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DONGBAEKSEOM ISLAND

APRIL 13, 2020

Location: Busan, South Korea

Subdivision: Dongbaekseom

“The view is beautiful.”

It’s been ten days since their wedding now and three days since they’ve left to Dongbaekseom Island for their honeymoon. The drive from Seoul to Busan had taken hours and would’ve taken longer if Soonyoung wasn’t so adamant on driving straight towards the island without any pit stops, save for bathroom breaks.

Sitting in the car for hours had been all worth it in the end when they got to their destination with the sun still shining high above their heads. Soonyoung had already booked a hotel room suite prior to their wedding day for the whole week they’d be staying, and though Jihoon had scolded him for spending money again, the alpha only claimed, “Only the best for my Jihoonie."

Their first day of their honeymoon consisted of them settling into their hotel room suite and unpacking their belongings. Although they both wanted to explore the area first, they both agreed it was best to tuck in for the late afternoon and dine in for dinner at the restaurant nearby to catch up on some much needed sleep.

It’s their second day now and it’s almost sunset, the both of them doing nothing but walking around the area to get a feel for the place and get a few pictures in. So here they are walking along the platform surrounding a large cylindrical building, hands intertwined as they gaze out onto the bay. Soonyoung can vaguely see people swimming in the water, and he makes a mental note to go for a swim later on his list of things to do.

“Yeah, the bay is beautiful,” Jihoon agrees with him, referring to his comment earlier. He’s still gazing out into the bay, eyes sparkling against the sea.

Soonyoung chuckles, endeared. “I wasn’t talking about the bay."

“Hm?” Jihoon hums, turning his head briefly towards the alpha before he’s looking back at the scenery. “The sunset then? That’s also beautiful."

“Oh my god,” Soonyoung groans playfully. “I mean, yeah — the sunset is also beautiful, but I wasn’t talking about that either. The view I’m talking about is someone who’s wearing a white dress shirt and denim shorts...and he’s looking really pretty in something so casual..."

Giving him a confused look, Jihoon turns his head and points at a man sporting a similar attire. “That guy over there?” He turns his head and glares at Soonyoung, hands on his hips. “Need I remind you we just got married — "

“Jihoonie!” whines Soonyoung with a pout, wrapping his arms around his omega and squeezing lightly. “You know I’m talking about you, stop it!"

Jihoon leans his head back on the alpha’s shoulder, his angry facade melting into a cheeky smile. He looks so damn happy, lips curled up into a wide smile and eyes curving into those beautiful crescents Soonyoung misses seeing so damn much. What he wouldn’t give to keep that smile on there forever.

He feels Jihoon raise a hand up under his chin to pat his cheek. “I’m joking, hon. Personally, I like my view too."

Stunned at the underlying compliment, Soonyoung opens his mouth to retort when he feels Jihoon nose his jawline. “Your chubby cheeks are looking real cute from my angle."

Jihoon is out of his arms in the next second with a cackle, practically prancing away and continuing their walk, leaving the alpha standing there with an open mouth. He doesn’t know whether to feel amused or insulted, but if being insulted is what it takes to get Jihoon’s mood up, maybe he wouldn’t mind it so much.

Pouting again, he follows after his mate sulkily, still feeling a little conflicted. “They’re not chubby,” he grumbles, crossing his arms. “They’re fluffy."

He watches Jihoon automatically stop in his tracks and turn to him again, the same wide smile still on his face. Turning around, the omega skips — literally skips — back towards him before reaching out and taking his face between his palms, patting his cheeks lightly. 

“Have I ever told you this?” Jihoon asks, squishing and pinching Soonyoung’s cheeks lovingly. “I love your cheeks."

”Wubf?” is what comes out of Soonyoung’s mouth, trying his best to say ‘what?’ with his mate still squishing his cheeks. 

“Uh-huh,” Jihoon nods. “I don’t think I’ve told you this enough. Your cheeks are cute. I know you’ve told me before that you wanted to lose cheek fat, but you shouldn’t. You’re cute like this.” With that, he leans up and presses two soft pecks on both of Soonyoung’s cheeks, patting them twice before pulling away. “Cutie."

Stunned, Soonyoung watches Jihoon turn back around and walk away. “Now come on, I want us to go down to the bay before night hits."

Soonyoung blinks slowly, then nods, a little dumbfounded. “Yeah, sure."

Don’t get him wrong — he loves it when Jihoon unexpectedly turns the tables and compliments him, sometimes even going as far as to initiating touches like what just happened three seconds ago. His omega rarely does this, however, and it catches him off guard quite easily. He tries not to ponder too much on Jihoon’s actions though, opting to relish that small moment of Jihoon initiating the affection.

Biting down on his bottom lip to prevent a giddy smile from forming on his lips, he catches up to Jihoon easily. Wrapping an arm around his omega, he presses a kiss on the side of his head, unable to help himself.

They don’t say much when they find themselves walking along the bay, just soaking in each other’s presence, and Soonyoung finds that beautiful in its own way. They’ve come so far in their relationship that they have no reason to be uncomfortable with each other anymore. They’ve made it past the worst and will continue to strive for their best.

Walking along the bay brings a new sense of calmness in Soonyoung. Hearing the waves crash gently onto the sand, the faint sounds of crickets rubbing their wings together in the distance, the faint chatter of people from the balcony they were standing on just a few moments ago — it’s serene.

Then the bitterness comes. He hadn’t really thought about it much but now that he’s alone with Jihoon, he can’t help but think about how much time they’ve missed out on. Moments where they fought, where their energy could’ve been used on something more useful than destroying their relationship. 

There’s a sudden pinch on his waist, jolting him out of his thoughts. Blinking, he looks down at Jihoon who’s already staring back at him with pursed lips, a slight glare twinkling in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

The chattering of the people begin to fade the more farther they get from the resort. Although Soonyoung is the alpha, the silence is intimidating, and Jihoon’s dissatisfied expression isn’t helping either. 

He didn’t mean for this to take a sour turn because really, all he wants from this honeymoon is to connect with Jihoon again, to love him more despite all their past issues. He’d wanted to forget about everything that had happened, but he supposes it’s easy for such traumatic things to make itself known again and again.

“Nothing,” is what he says with a soft sigh. He doesn’t want to ruin their honeymoon. “Just feeling nostalgic, I guess."

Something in Jihoon’s expression shifts, looking a little less harsher than before. He still looks upset, eyes becoming hooded when he looks away to stare out into the sea instead, but he looks more...understanding.

“About what?” Jihoon asks, voice a murmur now that they’re away from the general public.

Soonyoung turns his head to stare at the sea too. The sun had fallen behind the horizon, leaving streaks of orange and yellow and a whole sky of dark blue. The stars begin twinkling little by little, one by one, and he ends up being a little breathless.

“Just...” Soonyoung waves his hand around, as though it would help him explain anything, “...I don’t know. Just stuff. We should get back to the resort — "

He turns around to start heading back but Jihoon doesn’t move. The omega keeps a firm but gentle grip around his wrist, preventing him from walking away. They don’t speak for a moment, as if Jihoon is waiting for him to explain himself further, but Soonyoung doesn’t want to make a fool of himself.

“Soonyoung.” Talk to me, he’ll say. ”Play with me.”

Blinking, Soonyoung turns his head to stare at Jihoon, not quite believing what he just heard. He was so certain Jihoon would try to get an answer out of him and they’d end up arguing like they always do, but this is...new.

“What?” 

Jihoon jerks his head towards the sea. “Play with me. You’re it."

With that, their hands separate as his omega begins taking a few steps back, before he’s turning around and walking away. He’s not even running, hands casually in his shorts’ pockets and shoulders leaned back leisurely. Soonyoung isn’t sure he’s being serious.

