Chapter Text
“So you’re keeping him for sure?”
“He’s not a dog, Hanbin,” Ricky threw his secretary a look. “But yes, I was planning on keeping him before this whole… incident,” Ricky said nonchalantly.
The contract he had drafted remained untouched in the top drawer of his desk. He eyed the corner of his desk where the thick packet sat, debating on whether he should hand it over to Hanbin to review now or later. Knowing that the two of them wouldn’t be able to strike up random conversations like this while at work anymore once the papers were signed, made Ricky hesitant to even hand them over for his secretary to review.
He was going to miss Hanbin’s soft Beta scent that decorated the top floor. He was going to miss Hanbin’s overwhelmingly melodic laughter that bounced off the walls. He was going to miss all of the nagging and scolding. He was going to miss working with his best friend. But he was well aware that this was something Hanbin had been wanting for quite some time.
“Good,” Hanbin released a long breath. He leaned back further into his chair and crossed his arms. “I don’t think you understand the stress I’ve been feeling about leaving you with Gyuvin before he found out you’re an Omega.” His eyes shone brightly with a strong emotion that Ricky could not read. “Gyuvin isn’t a bad person. I trust him. But I was worried about you. Hiding your Omega identity from an Alpha is terrifying, and was the last thing I wanted you to go through alone, so I’m glad that it has been resolved before my departure.”
Ricky remained silent. His eyes broke away from Hanbin’s to hide from the emotions being projected his way. He averted them on the paper in front of him with his back hunched. He was finding a way to ignore Hanbin’s words. He had a feeling he knew what Hanbin was going to bring up next and he didn’t want to be confronted about it so soon.
As Ricky sat tensely behind his desk, Hanbin was relaxed and sitting slouched with his legs wide open across from Ricky. It was only the first three hours into the workday, but Hanbin already had his tie undone and his hair a mess. The pair sat in silence. Hanbin stared out the tall windows, watching as the city bustled along the workday. Ricky gripped his pen tightly as he pretended to jot notes down on his paper. Hanbin’s presence was putting pressure on him to acknowledge the huge elephant in the room.
After a few minutes, Hanbin broke the silence for him. “I don't want to sound like an overbearing parent, but you know I only have the best in mind for you, right?” He craned his neck back to stare up at the ceiling.
“Of course I do,” Ricky mumbled. “I think… I think you found the right person to replace you,” he continued to avoid eye contact, but his words were full of honesty.
The more time he spent with Gyuvin, he realized just how similar he was to Hanbin. Not only did they share many similar interests and hobbies, but they shared each other’s greatest qualities. They were work-motivated, family-orientated, social butterflies, and could read Ricky like a book – the last one being the more important of them all.
Hanbin hummed in reply. It was clear that Ricky was already struggling to admit his true feelings, but Hanbin could not refrain from prodding the younger.
“So, um, how is it between you two now?” Hanbin mustered up the courage to ask.
Ricky peered his eyes up from the paper. “Why are you asking?” His tone was low and threatening, but the red shade growing up his neck and ears said otherwise.
“Well, you guys haven’t said a single word to each other since the two of you got here, and you guys arrived together,” the secretary pointed out.
“Don’t remind me,” Ricky groaned and threw his head against his desk.
“What’s wrong? Shouldn’t things be going well?”
“That’s the problem, I don’t know what’s wrong,” Ricky sunk further into his arms.
Hanbin remained silent, signaling for Ricky to continue.
“After my heat, he took good care of me, and even made me breakfast before coming into work, but I could tell that he was in his head – overthinking things. I guess that comes with helping your boss through his heat,” Ricky frowned. “I think he said like five sentences to me since I woke up this morning. He’s been in his own little world.”
Hanbin wrung his fingers together, trying to find the right words to say. “Just give it some time. I think he’s being extra cautious in case he’s not reading you right. He just wants to make sure he did the right thing, which he did — right?” He asked carefully.
“Of course he did,” Ricky said softly. “I don’t know how things would’ve gone if he chose any of the other options.” A shiver ran up his spine at the thought of if he had been alone the day his heat had hit him.
