Chapter Text
As quickly as everything started to go right for Jaehyun and Taeyong, it all started to go downhill again just as fast.
At first, it started with Taeyong’s heat. Again. Jaehyun still doesn’t know how he handles having so many heats so close together, he can barely deal with one heat cycle a month. The heat itself was fine, although Taeyong was begging for Jaehyun to fuck him and not with his fingers. After what happened earlier that day, Jaehyun did not want to do that.
Then, Taeyong didn’t pass out. That was a first. Jaehyun disappeared in the bathroom to take a quick shower and rub one out before coming back to help clean Taeyong up. He was surprised to find him still awake on the bed. Taeyong then asked why Jaehyun never let him touch him or get him off.
Jaehyun really wasn’t in the mood to tell Taeyong why, so he just said he didn’t need to. Taeyong stood up and stumbled, so Jaehyun caught him. Then he grabbed at Jaehyun’s shirt, trying to lift the hem, making a comment about how he had never seen Jaehyun’s body, but he’s seen all of his body.
Jaehyun immediately recoiled, pushing Taeyong away and snapping at him, then retreating to the couch and leaving Taeyong alone. The omega didn’t follow him.
Jaehyun has never liked showing his body. Even for modelling shoots, he has his limits on what skin he will and won’t show. Sometimes it causes problems, but for the most part, people are respectful. He thought back to Taeyong, and realised he was definitely still feeling the effects of his heat. His scent was still thick with heat pheromones, his face flushed and pupils dilated. Taeyong would never do that normally, so why did Jaehyun snap at him like he did? Sure, in the moment, he panicked, and felt disappointed that Taeyong would unknowingly cross his boundaries, but did Taeyong deserve that?
Probably not.
In the morning, Taeyong made him breakfast. And he apologised. Again. Taeyong had been apologising a lot, and for the most part, for things he didn’t actually do. Then Jaehyun told him he was disappointed. He regretted his choice of words at the crestfallen look that fell across Taeyong’s pretty face.
“Disappointed…” he echoed softly. Jaehyun stared at him. That wasn’t what he wanted to say.
“Taeyong—”
“I think you should leave.”
Jaehyun was stunned. “What?”
“I have work this afternoon. I’m working late for stocktake. I have to count and sort books.” He didn’t look at Jaehyun.
Fuck…I hurt him again.
“Taeyong…”
“I’m sorry.” He apologised yet again. “It’s best if you leave.”
“Okay.” Jaehyun said, gathering his things and leaving.
Once he was back in his car, he let the tears fall. He refused to cry in front of anyone, especially an omega—especially Taeyong. He sobbed, leaning his forehead against his arm on the steering wheel, his already cracked heart splintering into dust.
The rest of the week, Jaehyun felt…empty. He didn’t know what to do. He called in sick for a couple of shoots and interviews, not wanting to be around people. He just…felt so very melancholy.
He felt so fucking pathetic. He felt like he had just been broken up with, even though him and Taeyong weren’t even a thing. They weren’t dating. They weren’t together. But it felt like they were. And for Taeyong to make him promise to be there for him, then kick him out like that…it hurt. It fucking felt like he was betrayed.
“You look like shit.” Johnny commented, sitting on Jaehyun’s couch. It’d been a while since the two had hung out, and the older alpha’s company was nice, even if he was annoying and nosy at times. Jaehyun just shot him a glare, burying his face back into the pillow on his lap.
“I feel like shit.”
Johnny snickered. “Speaking of which, guess who I ran into today?”
“I don’t care, John. No offence.”
“My ex.”
“See, I don’t care.”
“He was with Taeyong.”
Jaehyun’s head snapped up so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. He shot another glare Johnny’s way at the knowing smirk tugged into the alpha’s plush lips.
“‘I don’t care’, he says,” Johnny mocked. “Unless it’s about that pretty omega.”
Jaehyun pouted. “Yeah…well…what was he…doing?” He fails to hide his curiosity.
Johnny barked a laugh. “You’re so obvious. Apparently they’re going clubbing on Friday to an all omega club. They, as in, Taeyong and my ex.”
Jaehyun furrowed his brows. Taeyong going clubbing? That didn’t sound like something he’d do. “Are you sure it was him?”
“Oh, definitely. Can’t forget a face like that.”
Jaehyun ignored Johnny’s comment, chewing on his lower lip.
“Don’t forget Jeongguk’s birthday is on Friday, by the way.” Johnny said, leaning back into the couch. “He’s going clubbing for it. He expects you there, considering you guys are close.”
Jaehyun sighed. He didn’t want to go, he’s not big on clubbing at all, but Johnny was right. Jeongguk was a close friend, and he promised he’d be there.
“Fine.” He relented.
Jaehyun hates clubbing. He used to go clubbing a lot when he first moved away from Daegu, where omegas would throw themselves at him, and alphas would occasionally try to persuade him into letting them fuck him. However, after moving away from Busan, he couldn’t think of anything worse than going clubbing now (well, he could. But that nulls his point).
However, he was here at the club for his good friend, even if he was treating this as an excuse to drown his sorrows and get pissed drunk. Johnny certainly took notice, and so did his friend.
“Woah, Jae, slow down,” Jeongguk laughed, grabbing Jaehyun’s empty shot glass and taking it out of his hand. “That’s your third shot in, like, five minutes!”
Jaehyun pouted, slumping down on the bar top, burying his face in his arms.
“If you ask me, he looks heartbroken,” Taehyung, Jeongguk’s alpha partner, commented. He leaned against Jeongguk, a beer in his hand, free hand on his hip. Jaehyun totally forgot Jeongguk and Taehyung were a thing, despite them being together for a couple of years now.
“Heartbroken?” Jeongguk’s eyebrows raised, glancing at Taehyung before his gaze returned to Jaehyun. “You? Heartbroken? Since when did you ever take in interest in others?”
Johnny, who sat on the other side of Jaehyun, almost spat out his drink. “That’s what I said to him!” He turned to face the other three alphas, playfully whacking Jaehyun on the back. Jaehyun offered a scowl at all three of them before burying his face back into his arm on the counter top.
“Oh, so, who is it?” Jeongguk asked, now curious. “What’s their dynamic?”