A little puzzled, he follows after Jihoon, his slippers feeling heavily weighed down against the wet sand. 

“Jihoon, what are you..."

Jihoon seems to ignore his unfinished question and instead, he begins to walk noticeably faster. His slippers leave deep imprints on the wet sand and although it’s hard to walk, he doesn’t seem to be struggling. The distance between them is beginning to get bigger and bigger, and Soonyoung just wants nothing more than to close it.

“Jihoonie..."

Jihoon turns around but he doesn’t stop walking. Instead, he keeps walking backwards, a barely noticeable smile on his lips against the darkness surrounding them. His eyes are still twinkling mischievously, and Soonyoung recognizes that look — one that says I have a plan that you’re not gonna like but I’m gonna execute anyway.

Trying to catch up and prevent Jihoon from doing anything disastrous, Soonyoung begins jogging. His feet constantly slip in his slippers from the low tide, making it more difficult for him to jog. He can feel himself start to get increasingly frustrated, but he doesn’t exactly know why he’s getting so worked up over something so little.

Jihoon’s still smiling teasingly at him, slipping out of his slippers and bending down to throw them on the dry sand. Then, without another glance at Soonyoung, he turns around and runs.

For a moment, Soonyoung just stands there, stunned. He didn’t think Jihoon was serious, considering his omega doesn’t like playing games. He doesn’t like beating around the bush either, but it seems as though he’s trying to get something out of Soonyoung, and the latter isn’t sure if he likes how this is turning out.

Chucking his slippers aside, Soonyoung runs after him, feeling the cool night air hit his skin like constant slaps to the face. His eyes are beginning to burn with how quick the wind is coming towards him, but the natural wetness of his eyes dries up quickly. 

Jihoon is a good few feet ahead of him, his laughter echoing through the empty air loud and clear. Soonyoung doesn’t understand what’s going on through his head right now but he wants to know why his mate is acting so...un-Jihoon-like. Don’t get him wrong — he loves seeing this side of his omega, but it doesn’t usually come out so often.

“You have to catch me, alpha,” Jihoon shouts from over his shoulder. “You’re too slow!"

His title has goosebumps breaking out on Soonyoung’s skin, heart pounding erratically. Maybe he has some sort of stupid dominance kink, or maybe it’s normal for alphas, but he has to admit that Jihoon definitely knows what he’s doing, even if the alpha himself doesn’t know what exactly is happening.

Motivated and fueled by the unexpected name, he runs faster. He can feel his breathing becoming labored, and he makes a mental note to check out the resort’s gym later. He’s so close to Jihoon he could probably just reach out and take him in his arms, show him that he’s not slow and that he can easily surpass his omega if he really tried — not that he’s unfit or anything.

His arm is outstretched, ready to snag his mate by the waist and pull him towards him when all of a sudden, Jihoon swerves left and ducks under his outstretched arm expertly. His giggles pass by Soonyoung’s ear when the alpha stumbles to a stop, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, quite literally. 

Quickly, he spins his body round and chases after his mate, gaze focused on Jihoon’s running body. He’s not going to let him slip away again.

With a sudden burst of energy, he runs forward and tackles Jihoon to the ground with a victorious growl, his omega’s giggles still loud in the crisp air against his ear. Bodies rolling over thrice, they both end up getting half soaked in the low tide, the cold waves crashing gently against their hips and sand flying everywhere.

Soonyoung’s nipping at Jihoon’s neck in a scolding manner, fingers digging into his omega’s side to tickle him as punishment. Jihoon is wriggling helplessly underneath him with laughter spilling from his lips, and though he could probably buck Soonyoung off easily, he doesn’t.

Then the most unexpected thing happens.

It starts off quietly, and Soonyoung has to strain his ears and lower his growl to make sure he’s hearing it clearly. There’s a soft thrumming underneath his own chest where it meets Jihoon’s, and with how breezy it is outside, he would’ve thought his omega was shivering from the cold, but that’s not the case at all. The thrumming begins to get more vibrant, and then the sound emerges not too long after.

It comes and goes in between Jihoon’s giggles but it’s still there, lurking behind his voice. For a moment, Soonyoung blanks out in an attempt to figure out why it sounds so familiar when Jihoon’s ears begin to rapidly turn red, his hand suddenly covering his mouth as he turns his face to the side even though he’s still laughing. It’s like a lightbulb goes off in Soonyoung’s head after that.

”Oh my god,” is what comes out of his mouth, his growl gradually dying down. “Hoonie, you’re...are you purring?”

Jihoon takes his hand away from his mouth and scowls at him — or, attempts to scowl at him although it comes out as more of a grimace with his laughter. 

“I’m not purring,” he says adamantly. 

Soonyoung raises an eyebrow when he sees Jihoon raise his chin up challengingly, cat-like eyes glaring. 

He’s pretty sure Seungkwan’s told him something about purring before, back when he and Jihoon were still hiding their relationship from their members and back before the first Nae-ri mission happened — how a bonded omega’s purr can grow increasingly loud if the bonded alpha were to growl in retaliation. He’s not quite sure how the logistics works and frankly, he can’t bother to do research on it when all he can do is just growl.

Sure, he’s heard Jihoon purr before. Countless times actually, but it was all in situations where Jihoon could actually control it. Now though, with nothing to distract them and nothing to hurt them, he can see that his omega is just as startled as he is, and Soonyoung realizes this is one of the rare times Jihoon’s lost control over his wolf.

Testing, squeezing Jihoon’s waist lightly, he lets out a low growl and hears his omega’s purr grow a tad bit louder. He grins, laughing a little when Jihoon whacks his shoulder in retaliation, the redness of his ears flowing down to his cheeks. He looks very much displeased, embarrassed too, but Soonyoung is very much satisfied.

Growling louder, he listens with fascination as Jihoon’s purr also becomes louder, and pretty soon, they’re both nothing but a mess of rumbles. To anyone else, they’d probably think they’re crazy, lunatics even, but Soonyoung finds it more comical than anything.

”You idiot, quit it,” Jihoon scolds, but then he’s laughing again. Reaching out, he cups Soonyoung’s face and presses their lips together, muttering a fond, “You’re so stupid."

Soonyoung only smiles and leans in once more, eyes fluttering shut when he feels Jihoon’s plush lips press against his again.

Usually caught up with vigorous daily activities, it’s easy to forget that they can finally have some time for themselves and for once, they can be in their own world instead of putting themselves in danger. Their constant separation led Soonyoung to momentarily forget just how much they still need to familiarize themselves with each other — getting used to their scents mixing, getting used to getting affection instead of none at all, getting used to each other’s touches, and getting used to all the little things that made their relationship what it was — beautiful.

The simmering heat in the pit of his stomach sings softly, not turning itself into knots like it used to. Instead, it’s a pleasant and brewing warmth, collecting the beautiful sensations from their connected lips and fueling more energy into his body. He doesn’t think he’s felt this serene before.

The noise from the resort is beginning to fade away, and despite being half soaked in the ocean, he finds himself drowning in Jihoon. His scent, his touch, his taste, everything — he drowns himself in it, and what does Jihoon do? 

Jihoon engulfs him, drags him into an unending abyss that they fall into together. His strong arms wrap around him to block away all the dangers of the world, warm hands there to turn his head away from all the chaos and destruction they’ve caused apologetically. A beautiful eye smile to assure him everything will be okay, and a love so big that Soonyoung knows he won’t find that same feeling in any other person.

“Were you thinking about it?” is what Jihoon asks softly when they pull away.

Soonyoung doesn’t meet his eyes, opting to lie his head down on his omega’s shoulder instead. Jihoon’s warm hand comes up to stroke through his hair, soothing and reassuring, taking away all his worries like he used to. A silent understanding passes between them, but they still talk. They need this.

