#ff omegaverse

[winthorntales]

Ember wanted to feel Arik’s everything. Fall asleep in her arms, pretend yesterday never happened, and tomorrow would never come. Every kiss cast this spell, every caress and hurried breath against her neck bound it.

Fury Heart Alpha, Chapter 52

[hellfire--cult]

Edit of Eddie: pitifulbaby

Chapters: Masterlist (Go here to see list of chapters, plotline and general warnings.)

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Non-Traditional Omegaverse, Slow burn, Modern!AU, Mechanic!Eddie

⚠️18+: lots of angst, mentions of pregnancy (not reader), evil person appearing, reader having a crisis, some violence, eddie being a sweetheart, hurt/comfort

wc: 9.9k

A/N: i didn't take a month to update, wow. hope you all like this chapter because here is where everything starts turning a lil more serious. thank you @andvys for always proofreading for me 💕

Anyways, Enjoy! ❤️ And don't forget to always support me by hitting the reblog button or leave a comment!

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CHAPTER 21

Tap. Tap. Tap.

You tapped that pen on the desk as you held onto your forehead. A headache was forming as you started thinking of how to cope with the next interviews you will have with this woman. A successful woman who had many clothing brands to her name. One who wanted many pages with her clothes on display by various models. A woman.

A pregnant woman.

You weren’t resentful. You weren’t angry or jealous… You just know if things would have gone different, you would have a child in your arms by now. You would be showing that baby off like your pride and joy. Looking at a pregnant woman was like looking at the one thing you never reached, the one dream that was so close to being completed only for it to be ripped apart. Ripped from your grasp by two evil beings.

That was the unfair part. If it were your fault, if it were something that had happened to you, then you would have no one to blame but yourself. That was the part you were still resentful of. The part you hated to dwell on. The part you didn’t want to remember. You often wondered if you could even hold a baby. Would your heart let you? Would it allow you to feel the warmth of someone else’s baby after what you went through? 

You sighed as you fixed the papers on your desk, looking at the name of the woman. She was kind, she seemed happy and radiant, holding her pregnant belly as she discussed business with you and Liana. You saw how she used her left hand that held a beautiful wedding ring on her ring finger, and she rubbed it all over her belly, laughing when she got distracted when her baby kicked.

You wanted to feel it, yet you didn’t. You wanted to know how it felt, how it all could be… but you also didn’t want to be reminded of what you didn’t get to have, and maybe, ever have. At this rate, is there someone out there that won’t fuck you over? Someone you are willing to trust? 

And he popped in your head.

As soon as he did, you shook your head, brushing him off. He wasn’t a good idea. You know about his record of women, you know who he is and what he does. You would not be surprised if you came to find out he is fucking someone else apart from you right now. You wouldn’t be surprised. He can do whatever he wants, can’t he? Just like you do. You two are unattached. As it should be.

This was just beneficial for the two of you. You were friends who had a great time together in and out of bed, and that was it. You are happy that that is it. Don’t you? Yeah, you are. You are not looking for a relationship, much less with Eddie Munson. From what you know, he has never been in a serious relationship. He’s never had a girlfriend before, and you asked around. You asked Steve, Jonathan, Nancy… they all gave you the same answer: Eddie does not do relationships.

Your pen dropped from your hand, a gulp sounding in the room. You were blinking a few times as you breathed again and grabbed the pen once more. 

But you couldn’t help but imagine it. You wanted to invite him to stay over often and not just leave in the morning. You want him to eat breakfast with you, or lunch, whatever. It was as if whenever you got together first with your friends, you used that time to be together like friends and just that. Enjoy a movie together, some drinks, a dinner, but then everyone leaves and you are on each other like animals in heat season.

You wondered if he ever wanted to spend a night with you alone, but… watching a movie. Or having some pizza together with some beers and play games… or– wait, you are thinking about a date. You are thinking of going on a date with Eddie. But is it? You two are like that when not fucking eachother’s brains out, so what’s wrong with spending time with him as a friend and just a friend? It isn’t weird.

You should offer it, but what if Eddie actually thinks you are asking him on a date? Or what if he thinks that because you want to do something friendly with him, you are putting an end to it all? Why are you overthinking this? You didn’t before, and you should stop. He is not racking his brains over this like you are, so you shouldn’t.

“Knock knock.” You raised your head to see Robin knocking on your open door, a small smile on her lips. You knew why she was here, so you let her in, putting the pen down on the papers on your desk. She walked in, leaving the door open, tilting her head towards you. “You okay?” “Yeah… Yeah, I am Robs.” You sighed and one thing is to pass by a lovely couple where the woman is pregnant and not see them again, and the other is this. Meeting this woman several times and knowing that at one point you will find her sitting on that chair with her baby in her arms instead of inside her belly. 

“Okay… Liana is calling for everyone in the cafeteria. She wants to tell us something important.” You frowned at that, wondering what it could all be, because Liana always made sure you were one of the few to know first about things or deals happening to the company. 

“What?” Robin shrugged at your question and continued.

“She was smiling, so I am not assuming the worst, you know…” Okay, that calms you down slightly. You nod and get up from your desk, smiling at Robin as she smirks and points at your neck. “Things are turning serious?”

“What?” You covered your neck with your hand, cursing at Eddie in your mind. After he dropped Argyle off from a night at Jonathan’s bar, he drove you to his house, and there wasn’t any sex, just him with a sudden hunger to eat you out, and make you see stars consecutively. 

That was a new development. Eddie was very into making you cum. He told you he would make you cum at least twice whenever you two stayed together, and he sure is taking that promise seriously. You weren’t complaining, but he made you feel… wanted. And you didn’t want to feel like that… You didn’t want to feel… hopeful.

“When can I properly meet Jeff? Like, as your best friend, so I can do that whole ‘Hurt her and I murder you’ speech.” Robin said with a smile and you felt guilty. So, so guilty. How do you tell her this is not serious? How do you even begin to explain to her that this is not what it looks like at all? 

How do you even tell her it’s not Jeff, but Eddie you’re seeing?

“Never because this is not serious and never will be.” The words stung in your tongue and you tried brushing it away with a roll of your shoulders, in which Robin caught on. Your hands fumbled in your purse to get the concealer out so you could reapply it on the hickey and some powder to conceal it. 

“You look upset about that.” Her words made you look up as you popped the concealer open and walked towards the mirror in your office. 

“Upset? Why would I be upset?” You asked, your heart racing slightly at your own question but Robin stood next to you, crossing her arms over her chest as you applied two dots of concealer on the skin of your neck.

“Because whenever you roll your shoulders, crack your neck, or don’t even look at me, it means something is not going as you planned.” You gulped a lump that was suddenly bothering you in your throat as you stared at Robin through the mirror. You weren’t upset. Why would you be? Why would you be upset at all about how things are going? You aren’t. 

“You’re wrong. I’m perfectly fine with what I have now, and, I– I am still talking to other people.”

“Bullshit! Jeff is the only one you’ve been seeing for a month now or more and you confessed to me that no one fucks you like–”

“Yeah, yeah, got it! I know what I said but– We aren’t exclusive even! So– Who knows? Maybe he is out there, fucking someone else right now!” You froze for a second at your words. Could that be happening? Could that be something that Eddie was doing? You two don’t really talk about being with other people, nor have you had any indication of him sleeping with someone else but, he is in all his right. He can do whatever he wants, just like you can. You just decide not to because you’re afraid of being disappointed and embarrassed for the other person for not performing like Eddie does.

That was all. 

“Well then, make it exclusive!” Robin’s voice was loud, which made you shush her with a movement of the concealer wand as you put it back in the container. You passed the tube to her and opened the powder to set it on your neck. 

“I won’t because we don’t want that.” You could feel the pulse in your neck becoming quicker the longer you held this conversation.

“How do you know he doesn’t want that?” Robin’s voice was slowly starting to annoy you as you walked back to your desk, ripping the concealer out of her hands to put it back in your purse. 

“We talked about it already, and we just want to keep having sex. That is all there is.” You straightened up, fixing your blazer and turning to look at her. “So?”

Robin looked you up and down and did an ok sign with her fingers, “Unnoticeable.”

“Perfect. Do you have any idea what she wants?” You asked as you walked out of your office, Robin closing the door behind her as you two went to the elevator.

“I have no idea. She wants everyone to be in the cafeteria for an announcement. I don’t know what could possibly be.” Robin replied as you two got into the elevator and pressed for the second floor, the door closing in front of you. “She’s not retiring, isn’t she?”

“Oh my god, Robin, Liana is only forty-one.” To your answer, Robin shrugged. Once the doors opened, you all walked out and moved to the cafeteria where many people were already waiting and talking to eachother, speculating into what the news could be. You wondered if any of the rumors that were happening were true. 

Some speculated she was resigning. Some speculated the company was going to close down. Some were saying she was just going to give out the announcement for a better salary. You did not have a single clue what was happening, except for the fact Liana seemed happier, and she was being less strict with everything around her. Fuck, maybe she was resigning.

You stood next to Robin who was already grabbing a muffin from the counter, but your nerves didn’t let you sit still. You couldn’t even think of eating something right now, afraid that it would get caught in your throat. You had a feeling something you weren’t going to like was going to happen, but maybe it was just your nerves and the client situation throwing you off… and the talk you just had with Robin.

Liana walked in, smiling as she greeted a few, coming over to stand in the middle of the cafeteria. Everyone greeted her like the superstar she was, a renamed magazine director. A magazine that despite the technological changes, it’s up and running, changing it from the public view, to only be a magazine, a catalogue, for clothing brands. 

“Okay, hello!” Liana greeted you all, and you fidgeted in your place as she looked all over the employees, or well, most of them, which weren’t a lot. Just thirty people in the building right now. “So, I bet you are all not figuring out why I called you here.”

“No idea Liana, so please, spare us from the anxiety.” A male coworker laughed, which prompted everyone to let out a chuckle, as well as Liana.

“Sure, it’s going to be quick. For the next month… I will be looking for a temporary replacement.” Your eyes widened as you turned to look at Robin, who was wide-eyed just as you were.

“Temporary?” Someone asked and your eyes looked back at Liana, and you just felt a shiver run down your spine. Something was telling you to get out of there. Something was telling you to simply run away. Something was telling you that you shouldn’t listen to this.

“Yes… I have been hiding something from all of you. My personal life is something I wanted to keep apart from my work as much as I could, but these new decisions require me to be open about it now.” You felt your blood going cold. Your hands were tense. Your tongue was dry.

“Don’t tell me…” Robin’s whisper was far away as you only focused on Liana, who was smiling widely, her hands opening her blazer, and there happened to be a belly. A swollen belly. A pregnant belly.

“I’m going on maternity leave. I’m six months pregnant.”

If there was any clapping, any cheering, any kind of reaction to that, you were numb to it. You were deaf to whatever was happening. Everything moved in slow motion for you right now, and you were trying to process what she had just said. You were trying to make it make sense but it just didn’t. How? When?

She is pregnant. Your boss is fucking pregnant. Everyone is getting pregnant.

You want to leave. You want to run away but you can’t. Just because it didn’t happen for you, it doesn’t mean people can’t live that. Just because you couldn’t make it happen doesn’t mean others cannot. You had to be rational about it. You had to be a grown up and you have moved on from this. You did.

So why do you feel like throwing up? Why do you feel like the world is crumbling on top of your head? Why do you feel like you won’t reach anything you ever want? Why are you so envious? Why?

“Baby, snap out, please.” Robin’s words made you blink, looking at her through lost eyes. Her eyebrows were met in the middle in a worried frown. Pity. You could see the pity and you didn’t want to see it, or feel it. 

“I’m fine. I’m alright, just shocked, I didn’t even… know she had a partner.” You tried to play it cool as shock and not utter disappointment in your life. You were trying to play it off as if it wasn’t one of the worst things you heard in the past week.

“It’s… okay to feel sad– You just had a client–”

“My two doves!” Liana’s voice broke you from your conversation with Robin, making you look at her with words being stuck in your throat. You didn’t want to face her but you had to. You were being childish. You need to make your heart stop turning a bit in your chest cavity and tell your stomach to stop flipping upside down.

“Hi Liana…” Robin was side-eyeing you as you kept looking at your boss, your breaths quite heavy. “I’m– Congratulations! I didn’t know you had a partner!”

“Oh, yes! I do, it was kind of… an on and off thing until we decided to make it work and well… take the next step for me before it was too late and all!” Your boss said with a smile and– The baby was going to be born in something that was broken? Your throat was dry, not even gulping down saliva helped. Liana turned to look at you, “I’m sorry for not telling you. Especially you.”

You didn’t know what to say. You had to say something. This was like a praise coming from her because it meant you were one of her favorites. You cleared your throat, and you were hoping you were mustering a smile, because you couldn’t exactly feel your face right now.

“I’m not mad, Li. I’m just… very surprised…” You said and she smiled, holding her hand out. You frowned a bit, putting your hand on hers and– No. Please, no. She directed your hand to her belly, so you could press your palm against it and you felt the entire world caving in for you. It was soft. It was so soft and there was a baby in there.

“Still, sorry… But! Can you feel him? A strong baby boy is growing in there!” She was smiling, excited, and she was so happy to make you be the one to touch her belly, something private, something intimate. And all you felt was anger. Sadness. Jealousy. Resentment. 

You forced another of your smiles but the moment you felt her belly bump slightly, signaling the baby inside was moving, the bad thoughts were gone momentarily. Someone so pure, so innocent and beautiful. A baby boy. Your eyes went towards Liana who was smiling expectantly at you, making you tilt your head in question.

“What is it?”

“You’re my first choice.” She whispered and Robin’s eyes widened as you retreated your hand back in shock. 

“Sorry?”

“My replacement. I think it will give you… amazing training. I will be looking at others just in case you decide to not take it but… It will give you a pay raise and it stays that way even when I return from my leave… and then… when I retire…” 

Was Liana telling you she wanted to make you her successor? She wanted to train you to be the next CEO of this company? You should be so happy. You should be up on the moon by this revelation. You knew you were one of Liana’s favorites but never to this extent. And even now, realizing this, your smile was still forced. Your excitement was forced. Your happiness was forced.

“Are you serious? Do you seriously think I can do a good job?” Your voice was small, and Liana only smiled as she nodded and then put a finger over her lips to signal you to keep quiet and then looked at Robin.

“Not a word of this, especially you babbling Robin.” Robin only gave a salute in response as Liana winked at the both of you and walked away. You just stood there, seeing how she put her hand on her belly as she walked to the next set of people. You felt your heart combusting into itself, a huge fire expanding all over you, and you had to try to shake it off. You had to try to shake this moment away because you were feeling humiliated. Defeated.

“Wow, I’m happy for you!” You knew Robin was trying to look at the bright side of things for you. You knew she was trying her best and that she could see the twitch in your eye. The way your gaze didn’t leave Liana’s belly for one second. A baby that was sporadically planned. A baby that, maybe, was planned to save a marriage. 

It wasn’t fair.

“I… yeah.” You finally turned to look at Robin, and you felt your hand itching to reach your phone. To text someone. Him. You wanted to text Eddie. You wanted to see Eddie but why? He is a friend, first and foremost and he has had your back in bad situations before. That’s why. You just feel like you can count on him. That’s all there was.

