Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Jinyoung stares at the paper in his hands. “What the fuck?” he whispers. The door is half ajar still, stack of mail held in his other hand.

The paper is heavy, thicker than the kind he uses for his run-down printer that’s standing on the floor one room over. Instead, the paper is a little bit textured, and the text printed on it is actually stamped into the sheet with a golden, looping font. The paper is probably hand-pressed, and most likely expensive as shit.

Jinyoung must admit, it's a classy paper for a wedding invitation. If it just hadn’t been a wedding invitation for his ex-fiance's wedding.

“What the fuck.” Jinyoung says, this time louder, and with much more feeling.

“What?” Jaebum asks, coming out of the kitchen to stare at Jinyoung, who’s still standing halfway in the hallway, front door still open and one shoe toed off of his foot, because Jinyoung always starts opening his mail while walking up the stairway to their shared apartment. But this is the first time he’s gotten a wedding invitation from the ex who dumped him a few years back, so things stray from their usual tidy order in which Jinyoung does them.

Jaebum is still staring at him in question, so Jinyoung just lifts the paper for him to see, stunned into silence himself.

Jaebum just squints, eyes becoming narrower. Jinyoung holds the paper, waiting for a reaction, but none comes. Jaebum squints some more, before straightening up again.

“I can’t read it from that far away.” Jaebum says, and Jinyoung can predict that his next movement will most likely be a turn to walk back into the kitchen, so he takes the few steps towards where Jaebum is standing, and presses the paper into his hands.

“This is blank?” Jaebum says, confused, then, “wow, this paper is nice.”

“Right?” Jinyoung agrees even as he reaches, turning the paper so the printed side faces up. Jaebum works late shifts at the radio station, so he can be a little slow on the uptake when he wakes up. Jaebum hums in understanding, before he begins to read out what’s written on the invitation.

“Dear Park Jinyoung and his date, you are hereby cordially invited to the wedding of Kim Yoona and Son Hyunwoo as they are united in marriage.”

Jinyoung winces at just hearing the words out loud. Jaebum continues reading out the destination and location.

“So, somebody’s getting married.” Jaebum says, matter-of-fact, after scanning the page for a handful of moments, looking up from the paper to Jinyoung’s unimpressed face.

“Yes,” Jinyoung says, slightly agitated, “except that somebody is my ex!”

“Congratulations?” Jaebum says, and then immediately winces after looking into Jinyoung’s murderous face. Jinyoung in a bad mood is a signed ticket for a thoroughly terrible day.

“Or not. My condolences?” he tries again, but Jinyoung’s face doesn’t lighten up, instead, this specific wrinkle between his eyes starts to form that means a storm of ill-meaning words is very close to exploding out of Jinyoung.

“Yes, Jaebum- ‘or not’! He’s out to humiliate me!”

“I don’t think he-”

Jinyoung doesn’t let him talk. “He must know I’m single! He probably just wants me to turn up alone, wearing some stupid suit and tie and stand around like a fucking loner, just to really rub it in my face!”

“Black tie.” Jaebum prompts.

“What?” Jinyoung asks, bewildered, anger momentarily receding in confusion.

“Invitation says wedding attire to be black tie,” Jaebum explains, shrugging as if it had been obvious.

“That’s not the fucking point!” Jinyoung exclaims. “The point is that this fucking envelope is addressed to Park Jinyoung and his date!”

Jaebum narrows his eyes at Jinyoung in obvious obliviousness. “I’m not sure I really get your point,” Jaebum says.

Jinyoung fixes Jaebum with a scathing glare. “I don’t have a date, Jaebum.”

“Ah,” Jaebum says, as if it’s only sinking into his mind now that Jinyoung is as single as it gets, as if they hadn’t been sharing an apartment of a modest size for over a year. There’s no keeping secrets, here. “And you think this was intended to be demeaning? It’s pretty standard to allow a plus one, isn’t it?”

“No, I know how he meant it.” Jinyoung mutters, “he’s still in contact with my mom, and knowing her there’s no way he doesn’t know.”

“Well, that’s a bummer,” Jaebum hands the paper back to him. Then, “take off your shoe before you come further in the apartment, I just vacuumed the floors.”

Jinyoung looks at him in utter bewilderment, before he remembers that in his half-minded the-whole-world-is-plotting-against-me trip induced by the accusatory piece of paper in his hand, he had only taken off one shoe. His sneaker stares back up at him, slightly muddy on the left side. It almost looks disappointed in him. But that’s impossible, right?

***

Work gets busy, and so some months pass, without Jinyoung thinking of the issue much. He’s scrolling through his calendar, applying for paid leave to visit his sister, when he’s painfully reminded of the problem.

Summer would be best; so he could take his niece outside to play. He swipes through June, seeing if any of his coworkers have handed in their leave yet. That’s when he sees it marked in his calendar — an event aptly named ‘Hyunwoo wedding/suicide’ on the 24th of june. Less than four weeks from now. A cold sweat sets in. How could he forget about this?

Jinyoung bites on his cuticle, weighing his options. He doesn’t know if he wants to see Hyunwoo again, ever. But he’s a nosy person, and he feels entitled to know what sort of wedding Hyunwoo likes. On a whim, he applies to have the whole week off of work.

*

“Good Morning, Hyung,” Jinyoung croons as Jaebum staggers into the kitchen the next morning, scratching his bare stomach. His hair is sticking up in odd tufts, the other clearly having just rolled out of bed. Jinyoung mentally prides himself for being so collected around Jaebum, but sometimes it gets really hard. For example: instances just like now, where Jinyoung almost lets himself stray and let his eyes linger on the broad stretch of Jaebum's shoulders, the golden skin on his tummy that moves with the shift of muscles underneath, but as soon as Jinyoung’s eyes reach the dark trail of hair just above the waistband of Jaebum’s sweats his eyes snap up. Jaebum lets out a hacking cough, wiping his hand on his pants after. Jaebum can be attractive up until the fact Jinyoung remembers its Jaebum.

He grasps the mug of coffee he’d prepared just minutes ago, mentally slapping himself on both cheeks for how low his bar is. Jaebum starts rummaging around to assemble his breakfast cereal, pushing Jinyoung aside on the counter. His scent is toasty, warm and slightly spicy as he moves into Jinyoung’s space. He still smells like sleep, so Jinyoung quietly allows himself to bask in the domesticity of it.

“Here’s your coffee, hyung,” he says, pressing the mug into Jaebum’s hands and smiling sweetly.

“Thanks,” Jaebum says, words kind, but narrows his eyes at him in distrust immediately after. Jinyoung watches as Jaebum takes a sip of the coffee, humming. Jaebum sits down at the table, beginning to shove dripping spoonfuls into his mouth. They make eye-contact, Jinyoung smiles. Jaebum stops his motions, a spoon raised halfway.

“You can stop honeying me now, Jinyoung, just spit it out,” Jaebum says, voice still gruff from sleep. “I can hear your evil little mind plotting all the way from here and it’s ruining my cereal.”

“Ok, listen,” Jinyoung says, giving up on the act at once and crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I need you to do me a favor.”

Jaebum groans, interrupting him. “Oh no,” he says. “I take it back, I just woke up, I can’t listen to your malicious plans that obviously involve me already.” He lets his head drop onto an arm he’s got splayed on the table, laying there motionless for a heartbeat of moments.

“Jaebum,” Jinyoung says, pleading. Jaebum peeks his eyes up from the tabletop, meeting Jinyoung’s unamused gaze. The broader male sighs, righting himself up again and taking another spoonful of cereal.

“Ok, hit me,” he says, garbled from all the cornflakes in his mouth.

“I’ve went full doctor strange on this wedding. I’ve considered every living person I know that could be my date and thought through every single string of events that could happen. And I’ve come to the conclusion that you are the least catastrophic option I have, and you’re good looking enough for me to not look like a complete loser.”

“Way to give a guy a compliment.” Jaebum looks at him, showing little reaction to what Jinyoung just said.

“Did you listen to what I just said,” Jinyoung asks, voice tinged with desperate urgency.

Jaebum hums. “What about Mark? or Jackson?”

“They’ve got a thing with each other, I can’t ask one of them to make out with me multiple times just for one day, and then just drop them off in the evening with a morbid ‘Thanks for the good work,’ that’d be just cruel, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s stopping you now?” Jaebum’s eyes cut like glass, for a second there. The wording of that rebuttal, throws Jinyoung off completely.

“…Yes.” He answers, finally. The moment flutters away.

Jaebum hums, shrugging, indicating agreement. Jinyoung shifts his hips against the countertop, letting one hand fall down to grip the edge of the board. What a strange remark. Sometimes he thinks he knows Jaebum inside-out, other times he knows nothing but the surface.

“Jisung hyung from work would be an option, but I’ve got a feeling he’s not really able to do all that pda without me having to put out at the end of the day,” Jinyoung reasons, gaze drifting off as he follows his train of thought. Jisung really could be an option. He’d say yes, that's for sure, but Jinyoung’s sure Jisung has got somewhat of a thing for him ever since they hooked up at last year's christmas company party. It would be leading him on to have him so close and then act like nothing happened. Playing with someone’s feelings like that, it seems cruel to Jinyoung.

No, he needs someone with not even a speck of romantic interest for him, and the perfect somebody for that is Jaebum. Jinyoung pointedly ignores how the exact opposite applies to his stupid attraction he harbors for Jaebum.
As shallow as it sounds, Jinyoung is almost painfully aware of how charismatic Jaebum can be, and maybe comfort is exactly what Jinyoung will need.

“Look, we live together,— the whole scent thing would be easiest like this.”

Jinyoung moves his gaze back to Jaebum, just to find him scowling slightly at him, prominent eyebrows pulled together. Jinyoung raises an eyebrow in question.

“Isn’t Jisung the one you fucked with punch-drunk in our kitchen?”

Jinyoung winces, “Yeah,” he admits. Definitely not one of his proudest moments, especially having the mortifying experience of having to explain to Jaebum the suspicious stains on their wooden countertop.

He had never mentioned Jisung avoiding him for days after the hookup because he had believed Jinyoung had used him to cheat on his boyfriend. Apparently they had seemed so accustomed to each other they were almost convincing. Jaebum scowling at Jisung all breakfast, the air tense despite Jinyoung’s desperate attempts to lighten up the atmosphere, definitely hadn’t helped the cause.

“Don’t ask him, I don’t like him,” Jaebum grumbles, and Jinyoung throws his hands in the air. “Then say yes! You’ll just have to smile, wear a suit, and look like we’re sickeningly in love.”

Jaebum chews his cereal, looking at Jinyoung for a long moment. “What’s in it for me?”

Jinyoung clears his throat. He’d prepped for this as much as his elevator pitches at the office. “Depends on what you want.”

Jinyoung stiffens under Jaebum’s gaze, suddenly weirdly intense. His scent spikes, too. Jinyoung assumes it’s annoyance, at being bothered so early in his day, but he’s not quite sure.