“I was,” confesses Soonyoung, barely audible. “I’m sorry."

Jihoon’s hand stops on the crown of his head. “Don’t be."

Another silence runs between them but it’s not awkward. It’s loud instead, the both of them trying to collect their thoughts. Soonyoung thinks they’ve both been working on being more careful with how they speak to each other, not because they’re keeping secrets — they’re past that stage already. Now they’ve reached this point of their life, and just a small slip of words not meant could be the downfall of their relationship for real.

“I think it’s normal to heal this way,” Jihoon’s voice comes first, and Soonyoung can feel the thrum of his chest when he speaks. “Healing is never a constant up motion. We’re gonna fall back sometimes because...we need time and effort. It’s not an overnight process. I think, most importantly, we just need to make sure we’re feeling better both mentally and emotionally than the day before."

Soonyoung reaches out for Jihoon’s other hand and holds it in his, like some sort of support. Hearing those words reassure him just a bit. He knows he shouldn’t be feeling bitter over the fact that they’d wasted time being petty over each other, and like Jihoon said, they’re going to fall back sometimes. He just loathes the guilt inside him when he realizes they could’ve done more than just argue.

“I’m a hypocrite,” he mumbles, closing his eyes. “When I saved appa that day of the mission, he looked so broken and defeated. It was like all the happiness he used to have got beaten out of him. He told me to leave him and to just take Joonseo with me instead, that I’d waste too much time trying to save him. He told me he already missed too much, that he couldn’t get back those seven years he missed."

Jihoon’s hand goes back to stroking his hair again, comforting. 

“I told him that we’d be able to make up those seven years,” he continues quietly. “I couldn’t let him give up just like that, but now that we’re at this point of our lives — I sympathize with him. I couldn’t understand why he felt so defeated then when he had the rest of his life to make up for it, but now I do. I can understand him."

“...What are you trying to say?"

Soonyoung raises his head when he hears how stiff Jihoon’s voice is. When he makes eye contact with his omega, he can see the way Jihoon’s expression automatically hardens, and he realizes his words could’ve been interpreted differently. Jihoon’s grip on his hand slackens, and the hand on his head falls away onto the sand.

“I’m not giving up on us,” Soonyoung clarifies quickly. “That’s not what I was trying to say. I’m just saying...I understand appa and why he’d think like that. I mean, we spent two years of our relationship fighting and arguing when it was all my fault to begin with."

Jihoon’s expression falters a little but he’s listening. They’re working on it.

Soonyoung rolls off of Jihoon and lays back against the sand with a sigh, staring up at the stars. “I thought a lot about what you said back in Uiseong when we bonded again,” he admits, resting a hand behind his head. “Me not telling you about it in the first place, I mean."

He sees Jihoon sit up and stare at him from his peripheral vision but he keeps his gaze trained on the stars. He vaguely wonders if there’s another version of them, in an alternate universe somewhere, the both of them happy with their lives and just being in love without trouble. Maybe they’re idols in another life, and maybe those idol versions of them are keeping their own secret too.

“I thought it was a bad idea at the time,” he confesses. “I just automatically ruled it out as not going to happen. I knew you’d probably try to do something about it, and I didn’t want you to worry when we were going head first into a mission. Now that we’re here, I feel like all my efforts were just...kind of like me, I guess. Useless?” He sighs again, melancholic. “I know you can take care of yourself but I guess I underestimated you, and I’m sorry for that. Maybe I could’ve done things differently...maybe I should’ve told you and then...then it wouldn’t have been so hard on us."

Jihoon is quiet beside him, still staring at him. Soonyoung hopes he’s managed to say everything right then because all of this is coming from his heart, raw and pure. He’s not good at expressing himself vocally, but he knows it’s time for that to change, for both the betterment of himself and his relationship with Jihoon.

“You know me better than I do,” is what Jihoon says, voice careful like he’s trying to pick out his words. “I guess...if you were really thinking that way in the first place, then your gut instinct was right."

Shifting a little, moving his body down, he lays his head on Soonyoung’s chest and continues, “Maybe you could’ve done things differently. Maybe you should’ve told me in the first place, but maybe things like these happen no matter what. Maybe we would’ve ended up with the same outcome if you told me because like you said, I’d probably do something about it that could’ve landed us in trouble. I’m not into fate and destiny like you are, but...I’m the type to believe that everything happens for a reason."

Soonyoung guesses this is what Jihoon means by healing. Even though they fall back, they talk it out. They’ve never done it like this before because back then, “talk it out” meant ignorance from his end and a whole bunch of nagging from Jihoon. Now they’re trying to understand each other, and that’s the beauty of healing. You learn, you grow, you establish it.

“If you’re gonna blame yourself, you should blame me too,” Jihoon says after a moment. “I’m not any better than you when it comes to our relationship. We’re both flawed here, but we’re okay."

They both fall into another round of silence, one the feels lighter than the others. A mutual, silent understanding passes between them and Soonyoung feels like he can finally breathe. They’re both flawed, but they’re okay. 

“Soonie?"

“Yes, kitten?"

“Are we still Hoshi and Woozi?"

Soonyoung pauses at that, mind momentarily halting at the question. That’s right — Hoshi and Woozi, Soonyoung and Jihoon, what they were and will be. It was what he’d said before back in Uiseong, something he thought would clarify where they stood in terms of their relationship. Now that they’re married?

“I feel like we were Soonyoung and Jihoon before this all happened,” is what he says quietly. “We were always Hoshi and Woozi though, that won’t change...but I think we can find ourselves again as Soonyoung and Jihoon."  

There’s another pause.

“I like that,” Jihoon murmurs. “All part of the healing process, right?"

This time, Soonyoung couldn’t agree more.

—

DONGBAEKSEOM ISLAND

APRIL 18, 2020

Location: Busan, South Korea

Subdivision: Dongbaekseom

The rest of the honeymoon goes by smoothly. They take their time with their relationship, their healing process, and they’ve only fought over what to eat for dinner once. It’s a huge improvement from before, where they’d spend hours just bickering over what cereal to eat for breakfast. Quite comedic actually.

They’re now on their last day of their honeymoon before they drive back to Seoul and resume their jobs, and Soonyoung is a little bummed out when he realizes it’s over. He has to admit though, being away from his usual everyday life and dedicating his time to Jihoon and Jihoon only is such a nice refresher for him. He thinks he’s really gotten to connect with his mate through and through, and he couldn’t be more happier.

It’s now 9:42 p.m. and they’ve both come back from the diner half an hour ago, deciding to spend their last day relaxing in their hotel room and doing absolutely nothing. If you ask Soonyoung though, he would tell you doing nothing but relaxing is ideal when they’ve spent the past six days exploring the resort and going down to the bay. 

So now he’s currently lounging about in their messy bed, contemplating if he should ask Jihoon to join him for a movie night for the last night of their honeymoon. Now that he thinks about it, they still need to catch up with the Avengers series. Their late nights staying up is really going to come back and bite them when their training starts. 

About to call for Jihoon who’s in the main room doing god knows what, his phone suddenly pings with a notification.

Raising his head curiously — nobody should be disturbing them at this time — he reaches over and grabs the device, opening it to see it’s actually a text from Jihoon himself.

Frowning, glancing out the bedroom door as if his mate would come in walking any minute, he opens the text curiously. The confusion only grows bigger when he sees it’s a picture of...something he can’t exactly name. It looks to be a zoomed in shot of something, but when he attempts to zoom out and see what it is, the picture goes back to the text screen. 

Did he screenshot something? he thinks to himself. He can’t possibly send this to me on accident.

Then Jihoon sends another picture and this time it seems the picture is zoomed out a little more. From what Soonyoung can make out, it’s definitely a solid. There’s a black curve at the top and a black rectangle on the bottom, which contrasts with the pale...whatever that is.