“We should… go out and celebrate tonight! Go to Jon’s bar and have a few drinks…” Your eyes were distant and your mind suddenly switched. You shouldn’t be sad. You shouldn’t. You were offered to take over Liana’s spot while she was gone. A CEO position! It was big shit! You give her a slow nod, a small genuine smile finally appearing on your lips as Robin could almost sigh in relief.

“Yeah. Yeah! I mean it’s not an official thing, but she said it! I’m her top choice! And you bet your ass Robin I’m taking it.” Robin did a small little happy dance for you, giving a small clap and you finally felt a little bit of the tension you were feeling leave your shoulders.

As long as you don’t look at your boss’ belly, you’ll be fine.

You took another shot with Robin. This being your fourth one of the night.

Nancy was sitting next to her, in front of you, while next to you sat the man you’ve been wanting to see since yesterday night. Since today morning. Since today afternoon. Eddie smirked as he drank his water, having drank only one shot but keeping the status of designated driver in check.

“A CEO, now that’s something else.” Eddie mentioned as you turned your head to look at him, the alcohol not kicking in at all for you, unlike Robin who was already buzzing with it, nudging Nancy who was giggling next to her. 

“I am not a CEO yet, but I am going to be trained to be one.” He hummed in approval, raising his glass at you, prompting you to raise your daiquiri, a sweet drink to show your happiness. That’s definitely what you felt. You two clinked glasses and then you felt your knee being squeezed slightly underneath the table, making your breath hitch for a second.

“Congrats, Peach. You deserve that.” His smile was genuine as he directed it your way and you had to stop your damn heart from beating so fast. There was no need for it to go that quickly. 

“Damn right she does! She got so many clients!” Robin said with a cheer, making you flush as she praised you in front of your friends, making you look down at your glass as you took a sip from it.

“Why are you going into training, though?” Nancy asked, and you stiffened in your place for a second, and the man next to you noticed. You cleared your throat and opened your mouth to talk but Robin beat you to it, which made your blood go cold, not wanting to give the actual explanation or even hear it.

“Liana is leaving because–”

“I’m going to the bar to get another drink.” You said as you raised from your seat, the warm hand that was on your knee retreating for you to scoot away and out of the booth with your almost empty daiquiri glass. You want a beer now. You really want a beer. You know Robin will tell them, but you do not want to listen to it. You don’t want to see the pitiful looks on their faces, much less Eddie’s.

You slowly walked through the crowd, the bar a little crowded thanks to it being a happy hour on a Thursday. Many people came here after work, just like all of you did many times. You reached the bar, Jonathan smiling as he walked up to you from behind it as he cleaned a glass.

“Another one?”

“I want a beer.” His smile faded as a frown now came to happen in his eyebrows and you knew he realized something changed, that something happened.

“Did something happen over there?” You shook your head as a signal of not wanting to talk about it. He gave a single nod as he leaned downwards, grabbing a beer out of the ice bucket. He popped it open as he handed the bottle to you and took the glass of your daiquiri away from you. “Don’t drink too much, you got work tomorrow.”

“Are you my mom?” You gave him a small smile, which he reciprocated, shaking his head at you. His head perked up when he heard someone calling him from the other side of the bar. He gave you a wink before moving away from you, leaving you to stand there with the beer in front of you. You took a long sip of it, feeling the bitterness run down your throat and you groaned at it. 

Why did it have to hit you once again? Why did they have to ask? You didn’t want to turn around, afraid that the group of three might be looking your way with frowns on their faces. You didn’t want to go back and hear the typical ‘It will be okay’. You don’t care. You shouldn’t care.

“Darling?”

Your body froze.

That wasn’t Eddie’s voice. That wasn’t Jonathan’s voice. That wasn’t any of the people you knew in this town’s voice. No. It cannot be. It shouldn’t be. It’s just someone with the same vocal chords, people can have identical voices. It can happen. But, you need to make sure. You need to make sure that it’s not what you think it is. Who you think it is.

Your head turned to your left and you felt your heart dropping to the floor. You no longer feel the cold of the beer in your hand as you stare at the blue-colored eyes in front of you, at the blonde hair that was nice and kept, at the office attire he was wearing. No. Why? Why now? Why here? Why in the bubble you had created for over a year? Why?

“I thought that my eyes had deceived me, but it really is you.” He dared to send a smile your way. He dared to fucking smile at you. He dared to talk to you. He dared to even acknowledge you.

“Henry.” He straightened up in his seat at your small voice. You were just staring at him, wide eyed, frozen. You couldn’t feel your limbs. This was not right. 

“Hi, darling.” You noticed the twinge of nervousness in his tone and you finally felt your body tremble a little bit. You could feel the adrenaline rushing all over as your stomach flipped inside out. 

“Don’t… Don’t call me that.” You stuttered, looking away from him, anywhere, but your vision was blurry, hazy even. Was the alcohol finally hitting you? Right now? No, that wasn’t it. No.

“I’m sorry, it’s just… It’s nice to see you’re… fine.” How fucking dare he say that to you? The pent-up anger was rising in your throat like vile, but then it was just a feeling of pure humiliation as you remembered the two pregnant women you saw today. Something that could have happened to you if he hadn’t gone cheating on you with your best friend. If he hadn’t tricked you. If they hadn’t done an illegal thing to you. 

“Fine…” You scoffed at him, still with a lost look in your eyes, not wanting to look at him. Your tongue was hurting you, your throat was closing up on you, and you felt every inch of your body wanting to rip open. 

“I– I asked your mom where you went… She didn’t really want to give me any details, and that was fair but… I didn’t think I would need a business trip to meet you here.” You finally dared to look at him. Why was he saying these things to you? Why did he even care to talk to you after what he’d done to you?

“I did the divorce papers, and I left, and you should be fucking thankful I didn’t have the energy to take legal action for what you two did to me.” Your mouth was moving all by itself as you talked to him, and Henry sighed, giving a nod your way.

“I know, I know, but– I never got to tell you I am sor–”

“Don’t you even fucking dare to go there.” You wanted to smash the beer in his face. You wanted to bolt out of there. You needed to run. You felt your fingers having an itch to connect to his face in a fist. Did he think the word ‘sorry’ would mend things up? Did he think he would redeem himself with that stupid single word?

“I know we hurt you, but I’m honestly glad you’re alright–”

“Alright? Alright… Yes… In another city, away from my own mother. Yes. I am alright.” He noticed the sarcasm in your voice, the hatred and the pain displayed in your eyes and when you stared at him you couldn’t help but remember how your hand felt over the swollen belly. How the baby moved inside. How it felt to touch something you might never have. How it felt to touch the one thing you thought he would help you in getting.

“You need to calm down, I just– I just wanted to say hi–”

“Hello.” 

Now that voice you recognized. Your head turned to your left as well as Henry’s did. You saw how Eddie’s gaze was trained on him. How he was scanning every inch of your ex husband, not knowing it was him. You– You wanted to leave. You wanted to run away.

“Who are you?” Henry asked as he looked at you and then back at Eddie. He pointed back and forth, “Do you know him?”

“Yes… a friend.” Eddie’s eyes only looked at you when he noticed how small your voice was. You knew he felt something was wrong, and it seems he realized you were not going to introduce the two of them.

“I’m Eddie. You are?” You just stood there, staring at Henry as the asshole smiled politely, sticking his hand out. 

“I’m Henry. Um… Her Ex-Husband. Old friend.” 

You could feel how silent everything went between the three of you. You turned to look at Eddie and– His eyes were staring at Henry’s face. You noticed a vein popping on the side of his neck, and even with all the tattoos, you started to notice the redness that was starting to slowly appear. Your senses were slowly coming back to you as your intuition was telling you that something was going to happen.

“Henry… huh.” Eddie’s voice was low, sending chills down your spine. You didn’t expect Eddie to take Henry’s hand, shaking it slowly. You could use Eddie as a scapegoat, tell Henry to go away, or maybe you could leave, but– “Yeah, I know you.”

And then it was a blur. First you were watching how Eddie was shaking your ex-husband’s hand, and the next, Eddie had pulled him towards him and head-butted Henry right in the middle of the forehead. Then it was a punch. Then another. Then on the floor. Then more punches. You could hear yelling, screaming, Jonathan pulling Eddie away from Henry with your help.

You saw Henry on the floor, holding his face, his nose all bloody, a busted lip. How many punches did Eddie throw? You weren’t sure. Your body was moving, but your mind was not registering anything of what was happening. There was a lot of yelling, Nancy and Robin grabbing you and pulling you out of the bar with Eddie and Jonathan. 

Your eyes caught sight of Eddie still screaming, yelling, his eyes could have been red from the fury that you could feel emanating from him. Jonathan was screaming too as well as Nancy, maybe trying to calm Eddie down, but all you could focus on was the man that just hit your ex-husband square in the face. 

“We need to get out of here. Let’s get her home.” Was that Robin or Nancy? You didn’t know. You just felt yourself being moved, slowly regaining your senses back. You could hear Eddie talking to the girls as you all got into his car, wondering where he drives first.

“I want to be alone.” You were still looking at Eddie and he understood your sign. You could see the bit of confusion in his face that you decided to be with him, instead of Robin.

“You sure?” Robin was asking next to you, even with the slurring in her tongue, you knew she was worried for you. You appreciated it, you nodded at her but– You didn’t need her. You didn’t know what you needed. You needed a distraction as the images came back to your head, the alcohol finally hitting you after the adrenaline that just happened.

You felt your heart bursting as you got inside the passenger’s seat, Nancy and Robin in the back. Eddie was still looking your way, but all you could do was stare forward as he got into the driver’s seat. The car was moving, the lights were passing but all you could see were the smiling women holding their bellies. Henry and Camila in your bed fucking after your third consecutive procedure. 

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair.

Why here? Why did he have to have business here? Why? It wasn’t fair. Was he alone? You didn’t check if he had remarried. You didn’t want to check. You shouldn’t want to. Why would you want to? To see the people that hurt you have what they took away from you? What if Camila was also pregnant? Maybe she was. Maybe she fucking was by now. 

It wasn’t fair. 

“Call me if you need anything. I’ll be here.” You felt a kiss on your temple and you knew Robin had leaned forward from in between the passenger’s and driver’s seats and planted a kiss there. Or was it just pressure?

The car’s doors opened and closed and then it was just the wooden scent cologne and yourself. The drive started again, and you felt so numb. You felt dead. You needed to feel alive again, and Eddie might help with that. You needed Eddie. You wanted Eddie. 

The car ride was silent, and you couldn’t even look at him. It was humiliating for you that he met the man that fucked you over. That broke you. You didn’t want Eddie to be looking at you with worry or pity. You didn’t need that. You didn’t need people to feel sorry for you. You are strong, and you have been strong until now. 

You weren’t going to break. Not again.

The moment he parked, he looked your way as you got out of the car and you motioned for him to follow you. It was silent, it was too silent, but you just needed to reach your apartment. With Eddie. 

The moment you two walked inside your apartment, you felt the heat all over your body, the adrenaline, the emotions just traveling in every blood cell and white cell. You walked towards the couch as you heard the door closing, and you plopped down. 

“Peach… are you alright?” You heard his voice, but you could hardly register what he was asking. You felt the couch dip beside you and you turned your head to finally look at him and– He was looking at you with the eyes you didn’t want. He was staring at you with that pitiful look in his face that you didn’t need.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” You asked, which made him blink your way and you didn’t even register your movements, that you were already climbing up on his lap, his eyes wide in surprise as you cradled his face in your hands. Your lips connected to his and you sighed in relief as you felt the warmth of his kiss against yours. 

Your hips swayed against him, and you felt him groan into the kiss as your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, flushing your body against him. His hands grabbed onto your waist, his head pulling back for a second as your breath hit his lips.

“Peach, hold on–” You didn’t listen, your head in overdrive as you kissed him again, this time a little more forcefully than before. You didn’t want to think and you didn’t want to talk. You didn’t want to remember any of the events of today or from a year prior. You just needed to feel some warmth, some release. Your chest was against his as your hips kept moving against his, making you sigh into his mouth.

You took this opportunity to let go of him, not breaking the kiss, so you could take off your blazer and throw it away. You didn’t care for much right now, just that you needed to feel him. That you needed him. That you needed to shut your brain down with pleasure, but Eddie was not following your plan, which was making you grow irritated, desperate. He pulled away from your lips again, trying to talk once more.

“Hang on, for just a second–” And you didn’t let him. Your head dove into his neck, biting it gently, eliciting a grunt from his part.

“I need it.” Your voice was a whisper into his skin, your hands traveling to go underneath his shirt, ready to rip it away from him. The images need to go away. The memories need to disappear. Everything needs to go away. 

“Sweetheart–” You started kissing on his pulse point, your hips rubbing once more against him, and you could feel the bulge that started appearing but– He ripped you away from him, roughly, grabbing onto your biceps tightly. He was breathing heavily as he glared at you, and your eyes finally found his.

“Ed–”

“You don’t need this. You don’t need me like this… You need something else, Peach… I can give that too.” 

You just looked at him for a good while. This man that you consider a best friend at this point, despite what the two of you do behind closed doors and under your friends’ noses. Your eyes looked towards the hand that was holding your left bicep and– His knuckles were bloody. His knuckles were red and his skin had been cut. He hurt himself to hurt the man that hurt you.

And everything started sinking in.

Your eyes started burning with the incoming tears as you couldn’t handle the pain. The anger. The sadness. The disappointment. The humiliation you suffered. The struggle of seeing the cause of your pain once again after a year of running away from it. 

Your body shook as tears started leaving your eyes and going down your cheeks. You turned to look at him again, his eyes finding yours, telling you he was here. Telling you he was not going anywhere. You needed Eddie, just not in the way you thought. Your body shook aggressively three times thanks to trying to hold back sobs, only for the fourth one to finally come out.

Then it was one after the other. Eddie’s arms wrapped around your body, pulling you flush to him, laying your head on his shoulder as he let you cry on him. Once again, he was holding you as you cried. He was holding you through something you didn’t think you were going to relive again. You let out cries of pain, staining his shirt with your tears and makeup, but he didn’t care. He never pulled you off him. His hands rubbed your back as he rocked you from side to side and you couldn’t help but just cling to him.

You needed Eddie like this. You wanted Eddie like this.

You wanted Eddie to hold you all day. To tell you that everything was going to be alright. That everything was going to work out. You wanted him to kiss you, to forget, yet to not do more than just that. You wanted Eddie to keep holding you like this, close to him. You wanted more than just the roughness of a kiss or the insinuating touch. 

But it was a thought that your burdened and drunken mind could focus on tomorrow. Right now, you have to cry. You have to cry about the unfairness. You have to cry about what could have been. You are letting yourself cry and he is holding you and rocking you from side to side, soft shushes in your ears–

“I’m here, Peach… I got you, baby. I got you.” 

And when you closed your eyes, you drifted off. You were expecting that in your sleep you would be encountered with nightmares of your past, images of the memories that consumed your being. Instead, you dreamed of your friends. Instead, you dreamed of someone. Instead, you dreamed that somehow, somebody, was telling you to not lose hope. To not let a low life make you think you are not worthy of something like that. Of a family.