“Three weeks of laundry and dishes, on you.”

“Deal,” Jinyoung agrees, lightning fast, hopping off of the counter to shake Jaebum’s hand on it.

“Four weeks,” Jaebum rescinds, and stops him in his motions. “You were too glad about that deal.”

Jinyoung heaves a sigh, but is secretly amused. Jaebum’s spending enough time around him to become a bit of a piece of shit, too. He grasps Jaebum’s hand dramatically, shaking on their deal, once.

“I’m not a very good actor,” Jaebum argues, already defending himself.

“Bullshit, you were great as the tinman in Yugyeom’s musical.”

“Thank you. I needed to hear that.” Jaebum says, jovial, and Jinyoung rolls his eyes.

They continue to have their breakfast together, until Jinyoung’s coffee is a cold patch at the bottom of his mug, and Jaebum is slurping the bottom of his bowl dry.

“Well, on a more serious note I seriously don't have the money to spend on a suit,” Jaebum states.

“I’ll pay for it,” Jinyoung responds quickly, wincing as he realizes how desperate he sounds. This was one of the points he was banking on: Jaebum had been rejected from two job interviews in the past month for not showing up in appropriate clothing. He was planning on sweetening the deal with new formal wear. It’s a tough situation, having to decide between conserving his pride or actually having a decent date to the wedding. It’s obvious which side he’s leaning towards. He just got a bonus at work- he’ll be fine.

***

Jaebum and Jinyoung have been flat mates for a little over a year and a half now.

Before that, Jinyoung used to live with Mark, who he’d met back in college. Mark had hung up flyers on the campus’ black board titled ‘LOOKING FOR: ROOMMATE, tidy, silent, preferably likes doing chores.’

While the last part possibly scared most interested parties off of the deal, for Jinyoung this was the silver lining for the hell of living alone. When Jinyoung had seen that little white paper pinned to the cork, he was living off of the sofa in the flat Yugyeom and his roommates shared. He had crashed in their apartment after the fallout with Hyunwoo happened. He didn’t really do anything on those days. The first two he cried and slept through his classes, then Yugyeom and Bambam urged him to get back to normalcy, and he was back to attending classes by day three.

While he was sitting there, it would be a long reach to say he was actively partaking in the learning progress. He was unshowered, reeked of sad omega, and definitely looked the part.

Day four is when he saw the flyer, and he called the number on the little scrap of paper the same afternoon, and moved in before the week was over. He had little to no belongings, and while he was thankful for the support he’d gotten from the two younger men, the state of their apartment was- nicely put: a hopeless mess.
To Jinyoung it felt as if he’d never be able to form a clear thought while sitting between eight red bull cans, worn sweatpants slung over the back of the sofa, and cables of the playing consoles strewn over the floor.

All in all, after moving in, Mark proved to be a good flatmate. They got along well, despite Jinyoung being an emotional mess most of the time, but Mark’s beta scent was mild enough for his body to pendulum back into its working state, although slowly. All the while, the beta was quiet and persistent in his nurture. It was hard to ignore an omega in distress, even for betas. On the evenings Jinyoung’s pheromones would spread through the apartment in his misery, Mark quietly put out a cup of green tea in front of him, patting his shoulder.

Jinyoung seldomly managed to say anything then, stunned by the easy kindness, but he’d thank Mark the next morning when they’d meet before their commutes to work or university. When Jinyoung asked, Mark would say that his mom had always told him that there was nothing so terrible that a cup of good tea wouldn’t soothe.
Even though Mark was quiet, he was a good roommate. He seemed to have most joy in playing on his phone as soon as he diligently finished his uni-work, and he was careful not to clutter or create unnecessary messes. Jinyoung was infinitely grateful for that.

However, it wasn’t long until Mark told Jinyoung he’d been planning to let his lease run out in hopes of moving in with his boyfriend, Jackson. It just made sense that Jackson’s flatmate would move in with Jinyoung, as they were caught in the same run-outs of someone else’s romance being their reason for ending up in the streets. Problem was that Jackson lived with another alpha.

Jinyoung had been skeptical at first. He was reluctant to move in with an alpha, never before had he lived with one that wasn’t Hyunwoo. And while he was trying to loosen the stereotypes he had inherited from his strict upbringing, it felt presumptuous to move in with an unmated alpha. Jinyoung didn’t even want to think about the time when his heat, or Jaebum’s rut, would arrive.

He also was worried about their dynamic. He’d been around Jaebum often- in group settings. He was close with Jackson and Youngjae, and was somewhat reserved and intimidating to Jinyoung. Funnily enough, they had gone to the same highschool, growing up in the same province away from the city. But even back then, they’d never been friends, per-se. It was a coincidence that they should move to the same bigger city- least of all manage to end up in the same social circles. Jinyoung could only think that there was a reason why they’d never gotten close.

It was safe to say those doubts vanished quickly when he was properly talking to Jaebum over grilled pork belly and black bean noodles.
If Jaebum's stature and scent weren't so statement-alpha, Jinyoung would have thought him to be a beta. His manners were good, and he didn’t seem to carry any of the aggression Jinyoung remembered from him in high school. Or that he found to be inherent to most alphas he knew back from his pack at home.

While reserved, Jaebum was kind, mild-mannered and made Jinyoung laugh out loud multiple times during dinner. He seemed eager to make a good impression, no doubt at the behest of his friend Jackson.

On the way back home, Mark had squeezed his shoulder, and told him that he thought they were going to work out well, and that it’d be good for Jinyoung to have someone that would make him laugh.

“You make me laugh,” Jinyoung argued. He knew it was a futile effort to argue with Mark, but he himself had a warm feeling of hope in his chest, that yes, at least it is a good thing. Mark smiled and patted his head, before withdrawing. Jinyoung didn’t mean to be so dramatic, but he cherished the comfortable ease of his living arrangements, and was reluctant to re-adjust.

“I didn’t realize you and Jaebum knew each other,” Mark notes, setting the water cooker on.

“Distantly.” Jinyoung hums. “We went to the same school.”

Mark is surprised. “What are the odds? You’re about the same age, right? Were you close?”

Jinyoung shrugs. “We weren’t in a lot of classes together.” He doesn’t say that he has only a few memories of school, and they’re more painful still to think about for a certain reason. Because Hyunwoo is entangled with so many. “He used to be sort of a bully. Or a bad boy.” He watches the cooker go off, gesturing about his own face. “I remember him showing up to school with a black eye.”

Mark’s whistle nearly matches that of the kettle. Jinyoung takes it off the heat, as Mark pulls out two cups. “Maybe he mellowed out. Jackson never complains about him as a roommate.”

Actions halting, Mark’s eyebrows raise. “Does he know about—?”

Jinyoung’s hand turns in a ‘I don’t know’ gesture. “He might? Me and Hyunwoo were together by the time I graduated. I don’t know if he knows we broke up.”

“Jackson might’ve told him,” Mark assures. “He was sweet to you, tonight. Attentive. You’ll be a good match.”

Jinyoung grimaces at the wording. “No matches being made, please. I just need a roommate that’s not a pig.”

“Never say never,” Mark waggles his eyebrows flirtily. “Domesticity is one hell of a drug.”

“I am going to miss living with you,” Jinyoung blurts out in the kitchen, when both of them are holding their warm cups. He likes the ease of living with Mark- the sort of silent understanding that they have.

“Thank you,” Mark says. Which leaves Jinyoung a little unsure of the meaning behind that, hesitant, but he’d come to see it in a positive light. “We’ll still be friends, Jinyoung. No one is dying or moving worlds away.”

And that was true. They stayed friends, as did Jackson and Jaebum, and vice versa any possible combination between them. Slowly, Jinyoung’s circle of people he cared about was growing piece by aching piece.
He remembers how it was right after the break-up, how he’d wake up each morning with dread. He was refusing to take calls from his own family, ignoring even his sisters,- and Hyunwoo didn’t try calling again. For being born with an instinct to seek belonging, it was a gut-lurching feeling of isolation.

Mark stayed close after saying that, but in the moment Jinyoung’s self-worth had still been shuttered under the metaphorical rubble of a house's foundations. He hadn’t dared the thought that Mark considered him his friend.

Separations, in Jinyoung’s current state, made him debilitatingly anxious. It was enough to tear up a little, feeling dismissed, but Mark had already left the kitchen to prepare for bed.

*

In turn, the move-in of Jaebum was easy. Jaebum was louder than Mark, which was a given in itself since living with Mark had been almost as if living with a spectre.
Either Jaebum’s perception was keen enough to pick up that Jinyoung was still slowed down by the ankle weights of a breakup, or perhaps he just had picked it up from another conversation like Mark guessed. Either way, he never directly asked Jinyoung why he still smelled like grief in those first weeks, and looking back, Jinyoung is infinitely thankful.

If he would’ve asked, Jinyoung would have told him that his father sought a son-in-law with the proper societal standing to take over his firm, and the smaller Park pack wanted a more secure union with a larger pack of the area. Jinyoung had never expressed interest in the business for that exact matter, knowing that his father intended to pass him over.

Once they presented, he and Hyunwoo had been arranged by the heads of their packs back home, as an extension of trust and well based connections. They both went to the same school— it was an easy match. Although it was an awkward start, Jinyoung liked Hyunwoo, and they took good care of each other. They made each other laugh, and Hyunwoo always praised Jinyoung for his smarts, his looks, and his well-taught manners. They weren’t bad together, but they weren’t perfect.

Hyunwoo would be brash sometimes, careless with his words. Little by little, Jinyoung realized Hyunwoo wasn’t that proud of Jinyoung’s smarts. Stigmatized opinions slowly welled up in their relationship after high school, when Jinyoung’s life-plans started altering from Hyunwoo’s. Yes, Hyunwoo praised him for his cooking, but then he’d get sulky when Jinyoung expressed interest in pursuing his plans of college.

Jinyoung’s family supported his decision to pursue higher education, while the Son pack did not. The compromise was that as soon as Jinyoung was to finish college, they were set to mate and marry. It wasn’t Jinyoung’s academic acclaim that made his mother proudest, but that her only omega son was to marry the son of the Son-clans head, thereby branching a strong bond of connection.

They made it work because Jinyoung didn’t know he had other options. He moved to Seoul for school, while Hyunwoo started working in his fathers firm. He’d take the train back on the weekends, where they would spend time together. He liked Hyunwoo, liked spending time with him, - and was sure they could have a good life together. They weren’t true mates, Jinyoung knew. Their scents mingled well, but the mix of musk and sweetness sometimes became migraine-inducing. Back then, he should’ve listened to his senses more than his obligations.

So Jinyoung didn’t know why it came as such a shock when he found out about Hyunwoo cheating. He wasn’t heartbroken— but crushed by the betrayal he’d understood it as. His carefully propped up plan of his entire life ahead, crumbled into itself with that revelation. With one phone call.