Does he want me to guess this? he ponders, typing in a reply.

My husband ❤
[ image attached ]

My forever idiot
what is that?

My forever idiot
telescope?

He hears a snort from the main room and a low muttering before Jihoon sends him another picture. This time it seems to be a different one, a curve of the same pale thing which — now that Soonyoung sees the white wall behind it, he thinks the pale thing is a shoulder.

My husband ❤
[ image attached ]

My forever idiot
your shoulder?

Another picture is sent to him. It’s a screenshot of Jihoon’s fingers holding his phone. At this point, Soonyoung isn’t quite sure what his omega wants him to do.

My husband ❤
[ image attached ]

My forever idiot
...am I supposed to be guessing?

My husband ❤
No.

Soonyoung frowns. If he isn’t supposed to be guessing, he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s not too sure if Jihoon’s feeling playful like he oddly has been during their honeymoon but he can’t exactly complain. 

The three bubbles pop up before disappearing, then it pops up and disappears again. Soonyoung watches it happen several times, as though Jihoon is retyping what he’s trying to text. It takes a while before he actually does get an answer, but Jihoon’s reply only makes his confusion grow.

My husband ❤
I’m trying to gain the confidence to do something.

My husband ❤
Don’t come here when I send it.

My husband ❤
I won’t be able to face you.

Soonyoung isn’t too sure what to make of that, much less how to respond. Instead of typing anything at all, he waits, watching as another picture is sent to him. This time it’s Jihoon’s finger against what looks to be a black...curtain? It looks frilly, much like how a curtain would look like, but Soonyoung is certain the hotel room doesn’t have any black curtains.

Another picture is sent right after that. It’s a bow this time, connecting what looks to be two black pieces on either end. Soonyoung kisses his teeth, still confused but definitely amused with what’s happening.

There’s a sudden long drawn groan of, “Fuuuuuuuck, I shouldn’t have done thiiiiiiiiis,” from the main room and Soonyoung raises an eyebrow when he sees those annoying three dots on the corner of his screen. It disappears just as quick as it appeared, then comes back just as fast. It’s concerning how much thinking Jihoon is putting into this.

“Okay, okay!” Jihoon suddenly exclaims, like he’s trying to hype himself up. “You got this, Jihoon, you got this! You got this, you got this, you got this, yougotthis, yougotthis, yougotthisyougotthisYOUGOTTHIS — "

There’s another ping from Soonyoung’s phone but the alpha is too busy trying to peer into the main room with concern. From what he can see, he can only see Jihoon’s feet dangling off the couch, constantly moving back and forth as though he wants to kick something.

It’s when Jihoon lets out another drawn out, “FUUUUUUUCK!” does Soonyoung swing his legs over the bed and stands up, ready to see what’s wrong with his omega when his phone pings again.

My husband ❤
LOOK AT IT YOU IDIOT

My husband ❤
BUT DONT COME HERE 

My husband ❤
OH FMYGOFJD

My husband ❤
ARE YOU LOOKIGN ATT I?????

My husband ❤
MOFG DONT COME HERE

My husband ❤
IM LTIERLALY GONNA RUN AWYA

My husband ❤
DELETEDLETEDLETELDETEDELETE

Frowning at the onslaught of messages, Soonyoung doesn’t realize what Jihoon is freaking out about until he scrolls up.

His mouth goes dry.

Oh.

It’s Jihoon.

In lingerie.

Oh.

”Holy shit,” he blurts, ignoring Jihoon’s scream in the other room. “Jihoon, this is...you actually — holy shit."

Bracing himself against the dresser, Soonyoung taps on the picture to better see what exactly Jihoon is wearing. Never in his life would he think his omega had done this on his own will despite some embarrassment, and never in his life would he think sweatpants would be so constricting until now.

It’s a black two-piece set, lacy and definitely not a black curtain Soonyoung thought it was. Although it does cover a fair portion of Jihoon’s body — especially the vulnerable areas — it also shows a lot of skin as well, and Soonyoung tries not to mind his semi when he licks his dry lips.

It hugs Jihoon’s body beautifully, and Soonyoung can’t help but admire how confident his omega looks in the photo. Hip cocked out and hand on his waist, his kitten has a fierce look in his eyes, lips curled up in a pleased smirk. He’s not hiding his scar, Soonyoung realizes, when he sees the asset displayed on Jihoon’s abdomen, unhidden.

The scar is what has his breath hitching.

Fuck, he thinks, unconsciously gripping his phone tighter. What the hell did I do in my past life to deserve this?

Despite what Jihoon said about not wanting to face him, he stands up again and sets his phone back on the dresser. Quietly, he pads into the main room and peers over the couch, a little amused when he sees Jihoon’s face stuffed into a pillow, ears completely red and fists clenched tightly around the fabric. He’s definitely regretting his decision.

“I said ‘on’t come ‘ere,” Jihoon mumbles, more of a whine than a scolding. “What’re you doin’?"

“Baby,” Soonyoung says, draping himself over Jihoon’s back and grunting when he accidentally presses his semi against his thigh. “You can’t expect me not to come here when you send me something like that. You’re so naughty, kitten."

Jihoon lets out another whine, then mumbles something Soonyoung can’t hear. 

“Hmm?"

“...m’re on m’re fobe..."

“What? Babe, I can’t hear you."

“I said...have m’re on my phobe..."

Soonyoung nips at his ear. “Louder, Hoonie."

Jihoon doesn’t take his head out of the pillow but Soonyoung can see his ears become noticeably more red. His omega twists his wrist around in a pathetic attempt to slap his face, but he moves away easily, instead nipping at Jihoon’s other ear. 

It’s quiet for a moment, even when Soonyoung resorts to planting small, wet kisses down Jihoon’s neck. He can feel the heat radiating off his omega, how embarrassed he is to be sending something so...seductive. It fills him with glee, not because Jihoon’s humiliated, but rather, because his kitten is beginning to feel more confident in himself. Well, as confident as he is now. Slow and steady.

“I said — “ Jihoon starts, then falters right away. His voice becomes quiet again. “I said...I have more...more pictures...on my phone..."

Soonyoung stops his affections, pulling away abruptly. He rubs his face with a low groan, trying to get rid of any mental images his mind is trying to create for him. He can feel his downstairs begin to turn into an upstairs at the thought and he tries not to move too much.

“I...” he starts, trailing off with another groan. “Fuck. Can I...?"

Can I see?

Jihoon lets out another mumbled reply Soonyoung can’t be bothered to make out. Leaning forward, he reaches over for Jihoon’s phone on the little coffee table and drapes himself over his omega once again, entering the password — 0615 — before slotting his chin back on Jihoon’s shoulder.  

“I’m gonna look at them,” he warns, waiting for a moment to see if Jihoon would refuse. When his omega grunts in reply, he taps on the camera app and oh — fuck.

“Shit,” he says, almost breathless.

For a moment, he’s not exactly sure where to start. Overwhelmed, he scrolls up slowly, eyes falling on each picture for a few seconds before moving onto the row above. From pink to black to blue to red, Jihoon looks fucking hot in each set, especially when his poses give off similar vibes — confident, fierce, smug. His kitten definitely has claws.

Soonyoung wants to ravish Jihoon, take him apart little by little until he’s reduced his omega into a mess of tears and slick. He wants to leave love bites everywhere he can — Jihoon's neck, his chest, his shoulders, his thighs, everywhere. Dominate, that’s what his instincts are telling him, dominate his omega until all Jihoon can remember is his name and his title.

Slowly, movements careful and almost calculated, he presses ‘select’ and drags his thumb over all the photos, then proceeds to send it to his contact. Only momentarily satisfied, he sets Jihoon’s phone back down on the table and sits back on the end of the couch, covering his mouth and staring hard at Jihoon’s back.