Hanbin softened his gaze. “Gyuvin’s not like that, so don’t worry yourself. Maybe you should initiate this time. It seems like he’s always the one finding an excuse to talk to you,” Hanbin suggested.
“He doesn’t do that,” Ricky defended weakly.
“Ricky,” Hanbin threw his hands up in exasperation. “I know that you’re well aware of what he’s been doing. You’re the last person on earth I would consider as dense,” Hanbin looked like he wanted to strangle him from across the desk.
Ricky stared blankly at the wall behind Hanbin, contemplating his secretary’s words. “Maybe, I’ll consider it,” he replied.
“Maybe?” Hanbin echoed in question. “I’m already your secretary, do I need to be your wingman too?” Hanbin groaned.
Ricky shrugged. “Comes with the job I guess.”
Hanbin scoffed. He stood up abruptly, concluding their conversation, and dusted his trousers before checking his phone. “I need to go run a few papers down to the fifteenth floor, and your meeting is in ten minutes. Do you need anything from me before the meeting?” Hanbin was back in work mode.
Ricky shook his head. “I have everything, thanks. See you at lunch?” Ricky asked as his secretary made his way towards the door.
“Yeah, something like that,” Hanbin threw over his shoulder.
—
Ricky’s field of vision was blurry from all the meetings he had been in and out of. It was so bad, that he almost thought he was going to have to lie down for a nap. Luckily, he was able to fight off the fatigue and all he wanted now was a nice lunch. He didn’t get his usual drinks this morning either, due to them running on low time, so Ricky was extra cranky.
He was fortunate enough to have had Gyuvin remind him this morning to take his medication, but after not taking them for almost a week, his body had grown accustomed to being able to release his scent freely while on heat. The junction of his neck was scratched raw from him scratching at both sides all day, a sign that his body wanted to freely release its pheromones. Luckily, video filters existed or else he would have received many questions during his meetings. Not to mention, his mind was constantly distracted by what Hanbin had said earlier.
Take the initiative.
Ricky rarely pursued relationships — romantic or not. He had older ladies offering their sons and daughters as suitors and an inbox full of lunch invites, but he never went out of his way to accept. He never initiated conversations for fun and never went out of his way to plan meals with others when it wasn’t related to work.
His closest friends were Hanbin and Hao — and Gunwook and Yujin if they even counted. Those two took the initiative for everything when it came to upholding his relationship with them, which he deeply appreciated. He didn’t need any more than them and loved his life as it was.
His cloud of thoughts was cleared as the door to his office swung open. Gyuvin stood before him with a soft smile on his face. “Ready for lunch?”
Ricky let out a sigh of relief from Gyuvin’s normal demeanor.
“It’s the only thing I can think about,” Ricky said. “And what ever happened to knocking?” Ricky questioned.
Gyuvin paused, eyes wide in thought. “I forgot,” he winced.
“Of course you did,” Ricky muttered under his breath, not surprised at all.
“You haven’t had time for lunch in a while,” Gyuvin commented, surprised his boss didn't decline this time. He held the door open for Ricky to saunter out.
“What would you and Hanbin like for lunch today?” Ricky asked the intern.
“Hanbin said he can’t make it to lunch with us today. Something about needing to pick up some pet supplies for his dog,” Gyuvin shrugged.
Ricky furrowed his eyebrows. “Hanbin doesn’t have a dog.”
“Oh,” Gyuvin puckered his lips. “Should I just order delivery then?”
Ricky shook his head and massaged his temples. Hanbin had schemed this, and Ricky couldn’t believe he hadn’t caught it earlier from Hanbin’s tone.
“No, we can still grab lunch. I guess it can just be the two of us then,” Ricky said. “What would you like for today then?”
“Um, how about sushi?” Gyuvin proposed.
“Sounds good to me. Any suggestions?” Ricky shoved his hands in his pocket, turning to face the Alpha.
Gyuvin tilted his head in thought. “Just somewhere not too expensive.”
Ricky chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“I’m serious,” Gyuvin threw him a look.
“Me too,” Ricky retorted.
–
“Ricky, this place is too expensive,” Gyuvin peered up from the menu.
“This is the cheapest place I know,” Ricky blinked.