Your eyes opened to the sunlight entering your room through the sheer curtains. You winced slightly at the brightness, turning your head to find yourself all alone in your bed. You were wearing a shirt, some sleeping shorts, and you don’t really remember changing. You slowly sat up on your bed, wincing as you felt your body a little sore for some reason, and your neck was stiff.

Your cell phone caught your eyes, and you reached over to grab it, seeing that it was 10 AM. You scrolled through the screen, seeing a message from Robin, Nancy, Jonathan… Everyone was wondering how you were doing. You replied to everyone, telling them you were okay, and in all honesty… you felt lighter. You had overslept, missing work, and there was simple message from Liana telling you Robin told her you felt sick and to get better. You had the day off.

God bless Robin.

The sound of a pan falling outside your bedroom door startled you, making you jump. Oh, Eddie stayed. He didn’t go home. He stayed with you until the morning. Your heart rocked in your chest from side to side and you didn’t mind it this time. You didn’t tell it to calm down. Your feet found the floor, and you walked towards the door, slowly opening it and walking out towards your kitchen to see Eddie cursing as he scrambled some eggs. 

He was shirtless, wearing his boxers only, and your eyes trained on the couch. You winced slightly because of your behavior from last night. You tried to jump his bones when he was trying to stop you, and you feel so pathetic and little for falling into that dark place. You had to apologize and thank him for everything. Your eyes trained on his back, and you felt your stomach flipping inside, or were they butterflies? Nerves? 

“Eds–”

You saw him jump and basically screech, making your eyes go wide as your hand covered your mouth, containing a snort at the display. He turned around to look at you, spatula in one hand, the pan on the other. 

“You fucking scared me Peach, I didn’t think you would wake up until later.” He sighed, letting the air he gasped in when he got scared out. You couldn’t help but smile as he turned around and continued cooking. “The eggs are almost done, and also, you have a four-bread toaster, now that’s fancy shit.” 

“I won it at one of my company’s raffles.” Your voice was calm, walking over to the island counter to sit on one of the stools. You rested your elbows on the marble and put your chin on your hands, and just watched him. You watched him move in your kitchen as if he had always done this. Acting as if this is a common thing you two do every time you hook up with eachother, but this is one of the rare times you two had breakfast together. 

“Oh, can you get me one?”

“You can literally buy it at any electronics store!” You giggled, and he turned around with a cheeky smile on his face that made you crumble a little in your seat.

“It feels better when you win something.” He turned around and turned off the stove, dumping the scrambled eggs on two plates that already had two pieces of toast each. You felt pressure in your chest, a good one, as he turned around and placed the plate in front of you before he opened the fridge, taking out water and juice. He sat on the counter after placing them in front of the two of you and he presented it with both his hands. “Ta-da!”

You smiled at the plate before you, sitting up straight as you grabbed the water to pour yourself some in your glass, as Eddie served himself some juice. It felt domestic. Right. 

“We’ll see how good these eggs are, Munson.” He huffed at you as he grabbed a toast and placed some of the eggs on it with a fork.

“I make the best eggs in all Indiana, sweetheart.” He boosted himself as he took a big bite. Your smile faded as you saw the bruises and the bandaids on his knuckles. You dropped your fork as your hands moved quickly to hold on to his hand, making him almost drop the toast. He winced as he tried to chew– “Easy.”

“You hurt yourself.” His eyes clashed with yours as your body turned completely on the stool to face him. He sighed as he swallowed the bite, getting his hand out of your grasp to put the toast down. 

“He got it worse. I’m sorry, I couldn’t… contain myself when I realized who he was. I couldn’t help it.” He wasn’t really looking at you, but his jaw was clenched and you knew he was still angry, which instead of confusing you, it only made you happy. It made you feel cared for by someone.

“So you… punched him to defend my honor?” You tried to play it off with a small chuckle, but his eyes turned to look at you, serious, filled with something you couldn’t really decipher.

“Every punch I delivered yesterday was not even close enough to what he deserves. What he did, what they did to you… you didn’t deserve any of that.” Your smile had fallen, your eyes burning as you kept staring at him. Your jaw clenched as you felt the beginning of a lump forming in your throat.

“You didn’t… have to do it… but thank you…” He softly smiled at you, giving you a small nod.

“Yeah… I’m kind of banned from going to Jonathan’s bar for a while though… he got mad at me, pretty bad.” He chuckled nervously, and you winced a bit, looking down at your hands, feeling guilty at the situation. He went silent for a second, and he was probably deliberating if to talk about this with you or not. “Robin told us… about why you’re going into training.”

Your blood went cold once again, the memories of yesterday coming back. The news you received. The opportunity those news gave you. The emotions you felt the day before were too much… too much that you crashed out.

“I… yeah…” Your voice was small and fragile. You hated that you sounded like this but– at the same time you didn’t care he was hearing it. You didn’t know why you didn’t care, but you just didn’t. His body turned to face you, his hands pressing on your knees as he leaned to talk to you. Your eyes found his and you suddenly felt… warm.

“It will happen for you…” He stared at you for a while before he continued, “Let’s make a deal.”

“A deal?” Your eyebrow perked up in question and he nodded, his face serious with a glint of mischief and something else.

“When we turn 30, and if we are single… I’ll give you one.”

Your world stopped for a second. Maybe two. Three? What was he saying? 

“I… what?” You were shocked, stunned, not really sure if what just came out of his lips was real or if you had hallucinated it. He gave you a fond smile, his teeth showing.

“If we are single when we turn thirty, I’ll sign any papers you need, and we’ll have a baby together.” Your eyebrows twitched as your eyes kept burning and your body was trying to react in a way that you couldn’t contain much longer. 

“Why… I– You would have a kid… You are willing to have a baby with me? You don’t have to feel… sorry for me…” You were trying to not let your voice crack at the prospect of it. He was promising you a baby. This man in front of you, your friend, your best friend, the man you are fucking in a recurrent manner is promising to give you a baby if the time came that you didn’t have one yet, and both of you were without a partner.

“I want kids. I want a family too someday, and I honestly– Don’t think…” He bit his tongue for a second before continuing, “And I think that you would be the greatest mom in the entire world, so… it’s a win win for me.” 

This is the first time you heard him say he wanted kids. This is the first time you heard him say he wants a family in the future, something you didn’t know at all. Something that was making you melt and crumble in your stool.

You didn’t know what this meant. You didn’t know what anything of what he was saying meant but you wanted to kiss him. You wanted to hug him and kiss him and– Was his heart racing the way yours was? His stomach nervously hurting like yours was? The hairs on his arms standing on end like yours were?

“Eddie, you… You are promising something– something so fucking huge.” His smile fell a little, and he nodded, his eyes staring into yours as he talked.

“And you are the only one I trust enough to make this promise to.” You slowly shook your head at him, thinking this was insane, but– you wouldn’t mind it. Having Eddie’s baby? It didn’t sound entirely wrong. Maybe not even a little bit wrong. 

“You’re… insane.” You couldn’t help it as you let out a snort, and he nodded, a chuckle escaping him. 

“Maybe… so, deal, Peach?” His eyes were sincere as they looked at you, and you realized he meant every single word. He meant everything he said. Everything he promised. Maybe it won’t happen. Maybe he gets a girlfriend or maybe you find… 

“Deal.” You responded quickly, and he smiled widely, straightening up and putting his hand out for you to shake. You took a deep trembling breath in as you smiled and shook his hand.

“Nice doing business with you, fair lady.” You giggled and shook your head, your hand holding his. You inspected his knuckles with your fingers and you slowly raised it up to your lips. You didn’t watch his reaction, but you felt him fall in complete silence as he sat still in front of you. You finally let a tear roll down your cheek as you brush your lips against his knuckles.

“Thank you…” You softly whispered, and he leaned forward, your breathing cutting short when you felt him press his lips against your forehead. You could combust in the spot as you felt warmth invade you, your body flushing completely from head to toe.

“Don’t mention it, sweetheart.” He pulled away and you let go of his hand, looking up at him.

“I’m also sorry… for my behavior… last night.” You were embarrassed as you spoke and he shook his head at you, letting you know he understood.

“It’s okay. You snapped out, which is what matters here.” You two stared at one another as he wiped the tear that fell from your eye and you just… wanted to kiss him. You wanted to hug him and hold him and… He cleared his throat as he turned towards his plate. “We should eat.” 

You nodded and turned to your plate as well, putting some egg on your toast and bringing it to your mouth. The toast wasn’t as crispy because it got cold now, as well as the eggs, but the taste was sublime, yet, you couldn’t not give him shit for it.

“Mmm… not bad.” Was your comment and Eddie turned to look at you as if he were the most offended person on the planet.

“You take that back and say they’re delicious. It’s not my fault they got cold!” You laughed at him as he kept telling you everything he did with the eggs, and everything felt so right. He wasn’t here to get lucky like all those other times. He wasn’t here because he felt like he had to. He wanted to. He wanted to be with you and cheer you up. 

And he did. You cleaned the dishes afterwards as he grabbed your erotica novels and started reciting paragraphs just to piss you off. You laughed as he made up the different voices, moaning when the book said it, or grunting stupidly, and you threw your wet right glove to his face. 

He gasped, rushing towards you so he could rub the glove on your face, making you squeal and try to push him away in disgust. You two laughed as the glove fell on the floor, his arms still holding you close to him. Your heart beat loudly in your chest as you breathed heavily, his face close to yours and you just… 

“I should go home…” He whispered, and you really wanted him to spend the day with you but you knew Robin was going to come to your house at lunch or even earlier, so you nodded slowly.

“Yeah… Robin might just… appear…” He gulped and your lip twitched as you felt your body burn wildly, and you wanted to kiss him. You needed to kiss him. Change the dynamic of your goodbyes, but what if he didn’t want that? What if you were reading all of this wrong? Were you?

But he beat you to it, his jaw clenching as he talked softly, his forehead pressing against yours.

“I don’t want anything… just…” You nodded desperately at him and he leaned forward to finally kiss you. It was soft, tender, and it made every single one of your worries leave your body. You didn’t know why he was kissing you, but you knew why you were kissing him back. Your arms wrapped around his shoulders to pull him closer as your lips smacked with one another’s.

He hummed in between the kiss and you felt his arms and hands holding you in a way you haven’t felt in a long while. You stayed like that for a few seconds before he begrudgingly pulled away, licking his lips as you looked at him, and you didn’t want to let him go, but you had to. 

“So… I’ll… see you later?” You asked, filled with hope, and he gave you a small smile, nodding slowly as he leaned to give you a soft peck on the lips, melting you on the spot.

“Yeah. I’ll message you later. Tell me if you need anything, okay?”

“You’ve done enough, Eddie…” He chuckled and shook his head at you.

“Okay, so I guess you won’t need my scrambled eggs anymore.” You gasped, shaking your head at him, and he smiled triumphantly. “Ah, so my eggs were, in fact, delicious.”

You rolled your eyes and shook your head, pulling away from him to flick him on the right nipple making him squeal and cover it. You saw him walk to your bedroom, and you probably didn’t even notice the pile of clothes he left on the floor or on the desk. You were just staring at his retreating back as you bit your bottom lip, wondering if you should ask him to just stay, to tell Robin to not worry and not come over but you knew that she would not have it. 

When he returned he was all dressed, feeling the keys in his pocket as well as his wallet and phone, making sure he had everything as you put the gloves to dry over the sink counter. You walked to the front door with him, opening the door as he looked at you with something that just told you it was right to do what you wanted to do. So you rose on your tippy toes to give him a peck on the lips to which he returned with another one.

“Bye Eddie… thank you again.” You couldn’t help but keep thanking him, and he took it, smiling down at you.

“Don’t mention it. Bye, Peach.” He walked out, and you waited for him to get to the elevator. He gave you a salute as he got inside and the doors closed before him. You let out a sigh you didn’t know you were holding in and closed your door, leaving you alone in your home once again. 

You rested against it, looking down at the floor as your heart beat to an incredible speed, your stomach filled with something you couldn’t deny were butterflies. Butterflies you have been feeling for a long while. Butterflies you faked by calling them nerves or anxiety or adrenaline whenever you saw him. 

He didn’t promise what he promised just because you were sad. He didn’t just make a promise in order to make you happy. He made a deal with you that felt true even if it’s years away and you don’t even know if Eddie Munson would still be in your life. But fuck, you hoped he did. You hoped he did and that you two would be in a different situation than you are right now.

Because you didn’t want to just hook up with him. It’s time you came to terms with that fact. You wanted to kiss him. You wanted to spend time with him. You wanted to invite him to dinner, watch movies with you, play games, and you were hoping that this new change meant something to him as much as it meant to you. 

And suddenly the troubles from yesterday were nonexistent. The troubles from yesterday and the memories were not as painful as they had hurt you the day before. You knew it was thanks to him. You knew that Robin would not have possibly made you feel the way you are today, and that is mean to say, but he filled the dark hole that resided in your mind. He knew what you needed when you didn’t even know it yourself. 

You needed him. In more ways than one could possibly imagine. You don’t know how you will tackle the relationship now that you came to terms with this. You don’t know how you should act or what you should say to him. You don’t know how to tell him you don’t want him to see someone else. You don’t know how to tell him you want him all for yourself. You don’t know how to tell him all of that without giving yourself away.

Because you’re fucked.

Because you like him.

You like Eddie Munson. You really like Eddie Munson.

end of chapter 21

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[my-little-red-riding-blog]

Alpha and omega...big broad shoulders vs tiny slutty waist

[hungermakesmonsters]

Devotion & Desire

Chapter One

Plot summary : When you, a lone omega, move in across the hall from alpha Bucky Barnes, he knows that his life is about to get a lot more complicated, but he has no idea just how much you’re going to turn his life upside down. You’re both devoted to fixing your past mistakes, but will desire for something more get the better of you?

Pairing : Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader

Story Rating : R 

Warnings : [This is a fic for 18+ only, minors DNI] All chapters will contain the usual omegaverse and A/B/O tropes, and explicit smut. Please check the warnings on each chapter if you choose to follow this story. 

Word Count : 6.2k

A/N : this is my first time writing Bucky and writing omegaverse, sorry if anything doesn't meet the usual standards of the genre.

MASTER LIST

Chapter One

You were shivering and he hated what that did to him.

Soaked clothes clung to your figure, leaving nothing to the imagination and betraying every little shiver.

He watched you fumble with your soaked purse for your phone, and heard your frustration a moment later as your call quickly cut out. You shook it, wiped the wet screen on your damp blouse, but he knew that wasn’t going to help matters. Judging from the state of you, the phone was waterlogged and you’d be lucky to get it working again.

You leaned back against your apartment door, kicking it with your heel, letting out the weakest string of cuss words he’d ever heard. It was almost adorable.

All the while, he was pressed against his apartment door, eye to the peephole, watching it all unfold. It wasn’t so much that he was spying on you. No, Bucky liked to think that he was making your life easier. You were such a timid little thing and, ever since you’d moved in across the hall, he’d done everything he could to be a good alpha and not make you uncomfortable.

He’d seen how skittish you were the first time your paths had crossed; him leaving his apartment, just as you were getting home from the grocery store, shock causing you to fumble and drop your bags. You’d barely been able to maintain eye contact as he handed you your Cookie Crunch cereal. 

Of course, he didn’t hold it against you - how could he? You were an omega with no reason to trust him, and he knew it couldn’t be easy for you; being the only omega in the building, living across from the only alpha.

