Work Text:
Jongwoo is waiting for his large iced americano when he opens instagram and sees he gained 56,000 new followers since yesterday.
It makes him stop short. He refreshes his page again. Then once more. And again.
It goes up another 1K on the third refresh.
His mouth drops open just as a message from Seongmin pops up at the top of his screen. Before he can even tap the message, his manager is calling. Jongwoo blinks at the influx, but quickly answers.
“Hello?”
“Jongwoo!” his manager sounds out of breath and a little frantic. “Have you seen the trends?”
“I… No?” Jongwoo glances around the quiet cafe, self conscious of his voice carrying too much.
He’s anxious all of a sudden, that uncomfortable feeling of being watched creeping over him. There’s only a handful of people in the cafe. No one is paying attention to him. The only one who makes eye contact is the barista as he places Jongwoo’s drink at the pick-up window.
He’s suddenly very grateful he decided to get a to-go cup. He walks up and grabs it.
“There’s something you’re going to want to see,” his manager says. “Get to the company right away. I’m picking up the members at the dorms. Okay?”
Jongwoo exits the shop, coffee in hand, phone pressed up against his ear. “Hyung, what happened?”
“You’re not in trouble,” his manager assures, no doubt hearing the panic entering his voice. “It’s just better to see for yourself.”
~
It’s a good thing that their manager made him wait to see the video with his own eyes, rather than try to explain over the phone.
Jongwoo wouldn’t have believed him.
Part of him still doesn’t.
The rest of his team is uncharacteristically quiet, Yedam solidly silent on Jongwoo’s right, and Jay pressing into his left shoulder. Seongmin is glancing between the laptop screen, Jongwoo’s shocked face, and Tag - who’s remained incredibly passive this entire time.
Jongwoo can’t even find the words.
“Wh…What?” he chokes.
His manager exhales, pulling the laptop back over to his side of the small conference room table, where he and the CEO sit. He clicks around and pushes it back to Jongwoo. Everyone leans in around him, including Tag this time.
Jongwoo’s name is at the top trending topics, “One Pact” sneaking in at the last spot on the list.
“And one mention from Kim Jiwoong did all this?” Seongmin clarifies, sounding somewhere between awe and hysterics.
Jongwoo partially jumps at the name, the interview clip that he was just shown running delirious loops in his mind.
“Well, not just a mention,” Yedam pipes up. “Apparently, hyung is his ideal type.”
Jongwoo, ears already blazing, feels himself flush even hotter as Yedam bumps into his shoulder and Tag smirks at him.
Kim Jiwoong. Number one on the music charts, popular actor, lead soloist, Kim Jiwoong.
“This is crazy…” he mutters, putting his hands over his face.
“Crazy or not, we can’t let a sudden burst of attention go to waste,” their CEO cuts in, her face quietly pleased. Jongwoo is glad something good came of this. Everyone around nods as Jongwoo drags his hands away from his face. “We knew that getting in the public eye would be difficult. We’re small, new, and there’s a lot of competition.”
“Tag has had music prepared for months now,” Jongwoo says, jumping for a distraction, and the CEO smiles, amused.
“Believe me, I’m aware,” she says and Tag huffs lightly.
“I want to move forward with it. I do. I just need to push on some connections. I think One Pact also trending along with Jongwoo will help get what we need. In the meantime, don’t let the excitement die down.”
Their manager nods, typing something on his phone.
“Let’s schedule posts from everyone on SNS and also plan some lives,” he says, glancing up. “Jongwoo-yah, you'll need to do one, for sure. Think of this as a reintroduction. Show yourselves off.”
“No problem there,” Tag says with a smugness that Jongwoo wishes he could emulate.
“Can someone do it with me?” Jongwoo asks, glancing at his members. He can’t shake the nervousness from being under public scrutiny again. Even if Jiwoong was nothing but complimentary - which in itself still feels bizarre.
“I can!” Yedam immediately volunteers, looping an arm around Jongwoo’s. Jongwoo leans into his side, realizing that he yearns for some comfort from his pack.