Jaehyun stayed silent, so Johnny answered for him. “An omega,” Johnny said, leaning his chin on his hand. “A very pretty omega, I must say.”
“An omega? You?” Taehyung asked, clearly shocked. “You hate omegas.”
I never said I hated omegas, Jaehyun thought to himself sourly. Perhaps he did. Who knows anymore.
Jeongguk ignored Taehyung. “You met them?” He questioned Johnny, now invested. Jaehyun groaned.
“Do we have to talk about him?” He whined.
“Oh, he speaks,” Taehyung joked.
“So…this omega, huh?” Jeongguk wriggled his eyebrows. “What’s he like? Johnny said he’s pretty.”
Jaehyun sat up, running a hand through his blonde hair. He flagged down a bartender, ordering another drink. The bartender quickly obliged, handing him his frothing beer. “Yeah. He’s…very pretty.” He sipped at the bitter orange liquid. “Pretty stubborn. And he’s got an attitude, that’s for sure.”
Pretty is an understatement.
“Oh, he definitely has an attitude,” Johnny quipped, sipping his own drink. “He’s so my type.”
Jaehyun shot Johnny a look, but otherwise ignored his comment.
“So…what happened then?” Jeongguk asked.
Jaehyun just shrugged. “I’m not…heartbroken.”
“You’re certainly acting like it.” Taehyung responded.
Jaehyun huffed, taking a long scull of his beer. Was he heartbroken? Sure, he felt pretty upset with Taeyong, but was it a broken heart?
“Yeah, sure, whatever you say.” He muttered, and the other three alphas finally decided to back off.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he clumsily tugged it out. He frowned down at his phone, ‘Sungchan’ flashing on the screen. He ignored it, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Why Sungchan was calling him of all people is beyond him They hadn't spoken since his father's funeral late last year.
As the night progressed, Jaehyun felt his sobriety slowly slip away. He can hold his liquor quite well, so in order for him to get drunk, he really has to drink. And so he did. The more drunk he got, the worse he felt. For a while, he swore he could smell him; smell Taeyong. His sweet, addicting aroma lingering around the mass of swaying bodies and alcohol.
Maybe he was heartbroken. After all, he was hallucinating Taeyong’s fucking scent of all things. He really was down bad for the feisty omega.
Just as Jaehyun was leaving, Taeyong’s aroma got even stronger. He stopped by the entrance, turning back around and looking, peering over heads to try and see if he really was hallucinating.
He wasn’t.
Jaehyun could see Taeyong. How could he not? A man that beautiful would stand out no matter what.
Before he could stop himself, Jaehyun was already making his way over to the omega. He was standing with another omega, one shorter than him with black hair. They seemed to be getting harassed by an alpha; but he seemed more interested in the other omega.
Good. Taeyong is mine.
Jaehyun approached the alpha and two omegas, his heart lurching when he realised there was an alpha stench staining Taeyong’s delicious scent. Anger pricked his veins, jaw clenched tight. He watched the alpha grab the smaller omega, dragging him closer. Taeyong, clearly drunk out of his mind, was slow to respond.
Jaehyun grabbed the alpha’s shoulder, roughly yanking him back. His scent was not the same stench that hung around Taeyong.
A different alpha marked Taeyong?
“He told you no,” Jaehyun growled, grabbing the taller alpha by the collar of his shirt. “So fuck off.” Jaehyun glanced at Taeyong from the corner of his eye, the pretty omega’s face twisted in shock. His eyes were wide and mouth agape. His cheeks were flushed pink, pupils dilated; definitely not sober.
The alpha grumbled, snatching himself out of Jaehyun’s grip. He straightened out his shirt and sauntered off.
“Th-thanks,” the smaller omega breathed, bowing his head in thanks to Jaehyun. Jaehyun didn’t respond, his gaze trained solely on Taeyong. “Taeyong?” He asked, tugging on the taller omega’s arm.
“What are you doing here?” Jaehyun asked, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans. His gaze slowly grazed down Taeyong’s attire; he looked absolutely incredible. The pants hugged his nice long legs in all the right places, and his mesh shirt was partially see-through so he could see Taeyong’s perked nipples under the fabric. He was wearing a jacket but it wasn’t hiding much.
Why is he showing off his body like that? That body should be viewed by my eyes only.
“What are you doing here?” Taeyong replied, tone accusatory.
Jaehyun huffed, “Why are you getting prickly? I just asked a question.” He stepped closer to Taeyong, before leaning down and sniffing the air by Taeyong’s neck. “Why do you smell like that?”
Taeyong stiffened. “Smell like what?”
“Another alpha?” Jaehyun’s eyes dropped to Taeyong’s neck, his eyes narrowing when he saw a red bite mark bruising his scent gland. How dare he send Jaehyun home after everything he’s done—everything he’s done for him—then come out and get marked by some fucking random alpha?
Taeyong frowned, narrowing his own pretty eyes. “I was dancing with him. Do you have a problem with that?” He crossed his arms sassily, hip jutted out. It took everything in Jaehyun to not just grab him by those sinfully sexy hips of his and drag him closer and kiss the ever-loving fuck out of him.
“No, it’s just after the way you carried on about me I’m just shocked you’re here dancing with another alpha,” he paused, “and letting him mark you.”
Taeyong’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Mark me?”
Oh please. Why is he confused?
Jaehyun reached up to Taeyong’s neck with one hand, moving the collar of the jacket out the way and brushing his fingers against the marked spot on the scent gland on his neck. Taeyong flinched back, hand flying to his neck and covering the mark. His boba eyes were wide, a mix of various emotions etched into his pretty features. Shock, fear, and disgust.
“So you got mad when a waitress flirts with me, you ask me to help you with your heats after you somehow got attached to me, you touch me without my consent, and now you’re out here getting marked by other alphas?” Jaehyun continued, ignoring how Taeyong’s pheromones changed negatively.
Taeyong stammered, hand remaining on his neck. “I-I swear I didn’t know he bit me.” He seemed genuinely shocked by this revelation.
How could he fucking not know?
“How can you not know?” Jaehyun voiced his inner thoughts, annoyed.
But…what if he didn’t know? He looked genuinely surprised when you pointed it out. Dare I say, he looked hurt.