Gyuvin’s mouth hung wide open. “You can’t be serious,” he hissed and glanced back down at his menu. “The miso soup here is almost five times the price of your coffee drink.”
Ricky tried his best to choose a sushi place that was within an affordable price range, or at least a price range he thought was affordable. If Gyuvin thought the current restaurant was too expensive, then he would’ve evaporated into thin air if Ricky had taken him into any of the other places he was considering at first. Ricky had been here once, and it wasn’t his favorite place, but it was the only place he could remember that had decently priced-sushi.
Ricky watched as Gyuvin squirmed in his chair as he scanned through menu pages. The taller eventually shut the menu and placed it down on the table. “I think I’ll just settle with some miso soup,” he concluded.
“No, I’ll pay,” Ricky offered, not wanting to have his intern eat a small bowl of soup for lunch. If he had learned anything about the Alpha during the internship, his stomach was a black hole.
“What? No way,” Gyuvin hissed under his voice.
“Yes, let’s say this is my thank you,” Ricky raised the menu higher, leaving only his eyes visible.
“Your thank you?” Gyuvin tilted his head in confusion.
“Yes, my thank you,” Ricky cleared his throat. “For your help this past week,” he raised his menu even higher, completely cutting off his sight of the taller.
“Oh,” Gyuvin almost whispered.
The sound of Gyuvin picking up his menu again made Ricky lower his menu. He peered slightly at the younger who had a small frown plastered on his face.
Before Ricky could question the expression, their waitress arrived to take their order, clearing up the frown on the younger’s face. Ricky ordered for the two of them, as Gyuvin said he didn’t have a preference for anything. He ordered what he usually ordered at any sushi restaurant with a few extra items in case the other didn’t like any of them.
The pair was left in an awkward silence once the waitress left. With their menus now gone, neither of them could use it to hide behind anymore.
Initiate. Ricky straightened his back as Hanbin’s words rolled through his head. “So,” he cleared his throat.
Gyuvin broke his gaze from his plate on the table to look up at Ricky.
“Is sushi your favorite food?” Ricky cringed as the question rolled off his tongue. He could feel the awkwardness rise, almost suffocating him. He couldn’t believe he let the man in front of him lead him through his heat, yet, the only one-on-one time they ever had was when they were in the car together.
“Um, no. I don’t have one,” Gyuvin muttered. “I’m not that picky so I’m down to eat anything.”
Ricky nodded, unsure how to continue the conversation. He was used to others picking up the slack when things got awkward. He watched as the Alpha rocked side to side in his seat, his gaze was fidgety and his shoulders were tensed up. Gyuvin wasn’t the awkward type, but Ricky couldn’t say he was surprised by the sudden awkward tension that surrounded them.
“You okay?” Ricky asked.
Upon questioning, Gyuvin untensed and released a soft chuckle — one that Ricky couldn’t tell if it was forced or not. “Yeah, I think I’m just hungry,” he clutched his stomach and smiled.
“Me too,” Ricky squeaked in return as the Alpha’s smile caused him to flinch in his seat.
What the hell?
“Oh! So about the email that Mr Choi sent earlier…” Gyuvin raised a finger as he brought up the topic. He continued to ramble on about the email, while Ricky held back the urge to make a face from work being brought up on his lunch break.
Ricky zoned out as the intern blabbered on about this Mr Choi. He watched as Gyuvin animatedly explained the situation with his hands, his Bambi eyes twinkling with every word he spoke. Ricky’s eyes traced the Alpha and stopped once he reached his hands.
His mind flashed of what those hands were doing to him less than twenty-four hours ago, and his heart nearly skipped a beat. He couldn't remember much from his heat after he slipped, but tiny bits and pieces were hitting him as he stared down those hands.
Ricky’s face remained blank, but the gears in his head were working overtime to fill his thoughts with obscene imagery. His suppressants worked overtime to smother away his scent, and he thanked the gods that no one could smell his pheromones at this very moment. If not for the medication, the entire restaurant would have been able to tell that Ricky was ready to repeat the entire past week all over again.
He squeezed his thighs tightly together as Gyuvin’s voice entered his ears, and he ogled the Alpha’s fingers dancing along the air. He bit his lip sharply to prevent a whimper from falling out, and his heart was beating so fast he thought he might fall over from a heart attack in this very sushi restaurant. He blamed the leftover heat that was still buried in the bottom of his stomach.