Jinyoung soured. His respect in his pack was undoubtedly taken down by several notches; because what is an omega that was cheated on, worth? He felt humiliated, unable to go to his hometown, scared of the scorned looks, unable to visit his family, to see the disappointment in his mother. Without his doing, the greatest chance of helping his family name turned to a burst bubble.

What suffered most in the whole ordeal was his self-perception. Jinyoung had always liked himself, but he knew that he was an unusual omega. He was tall, and his shoulders filled out to be broad and lean. Hyunwoo’s mother had jokingly told him that it would’ve been an insult to have him wed to any other alpha, and to thank god that Hyunwoo was so tall. Otherwise he would’ve made his own alpha look inadequate, built the way he was.
After presenting, Jinyoung was repeatedly made aware that he was decidedly more than most omegas. He was ambitious, thick-headed, and he had no interest in making a home before he absolutely had to. Too serious, more driven, too egoistic.

Helpless with other alternatives, he blamed the infidelity on himself. That maybe all his mother taught him to be a good omega hadn’t been enough, that he wasn’t desirable, or lovable. It took a chunk as big as himself out of his self-worth, and the time it took to grow back was as tenacious as ten winters strung together.
So, no, it wasn’t a broken heart he was nursing, but a broken image of his own worth, and the beliefs he had until now thought to be true, that promises were meant to hold, and that their pack's honor was all but that.

Mark had let him wallow in said self-pity, and Jinyoung didn’t regret that he did. Perhaps it took some time to let the pain simmer hotly for it to vanish quicker.
Jaebum, though, didn’t allow Jinyoung self-pity-parties— he kept him way too busy. More often than not, there were people over at their flat. By Jaebum’s doing, Jinyoung's circle of care extended itself by another handful of people. Like Jackson, who Jinyoung had always liked, but only grew close to with Jaebum. Youngjae, who worked at the same radio station as Jaebum, whose easygoing company Jinyoung always appreciated.
Jinyoung had always pinpointed it toward nurturing qualities engrained in any omegas nature- but he was as quick to become attached to people as grass was to grow. Perhaps in that sense, he was good at being an omega.

It kept him busy and kept him happy, being surrounded by people he enjoyed their company of, who made him laugh and made him go outside and asked no questions why he was an unmated omega, when he came from the fabled traditional park-pack. Rural life had moved slower in progression of emancipation, so larger packs were known for pairing up every omega from birth upwards. Perhaps, he could maintain happiness because only in isolation it was easy to think about everything negative, but he was glad life happened as it did.

***

They go shopping for a suit a couple days later, after Jinyoung has had a proper grieving for the fraction of his savings he’ll spend on a suit that won’t even be his.

Most of that reluctance vanishes when Jaebum settles on a specific one, stepping out of the dressing room. Jinyoung is settled on a small leather couch put in view of the changing rooms, scrolling through his sns. When he sees Jaebum, he doesn’t let his mouth fall open, but he would’ve.

Jaebum’s suit of choice is a black two-piece in a structured cotton and silk blend that clings to his shoulders in a way that should almost be illegal. He seems sophisticated, collected, and criminally put-together. The suit accentuates everything enviable about his body, his broad frame that tapers into a trim waist, and then the easy sway of his hips. In its entirety, it kind of makes Jinyoung want to drop to his knees in front of the alpha. Shocked by his reaction, Jinyoung primly crosses his legs.

Jaebum turns, measuring himself up in the mirror. Jinyoung’s mouth waters, and he sends a quick prayer to whomever is paying attention that his scent won’t betray his thirst right now. When buttoned, the suit jacket is fitted tightly to the waist, and lets the lines of Jaebum’s broad shoulders flow into his waist seamlessly. The pants are loose enough to look classy, but tight around Jaebum’s thighs- pulling deliciously with every step. He looks like the poster child for the ideal alpha; handsome in self-assured confidence, tall and broad, strong in a way that’s made to make someone feel safe.

“Wow, I’ve never had a suit fit this well,” Jaebum says, hands traveling over the various planes of fabric. He shoots the employee near the fitting rooms a quick, sparkly smile.

“It looks really good,” Jinyoung’s voice sounds embarrassingly strangled. He pulls out his phone from between his legs, opening the camera app.

“I’m gonna send one in the group chat,” he says as a way of explanation, smiling dopily when Jaebum strikes an embarrassing pose like bodybuilder. God, all that in front of the middle-aged employee who looks at the bewildering scene with a frown— clearly used to classier customers. Jaebum doesn’t seem to care, though, laughing unashamedly loud when Jinyoung rolls his eyes at his stupidity.

He looks so lazily confident, so comfortable in his own skin,— it almost makes Jinyoung mad. If only he weren’t so damned attractive to look at. He sends the picture to the group chat captioning it ‘thoughts? We r out suit shopping.’

The answers come in a few seconds later. Most of them are praising, interrupted by Bam’s and Jackson’s spamming of various emojis alluded to being hot and bothered. Yugyeom sends a sparkly thumbs up, followed up by a text: ‘Hyung cleans up nice. Turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks.’

Jaebum, who had been silently admiring himself in the mirror, steps close when he hears Jinyoung chuckle, scanning over the messages coming in through Jinyoung’s phone. He leans over the backrest of the loveseat, one hand on the armrest next to Jinyoung.

“Ah… what a brat,” Jaebum makes a sharp sound against the back of his teeth.

“He’s right, though,” Jinyoung teases. “This suits you— is that why you're always dressed in baggy clothes? Scared you’ll look your age?”

Knuckles rap against the back of his head, twinging painfully. Jaebum bent over him partly makes his scent all the more prominent in Jinyoung’s nose, deep and homey. He could never dissect all the particular nuances in Jaebum scents, musk and pine, slightly flowery, so he just settles for home. Because that’s what their apartment smells like for him. Like Jaebum.

All caught up in his scent, it momentarily incapacitates Jinyoung’s senses, and has him reacting too late when Jaebum reaches forward to snatch his phone out of Jinyoung’s hands. Jinyoung’s hands close around nothing, “Hey!”

Jaebum doesn't move away though, just positions the phone pointing downward, and opens the camera app. He snaps a quick selfie as an answer toward the not-so-flattering comments, squinting angrily as he does. Jinyoung’s laughing face is caught right as he tries to pull away in the bottom corner.

Jaebum hands him the phone back, and straightens back up as he does so. Jinyoung smiles up at him, his eyes widening when Jaebum runs a hand through his hair, ruffling it tenderly.
What exactly it is about that action, Jinyoung does not know,- maybe the carelessness of it- but a blush darkens his cheeks.

Jinyoung’s eyes follow the alpha as he goes back into the changing room. His angular, sharp features merge strangely well with the clean-cut lines of a suit. He’s seeing Jaebum in a whole new light, and it’s flustering to look at. From behind, the vee of his torso seems dramatic.

“I don't even think we’ll need to get it tailored,” Jinyoung muses.

“I love hearing that,” Jaebum retorts from inside the changing room. He pulls the curtain to the side to stick his grinning face through it. “If it fits, it means I’m sort of shaped like the ideal alpha, no?”

“Jesus,” Jinyoung’s eyes roll. “Don’t sound too insecure.” He’d never agree out loud.

They split the suit half and half, because Jaebum insists he had been only joking when he said Jinyoung should buy him the suit. Jinyoung, on the other hand, insists that they had already discussed that he would pay it and yes, that he could afford it.

This discussion takes place at the counter, while the cashier awkwardly has already rung up their stuff, holding the card reading device in his hands impatiently. Shame urges Jinyoung to let the issue go, because it’s quite a prestigious shop, and it was immensely inappropriate.

He tells Jaebum so when they exit the store, him having paid the pants and some new ties, while Jaebum paid for the significantly more expensive jacket.

“Why?” Jaebum questions, “you’ll never go there in the next year, will you? So who cares if you embarrassed yourself a bit.”

That is at least true, Jinyoung ponders. He pays for the falafel sandwiches they pick up on their commute home because he feels bad.

***

They begin experimenting with their scents a couple weeks before they have to leave. No matter how successfully deceiving their act might be, if their scents betray them, the lie would burst open in seconds. If they are going to portray a couple dedicated to each other, happy and satisfied, their acting is only going to foot half the bill.

They had prepared by switching the shirts they had been wearing to bed for the prior week. Jinyoung had been a little embarrassed at the idea of giving Jaebum his sleeping shirt, which was sure to smell of sweat and worn after a week of sleeping in it. Jinyoung usually changed his sleeping attire every few days. Especially so in the summer, washing them over the day to be dry by the time he went to bed.
They had talked about it days ago, so Jinyoung chose his biggest sleep shirt accordingly, so Jaebum wouldn’t be uncomfortable in bed by the time they switched. Jaebum, who seemed wholly dedicated to the act, was the one who insisted on doubling down and not changing their sleeping shirts for a whole week.

When it comes to it, it’s almost embarrassingly awkward for him to hand his shirt over to Jaebum. Thankfully, the alpha is as easy as always, passing the exchange in a joke and a half. Meanwhile Jinyoung feels as if he’s burning up with shame.

He almost yanks the shirt out of Jaebum’s hands, before turning on his heel and going to the bathroom. “I’m gonna… shower,” he explains over his shoulder, somewhat unnecessarily.

Jaebum nods in slight bewilderment and gestures for him to go ahead. It would be the first time Jinyoung actually checks in if Jaebum needs the bath before he showers. “Okay. Have fun?”

Jinyoung sighs, but thankfully some of the awkward tension leaves his body with Jaebum’s usual jokes.

In the bathroom, he showers viciously. Water scalding, he scrubs his skin until it’s red. His goal is to be as blank of a canvas as possible. When done, he steps out and dries himself off. He isn’t even looking at the grey fabric slung over the edge of the sink, but its presence is severe in the space. With humidity and heat, the scent is intensified — the room smells so much of Jaebum he nearly looked over his shoulder stepping out the shower to ensure he wasn’t there.

The situation has his nerves in overdrive; imagining the intimacy of having the shirt directly on his skin, it drives him nearly insane.

He holds his breath while he slips the shirt over his head. Exhaling shallowly when it settles against his skin; clinging to his damp back. Jinyoung wipes his hand over the condensation settled on the mirror. Streaked and concealed, his reflection looks back at him as he considers himself. The sleeves hang nearly to his elbows. Jaebum only sleeps in huge t-shirts, but it seems excessive especially now. The neckline sags, revealing the silvery scar at the base of his neck. Somehow- something- prevents him from taking his first drag of air into his lungs. The fabric slowly darkens where Jinyoung’s still wet hair is dripping onto the shirt.