Jaehyun ignored those thoughts.
“I’m not exactly sober,” Taeyong snapped, removing his hand from his neck, balling his hands into fists in anger. “And neither are you.”
“That’s not an excuse.” Jaehyun snipped. He was right, though. They’re both definitely way beyond drunk.
“I don’t want to do this now. Just go away.” Taeyong exasperated. He turned to walk away.
No. No, I am not letting you get away again.
Jaehyun, without thinking, snatched Taeyong’s wrist in his hand, the grip tight, preventing his escape. “No, we’re talking about this now.” He growled. His fingers were tight like a python around Taeyong’s wrist, the omega immediately trying in vain to wrench his arm out of Jaehyun’s vice grip. In turn, Jaehyun just tightened his grip.
“If you’re so mad at me for what I did, then why are you mad at me now?” Taeyong then shouted, stepping closer to Jaehyun. “I don’t own you, you don’t own me!”
For fuck’s sake.
“You made me fucking promise you that I’d stay with you, no matter what.” Jaehyun argued back.
Taeyong clenched his jaw. “I’m just a needy whore of an omega, okay? You’re just doing me a favour! I didn’t expect you to actually help me with my fucking problems. I feel like I’m always taking advantage of you and it makes me feel like shit! Just leave me the fuck alone so I can deal with my fucked up body and fucked up life and fucked up problems by myself!”
Oh. Jaehyun didn’t like hearing Taeyong call himself that, but in his anger, Jaehyun just simply continued with the argument.
“So your way of dealing with your problems is to go grinding up against other alphas and let them mark you?” He sneered, then he bit his tongue, managing to stop himself from calling Taeyong a slut. He didn’t think Taeyong was a slut at all; and he knew if he called Taeyong that, there’d be no way to ever take it back.
“Why the fuck are you so upset about that?” Taeyong snapped. “I’m not your boyfriend. I don’t belong to you. I don’t belong to anyone!”
Jaehyun’s heart cracked. “I should be saying that to you, considering you’ve literally claimed me and marked me three fucking times!” Jaehyun retorted back.
“You marked me as well!” Taeyong rebutted, and Jaehyun froze.
He thought Taeyong forgave him for that. Clearly, he hadn’t.
“I told you I was sorry,” Jaehyun’s voice lowered. “I was the one who said we shouldn’t see each other again after that, but you fucking insisted!” He raised his voice once again, his tone frightening the smaller omega beside Taeyong. He felt a bit bad; clearly he was scaring Taeyong’s friend, but he genuinely forgot he was there.
“Just let go of me and leave me the fuck alone!” Taeyong cried, his voice breaking. “I don’t want to rely on anyone, especially not you!”
Jaehyun was still for a moment, staring down at the drunk, teary and distressed omega before him. The gears in his brain slowly turned; he just made things worse. He should have left it when Taeyong said they should. Now Taeyong looked like he was ready to fall apart, breath escaping his lips in pained wheezes, tears glistening in his eyes and his body trembling like a wet leaf. Taeyong looked scared, hurt.
Jaehyun really was no better than every other alpha out there.
He slowly let go of Taeyong’s arm, and Taeyong took the chance to grab the other omega’s wrist and dragged him away. Jaehyun just stood there, watching them go over his shoulder, wanting to follow, but remaining in place.
He really fucked up again.
Now, Jaehyun can’t sleep. He thinks back on all of his and Taeyong’s interactions since they met for the very first time, mulling over what he should and could have done differently. He knows he isn’t entirely to blame for their countless arguments, but perhaps he could have responded differently, reacted differently, to avoid the inevitable outcomes.
He was genuinely hurt by Taeyong’s actions, but he obviously hurt Taeyong, too. He shouldn’t have engaged with Taeyong whilst drunk. He said so many things he regrets, and he’s sure Taeyong did too. The more he thought about the night at the club, the worse he felt. There’s no way Taeyong would go out of his way to get marked by some random alpha, and he honestly looked so shocked when Jaehyun pointed out the mark. Jaehyun is inclined to believe that Taeyong had no idea he was marked.
Every time he closes his eyes, all he can see is Taeyong’s distraught, tear-stricken face from last night at the club. He’s worried that he hurt Taeyong—physically. He grabbed Taeyong’s wrist pretty tight, and even though he knows Taeyong’s no delicate damsel, Jaehyun doesn’t know his own strength at times. Especially when he’s angry (or in heat).
He stares at his hand for a few moments before letting it flop down to rest on his chest. He stares at the ceiling above him, laying on his back. He really, truly fucked up this time. And this time, he has to make it right.
So, he goes to the library the following morning. He has no idea of Taeyong’s schedule or roster, so he was just showing up and hoping that he’d be there (although in hindsight, he could have texted Mingyu and asked him, but he didn't think of that). Luckily, Taeyong is there. Jaehyun can see him sitting behind the main desk.
His heart pounds loudly in his ears as he begins to approach, his nerves pricking with anxiety. He can see Taeyong talking to someone at the counter, and as Jaehyun approaches, he realises he’s another omega. He’s not the same omega from the club, but he does look oddly familiar.
He reaches the desk, and Taeyong, obviously noticing his presence, does not greet him. Jaehyun inhales deeply, attempting in vain to soothe his raging anxiety. “Taeyong,” he finally speaks. “We need to talk.”
Taeyong stays silent, not looking up at Jaehyun.
“Fuck off, Taeyong doesn’t want to see you.” The omega beside him snaps.
Jaehyun barely even glances at him. “Taeyong, please.” He begs. He has to see Taeyong, he has to talk to him. He has to apologise, sort things out.
“Hey, didn’t you hear me?” The omega angrily snaps again, stepping around the desk to stand in front of Taeyong protectively. “He doesn’t want to see you or talk to you. So fuck off. Leave him alone, you gaslighting and manipulative piece of shit.”
Jaehyun clenches his jaw. Yeah, this guy is very familiar. And annoying. He finally looks down at the omega, one eyebrow raised and his eyes narrowed into an unfriendly glare. “And you are?” He asks lowly.
“Doesn’t matter who I am,” the omega growls. “Go away. He doesn’t want to see you.”