At the sound of glass breaking in the distance, Ricky snapped his gaze away from Gyuvin’s hands and back to his face. The sudden shift caused the Alpha to halt mid-sentence, his hands raised midway in the air.
“Are you alright? Are you feeling hot again?” Gyuvin leaned forward, the creases between his eyebrows indicated his worry.
The sudden questions made Ricky furrow his eyebrows together in confusion.
“You’ve been scratching at your neck a lot. I can’t really see it because of your blazer, but it seems like something bothering you,” he gestured toward Ricky’s neck.
He must have been unconsciously scratching at his neck without realizing it.
“Oh, I’m okay,” Ricky croaked. His voice was rougher than he anticipated. He was indeed much hotter than he was five minutes ago, but this time, it was for many different reasons than what Gyuvin was worrying about. “I’m just a bit warm, but nothing to worry about,” he fanned himself, urging his heart to calm down.
Gyuvin bit his lip, not fully believing that Ricky was okay. “I knew you should’ve stayed home today,” He said quietly.
“I’m fine,” Ricky said in a reassuring tone. “Now, let’s not talk about any of this in such a place,” he hushed.
Gyuvin visibly relaxed. “Okay, right. Sorry,” he pulled back.
“It’s okay. Your time working with me hasn’t been… the greatest. I don’t know if it’ll ever get better, but at least I know you’re committed to the ride now,” Ricky laughed softly.
“Don’t say that. It’s been amazing,” Gyuvin scolded. “I honestly didn’t know what to expect during my first week. After my shoulder injury, I quit many of the hobbies I love and was stuck in the mindset that I wouldn’t get a job afterward. But, Hanbin gave me a chance and I think I might owe him the position of Godfather for my future kid,” he laughed.
Ricky snorted at the last statement. Hanbin always had a thing for reading people. He was always weary of the right individuals and made great connections with the nicest ones. He saved Ricky from making the worst deals of his life with many businessmen, and his only reasoning was ‘because he seemed really off.’
“Hanbin’s a good guy, and I owe this business to him,” Ricky said solemnly.
“I just hope I can live up to everything he’s done,” Gyuvin rested his chin on his palm, staring loosely at Ricky.
“You will,” Ricky reassured.
“And how do you know that?” Gyuvin asked curiously.
It was lunchtime, so the building was busy with all sorts of people running about to manage the rush. Chattering and soft classical music filtered through the air, but Ricky could only catch onto the Alpha’s soft voice every time he spoke.
The corner of Ricky’s lips raised slightly as the two stared at each other in the dim restaurant. The scene playing out in front of him brought up memories of the first night Gyuvin drove him back to his penthouse. The teasing aura that surrounded them left Ricky wanting to add fuel to the fire.
“I just have a feeling,” Ricky smirked.
“And for some reason, I don’t doubt that,” Gyuvin chuckled.
–
“Can you take a look at this for me and sign it if everything looks good?” Ricky asked as he slapped the wad of paper onto Hanbin’s desk.
Hanbin jumped at the sound, craning his to look up at his boss. “And what is this?” He riffled through the corners of the pages.
“It’s Gyuvin’s contract. I had it done a while ago but didn’t get the time to give it to you to review. If it looks good, sign it and hand it off to Gyuvin to look over and sign it too,” Ricky instructed.
Hanbin pouted at the sight of the contract. “Now that it’s actually in my hands, this makes me kinda sad.”
Ricky raised an eyebrow. “You asked for this” he jested
“I know,” Hanbin fake sniffled. “This is something I will never be prepared for. It feels like I’m leaving my child,” Hanbin hugged Ricky’s torso tightly.
Ricky raised his arms in disgust to his side as if Hanbin was a little kid trying to wipe his snot on him. He tried to take a step back to pull away from the tight grip but failed. “Hanbin, you know you can change your mind?”
“I’m not going to! I’m just sad. Just let me wallow in my sadness for a bit,” he batted his eyes up at Ricky.