“That’s fine,” his manager nods, looking down at his phone again. “I’ll see what I can get added to the schedule. No muting the group chat!”
~
Jongwoo hides himself in a vocal practice room the instant he’s allowed to leave the conference room, needing the space to process. He knows he only has a few minutes before Seongmin or Yedam come and find him, so he takes his first minute to press his forehead into the wall, hands tugging at his hair.
Kim Jiwoong has been paying attention to him. Jongwoo feels dizzy even thinking about it.
Before he can start gaslighting himself into thinking the whole morning was a hallucination, Jongwoo takes out his phone, turning around and sliding down the wall to a cramped sitting position. It’s uncomfortable enough that it keeps him grounded. He suddenly yearns for his nest back at the dorm - desperate to block the world out for a moment.
This isn’t like before, he has to remind himself. The last time he trended in the news was one of the worst moments of his life. This time it was positive.
It takes him only a second to find the video that their manager showed them on his laptop. A popular variety show had Kim Jiwoong on to promote his new album. The setting was casual and the interviewer was known for her charm and comfortable attitude with her guests. Jongwoo often saw viral clips from this show, but never did he think that one of these clips would involve him.
Kim Jiwoong sits closed-legged on the floor with a table between him and the host. He’s dressed comfortably but still fashionable, his hair styled down in a way that feels more casual, not like the hairstyles Jongwoo sees during his stages. Because, yes, as if this couldn’t get more embarrassing, Jongwoo has followed his career. He even voted for him during his Boys Planet era, insisting to his fellow trainees that Jiwoong was the most talented one of the group.
Only Seongmin knows about his “crush” now - Seongmin’s words, not Jongwoo’s. They bonded over their slight obsession with a few different alpha idols, Jongwoo wasn’t admitting anything more. But Jiwoong was always one that Jongwoo kept an eye on, silently proud that he knew Jiwoong even before he blew up and was showing up in skincare advertisements and charting in the top 10 albums.
Not that Jongwoo keeps track. He’s got lots of other things on his mind.
In the video, Jiwoong picks out a folded paper from the jar full of “truth” questions on the table in front of him. He laughs softly at the question before unfolding it fully for the camera. The host gives an excited clap, as she reads out the question. “Oh, this is a great one. So, everyone wants to know - what traits do you look for in your ideal type and who is someone you can name with those traits?”
Jiwoong bites his lip, hiding some of his flustered expression, but it's there for a moment and Jongwoo’s heart squeezes, breathing suddenly tighter.
“It’s really not that hard of a question,” he replies cooly, and the host lets out an impressed “oooo.”
“Well, since it’s not complicated, please let us know.”
“Someone passionate,” Jiwoong lists and an animated list appears next to his head. “Someone who takes care of others well, but is still ambitious themselves. And someone with natural appeal.”
“He’s got a memorized list!” the host laughs then looks around. “Wait, wait, I should write this down…”
Jiwoong laughs, his more neutral expression finally cracking at her performative desperation.
“Okay, so you clearly have an ideal type,” the host points out. “So then, I have to get to part two. Who is it?”
Jiwoong huffs quietly, a half smile twitching at his lips. “I actually do have someone picked out.”
“You were seconds from describing their hair, eye color, and height - we could tell!”
He laughs, leaning back briefly. “Okay. Maybe. It’s-”
And then it happens again before Jongwoo’s eyes.
“-One Pact’s Yoon Jongwoo.”
~
@jijiwon
yoon jongwoo… why does the name sound familiar? i’ve never listened to one pact before
-> @nheartt RE: he was the center of that viral court case 2 years ago with that crazy saesang. several idols voiced their support for the court’s decision after the court ruled in his favor. it really caused waves in the industry. if you’re interested, please check out one pact! jongwoo deserves support after what his old company did!
--> @jijiwon RE:RE: oh my god yes. thank you! do you have an album i should start with?