He watches Jihoon hesitantly peek out at him from the pillow, face completely coated in a lovely shade of red. A complete contrast to what Soonyoung had seen earlier.

“Stop staring, oh my god,” Jihoon mumbles, looking away in embarrassment. “You should see how dark your eyes are right now."

“That’s not something I can really help, can I?” Soonyoung grumbles. There’s a change in his voice now — a little bit deeper, raspy. He definitely is being affected right now.

Jihoon moves then, slowly, until he’s sitting on the other end of the couch and facing Soonyoung. He’s got a pillow between his chest and legs, which are drawn up and making him look much smaller than he really is. It’s such a stark contrast to the pictures on his phone, Soonyoung still can’t believe he’d managed to see him in such a thing.

“I have — “ Jihoon begins, seemingly glaring at Soonyoung. “I’m actually..."

With a frustrated groan, Jihoon suddenly moves the pillow aside a little with an even more embarrassed expression, the redness from his face beginning to stain his neck. Soonyoung watches, eyes narrowing when Jihoon suddenly tugs the side of his sweatpants down ever so slightly to reveal the fucking black thong. 

Soonyoung inhales sharply, nearly choking on how quick he’d taken his air in. He stands up abruptly, taking a step back and covering his mouth. He can feel his fingers beginning to shake from the amount of control he’s trying to keep in, lips pursing behind his hand as his eyes zero in on the lacy piece.

Although Jihoon hadn’t revealed the whole thing to him, his mind is already running wild at the sight of the lace against Jihoon’s pale skin. He doesn’t need to look down to know a tent had already fully formed in his sweatpants.

“Fuck,” he cusses, running a hand through his hair. “When did you — have you — did you have this on this whole time?"

“I put this on in the morning,” Jihoon says dryly, still blushing. “I was...trying to gain the confidence to tell you throughout the day but...I backed out every time because it was too hard."

“I’m hard,” Soonyoung says flatly to him, not even bothering to hide his arousal at this point. “Jihoon. I’m fucking hard for you."

Jihoon groans, sinking down on the couch until his back meets the armrest. He’s covering his face, ears red and eyes peeking out from between his fingers shyly, as though all the confidence from earlier had drained away entirely. Soonyoung doesn’t know what there is to be embarrassed about — his omega is gorgeous.

”Why do you have to say that like that?” Jihoon questions. “Oh my god, you have no shame."

Soonyoung swiftly clambers over the couch and straddles his omega, leaning down to his ear and murmuring, “Tell me to shower so I can take care of myself instead.” 

Tell me if you don’t want this.

Slowly, Jihoon takes his hands away from his face, blush still on his cheeks but lessened noticeably. He turns his head until they’re both looking at each other properly, eyes piercing into Soonyoung’s as he licks his lips, painting them a more vibrant pink hue that has the heat in Soonyoung’s stomach coiling.

“And...if I want to take care of you?” Jihoon whispers, not breaking their eye contact. “And you want to take care of me?"

And if I want this...? And you want the same thing?

”Then we can,” he responds, their lips just barely brushing.

Then we can.

All it takes is Jihoon to wrap his arms around his neck, hips canting up and pressing ever so gently against his erection, and a soft whisper of, “So take me then,” for Soonyoung to break out of his control. 

Surging forward, he presses their lips together gently at first, which inevitably becomes rougher the more impatient he gets. Jihoon lets out a noise mixed between a gasp and a moan, his arms tightening around the alpha’s shoulders and tugging him down slightly. Soonyoung takes the opportunity to slide his tongue into Jihoon’s mouth, squeezing his omega’s waist when he hears him whimper in retaliation.

It’s heated and steamy with absolutely no space between them. They’re like magnets, pressing up against each other until not an inch of air is left between their bodies. Soonyoung feels warm, so incredibly warm, and there’s something prickling his skin like a gentle fire. The hot sensation in his chest keeps growing and growing, until he’s numb with nothing but Jihoon, Jihoon, Jihoon.

Jihoon’s lips are warm and soft and slides easily against his, firm but gentle. Soonyoung lets his own tongue slide against Jihoon’s and suddenly, the kiss becomes wetter, more lewd. When Jihoon pushes his tongue back with his own, Soonyoung seizes his chance and sucks on the wet muscle gently, and his omega groans into his mouth.

The room begins to fill with the sound of their staggered breathing and slick lips. It’s incredibly lewd, and when Jihoon pulls away with a gasp, Soonyoung thinks he likes the way he looks with red swollen lips.

“I — I took — “ Jihoon stutters, eyes hooded. “I took the pill already."

Soonyoung groans, “No condom?"

Jihoon reaches up and slots their lips together with a hum of, “Mm-mm,” then proceeds to hitch his other leg up on Soonyoung’s hip and whisper, “Bed."

Feeling Jihoon nuzzle his neck, he tilts his head and feels his omega press gentle kitten kisses against the column of his neck, nipping and licking. He’s most likely making his mark when Soonyoung feels a sting of pain followed by another kiss, as though his omega is trying to soothe the ache.

Hoisting Jihoon up into his arms, he carries him into the bedroom, breaths becoming labored the more he waits. He likes to think he has a lot more patience than Jihoon but when it comes to their private times, Jihoon definitely holds out longer than he does. 

Manhandling his mate chest first onto the bed, Soonyoung feels a shiver rack down his spine when he sees the way Jihoon looks at him with hooded eyes and a sneaky tongue. He looks so good like this, with his body pliant and willing to cooperate with Soonyoung’s every demand. The alpha inside him practically purrs at the sight, pleased.

Jihoon isn’t the type of omega to submit when you ask him to. He’ll do it on his own accord because he wants to, because he feels comfortable enough to do so, and Soonyoung reckons that’s one of the reasons why he’s never tried to take control of Jihoon unless it’s absolutely necessary. He’d rather have an omega he treats as his equal rather than an omega he looks down upon.

Appreciatively, he lets his eyes roam over Jihoon’s body. He can see how Jihoon’s shirt rides up to expose his stomach and if Soonyoung leans down just a little bit more, he can just barely see the hint of lingerie teasing him underneath. By the way Jihoon’s pupils dilate, his pheromones must’ve flared at the thought, dousing the room in tangerine and hints of lavender.

Pinning both of Jihoon’s wrists behind his lower back with one hand, Soonyoung straddles the back of his thighs and grinds slowly against the curve of Jihoon’s ass, using his other hand to steady himself. He can feel his breaths becoming harsher, and he can hear the way Jihoon mewls in retaliation, his omega desperately trying to move his own hips back against Soonyoung’s arousal.

Not a second later does Soonyoung notice the scent in the air change. It’s not just tangerine and lavender anymore — there’s something sweeter, more milkier, behind it all.

“You’re leaking, baby?” he murmurs, prideful. 

Jihoon makes a noise in the back of his throat, turning his head to stare back at him with that same pretty flush.

Soonyoung releases his hold on Jihoon’s wrists, instead leaning forward to slot his chin back on the omega’s shoulder and asking, “What do you want, kitten? Like this?"

“I wanna...I wanna try — “ Jihoon huffs, pushing back against Soonyoung’s front. “I wanna try riding you."

Soonyoung can feel the breath whooshing out of him. “I — what — "

Jihoon abruptly twists his body underneath him, and Soonyoung’s world suddenly tips over when he finds himself half sitting, half laying up against the headboard. Their positions are suddenly reversed and he almost misses the way Jihoon straddles him, fists clenched tight in Soonyoung’s shirt and his blush darkening a deep red.

“No touching,” he mumbles. “Just...sit."

