with a partner, especially if it’s their first time being intimate with someone else
also not to psychoanalyze, but i’ve heard it has a lot to do with how u view intimacy, and how affection was reflected in ur youth
제이크
But I feel fine when we hug and hold hands and stuff?
냥 정원
maybe it’s just for sexual intimacy. everyone reacts to things differently, so maybe ur brain only freaked out when sexual intimacy is involved
제이크
Would you happen to know if there is any way to stop feeling this way?
냥 정원
i’ve heard that it should get better with time, once u’ve spent more time and built up more trust with ur partner
i think u should talk to heeseung and figure out what ur comfortable with doing with him. there’s no shame in wanting or needing to take things slow, and there’s also no problem if u want to take things faster. just remember to talk to heeseung about it and make sure he’s on the same page
there’s no right or wrong answer about how to go about sex and intimacy, it’s about doing what makes u and ur partner feel good, and being comfortable with whatever it is ur doing
제이크
How are you so mature about this?
But I understand, everything makes a lot more sense now
Thank you Dr. Jungwonie <3
Oh also can you…not tell Sunghoon about this? It’s already embarrassing enough that it happened, and I know he’s going to blow it up out of proportion like he tends to do
냥 정원
don’t be embarrassed hyung, a lot of omegas get this feeling
and u know sunghoon is just worried about u. ur his oldest and closest friend, he’s always going to be a little bit protective
but i promise my lips r sealed. this is confidential omega to omega information, no stinky non-omegas allowed >:/
제이크
Seriously, you’re the best <33
Jake turns his phone off, and he feels as if a weight has been lifted off his chest. What Jungwon has just told him makes a lot of sense. Growing up, his parents were never fond of showing affection and, even from a young age, Jake had always sensed a rift in their relationship.
Although they never fully dissolved their mating bonds, the lack of affection between mates has an effect on anyone in their pack. It would make sense that their dysfunctional bond would have a lasting influence on Jake and his views on intimacy.
It would also explain why he was so nervous about being in a romantic relationship with Heeseung in the first place. Deep down, he’s always known he’s had some kind of intimacy anxiety. It’s why he never tried too hard getting to know people in high school or even earlier in college, with the excuse that he’s too busy, or that their personalities just don’t match. Now, he knows that feeling stems from a fear that he’d turn out like his parents.
Jake laughs bitterly. He can’t believe he’s having a life-changing epiphany in the middle of some cafe, but he supposes life takes him in unexpected directions—including taking him across the country to meet a certain doe-eyed alpha.
A warm feeling blooms across his chest as his mind once again wanders to Heeseung. His boyfriend is truly one of the best things that’s ever happened to him. The alpha has done nothing except make him feel incredibly safe and loved, and Jake’s omega is starting to get antsy, itching to be with his alpha. Right on time, his phone buzzes as he finally gets a text from Heeseung, telling him he’s finished with his work.
As quickly as he can, Jake packs up his things and rushes out of the cafe, walking one block to Heeseung’s office building. When he arrives, Heeseung is already standing outside and looks devastatingly handsome as he scrolls on his phone. Jake takes his time admiring his boyfriend’s beautiful side profile before he decides to make his presence known, running up to Heeseung to engulf him in a hug.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Heeseung laughs and wraps his arms around Jake’s waist. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is perfect,” Jake says, and squeezes Heeseung a little harder. “I just missed you.”
Heeseung chuckles and runs a hand through his hair, nails gently scratching his scalp. “I missed you too, baby. Are you hungry? There’s this really good Thai place nearby that we could go to if you want.”
A warm, fuzzy feeling erupts from his heart, and Jake smiles as he buries his face back into Heeseung’s chest, savoring being in his boyfriend’s arms just a little bit longer. Heeseung doesn’t rush him, just patiently waits for his answer while rubbing a comforting hand on his back.
“Thai food sounds great.” Jake replies, and presses one more kiss to his boyfriend’s lips.
After dinner on the way back to Heeseung’s apartment, Jake’s mind wanders back to the conversation he and Jungwon had earlier that day.
To be honest, it’s been plaguing his mind even through dinner. He knows he needs to talk about it with Heeseung, he just doesn’t know how to bring up the conversation. It isn’t like he can just drop it on Heeseung while they’re laying in bed, right?
He ends up thinking about it when Heeseung suggests they watch a movie. They're in the living room with Heeseung scrolling through Jay’s extensive selection of movie streaming subscriptions. As Jake watches Heeseung scroll through thousands of different movies, he thinks about them, their future, and decides he needs to talk about it now, otherwise he will burst.
Jake reaches for the remote and brings it down to the table. Heeseung turns his head to him, his wide doe eyes filled with confusion and concern.
“Baby?” He says. “Is everything okay?”
“I wanted to talk,” Jake starts, and nervously fidgets with his fingers. “About yesterday.”
Heeseung shakes his head. “It’s okay, baby. You don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“I want to,” Jake says, his tone firm. “I think it’s important to talk about. Just…give me a few seconds to collect my thoughts.”
“Of course,” Heeseung nods. “Take your time.”
Jake takes a deep breath and closes his eyes to gather his thoughts. It takes a few seconds for Jake to fight past the block in his throat. When he opens his eyes, he finds Heeseung still patiently waiting for Jake without an ounce of irritation in his expression. At that moment, Jake knows he has to try for them. For him.