So, he’d taken to keeping an eye on you, making sure there were no more accidental meetings in the hallway and that you had no reason to fear him.

But now you were shivering and soaked from the storm raging outside, no coat over the blouse-skirt uniform you wore to work at Gracie’s diner. Had you walked three blocks in the rain without an umbrella? Hadn’t anyone tried to stop you? He found himself overwhelmed by the urge to help you, protect you and, before he realised he was doing it, he was slowly opening the door.

He couldn’t leave you out there, cold and shivering.

Your eyes widened and you shrank back a little. Bucky tried his best to give a friendly smile, making sure not to make any sudden moves or get any closer.

“Hey,” he said softly, “are you okay?”

“I -” your voice came out barely more than a shy whisper, “- I got locked out.”

“Did you call Glenn?” He asked, even though he knew you couldn’t, even though he knew your phone had died before you’d managed to get through to the building manager.

“My phone died,” you told him, holding it up as if you thought he might not believe you.

“Do you want me to call him for you?” He asked and you gave a timid nod. For a second he looked ready to turn and head back into his apartment for his phone, but then he saw you pull your arms around yourself, trembling even more violently. “Do you want to come in and get warm while you wait?”

He watched your eyes drop and let you take a few seconds to consider your options. It was late, far too late to go disturbing any of your beta neighbours and, he knew just how easy it was for omegas like you to get sick.

After a few seconds, you nodded.

“Okay,” he said softly, stepping back, giving you space to move into his apartment.

Your arms wrapped tighter around your body as you stepped over the threshold. He watched your nose twitch, obviously feeling a little overwhelmed by his scent.

“It’s okay,” he tried to reassure you as he slowly shut the door, “you’re safe, I promise. Wait here, I’ll grab you something warm.”

He didn’t wait for you to answer before quickly moving further into his apartment, heading into his bedroom. He was already starting to understand why the other residents of the building had taken to calling you little mouse. It turned his stomach upside down to think about how apprehensive you were and what might have happened to you to cause it.

You were still in the exact spot where he’d left you, still trembling and hugging yourself tight, clothes dripping on the carpet. (Though he quickly regretted looking down and seeing the way the drips from your clothes were running down your bare legs to your little white socks.)

“Here, you can borrow these,” he told you, handing you a dark hoodie and pair of sweatpants. “They might be a little big, but they’re warm.”

After taking them, you were ushered into the bathroom to dry yourself off and change, while he went to call the building manager. And, when you reemerged five minutes later, it took every ounce of restraint he had not to laugh at the sight of you, drowning in his clothes. He gave you space, waving a hand towards the sofa, indicating that you could sit if you wanted to.

You took a seat, peached on the very edge of the sofa.

“I’m Bucky, by the way,” he told you, realising that you hadn’t been officially introduced, even though he was sure you already knew his name like he knew yours. 

You responded with your own name, then; “thank you for helping me.”

“That’s okay,” he replied before taking a very obvious pause, giving you an uncertain look. “I have some bad news though; it’s Glenn’s night off. He won’t be back until the morning.”

“Oh.”

He watched as you glanced around nervously.

“I told him you could stay here,” Bucky told you. You both knew that you didn’t have any other choice, so you didn’t bother to try and argue. All you offered was a little nod. “Are you hungry? I was gonna order a pizza.”

“I - I like pizza,” you told him, managing to force a smile to your lips.

It took some coaxing from him, but he found out what pizza you liked and ordered it. Then he put the TV on for you, there was some weird baking program on but you seemed happy enough with it, so he left it on. If anything, the background noise seemed to settle you a little and, after a while, you finally sat back on the sofa, almost disappearing in his hoodie.

“Are you warm enough?” He asked when he noticed you pulling the hood up and snuggling into it.

“I am now.”

Bucky let out a soft laugh, the sort of sound he didn’t make very often and you caught him looking at you with a gentle sort of smile. He couldn’t help it, there was just something so cute about you in that moment, though he almost felt bad the moment he noticed you shyly start to chew on your lip.

“So,” he started, not sure what he wanted to ask, just wanting to make conversation and hopefully set you a little more at ease with him, “what made you move here?”

“After the blip I was staying in an omega-only building, but when everyone came back, the building’s original owner put up the rent,” you shrugged.

He gave a knowing nod. It wasn’t easy for omegas, while there were laws to protect them against discrimination, because of their monthly heat cycles and how prone they were to getting sick, it was hard for them to hold down well-paid jobs. He assumed that was why you worked at the diner, where shifts could be planned and swapped easily.

“I guess it must be weird for you living here with mostly betas... and me...” 

While he knew what it was like for him to have to live across the hall from you, he could only imagine how it felt for you. Alphas tended to learn at a young age to control themselves and to ignore day to day stimulus, but he knew omega’s had it worse, that their senses were heightened beyond even alphas. He’d catch your scent in the hallway from time to time, and he was certain you’d catch his. 

“It’s okay. Everyone’s been really nice, and -” you hesitated shyly, “- and you’re being nice now.”

He didn’t ask what you meant by now. Bucky knew better than anyone what he could be like, how his gruff, withdrawn and sarcastic attitude could make people uncomfortable.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been around an omega, and I -”

A sudden knock that the door startled you enough to make Bucky wince, completely losing his train of thought. He gave you an uncomfortable look before standing and heading to the door, muttering about how it must be the pizza.

Five minutes later, you were both sitting on his sofa, eating pizza. He made awkward small talk, asking if the food was okay, telling you a little about the pizzeria and how he’d found it a couple of months back and, little by little, your responses got slightly less reluctant. Eventually, you seemed to realise that you were safe and that he wasn’t going to hurt you. He wasn’t sure when or why that became important to him, but the last thing he wanted was for you to feel unsafe around him.

Life had to be hard enough for a lone omega without your alpha neighbour making it worse. And, besides, surely it would be easier for the both of you if you weren’t constantly jumping at each other’s shadows.

Before he could say anything, he noticed you looking at his vibranium hand. Or rather, trying really hard not to look at his hand. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that he wasn’t wearing his gloves - why would he when he was sitting on his own sofa?

“It’s okay,” he said, shrugging, “you can ask.”

Shame flashed on your face and he could tell you were uncomfortable. “Did you have an accident?”

“Yeah, a very long time ago.”

“Oh, well... I’m glad you’re okay...”

For a moment he felt his lips almost pull into a smile, any discomfort he’d felt instantly washing away with your words.

“I, uh, heard you like to draw?” It came out more like a question and had you looking at him seeming a little confused.

“Yeah, a little,” you answered. “I’m not very good though. Who told you?”

“Nikki from downstairs,” he explained and you gave a little nod. “Her and Jade really seem to like you, they’re always talking about you.”

It made you smile, and that smile settled him a little. It was going better than he’d dared to hope and you no longer seemed afraid of him. In fact, you started volunteering information without being prompted. 

“They’ve both been really nice,” you told him, “they asked me to go out with them on Friday when I get off work.”

He smiled. “Girls night out?”

“Yeah, though... well, it’s been a really long time since I went on a night out...”

Bucky gave a knowing nod, knowing it probably wasn’t easy for you as an unclaimed omega.

“I’m sure Niikki and Jade will look out for you,” he reassured you.

Conversation from there got a little easier; he told you that he grew up in Brooklyn and that he’d been in the army, and you told him about work and how you’d seen him in Gracie’s Diner a couple of times. You’d never served him, Gracie had rules about that. She was an elderly, take-no-shit sort of woman, and was one of the few employers you’d come across who genuinely went out of her way to look out for the omega’s working for her.

After the conversation reached a natural conclusion, Bucky got up, gathering the dirty plates and the pizza box, and headed for the kitchen. He didn’t even realise that you’d followed after until he turned to find you standing there, and almost jumped out of his skin.

“Sorry,” you almost recoiled at his shock, “I just - can I have a glass of water?”

He looked at you for a moment, completely taken aback - it wasn’t often that anyone managed to sneak up on him - then he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

“Yeah sure,” he handed you a glass, biting back a laugh, “now I get when they call you mouse, you’re so quiet.”

You let out a little laugh, shyly dropping your gaze as you moved around him to the sink. Bucky bit his lip, catching your scent as you stepped past him, and he instantly hated himself for how much he enjoyed your sweet smell.

His eyes followed you as you returned to the sofa, took a drink, and then let out the cutest little yawn he’d ever seen.

“Tired?” He asked, moving back towards you, but not sitting down.

“A little,” you shrug. “The dinner rush at Gracie’s was really hectic.”

He gave an understanding nod before starting to think about the sleeping arrangements. Under normal circumstances, he might have offered you his bed but, even if he changed the sheets that he rarely slept on, he was certain being in his bedroom would overwhelm your omega senses.

“I can get you some bedding and you can sleep on the sofa?” He offered, looking at you and then looking at the sofa, certain it was big enough for you to get a comfortable night’s sleep.

You glanced at your watch, seeming almost embarrassed when you realised it was only 10pm.

“You don’t have to yet -” you started to protest.

“It’s fine, really,” Bucky told you with a gentle smile.

You gave a couple more weak protests as he went to grab you some pillows and a blanket, but you still got to your feet and helped him set up a little makeshift bed on the sofa for you. He then paused, taking in the sight of you, drowning in his clothes.

“Are you gonna be warm enough?”

At just the mention you seemed to snuggle further into his oversized hoodie.

“I’ll be fine,” you said with a sweet smile before fighting back another yawn. “Thank you, Bucky.”

After some awkward shuffling about, making sure you had everything you needed, telling you to help yourself if you needed another drink, and giving you the TV remote, Bucky finally left you to get some sleep.

He felt awful for making you sleep on the sofa, but there was really no way you would have been comfortable in his room. It was still early, at least by his standards, but he grabbed his sheet and pillow and settled himself on the floor by the window, content to read for a few hours before trying to get some sleep.

He didn’t stir until around 2am a hazy nightmare ripping him from sleep. For a few minutes he sat, trying to calm his racing heart before realising that he needed to use the bathroom, and that was going to mean sneaking past you.

It took ten minutes for him to build up the nerve to try to sneak to the bathroom without disturbing you. Moving slowly, he crept from his bedroom and slowly made his way through the den towards the bathroom, but he couldn’t help but stop and look at your sleeping form. Somehow you seemed even smaller when you were sleeping, tightly curled up on your side, your face hidden somewhere in the hood of his hoodie.

For a few seconds, he lingered, listening to the soft sound of your breathing before starting to feel a little bit creepy, but it was nothing compared to how he felt when he finally reached the bathroom.

Once the door was closed and locked behind him, he was immediately overwhelmed by your sweet scent left on the towel you’d used to dry yourself and the damp clothes you’d left neatly folded on the radiator. He hated himself for the way his cock twitched and the way he lifted the towel to his nose.

Your scent stirred something in him that he hadn’t felt in years, a sort of longing that left him feeling uncertain, fighting against the urge to go to you and -

Fuck.

He didn’t know what he wanted to do. His cock twitched again at the thought of burying his face against your neck and pressing his nose to your gland. A wildly inappropriate thought that had his alpha urges starting to stir, wanting to claim you as his.

That thought made him feel worse; there you were, finally letting your guard down and starting to trust him and all he could think about was how good your tight little body would feel wrapped around his cock...

He felt like he was losing his mind.

It was your scent, the fact he hadn’t been this close to an omega in years and, now, it felt like you were everywhere.

He grimaced as he took a piss, then he started to pace, not wanting to have to sneak back past you when he was at half-mast. But the longer he stayed in the bathroom, the more your sweet omega scent got to him, driving him crazy.

Gritting his teeth, and hating himself more than ever, he reached into his sweatpants and started to stroke his aching cock. His free hand reached for your damp blouse and held it to his face, and he lost himself in thoughts of you. It wasn’t long before he was coming all over his hand, barely biting back his desperate grunts of pleasure, muffling them with your blouse.

Then, finally, he was able to sneak back to his room and spend the night thinking about how much of an asshole he was.

The next morning he got up early, sneaking past the little curled up bundle on the sofa and letting himself out of the apartment. He managed to get your key from the building manager and make it back upstairs before you woke, and you seemed more than happy to get out of there as quickly as possible once you were awake.

You did stop to give him a thank you hug, and Bucky damn near asked you to stay but, thankfully, you didn’t seem to want to linger.

Once you were gone, he went through his apartment, opening all the windows, trying to get rid of your intoxicating smell before heading out for the day.

The next day he came home to find a box in front of his apartment door. On top of it, there was an envelope with his name in large, looping letters, and beneath it was a bundle of clothing. The clothes you had borrowed. Cautiously, he reached for the envelope, opening it to find a thank you card from you. You had signed your name followed by three little x’s.

Opening the box, he realised it was an apple pie from Gracie’s, the sweet smell of sugar and cinnamon filling his nose, but it was the scent coming from the clothes you borrowed that really got to him. His cock twitched just at the thought and had him quickly unlocking the door to his apartment, wanting to get inside and try to get himself under control again.

Over the next few days, he did his best to avoid you, knowing it was best for both of you if he kept his distance, but fate seemed to have other plans.

First it was in the hallway, you leaving for an evening shift at the diner just as he was getting home; you smiled and made small talk, asking how he was and if he’d enjoyed the apple pie. Somehow it ended with him offering to walk you to work and then offering to meet you to walk you home. He insisted despite you telling him that he didn’t have to. The streets of New York late at night just weren’t safe for an unclaimed omega on her own. And, despite his discomfort, he knew he’d never forgive himself if anything happened to you.

He saw the looks he got as he waited outside Gracie’s for you, the smirks and the smiles, and the look of embarrassment that fell over your face when Gracie whispered something to you. But that didn’t stop it becoming a regular thing over the next two weeks.

Then there was laundry night, a night that had been a tactical affair for Bucky for as long as he’d lived in the building; every Wednesday after nine when no one else was around. But there you were, chatting with Nikki from downstairs who’d decided to follow you to catch up with the gossip.

He was about to turn back and slip away unnoticed, until -

“Hey Bucky,” Nikki called out.

He forced a smile to his lips and raised his hand in an awkward wave as he approached, and you gave him that shy little smile that always made his heart beat a little faster. He watched as Nikki’s eyes moved from him to you and back again, a barely suppressed grin tugging at her lips.

“We were just talking about my birthday on Friday,” she told him, giving you a sly little glance, “you should come out with us.”

“I don’t think so,” he shrugged, quickly focusing his attention on getting his laundry in the washer so he could get out of there as quickly as possible. 

“Come on Bucky, we need a big scary alpha to make sure the other alpha’s leave mouse alone,” Nikki continued.

If he hadn’t looked at you, he wouldn’t have noticed your sudden discomfort or the way you were chewing the inside of your cheek. Clearly there was more to Nikki’s comment than she was letting on.

“What other alphas?” He asked.

“It’s nothing,” you muttered, “it doesn’t matter.”

If Nikki noticed your discomfort, she certainly didn’t let it stop her from explaining; “last week some douchebag alpha spent half the night bothering her.”

“What?” He barely managed to rein in his annoyance, the instinct that told him you were to be protected, that you were some weak and helpless thing.

“Asshole kept asking when her heat was and if she needed company,” Nikki continued.

“He was just drunk, it wasn’t that bad,” you sighed.