“Taeyong can speak for himself,” Jaehyun snarls wanting to shove the omega out of the way so he could talk solely to Taeyong, “I didn’t come here to talk to you. Only Taeyong. So back off.” He then looks down at Taeyong, his gaze softening. “Taeyong, please.” He begs again, his voice soft, desperate.
Taeyong falters, squeezing his eyes shut and standing to his feet, hands on the edge of the desk as he pushes his chair back. “I don’t want to talk to you.” He says simply, turning away from Jaehyun and beginning to walk away.
Jaehyun panics, his voice bubbling up in his throat like a volcano ready to erupt. “I’m sorry.” Jaehyun blurts, and Taeyong freezes. He turns back to face Jaehyun, boba eyes wide.
“What did you say?”
“I said I’m sorry,” Jaehyun repeats, voice soft. He looks at the ground—anywhere but at Taeyong. “I’m sorry for the other night, and the other morning, and at the club. I was out of line and…please just let me talk to you.” He knows he sounds pathetic, desperate; but he really is.
The smaller omega snarls, slamming his open palm on the desk. “Hell no, I’m not letting you manipulate Taeyong any further.” Jaehyun once again clenches his jaw in irritation. This omega is seriously pissing him off. He glances momentarily at him, noticing that the omega wasn’t looking at him, but at Taeyong with these narrowed eyes and frown on his lips. But there was another emotion Jaehyun could see swimming in those dark cats’ eyes of his, one that Jaehyun couldn’t exactly pinpoint just yet.
“Ten, it’s okay,” Taeyong says quickly, the smaller omega immediately looking at him with wide eyes. “I…want to hear him out.” Jaehyun’s chest deflates with relief, his shoulders sagging as he exhales deeply.
Ten, huh? That name sounds familiar, too.
“Taeyong—” Ten stammers.
“Just…wait here, okay?” Taeyong says, stepping around the desk and Ten to grasp Jaehyun’s wrist in his soft hand. He tugs the alpha to follow him, leading him into a back room, which Jaehyun presumes is the staff break room, so they can talk in private. The room is thankfully empty, and once inside, Taeyong lets go of Jaehyun’s wrist, closing the door behind him and leaning against it so nobody else can enter. Jaehyun immediately misses Taeyong’s warmth, even if it was minimal.
Taeyong opens his mouth to speak, but Jaehyun cuts him off.
“I’m sorry.” He says again.
The omega exhales slowly, crossing his arms and leaning his butt against the door. He doesn’t look at Jaehyun, staying quiet. Jaehyun looks him up and down; taking his lower lip in his teeth. Fuck, Taeyong looks so fucking cute today—dressed in an oversized dark pink woollen button-down cardigan with white dogs etched into the fabric all over and black skinny jeans paired with pink and red Nikes. Jaehyun just wants to put him in his pocket.
Inhaling deeply and steering his brain back onto topic, he begins to apologise. He explains why he felt the way he did that night when Taeyong tried to grab his shirt, but then also saying the more he thought about it, the more he realised Taeyong didn’t do it on purpose. Once he finishes talking, Taeyong remains quiet.
Jaehyun begins to wring his hands in nervousness, awaiting the pretty omega’s response.
“…it’s fine, Jaehyun,” Taeyong finally says. “I understand why you felt the way you did.”
Jaehyun is appreciative of Taeyong’s response. “But that doesn’t excuse hurting you.” He replies.
Taeyong sighs. “You didn’t hurt me. I hurt myself with my actions. You have every right to feel the way you did in those moments.” He rubs his arm, looking away from Jaehyun once again. He goes to continue, but Jaehyun cuts in.
“Let me finish what I wanted to say, first,” Jaehyun says, and Taeyong closes his mouth, nodding silently. Jaehyun inhales slowly before continuing. He explains his feelings regarding what happened at the club, and he often averts his gaze away from Taeyong’s face as he talks. Every time he looks back at Taeyong, he has the same disquieted look on his flawless visage. “I know…I know I should have left it, that I shouldn’t have started anything when we were both drunk as fuck but…but I felt…betrayed.”
The omega exhales deeply, looking away from Jaehyun. “Jaehyun. I swear to you, I didn’t know he marked me. When you pointed it out to me, that’s the first time I knew about it. I went out with friends just to have fun and take my mind off things. We were meant to go to an omega only club but it was full and we didn’t want to wait to get in.” He stares at his feet. “I did dance with the alpha that marked me. At least, I think it was him. It’s pretty fuzzy. But I never intended to do anything with him.” He looks back up at Jaehyun, his eyes wide. “He started to get handsy with me, and I pushed him away, then went to find In, my friend. I had no idea I had been marked.” He places his hand on his neck, over his scent gland. Jaehyun’s eyes drop to his hand, feeling green with jealousy. “I…I felt so violated when you pointed it out, because I really don’t remember being marked and I sure as hell never consented to it.”
Only I can mark you. Jaehyun pushes the thought away.
Hearing Taeyong’s explanation confirmed Jaehyun’s theories; Taeyong didn’t plan on being there, didn’t plan on being marked by another alpha, and didn’t consent to being marked, either. Jaehyun chews his lip, feeling anger bubbling in his gut.
How dare another alpha not only touch Taeyong, but bite him—mark him—without his consent? What is it with alphas and fucking touching what’s his?
Jaehyun nods slowly, trying to force the ugly and possessive thoughts out of his mind. He swallows thickly before continuing. “I…realised once I sobered up that that would be the last thing you would do; go and get marked by another alpha, I mean.” He says lowly, then suddenly approaches Taeyong with no warning. The smaller male’s eyes blow wide, and he immediately presses himself against the door, Jaehyun now standing barely centimetres away from him. He places one palm against the door beside Taeyong’s shoulder, half-caging the omega in. Jaehyun stares down at the omega, the stench of the other alpha—sandalwood and ink—staining Taeyong’s sweet aroma like blood staining cloth. It makes him feel sick, dizzy. He hates it. He fucking hates it.
“Do…do I still smell like that alpha?” Taeyong asks quietly, nervously.
Of course you fucking do.
“Yes.” Jaehyun snarls, his voice low, dangerous. “It stinks.”
Taeyong blinks up at him, his eyes wide and round. “Were you…are you jealous?” His voice tremors a little, clearly nervous.