“First, I want to apologize for yesterday and for worrying you. Please don’t say it’s okay,” Jake holds up his hand as Heeseung opens his mouth, probably to do just that. He sends Heeseung a small smile and continues. “I wasn’t exactly in my right mind, yes, but I can tell how scared you were, and I didn’t handle it properly by just…ignoring it and sweeping it under the rug.”
Heeseung frowns. “You shouldn’t have to apologize for feeling that way. You can’t help how you feel, and I’m sorry for pushing ahead too fast.”
Jake bites his bottom lip, shaking his head. “No, no. I promise you, I wanted it, it’s just—complicated.”
Heeseung nods and waits for Jake to continue.
“Anyway, I talked with Jungwon while I was waiting for you today, and he told me I might be experiencing something called omegan postcoital depression. I…” He trails off, throat suddenly tightening with his unspoken emotions. Heeseung rubs his thumb against the back of Jake’s hand, grounding him before he continues.
“I didn’t have the most loving childhood. My parents were constantly fighting with each other and—I’m not even sure if they ever scented each other but they never dissolved their mating bond. As you know, our wolves mate for life, but maintaining a connection between the mating bond is just as important as keeping the same bond, if not even more important. Because my parents didn’t do anything, you know, mate-like with each other, it created a dysfunctional bond and also, a dysfunctional pack. Even now, as I’m old enough to leave their pack and start my own, they…they still don’t just dissolve the bond. They haven’t even lived with each other since I left for college and—”
Jake stops to take a shuddering breath in, fighting to stop his tears from falling freely down his face. He digs his nails into his palms. This was something he had made peace with—or, he thought he had made peace with it—a long time ago. It used to bother him a lot when he was in elementary school, when he and his parents wouldn’t do anything together as a family. He remembers lots of cold dinners alone with either his mom or dad, but never both.
However, it seems like “making peace with” and “moving on from” are two very different things. It may also have to do with the fact that Heeseung is the second person he’s told about his family, ever. The only other person he’s told was Jungwon, after Jake saw that he and Sunghoon were probably going to be mates for life.
“Anyway,” Jake pauses to wipe his tears from his eyes. “Jungwon said that OPD could be a reflection of how love and affection were displayed in my childhood, which causes me to see affection and sexual intimacy as something wrong. That’s why I freaked out yesterday after we…you know. I felt guilty.”
He fiddles with his shirt and opens his mouth to say more, but he suddenly feels so drained both mentally and physically. This seems to be the peak of his emotional vulnerability for today, and quite possibly for the rest of the year.
“Okay,” Jake laughs, wetly. “That’s enough emotion for today. Let’s watch that movie.”
He goes to grab the remote again, but Heeseung takes Jake’s hand in his own. He presses a kiss to the back of Jake’s hand, and the gesture is so sweet and so Heeseung that Jake finds himself fighting tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
“Thank you for trusting me.” Heeseung says, his tone so gentle and sincere. “I promise I will do my best to make sure we won’t end up like that. I will fight for you every time. I will fight for us.”
That has to be the most romantic and loving thing someone has ever said to him. As much as he tries to keep it in, Jake can’t hold it in anymore and he breaks down. Fat, salty tears run down his face, and he sobs loudly into his hands. Immediately, Heeseung pulls him into a tight embrace. It’s calming, like eating a pot of kimchi jjigae on a cold day, like sitting on the shore of a sunny beach. There’s so much warmth in Heeseung’s arms, and Jake is grounded by his love. He clutches onto Heeseung’s shirt like a lifeline, soaking up as much of his boyfriend’s warmth as he can while he cries himself dry.
Jake manages to calm down a few minutes later, and Heeseung holds him through it like he did yesterday. He’s humming that same tune again, and Jake melts in his embrace.
“Feeling better now?” Heeseung asks.
Jake nods shakily. “Yeah. Thank you hyung.”
Heeseung gives him a small smile. “Don’t thank me. This is the bare minimum of what I should be doing.”
Jake rests his head on Heeseung’s shoulder, and Heeseung wraps a comforting arm around his waist. Jake closes his eyes, feeling so heavy from his tears.
He sighs, “I want to get past this. I don’t want to feel trapped by my past anymore, I just…don’t know how.”
Heeseung hums, contemplative. He continues to trace small patterns against Jake’s back, calming him. “Would…would it help if you tried to verbalize what you want?”
Jake pauses and thinks about it. Sure, there is an obvious embarrassment when he thinks about how exposed he’ll be if he puts out his inner dirty thoughts, but he thinks about how much better he felt when he typed it out through text with Jungwon. He also knows Heeseung won’t judge him, especially if he’s the one suggesting it in the first place.
“I think it would be good to try,” Jake admits. “I think part of the problem is that I get this mental block when it comes to…sexual intimacy and it makes it hard to properly think about anything afterward. But saying it out loud might help ground me better, like a tangible reminder to myself that it’s happening and it’s okay that I want it.”
“Okay,” Heeseung smiles warmly. “We can start small then, and establish what you like for non-sexual physical intimacy since you know you’re more comfortable with that. Then we can work up to practice asking for what you want when it comes to sex.”
Suddenly, Jake sits up, realizing all they’ve been doing is talk about him. “Hyung, you’ll let me know if you’re uncomfortable too, right?”
“Of course,” Heeseung replies, immediately. “But I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that.” He ducks his head, shy. “I like whatever we’re doing as long as I’m with you.”
Heeseung turns back to him, giving him an encouraging nod. It takes Jake a few seconds for him to realize he’s waiting for Jake.