“You’re too nice for your own good, mouse,” Nikki told you, shaking her head. “If me and Jade hadn’t been there...”

She didn’t need to say it. It wasn’t a secret how some alphas could be, how some didn’t want to take no for an answer, especially since the blip; so many of them returned to find their omega had moved on with their lives or, some, moved on without their omegas. But, just because the world was a mess, Bucky didn’t think you deserved to have to deal with some prick of an alpha who didn’t respect your boundaries. 

You let out a sigh and gave a weak shrug. “Maybe I shouldn’t go if you think it’s gonna cause problems...”

“What? No, that’s now why I’m saying, you have to -” 

“I can probably come for a couple of hours,” Bucky offered. He hated how dejected you looked, hated that you felt like you had to miss out on having fun with your friends because you didn’t feel safe.

“Really?” You asked, trying to hold back the smile that was desperate to spread across your face.

“Yeah,” he conceded, “but just for a couple of hours.”

Nikki reached over, giving him a playful punch on the arm. “You’re the best, Bucky.”

Fortunately for him, ten minutes later, the pair of you were done with your laundry and he was left to sit in relative silence with his book, wondering just how much he was going to regret agreeing to go out with you.

(A lot. The answer was a lot.)

He opted to meet you all at the bar about half an hour after everyone got there, managing to slip in unnoticed and take up at the bar, out of the way, but able to keep an eye on things, watching you on the dancefloor. That was why he was there; he was just making sure no one harassed you or tried to ruin your night. But he didn’t stay undiscovered for long.

You smiled as your eyes met his, leaning against the bar, waiting for your drink. He watched, not sure whether to be impressed or concerned as you knocked back a tequila shot and washed it down with a mouthful of beer. Your nose wrinkled at the taste, but he didn’t say anything until you purposefully looked his way again.

“What?” You asked him, noticing how he was watching you.

“What?” He repeated.

You moved closer to his side, your smile widening.

“You were watching me.”

“It’s just - you’re really not what I thought,” he told you, awkwardly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

His stomach knotted the moment you started to frown, it was almost enough to make him wince.

“You’re just... you’re not like other omegas,” The moment he said it, Bucky seemed to realise how it sounded. Grimacing, he fumbled over an explanation. “I mean, you’re different from other omegas and tonight you just seem - I don’t know, I just feel like I’m seeing a new side of you.”

Your eyebrow rose and you just stared at him, lost for words.

“I’m sorry,” he tried again, “It’s just been a long time since I -”

“Talked to another human being?” You offered before cracking a smile.

“Yeah, something like that,” he said, giving a little smile of his own and falling silent.

He hoped that the conversation was over and that you’d return to the dancefloor, but you didn’t. Instead you stood right there, carrying on the awkward silence until the song changed and you had a terrible idea.

“D’you maybe wanna come dance?” You offered and he quickly flashed you a look that could only be described as pure fear. He shook his head, watching in horror as you reached for his arm and started to tug. You knew you couldn’t move him, but that didn’t stop you from trying. “C’mon, stop being a party-pooper.”

He let you struggle for a moment, hoping beyond hope that you’d get bored but, when you didn’t, he let out a sigh and knocked back his beer before getting to his feet. 

Your grin spread from ear to ear as you tugged him onto the dancefloor, ignoring the fact that his expression was stuck somewhere between amused and terrified. He didn’t dance. In fact, he pretty much just stood there awkwardly  until you grabbed his arms and forced some movement into his body, all while biting your lip and trying to stifle your laughter.

After a couple of songs he let you pull him back towards the bar with everyone else for another round of shots, chasing your tequila with beer again. He tried to take the opportunity to slink back to his seat, but the moment he started edging away, your arm wrapped around his, forcing him into the conversation.

When everyone returned to the dancefloor, you pulled him along with you, your hand dropping to hold his and squeezing tighter.

The music got more lively as the night went on and, as the bar started to fill, you found yourself moving closer and closer, until your body was pressed against his.

You barely seemed to notice your proximity to him, but Bucky noticed. His arm moved around your waist, keeping you safe from being jostled by other dancers and making sure the other alphas around knew that you were off-limits. He watched you as you lost yourself in the music and enjoyed the night.

At some point your hand ended you on his chest, and you were close enough that every sway of your hips had you brushing against him. Despite how crowded the room was, all he could smell was your sweet scent.

Every slow, deep breath he took, trying to keep himself in check, made it worse. And, when you leaned against him completely, looking up at him, he almost lost his mind.

“D’you want to get out of here?” You asked him.

The rational part of his mind told him that you meant you wanted to go home; the club was noisy and full, and it was probably wreaking havoc on your sensitive omega senses but, for a moment, he dared to hope that it meant more.

“Sure,” he told you with a smile.

As you made your way outside, he kept his arm around you, helping you navigate the crowd until you were finally outside in the cool night air. You decided to walk home and Bucky was honestly glad of the relative quiet of the New York streets versus the noise of the bar, and he was happy to walk side by side with you, only sparing you the occasional glance and smile.

“What?” You asked when you caught one of those smiles.

“Nothing,” he shook his head.

You nudged him with your elbow. “Tell me.”

“I was just thinking about the first time we met,” he explained, shaking his head, “you were so timid.”

“That was before I got to know you,” you shrugged. “I thought you were just the grumpy alpha who lived across the hall.”

“Grumpy?” He looked at you, offended.

“Very grumpy,” you smiled.

“And now?”

You looked at him, shyly biting your lip and fighting back a smile.

“Still deciding,” you answered playfully.

Bucky held the door open for you as you made your way into your building, grinning and giggling as you both boarded the elevator to the fourth floor.

It wasn’t long before you came to a stop outside of your apartment, and he watched you, waiting for you to open the door and slip inside, wanting to know that you were home safe and sound. 

Instead you looked at him for a moment before surging forward and pressing your lips to his. You lingered for a few seconds while he was completely paralysed by shock. When you pulled back, you bit your lip nervously, obviously forcing yourself to maintain eye contact while Bucky came to terms with what you’d just done.

“You’ve been drinking,” he said softly, and it was hard to tell if he was trying to let you down gently, or trying to talk himself out of doing something he might regret.

“Not a lot,” you answered, rising up to press another kiss to the corner of his mouth while your hands gripped his jacket.

“I don’t want to do anything you’ll regret...”

“I won’t regret it. I’ve wanted this for weeks,” you told him, pressing against him and feeling his arm slip around your waist. “Ever since I first caught your scent in the hallway... I thought it was gonna trigger my heat...”

A low rumble sounded in the back of his throat and the arm around your waist pulled tighter.

“Are you sure you want this?” He asked, this time not bothering to hide the way he was breathing in your sweet scent, the smell that had been haunting him for weeks.

You looked up, your pupils already dilated with arousal, staring at him in a way that had his last shred of control fraying completely. You bit your lip as you nodded, and that was all he needed from you.

Bucky fumbled for his keys, barely loosening his hold on you as he led you into his apartment, turning to kiss you the second the door was shut. He groaned as you whimpered against his lips, eagerly pressing against him, clinging to his jacket as he picked you up and carried you towards his bedroom. The kiss broke and your face pressed against his neck, letting out another little moan as you inhaled his scent.

His arms tightened around you, his alpha instincts desperate to take over, as he sat on the edge of his bed, you on his lap. He kissed you again, groaning against your lips as he felt your hips starting to rock against his. After shrugging out of his jacket and pulling off his gloves, he started to pull open your blouse, his hands trailing over every newly exposed inch of skin.

Your hands tugged at his shirt, urging it up over his head, and his heart almost stopped when he saw the way you were looking at him, drinking in the sight of him. You ran a hand down his chest and over the defined ridges of his abs before reaching the buckle of his belt. Looking up, you held his gaze as you slowly unbuckled him and started to work on the fastening.

Another noise sounded in the back of his throat, something barely restrained, something that wanted, needed. And you didn’t disappoint. Your hand slipped into his jeans and wrapped around his cock, pulling it out so you could start to stroke it. His breath caught when your eyes met his, glassy with need, your omega instincts starting to take control. You kissed him again, desperate and eager, as your hand worked up and down the length of his cock.

You surprised him when you pulled away, when you dropped to your knees in front of him and started to tug his pants and boxers down. Bucky lifted himself, helping you drag them down to his ankles.

He wanted to say something, wanted to tell you how perfect you looked as you looked up at him, as your hand gripped his cock again, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead he reached for you, cupping your cheek tenderly before letting his fingers slip down to your neck to ghost over your mating gland. A soft moan escaped you and there was a palpable spike in your arousal, the whole room seeming to fill with your sweet scent. 

Bucky breathed deeply, taking it all in, letting out a groan of his own when he realised there was another scent in the air; the tart scent of your slick.

Before he could even think, you started to nuzzle against his thigh gland, rubbing yourself against him scenting him while also coating yourself in his musk. You were giving yourself to him so completely, and there was nothing more arousing to him.

Your hand started to move again, slipping up and down his cock, causing a pearly glob of precum to form on his tip, and he about damn-near lost his mind when you leaned forward to lick it up. His tip continued to leak as you looked up at him through your lashes and started to take him into your mouth.

The tart smell of slick only seemed to get thicker as you started to suck him, slowly taking more and more of him into your mouth, until he felt himself nudge the back of your throat. Your eyes watered but remained fixed on his, lips pulling back before sinking down again.

It wasn’t until his head dropped back that Bucky realised his mistake.

You moved so suddenly, your lips pulling away from him, your hand reaching for your boot.

He saw the knife just in time to stop it from piercing his chest, his vibranium arm catching your wrist and twisting it. 

You struggled against him, jaw clenched, any sign of arousal now completely gone from your face despite the way the smell of it still hung in the air.

“What the fuck?” He demanded, gripping you tight.

You didn’t answer save for letting out a sound of indignation and anger, pure rage on your face as you struggled against him. He wasn’t going to let you go until he got some answers, until he figured out just what the fuck was going on.

But you threw a punch, then another, first catching him on the cheek before getting him square in the nose. It was enough of a distraction to cause him to loosen his grip, and that was all you needed.

Pulling away, you sprinted from his room. He tried to follow after and almost tripped, running and pulling his pants up as he went. 

You left his apartment and darted into your own, locking the door behind you. 

By the time he’d kicked the door down, you were already halfway down the fire escape. He climbed out of the window, ready to follow, watching as you had to jump down to the street below, falling awkwardly. He started after you but then he stopped, knowing that there was nothing he could do; despite the hour, there were too many people around, and if a sweet little omega like you started screaming about the big scary alpha, no one was going to believe his side of things.

Swearing under his breath, he turned and headed back to his apartment, pulling out his phone. One way or another, he was going to find you and he was going to find out what the fuck was going on. 

End Note : anyone new to my fics... sorry for the twist, it's just what I do 😅 So, yeah, this is my first time writing omegaverse and my first time writing Bucky. It's set post Falcon and the Winter Solider and post blip. Will I follow canon strictly? Probably not. Anyway, if you've read this far, thanks so much for checking this out! I don't have a set upload schedule for this fic, but I'm going to try to update it at least once a month.

If you'd like to be tagged in future chapters, let me know!

[one-time-i-dreamt]

Neil Gaiman made a Tumblr post where he said that you only truly realize your book is successful when you find omegaverse fics of it.

[kim-jongin-s]

svt fic recs (mostly nc-17; jeongcheol, verkwan, minwon + other)

JEONGCHEOL

"fuckme.mp3 (a smash hit)". au, underground rapper!sc. oneshot, 2k. nc-17.

It's all thanks to Hansol, really.

"calibration". omegaverse: alpha!sc, omega!jh. oneshot, 2k. nc-17.

“…can tell he really wants you,” Hansol is saying, somewhere nearby, except for a minute it doesn’t smell like Hansol, and Seungcheol blinks, confused, until he sees who’s following Hansol into the room and stops caring about anything else.

"a thousand degrees tonight". oneshot, 3.6k. nc-17.

The novelty has yet to wear off, knowing that he can have someone as strong and sure and dependable as Seungcheol like this- unfocused, needy. Desperate for him.

"babysitting gone wrong". au, babysitter!jh. oneshot, 4k. nc-17.

In which, Jeonghan gets hired to babysit the youngest Choi for the night but ends up sitting on the meaty thick thighs of the eldest Choi sibling.

"amour". au, vampire!sc. oneshot, 7.7k. nc-17. (check out the prequels to fully enjoy this one.)

At some point, Seungcheol had found himself with a collection of all the small, intimate noises that Jeonghan had made for him tucked away in a secret part of his heart.

"praying at your altar". modern royalty!au: bodyguard!sc, prince!jh. oneshot, 8.6k. nc-17.

Above all, the prince is precious.

"stay here with me". au, psychologist!sc. 5 chapters, 31k. r. ♡♡

Eight months after his younger sister's death, Jeonghan is struggling. Barely hanging on. He's tired. Lonely. Wishing he could find one therapist that understands his niece. Then he makes an appointment with newly graduated child psychologist Choi Seungcheol.

VERKWAN

"one day we're gonna get". oneshot, 1.6k. nc-17.

“Come on! As if you don’t know I look at you!” Hansol’s eyes are wide, exasperated. His tone is teasing. His grip on Seungkwan’s arm is so tight.

He’s scared that Seungkwan doesn’t believe it, Seungkwan can tell.

"one pound of flesh". historical!au, omegaverse: omega!sk, alpha!vn. oneshot, 4.5k. nc-17.

A strange marriage, to an even stranger alpha.

"sinking/floating". omegaverse: omega!sk, omega!vn. twoshot, 12k. nc-17.

Hansol presents late. Seungkwan is right there to guide him through it.

"left where the daylight comes". regency!au, omegaverse: omega!sk, alpha!vn. twoshot, 50k. nc-17. ♡♡♡♡♡

“Our dear Seungkwan is engaged to be mated to Alpha Park by the end of the summer season!” Seungkwan’s mother says, cheerily.

The delicate porcelain cup shatters under the force of Hansol’s hand.

"easily (like do re mi)". au, teacher!sk, single parent!vn. 5 chapters, 53k. pg-13.

As a single father, Hansol tends to worry too much.

Then, comes Boo Seungkwan, a kindergarten teacher that occupies Hansol’s mind more than he knows what to do with.

MINWON

"don't mention it". omegaverse: alpha!ww, alpha!mg. oneshot, 2k. nc-17. ♡

Mingyu's preferred person to spend his rut with may not be the most evident choice.

"the trials and tribulations of being accidentally bonded". college!au, omegaverse: omega!ww, alpha!mg. oneshot, 41k. r.

Jeon Wonwoo was supposed to be a Beta. He was also supposed to hate a certain Kim Mingyu with all his might. But, then again, who says life couldn't roughly take you in the ass without preparation?

OTHER

"we". wonwoo/seokmin/mingyu. oneshot, 15k. nc-17.

“Hyung, would you ever want to have a threesome?”

"love so tender (you are my)". chanhan. omegaverse: beta!jh, omega!dn. twoshot, 16k. nc-17.

Jeonghan is good at being in the middle. Extreme emotions are not really his forte. So he is grateful to be born as a beta. Less drama, easier.

Then he meets Lee Chan.

"over and over again". seoksoon. soulmate!au. oneshot, 19k. r.