---> @nheartt RE:RE:RE: their debut is incredible! (link)
@zb1zb1zb1
Jongwoo!!! Yes our king is so smart for this!! One pact is great. Super underrated!!
-> @starwoong RE: please rec me some songs!
@woo00ng
so if jiwoong has a crush on some nugu then that means i also have a chance with him <3
-> @lovejiji RE: tbh this is the most logical you’ve ever been
--> @woo00ng RE:RE: ty !!
@jiwoonglives
Okay I’m listening to one pact now and their whole discography has been fire so far. Jiwoong clearly has taste.
~
Yedam manages to track him down and they do a dance live. Jongwoo is more than happy to do that, as it puts less pressure on him to look at the chat and only see comments about Jiwoong. Which there are a lot of.
Eventually they reach a point of exhausting themselves. They stop taking requests for a moment and sit down in front of the company phone, drinking from their waters and chatting about this and that.
“Comeback soon?” he chuckles, responding to a comment. “I hope so. We miss seeing &heart.”
Yedam nods, tapping to scroll through the chat himself, slowing down some of the scrolling messages.
“Have you seen the clip?” he reads from the chat, and Jongwoo takes a breath, ready to take a moment to acknowledge it. Yedam snickers at his reaction and Jongwoo pushes his shoulder.
“Yes, I have,” Jongwoo says and watches the chat a moment before it all suddenly explodes with exclamation points and questions about if Jiwoong is his type too.
“I was very flattered,” he says, trying to appear relaxed. He’s anything but. “He’s a senior I admire.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Yedam says. “You guys should have seen his face, he got so-” Jongwoo squawks, tackling him before he says anything more.
“Respect your elders!” Jongwoo scolds him, poking Yedam in his sides while the youngest screeches.
“Everyone, please don’t misunderstand.” Jongwoo smiles at the phone while Yedam struggles underneath him.
Another burst of messages sends the scrolling chat into high speeds making him squint and lean in.
HE’S HERE!!
ohmygodohmygod
JIWOONG??
💛💛💛
I SAW JIWOONG COMMENT
“Yah, don’t pull pranks,” he chides, releasing Yedam, who scrambles away from him.
“You’re crazy,” Yedam whines. “I was just saying how flustered you got.”
Before Jongwoo can even start to respond to that he sees more messages.
It’s not a prank!!
WHAT
he commented
JONGWOO NO ITS REAL
Yedam must see something on his face because he comes closer again, trying to see what Jongwoo is seeing. “Hyung? What is it?”
Then as if summoned by perfect timing, a new comment with the verified check next to the name appears.
@official_kimjiwoong ✓
cute ㅋㅋㅋ
~
“I’m hallucinating.” Jongwoo says. “None of this is real and I’m going to wake up. Any moment.”
He’s leaning into Jay, practically half in his lap at this point.
“Well, we’ve lost him,” Tag comments. “Is this when we vote on a new leader?”
“I’d say he’s coping pretty well, considering,” Seongmin says.
He and Yedam ended the live pretty quickly after what Jay has dubbed ‘cute-gate.’ Jongwoo is sure that he’s earned himself another viral video, because the pitchy squeak that left him when he saw Jiwoong’s comment felt every bit as embarrassing as it sounded. He’s dreading to look online, but feels like it's inevitable.
How did this become his life?
“What I don’t get is why you’re acting like this is bad news,” Jay says, arm wrapped firmly around Jongwoo’s shoulder. “I mean, don’t you like him, too?”
“That’s not-” Jongwoo feels the stress of it all building up. “I just don’t like the pressure. It’s sudden. And it’s not something I have control over.”
Seongmin shoots Jay a look and puts a hand on Jongwoo’s leg. “We all know it’s weird. Like everyone loves the interaction, but then if you’re actually caught together the whole story flips. We’ve all seen it.”
“I say go for it,” Tag says with a shrug. “People online don’t mean shit. It’s all words. The people who matter won’t care. Meanwhile, our last song just entered the charts. This is good for us.”