“Start slow,” Heeseung reminds him. “And take your time. There’s no need to rush.”
Jake nods, closing his eyes and calming his breath.
“I like it when we hug,” he says, playing with Heeseung’s fingers. “And hold hands.” He pauses, already feeling his embarrassment seeping in. “Kissing is good too.”
“What kinds of kisses?” Heeseung probes him, gently.
“Um,” Jake stutters, cheeks heating up. “I like it when you kiss my forehead and my cheeks. And my lips.”
“Okay, good,” Heeseung smiles, and kisses his forehead. “I like kissing you too.”
Jake’s breath hitches in his throat and he tries to hold in his tears at how gentle Heeseung holds him, like he’s the most delicate thing on Earth. It makes him feel wanted, and shows him a type of love he’s never seen before.
“I do want to try again, and I want to try going further.” Jake affirms. “But not today.” He adds quickly, after seeing Heeseung raise his eyebrows.
Heeseung nods, pressing another kiss to his temple. “Of course, baby. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Can we just lie in your bed and rot for the rest of the night?” Jake asks, fiddling with Heeseung’s fingers. “I don’t know if I’m up for the movie anymore. I’m kind of tired after everything.”
“Of course,” Heeseung smiles, lacing their fingers together and pulling Jake to his feet. “How about I bring out the heated blanket too?”
Jake nods and lets out a sigh of relief, glad that the conversation went well. Although it didn’t solve the problem entirely, he does feel a lot lighter than before. More importantly, both he and his wolf are satisfied with how Heeseung responded. Not like Jake was expecting anything else—in the past year and a half that he’s gotten to know the alpha, all he’s seen Heeseung to be is gentle and patient. There is not a single time Jake can remember his boyfriend raising his voice and losing his temper, even when they have little squabbles.
When he enters Heeseung’s room, he immediately throws himself onto the bed, soaking up Heeseung’s scent and waiting for his boyfriend to return. Heeseung returns with the heated blanket in his arms to find Jake sprawled across the sheets, limbs starfishing across the bed. He laughs and joins in, wrapping his long arms around Jake’s waist while wrapping the blanket around their bodies.
Jake burrows into Heeseung’s warm embrace. He presses a shy kiss to his boyfriend’s collarbone, just below his scent gland. Heeseung smiles and presses a kiss to the top of Jake’s head. They stay like that, wrapped in each other’s embrace, and Jake falls asleep feeling so impossibly full.
Now that he's had a taste of what it's like to be loved, Jake hopes this will be his future, forever and always.
제이크
I’m stealing your boyfriend. Jungwonie is mine now
성훈이
?
제이크
That’s all the context you get
성훈이
Does this mean I get Heeseung?
제이크
Of course not
Jungwon, Heeseung, and I are in a throuple now, sorry you had to find out this way
성훈이
Damn
I don’t even get side chick status
That’s brutal
Jake thinks he’s going to hurl.
It’s day two of the conference, and he’s standing in front of his poster, 30 minutes before the poster session starts, and he’s freaking out. He feels like a fraud. He’s only been doing research for a year, he’s not prepared for this. He’s going to be asked great, beautiful questions by the top minds in the physics field and he’s not going to know the answers, and he’ll look so stupid they’ll have to revoke his graduate school acceptance—
“Stop spiraling.”
Jake snaps his head over to his left and is met with Hyeju, a PhD student and Jake’s mentor, eyeing him with an amused expression. She’s set to give a presentation later in the afternoon, but seems to have arrived earlier to make sure Jake doesn’t fuck up.
“I’m—I’m not,” Jake stammers, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. “Everything is fine. I’m so chill.”
“Jake, you’re gripping your name card so hard I’m surprised it isn’t permanently deformed yet.”
Jake looks down at his name card and sure enough, his hands are squeezing the plastic with a terrifying amount of strength. He lets go of the card, instead hiding his hands behind his back and mindlessly picks at the skin of his fingers.
Hyeju is the only other omega in the lab, and Jake looks up to her a lot. Being a female omega in their research lab means there is not a day that goes by where she isn’t being beaten around by stereotypes, but Hyeju faces them all head on and proves to everyone that she’s an extremely valuable asset. Jake once saw her complete a wicked multivariable derivative equation while a bone headed alpha tried to cut in and flirt with her while also trying to tell her what to do. Needless to say, Hyeju left that day bruising the alpha’s ego and gained Jake’s utmost respect.
Hyeju sighs and moves to tidy his blazer, which seems to have gotten wrinkled in his anxiousness. Jake thanks her, but still feels his heart beating erratically out of her chest.
“You know,” she starts. “When I did my first poster presentation as an undergraduate, I was so nervous I started presenting on ducks and turtles.”
Jake blinks. Their lab focuses on quantum physics, and really has nothing to do with animals. His stomach twists with her words and he frowns, still wringing his hands behind his back. “Okay?”
Hyeju laughs, reminiscing about her first presentation. “I think I talked about them for two minutes before I managed to reign in and connect it to my actual presentation. I was told later that people thought my anecdote about the turtles was a wonderful segue into my research.”
Jake blinks again, still not quite understanding what Hyeju is saying. She smiles kindly, taking his shaking hands into her own. “What I’m trying to say is you know what you’re doing. No one in this room or outside of it knows this stuff better than you. This is research you’ve done, and you are more than prepared for this. So, take a deep breath and don’t overthink it. You’ve got this.”