Soonyoung has the easiest time finding his soulmate - running into him in the hallway at age nine kind of speeds things along. Nothing after that, though, is anywhere near as simple.

[honeyhotteoks]

this night together - chapter eight (j.yh + s.mg)

chapter eight: just what friends are for

chapter summary: a new set of friends help you through heat and this time it just works like clockwork

warnings: this is a full smut-a-thon. specific tags for: heat, knotting, and other a/b/o dynamics, gratituous use of 'alpha' and 'omega', fingering, thigh riding, oral (f receiving), use of sex toys / dildos, frank conversations about sex and heat, praise praise praise, light degradation, alpha on alpha action which means m/m pairing here, not just them helping reader, so much cum including the artificial kind.....

notes: thank you all so much for your patience!! next chapter is in progress, but tbd on post date.

pairings: alpha!yunho x alpha!mingi x omega!reader for the core fic overall, but this chapter is alpha!seonghwa x alpha!san x omega!wooyoung x omega!reader

genre: smut, a/b/o/omegaverse, angst, fluff, romance, polyamory

word count: 16.8k

previous chapter | next chapter | AO3

Unlike your last heat, this time you sleep through the night. Despite the ache in your hips and the hot flashes that leave you kicking off your covers, you stay deep in sleep with the comforting scent of another omega near you. You don’t start to wake properly until morning, with the sun peeking through the gaps in the curtains. 

For a moment, just a sliver of a second, you forget where you are. A little jolt running up your spine as you feel a warm body underneath you, but then you see his tan skin and mop of black hair and remember you’re with Wooyoung and you’re safe. You let yourself relax again, cheek once again on his shoulder and you take a deep, steady breath. The warm summer sun washes through you at his scent, and your busy mind seems to quiet back down. He’s still sleeping, head turned to the side away from you and mouth open, the room silent except for the tiny little catches in the back of his throat that indicate he’s still deep in sleep. 

At some point in the night your bodies became further tangled up together, that’s the first thing you really notice. You’re almost entirely on top of him, lounging across him like he’s a body pillow, with one leg hitched over his thigh and your face buried in his chest. The second thing you notice is how tight your stomach is and how hard your nipples feel pressed up against the rough fabric of your shirt. 

Wooyoung groans a little, stretching under you as he stretches into his morning, and you’re doing just fine until his leg shifts and suddenly you’re pressed firmly against his thigh. 

It’s almost embarrassing how apparent the wet patch in your underwear is, just the sensation of something warm pressing up against your slick core leaving your body responding in seconds. Your nipples harden further and your back aches a little, but you stay as still as you can and exhale softly, trying to disguise how shaky and needy you feel in your gut. 

Wooyoung grumbles something, his head tossing to the opposite side, and you feel his arm close over your back, “Hey, cuddle bug,” 

It cuts the tension immediately, and you laugh against his chest, “Sorry, I know I kind of attached in the night,” 

“It’s fine,” His hand smooths up and down over your back and you press your eyes closed to ignore the throbbing you’re starting to feel. He yawns above you, “It’s good you slept,” 

“Mhm,” You nod against his chest. 

“Are you feeling okay?” He checks. 

“Very, very comfortable,” You tell him, and that’s partially true. 

“It’s the nest,” He yawns again, “I swear my heats are like ten times better here,” 

“I think it’s more you,”

“Nah,” Wooyoung ruffles your hair, “it’s the bamboo cooling sheets, I know all the tricks,” 

He makes you laugh softly again, but this time he shifts under you completely to adjust his position underneath you and when he brings his leg up, pushing his thigh against your core harder, your fingers tighten on his arms and you can’t help the soft moan that escapes from your lips. 

He freezes entirely, the room quiet. 

“S-sorry,” You exhale tightly, starting to push yourself up from your nestled place on his chest so you can try and find his eyes and see how uncomfortable this is about to be. 

“Why didn’t you say?” His hands slip under the hem of your shirt, stroking the bare skin of your lower back. 

“Let me,” As much as you don’t want to, you start to push your body up and away from him, but he catches you in his arms and brings you back down to his chest, “Woo,” 

“Do you like kissing?” He asks out of nowhere, his hand pushing into your hair and guiding your gaze to his. 

“What?” You blink. 

“You’re so tense,” He studies your face, applying a little pressure where he holds you to guide you back down into a fully comfortable position, “it’s just me,” 

“But,” You say, words falling flat. You don’t have a reason why or an explanation, it’s just that his hands on you like this is so unexpected. You called Seonghwa, you expected Seonghwa, Wooyoung nestled between your thighs is a wild card. 

“Shh,” He soothes you, hand splaying wide on your skin, “relax, babe, it’s only me,” 

You can barely move, your stomach clenching painfully and your clit all but throbbing against him. You’ve never had sex with another omega, certainly not in heat, but something about his scent and his comforting tone and his hot thigh against your cunt is making the idea of a knot fade from your mind. 

“You really are so pretty,” He smiles, his opposite hand shifting lower to slip under the elastic of your sleep pants, “and you smell so delicious,” 

“Y-Yeah?” 

His hand bypasses the hem of your underwear too and he cups your ass, “Like something sugary,” 

“Honey,” You murmur, the briefest flash of Mingi’s mouth on your throat in your mind’s eye. 

“That’s it,” Wooyoung nods, his voice a soft murmur when he says, “do you taste like honey too?” 

You sigh, hazy feeling against him, warmth in your cheeks. 

“Can I kiss you? Or would that be too weird?” Wooyoung slowly drags you up a little so he can reach your mouth a little better in his reclined position, but he doesn’t move to lock his lips to yours. 

It sounds like it should be weird, especially given how well things turned out between you and Yunho and Mingi, but something about Wooyoung just deflates all the pressure in the room and you’ve never felt more comfortable. 

You nod, and he gathers you close so that you’re laying fully over him. 

“Did you sleep well?” He murmurs softly, nuzzling your nose with his and pressing the briefest, featherlight kiss to your lips. 

“Yeah,” You breathe, your eyes slipping closed as he nuzzles you again. 

“You seem good too,” He comments, letting his lips travel along your jaw until he finds your earlobe and gives it a gentle tug with his teeth. 

Your body twitches in response and you nod against his head. 

“Not in pain?” He checks, his hand once again slipping inside your sleep pants to cup your bare backside. 

“N-not right now,” You murmur. 

“Good,” His lips press against yours, a little longer this time. His lips are so warm, and he alternates between steady kisses and nuzzles, just getting you used to the feeling of his mouth on yours. 

All the while, your body melts down, muscles relaxing one by one. 

Wooyoung sighs warmly against you, his next kiss a little more open, coaxing your mouth to follow. Your stomach erupts in needy little butterflies, and then his tongue is in your mouth. 

“Oh,” You sigh pleasantly and he wraps his arms tighter around you. 

“You feel so good,” He groans, his hands searching your skin under your clothes. 

“S-so do you,” You stammer, your words whispered in the barely there space between you. 

The air is starting to feel thicker around you, warm and hazy, but your body shivers like there’s a chill in the room and you know it’s your heat running you hot and cold. Wooyoung reaches for the comforter, pulling it up and over the two of you so that you’re wrapped tighter in the building warmth. Your hips buck softly as he nips your lip and he nods. 

“Yeah?” He murmurs between kisses and caresses, “How do you feel?” 

Your brain is feeling buzzy and hot and you smile against his mouth, “Fucking horny,” 

He laughs, cupping your cheek as he kisses you again, this time deeper and laden with so much innuendo you think you might just come on the spot. 

You moan into his mouth, and slowly he raises his knee and plants his foot, effectively angling his thigh perfectly right between yours so that you’re straddling him tightly, every rock of your bodies just forcing your cunt closer to him. 

“Come on,” He urges you softly, pressing his hand into your hip and coaxing you into it. 

You follow this press of his hands and push your hips forwards, moaning into him immediately. “Fuck,” You pant against his cheek. 

“Yeah?” He chuckles, dragging your hips back and forth again, coaxing you into a rhythm. 

You nod, lips falling away from his as you collapse over him, eyes slipping closed as you bury your face into the side of his neck. He smells heavenly, and you let that sensation wrap around you as you continue canting your hips and dragging yourself back and forth across his thigh. You can feel the heat radiating off him even through the layers of fabric between you, his sleep pants, yours, and your panties, and you’re sure that you’re soaking through them with every grind of your hips. 

Your head is getting cottony as pleasure starts arcing up your spine, and you feel Wooyoung hold you closer, his lips against your ear. You hear something squeak behind you, and feel the air in the room change, but you don’t stop, you just keep rolling your hips and finding solace in his arms. 

Wooyoung murmurs something, but you don’t quite catch it and you make a soft noise to get him to repeat himself but he doesn’t. The comforter moves from its position draped over you, and the bed shifts. Your hips stop and you blink your eyes open, realizing that you’re not alone in the room anymore. The comforter still covers both of you from the waist down, but anyone could surely tell what you and Wooyoung were doing. 

“Morning,” Seonghwa’s warm, low alpha tone sends a shiver up your spine. 

“Hey,” Wooyoung keeps his voice quiet too, his fingers tracing up and down your back. 

“Everything okay in here?” Seonghwa asks. 

“Mhm,” Wooyoung’s hand slips out of your sleep pants and rests casually on your hip, “we just woke up,” 

“Did she sleep through the night?” He sounds a little surprised. 

“Mhm,” Wooyoung replies. 

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Seonghwa’s voice is soothing, and you sigh when his hand smooths over your hair, “I heard you rustling around and wanted to make sure you weren’t in any pain,” 

“I’m okay,” You assure him, your eyes already getting heavy at the feeling of them both touching you. 

Wooyoung’s thigh tenses between yours and you let out a little shuddering breath. 

“You don’t sound very okay,” Seonghwa murmurs, and your body responds to his tone in a second with a rush of morning slick. Wooyoung chuckles under you at the growing wet patch on his sweats. 

“Don’t laugh,” You slap his chest lightly, “I’m in heat, I can’t help it,” 

“What’s funny?” Seonghwa asks, a smile in his voice. 

“Oh, nothing,” You can practically see the grin on his face, “just one second of you playing sexy concerned alpha and she’s slicking all over me,” 

“Woo!” You press your eyes closed, blush lighting up your neck and cheeks. 

“Don’t tease her like that,” Seonghwa tuts, “that’s not nice,” 

“Maybe she likes not nice,” Wooyoung smirks. 

“Will you two stop that,” You groan, and it feels like even though you’re not getting any friction, the pressure against your clit alone is enough to make the bubble in your belly grow and grow, “I was so close,” 

You don’t mean for your voice to sound so needy, but it does. 

Seonghwa’s alpha responds immediately, and even though you hear Wooyoung chuckle again, he keeps his mouth shut this time. Seonghwa shushes you, pulling back the comforter completely so he can see the way you two are tangled together and then he gets closer, “Oh, jagiya, I’m sorry, let me help,” 

A soft whine leaves you as he takes you in his hands and lifts you away from Wooyoung’s chest. 

“Can you take your bottoms off for me, or do you need a little help, darling?” Seonghwa’s body being so close is making your mind do little somersaults, but you still have control over yourself well enough to shift on the bed and reach for your waistband. 

It’s an awkward position, poised over Wooyoung while Seonghwa holds you in his arms, but Wooyoung reaches out and helps drag your sleep pants off, catching your underwear with his thumbs to pull them away too. 

“Wow,” Wooyoung breathes as your panties pull away, revealing just how slick and puffy you are. 

“That better be a good wow,” You sigh, letting your head fall back onto Seonghwa’s waiting shoulder. 

“Oh, it definitely is,” Wooyoung says, moving around underneath you to kick off his own sleep pants. 

Seonghwa reaches around you then, his hand coming to close over your sex, and then he hums pleasantly, “What a lovely omega, you are,” 

You shudder at his praise, hips pressing down to feel more of his hand, hoping that he’ll slip his fingers inside, but he simply drags his hand up and away and leaves you pulsing with desire. 

“Oh, god,” You groan, “please someone do something,” 

Wooyoung reaches up for you, gathering you back down and Seonghwa supports your slow descent as you get back into position over Wooyoung’s thigh. This time the sensation is instant, his hot skin under yours, and your mind instantly curls back into hazy pleasure with the first rock of your hips. 

“Perfect,” Seonghwa hums, “look at you two,” 

Wooyoung drags your hips along, but laughs sharply at Seonghwa, “Relax, alpha,” he punctuates the word with his tone, “I know this is like, your wet dream, but listen to her… she needs to come,” 

You do, you really, really do. You don’t know what will get you there, but so far you’re dancing on the edge of your pleasure but unable to fully grasp it. Wooyoung feels hot and perfect beneath you, and Seonghwa is saying all the right things to delight the primal part of your brain, but every time you feel close to the edge you fall away from it. 

Frustrated tears gather in your eyes and you bite down on your cheek to keep from crying out in equal irritation at yourself and your body. 

“Hush,” Seonghwa soothes you, his hands sweeping up and down your bare back, “we’re right here, darling,” 

“I can’t,” You work your hips faster against Wooyoung’s thigh, “I’m so…” 

“Tell us what you need, babe,” Wooyoung’s hand dips under your shirt, finding your breast and softly teasing your nipple. 

You moan sharply as pleasure bubbles through you, not quite there but close, “Kiss me, please, please,” 

His mouth is on yours in a second, tongue against yours and everything just hot pants between you both.

Seonghwa’s hands squeeze your hips and you moan as he talks you through it, “That’s it, omega, make yourself come, fuck Youngie’s pretty thigh,” 

You choke out a tight cry into Wooyoung’s mouth. 

“You’re so close,” Seonghwa continues, “so wet, pretty girl,” 

“Oh fuck, fuck,” You fall away from Wooyoung’s mouth, dropping your forehead to his, your hips picking up the pace just a bit, just enough to get you there. 

Wooyoung groans at the sight of you, pushing your hair out of your faces and holding you against him, nodding against your sweat slick skin, “Come,” 

“I’m,” You choke, “I’m…” 

Seonghwa’s hands coast over you, and his next words undo you, “I can’t wait to bury myself in that sweet cunt,” 

Your hips snap forward, your orgasm crashing into you like a wall and you collapse against Wooyoung as it takes you under. Seonghwa reaches his hand around your shuddering thighs and pushes his fingers between your dripping folds and Wooyoung’s slick leg, locating your clit with ease and working his hand fast back and forth to prolong your orgasm. 

You squeak, eyes slamming shut, gripping down on Wooyoung’s shoulders and you’d fall to the side if it weren’t for the two of them holding you steady through the crash of pleasure. 

“That’s it, that’s it,” Seonghwa hums. 

“Oh my god, oh, yes babe,” Wooyoung peppers kisses over your face as your shakes start to transform into little trembling rushes, “mm, I bet that felt so good, didn’t it?” 

You’re nodding, just now coming to the realization that Seonghwa’s hands aren’t between your thighs anymore, you’ve just been dragging your throbbing clit back and forth lazily over Wooyoung’s leg until you’re sated. Your body slows, now just trembling in the afterglow. They’re touching you still, just softly, a lazy bit of aftercare in the morning sun and you sigh across Wooyoung’s chest. 

“Good morning,” Seonghwa chuckles. 

“It is a good morning,” You grin, your head feeling decidedly less foggy after the orgasm and you hide your face in Wooyoung’s chest for a second as you laugh. 