Throat dry, words taken out of his mouth, Soonyoung can only lean back and nod, letting his hands fall away — mournfully, might he say — from Jihoon’s waist.

Jihoon bites down on his bottom lip then reaches for the hem of Soonyoung’s shirt, raising it up and whispering, “Lift."

Obeying, Soonyoung grabs the back of his collar and pulls it over his head, swiftly removing his shirt before discarding it somewhere he doesn’t care to look. All his focus is on Jihoon, Jihoon, and only Jihoon.

Jihoon’s hands graze down Soonyoung’s sides, eliciting goosebumps that break out onto his skin like a wildfire, until they stop at the hem of his sweatpants. His fingers slip underneath, and Soonyoung internally smirks when he sees the way Jihoon’s expression changes from calm and collected to surprise.

“Commando, huh?” Jihoon says, tone a little teasing.

“We weren’t gonna go anywhere today,” Soonyoung defends, raising his hips up a little and letting his mate slide his sweatpants off.

”And?” Jihoon raises an eyebrow, nestling himself back on Soonyoung’s hips and brushing their erections together. “I’m not complaining.”

Soonyoung groans at the clothed friction against his bare cock, which is now trapped underneath Jihoon. He can smell his own arousal at this point, and can see the slit leaking with pre-come. He tries his hardest to stay put, keeping his hands to his sides and letting Jihoon rock his hips back and forth along his length. What he wouldn’t give for Jihoon to finally, finally sink down on him until they’re both nothing but a mess of slick, come, and spit.

Jihoon stops moving after a moment, soft but heavy breaths slipping past his red slick lips as he stares down at Soonyoung through hooded eyes.

Keeping eye contact, he reaches up to deftly untie the drawstrings of his sweatpants before slipping his fingers underneath the hem, pulling it down and revealing the lacy black thong from earlier. Soonyoung almost doesn’t realize Jihoon is teasing him until he sees the curl of his lips.

“Jihoonie,” he groans, bucking his hips up helplessly. “Please."

Jihoon only laughs, removing the rest of his sweatpants and finally revealing the surprise. Soonyoung can almost feel him bare against his own erection, the lace rubbing against his length deliciously and making him shiver. He can feel the way Jihoon’s slick leaks on him, gradually coating him in lavender. His cock twitches at the thought, aroused at the idea.

Leaning back, Jihoon swiftly pulls his shirt over his head to remove it and — wow.

Soonyoung feels his breath stutter at the sight up close. If seeing Jihoon in lingerie through a phone screen gave him a boner, he might as well have come untouched by now. 

Jihoon hesitantly puts his arms down, discarding his shirt off the edge. His chest is stained the same deep red it was before, eyes lowered shyly and breaking their eye contact. Soonyoung can feel his nervousness flowing through his veins, his heart beating just a tad bit quicker than it was before, and his fingers shaking just a little.

“Is it — Does it look okay...on me?” Jihoon asks nervously, hands shaking ever so slightly where they rest on Soonyoung’s abdomen.

“Okay?” Soonyoung breaths, covering his mouth. “Oh my god, that’s not — You’re fucking gorgeous, kitten.”

Jihoon’s face is so red he looks like he’s about to combust from embarrassment, but Soonyoung can feel his pride, the satisfaction filling his chest from getting approval from his alpha. 

“Ride me like this,” Soonyoung blurts, unable to help himself. 

Jihoon lets out a laugh. “You want me to ride you wearing this?"

Nodding unashamedly, Soonyoung lets his eyes roam down Jihoon’s body. He could seriously come untouched just like this.

Jihoon leans back again, using the tip of his pointer finger to rub at the slit of his cock. He moans breathlessly, eyes falling hooded again, and Soonyoung feels his cock twitch at the sight. He’s so damn hard already it’s starting to ache, and he knows that Jihoon knows that, his omega smiling teasingly.

“Soonie,” he mumbles softly. “You can feel how wet I am, right?"

“Mmm,” Soonyoung hums.

He’s starting to feel a little delirious at this point, half of his conscience drifting away from him. Lifting his eyes to make eye contact, he thinks Jihoon can pinpoint the exact moment he submits to him. Jihoon’s lips curl up, eyes flowing a faint violet and donning something akin to adoration, and the change in his scent becomes sweeter, more enticing.

Something in the air shifts, a transition from the heavy warmth into a lighter atmosphere. The warmth is still there, still brewing in Soonyoung’s chest, but it’s somewhat a translucent feeling. He finds it difficult to describe, mind unable to comprehend the intricate emotion ghosting pass him.

”Alpha,” Jihoon croons, Soonyoung’s title spilling from his lips like honey. “Will you let me take care of you?"

Soonyoung’s chest rumbles with that familiar repetitive sound. He doesn’t answer Jihoon’s question but his omega seems to understand him all the same. 

Without a second more to lose, Jihoon is suddenly raising himself again, reaching a hand behind him and releasing another moan. Soonyoung can only imagine what he’s doing back there and he can feel himself leak more against his abdomen, arousal heavy in the air.

He watches Jihoon bring his hand back round, which is now covered in a layer of slick, and he feels his breath hitch when he realizes what Jihoon is about to do.

Jihoon wraps a hand around his length and begins stroking up and down, grip tightening every time he strokes towards the tip. Soonyoung hisses when he feels Jihoon’s slick encase his cock, coating him in his omega’s bodily fluids. He groans then, because he knows the scent won’t come off for hours, maybe even days, if he doesn’t wash it off.

He melts into the way Jihoon’s hands tug at his cock, twisting and turning. His hands may be soft but his callouses does wonders, rubbing gently against his shaft and stimulating every nerve in his body like a wildfire.

“Jihoonie, please,” Soonyoung whines, hands twitching where they rest by his sides.

Jihoon quirks an eyebrow at him, hand slowing down. “What is it, Soonie?"

Soonyoung swallows, feeling hot all over. He makes an attempt to fuck into Jihoon’s hand, which proves to be inevitable when Jihoon uses his other hand to hold his hips down, resting his weight entirely on his lower half to stop him from moving too much.

“Please, I want to...” Soonyoung mumbles, unable to gather the courage to say it. “I — I want to..."

“You want to come?” Jihoon asks, swiping his thumb over the dewy head. 

Although that isn’t what Soonyoung had in mind, he definitely also wants to come. More importantly, he wants to touch Jihoon. He wants to feel his milky skin underneath his hands, wants to feel every scar and bump and all the tiny imperfections that makes Jihoon all the more real. 

“I want to touch you...” Soonyoung whispers.

Jihoon pauses his movements and Soonyoung almost whimpers in retaliation. He can’t find it in himself to be embarrassed though, not when it’s just the two of them. Not when he can already trust his mate. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about anymore.

“Okay,” Jihoon says simply.

“Okay?"

Jihoon nods, wrapping his hands around Soonyoung’s wrists to place his hands on his hips. “Okay."

With the consent given, Soonyoung lets his hands slide down Jihoon’s hips to his thighs, letting himself feel the smooth texture of his skin. Jihoon moves his hips back and forth leisurely along Soonyoung’s length, and the alpha can see the head of his cock dripping with pre-come.

“Jihoon — "

“Shhh,” Jihoon shushes him suddenly. “Watch."

A little confused, Soonyoung watches as Jihoon suddenly leans back on one hand, his other hand trailing between his legs. A surge of excitement suddenly fills him, whether it’s from Jihoon’s emotions or his own, he doesn’t know. He just knows they’re both probably feeling the same thing.

Like a hawk, he watches as Jihoon moves the thin piece of lace away from his entrance, revealing his wet, gushing hole. Slick drips down like a waterfall, coating Soonyoung’s front almost entirely and wetting the bedsheets underneath them. He almost groans out loud at the sight, and he feels his cock twitch in interest at the heavy scent of Jihoon’s arousal.