Jaehyun’s eyes narrow. “What makes you say that?”
Taeyong swallows nervously, but does not respond. Jaehyun steps back, removing his hand from the door. Taeyong’s pheromones spike with anxiety, his sudden action and low tone clearly startling the omega. He didn’t mean to frighten Taeyong just now.
“Just…it makes sense.” Taeyong says after a few moments of silence. The omega looks up at Jaehyun, but Jaehyun’s eyes are not on Taeyong’s face, but on the ugly, disgusting mark on his neck. Taeyong quickly covers it with his hand once again, and Jaehyun finally looks up to meet his eyes.
Jaehyun huffs. “Frankly, I don’t like the fact that you smell like another alpha. It…annoys me.” He confesses.
“So you are jealous,” Taeyong breathes. He sounds a little too pleased with this revelation.
Jaehyun rolls his eyes. “Okay, and so what if I am?”
Taeyong’s cheeks flush cherry, averting his autumn gaze. “I—I don’t mind if you are.” He toys with his fingers shyly. “I mean…I’d…I’d rather smell like you than…some random alpha…” He trails off, looking away. “I’d rather…your mark on me.” His voice drops, his whole face erupting in a red blush.
…I did not expect that from him.
Jaehyun’s eyes widen in shock, feeling his own cheeks and ears burning. “What?”
“I-if you’d rather me smell like you…th-then I wouldn’t be opposed…” Taeyong stutters.
Is he hearing this right?
“So you’re saying you want me to mark you?” Jaehyun asks softly.
Please say yes. Please say yes.
Taeyong nods. Jaehyun internally rejoices, happy to finally overpower that stench that’s attached to Taeyong’s scent. He approaches the omega once again, one hand on the door beside Taeyong’s shoulder, and the other resting gently on Taeyong’s hip. Taeyong makes no move to remove his hand.
“Just to confirm, you do know what you’re asking of me, right?” He wants Taeyong to be sure.
“Yes.”
“You want me to mark you and take away that alpha’s…stench?” He asks, his heart pounding loudly in his ears.
“Yes.” Taeyong confirms, reaching up to tangle his fingers in Jaehyun’s soft hair at the back of his head, gently guiding his face down to the crook of his neck. Jaehyun can smell Taeyong’s delicious fragrance buried beneath that stink that was the other alpha’s scent. Taeyong’s scent is going to smell much nicer once it’s mixed with his own peaches and cinnamon aroma.
Then, Jaehyun places his lips onto Taeyong’s soft, hot skin over the existing bite mark. He feels the soft flesh beneath his tongue twitch before digging his teeth into Taeyong’s neck. He can hear Taeyong gasp, a soft whimper escaping his lips as he does so, muffled by his hand that he pressed to his lips.
Jaehyun pulls back, but not before pressing a soft kiss to the new blooming bruise. He hears Taeyong exhale shakily through his nose as he stands straight. As he stands to his full height, he sniffs the air near Taeyong’s neck and hums happily. The other alpha’s rotten stench is gone now, replaced with his own scent. He was right; Taeyong’s delicious scent does smell much better with his mixed in.
“Much better,” Jaehyun says, feeling his ears burning. Taeyong suddenly reaches up and pinches Jaehyun’s left ear, causing him to flinch. His ears are definitely an erogenous point for him, so it simply startled him when Taeyong suddenly pinched one.
“Oh—s-sorry,” Taeyong stammers, quickly retracting his hand. He didn’t hate it.
Awkward silence befalls them, and they each avert their eyes, not able to look at each other.
Jaehyun then clears his throat. “Um. The night at the club. Did I…did I hurt you?” His eyes drop to Taeyong’s hand—the one he grabbed that night.
Taeyong’s eyebrows pinch in confusion. “What?”
Jaehyun reaches down for Taeyong’s hand, gently taking it in his. He lifts it, and pushes back the hem, gesturing to the bruises on his wrist. He was right, he did hurt Taeyong. Seeing the bruises on his wrists made his stomach twist painfully. He remembers the bruises he left on Taeyong during his heat cycle, and he feels a wave of nausea wash over him like a tsunami.
“Oh—that,” Taeyong lies. “N-no, you didn’t hurt me. I was that drunk I didn’t feel a thing.” He snatches his hand back, rubbing the skin tenderly. “My iron is low so I bruise easily.”
You’re not a very good liar. Jaehyun thinks to himself.
“Also, another thing,” he changes the subject, knowing full well Taeyong’s stubborn ass wasn’t going to relent.
“What is it?”
“Please never ever call yourself a whore again,” he says. “I’m sorry I made you feel like you felt the need to degrade yourself like that. That…hurt me to hear you say that about yourself,” Jaehyun once again takes Taeyong’s warm hand in his, gingerly rubbing his thumb across his knuckles in a soothing motion. “You’re not a needy whore of an omega. And I want you to know that you can rely on me. I want you to rely on me. I want to help you with your ‘fucked up body and fucked up life’.”
This feels like a marriage vow. Jaehyun’s ears burn at the thought.
“I—I just don’t…I’ve only ever been able to rely on myself,” Taeyong admits quietly, looking down. He doesn’t make a move to remove his hand from Jaehyun’s gentle grasp. “You’re the first person to actively do something to help me. And…it’s not your fault, but I’m still getting used to having someone care about me like this.” He wipes his eyes with his free hand. “I have my friends, like Juho and the omegas at the support group but…the way you’ve cared for me is different. It’s more intimate. I’m not…I’m not used to it.”
And that makes sense. Jaehyun knows that Taeyong’s dark past has fucked him up mentally (and physically), and that this is all just as foreign to him as it is to Jaehyun.
“It’s okay,” Jaehyun reassures, offering a dimpled smile. “I know none of this is conventional, and it’s hard to adjust to. It is for me as well. But I want you to trust me, rely on me. Okay?”
Taeyong nods slowly, exhaling shakily. “Look, I just…I feel guilty. That’s why I sent you home the other morning. I thought…I thought it would be best if we didn’t see each other again. I just felt—I feel—like all I do is hurt you and take advantage of you and your kindness.” He sniffles, releasing a trembling breath. “I’m sorry.” He apologises yet again.