Jake closes his eyes, heeding Hyeju’s words and taking a deep breath to try and calm himself. He’s still nervous about his poster, but he doesn’t think he’s going to throw up anymore. He squeezes Hyeju’s hands in gratitude. “Thanks noona.”
Hyeju smiles at him and pats his shoulder, “Anytime.” She then checks her watch, noting the time. “I’m going to walk around and stare at the other posters and see if I can terrorize any other undergraduate researchers. Text me if you need anything else.”
Then, he’s alone.
At first, Jake’s nerves seem to get the best of him. He stammers his way through his introduction, cringing at the way he stumbles through pronouncing his own name. He can feel the blood rushing to his face and he’s just about to lose all confidence when he sees Hyeju give him a thumbs up from the back of the small crowd. She mimes taking a deep breath and blowing it out and waits for Jake to do the same. Jake takes a second to collect himself, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. He then starts anew, ignoring everyone standing around and focusing on his research.
He’s confident in his data, and knows that if he presents it exactly how he’s been practicing, he’ll have no issues. It takes a few seconds but eventually, Jake finds his groove. People come up to him having a genuine interest in what he has to say. He gets a few tough questions but he answers what he can, and does his best to sound intelligible. It seems to work, because he’s given several impressed looks and thoughtful nods.
At the end of the poster session, Jake feels like a new man. He accepts all the glowing compliments with shy gratitude and goes to the hall to listen to Hyeju’s presentation. She, of course, crushes it.
Hyeju finds Jake at the end of the day, sending him a proud smile and an affectionate ruffle to his hair.
“You killed it today,” she says. “I can’t even begin to say how proud I am of you. You are going to make a fantastic physicist.”
“I learned from the best,” Jake says smiling, and gives his mentor a quick hug.
They meet up with the other members of the lab and are getting ready to head out when a familiar figure standing by the entrance catches his attention. Heeseung leans against the wall, looking so effortlessly handsome as he scrolls on his phone. The late afternoon sunlight hits his face just right, defining his glowing, tan skin. He definitely catches the eye of several people milling around, and Jake resists the urge to stake a claim on his man right now.
“Hyung,” Jake gasps and breaks away from his group, running into his boyfriend’s arms. “What are you doing here?”
“Here to pick up my smart little scientist, of course,” Heeseung smiles, and gives Jake a quick peck on his lips. “Are you free to go back now?"
Jake opens his mouth to respond when Hyeju calls out to him. “Jake! We’re heading to a bar to get some food and drinks, do you want to come with us?”
“One second!” He calls back.
He turns to Heeseung, hesitant to leave him, but Heeseung doesn’t seem annoyed. Instead, he nudges Jake toward his mentor. “Go, socialize with them. I can pick you up in a bit.”
“Are you sure?” Jake bites his lip. “I don’t want to leave you alone, especially when you already came here to pick me up.”
Heeseung chuckles and plants a kiss on his forehead. Heeseung’s calming scent envelopes him, further demonstrating that he’s not angry. “I’ll be fine, baby, don’t worry about me. Hanging out with your lab after the conference is good for you. Text me when you’re done?”
“Okay,” Jake melts in his arms, and hugs him one last time before he jogs back to where Hyeju and the rest of his lab are waiting.
“So,” Hyeju teases Jake, nudging him lightly with her elbow. “That’s the boyfriend, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jake says, and a warm heat blooms in his chest as he watches Heeseung give him a tiny wave. He thinks about how safe he feels with Heeseung, and how he’s always surrounded by Heeseung’s love and warmth. At that moment, Jake knows in his heart that Heeseung is the one.
“That’s my alpha.” Jake says, again. “He’s going to be my mate one day.”
Jake meets Jay Park on the evening of his last full day in Heeseung’s apartment.
Jake is a boiling crockpot full of emotions. He’s simultaneously on cloud nine and teetering on the edge of despair as he spends all the time that he can with Heeseung, with the fact that he will need to leave in less than 24 hours a constant gloomy reminder over his head.
Since he fulfilled his duties yesterday, Hyeju has given Jake the green light to skip the entire last day of the conference. Heeseung also called in sick from work, and the two of them are making the absolute most of their last day together.
They spent the morning lazing around in bed, then crawled out of bed at noon when Heeseung’s stomach let out a loudest gurgle Jake has ever heard. After laughing at Heeseung’s bright red ears, they rolled out of bed to hit up one of the city’s trendier restaurants. The food was good, but the restaurant experience felt a little bit too artificial for Jake’s liking. After that, they spent the rest of the afternoon walking down the main business street, where Jake spent way too much money on postcards and souvenirs for Jungwon and Sunghoon. By the time Jake is finished with his shopping, it’s around dinner time. As it turns out, the both of them are craving instant noodles, so they decide to make their way back to Heeseung’s apartment for dinner.
It’s a perfect day, one Jake wishes he could live over and over. Being in Heeseung’s presence makes him wish every day could be like this.
He’s giggling over a story about one of Heeseung’s coworkers when Heeseung unlocks the door, and Jake’s laughter fades on his tongue. There’s a man sitting on the couch, eyeing the two of them in obvious amusement. He’s handsome in a sharp, piercing way, and his eagle-eyed stare kind of makes Jake want to hide behind Heeseung.
“Oh,” Heeseung says, voice slightly wary. “Hi Jay. I forgot you were coming back today.”