“So ridiculous,” Wooyoung kisses your shoulder and laughs with you, his leg sliding to straighten and effectively dropping you down closer to the bed. 

With a sigh you roll off him and cover your face with your hands, “That was so nice,” 

“You might not even need me,” Seonghwa hums, a little playful pout in his voice as he prods your hip. 

You drop your hands instantly and reach for him, “Mm, Hwa don’t be jealous, I literally woke up on top of him,” 

“Like a clingy space heater,” Wooyoung jokes and you slap his arm. 

Seonghwa smiles, easing himself down next to you both and propping his head up on one hand, “Feeling alright?” 

“I’m so good now,” You confess. 

Wooyoung chuckles and snuggles up to your back, tucking you into him again and taking his hand to tangle your fingers together. 

“Mm,” Seonghwa sighs, brushing Wooyoung’s hair back from his cheek as he looks down at you both, “this really is such a nice surprise,” 

“Mhm,” 

“I think we should get you a nice big breakfast,” Seonghwa smiles, “are you hungry?” 

“A little,” 

Wooyoung’s hand slips out of yours and dips under your oversized shirt, closing over your belly, “Hungry for food?” 

“Shush,” You elbow him. 

“I don’t know,” He nuzzles you, “you seemed pretty insatiable this morning,” 

Blush flushes your cheeks. 

“Maybe you need more,” He nips at your ear and you gasp. 

Reason floods your mind though, and you shake your head, “Woo, no,” 

He stills immediately and angles up to look at you, “What’s up?”

“Can we just talk first? Before this gets messy?” You ask, “Well, messier,” 

His hands are off you in any suggestive way a moment later, and Seonghwa slides off the bed to locate your sleep pants and pass them over to you, “Let’s go make breakfast together and talk,” 

“Okay, good, yes,” You pull on your sleep pants and ease yourself off the bed, Seonghwa’s hand sliding to your arm like a magnet. 

“What are you in the mood for?” Wooyoung pulls open the door to the bedroom, injecting the nest with a cold flush of air and you shiver at the way the feeling of the room changes when you’re not holed up in a mix of their scents. 

“Do you have any fruit?” You ask him, “something light?” 

He nods, “Hwa, can I take care of the food this time?” 

“Sure,” He steps closer to your back, hands not quite holding you, but resting on you in whatever way he can. 

Wooyoung disappears into the kitchen, pulling out various ingredients from the fridge and a cutting board from the cupboard. You notice immediately that he’s quick with a knife, easily dicing up the food, and it’s a little mesmerizing to watch the way he works. Seonghwa watches too, a fond smile on his lips. 

“So,” Seonghwa finally says, turning towards you, “what’s on your mind?”

You ease back onto the living room sofa and tuck your legs in, “I just feel like we’re supposed to talk about this,” 

“It’s a good idea,” Wooyoung assures you, dropping off a plate of expertly cut fruit and glasses of ice water. 

“Mm,” Seonghwa nods, popping a strawberry in his mouth, “we’ve been doing this for so long together I think we forget a bit how familiar we already are,” 

“How long has it been?” You reach for the plate of fruit but Seonghwa pushes your hands away with a soft sound. 

You watch as he piles a plate high with an assortment for you, “Two years? Three?” 

“Three,” Wooyoung says from the kitchen, “y/n, do you want any coffee?”

You shake your head, “Not this morning, thank you,” 

“What about you?” Seonghwa prompts. 

“My heats?” You clarify. 

“Mhm,” He turns towards you fully, listening and attentive, “what about you?” 

Wooyoung takes the seat on the sofa across from you and drops a coffee in front of Seonghwa. 

“Outside of Yunho and Mingi, I’ve never really done the whole casual heat sex thing,” You explain, “I was never very comfortable with it,” 

“I get that,” Wooyoung nods, taking a bite of melon, “it’s hard to know who to trust,” 

“All the time,” You agree with ease. 

Seonghwa frowns, “I wish it weren’t that way,” 

“I know,” Wooyoung shrugs, “but not all alphas are as nice as you and Sannie, that’s just the truth,” 

A shiver runs up your back, you know that all too well and so does Wooyoung. Sometimes not as nice just means pretty words at night and a cold bed in the morning, but sometimes not as nice means so much more. You wonder how many shared experiences you and Wooyoung have had over the course of your lives as omegas. 

Seonghwa’s jaw jumps tightly, his hand on the table pressing into a loose fist and you can feel the tense stress of him at the idea. 

“I hope,” Seonghwa swallows and then looks to you, “that at least San and I have never made you feel uncomfortable,” 

“Never,” You answer fast. 

“And everyone else at the office is,” He trails off, looking to Wooyoung for a little help, “that’s not a problem at work is it?” 

Wooyoung shakes his head and keeps eating, treating this whole sudden twist of the conversation so casually, “I get looks sometimes, you know, but no it’s not a problem,” 

“Agreed,” You take a bite of your breakfast too, “looks I can deal with,” 

“I’m sorry,” Seonghwa says quietly. 

“It’s not your fault,” You shake your head, “but this is why I haven’t really gotten out much. Honestly, I hope you know that it means a lot to me that I felt comfortable enough to call you. Think about that, not the bad stuff,” 

“She’s right,” Wooyoung sips his coffee, “but you know the other thing that just sucks but is true?” 

“Hmm?” You pull your eyes away from Seonghwa to look at him. 

“Alphas will just leave you alone when they know you’re even rumored to be with another alpha,” Wooyoung says, “I haven’t had to deal with any shit in so long and that’s all Sannie and you,” 

“I hate that,” Seonghwa grumbles. 

“It’s true though,” You shrug, and then a thought occurs to you, “wait,” 

They do, glancing between each other as you gather your thoughts. 

“Could you tell I had been with Yunho and Mingi?” You ask, a little afraid of the answer, “if I hadn't told you, would you have known anyways?” 

“Not in the way you’re thinking,” Seonghwa says, “I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. I couldn’t tell until we were close together during dance practice, and even then it wasn’t like I caught a specific person’s scent, we were never close enough for that. It was more just the feeling that you weren’t…. unscented?” 

“Mm,” You bite the inside of your cheek, thinking it through. 

“Relax,” Wooyoung squeezes your hand, “stressing about things you can’t control isn’t going to make your heat any easier,” 

“I can’t help it,” 

“Here,” Seonghwa pushes back his chair and reaches for you, “come sit with me a second, I can feel you worrying from here,” 

You shift over from your chair and follow the guidance of his hands until you’re settled in his lap. It should feel awkward, but it doesn’t and you don’t really spend any time worrying about that now that you’re wrapped up in an alpha’s warm arms. 

“Now,” Seonghwa’s hand strokes your thigh slowly, “we’re all friends here, right?” 

“Yes?” You twist to catch his eyes. 

“Then I just want you to relax,” He gives you a squeeze, “Woo and I will take care of you for the rest of the weekend, and on Monday or Tuesday when you go back to the studio everything will be fine. Yunho and Mingi will be whatever they are, but that isn’t your worry, that’s theirs.” 

“And us?” You ask softly. 

“We’ll be fine,” He says with ease, “y/n, listen, I don’t know what they said or didn’t say to you but I can guarantee it wasn’t clear.” 

You nod. 

“We’re friends, and Woo I’ll let you speak for yourself, but that’s all I’m interested in being. I’d like to help you this weekend, and then if in the future we end up sleeping together again? That’s fine, but as friends.” Seonghwa is so crystal clear you feel the floor giving under you. This is what you thought you had with Yunho and Mingi all those weeks ago, but in the face of actual clarity you can see how muddled and lost the three of you had been back then. 

“That’s…” You search for the words, “such a relief, honestly,” 

“Good,” Seonghwa smooths his thumb across the gland in your wrist. 

“Me too,” Wooyoung jumps in, “actual no strings attached friend sex is the best kind,” 

“You think so?” You shuffle back a little further onto Seonghwa’s lap. 

“I know so,” Wooyoung says, “actually just being yourself and then not spending fucking days anxiously waiting for a phone call? Yeah, it’s better,” 

“God, this is easier,” You sink back against Seonghwa’s chest and then glance at him, “is this okay?” 

“Yes,” He assures you, wrapping an arm around your middle and holding you to him, “it’s nice, actually.” 

“Does this mean we can spend the rest of the weekend in bed, then?” Wooyoung grins. 

“I guess it does,” You laugh. 

“y/n,” Seonghwa starts from behind you, shifting a little underneath you and you can hear the difference in his voice suddenly at the thought of bed, “are you still hungry?” 

“I don’t think so,” You murmur, deeply aware of the way his hands have started to shift to your hips. 

“I’m still a little hungry,” He confesses, and you watch as he starts to pull up the hem of your t-shirt, “starving actually,” 

“Oh,” You can already feel blush creeping up your cheeks. 

He lifts your shirt more, his hands brushing up and down your stomach gently as he lets you recline onto his chest, and then his fingers creep higher, just barely brushing the underside of your breasts, “Is this okay?” 

“Mhm,” You answer, breathy and tight. 

“Is this?” He lifts the shirt higher, dragging the material up over your bare breasts and drawing your nipples to attention. 

You manage a nod against his shoulder. 

“And this?” His thumb strokes over your nipple directly now. 

“Yes,” You shudder. 

Wooyoung sighs across the room, drawing your attention and you watch as he licks his lips, sliding his hand into his boxer briefs. When his hand starts to bob underneath the fabric you moan softly, gripping down on Seonghwa’s thigh under your hand. 

“Let’s go to bed,” Seonghwa kisses your temple and drops your shirt, “right now,” 

Instantly you’re aching, scrambling off his lap and ready to go wherever he’ll take you just as long as he keeps talking to you like that. 

Wooyoung whines quietly, pulling his hand back, but you’re on the sudden same page of needing to get to a bed and needing to get to one fast. 

Seonghwa pulls you along until you’re in the room again, and Wooyoung shuts the door behind you. Your head starts to get dizzy again with the heat and the warmth of them both, and Seonghwa only makes it worse when he tugs your shirt up over your head and palms your breast, “You’re so soft, jagi,” 

Your mouth runs dry, and once again Wooyoung pulls the tie on your sleep pants and tugs them off you as he kisses your bare shoulder. 

“Look at you,” Seonghwa hums appreciatively, “so very pretty,” 

Your body pulses, the tone of his voice and the warmth bubbling everything back up inside you fast, “Please,” 

“Lie back,” He maneuvers you to the bed, and you follow his instructions. 

Wooyoung eases down next to you, tossing off his own shirt as he does. 

“You’ve been slick all morning,” Seonghwa says as he descends over you, kissing across your jaw and down your neck, “do you know how badly I wanted to just bend you over?”

“F-fuck,” You choke, “alpha, please,” 

He widens your legs with one hand, settling himself lower over you as he teases you with his lips, tongue, teeth, enhancing every little sensation with his words, “You make such pretty sounds, I almost knotted you on the breakfast table,” 

“Oh my god,” Your back arches naturally, pressing yourself into him, “Hwa, oh my god,” 

“Shush,” Seonghwa kisses down your bare chest, nuzzling your sternum as his hand starts to travel from its place near your knee up your inner thigh, creeping dangerously close to your core. 

“He’s good at this,” Wooyoung tells you softly, his fingers ever so gently teasing your pert nipple. 

“Woo,” Seonghwa sighs a breath of hot air across your belly, “leave a little to the imagination, hmm?” 

Wooyoung snorts, “Touchy,” 

Your body is starting to ache, neediness starting to curl open inside you and you huff softly, “I’m going to be touchy in a minute,” 

Seonghwa groans, “Don’t tell me I adopted another brat,” 

“I’m on my b-best behavior,” Your voice catches as his fingers finally part your slick folds, “but I am in heat.” 

“Yes, you are, aren’t you?” Seonghwa nips at your hip bone, his lips traveling to your inner thighs as he sinks to his knees between your splayed knees, “Positively aching,” 

“Oh,” You shiver, two of his fingers finally pushing inside your slick channel. 

“You’re not quite ready for a knot yet though,” He comments softly. 

“I know something that might help with that,” You smile, spreading your legs wider for him. 

“I bet you do,” Seonghwa’s eyebrow quirks, his hand pulling back and thrusting forward in a pulse, his thumb dragging warm circles over your clit. 

The reaction of your body is instantaneous, a quick rush of slick and a dizzy wash of pleasure up your spine as you let your head fall back into Wooyoung’s waiting palm. 

“Told you,” Wooyoung whispers, and he kisses you fast, trapping your laugh between your lips. 

Seonghwa grins, the pace of his hand perfect and sure and you’re already feeling the dizzy sparks of a building orgasm up your spine when the sharp sound of a doorbell brings you all out of it. You and Wooyoung break apart and his brows knit together in confusion, “Who’s here?” 

“No idea,” Seonghwa waits a moment, but then comes a knock. 

You’re shivering, feeling fucked already and you blink hard, wetting your lips and trying to shake off the cloudy feeling inside your brain. 

“Sorry,” Seonghwa gives you a face and slowly pulls his fingers from you, “let me just see what’s going on,” 

“Sure,” You sigh, watching as he jogs to the bathroom to rinse off his hands before getting to the door. 

“Woo,” Your hands reflexively cover yourself, “do you have something I can wear?” 

“Yeah, come here,” He pulls you to a sitting position and crosses the room for the robe hanging on the back of the door, long and dark gray and plush. 

As you wrap yourself up in it, Wooyoung tosses on a pullover and gives you a smile, communicating silently that you should just relax while he and Seonghwa go investigate. 

You flop back against the bedding and sigh, fighting the urge to squeeze your thighs together. You should check your phone, you should just suck it up and text Yunho and Mingi back, but before you get up the resolve you hear a new voice from the main room of the apartment. 

“Where have you been?” San. 

“Didn’t you get my voicemail?” Seonghwa asks. 

“I saw you called,” San says, and you pull yourself up from the bed to creep closer to the hall, “but you didn’t answer any of my texts,” 

“Right…” Seonghwa draws out, “because I called?”

“Sannie,” Wooyoung sighs, “we didn’t go missing, we’ve just been,” 

“Is your heat early?” San interrupts suddenly, “why didn’t you call me?” 

You creep around the doorframe just a little more and you smile when you see San cupping Wooyoung’s cheeks, Seonghwa all but rolling his eyes behind him. 

Wooyoung makes an annoyed noise and pushes his sometimes lover’s hands away, “We did call you, now will you listen for two seconds?” 

“If I knew you were in heat I would have come straight over,” San pushes forwards. 

“Well that’s nice,” Wooyoung disentangles himself and keeps an arm’s length between him and his alpha, “but Sannie, I’m not in heat. Not even a little,” 

“But,” San looks confused. 

You step out a little further into the room, arms wrapped around yourself even though the robe drowns you, “He’s not, but I am,” 

San snaps around with a start, “y/n!” 

“Hey, San,” You give him a small wave. 

“I didn’t know you were here,” He says. 

“I was trying to tell you,” Seonghwa laughs, “can’t you tell Wooyoungie’s scent from hers?” 

“Of course he can,” Wooyoung slaps Seonghwa across the arm, “ass.” 

San sputters, falling silent and his eyes narrowing a little at his friend, and it’s clear as crystal what the vibe between the three of them is, even when heat is concerned. 