His lungs start to twinge, only then he feels he’s steeled himself enough. Smoothing a hand down the fabric across chest and stomach, he breathes in slowly. Immediately, his mind supplies him with the fact that the shirt had been where Jinyoung had not- pressed to Jaebum’s heart and chest and skin. He aches with it, briefly, with the loveliness of the scent, warm and spiced. Its potency is so raw it feels like he might as well be standing in Jaebum’s bedroom. Involuntarily, he imagines Jaebum behind him, his broader form covering his own. A reach around-their hands meeting in the middle, above Jinyoung’s stomach. Running down—

Jinyoung’s eyes fly open. Chastising himself, he mutters a curse. He turns the tap to as cold as possible, and splashes his own face with it.

“Get it together, Jinyoung.” He mutters, then opens the door.

Of course Jaebum is on the sofa when he steps out of the bathroom. Shame makes Jinyoung’s skin burn red, and he tries to get by Jaebum quickly, leaving as little time as possible for the alpha to catch a whiff of the arousal he must be broadcasting.

Jaebum’s eyes are glued to their tv, and he’s speaking into his headset while playing. Jaebum usually plays with Jackson or Youngjae, and it often goes way into the late night.

“Good night!” Jaebum calls when Jinyoung is nearly in his room.

Jinyoung will not have a good night.

***

The next morning, Jaebum’s already brewing coffee when Jinyoung enters the kitchen area. He sniffs himself perfunctorily. Then he sidles up to Jaebum, who’s wearing one of Jinyoung’s sweaters, pushing his face into his shoulder and inhaling.

“This won’t do,” Jinyoung states. Jaebum does the same as him in turn, pressing his face to Jinyoung’s hair. Jinyoung grumbles. “Ah, we’re screwed.”

“I mean,” Jaebum says, blush creeping up on his cheeks, “you smell a lot more like me than before.” Jinyoung shrugs, turning away to grab eggs from the fridge.

“I smelled like I slept in your bed, at most.” Jinyoung shoulders Jaebum over, pressing to the stovetop next to him.

Jaebum’s a little slow. “Isn't that what couples do?”

“No,- I mean yes.” Jinyoung corrects himself. “But we should smell like we sleep in the same bed every night, for a year, shouldn’t we?”

He holds an egg up in question.

“Two.” Jaebum demands. Jinyoung’s eyes roll. Jaebum appeases him by slotting his bread into the toaster.

As the eggs fizzle in the pan, he fixes Jaebum with a look, “and… this is barely gonna stay for the day, right?”

The alpha nods, then shrugs. “Maybe? I don’t know.”

Jinyoung’s teeth grind. “But I need to smell like we've been exclusive for months at least.”

They have idle conversation as they eat their breakfast. Jaebum fills up on his coffee, and migrates into the living room.

“Ok, switching shirts probably won’t work for a good result.” Jaebum says as he’s sitting down, throwing his legs up on the couch. His careless attitude manages to irk Jinyoung immensely. “So. What do you plan instead?”

“I’m gonna call Bambam,” Jinyoung answers, immediately looking for his phone on one of the various pieces of furniture that are a plausible option to forget a phone on. He spots it on the kitchen counter, moving toward it. Jaebum is sprawled on the couch like he hasn’t had a minute to relax in years.

“Why,” Jaebum questions, voice almost muffled into the hoodie he’s wearing. Jinyoung’s hoodie, right. A little sensation akin to a shiver runs over Jinyoung’s skin with that thought. Definitely worth thinking about— definitely never. Jinyoung hates being so easily affected by how attracted he is to Jaebum in his lazy confidence and bouts of strangeness. He pushes against Jaebum’s thigh, who moves it to make space on the couch for Jinyoung.

“‘Cause all in life that’s important but wasn’t taught in school I learned from Bam,” Jinyoung states, scrolling through his phone history to find their chat. “You know, interpersonal knowledge.” He adds, smiling tellingly at Jaebum.

Jaebum snorts at that, although pulling up his nose right after and grimacing at the sensation. Jinyoung is glad he didn’t find that attractive. At all, but- maybe a little domestic.

Bambam picks up at the third ring. “Hey,” Jinyoung starts, listening to shuffling noises and a low murmur coming from the other end before Bambam says anything.

”Hey,” Bambam greets him back, speaking before Jinyoung can say anything. “Can Seulgi listen in? We’re on the bed right now and I’d put you on speaker.”

“Sure,” Jinyoung answers. “Jaebum’s listening in, too. You're not doing anything funny, are you?”

“Never,” Bambam draws out. “Is this about the wedding?” Bambam asks and Jinyoung hums an affirmative. He’d called Bambam the evening he’d applied to take the week off, when he was desperate to vent angrily without the other person trying to infiltrate morale into the situation.

Bambam’s first idea had been to seduce his ex and therefore ruin the wedding the night before it was set to happen, thereby securing an equalization of karmic debt. Jinyoung himself would be doling out a hefty dose of payback. In the moment, Jinyoung, hurt and feeling put on the spot, had enjoyed the idea of ruining his ex’s life the same way he’d had done with Jinyoungs’, but that excitement had settled quite quickly.

The second idea was that Bambam encouraged him to buy a tailored new suit (preferably deep, deep red) and offered to lend him Yugyeom to serve as show-off armcandy (This was of course offered with no previous consultation with Yugyeom).

Jinyoung had gratefully declined,- although the suggestion of bringing a tall, confident alpha had given him an idea. He needed it to be someone that could serve as his moral support, temper him in brash decisions, and felt comfortable engaging in non-committed make out sessions. He also needed someone who made him feel not as anxious in an event that was essentially held in spite of Jinyoung’s pride. With all those factors, Yugyeom simply wasn’t a logical solution.

The evening after that, he’d called Mark, who had told him to ignore the letter, or simply turn up alone to enjoy the festivities and dishes. He’d also almost fainted at the suggestion Jackson threw in from the background: ‘just dive in during the wedding ceremony, swallow both of the wedding rings and flee out of the church.’

Jinyoung had laughed, but corrected Jackson that the ceremony was in fact taking place in a chapel, and that in a picturesque beach getaway complex. Jackson had moaned, and begged Jinyoung to take him, even offering to stay silent the whole time which— definitely would be a first if Jinyoung accepted the offer.

Mark, as soon as he heard the location the wedding was set to take place, recanted his statement of not going. ‘Why do you immediately think he’s out to get you? Isn’t this a nice gesture, maybe a way to apologize on no awkward grounds?’ Mark had advised, and that had given Jinyoung some food for thought. He had thought of Hyunwoo so little in the past year, that he didn’t even know if he was ready to accept an apology.

In his friend circle, Jinyoung had quite the fair share of metaphorical devils on his shoulder. The role of the level-headed counsel angel was quite limited to Mark, and Yugyeom on his good days only. Also Jaebum, although Jinyoung could tell his moral compass was degrading by the steady influence of being in close quarters with Jinyoung.

The thing is, Mark was mostly right. Viewed from a factual point, going to the wedding would have little to no catch. The omega Hyunwoo was marrying might not be the one he had betrayed Jinyoung with. And somehow they must’ve gotten to an immense wealth, since most of the amenities were paid for; except for the flight and any nights the guests wished to extend their stay. Jinyoung really wanted to find out what that sudden wealth was about- but he was too prideful to look up either of the to-be-weds on linkedin.

Jinyoung, of course— listened to none of his friends fully, and created his little hodgepodge of pettiness and a compromise between adjusted moralities.

“We’re having trouble with making our relationship smell convincing,” Jinyoung complains, leaning back against the arm of the couch. His feet push underneath Jaebum’s thigh. Jaebum complains with a huff, but lets him. Jinyoung shouldn’t be weird and soft about this. He and Jaebum have cuddled more times than he can count- when a due date went awry or when Jinyoung’s senselessly involved in a horror movie.

And then there’s the weird times during preheat or the come-down. When he’s in a hormone funk, just the contact of pressing his toes against Jaebum’s shin is enough to have his heartbeat steady.

Jaebum seems to have developed some sort of feel for that- ever since they worked through those weird months of awkward-yet-friendly smalltalk when walking into each other in the kitchen. Back when Jaebum had offered that he was cooking enough for multiple people anyways, graciously not mentioning the many instant noodle packages in the trash.

Now he doesn’t offer to cook anymore. And he uses up Jinyoung’s coffee grounds.

“What’d you guys try yet?” Bambam asks. He hums as Jinyoung fills him in and Seulgi giggles at the awkwardness.

“It’s gonna be way hard faking that part, you know,” Bambam retorts, and Jinyoung throws his hand up with a duh. “You guys are set up for success, though, because you’re already living together.”

“That's what I thought,” Jinyoung whines. “But it barely lasts a day.”

“…You could try scent blockers?” Bambam wonders.

Jinyoung immediately disagrees. “That’d be a cop-out. Some relatives of the Park pack might be there, they’d immediately put me on the spot.”

Bambam hums in understanding.

“You two probably smell more like pack than mates,” Seulgi supplies. “A whole lot of what you’re trying to fake happens subconsciously. It’s basically impossible to do.”

Jinyoung isn't dismayed, instead he feels his competitive streak flare up. He pushes his feet into Jaebum’s thigh to annoy the alpha. Yelping, when Jaebum pinches him without care.

“She's right, though,” Bambam agrees with his girlfriend. “Our scents didn’t start mingling until we scent-marked.”

“Too much information,” Jinyoung blurts, and colors instantly. Achieving a scent-mark was out of the picture, since it could only be done with… bodily fluids. And even then it was a gamble of scent comparability and a set of inexplicable factors science hasn’t understood yet.

“Hyung,” Bambam crows, delighted at Jinyoung’s embarrassment. “You gotta be willing to commit to the bit fully.”

“Enough.” Jinyoung insists. Jaebum’s head has lifted off of the couch, throwing him a questioning look at Jinyoung’s sudden actions and the laughing heard over the phone. Jinyoung waves him off, hoping he isn’t already blushing.

“I was serious about the subconscious aspect, though!” Seulgi interjects. “You’ve got to trick your bodies into thinking you’re mates, that takes convincing. You can’t be seeing anyone else- let alone be intimate with someone. Let your bodies attune to each other.”

Uniquely primed for this, Jinyoung has not been seeing anyone in a few desperate dry months. He’s a little too old for senseless hookups, too. Especially since they always end… being a little too much. He doesn’t know about Jaebum, though. He had been seeing a beta girl, dark hair and doe eyed She’d been too shy to say hi to Jinyoung the last time she stayed over. Jinyoung remembers wishing she was as quiet in bed. The walls are thin, in his defense.

Jaebum fits an arm behind his head, raising his eyebrows at Jinyoung in challenge. “Hear that? That means no hook-ups in our kitchen.”

“What?” Bambam explodes over the phone, “did you two alr—“ Jinyoung covers the speaker with his hand.

He throws Jaebum an exasperated look, annoyed at how much the alpha livens up only to annoy him. “No. Bambam, that didn’t happen. Don’t listen to him.”

Bambam takes a second. Then, he realizes. “Hyung, you? Wow, I thought you were, like, senile.”