“Just briefly,” the man replies, standing up to his full height. He’s not as tall as Heeseung, but still decently taller than Jake. “I just came by to grab a snack and a change of clothes before going to Sunoo’s for the night. Plus, Sunoo wanted me to make sure Jake was real and not just a figment of your imagination.”
“Haha,” Heeseung laughs dryly.
Jay smirks and shrugs, as if to say what can you do? He then turns to address Jake directly. “Nice to officially meet you, by the way. I’m glad to see you actually exist. I’m Jay Park, Heeseung hyung’s roommate, and one of his oldest friends.”
“Jake Sim,” Jake replies. “It’s nice to meet you as well. I love your decorations and what you’ve done with the apartment, by the way.”
Jay’s face brightens at the compliment, and the hard features of his face crinkle into a genuine smile. “Thank you! When we first moved in, I asked hyung if he’d like to help decorate some parts of it, but he’s kind of hopeless with this stuff. Seeing as my room has been left untouched, I’m assuming you’ve seen hyung’s room?”
“Okay,” Heeseung calls out, tips of his ears reddening with embarrassment. “Now that’s your cue to leave. See you tomorrow Jay.”
Jay laughs but acquiesces, leaving the room with his hands up in playful surrender. He grabs a large bag from his bedroom, and heads over to the door before he turns around again to address Jake one last time.
“I’ve never seen Heeseung hyung so smitten with someone before.” Jay says. “I hope I’ll get to see you more in the future.”
He leaves and Heeseung hides his face in his hands, the tips of his ears still red. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe all my friends are so embarrassing.”
Jake giggles and wraps his arms around Heeseung’s waist, heart warming to an almost concerning amount. His boyfriend was just too damn cute. “If you think that’s embarrassing, just wait until you meet Sunghoon and Jungwon. Those two love to embarrass me any chance they have.”
Heeseung smiles. “I’d love to officially meet them.”
They migrate into the kitchen to finally make dinner. Neither Heeseung nor Jake can cook very well, but if Jake is confident about one thing in the kitchen, it’s his instant ramyeon making skills. Luckily, and they established this very early on in their conversations, Heeseung is also an avid instant ramyeon fan, possibly even more than Jake himself. As Jake prepares his famous carbonara Buldak risotto, Heeseung hovers around him, pointing out where things are in the kitchen, but generally stays out of his way.
“So,” Heeseung starts, while helping Jake remove the ramyeon from the stove. “How did you meet Jungwon and Sunghoon again?”
“Well,” Jake says, rolling up his sleeves to chop some green onions. “Sunghoon and I grew up with each other, and we met Jungwon in our second year of university. They started dating two years ago, and they’ve been insufferable ever since.”
“Tell me about it.” Heeseung laughs. “Jay has been dating his boyfriend, Sunoo, for nearly three years now, and the two of them are quite a force to be around. Being able to third wheel them is a special kind of skill.”
Jake laughs at Heeseung’s dramatic shudder, but he understands the sentiment. Once, what started as a three person hangout between him, Jungwon, and Sunghoon, ended up being a chaperoned date where they actually left him behind.
They work in harmony, and it doesn’t take very long before their dinner is ready. Standing in the kitchen with Heeseung, Jake is hit with another wave of domestic bliss, and he can’t help but think this is what he’s been missing all this time. He can see their future in this moment, and he finds it doesn’t scare him as much as he thought it would.
After dinner, Heeseung insists on washing their dishes since Jake was the one that cooked, even though all he did was boil some instant noodles. Jake protests and says he can help, but in the end, he gets sent to the living room to pick out a movie.
As he stands in front of the television, he listlessly scrolls through several movie options but ultimately, his focus is on his boyfriend. He looks off toward the kitchen and gets the perfect view of Heeseung’s broad back as he’s washing the dishes. Unprompted, Jake can feel himself getting wet with slick, and he starts getting antsy.
Heeseung walks into the room a minute later to find Jake staring holes into the TV. Jake knows his tangerine smell is starting to fill the air and he rubs his thighs together to quench the feeling.
“What movie did you want to watch?” Heeseung asks, tilting his head, oblivious to the butterflies swirling in Jake’s stomach. He moves to the couch and sits on one side, patting his other side to get Jake to sit next to him. Jake feels his body move toward Heeseung, legs automatically bringing him to his boyfriend like they’re magnets. He ends up in front of Heeseung, who brings his arms up to loosely hold onto Jake’s waist. Jake’s breath hitches as he feels Heeseung’s warm hands through his shirt’s thin fabric.
“Hyung,” Jake takes a deep breath. “I want to try again.”
“Try what, baby?” Heeseung thumbs at his waistband. The motion is as comforting as much as it is distracting, since Jake desperately wants Heeseung’s fingers to be doing other things to him.
Jake’s face heats up at his thoughts and he presses his hands to his cheeks. “It’s embarrassing.”
Heeseung pries his hands off his face, pressing an encouraging kiss to his knuckles. “It’s not embarrassing, you’re just expressing your needs, remember? But I can’t give you what you want unless you tell me. Use your words, sweetheart, what do you want?”
Jake bites his lip, silence blanketing the room as he waits for the embarrassment and shame to subside. Heeseung is patient, and rubs comforting circles around his hip bones to soothe him. He doesn’t push Jake, waiting for him to feel comfortable enough to say it on his own.
Jake takes a breath, doing his best to calm his beating heart. “I want to try having sex again.” He does his best to meet Heeseung’s eyes. It’s hard, considering every cell in his body is screaming at him to hide away in shame, but he feels safe under Heeseung’s kind gaze.