Jihoon inserts two fingers inside himself, head falling back as his mouth falls open with small pants and moans of pleasure. Soonyoung watches him finger himself, eyes blown with desire and feeling his throat dry up from the view. He wants nothing more than to just devour his mate.

“S-Soonyoungie,” Jihoon moans, letting his head tip forward as he closes his eyes. “God, I — I haven’t stretched in so long. I’m so tight, Soonie."

Soonyoung groans at that, squeezing Jihoon’s thighs in an effort to control himself. “Jihoonie, please,” he, honest to god, begs. “Let me..."

Jihoon’s eyes flutter open, eyes dark and devious. “You want in?"

Unable to speak, Soonyoung can only manage to nod, watching as Jihoon inserts another finger inside himself and moan at the stretch. He’s starting to feel his patience running thin. He wants to feel Jihoon around him, tight and pulsing, and his breath stutters at the thought.

Jihoon takes his fingers out with a soft squelch and another moan, a thick strand of slick connecting between his fingers and his entrance. Leaning forward, he takes hold of Soonyoung’s cock and guides it towards his wetness, letting the head circle his rim a few times before finally, finally sinking down.

Soonyoung’s toes curl when he feels the wet heat engulf the head of his cock, and he groans at the relief. His relief, however, ends up being short-lived when he realizes Jihoon hasn’t sunk down all the way.

Looking up at Jihoon in confusion, he feels a sense of dread overcome him when he sees his omega smirking down at him. Jihoon’s still moving his hips back and forth oh so slowly, still keeping the head inside but he’s not sinking down. 

“Jihoonie,” Soonyoung says weakly. “Jihoonie, no. Please."

“Jihoonie, yes,” is Jihoon’s cruel response, his fingers reaching underneath to all but graze at Soonyoung’s shaft. “You can come like this, right?"

Soonyoung absolutely loathes Jihoon’s power now. He could probably flip their positions now, pin Jihoon against the bed and fuck him senseless until he’s just a mess of slick and come. He could do that right now. He could do that, but he doesn’t. He can’t because —

“If you tell me to stop, I’ll stop,” Jihoon says calmly, stopping his movements. “Do you want me to stop, Soonie?"

Soonyoung wants to cry. 

“No...” he whines, pathetically bucking his hips up. “Jihoonie, please. Just...not like this."

Jihoon only ignores him, lips still curled in that smug smirk of his as he reaches down again and strokes Soonyoung lightly. Soonyoung can feel his fingertips grazing against his shaft and it sends his body into overdrive. He pants, lips parting for air and chest flushed a deep red as waves after waves of pleasure crash over him.

Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t take him long to come at all. All it takes is dirty talk from Jihoon as well as three long, slow strokes of his fingers for Soonyoung to end up with a ruined orgasm. He has tears in his eyes by the end of it all, long, drawn out moans leaving his lips as his cock pulses into nothing.

“Jihoonie, please,” he practically begs. “Please, please. Wanna...I wanna..."

Jihoon all but coos at him, fingers trailing further to knead at his knot and massage it gently, and Soonyoung writhes, back arching off the bed as he keens high in his throat. His head is practically swimming in pleasure and his vision bursts into pure white, ears ringing amidst Jihoon’s cooing. He can feel his heart pounding against his chest from the adrenaline, and his body feels hot all over.

Jihoon is relentless, fingertips still massaging his knot, milking him until he’s wrung out into nothing but temporary exhaustion and pent up frustration. Soonyoung can only breathe harshly, helplessly, knot swollen and firm but locking into nothing. He feels somewhat empty.

By the time his vision comes back to blearily focus on Jihoon, his omega is already sinking down on him. The feeling isn’t as satisfying as Soonyoung would’ve thought. Instead it’s bittersweet, a possible effect from his ruined orgasm, and it’s a little overwhelming too, a result of having just came a few seconds ago.

“Jihoonie,” he groans, head tipping back as the heat encases his cock. “Jihoonie, wait...I — I can’t — "

“You think I can pull another one out of you, alpha?” Jihoon purrs, unforgiving. “Or can you not? Shame. You fill me up so well too..."

Soonyoung whimpers at that. “No. I can...I — I can do it, Jihoonie."

“Are you sure?"

A firm nod.

Jihoon tips forward, his chest still rumbling with a soft purr. He looks pleased, even leaning down to leave a trail of butterfly kisses along Soonyoung’s jawline before moving up to peck at his lips sweetly. It almost feels as though his omega is giving him some sort of reward, some sort of compensation after having been milked to the point of crying. It only makes him more determined to give Jihoon what he wants.

Soonyoung watches with anticipation as Jihoon sits back again. His omega is resting his weight on his hips, clenching around him and eliciting another groan from him. His knot still has yet to deflate but he knows that’s not what’s stopping Jihoon from taking what’s his, from owning him.

“I’m gonna move now,” Jihoon says, almost like a warning. 

Soonyoung barely has two seconds to process what Jihoon said before his kitten is raising himself up only to drop back down abruptly. A surprised grunt escapes his lips, then a series of curses when Jihoon plants his hands on his chest for leverage and begins bouncing on his cock.

He can feel himself surging in and out of the tight, hot wetness, fucking all the come right back inside from where it’s threatening to spill out. He can hear Jihoon panting and moaning, praises spilling from his omega's lips despite doing all the work, praising Soonyoung for being such a good alpha and letting his omega take care of him. 

Soonyoung is hard again in no time, whining high in his throat as he takes in all the praises greedily. Every time Jihoon sinks down on him, his knot presses right up against his entrance, and he wants nothing more than to just push in and lock their bodies together to breed his omega. Eventually, he begins thrusting his hips up in time with Jihoon’s bounces and the knot in his stomach begins to tighten.

Jihoon doesn’t let their pace falter, the muscles in his thighs flexing with every movement as he sets up a steady rhythm. Soonyoung can only stare at the spot where they connect, spellbound with how slick and come gushes out of Jihoon’s entrance, effectively soaking their groins in each other’s essence and drenching the thin strap of Jihoon’s thong in the wetness.

The friction inside is delicious, and Soonyoung can feel Jihoon clenching around him with each downward pull of his hips, pulsing around him. The wet heat makes that familiar knot tighten in his stomach, tightening with every thrust up and loosening with every pull backwards. It makes his thighs tremble with need, the need to come and fill his omega up, to breed him and have him bear his pups. 

For the first time in a very long time, he’s beginning to find it difficult to keep up with Jihoon’s pace. The speed changes gradually but it doesn’t slip from his notice, and his thighs are starting to burn from supporting his weight. 

Jihoon’s moans and whines gradually begins to get higher and higher, and Soonyoung can hear the way his breathing quickens and slips past his cherry red lips, labored. He’s beginning to clench every time he goes down and Soonyoung notices every little movement, senses all hyper focused on his mate.

“Soon — “ Jihoon gasps. “Soonyoung, I’m — I — Can you...?"

Can you take over?

With an arduous attempt to get the haze out of his mind, Soonyoung reaches out and holds Jihoon’s hips in place. He groans at the sudden lack of movement and built-up climax brewing inside his stomach, but he slowly sinks Jihoon back down to the base of his cock. 

Regaining his breath for a moment, he angles Jihoon’s hips towards him and raises him up to the tip. Planting his feet on the sheets for leverage, he snaps his hips up, growling curtly when the heat engulfs him once again. He’s relentless, much like Jihoon was, ramming hard and quick plunges deep into the tight wetness until he can feel that little bundle of nerves prodding against the tip.

The sound Jihoon makes is obscene, loud and whiny amidst their shared pants of pleasure. Desperate, almost straining, Soonyoung angles his hips a little more until he can feel himself continuously ramming into that sensitive sweet spot. Thighs burning, lungs aching for another gulp of air, he pins Jihoon in place as he pistons in and out of him, wanting to take care of his omega before himself.