“Thanks,” Jinyoung retorts drily. He digs his heel into Jaebum’s thigh hard enough to bruise, hopefully. “That means bringing no girls home and feeding them my organic yoghurt the next morning, either.”

Jaebum’s eyebrows squeeze together in confusion. Pinpointing the moment he remembers is laughably easy. Instead of embarrassment, Jinyoung only gets easy acceptance. Jaebum’s so boring sometimes.

“That’s okay,” he shrugs again. “I’m not seeing Yujin anymore.”

“Wait, seriously—?” Bambam’s curiosity is palpable. “You guys seemed sweet.”

Did they? Jinyoung doesn’t remember Jaebum talking about her much.

“Yep,” Jaebum pops the p. “She broke it off two weeks ago. She thought I was interested in someone else.”

Jinyoung’s eyebrows knit together. Jaebum hadn’t told him any of this. He really should ask about his love-life more often. “Who—?”

“Yah,” Seulgi interjects. “That’s an excuse. Girls use it all the time.”

“That’s what I thought,” Jaebum agrees. He’s gingerly rubbing the spot where Jinyoung dug his foot in. Who? Jinyoung mouths at him repeatedly, pressing insistently until Jaebum grabs his foot and twists it meanly.

“Who?” Jinyoung asks again, louder. Jaebum growls, grabbing him around the back of his knee to yank him toward him. The omega yelps, using his other free foot to kick against Jaebum’s shoulder, trying to keep him away. But Jaebum is stronger when he wants to, folding Jinyoung’s leg at the knee as he presses up and over him.

“Bye, Bam and Seulgi!” Jaebum threatens, wresting Jinyoung’s phone out of his hand to hang up. As he throws his phone down, Jinyoung can hear the call cutting off with a ‘Have fun attuning your bodies!’ In a lecherous tone from Bambam.

***

“We’ll have to sleep together.” Jinyoung announces on an otherwise uneventful day, and promptly changes exactly that.

It’s a friday, which means Jaebum worked late last night. Jinyoung spent the morning frantically cleaning up the flat, and going to the gym- anything to shed the growing anxiety around the nearing date. It’s noon when Jaebum, shirtless, has to witness his freak-out. Barely five minutes awake and three spoons into fruit loops, Jaebum chokes. “W-what?!” He splutters, and half of what’s coming out of his mouth is milk.

“Not- not like that,” embarrassment catches up to Jinyoung by now, as he has to explain his words. He trips over the sentence, blushing in reaction. “But the three nights before we leave, maybe. I just worked out, took a shower and your scent is almost gone again.” One look into Jaebum’s face and he is quick to add: “And no, I won’t cut down on showering.”

Jaebum’s mouth snaps close. His face is still red, almost comical with how much his eyes are flying around Jinyoung. “No, you,— you definitely still smell like me.”

He does. While lessened, Jinyoung himself had realized how his own scent had shifted with the last lingering notes of Jaebum’s scent; still remaining after the shower. Needless to say his shower had almost taken longer. Jinyoung’s heartbeat gets a little faster, thinking back to how affected this whole scent thing has been having him. Yesterday’s morning began with Jinyoung waking up to soaked-through pajamas. Intrigued but also incredibly embarrassed, he asks on.

“But,- would it be enough for you? If I was your- if we were a couple?” He stumbles over half his sentence. Your omega, he’d almost said, and his gut lurches with just the heavy carry of the words. He slaps himself around the face, mentally.

When he lifts his gaze, it’s to realize that Jaebum’s eyes and scent have significantly darkened. His eyes are on Jinyoung, wandering down, as if in thought, and so, so heavy that Jinyoung feels trapped on the spot.

“No,” Jaebum says, eyes on Jinyoung’s before he flicks them away, voice dragging. “It wouldn't be enough for me.”

Jinyoung suddenly feels very, very hot all over. He clears his throat. “So-, so you agree?”

“If you really want— We can try,” Jaebum says after chewing through that spoonful for an age. He sounds less than motivated, strangely avoiding looking at him, and it almost makes Jinyoung feel bad.

Jinyoung won’t lie- first was the exchange of shirts. Then came the exchange of shirts as well as their beds. Jinyoung had felt like a pervert, laying stiffly on Jaebum’s bed, trying to think of nothing but counting sheep. This, however, was the first time Jinyoung felt really bad about what he was making Jaebum go through in order to do Jinyoung a favor. If it was already messing with Jinyoung’s instincts, he can’t imagine how it would be for the more possessive gender.

***

They keep a close eye on their scents, after the talk with Bambam. After one night of sleeping together, it's not enough. On the second night, they agree they’ll actually cuddle, instead of sleeping like parallel logs. Before the third night, Jinyoung is frantic about his shtick blowing up, and he can’t stop fidgeting.

“Let’s blow it off,” he urges an exasperated Jaebum as the other makes dinner. “It’s gonna be an embarrassment.”

Jaebum exhales loudly, setting his cooking utensils down with vehemence. “This is the what- eighth time today?”

“I can’t help it!” Jinyoung protests, and he must look desperate enough. Jaebum’s exterior softens like ice melting, and his scent turns a little more comforting as he pulls Jinyoung close by his sleeve.

Jaebum gives the best hugs. Jinyoung’s a big omega- he’s heard that more than enough- and usually something always just feels a little off when he wants comfort, and has that uncomfortable tick in his knees from having to bend down. Not Jaebum, though. Jaebum envelops him in strong arms and a plush chest, that muffles Jinyoung’s embarrassingly loud exhale as he pushes his face to Jaebum’s clavicle.

It just feels really good to be held like that, Jinyoung reasons. It’s not that Jaebum smells so good Jinyoung has to breathe through his mouth to not go stupid as Jaebum’s chest rumbles as he speaks. He hasn’t let anyone close, really, since Hyunwoo. It’s in moments like right now that he realizes just how touch-starved he is. He sinks into Jaebum like he’s turned liquid.

“We paid the hotel, and the suit, and the rental car,” Jaebum speaks lowly, hand caressing the back of Jinyoung’s head. “We’ll regret it if we don't do it.”

“He knows me,” Jinyoung whispers against his tight embrace. He tangles his fingers behind Jaebum’s back, anxious. “He’ll know I’m bluffing. He’ll know for sure.”

“If he’d really known you, then he’d never left.” Jaebum says, scent suddenly fluctuating, turning a little bitter. Jinyoung makes a soft noise, and Jaebum clears his throat, resuming his slow movements that had momentarily halted.

The words leave a cottony sweet confusion inside Jinyoung. What does Jaebum mean?

“If it ends badly we can take the car and just explore. I looked at the maps, and there’s tons of sightseeing stuff nearby.” Jaebum continues. “And then we return, and you’ll never have to see him again. Good?”

“Mmmh- no,” Jinyoung grumbles, needlessly pushing his face deeper into Jaebum’s chest. “I’ll jump off of the first cliff I’ll see if our act blows up. The whole pack will be there.”

“Well,” Jaebum chuckles lightly, but it dies down for a few moments before he speaks again. “If you really wanted it to be foolproof, there’s still—”
He stops, and pats on top of Jinyoung’s head awkwardly, not particularly soothing. A nervous chuckle. “Nevermind.”

“What,” Jinyoung asks, curious now as he turns his head around, cheek pressed to Jaebum’s clavicle and shoulder as he looks up at his face. There’s a flush across the alpha’s cheeks, and he’s holding Jinyoung’s gaze in intervals. He’s acting unusually shy.

“You know- there’s something we haven’t tried yet that I guess- We could—“ Jaebum’s beet red by now, and yet it takes another moment to dawn on Jinyoung what he means. He had thought of it, too; ever since Bambam had brought it up, honestly.

“You mean a-,” even he can’t finish his sentence properly, once he’s breached the topic. Just thinking about it has Jinyoung’s neck feeling aflame, cheeks the same. There’s a couple ways couples usually go about that- but there’s the most common one. Relying in bodily fluids, particularly around the scent glands. Jinyoung can’t keep his brain from conjuring up fleeting images of him and Jaebum in tangled limbs doing exactly that.

Jaebum nods. “A scent mark, y-yeah.” He peers down at Jinyoung’s equally blushed face waiting for an answer. Jaebum’s curious eyes make it even worse, and Jinyoung buries his face away again. His pulse rushes even more with his ear pressed against the soft fabric covering Jaebum’s chest.

Jinyoung doesn’t answer quickly enough before the scent of something burning gets to them.

“Oh shit!” Jaebum squawks, already turning as Jinyoung reluctantly lets go. Jaebum scrambles to scratch the burned food remains out of the pan. “Think about it!” Jaebum glances up at him, before dunking the pan into the sink, cursing loudly.

Jinyoung, already knee-deep in imaginations of Jaebum spreading him out across his mattress, actually makes the smart decision not to think about it.

*

They have plans in the evening to meet up with their friends for drinks and dinner. Jinyoung goes there straight after errands, meeting Mark and Jackson who are also early.

As they assemble their table with side-dishes and the first beers, he gives them the run-down of the current situation. Mark sips and nods along to it like it’s the morning news. The scenting aspect especially has Jinyoung stuttering like a middle-schooler, and Jackson’s eyes bugging out of his head. Mark takes it in stride.

“There is a difference, though,” Mark notes. “In your scent. It’s not much, but I can still tell.”

“Really?” That’s a surprise to Jinyoung, he glances up at the couple with wide eyes. “How so?”

Jackson also eyes Mark, clearly not as perceptive. Mark shrugs, “it’s deeper, moure grounded. Just barely noticeable, but now that you’ve been talking about it…”

A strange pleasure fills Jinyoung at that. He can’t put his finger on it— he hopes that Jaebum’s is just that much different, too.

Jaebum and Youngjae get held back at the gym, so they join the party late. Jaebum shoulders into the booth they’ve booked, fourty-five minutes late, shoving Jinyoung against Mark. Youngjae settles on the other end, next to Yugyeom and Bambam.

“Yah,” Jinyoung complains, elbowing Jaebum right back.

“Just when the meat is ready,” Yugyeom complains, “that's when you show up, really?”

“Yup, smelt it across town.” Jaebum answers swiftly, nudging Jinyoung to beg for meat. Jinyoung puts it into production, now that everyone’s here. He pushes his sleeves up past his elbows, trying to avoid the splatters of grease on his good shirt as he puts extra pork belly on the hotplate.

“Showing so much skin today, Hyung,” Bambam teases.

Jinyoung saw it coming. “You could get inspired,” he answers quickly, glancing at the other omega’s plunging neckline. Yugyeom slaps Bambam nearly in the face with his reaction. Jinyoung is undeterred, swiftly flipping the sizzling meat to add extra pieces as it shrinks.

“Jinyoung, you’re so good at doing meat.” Jaebum states merrily, the others are involved in their own conversation. He’s been watching Jinyoung work intently. Immediately, Jinyoung’s eyes flick to Jackson, whose eyebrows raise slowly.