Ricky sighed, and gently patted the top of Hanbin’s head as he faked a few sniffles into his shirt. “There, there, you get to live out my dreams as a stay-at-home husband, so stop crying.”
“You can retire now and be set for life to live out your dreams,” Hanbin glared up at him.
“Not when I am projected to double this company’s net worth within the next two years,” Ricky clicked his tongue. He found a moment of weakness in Hanbin’s grip and pulled away, causing Hanbin to yelp as he lost balance, barely catching himself on time with his desk.
“Oh to be a millionaire,” Hanbin sighed dreamily.
“Your husband is one, which makes you one too,” Ricky snorted.
“Stop shooting down my aspirations,” Hanbin shot back.
Ricky raised his hands defensively. “I’m just being honest.”
“Maybe a little too honest,” Gyuvin said as he wrapped around the corner, coming back from the washroom. “What’s this?” He gestured down at the stack of papers sitting on top of Hanbin’s desk.
“Your contract!” Hanbin exclaimed.
“Oh? Is it for me?” He reached out for it.
“No,” Ricky placed his palm on it before Gyuvin could. “It’s for Hanbin to look over first, then it’ll be for you,” Ricky slid the papers closer to Hanbin.
“Wow, this is all happening so quickly. How much time do you have left before you’re done, Hanbin?” Gyuvin inquired.
“A little over a month left. It felt like just yesterday I was interviewing you in that cafe,” Hanbin sighed. “And now look at you,” he cooed as he stood up from his chair to pinch Gyuvin’s cheeks.
Gyuvin whined in reply but made no effort to push the secretary away.
“How was lunch?” Hanbin asked the pair as he continued to coo at Gyuvin.
“It was fine,” Ricky snipped. “I see you had to go pick up some supplies for your dog?” Ricky narrowed his eyes at him.
“Did I say dog? I must have misspoken. Sorry about that,” Hanbin smiled cheekily, pulling his hands away from Gyuvin’s face.
Ricky resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
“We had sushi!” Gyuvin interjected. “It was very yummy, and probably the best sushi I’ve ever had!”
Hanbin turned to Ricky for his opinion but only got a shrug in reply. “I’ve had better.”
“Of course you had,” Hanbin sighed, placing his hands on his hips.
“Anyways, how are you getting home today, Ricky?”
“By my car?” Ricky made a face at the odd question.
“Your car is not here,” Hanbin said pointedly.
“What? Where is it?” Ricky stood straighter as he realized he had no idea where his precious vehicle was. It was here before he went into heat, so he was expecting it to remain here until he came back to work.
“I had Taerae bring it back to your house a few days ago. I thought you were going to need it to get back to work. But then I saw that you two arrived together today, so I guess I made an oopsie there,” Hanbin muttered.
“No one at the front desk of my building mentioned anything about that,” Ricky ruffled his hair.
It wasn’t a big deal, but he always had difficult moments the first day back after his heats. He consistently felt left out of the loop and hated relying on others for information that he should already be aware of.
“I’ll ask Tae–”
“– I can just drive you home again,” Gyuvin cut Hanbin off with his offering.
“Oh, perfect!” Hanbin clapped his hands happily. “Now I’m going to review this contract and get it to you by tomorrow afternoon, so shoo away from my desk so I can have some peace and quiet,” he ushered the two along.
A month ago, Ricky would have fought Hanbin tooth and nail about the idea of having Gyuvin drive him home. He wanted to laugh at the difference a few months made. But now, he didn’t mind the thought of it.
Maybe he was hoping for it to happen.
The two of them scurried away from Hanbin’s desk as if they had just received a scolding from their parents.
–
“It seems like you're more of a chauffeur intern than a secretary intern,” Ricky joked as he slipped into the passenger seat of Gyuvin’s car.
The interior of the car did not fail to make him recoil in disgust as usual. Hopefully, after Gyuvin fully started the position, he would be able to invest in a better car, especially if he were to continue to drive Ricky around like this.
The end of the day came quicker than Ricky could ask for, and they were able to finish things up right on time. Hanbin packed up his stuff the second he submitted his last file, and Ricky wanted to curl up into a ball in the corner of his office for a nap before he could drive home, but then he remembered that he was not driving.