If Jaehyun had a hundred won for every time Taeyong had apologised to him, he wouldn’t need a job and would be set for life. It hurts his heart to hear Taeyong constantly apologise to him for things that are not his fault.
Jaehyun shakes his head, then gently tugs Taeyong into a tender hug. The omega immediately buries his face into Jaehyun’s shoulder, and Jaehyun’s arms instantly encircle his narrow waist, pulling their bodies flush together.
He missed this.
“I’m sorry.” Taeyong whimpers into Jaehyun’s shirt, voice muffled by the fabric.
“I’m sorry, too.” Jaehyun murmurs into Taeyong’s hair, his hand soothingly rubbing up and down Taeyong’s back. He then gently pushes Taeyong back, using the tips of his fingers to brush away some stray strands of blonde hair that have fallen into Taeyong’s eyes. God, his eyes are so huge, so beautiful, Jaehyun gets lost in the infinity every time he gazes into them. “Also, whenever you see your friend again, can you apologise to him on my behalf? I think I scared him.” He remembers Taeyong’s friend from the club, recalling that the poor guy looked petrified whilst they were arguing.
Taeyong shakes his head, sniffling and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “It’s fine. He was only panicked because of that alpha that was harassing him beforehand, and he was worried about me ‘cause I was getting so worked up.” He reassures, reaching up and petting Jaehyun’s soft blonde hair gently. Jaehyun keens into Taeyong’s soft touch. “He told me he got good vibes from you, actually. So, you have his approval.”
Well at least someone likes me.
Jaehyun snorts, grinning. “Well, I definitely don’t have your other friend’s approval,” he gestures to the door, recalling the feisty omega’s actions prior to coming into the break room to talk.
“Ah,” Taeyong says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “That’s Ten. He’s just an overprotective friend.”
“He looks familiar.” He comments.
“Oh, he dated Johnny a few years back,” Taeyong says, and Jaehyun’s eyes widen as the jigsaw pieces slot into place.
That’s right. He cheated on Johnny with an omega and blamed Johnny. Jaehyun thinks sourly.
To be fair, Johnny was flirting up a storm with another omega at the time. Jaehyun’s inner alpha replies.
…true. That relationship was so toxic.
“What really? No wonder he looked familiar.” He responds in wonder. Taeyong laughs gently, and Jaehyun thinks that he really does have the most beautiful smile.
Then, they plan to go out for dinner. As soon as Taeyong asks to treat Jaehyun, he hatches a plan to hijack Taeyong’s invite so he could treat Taeyong instead. He remembers a super nice restaurant with a huge dessert menu that he ate at a while ago, and he decides to trick Taeyong into going there. He knows Taeyong will like the desserts, it’s right up his alley.
“Ah, we’ve been in here a while. I should probably get back to work and so Ten doesn’t pop a blood vessel.” Taeyong says, checking his watch. Jaehyun sighs inwardly, not wanting to return to work or leave Taeyong.
As Taeyong turns to open the door and exit the room, Jaehyun’s eyes drop to his new mark on his scent gland. He feels a sense of pride swell in his chest, now able to properly claim Taeyong as his.
They approach the desk, and Jaehyun watches in satisfaction as Ten’s face goes from being happy and relieved to see Taeyong, to angry and annoyed when he obviously smells Taeyong’s new scent. He scowls at Jaehyun, who opts to stand a little behind Taeyong to avoid possibly being hit by the feisty omega.
“You…fucking perverted freak!” Ten hisses, pointing at Jaehyun, keeping his voice down. “Did you fucking assault him?”
Oh for fuck’s sake. Jaehyun rolls his eyes.
Taeyong steps in front of Jaehyun, trying to calm the angry omega. “No, Ten, I asked him to mark me to get rid of the other alpha’s scent.”
Ten scoffs. “He fucking manipulated you into it!”
“Please keep your voice down,” Taeyong shushes, “and no, I made the decision myself.”
Ten could go for gold at the Olympics in gymnastics with how many hoops he’s jumping through to try and paint Jaehyun as a bad guy. But, Jaehyun recognises this behaviour and the emotion glistening in his eyes—he’s jealous. Jaehyun inwardly scoffs; Great, it’s not just alphas who want my Taeyong, but other omegas, too.
“As fun as this is, I do have to take off,” Jaehyun says instead, keeping those thoughts to himself. He gently places a hand on Taeyong’s shoulder, relishing in the dark glare Ten pins on him. “I have a shoot in half an hour on the other side of town, and you gotta get back to work, right?”
“Yeah,” Taeyong confirms.
“Make sure you dress nice for tonight,” Jaehyun says with a wink, sending a smug smirk Ten’s way, before waving at Taeyong and walking away. He doesn’t think Ten is a threat, since Taeyong obviously is into him, not the other omega, but he cannot be too careful.
Dinner was nice. They chatted about a lot of things, learnt more about each other, and he got to watch Taeyong enjoy a meal and dessert that he probably would never have even dreamt of ever buying. It makes Jaehyun just want to spoil him rotten, buy him all the sweets and desserts just to see that look of pure happiness on Taeyong’s ethereal face again.
Also, Taeyong looked downright gorgeous, leaving Jaehyun a stuttering, stumbling mess when he first opened his apartment door. But to be fair, Taeyong could wear a potato sack and still somehow be drop dead gorgeous.
Jaehyun also got to meet Hyunjin outside after dinner, one of Taeyong’s dongsaeangs from the support group he attends. Jaehyun’s glad Taeyong has other omega friends he can rely on (as long as they’re not Ten), who can relate to him and his experiences. Jaehyun knows he cannot relate completely to Taeyong; they both live in completely different worlds. Yet, they’re so similar at the same time. And learning more about Taeyong’s likes and dislikes at dinner was refreshing.
Then Taeyong invites Jaehyun back to his place. He’s so very happy Taeyong asked, because he was way too chicken to ask him if he could come over. Taeyong made him watch a Disney movie (well, he claims ‘The Swan Princess’ isn’t Disney, but close enough), and well, so far he was enjoying it.
But Taeyong continued to look at him instead of the movie. Which he didn’t mind, but it certainly piqued Jaehyun’s curiosity to as why he was staring so blatantly at him.