Heeseung smiles at him sweetly, and gives him a kiss as a response. “Of course, baby. How far do you want to take it?”
“Not all the way,” Jake shakes his head.
“What would you like then?” Heeseung continues asking. Despite how gentle Heeseung is and how badly Jake wants it, Jake still feels like hiding away at the thought of having to say the words out loud. But, for the sake of Heeseung and himself, he has to try. He wants to try.
“I…” He swallows hard, fighting against the lump in his throat. “I want hyung to play with my pussy. I want hyung to use his mouth and his hands and…and make me cum.”
Jake feels his hair sticking to his forehead with sweat from the effort of his words, yet the world doesn’t end with his raunchy admission. Instead, he’s rewarded with Heeseung’s darkening eyes and a sharp spike of arousal in his scent.
“Your wish is my command,” He replies, voice low with lust. Jake yelps as Heeseung lifts him up without warning, carrying him into his bedroom. The muscles of Heeseung’s biceps flex under Jake’s weight, and his mouth waters at the sudden showcase of strength.
He’s gently deposited on Heeseung’s bed and is given a second to breathe before Heeseung’s lips are back on his, then slowly leaves a searing trail down his neck.
“Tell me if anything is too much for you, okay?” Heeseung murmurs into his skin. Jake nods, gripping Heeseung’s hair beneath his fingers to guide him back to his neck.
Now that the conference is over, Heeseung seems to have lost all restraint and goes to town on Jake’s neck, marking him up for everyone to see. Jake can’t say he’s complaining—a jolt of arousal flies through his system as he thinks about how the marks will stay for days even when he’s back on campus, letting everyone know he’s taken.
Jake gasps as he feels Heeseung suck yet another mark next to his scent gland, and tangles his hand through Heeseung’s hair to ground himself as he starts to rock his hips against Heeseung’s leg like he did on that first day. Heeseung lets him briefly chase that pleasure while he finishes making a painting on his neck before he pulls away, lips shiny with spit.
“Can I take off your shirt, baby?”
“Please,” Jake whines, and helps Heeseung in removing his own shirt.
Despite all his earlier bravado, as soon as the cool air hits his chest, Jake’s cheeks flush a brilliant shade of red as he’s finally bare in front of his boyfriend. Heeseung’s pupils dilate as he takes in Jake, spread on his bed like a ten course meal, and reaches down to smooth a thumb over one of his raised, pebbled nipples. Jake jolts at the stimulation, moaning in shock and pleasure. He hadn’t even known that he could feel like that there.
“Ah!” Jake bucks his hips up as Heeseung continues his assault on his chest as he leans down to place his mouth over a bud, sucking lightly. Jake flails at the sensation, and his fingers find purchase in Heeseung’s hair as his boyfriend leaves love marks across his chest.
As Heeseung takes his time ravaging Jake’s chest, Jake finds it increasingly unfair that Heeseung is still fully clothed. He whines and pulls at the hem of Heeseung’s shirt, signaling for Heeseung to remove the offending article of clothing.
“Want to see you too,” Jake whines.
Heeseung obliges, leaning back to pull off his shirt and exposing his slim, toned waist and lean muscles. Jake rakes his eyes over, feasting his eyes on his boyfriend’s physique. With every moment that passes, Jake finds himself falling more and more into Heeseung.
“Hyung,” Jake whispers. “You always talk about me being stunning, but have you seen yourself? You look like you could have been carved by the gods themselves.”
Heeseung’s face heats up at Jake’s compliment.
“Such a tease,” Heeseung laughs, dismissive, but his ears shine a bright red. Jake giggles at his cuteness.
Heeseung gives him one last kiss and shuffles their positions until he’s slotted right between Jake’s legs. He helps Jake out of his pants, but leaves his underwear and Jake squirms at the feeling of Heeseung’s hot breath against his core. There’s a small wet patch forming where his pussy is leaking, and Heeseung trails his fingers against the spot, teasing at the line where his folds press up against the fabric. Jake whimpers, face fire truck red, and Heeseung presses comforting little kisses on the meat of Jake’s inner thighs.
“My beautiful baby,” Heeseung coos and presses one last kiss to Jake’s hip bone. “Can I take your underwear off?” He asks. Jake nods, and lifts his hips to help his boyfriend get rid of his garments.
Without the thin barrier of his underwear, Jake’s arousal is palpable and the sweet smell of tangerines fills the air. It’s especially potent for Heeseung, since now his face is only a few measly centimeters away from his dripping heat. He’s not entirely hairless, but he does trim the hair as part of his self-care routine. However, he doesn’t know if Heeseung would prefer the area hairless. A little self-conscious, Jake moves to close his legs but is stopped by Heeseung’s warm palms.
“Beautiful,” Heeseung murmurs into his skin, tone reverent and in awe. “You’re so beautiful everywhere. How did I get so lucky?”
He continues dropping little kisses on Jake’s thighs, slowly moving closer and closer to his heat. Jake trembles in anticipation when Heeseung’s face sits right in front of his folds, swollen with arousal. His breath hitches in his throat when he feels Heeseung’s breath hitting the sensitive skin. Then Heeseung finally puts his mouth on his clit, and Jake’s mind goes static.