“Wouldn’t mind being your chauffeur at all,” Gyuvin laughed at the thought.
A soft silence fell over them as Gyuvin pulled out of the parking garage. The sun was just setting over the horizon, casting warm hues against the buildings and concrete. It created a warm environment between them, coating the air in comfort and contentment.
“Thanks for the meal again today,” Gyuvin broke the silence.
“No worries. Like I said, it’s my thank you for helping me out the past week,” Ricky said as he admired the sunset out the passenger window.
“Yes, almost forgot,” Gyuvin’s tone was clipped.
Ricky automatically turned to look at the other upon hearing his tone. The frown was back on his face, making Ricky frown in return. “Did I say something wrong?”
The frown on Gyuvin’s face was quickly wiped off. “No, no. Just think about some personal things,” he waved a hand in the air.
“Oh, okay,” Ricky made no further efforts to prod at the younger.
Ricky wasn’t dumb.
He could tell that his words bothered the younger. The same topic during their lunch outing put the same frown on Gyuvin’s face, and Ricky had no idea why.
Maybe he was regretting his choice of helping during Ricky’s heat?
Ricky denied that possibility. There was no way. He did not want to think about that.
But seeing the sudden change in emotion each time Ricky caught on, made him not want to prod any further, sensing each time that it was a sensitive topic.
Upon reaching a red light, a muffled ringing echoed from behind them.
“Shit, that’s my phone,” Gyuvin looked over his shoulder at his bag. “It’s probably my dad calling me,” he said as he unbuckled his seatbelt to reach behind him for his bag quickly. “He caught a cold recently.”
As Gyuvin stretched his body towards the right to reach the back of his car, Ricky turned his head to the left, curious to see if any help was needed. “Got it!” Gyuvin shouted as he managed to pull his bag to the front, his face brushing centimeters away from Ricky’s. Their eyes locked for a split second, and it felt like time had froze before they both pulled back at the same time.
Ricky let out a small squeak from the proximity, recoiling immediately back to his side. He pressed his body against the passenger door with an apology on the tip of his tongue.
Gyuvin tossed his bag onto Ricky’s lap. The tip of his ears was a bright red, but he bluntly ignored the tension that just formed between the two of them. “Could you grab my phone from the side pocket for me?”
Ricky did as told and reached for the phone in the side pocket. The screen displayed a picture of a younger version of Gyuvin and a small boy, both dressed in soccer jerseys and drenched in sweat as they beamed at the camera. Gyuvin was seemingly tall back then too. Face still carrying a tiny bit of baby fat; hair swept back to keep the sweat out of his eyes; yet to grow into his long limbs.
“I think it’s your brother,” Ricky muttered, staring at the picture.
Gyuvin glanced at the screen and clicked his tongue. “Leave it. He probably just wants the password to something, he can wait. I thought it was my dad.” Gyuvin rubbed his bright cheek.
Ricky silently nodded and tucked the phone back.
Gyuvin’s face had just been mere centimeters away from him a few seconds ago. Ricky was yet to comprehend that, and it seemed like Gyuvin was the same as he seemed spaced out while driving.
Ricky clutched the bag tightly on his lap. If he concentrated hard, his nose could pick up a few earthy notes coming from the bag — he unconsciously tightened his grip. It calmed him just enough to stop shaking his legs.
The rest of the car ride was silent.
It wasn't unusual for their car rides to be filled with silence; however, this was too silent.
Their normal silence consisted of Gyuvin humming a small tune, and Ricky muttering to himself, lost in his thoughts planning about his day
This silence was different.
If Ricky had not been so tired after work, his brain would have been working over time. However, the fatigue left little consciousness left in Ricky’s body as he tried to decipher the silence in the car, but failed.
The calming scent radiating from the bag in Ricky’s lap was slowly lulling him to sleep. He blinked slowly as his head fell to the side causing him to flinch awake.
Gyuvin glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. “Don’t fall asleep on me now. We’re only a few minutes away,” Gyuvin rasped.
“I’m not,” Ricky slurred.
“You’re lying, your eyes are not opening anymore,” Gyuvin chuckled softly.
“Huh?” Ricky mustered out one last thing before slowly drifting off only minutes away from reaching his place.