“It’s Jongwoo’s choice,” Seongmin reminds, and Yedam nods. He looks guilty for all the teasing, which is the last thing Jongwoo wants. These are the most important people in his life.
“You’re all acting like I talk to him,” Jongwoo says and this time Seongmin looks offended.
“Have you ever heard of DMs?” he pokes. “Please, he clearly wants to jump your bones.”
“It feels weird,” Jongwoo whines, pulling at his sleeves. He thinks he just needs to sleep on all this. This day was confusing enough.
“Have you even checked your messages?” Jay asks. “He’s probably already in your requests.”
Jongwoo miserably shakes his head, tucking his face into Jay’s shoulder. He inhales, Jay’s steadying scent always good for calming his nerves.
“I just…” Jongwoo sighs. “I already have you guys.”
“So?” Tag says. “We understand this kind of thing. And as every article written about us from our debut stated, none of us are alphas.”
Jongwoo knows it shouldn’t matter. He’s always felt his pack was complete with the four who surround him now. But he knows that part of him wants that connection with an alpha. Craves it even if he doesn’t like admitting it.
“He walked past me once,” Seongmin says, scooting closer to Jongwoo’s side. “He smelled so good.”
“I was there,” Jongwoo mumbles as he extracts himself from Jay’s shoulder.
“I know,” Seongmin teases. “Just reminding you.”
~
Jongwoo remembers it all too well. They were in the second week of promotions of their debut album. Still full of wild energy and a desperate need to do well. Jongwoo maybe even more wound up considering no one was ever expecting him to be an idol ever again.
Jongwoo had been getting many glances and whispers as they walked the halls, and had been the entire promotion cycle.
He knew this would probably happen. His case had made many headlines, and had certainly made waves. The fact that he was debuting again after everything was a miracle in itself.
Jiwoong was in the broadcast station for his own schedule. Jongwoo hadn’t been aware until walked past their waiting room and saw his name posted next door.
A thrill of shock ran up his spine, and he stopped in his tracks, making Seongmin bump into him, who then noticed the sign.
“Neighbors with Kim Jiwoong?” Seongmin gasped, grabbing onto Jongwoo’s arm and shaking it lightly.
“That’s right,” a voice behind cooly states, and the two of them spin around.
Jiwoong walked by with a small team, a subtle but not unkind smirk on his lips. Jongwoo felt frozen but Seongmin pulled him down into a hasty bow. Jiwoong echoed it before continuing on down the hall. Jongwoo watched him go, something in his chest pulling.
I miss you.
~
“He smelled like…” Seongmin’s voice carries softly in the darkness of their shared bedroom. “Long grass.”
“You’re still on this?” Jongwoo moans, dropping his phone to his chest.
“As if you’re not looking at Twitter right now.”
Jongwoo huffs, but doesn’t rebuttal.
“It wasn’t long grass.”
Seongmon giggles, pleased. “Then what was it?”
“More like…” Jongwoo exhales, letting himself be a little wistful. “The mountains.”
There was a freshness to it while still feeling earthy and grounded. A solidness that made something in Jongwoo yearn for such stability.
Seongmin hums thoughtfully, and Jongwoo hears the rustling of blankets before he feels his own mattress dip.
“So you do think about it,” Seongmin says, happily burrowing into Jongwoo’s nest. Jongwoo makes an unserious disgruntled noise at the sudden movement. Seongmin’s slim frame settles beside him, practiced and at ease. Jongwoo tucks his face into Seongmin’s shoulder, grumbling and still embarrassed by it all.
“I mean, he noticed you back,” Seongmin continues, whispering like they’re pups at a sleepover. “That’s got to mean something. Yeah?”
In all basic senses of logic - yes. Seongmin is right. But unlike Seongmin’s casual femininity, Jongwoo has struggled connecting with his omega side. He’s never been normal about situations like this. Especially not after he’s seen interest and attraction twist into something obsessive and violating.
“It all feels like one big prank,” Jongwoo says, ever self-conscious and aware. “Like I’m the butt of a joke that I don’t even understand yet.”