It’s almost infuriating how good Heeseung makes him feel. He’s eating him out like a starved man with his last meal on Earth, and it makes Jake’s head spin at how his cute, doe-eyed boyfriend turns into a sex demon whose only goal in life is to make Jake cum. Heeseung alternates between licking between Jake’s folds and sucking at Jake’s clit, swirling his tongue around the engorged bud like it’s the world’s greatest treat. Jake chokes on a gasp and grips Heeseung’s sheets so tightly under his fists he’s surprised they don’t rip.
“Yunie, baby,” Heeseung groans, and the vibrations from his voice send a shiver up Jake’s spine. His voice is so full of love and reverence it makes Jake’s head spin. “You taste so good. So sweet for me.”
“Yes,” Jake whimpers, hips bucking up into the warm heat of Heeseung’s mouth. “All for you. Only for you.”
A particularly strong suck to his clit has Jake keening, and he unconsciously squeezes his legs together before Heeseung wraps an arm around Jake’s waist, using his other hand to press down on Jake’s knees to keep his legs apart.
His face heats up in embarrassment. He feels whorish, spreading his legs as Heeseung’s mouth adds to the growing mess of slick leaking out of him, but his inner wolf keeps reminding him that’s his alpha between his legs, pleasuring him like he’s the world’s most precious omega. He moans at the notion, and catches a glimpse of Heeseung’s wide doe eyes hazy with lust as he watches Jake come apart under his tongue.
Suddenly, he feels a pressure building from his bladder. It feels strange and Jake squirms in place, worried that he’s about to piss himself right here on Heeseung’s bed.
“Hyung, wait,” Jake pants. Heeseung stops immediately, and puts some distance between him and Jake. Despite the fact that he was the one that called for a stop, Jake can’t hold back his whine at the loss of contact.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? Do you want to stop here?” Heeseung asks, voice full of worry. Jake almost gets whiplash at the difference in his demeanor except the majority of what he’s feeling is frustration as he feels his orgasm slipping further and further away. He needs Heeseung’s mouth and hands back on his pussy now.
“No,” Jake cries. He takes Heeseung’s hand in his own hand and brings it back to his dripping core, holding it against his throbbing clit. Heeseung’s ears pinken, and Jake is so driven by lust and the need to cum he takes Heeseung’s fingers and uses them to draw circles against his clit.
“I just—ah—” Jake moans, eyes fluttering shut as the pleasure returns. “I just thought I was gonna pee.”
Heeseung blinks as he takes in Jake’s comment. His ears are now a brilliant shade of red, despite having his fingers against Jake’s most intimate parts.
“Oh,” he stutters. “That’s, um. That’s okay. Jaeyunie I think—I think you were about to squirt.”
Jake blinks once before a bright blush overtakes his body. He knows what squirting is (thank you Jungwon, for the TMIs) but due to his lack of personal experience, he didn’t know it would feel like that.
“Do you…do you want me to keep going?” Heeseung asks. He’s still running his thick fingers against Jake’s slippery folds, and Jake’s eyes roll back in his head every time they flick against his clit just right.
“Please,” Jake whimpers. Not to be dramatic, but he thinks he’ll die if they just stop right here. “I’m so close. Make me cum, alpha.”
Heeseung’s eyes widen at the name. His scent flares with lust and he rubs Jake’s clit with more purpose, sending sparks of continuous pleasure through Jake’s nerves. It builds in his gut like a string being wound tight, and Jake jerks in place as he's getting pushed closer and closer to the edge.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Jake chants, words slurring together. His jaw is lax from all the pleasure running through his system and his brain is turning into mush, with the only words he can form being, “Yes,” and “Don’t stop.”
Then, Heeseung eases a single finger in his hole, curling his digit up to pet Jake's velvety walls and the string coiling in his gut snaps. He moans, almost screaming, as an intense wave of pleasure ripples through him, even stronger than what he felt two days ago. Jake’s eyes roll back into his head and his legs shake from the continuous assault on his pussy from Heeseung’s tongue and finger, whimpering as he feels a stream wetting Heeseung’s sheets.
He looks down between his legs to assess the mess he’s made. There’s a cooling puddle of slick and squirt staining the sheets under his body around his legs, but Jake’s attention is pulled to his boyfriend. Heeseung kneels in between Jake’s spread legs with a hand down his own pants. Jake is captivated by the movement and the outline of Heeseung’s cock straining against his pants. His boyfriend throws his head back, biting his lips as he desperately chases his own release.
“Fuck,” Heeseung whispers. His eyes are glazed over, and the bottom half of his face is wet with Jake’s releases. If Jake wasn’t so tired, he’d probably cum again just from the sight alone.
“That was so hot.” Heeseung moans. His hand pumps up and down his shaft and Jake’s mouth waters when Heeseung undoes his pants to pull the rest of his dick into view. Heeseung’s cock is thick, and pearls of his precum drip down the sides, spilling out from the tip. Despite his exhaustion, Jake feels his pussy pulse at the idea of having that cock press into his womb one day.
“You’re so beautiful.” Heeseung moans again. “How did I get so lucky with you?”
“Hyung,” Jake whimpers back, reaching out for his boyfriend. “Alpha. Cum on me. Use my body and mark me as yours.”
Heeseung moans loudly, speeding up his hand over his dick. Heeseung had said Jake looks beautiful but Jake thinks his boyfriend is ethereal as he succumbs to his pleasure, mouth dropping open as ropes of cum shoot from his dick. Jake closes his eyes as he feels Heeseung’s hot cum splatter over his stomach and chest, marking him with his seed. He opens his eyes again to watch Heeseung rock through his orgasm through half-lidded eyes, pulling his boyfriend forward to capture his lips in a searing kiss. There’s a faint taste of tangerines on Heeseung’s tongue, and Jake moans when he tastes himself.