“I bet he is, huh?” Jackson returns, sleazily. Jaebum cuts him a sharp gaze across the table. But Jackson’s eyes bounce between them in mirth.

As Jinyoung dishes the meat, he feels Jackson's eyes on him again. Jaebum’s meat is already on his plate. Jinyoung’s own plate is in Jaebum’s hands, as he’s busy plating it with the side dishes. Jinyoung feels a sudden rush of pleasure and embarrassment, feeling caught out. Jackson's eyes are knowing, and impish. Without talking, he’s alluding to the aged convention of providing meat for your partner as courting. Jinyoung hadn’t even realized they were doing it. Something about their experiments… it seemed to work in the unplanned aspects of mated-life behavior,

They give each other life updates as they eat, especially Youngjae, who’s really excited about his promotion at work. He’s been invited to co-host a late-night show, which Jaebum pats him around the head for, proudly. Warmth spreads in Jinyoung as he observes the sweet moment between the two.

Alcohol continues flowing, Yugyeom decidedly dedicated to keeping everyone’s cups and bottles primed and full. Jinyoung’s pleasantly buzzed, no doubt flushed down to his chest. They all smell good together, in a space like this. It reminds him of home, of sitting at the table with just his family, or the events they held with the rest of the pack. Weddings, funerals, good grades— anything was to be celebrated in community. His heart feels elated, everything put into sharp focus to become one whole. Jaebum’s shoulder slotting behind his to make enough space— Mark’s airy and sweet scent from his other side. It must be the alcohol, because Jinyoung’s nearly emotional thinking about this budding pack, here. After the breakup, he had been convinced he would never get that feeling, again.

Jaebum nudges him. His face is close to Jinyoung’s, when he turns. “You smell happy,” he murmurs, just for them two to hear. Jinyoung pulls his shoulders up helplessly.

“I am.” This is good, he thinks. Bambam and Yugyeom are heckling Jackson for something, who’s colored red, pointing back at them indignantly. Jaebum lifts his hand, flicking against Jinyoung’s ear affectionately. The thrum of content in his body flares at the action, spreading warmth through his body. His ears are so sensitive, that he shudders with the touch against them.

Yugyeom locks eyes with Jinyoung as the alpha does, so inevitably, the conversation turns to their wedding plans. Jinyoung hadn’t told either Youngjae or Yugyeom, but he supposes their friend group played the telephone game.

“I really can’t believe you’re doing it, Jinyoung,” Youngjae repeats. He’s said it thrice by now.

“What are you gonna do if you get found out? What if Hyunwoo himself notices?” Yugyeom asks, lips loosened by the alcohol. He looks at them both with wide eyes.

Jaebum shrugs. He’s quieter today, but he sticks to Jinyoung. “Kind of hoping it won’t come to that.” He casts a glance at Jinyoung. “If it does? We’ll just announce our shotgun wedding at theirs. Really ruin the vibes.”

The younger boys fold over in laughter, and Mark cracks a smile. Jinyoung looks at Jaebum’s relaxed grin, and feels his insides flutter just a bit.

“I can’t believe—“

“—that they’re doing it, we agree, Youngjae!” Jackson intercepts, laughing at the broken record the young beta has turned into.

“No,” Youngjae shakes his head. He takes a swig of his beer. “I can’t believe Jaebum hyung’s doing it. Jinyoung needs to be spiteful to live, but— What are you getting out of this?”

Jinyoung protests at the random insult, but actually finds himself curious about Jaebum's answer. The alpha is slower, this time. He looks at Youngjae for a second too long, the muscle in his jaw jumping. Youngjae’s smile flickers upward, scent becoming brighter with mirth. Jinyoung thinks he’s missing something.

“Just helping a friend,” Jaebum answers, at last. His tone is strangely clipped.

“I’m never gonna need that service from you, trust,” Bambam asserts, vehemently shaking his head. “No thank-you!”

“You’d have to pay me a million dollars to pretend to be in a relationship with you.” Jaebum doles right back out. Jinyoung is strangely proud of Jaebum’s smart retorts.

“An emotional support Jaebum, why didn’t I think of that… I could use one definitely,” Jackson uttered, and Jinyoung laughed as he hears an affronted exclamation from Mark.

“When has he ever said no to Jinyoung, though,” Yugyeom acquiesces. “You’re a piss-poor alpha, Hyung.”

He can sense Jaebum’s bristling next to him. His scent turns sharp and annoyed. “Enough,” Jinyoung interjects, soothing the situation before it escalates. He leans back into the bench, pressing himself to Jaebum’s side, “I’d be screwed if it wasn’t for Hyung, so be sweet. I didn’t see any of y’all offering to help me out.”

“You might get screwed because of Jaebum, too,” Youngjae jokes. It’s a dig, but the double-entendre registers a second too late. Jinyoung reddens even more than the alcohol-flush he’s already got; Jaebum growls. Youngjae grins, self-satisfied, and dodges gleefully when Jaebum swipes at him.

“Do you guys have your cover-story already workshopped? T’s crossed and I’s dotted?” Mark asks. Jackson’s noticeably drunker than Mark is, glued against his side like a baby monkey.

“Vaguely,” Jinyoung says. They do need to work on it more, but they decided to keep it close to actuality, so as to not be caught in a larger set of lies. “Our story is that we met at a bar, and got to talking because we remembered each other from school.”

"That's it?” Jackson blurts, suddenly full of life again. “That’s nothing! You need to have everything! First date, who said i love you first, who wanted to move in together, —”

Jinyoung rights himself up, out of Jaebum’s space. He crosses his arms, unhappy to get scolded. “We’re getting there, obviously.”

Yugyeom pipes up. “Most importantly. Have you settled on nicknames, terms of endearment, etcetera. If you call each other honey, but don’t react… that’ll be a giveaway.”

“Honey?” Jinyoung parrots. Jaebum plays into it by whipping his head around to look at the omega hopefully. The table erupts in laughter. When quieted down, Jinyoung actually stops to consider it. He draws a blank.

“My Alpha?” Jackson drawls sexily. Jinyoung shudders. But, he swipes a look at Jaebum to gauge his reaction, too. Maybe that’s what the alpha wants. You’d never know. Jaebum grimaces like he bit into something sour and shakes his head minutely at him. Charmed, Jinyoung nudges him.

“Sweetheart.” Bambam throws in.

Jinyoung shrugs. “That one’s sweet, but it sounds like it should come from an older person.”

He turns toward Jaebum. He guesses they really should’ve thought about it. Terms of endearment should sound natural, like they flow off of the tongue often.

Youngjae senses their pondering. “Just stick with Hyung, since he’s so hung up about the title, anyways.”

Jinyoung tilts his head, buzzing with the attention and alcohol. “Hyung?” He looks at Jaebum with bright eyes.

Jaebum’s scent immediately spikes with a warm note of satisfaction. He turns his head quickly, adjusting his hat to sit lower, to cover more of his face. Jinyoung can see the flush of his cheeks.

“Hyung is good.” Jaebum plays off. Jinyoung laughs. He’d never noticed Jaebum put so much emphasis on the term. He supposes it’ll do well. It’s an already well-worn term, and feels familiar. He won’t slip up with a word he already uses so often.

*

They seperate at the restaurant, dispersing after Jackson lost a bet and had to cover the bill. Mark gives Jinyoung a hurried hug before Jackson sulks off, wishing him good luck for the wedding.

Youngjae accompanies their walk home for a bit, branching off when they stop by his house. Then it’s just him and Jaebum, walking comfortably, bumping shoulders. An incessant buzz is still lying under Jinyoung’s skin, ever since Mark said that his scent was just a tiny bit different. He feels electric everytime he and Jaebum brush against each other— he literally can’t take his mind off of it: The proposal that the alpha had given him, that same morning.

His nerves keep rising, and he holds it in until they’re at their door. Jaebum is fiddling with the keys, when he gathers enough sense to say: “Hyung, we should try tonight.” The keys rap against the door in discordance, having slipped out of the keyhole.

A beat passes, Jinyoung’s heart beats in his throat.

“If you want to.” Jaebum’s voice is gruffer than usual, eliciting a pang of heat in the omega. Jinyoung doesn’t know if it’s the alcohol, but he wants more than usual tonight. He sees the bump of the alpha’s nose in Jaebum’s side profile, the shine of his lips, the tense line of his brow bone— all in the dim light of their stairway— and he wants.

“I want to.” He murmurs, but it’s loud enough in the quiet hallway of their entrance. The light of their ovenlamp filters into the narrow space, creating just the outline of his body. Jaebum is nothing but a dark shape, yet Jinyoung knows innately that the alpha is looking at him.

A nod, almost imperceptible. Jinyoung thrums with tension, scared and nervous and turned-on. “I’ll go shower.”

He sheds his clothing right into the washer, annoyed by the smell of meat on them. Again, he scrubs himself top to bottom. Priming himself for what’s to follow. Jinyoung can’t bring himself to think of it- visualizing it- but at the same time he can’t think of anything else. His hands shake with anxious arousal as he forces himself to simply perform the task of washing and drying himself off. He passes over lotioning himself up, intent on being nothing but a clean slate. He shrugs on his sleep shirt and boxers— he doesn’t wipe away the condensation on the mirror. He doesn’t want to look at himself, doesn’t want to overthink it. It’s all in the body and subconscious, right?

He loses his conviction in front of Jaebum’s door. It’s ajar, and the orange dim light of the alpha’s night lamp feathers out under the door.

“Jinyoung-ah,” Jaebum calls lowly, and Jinyoung feels himself sway on his feet like compelled. He pushes the door open, slowly. The alpha is settled against his headboard, one foot on the ground next to him. The other is stretched out on his sheets- they’re not even made.

Jinyoung walks up to him, almost on autopilot. He comes to a stand in the spread of Jaebum’s thighs, their knees bumping into each other. The heat between their proximity sets Jinyoung’s teeth on edge. A pause stretches out, then the alpha exhales slowly and turns toward Jinyoung fully. His hands come to rest on the back of Jinyoung’s knees— softly, unsure. He looks up at the omega, stripped of the usual sharpness of his features. The light paints the angles of his face tender and oddly haunting. Jinyoung sets his hand around the frame of his cheekbone. The alpha looks as though he’s a race-horse; anxious yet determined.

“You’re sure about this?” Jaebum whispers, muscles shifting under Jinyoung’s hand. Jinyoung’s got no mind to listen to his frantically screaming worries, instead focusing only on the feather-light touch of hands, dragging up to his thighs. He wants this. He’s inebriated enough to be weirdly at peace with the whole situation.

He nods, resolve in his eyes. “Yes.” He whispers, thumb swiping under Jaebum’s eye. The alpha’s gaze droops, lids heavy. It's too dark to even see the black rim of his irises. He exhales, turning his face into Jinyoung’s stomach. Jinyoung can feel the hot puff of breath against his navel, and feels as though a livewire runs through his body. He’s immediately- or maybe still- helplessly turned on.