“Hey,” Seongmin nudges him, offended. “That’s my packmate you’re talking about.”
Jongwoo sighs. “You really think he likes me?”
“This is like talking to a wall.”
“I’m being serious,” Jongwoo whines, and presses further into his nestmate, quietly happy as Seongmin's arms come around him and rub against his back.
“I dare you to check your message requests,” Seongmin says. “Right now. No more avoiding it!”
“I love avoiding it.”
“It’s a dare now, so you don’t do it, I’m going to tell everyone.”
Jongwoo pokes him in the side in retaliation.
“If you aren’t going to check, just give me your phone,” Seongmin bargains, squeezing his long arms around Jongwoo like an imprisoning octopus. “Come on…”
“You’re not going to let this go are you?”
“The fact that you would let this go just proves why you need me so much.”
“Fine.”
Jongwoo surrenders his phone to Seongmin’s grabbing hands. In a flash, he’s got it open, passcode memorized.
“Insta…” Seongmin murmurs, tabbing along to find Jongwoo’s app.
Jongwoo waits, silently anticipating, his heart speeding up in his chest. As if he could be any more of a cliche, his scent gland tingles in anticipation as if Jiwoong was in front of him, formally asking to court him.
Get a hold of yourself, he internally scolds, biting his lip, but then Seongmin gasps, clutching Jongwoo’s phone to his chest, staring at him wide-eyed.
“He did message you!”
“You better not be messing with me.” Jongwoo’s not sure how much more of all this he could even handle.
“No!” Seongmin shows the screen and taps the message request so they can both see it together.
In all the wild possibilities catapulting around Jongwoo’s mind, Jiwoong has kept it simple.
Hey
Seongmin groans next to him. “He’s an alpha. Why should I be surprised?”
Jongwoo, on the other end, is far from cringing. His mouth has gone dry, his fresh cottony scent spiking pathetically. He should be better than this by now.
It had been years. Why did he still feel this way?
Seongmin glances over at him, gaging Jongwoo’s expression, no doubt noticing his scent.
“Are you going to answer him?” Seongmin asks, passing Jongwoo his phone back.
Jongwoo takes it, mind unhelpfully and entirely blank.
“W-what do I say?”
“Babe, literally anything.” Seongmin tuts. “You have all the power here. He’s the thirsty one.”
“Don’t put it like that,” Jongwoo mutters, face flushing.
“Sorry- You’re both the thirsty one.”
Jongwoo doesn’t even try to make sense of that. He accepts the message, butterflies invading his stomach as he types a reply.
Hello?
“Nice.”
“This is so stupid,” Jongwoo moans, dropping his phone and covering his face with his hands.
Then his phone buzzes and they both scream.
“He already answered?” Seongmin whisper-screams while Jongwoo fumbles for his phone that flung into his mess of blankets. “Oh my god!”
Jongwoo finds the lighted screen in his nest, pulling it back to their faces.
Kkt?
“Oh, he’s good.”
“Should I give it that easily?”
“I mean you can flirt a little if you want,” Seongmin says. “Here like this-”
He takes Jongwoo’s phone, typing something before he can even blink. “What are you doing?” he asks, struck with horror as Seongmin turns the screen back, showing he already sent the message.
Show me yours first ;)
“What are you-” Jongwoo practically tackles the phone back from his hands, cursing under his breath. He starts typing frantically.
Oh god sorry seongmin stole my phone
Ignore him
Oh? ㅎㅎㅎ
Then a KKT ID comes next and Jongwoo nearly chokes.
If you still wanted it…
“It worked!” Seongmin exclaims, pressing in close to try to see. “See, you should trust me more. Add him!”
Jongwoo stares at the screen, pressure building in his skull. It would be rude to just ignore it. But he thinks that he just needs to sleep at this point.
I’ll think about it
<3
He drops the phone back onto his chest, glancing over at Seongmin.
“Shit,” Seongmin says, and to Jongwoo’s surprise, sounds impressed. “You really do hold all the power.”