“Do I have something on my face?” Jaehyun suddenly asks, clearly startling Taeyong. The omega flushes and quickly looks away, pulling his knees to his chest.
“No,”
“You’ve been staring at me the whole movie,” Jaehyun comments, “aren’t we watching this ‘cause you like this movie?”
“Well, yes,” Taeyong clears his throat. “I uh…I was looking at you cause…I think you’re really pretty.” He admits, his voice dropping. Jaehyun finally looks at Taeyong, praying that in the darkness, the omega can’t see his cheeks blooming in rose.
Oh.
He pauses the movie, then looks back at Taeyong. “You think I’m pretty?” He asks with an eyebrow raised. Taeyong remains mum, opening and closing his mouth like a guppy, unable to find the right words to reply. Jaehyun then glances back at the screen; the movie paused on a still frame of Odette. “You know, Odette is a really pretty character,” Jaehyun comments, and Taeyong looks at the television screen, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
“Uh—y-yeah, she is,” he stutters.
“You kinda look like Odette with your blonde hair,” Jaehyun says, not looking back at Taeyong. His ears burn hot like the sun, and he knows Taeyong can see how red they are in the dim light of the television.
“…are you calling me pretty?”
“Of course,” Jaehyun says matter-of-factly, turning to look down at the stunned omega. “I’m fairly certain I’ve already told you that I think you’re pretty. If I haven’t told you that, then Taeyong, I think you’re very pretty. Moreso than me.”
He’s the prettiest person I have ever seen in my entire life.
“Wh-what? No way, have you seen your face—”
“Have you seen yours?” Jaehyun interrupts. “Taeyong, you sell yourself too short. You’re gorgeous.”
Then, the omega shuffles closer to Jaehyun, placing on hand on his knee and pushing himself up so he’s eye-level with Jaehyun.
“Can I…can I kiss you?” Taeyong asks quietly, dark boba eyes dropping to Jaehyun’s lips momentarily before flitting back to his eyes. Jaehyun licks his lips, then nods. Taeyong moves in, and Jaehyun’s lips meet him halfway, his firm hand cupping the back of Taeyong’s head and pushing him closer, long fingers tangling in his long blonde locks.
Fuck. He really, truly does love kissing Taeyong. Fireworks explode in his stomach, his heart doing summersaults in his chest as their lips locked, as he tastes Taeyong on his tongue. Jaehyun’s other hand rests on Taeyong’s waist, easily manoeuvring the omega so he straddles his lap. Jaehyun tugs the omega closer, their fronts pressed flush together. Taeyong whimpers into his mouth, the erotic sound headed straight for his hardening cock. He feels so hot, so flushed, Taeyong’s addicting aroma thick, permeating the air and making Jaehyun feel delirious.
Then, he pushes Taeyong onto his back, Jaehyun on top of him. Their lips are still attached, messily kissing while Taeyong’s hands loop tightly around Jaehyun’s neck, tugging his body closer. Jaehyun is so fucking turned on, so horny, his mind full of only Taeyong Taeyong Taeyong.
Suddenly, Taeyong gently grabs one of Jaehyun’s hands from where it rests upon his waist and guides it up and under his pyjama shirt, placing his warm hand on the flushed skin of his upper torso, silently asking for more.
Jaehyun’s brain short-circuits and he freezes, pulling back.
Holy shit holy shit holy shit—
But then Taeyong pushes Jaehyun back, sitting up and looking away.
“Taeyong—”
“I get it, sorry.” Taeyong mutters, breath ragged. His lips are slick and swollen, and Jaehyun just wants to kiss him again. He licks his lips, then shakily stands from the couch. “I’m going to bed.”
Oh no. He misunderstood me. Fuck.
Jaehyun quickly stands, grabbing Taeyong’s wrist. “Wait, Taeyong—I didn’t mean—”
Taeyong snatches his hand back. “Sorry. I’ll grab you a pillow and blanket.” He walks away, and Jaehyun just watches, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.
Taeyong returns with a pillow and blanket, tossing them onto the couch and turns away without another word.
“Taeyong, wait,” Jaehyun begs in desperation. He walks around the couch and once again grabs the omega’s wrist, tugging him back to stop him from walking away. “I didn’t mean anything by that.” He really didn’t. But Taeyong has completely misunderstood his reaction.
“Don’t touch me. Just leave me alone.” Taeyong yanks his arm out of the alpha’s tight grip, then silently walks to his bedroom. Jaehyun doesn’t follow this time.
“Fuck.” Jaehyun hisses to himself, scrubbing a hand through his hair in aggravation. God, he feels so fucking horny and now he’s mad. Of course Taeyong was going to interpret his panic as him crossing a boundary again. But why is he mad?
Jaehyun waits a few minutes for the stubborn omega to cool down, before walking to his room and opening the door. He walks inside, closing the door behind him.
“I told you to leave me alone.” Taeyong gruffly whimpers as Jaehyun approaches the bed. Jaehyun sighs and sits on the mattress behind Taeyong’s back, he’s curled into a ball and facing away from him.
“I want to talk to you.”
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
Jaehyun sighs again. “Can you not be stubborn for five seconds?”
Taeyong sits upright and turns to face Jaehyun angrily. “Don’t even start with that.”
Jaehyun frowns. “Are you upset because I turned you down?”
Taeyong scowls. “I’m upset because I crossed your boundaries again. And also because I don’t feel good enough for you. You only want me when I’m in heat.” He snaps. “I didn’t expect anything from you. But I thought…I thought things were going fine. But obviously I was the only one enjoying myself.”
Jaehyun once again sighs. “You’ve got it wrong.” He gets why Taeyong would feel that way. He does. But god, his stubbornness certainly irritates Jaehyun at times.
“Oh? Do I?” Taeyong asks in annoyance. “Tell me why you are so eager to touch me despite feeling like you’re taking advantage of me when I’m in heat, yet freeze up when I want you to touch me and I’m not in heat and know exactly what I’m doing? Huh?”
Jaehyun runs a hand through his tangled blonde hair. “That’s not it at all.”
“Then explain it to me. Because I feel pathetic as fuck right now for being upset.”