Jaebum inhales, nose pushing against the flat of Jinyoung’s stomach. His hands respond to Jinyoung’s assent late, but suddenly their grip is forceful, decided. He squeezes the back of Jinyoung’s thighs, exhaling harshly against his stomach again. Jinyoung’s teeth clamp down on a moan. He arcs into the sensation of Jaebum’s face— feels his t-shirt dampen where Jaebum’s mouth is. He keeps inhaling, like he’s committing Jinyoung’s scent to memory.

Hands wandering, Jaebum moves all the way to where his thighs flare into his hip. His fingers slot into the crease of his asscheek, squeezing. Jinyoung tenses, tightens his hands in Jaebum’s hair. Arousal is buzzing through his system, sounding like bees in his ears.

“Come here—,” Jaebum moans, tightening his hands on Jinyoung’s thighs. He pulls him down onto the bed, maneuvering him to lay down in front of him. Askew on the bed, Jaebum grasps his ankle and lifts Jinyoung’s leg. Slowly, he brushes his nose along the inside of Jinyoung’s calf. The omega lies still, stunned, watching Jaebum with wide eyes. Jaebum continues until he’s at the inside of his knee. His gaze flicks up to Jinyoung’s face. Eyes dark as tar, a shock yolts Jinyoung to his heart, punch-drunk on Jaebum’s scent, all around him. His sheets smell like him, the shirt Jinyoung is wearing, the air— everything. Jaebum opens his mouth, dragging his tongue down the inside of Jinyoung’s thigh.

“Mhmpf—” The omega’s eyes roll back in his head. He’s immediately missing Jaebum’s hair in his hands, uselessly squeezing into the sheets. Jaebum’s breath puffs against the damp skin, erupting in goosebumps. He traces a similar path again, teeth dragging against the jump of muscles. Hand sliding into the bend of Jinyoung’s knee, he licks around the prominent bone. Everywhere feels like his skin is on fire, Jinyoung’s mind spinning. Jaebum’s hand squeezes around his calf, dragging his nails down to his ankle as he maneuvers his leg.

Jinyoung admires Jaebum’s persistence— They’re both drunk, and less inhibited, but the alpha is oddly methodical about the process. He switches legs, starting around the other ankle. His tongue is so hot, leaving a burning sensation in its wake. Jinyoung can’t decide between looking- wanting to commit everything to memory- or submitting to the onslaught of sensations.

“Ha- have you done this before?” Jinyoung gasps.

Jaebum chuckles, looking at him in the dim light. “Once or twice,” he twists his hand around Jinyoung’s ankle, licking at the tendon. Jinyoung grows minutely spiteful at the other people at the mercy of this devil. But then Jaebum’s teeth are catching on the soft swell of bone. Jinyoung bites down on a moan, but Jaebum’s caught his reaction, regardless.

“Haven’t you?” Jaebum lets his leg down, swiping his hands down the sides of Jinyoung’s thighs. He pushes forward on his haunches, following his own motion down between Jinyoung’s legs, pushing himself between. At the crux of his hips, his hands stop.

Jaebum noses down the top of his thigh, up until he’s nudging under the bottom of his boxers, dragging it upwards. Jinyoung’s brain stops functioning. “Only— only with Hyunwoo.”

Jaebum hums, and bites into Jinyoung’s hipbone. The omega’s hips jump, hand flying to his mouth to muffle his sounds. “Then I wanna make sure that I-” Jaebum pronounces each word between a bite along Jinyoung’s flank. “Get- every- single- inch- that he touched.”

He sounds serious. The omega’s brain might melt out of his head. “That might take a long while,” Jinyoung retorts, voice strangled, muffled under his hand.

Jaebum’s tongue drags up each rise and valley of his ribs, canines catching. He commits himself to the task, pushing Jinyoung’s shirt up higher and higher until he’s worked himself to Jinyoung’s solar plexus. He’s hovering above Jinyoung’s lower body, the omega's thighs squeezing around his ribs with every jerk of sensation. Jinyoung is breathing like a caught rabbit- flat and fast, so turned on he feels like dying.

There, hands dragging under Jinyoung’s weight to slide over his ass, Jaebum takes a second. His gaze evaluates him, fingers tracing back under the backs of his thighs, digging into the flesh. “I’ve got time.”

Jinyoung is painfully hard in his boxers. He prays that Jaebum won’t lower himself, to avoid contact. “I might pass away before you’re done.” He whines, stretching his arms over his head.

Jaebum’s eyes follow the feline stretch of his body, and Jinyoung’s scent sizzles with heat.

“Take off your shirt.” The alpha demands. Jinyoung maneuvers himself onto his elbows, Jaebum insistently tugging upwards at the fabric. It catches on his skin, sticky with sweat, but he manages to free himself. He flops back down onto Jaebum’s bedding, wiping his unruly hair out of his face. His mind spins with the movement, for a second.

Uninhibited, Jaebum drags his nose and tongue all over Jinyoung’s front. He’s inhaling all the while, desperate drags of air as he travels across Jinyoung’s body. He moves across his belly button, and his gaze goes a little unfocused.

Jinyoung’s resorted to pushing his fist into his mouth to muffle the needless moans he’s holding at bay. He’s watching the alpha like a drowning man, prowling over his form like a big cat. Jaebum’s shameless in exploring Jinyoung’s now bared upper body. His hands run along his flanks, squeezing in between his ribs. His teeth are dragging over Jinyoung’s pectorals to catch against his nipple. Jinyoung’s whole body jerks at that. He feels Jaebum smile against him, scent sparking with satisfaction.

He curses, trying to keep his hips from pushing up against the other. This isn’t about seeking pleasure, nor do they have to pretend yet— this is because they have to do it. Jinyoung finds it hard to remind himself. Jaebum is similarly mindless, dragging his hands over Jinyoung’s chest reverently.

But he shakes himself out of it, dragging his nose across the flat plane of Jinyoung’s stomach as he inhales. Wide-eyed, he stops. “Jinyoung-ah,” he murmurs. His pupils are blown, dark and reflecting the glint of orange light. With a shiver, Jinyoung finds he looks positively feral. That would make him his prey. “It’s already happening. Your scent is changing.”

Caught by surprise, strong hands grasp his hips, flipping him onto his front. Jaebum is immediately dragging his hands all over Jinyoung’s back, and then his thighs. He licks up from the small of Jinyoung’s back, across his shoulder blades, hands like branding irons. Jinyoung grabs a loose pillow to press his face into. He moans into it, teeth catching into the fabric.

“Can you tell?” the alpha asks, voice raspy, and Jinyoung’s whines, muffling into his pillow that he just feels like dying and Jaebum laughs lowly in answer. Pressed into Jaebum’s pillow, he can’t separate their scents anymore. It’s just one, merged into a sensual sensation. He feels drunk with every inhale.

“He liked my neck best,” Jinyoung gasps, “if you’re serious about every inch—”

Jaebum’s body rumbles with a soft growl. He pulls away for a second, and Jinyoung hears the soft rustle of clothes. When the alpha lowers himself again, it's with skin-to-skin contact. The weight pushes Jinyoung’s groin into the sheets, the drag creating delicious friction. Simultaneously, Jaebum lowers himself over him, mantling over the omega underneath him. This time, Jinyoung can’t help the breathy moan.

Then he’s almost covering the entirety of Jinyoung, thighs between his, pushing his hand under the column of Jinyoung’s neck. Jinyoung knows what lies there— a pale lacework of a bite mark scar, at the base of his neck. Given to him after he graduated high school and moved in with Hyunwoo. It’ll never fade fully, regardless of their mating status. It was too deep a wound to heal completely. Jaebum makes him arch his neck a bit more, until he twinges with the smarting pain of it, and licks a broad stripe over the mark.

“Ah…” Jinyoung shakes in his hold, stunned into silence. It’s the most sensitive part of his whole body, tender after all these years. Jaebum grumbles at the angle, and pulls them sideways so Jinyoung’s neck is bared even more, and he can push his face into the side fully. He winds an arm around Jinyoung’s middle, holding him tight against himself.

With Jaebum on every side of him, Jinyoung feels consumed. Jaebum’s scaldingly hot tongue is licking all over Jinyoung neck and Jinyoung whimpers all high and keening, hands scrambling to hold onto anything. Jaebum catches it, and presses both their hands to Jinyoung’s chest. His assault on his neck is relentless, teeth traveling along the tendons. Jinyoung gives up on his inhibitions, moaning feebly, eyes squeezed close. Jaebum curses, dragging his nose to inhale deeply. “Fuck, do you always get like this?”

Jinyoung can’t even tell if he does, it’s been that long since he’s been laid. But if there's one thing he knows from when he’s pleasuring himself, is that he has a hard time keeping quiet.
“Yeah,” he whimpers and Jaebum groans when Jinyoung goes even limper in his hold, lets his head roll, neck even more bared. It’s obscene, he can only imagine what he looks like. It took him time to get this open and uninhibited with Hyunwoo.

There’s a sweet note in the air, that has Jaebum inhaling like a hound following a trace. It’s addictive, intoxicating. It takes a second for the alpha to connect the dots. Slick can very obviously be smelled. Overcome, Jaebum rolls them over again so he’s covering Jinyoung completely, pressing him down into the bed and actually digs his teeth into the flesh of the omega’s neck.

He’s growling lowly and Jinyoung just goes brainless. He keens, trying to raise his hips into Jaebums, releasing a desperate, airy “alpha—,”

Teeth actually hurting with the need to bite down, Jaebum groans like he’s punched to the chest, lifting himself off of the omega, pushing away. It’s like a wake-up call.

“Oh god,” Jinyoung whimpers, when realization dawns on him. Pushing his hands over his eyes, he’s painfully aware of the scent of his slick in the air. There’s no way around hiding that. “This is so embarrassing. I’m so sorry, Jaebum.”

“Don't be,” Jaebum assures, voice thick. He can’t look away from the delicate bend of Jinyoung’s neck, the trim taper of his waist. He looks ripe for the taking, and he’s smelling more and more like he belongs to Jaebum. It’s the most potent high the alpha has ever experienced. He bites on the inside of his cheek until he can focus again. “I left you little choice. It's natural for your body to react to a scentmark like this.”

A hand comes to rest on the small of Jinyoung’s back, and he shudders. It’s like there’s a lifewire between them now, their bodies responding to each other. Jaebum’s is like gravel. “Should- should I? I made you like this after all. Let me help.”

Jinyoung already has only so much brain capacity left, but Jaebum's proposition makes the little rest of it fire through. “You?” He asks dumbly. He turns his face, but he can’t see enough of the alpha to make out his expression. “You want to?”

Jaebum’s hand twitches, right above the waistband of Jinyoung’s boxers. “Or, at least let me see. I’ve,— I’ve never had someone react to my scent like this and it’s got me all kinds of fucked up right now.” His voice has a desperate note that Jinyoung can relate achingly well to.