“Too much?”
“No,” Seongmin's expression cracks into a grin. “The heart was a nice touch.”
~
Jongwoo finally gets the nerves to add Jiwoong on KKT about 2 days later while waiting for food at one of his favorite small restaurants by their company. The woman who owns it always puts extra meat in his stew and asks how he’s doing.
She apparently had seen his name in the trends and had been very excited to speak to him about it. While the hype had died down a small bit, still, most of the comments on their recent social posts related back to what the internet is now called “2wooz.”
Jongwoo still isn’t sure how to wrap his head around it. But thinking about him again reminds him of Jiwoong’s KKT ID just waiting in Jongwoo’s DMs.
He’s made him wait enough. The least Jongwoo could do is hear what he has to say.
He opens his app and adds Jiwoong with his ID. What to say however… Jongwoo feels the nerves tingling at his finger tips, mind buzzing yet blank.
I figure I had you wait long enough
Jongwoo jumps as his food is set down in front of him, making the restaurant owner chuckle and squeezing his shoulder. He bows his head in thank you as she walks away, enjoying the rich smell in front of him, the bowl of stew steaming.
Looks like you had to really think about it haha
One clip from you has the whole company in chaos
What were you thinking?
I hope I haven’t made things difficult
Jongwoo bites his lip. Old emotions stirring up.
If I did, I’m sorry
I didn’t mean to make things hard
This wasn’t some kind of prank was it?
Of course not
Jongwoo, I swear
So you really still like me?
Is that hard to believe?
Jongwoo can’t even bring himself to lie.
A little
I’ve never been able to forget about you
Jongwoo glances at his food cooling in front of him. But he can’t put the phone down. Kim Jiwoong was never someone he’s been able to let go.
What can I do to make you believe me?
I’m sorry
It’s just everything that's happened…
I know I hurt you
I’m just sorry I couldn’t protect you more
Jongwoo feels something tighten in his throat.
I’ve never held it against you.
Hyung…
Meet me at our spot.
Right after sunset
Okay?
Jongwoo stares at his screen, hands shaking slightly. Memories come washing forth, months of sneaking around with Jiwoong at the start of their careers. The rush of exhilaration. Their chemistry. The hole in his chest after seeing him again in the broadcast station a year ago.
Think about it
I’ll be waiting for you
~
Jongwoo wishes that this didn’t feel like a mistake.
He’s hesitating. Stopped in his tracks because he sees Jiwoong standing alone by the view to the river's edge. Han River is always busy but away from main trails there are pockets of privacy. Especially in the night when the appropriate clothing is worn that conceals their identity.
Jiwoong paces back and forth a bit, then leans on the banister, looking out at the water. Jongwoo swallows, pulling the sleeves of his large hoodie over his hands. Jiwoong looks back and around, suddenly stopping, and Jongwoo knows he’s been spotted.
He steps forward, letting his feet carry him to where Jiwoong meets him half way.
“Jongwoo…” Jiwoong’s eyes are the only thing visible with the face mask he has on, but Jongwoo can see the careful expression they hold. “You… You’re here.”
“I didn’t know if I should come,” Jongwoo admits, looking down at Jiwoong’s boots. A part of him wants to reach out, to step closer, but he stays cemented in place, mouth going dry. “This all… it still scares me.”
It feels embarrassing to admit it. But Jiwoong’s eyes show no sign of judgement. In fact, it’s anything but. Something there calls to Jongwoo still. The scent of mountains and comfort. He’s never forgotten what that felt like.
“I never stopped thinking about you,” Jiwoong says. He steps closer, hand twitching out before returning to his side. “I’ve been watching you still. Wait. No, that’s-” Jiwoong laughs, shaking his head, hair falling into his eyes. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” Jongwoo offers a careful smile, holding himself as a breeze curls around them.
A silence falls between them briefly, an awkwardness prickling at Jongwoo’s spine as he shifts his weight, self conscious. Jiwoong glances around at their surroundings before he nods towards a more secluded spot, a bench away from the outlook.