When he starts to feel a sense of sadness slowly spread through his body, he pulls away from Heeseung and closes his eyes. The dread is there again too, but this time Jake is better prepared for it. He takes deep breaths, and reminds himself he’s okay, and that he’s safe with Heeseung. His boyfriend also helps calm him down by wrapping him up in his scent and pressing kisses into his hair, much like he did the other day.
The heaviness persists but after a while, it feels more like a light drizzle of rain rather than a large, foreboding thunderstorm—he’s aware of its presence, but it’s not overwhelming.
Heeseung must feel the shift in atmosphere. He gently pats Jake’s hair, smoothing a comforting hand down his back. “Doing better, baby?”
“Yeah,” Jake replies and shyly presses a kiss to Heeseung’s nose. He opens his arms for Jake to fall into, and Jake all but throws himself into the crevices of Heeseung’s body, uncaring that they both reek of sex and their bodies are still sticky with sweat, slick, and other bodily fluids.
“Thank you, hyung.” He says, sincerely.
Heeseung giggles at his statement. “You’re so cute. Why are you thanking me? If anything, I should be thanking you, for trusting me enough.”
Jake shifts on his arms to catch Heeseung staring at him with the most gentle expression on his face, and he gets the feeling that Heeseung isn’t just talking about sex. Jake feels his heart swell in his chest, and there are three words that itch to bubble out of him, but still feels too early to say. Instead, Jake hauls himself up and throws a leg over Heeseung’s torso, kissing him deeply to show him how he feels. His boyfriend replies in kind, lips moving in tandem with Jake’s as he gently strokes his hair.
It’s fascinating how one wrong number could lead him to a man across the country, and how this man ended up being everything he needs. But, as Jake watches Heeseung pull himself up to clean them both before sliding back into Jake’s arms, he knows that he’s right where he belongs.
The next morning, the drive to the airport is heavy, and a tense, sad silence fills the air. Heeseung’s thumb is drawing small circles on the back of his hand and Jake tries his hardest to hold in his tears.
These past few days have felt like a dream. He got to present his own findings for the first time and got to learn about the latest developments of research in a field he loves. Then he got to be with Heeseung, his alpha, in his apartment, and got to experience what it’s like to bask in moments of domestic bliss. It’s everything that Jake could ever want in life, and now that he’s had a taste, he doesn’t want it to end.
Heeseung parks the car and helps Jake take his suitcase from the trunk. Jake links his arm through Heeseung’s the entire way, not wanting to be separated from his alpha for even one second.
When they finally arrive at the airport, they stand in front of security for departures, neither wanting to move a single muscle. In the end, it’s Heeseung that moves first as he opens his arms for a hug. Jake barrels into him, and all the tears that he tried so hard to keep away start streaming down his face.
“I don’t want to go,” Jake sniffs, and Heeseung rubs a comforting hand into his back.
“I know, baby. I don’t want you to leave either,” Heeseung murmurs. “But we won’t be separated for long. I’ll see you again in a month at your graduation, remember?”
“That’s so far away,” Jake huffs, and buries his face into Heeseung’s shoulder. “I can’t wait that long.”
Heeseung runs a comforting hand through his hair, and the air becomes a little heavier with his pheromones in an attempt to calm Jake down. “Me neither. But think about it, it’ll only be a month, which will feel like nothing compared to what we’ve already been through. Then you’ll be closer, only an hour’s drive away. I’ll come visit you every weekend, no, every day after work. I’ll be around so often you’ll be sick of me.”
Jake snorts, and brings a hand up to dab at his eyes. “Impossible. You’d have to get sick of me first.”
“Now that is impossible.” Heeseung smiles sadly, and presses a kiss to his cheeks. “I could never get sick of you.”
Jake chokes on his sobs as he reaches up and pulls Heeseung in for a proper kiss. It’s a little messy and Jake can taste the desperation on Heeseung’s lips mirroring his own, like he’s memorizing the feel of Jake’s mouth one last time.
“Hyung…” Jake says, words tapering off into silence. The three words once again sit on the tip of his tongue, but it still feels a little too early to say. “I’ll miss you.” He says instead.
Heeseung gives him a small smile, like he knows what Jake was about to say. “I’ll miss you too. I’ll call you every night until we see each other again.”
An announcement rings throughout the airport, calling for people on Jake’s flight to start boarding. Heeseung gives him a final, chaste kiss. “You should go now. I don’t want you to miss your flight.”
Jake’s bottom lip wobbles dangerously but he forces himself to walk away, knowing that if he stays any longer, he’ll truly miss his flight and won’t want to leave ever again. His inner wolf howls incessantly at leaving his mate behind, and his heart aches with every step he takes.
As he walks through security and boards the plane, he’s already counting down the days until he gets to see his boyfriend again.
제이크
Boarding the plane
I miss him already :(
성훈이
It’ll be okay
You guys will see each other again soon
Then you’ll move over there and be able to see each other more
Then you’ll be far away from me 🙁
제이크
:((
You can always move over here with me
성훈이
I’ll talk about it with Jungwon before he graduates
But until then I guess we’ll have to talk over the phone like we’re pining old lovers
Gasp
Does this mean I’m the other woman? 💔
제이크
Okay moment ruined
I am asking again: genuinely what the Fuck is wrong with you