Jaehyun looks at him. “I froze up because I panicked.” He admits.
“What?”
“When you moved my hand to touch you, I…it’s like my brain short-circuited,” Jaehyun explains quietly, and he continues on to explain exactly why he reacted the way he did. Taeyong seems to accept his explanation.
“…I’ve told you before that it’s not just my inner omega that wants you. Or did you not believe me?” The omega murmurs, pulling his knees to his chest.
“I did,” Jaehyun says quickly. “Look, remember this is new for me, too, okay? You’re the first person my inner alpha actually wants.” His voice lowers, his cheeks burning red. “I’ve had partners before you, even sexual partners, but they were never adequate for…well, me. You on the other hand…” he swallows nervously. “Lee Taeyong, you have no idea what you do to me.” He confesses.
“What?” Taeyong’s boba eyes widen, his face blooming in pink.
Jaehyun can’t look at the omega, feeling embarrassed. “You think you’re the only one who’s affected by this?” He scratches his burning ear shyly. “I’m feeling things I’ve never felt before, your pheromones are the first omega’s pheromones to actually influence me—I’ve never marked anyone before, nor felt the need or want to mark someone. But you…ever since you first latched onto me, I wanted you to be mine. I mean, the circumstances were definitely a bit much for me to take in, I would never have imagined even kissing you within the first week of being together, you know?”
Taeyong nods slowly. “So…you’re the kind of guy who likes to take things slow?”
Duh.
“Yeah. I…there was one other person who I felt this way about.”
“…oh. Is there?” Taeyong asks sourly, and Jaehyun almost snickers at the clear jealousy lacing his tone.
Wait until he realises he’s feeling jealous of himself.
Jaehyun recounts his first two interactions with Taeyong, before dropping the third interaction like a bombshell. Taeyong definitely was not expecting this person Jaehyun was describing to actually be him. It was fucking adorable how jealous he was up until that point.
Taeyong’s eyes blow wide like saucers. “Wait—what?” He exclaims. “You mean—you mean me?”
Jaehyun laughs, finding this amusing. “Yeah. You.”
“What the fuck.” Taeyong breathes, astonished.
“I would have much preferred to have actually asked you out, but hey, everything happens for a reason, right?” Jaehyun muses.
“I cannot…I cannot believe this…” Taeyong murmurs. “So…you’ve liked me since we first met?”
Jaehyun nods. “Yeah. Which for me is weird. I’ve never really felt attracted to omegas, or anyone else, for that matter, before. Then suddenly we meet and I’m thinking ‘wow this guy is really pretty’. It’s like my inner alpha just knew you were the one. I’ve never felt like this about anyone else. Hell, I’ve never even felt jealous before but I certainly felt it the other night at the club and earlier today.” He admits. He does have to say, it does feel good to finally get his feelings off his chest. He’s never been the type to talk about his feelings or emotions, or wear his heart on his sleeve, but he finds it so easy to open up to Taeyong, to talk to him about (almost) everything.
“It’s…it’s the same for me,” Taeyong replies softly, “up until I came off my meds, I wasn’t attracted to alphas, or anyone else. Then you come along and…all my omega…all I want, is you.” Jaehyun’s heart soars after hearing that last part.
“And, look, with everything that’s happened in my past, I’ve always been careful with my partners,” Jaehyun continues, “you’re no different. And, like I said before, the way we ended up being involved in each other’s lives was…hard. It was a bit much. It made me uncomfortable because it did break my boundaries a lot, but none of that was your fault.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I do…like you. And I want to be with you. And I wanted to take it slow, just to let me adjust to all this.”
“I’m sorry,” Taeyong apologises yet again. “Genuinely.”
“I know, but it’s fine,” Jaehyun reassures, “I know we’ve only known each other for nearly three weeks, but if I’m honest, it feels like we’ve known each other for years.”
“I…feel the same,” Taeyong admits, “I really didn’t want to move so quickly either but it…just feels…right. I trust you.”
Jaehyun shuffles closer. “I’m trusting you. It’ll take me some time so…please be patient with me.”
“I’d wait as long as you need me to,” Taeyong whispers, then Jaehyun once again captures the omega's soft lips in a searing kiss.
“You still want me to touch you?” Jaehyun asks lowly against Taeyong’s trembling lips.
Please say yes.
“If you still want to touch me,” Taeyong murmurs, looping his arms around Jaehyun’s neck, moving so he sits with his legs spread, Jaehyun settled between them. Taeyong’s pheromones grow stronger, the scent of roses overpowering the strawberries and cream fragrance.
How lucky am I to be allowed to touch someone as perfect and pretty as Taeyong?
“Of course I do.” Jaehyun says, trying not to sound too eager. He then gently lays Taeyong on his back, one hand pushing Taeyong’s pyjama shirt up and out of the way. His mouth waters as he gazes down at the omega’s pale torso. “Is it okay if only I do the touching?” Taeyong nods. “God, your scent is so strong, Taeyong. You wanna know something?”
“What?” Taeyong questions, moaning lowly when Jaehyun’s soft fingertips lightly rub at a ripened nipple perked upon his chest. God, Jaehyun loves Taeyong’s chest. His chest is so soft and supple, and his nipples are so pink and cute.
“Your scent absolutely drives me insane,” he confesses, “you smell like strawberries and cream with a hint of roses.”
“Roses?” Taeyong is surprised.
“Mm,” Jaehyun leans down over Taeyong and pecks his lips, before messily mouthing his way down his diamond-cut jawline to his sensitive neck. Taeyong gasps and squirms each time Jaehyun’s lips come into contact with his soft skin. “And when you’re in heat, or horny, like right now, the scent of roses becomes stronger. I’ve never smelt anything quite like it.”
“Oh,” Taeyong breathes, then whimpers when Jaehyun’s slick lips attach to Taeyong’s left nipple. “Ah—Jaehyun—” He moans, squirming under Jaehyun. He arches his back, pushing his chest further into Jaehyun’s mouth. His reactions are so fucking cute and erotic it drives Jaehyun insane.
“Let me make you feel good, Yongie.” Jaehyun whispers sensually against his quivering skin.
“Please.” Taeyong begs.
Who is Jaehyun to say no to that request when Taeyong is gazing up at him like that?