Jinyoung is glad he’s not the one to push them over the edge, even if they were thinking the same thing. After a second Jinyoung nods, turning around to lay on his back. Jaebum follows him down, laying down beside him. Jinyoung looks at him for a second, finding nothing that would make him hesitant. His eyes are magnetic, and insistent.

Gathering his bravery, Jinyoung nods to himself. The temporary shock did nothing to actually lessen the buzzing of arousal under his skin. Exhaling harshly, Jinyoung pushes his hand down on his shorts, and Jaebum watches as his back arches off the bed like a strung bow. Jinyoung repeats the motion, thighs knocking together. He feels electrified, he feels embarrassed. All under Jaebum’s watchful gaze— but in the most he feels desired. Their eyes are locked as he trips on the next moan, and Jaebum’s jaw ticks.

“Can I?” He asks, propped up on his side, head on his elbow beside Jinyoung as he watches, and Jinyoung nods frantically. He usually has problems reaching his orgasm without extra stimulation, but he fears he’ll come with one touch from the alpha. He’s so wound up he feels like it’s been a lifetime since they’ve actually stumbled into bed.

Instead of joining Jinyoung’s hand, Jaebum’s hand brushes over his chest, almost indulgently, catching against a nipple. Jinyoung’s breath trips, hiccuping. Jaebum does it again, nails scratching against the sensitive nub. His smile looks dangerous in the dim light. “Hyung— !”

He begins moving up, trailing his fingers until his hand slots over Jinyoung's throat. His thumb digs under his chin, makes his face tilt up while he presses down on the indents he left with his teeth and Jinyoung cries out, arching as Jaebum’s almost transfixed. He looks like a drunkard, eyes blown and fixated. Jinyoung grinds the heel of his hand into his cock, thighs flexing.

“Wouldn’t it be better, if you were to,...” Jinyoung flusters out of his words. “On me?”

For a second, Jaebum squints, before he registers that Jinyoung is asking for him to come on him, and his eyes turn dark, like a flip has switched.

“I’m- christ, Jinyoung.” He swears, pushing a hand down into his own crotch. “Are you sure?”

Jinyoung barely tilts into a nod, when Jaebum rights himself back up He pushes between Jinyoung’s thighs, hands digging into the soft flesh. Immediately, he’s pushing down, grinding their erections together. A wavering moan bursts out of Jinyoung, helpless in his arousal. His hips jump against the alpha’s, who grinds down into him. Jinyoung looks up at him, sweat reflecting off of Jaebum’s chest and shoulders, hair plastered to his forehead. A particularly strong thrust has a droplet of sweat landing on Jinyoung’s face. It’s filthy, he’s getting rocked into like Jaebum could be inside him— like he needs to be. It’s all Jinyoung needs to finally orgasm, an intense feeling crashing over him like a wave.

Jaebum grunts, hands squeezing into Jinyoung’s hips painfully. He curses, pulling himself out of his own underwear. He fists his own erection a couple times, eyes glued on the jackrabbit rise and fall of Jinyoung’s chest underneath him, the red heat of Jinyoung’s mouth. He follows him in suit, and comes all over Jinyoung’s stomach in ropes.

“Fuck, Jinyoung—!” His eyes squeeze shut, eyebrows knitting together as more hot cum spurts over Jinyoung’s heaving stomach, reaching up to his chest. Jinyoung is fascinated, though, unable to look away from Jaebum. He looks so intense; shape so, so broad, so strong, looming over Jinyoung, one hand closed around Jinyoung’s waist, the other still closed around his own cock. He’s big, and Jinyoung’s mouth waters at it.

For a second, nobody speaks. Their eyes lock, hold, and Jinyoung wishes he was more sober. He feels as though there's paragraphs there, but he’s too gone to see them clearly. Jaebum groans, tucking himself away, flopping onto the mattress next to Jinyoung.

Slowly, Jinyoung’s breath returns to him in normal intervals. The buzzing in his ears fades, and he starts feeling cold, instead of tingling and hot. He stares at the ceiling. He’s gonna remember the sound of his name while Jaebum comes for a long, long time.

“I do feel so sticky that I wanna shower,” Jinyoung says after some minutes. Jaebum chuckles, but his eyes are heavy when he opens them to fix Jinyoung with a look.

He lays his hand down, a simple warning. Jinyoung shudders at the touch on his sternum, the palm like an iron brand on his sticky cooling skin. “You can't. Not yet.”

“Is it- I don't know,- better?” Jinyoung stutters, looking at Jaebum, and at the same time not. He feels suddenly shy, ropes of cum on his skin, and his boxers uncomfortably wet.

Jaebum’s voice is soft, coaxed like a rabbit out of its burrow. “Are you asking if it worked?”

Jinyoung does two inhales. Feels like he needs to steady his very being by how affected Jaebum has him. “Yes.”

The other is quiet for moments again, causing Jinyoung’s heartbeat to steadily increase. The air is so thick it feels like breathing water. There goes the worry of being cold.

“In that case, yes. It worked. Very– well.” Jaebum pauses, and clears his throat. His voice still sounds like it hurts when he continues talking. “You smell… claimed. Like you're my- mine.”

Jinyoung is glad for the darkness, as it covers his violently blushing cheeks. “Good.” He says, hates how his chest feels like a volcano erupted and is running down his spine. He can’t help that he’s half brained a basal-needed omega and that being claimed satisfies some itch nothing else can. Jaebum’s hand shifts, almost dipping down into the mess on Jinyoung’s stomach. His breath shudders out, and he consciously has to refrain from arching against the touch. Some part of him is bucketing out hormones like crazy, delighted and pleased at being desirable to an alpha like Jaebum- to be someone’s but more specifically to be his— and to belong.

He thinks he sees Jaebum’s eyes glint red in the dark and Jinyoung’s brain surfaces to coherency again, and he tacks back on to his previous statement.

“So we’re gonna look convincing, right?”

Jaebum blinks, and Jinyoung somehow feels like the answer sounds a little hollow. “Right.”

***

Jinyoung wakes before Jaebum does, still laid on his back in the alpha’s bed. His skin itches, and the sperm on his stomach flakes off when he sits up. He grimaces. Unable to locate his shirt, he waddles into the bathroom with just his boxers on.

He showers with warm water, no soap. He feels… oddly at peace. He was expecting an onslaught of doubt and regret, but can’t seem to care. Instead, he feels lighter than he has in weeks. Months, even.

It’s near impossible to be attuned to your own scent. It’s an odd part of one’s anatomy, but in the way that it is like a limb that you have no full control over. It wafts around a person, communicating a myriad of information to other people. Your mood, your belonging, your relationship status, health, designation. You’re naturally more attuned to other persons of your designations— such that Jinyoung can immediately tell when an omega is stressed or sad. For betas and alphas, it’s a more general web of information; he’d only be able to tell that mood pitched negatively in general. As one grows closer to a person, their scent becomes more nuanced and understandable. It can pitch and sink in its intensity, affecting one’s own scent almost like a dialogue.

Inherent in their biology, one is naturally more attracted to a scent they’re compatible with. This is communicated through pheromones and scent, and is near impossible to be influenced. Couples could be together for years, but if something in their nature is amiss, their scents will not merge.
When decided to be a good match, couples often proceed with a scent-mark. This is a semi-permanent mark of mutual ownership— usually done in monogamous pairs. Due to a number of unknown reasons, there is a chance of a scent-mark not taking, or vanishing quicker than usual. People often chalk this up to plain comparability.

Jinyoung stands in their bathroom, taking deep breaths into his lungs. He’s trying his damndest to sense change in his own scent. It feels as though he’s only smelling Jaebum’s on him. On him— his mind supplies, conjuring up images from last night, the alpha covering him top to bottom, pushing into him with fervor, a stripe of saliva up his collarbone—

“Okay.” Jinyoung exhales, rubbing his face. He knows with a certainty that he smells different, with something altered at the very center of him and his scent. He feels different— he’s spent so much time ensuring he would not go through something as Hyunwoo again, but he can tell that he was fighting against his very being with that. He doesn’t enjoy being alone. He likes feeling like he belongs somewhere— be that a pack or a person. Last night felt as though Jaebum slotted something back into place; something that Jinyoung lost sight of a long time ago. He can’t even put a name to it.

He leans forward, looking at his mating scar in the mirror. It’s until now always carried a waft of Hyunwoo’s scent. It used to give Jinyoung so much grief. Randomly, he’d just catch the barest hint of it— of Hyunwoo’s scent still lingering on him. He doubts that Hyunwoo’s does, still. Yoona probably latched her teeth there long before Jinyoung got that awful phone call.

Awake now, he hears Jaebum shuffle around somewhere in the apartment. Just by the drag of his feet Jinyoung can tell that the alpha is still half-asleep. He enters the bathroom, and Jinyoung straightens up. He’s got half a mind to start freaking out about their first interaction post- well, post- whatever happened last night. But one glance at Jaebum confirms his intuition. He’s barely awake, groggily rubbing at his eyes.

Jinyoung takes a step forward, intending to let the alpha pass by him to use the shower or toilet. Instead, Jaebum sleepily walks up to Jinyoung from behind, stopping there. Jinyoung laughs, thinking the alpha is about to complain about his hangover. Jaebum doesn’t. Instead, he crowds into Jinyoung from behind, breath heavy, sleep-addled. He’s pushing in between Jinyoung’s neck and shoulder, inhaling sleepily.

“Jinyoung-ah,” he murmurs, vowels barely audible over his lips, rumbling against his back. Jinyoung completely freezes up. He has no clue what the alpha is doing— Jaebum’s pawing around Jinyoung’s hips, hands incredibly warm. He swipes a hand underneath his shirt, across Jinyoung’s stomach.

“Y’smell so good,” he rumbles happily, scent swelling around them. Jinyoung’s body responds in kind, heat pooling in his stomach immediately. By the hand dipping into his waistband, hitching Jinyoung’s hips back into his, Jinyoung realizes that the alpha’s intentions are not-so-innocent. He snaps back into reality. Jaebum’s barely realizing what he’s doing, before Jinyoung jumps away in his arms.

“Good morning!” Jinyoung yelps, holding on to the shower wall for dear life. The alpha stands there cluelessly, until Jinyoung can physically see his brain boot back online. Then he drains of color, looking aghast.

“I’m so sorry,” he stammers, looking at his hands like they’re the problem. A moment ensues. “I don’t understand— you just smelled like–,” he visibly deflates, rubbing a hand over his face roughly. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” Jinyoung assures, even though his voice cracks on the words. He can see that the alpha is visibly torn up about it. He’s still willing his heart to calm down. He thinks about their behavior at the restaurant, and Mark’s comment. They’re both acting more and more like mates, without thought. “I think it’s the scent-mark. It’s got our systems all out of whack.”

Jaebum stares blankly at him. Jinyoung wills him to agree— just to have the moment end.

“You must be right.” He nods, at last. “I’m sorry, I was acting on instinct.”