“I’ve been paying attention,” Jiwoong says, leading them. “To everything you’re still managing to do. It’s incredible, really. I’m so happy you managed to restart. After it all.”
Jongwoo bites his lip, nodding. “It… It wasn’t easy.”
“No, I can’t imagine it was,” Jiwoong says. “I get why you did what you did. I need you to know that now. I’m sorry I was angry at you.”
“It was understandable,” Jongwoo says, but Jiwoong shakes his head. He reaches up and pulls down his mask, letting Jongwoo see his whole face.
“No,” Jiwoong insists. “Something bad happened to you and you still thought about how to protect me from the fallout. I was upset because I didn’t want to lose you. But I understand. And now I…” Jiwoong falters, something in his eyes softening. “I want a second chance. I want us to have a second chance.”
It’s not like Jongwoo didn’t know what to expect by coming here tonight. Jiwoong has always been upfront and honest in a way that makes heat rush up to Jongwoo’s ears.
Jiwoong knows what he wants. It’s why he’s so successful now, even though Jongwoo knows how hard fought every moment has been to get the recognition he’s deserved.
Jongwoo has felt lost most of his life, struggling through feelings of not belonging - even within his own skin. But with Jiwoong…
Jongwoo remembers feeling seen. And he regrets how it ended, but the circumstances were far from ideal.
He remembers how desperate and panicked he had been years ago when he broke things off with Jiwoong. How he isolated himself after being stalked by “fans” and then ostracized by his company. He chose to protect Jiwoong by removing himself from his life entirely, knowing how horrible the media can be. If Jiwoong was caught up in Jongwoo’s scandal, his career would go down in flames just like Jongwoo’s.
It had taken time to heal. It had taken time for Jongwoo to win his court case. This entire time with One Pact has already become his second chance. And his new pack has been nothing but teasing and supportive about Jiwoong’s public declarations.
Could he really have both?
Jongwoo wishes now he had told his pack the truth about his past. That this was all so much deeper than any of the viral trending topics even realize.
Four years ago, Jongwoo had been in love. But he had been hurt. Backed into a corner by men more powerful than him, in a system that didn’t seem to care if he was collateral. So he lashed out in return.
“I would like that, too,” Jongwoo chokes, something in him cracking at the thought of coming home. Jiwoong’s eyebrows jump, his dark eyes widening.
“What?”
“I missed you,” Jongwoo admits, letting himself be a little less guarded, a little less locked up. Seongmin taught him that. “And I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Jiwoong rushes to say, finally stepping closer, finally reaching out - his hand grazing Jongwoo’s elbow and sliding down to grip his hand. He tugs Jongwoo closer and then Jongwoo is pressing into his chest, clinging around his waist. He can smell him again. Everything he missed, warm around him once more.
Jongwoo breathes. Closing his eyes, taking it in.
“You really have a way of getting someone’s attention,” Jongwoo teases, turning his face and tucking under Jiwoong’s chin. He feels the alpha’s chuckle verberate from his chest, his laugh huffing into Jongwoo’s hair.
“You know I love romantic gestures.”
“You’re too much.”
“Well, it worked out didn’t it?” Jiwoong pulls back to look at him, hands moving his shoulders. Jongwoo looks up, mesmerized and overwhelmed that they’re even here together. “I got what I wanted.”
It’s his stare. Unwavering and solid. It always made Jongwoo weak in the knees, flushed in his cheeks. The same feeling rushes back to him now, even more intense, no longer just a memory.
Jongwoo shies under his gaze, but Jiwoong catches his chin with his hand before he can drop it, before he can lock himself back up.
Heat pulses under Jongwoo’s skin when the same stare flashes red, Jiwoong’s scent strengthening. Claiming. Jongwoo knows what he’s thinking. My omega.
It should feel too soon. But something in Jongwoo shimmers back, a flash of gold in his iris and a pounding commitment in his heart.
It seems that Jongwoo truly has a knack for second chances.
And Seongmin is going to freak.