Jihoon lurches forward with a loud, high-pitched whimper, hands shaking as he all but collapses onto Soonyoung. The alpha feels him clenching tighter, and Jihoon’s thighs begin trembling where they lay by Soonyoung’s hips, overwhelmed by pleasure.

The knot in Soonyoung’s stomach tightens again but this time, it doesn’t loosen. Instead it grows tighter and tighter, and his knot, having been in the process of deflating, gradually becomes swollen and firm again, and he knows he doesn’t have much time left until he’s a goner.

Licking his lips, desperate, he asks, “Can you take your alpha’s knot, kitten?"

Jihoon mewls upon hearing the question, and Soonyoung feels his quick pants against his neck. He makes a noise Soonyoung can’t really decipher but it sounds a lot like an agreement, so he keeps going.

“You’re — You’re gonna be a good omega for me, yes?” he questions, breathless. 

“Yuh — “ Jihoon pants. “Yes. Yes, I’ll be — huh — a good omega. I’ll be — I’ll be — for you — good omega."

Soonyoung speeds up his pace, delivering skillful, hard jabs towards the bundle of nerves. He’s sure he won’t be able to walk tomorrow with how painful his thighs are aching but all his focus is on making his omega feel good. The knot in his stomach is still tightening, to the point where he’s surprised he hasn’t come yet but Jihoon does it before him.

Jihoon lets out a loud, broken moan, body spasming briefly in Soonyoung’s hold as he tightens drastically around his cock. Soonyoung can feel the sudden wetness painting his abdomen and he doesn’t have to look to know Jihoon had finished.

“Soonyoung,” Jihoon whimpers through a raspy voice. “Alpha."

The knot inside Soonyoung’s stomach untangles at a speed faster than he can process. Before he knows it, an animalistic growl slips from his throat just as he pins Jihoon’s hips down against his and shoves his knot inside the wet heat, effectively locking the both of them together as he unloads himself inside his omega.

Jihoon writhes in his arms, mewling, whimpering, before he settles back down with quivering fingertips and sighs of pleasure. Soonyoung, despite being absolutely exhausted, rearranges Jihoon’s limbs until he’s lying comfortably on top of him, then proceeds to roll them over until they’re both lying down on their sides, finally content.

“Good alpha,” Jihoon mumbles, craning his neck up to pepper kisses down Soonyoung’s throat. “Always...takes care of me, hmm?"

Soonyoung only hums weakly, barely having enough energy to say anything. Instead, he brings his hand up to rip away Jihoon’s lingerie carelessly, tossing the pieces of cloth off to the side and ignoring Jihoon’s surprised squawk.

“Soonyoung, you just wasted, like, ₩50,000. That was expensive!"

“Don’t care,” Soonyoung replies curtly, shutting his eyes and tugging Jihoon closer to his body until they’re practically molded together. “You have more. I’ll buy you more. Definitely more. I promise. You’re sexy."

He hears Jihoon giggle, then feels a kiss against his Adam’s apple. “You really liked it that much?"

“Loved it. Not like."

Another giggle. “Idiot."

Soonyoung only nuzzles into his hair. “Yours."

“Mine,” Jihoon agrees, eyes fluttering close.

Amidst the gradual quietness of the room, it almost feels like the ending of an old book: the pages are yellow with age and the ink is smeared on the last few chapters, leaving blurred lines and a story left messily told. Just when you’re left frustrated and unsatisfied, the author may suddenly announce a new book, more refined and better written but definitely leaving hints of those old aged pages and smeared ink. Reminiscent.

That’s how Soonyoung feels now. Their life began anew just a week ago, ridden of pesky doubts and old fears. Now, although they’ve only made it through the first chapter of their lives together in this new book of theirs, there’s a whole new index of insecurities. Instead of smeared ink to tell their wobbly road, they’re writing a whole new book together, and Soonyoung thinks that’s the beauty of him and Jihoon: their relationship aged wrong but they’re always willing to write the next part together.

As Soonyoung stares at the crown of Jihoon’s head, he feels somewhat melancholic. The past two years haven’t been the best, sure, but there’s an odd feeling of missing those times. Times where he and Jihoon fought until they almost broke, until they weren’t a whole piece anymore but rather, two terribly broken shards. Times where they’d almost given up on each other to the point of rejection. Times where they stopped being whole completely.

Yet, it were in those times where they realized moving forward would be such a big step in their relationship. It were in those times where everything turned 180 degrees, where they weren’t just fighting anymore. They weren’t quite whole then, but then weren’t broken either.

Soonyoung misses those times, but —

“Don’t throw me over your shoulder if you wake me up or I’m gonna be a bitch to deal with in the morning. Also, don’t pull out."

He almost jumps when he hears Jihoon’s voice, now raspy from exhaustion. Blinking, not quite sure he heard correctly, he laughs, the melancholiness dissipating into nothing but fond memories.

“No guarantees. You know I move a lot in my sleep."

With a huff, Jihoon pushes him back until he’s lying back against the bed, then proceeds to clamber over his form with a content sigh.

“There. Now you won’t be able to move."

Soonyoung snorts, wrapping his arms around Jihoon. “Go to sleep, weirdo. I don’t want to deal with a cranky Jihoonie in the morning."

“Dumbass."

Smiling, Soonyoung kisses the crown of Jihoon's head, whispering, “Love you."

Seconds later, Jihoon will mutter those same words back. Seconds later, the room will fall quiet again until Soonyoung hears Jihoon’s breathing get even. Seconds later, Soonyoung will lay wide awake despite his body being exhausted from their previous strenuous activities. Seconds later, he’ll close his eyes and let his mind drift away from him to avoid thinking too much.

Because yes — Soonyoung misses those times where they fought and argued and broke each other, not because he likes the feeling of being in pain but rather, he enjoys seeing how far they’ve come and matured. Together. 

Their relationship wasn’t, isn’t, and won’t be perfect but to Soonyoung, perfection was, is, and will always be in the form of Lee Jihoon.

(Tomorrow, they’ll go back to work and living their daily lives.

Two months later, they’ll be assigned to different missions to take care of.

Four months later, they’ll have a mission to do together, smaller than Nae-ri this time but still putting their trust to the test. They’ll be nervous but they have each other and that’s enough for them.

A week after that, the mission will be over and they’ll be confident enough to say everything went according to plan.

Six months later, they’ll fall apart again because of their own stupidity but they’ll pick themselves back together like they always do. They’re still trying.

A year later, they’ll both confidently say they won’t look back at their past as “nasty.” Instead, they’ll say they’re inspired from it.

Two years later, they’ll discuss seriously about pups and resigning from the industry.

Two years later, Jihoon will confidently take Soonyoung back to VENUS in search of lingerie to wear for a special night. 

Two years later, Soonyoung will complain about the price but ultimately go with Jihoon to the register, because even he can’t deny how much he wants to take his mate in lingerie again.

Two years later, they’ll both be at the register and Jihoon will turn to him and ask for his card with a cheeky smile. Soonyoung will give it willingly of course, because he’s whipped like that.

Two years later, Soonyoung will keep complaining about the price even though he'll swipe his card without regrets.

And two years later, Jihoon will reply back, “It was what I was promised, Soonie."

It won’t take Soonyoung long to understand the double meaning behind it. They don’t talk about it in the store and nor do they talk about it after. They’re in the process of leaving it all behind to heal anyway, so what’s the use of bringing it up again if not to reopen old wounds?

Soonyoung knows it won’t be his last promise anyway, and Jihoon knows that too, but they’re both trying.

It’s imperfect like that.

They’re imperfect like that, and neither of them would have it any other way.)