“Speaking of heat,” Seonghwa meets your eyes from across their little dining room nook table that stands between you, them, and the kitchen, “are you alright? Should you be up?” 

“I’m fine, Hwa,” You assure him with a smile, taking a few more steps forwards and raising your arms as if to show him, “really, this one’s a lot easier.” 

San clears his throat and you can see him divert his eyes from you deliberately, a little blush up his cheeks, “So, this is why you haven’t been answering your phones,” 

“Pretty much,” Wooyoung laughs. 

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” He says, locking eyes with Seonghwa. 

“Sannie,” Seonghwa’s voice softens a little, and he gives him the smallest shake of the head. 

You can feel the disappointment coming off of San in waves, and you can’t quite place the source except to assume that this has always been their thing, not yours. Your mouth feels a little dry as you watch them silently communicate with each other, and you take the second to realize just how much your hips are aching, legs feeling heavy, and your cramps are still deeply uncomfortable no matter how much better they are from last time. Seonghwa edging you really hasn’t helped though, and now you’re starting to feel a little desperate for relief, sweat breaking out along your hairline. 

“It was kind of sudden,” Wooyoung jumps in between the two of them, smoothing over the moment of tension with ease, “right, y/n?” 

You nod, securing the robe around you a little more tightly, “I really…” you start with a breath, “I honestly didn’t mean to intrude on this.” You gesture to the three of them and take a few steps forward. It’s not like you can really offer to leave at this point, but it feels like all you can really say. 

San doesn’t let you feel those nerves for long though, his face clears and he shakes his head, “No, honestly, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. You’re not intruding, you know that,” 

Your hands rest on the back of one of the dining room chairs as you look between them, “As long as that’s true,” you worry your lip, “I had a hard enough time with Mingi and Yunho… if I ever did anything to hurt my friendship with you, I wouldn’t forgive myself.” 

“Don’t think like that,” Seonghwa assures you, “not with us,” 

“He’s right,” San nods, “I should have just listened to my voicemail,” 

“Good,” You sigh, “that’s good.” 

Wooyoung’s eyes flick over you and then he hums, “Do you want some tea, babe? You look a little pale,” 

You nod immediately, “That would be so perfect,” 

“I’ll get it,” Seonghwa stops Wooyoung as he moves towards the kitchen, “you both rest, I’ll take care of it,” 

Wooyoung grins, “I’m not in heat, I can help,” 

Seonghwa makes a noise and shrugs, “Just let me dote for a minute, would you?” 

Wooyoung laughs sharply in response and the tension dissipates just like that, San’s expression relaxing into an easy smile as he watches the exchange. 

“Thank you, Seonghwa,” You murmur, nudging Wooyoung in the ribs as you do. 

Seonghwa disappears around the corner into the kitchen and you hear the sound of the electric kettle start up, and San finally lets his bag drop to the floor and his shoulders relax as he says, “How are you doing, then?” 

“Good,” You smile, “much better than last time,” 

“Mm,” San nods, “I’m glad to hear it,” 

The silence stretches between you for a moment and then you find yourself asking without a second thought, “Did you go into the studio today?” 

None of you had any set schedules or meetings today, but San is there more days than not regardless of schedule. 

Wooyoung glances to you, knowing exactly what you’re asking but keeps his mouth shut. 

“This morning,” San nods, “I just left a little while ago and I was running some errands before I stopped over,” 

“Ah,” You nod, “how was it?” 

“The studio?” His brows knit together in confusion, “Same as always,” 

“Jesus,” Wooyoung rolls his eyes, “she’s asking if you saw Yunho and Mingi, if things were weird?” 

“They weren’t in,” San replies, and then things seem to click together, “do they know you’re here?” 

You shake your head, stomach twisting up in knots inside you. 

“Do you not want them to know?” San asks. 

“I… don’t really know,” You confess. 

“Well,” San shrugs, “I didn’t see them, but if I do see them later, I won’t mention you. You can decide what you want them to know and when.” 

“Thank you, San,” You murmur. 

The knotting nervousness in your stomach doubles at the thought that they didn’t go into work today, even just a little in the morning when you know they almost always do. Where were they? Were they looking for you? Wondering about you? Thinking of you? You picture Mingi at your apartment door, trying to explain to your roommates who he is and what he’s doing there and finding out that instead of being able to swoop in and take care of you… you’re gone. 

A cramp lights up your back and your hand flies to your stomach as you double over, jaw locked down tight at the sudden wave of discomfort. 

“Hey, easy, easy,” San has an arm around you instantly, holding you upright and supporting you better than the chair could, “you’re okay,” 

Your head rocks to the side, resting on his chest and you take a deep, necessary breath against the soft cotton of his t-shirt. He smells floral, the thought strikes you suddenly and starkly, more heady than most other alphas scents and you take another breath to let the scent of him wash over you. Jasmine hits you first, its sharp musk making you a little dizzy until you catch the underlying warmth of sandalwood. Your body relaxes into him naturally and he chuckles as he feels your trembling muscles unclench under his hands. 

“San,” You murmur into his chest, the sound muffled. 

“Hmm?” 

“Can you help me to the couch?” You lean into him. 

“Mhm,” He shifts and suddenly you’re in his arms entirely, “let’s sit,” 

“Hyung, how’s that tea?” Wooyoung calls into the kitchen, and you feel his soft hand coast down the length of your arm as he shifts past you and San to try and help. 

“Almost,” Seonghwa calls back, “she okay?” 

“I’m fine,” You tell the room, “it’s just a cramp,” 

“Here we go,” San says softly as he settles you down on the couch, “let me help,” 

He shifts to sit behind you, his hands finding your lower back and he presses into your aching spine with his thumbs, kneading and massaging perfect circles into your body. You sigh, the overwhelming relief flooding you as he helps take away the immediate sharp soreness of your hips. What your body needs is a knot, but this combined with the warm scents of both alphas is a start. 

Seonghwa returns a moment later, a mug of bright red tea in hand and he maneuvers the warm cup into your waiting fingers. 

“What’s this?” You ask, dipping your head to smell the steaming liquid. 

“Raspberry leaf,” He replies. 

“Don’t you drink this for your heat?” Wooyoung flops onto the other couch that faces yours and quirks an eyebrow. 

“Should I be?” You let the warm berry scent pass through you, the cup warming your chilly hands. 

“Yes?” Wooyoung shakes his head, looking almost appalled, “it really helps regulate your hormones, helps with intensity spikes, is an anti-inflammatory, and promotes fertility.” 

“Fertility isn’t really the goal here, Woo,” You snort. 

“It is if it means your cycle is easier to deal with,” He dismisses, “you’re now on a Wooyoung prescribed two cups a day,” 

“Fine, fine,” You take a gentle sip, testing the heat, “but I’m not drinking this because of your speech I’m drinking it because it smells good,” 

“Whatever you say, babe,” Wooyoung rolls his eyes, gesturing for you to drink up. 

San continues gently kneading your back as you take your first proper sip of the tea and Seonghwa settles on the sofa next to you. He brushes your hair back softly with his hand and gives you a smile, “After this, let’s get you back to bed,” 

You nod into your cup, “I’d like that,” 

“Do you normally spend your heats alone?” San asks, his hands slowing but still not lifting off your body, now just resting on your lower hips. 

“Usually,” You take another sip. 

“I could never,” Wooyoung grimaces, “that’s not fun, that’s just torture,” 

“Heat isn’t really fun,” You laugh, “it’s just a thing.” 

“You seemed to have a good time with Yunho and Mingi,” Wooyoung wags his eyebrows. 

“Yeah, well, we all know how that one turned out,” You grimace. 

“Relax,” Seonghwa smooths a hand over your knee through the fabric of the robe, “Youngie, leave her be.” 

“Didn’t you ever want help?” San asks. 

You chew the inside of your lip, “I guess, but my heats off suppressants are really intense and on them… I mean, usually I can handle it, so I handle it,” 

“You’re a strong person,” San comments softly, giving your hip a squeeze as he shifts to start massaging your back again. 

You almost muster a reply, but Wooyoung takes the attention of the room again with a groan, “I couldn’t do that, I tried once and it was awful,” 

“What are your heats like, anyways?” You ask, leaning a little on Seonghwa’s shoulder as San keeps working your tired muscles. 

“Oh, he’s the worst,” Seonghwa smiles, “constant begging the minute he starts slicking up,” 

“Oh shut up,” Wooyoung grumbles. 

“I’m just telling the truth,” Seonghwa laughs. 

Another light cramp pulses through you and you exhale softly, taking another sip of tea. San’s hands pause, and he leans around you to watch your face, but Seonghwa and Wooyoung keep on bickering. 

“Should I tell y/n how we found you last time you went into heat?” Seonghwa grins. 

“I’ll literally kill you, Hwa,” Wooyoung tosses a pillow hard and it collides with Seonghwa’s chest. 

“Not a very nice way to treat your alpha,” Seonghwa replies, his hand leaving your knee as he goes to toss the pillow back. 

“Maybe you’ll have to punish me later,” Wooyoung slaps the flying pillow out of the air so it lands smoothly back on the couch and gives Seonghwa a flirty smile, tongue against his teeth. 

“Maybe I will,” 

Your stomach locks up, core pulsing lightly and you suddenly feel stifled in the room, hot and cold all at the same time. You make a soft, tense noise and the cup in your fingers tips to the side, losing some of the tea as you try to recover it.

  “Shh,” San plucks the cup from your hands and sets it on the table, curling around to your side, “it’s alright,” 

“Ow,” You manage, pressing a palm down over your stomach. 

San smooths his hand along yours and catches your eyes, “You’re alright, omega,” 

Something inside you melts and he gently strokes the gland in your neck with his opposite hand, nodding as you start to relax from the immediate surge of pain and arousal. 

“Jagiya,” Seonghwa strokes your skin, “let’s go to bed,” 

“Please,” your eyes flutter shut. 

“Then I should go,” San clears his throat, his hands starting to lift away from you, “I’ll leave you three to,”

You don’t know what possesses you, but you reach for him the minute his skin leaves yours, eyes flying open as you grab his hands and shake your head, “Don’t go,” 

His eyes blow wide, “y/n,” 

“Why not?” You glance at Wooyoung and Seonghwa, a little panicked now that the trajectory of this is uncertain, but all you know is that you’d like him to stay. You squeeze San’s hands, “You’re here, we’re all here, I mean… why not stay?” 

His eyes flick past you to Seonghwa, holding a question you don’t understand. 

“If you don’t want to,” The words leave you in a rush, at the sinking realization that he may not want any of this. 

San looks back to you in a flash, “It’s not that,” 

Relief blooms inside you, “It’s not?” 

“Not at all,” He smooths down your hair and tries to ease you, “but are you sure?” 

“Sure,” You nod, “really,” 

His eyes flick over you, and you can feel him considering his next move, but then he nods. 

You end up right back where you were when the doorbell rang twenty minutes ago, only this time you have San on your right while Wooyoung teases you on your left and Seonghwa rests between your thighs. Distantly in the back of your brain, the part that’s still rational and sarcastic, you wonder if your brain is broken now and your omega needs two alphas to feel sated. 

“I won’t make you wait,” Seonghwa suddenly says, sinking down and attaching his mouth to your aching sex without any further preamble, and it pulls you sharply out of your own thoughts. 

“Oh, fuck,” You groan, your hips jerking at the sudden spark of sensation. 

“So sensitive,” Seonghwa hums appreciatively, locating your clit with the hardened tip of his tongue and flicking it firmly. 

You mutter something, head already fogging up, and San brushes his fingers along your arm, “Can I touch you, omega?” He murmurs, his voice thickening, getting huskier. 

You nod fast, holding his gaze to let him know he’s allowed and he shifts to press lazy kisses along your chest as he watches the other alpha between your thighs. 

For all of Wooyoung’s jokes before, he’s fallen silent now. His eyes are blown wide as he watches the way both alphas touch you, and you can tell he’s torn between helping you along and helping himself. 

“Let’s get you ready for that knot, hmm?” Seonghwa kisses your mound, and you feel his fingers stroking your entrance, pushing in just slightly and then retracting to tease your body just right and let all your internal muscles unlock. 

Inside you, your omega feels like it’s finally waking. Your heat that’s been bubbling all day against the medicated ceiling of your suppressants feels like a pressure cooker now, ready to burst and leave you desperate with want. Seonghwa’s tongue returns to your swollen bud and San’s lips find your nipple, and you feel the hot wave ripple through you, “A-alpha,” 

“Right here, darling,” Seonghwa croons, thrusting two fingers deep inside you and drawing a tight moan from your lips. 

“Alpha,” You stammer, “I need it,” 

“Mhm,” 

San sighs pleasantly against your sweat slick skin, his hand stroking along your side and Seonghwa doubles his efforts, thrusting his fingers in earnest now and sucking hard on your clit. Hot pleasure strikes up your spine and you moan, head back and your eyes slipping closed as you let the feeling of their hands on you make you dizzy and wet. 

“Right there,” You pant, “alpha, y-yes, yes,” 

He hums against you and you scramble in the sheets, gripping down on Wooyoung’s forearm. 

“Woo,” San’s voice enters the mix but you barely register, the orgasm in front of you so quickly approaching that you need to reach it and reach it now. 

Wooyoung shifts next to you, and Seonghwa pulls back from you for a split second to catch his breath before the sensation in your brain pops apart like a firecracker. Seonghwa licks a deep stripe over your slit, and then secures his lips around your clit once more, alternating sharp sucks and flicks of his tongue. The air in the room tightens when San delivers a sharp lick to your pebbled nipple and then Wooyoung follows suit on your other side. 

“Oh, god,” Your eyes press closed tightly and you grip the back of San’s shirt in your desperate squirming, “I’m,” 

“Come on, baby,” Wooyoung encourages, rolling his tongue over you again, “you’re so close,”

You whine sharply, hips canting, “Please, please,” 

Seonghwa’s hands on your hips tighten, and he doesn’t change pace or pressure or anything at all, he just doesn’t stop. The bubble threatening to burst inside your belly feels hot and full and then with a rush, it pops and you shudder open into your first real heat addled orgasm. 

“Good, good,” Seonghwa’s fingers start to slow and you whine sharply. 

Wooyoung pulls off your breast with a little gasp, his face flushed pink and he meets your eyes as you start to crest upwards into another wave, but as Seonghwa’s hand slows so does the approach of what could be and you whimper, thighs quivering. 

“Oh,” Wooyoung pouts a little at you, sympathetic and understanding and he hushes you, “I got you,” 

You want more, and you know it needs to end in a knot for your body to register everything right, but in this split second you need Wooyoung more. You nod, frantic and close to tears, “Please,” 

He pushes back from you quick, rocking over the side of the bed and suddenly he’s got his hands on Seonghwa, pushing him away, “Shove over,” 

“W-what?” Seonghwa seems startled by the sudden directness of the omega and San lifts his head to see what’s happening at the sharp tone of his voice. 

“Just move,” Wooyoung drops to his knees and dips his arms under your thighs until your legs are swung up over his shoulders and he’s tugging you down the bed to move you into position. You squeak when he drags you down the bed and San laughs above you. 

“I’ve never seen you so assertive, Youngie,” He comments. 

“Shut up,” Wooyoung bites back, “she’s not done,” 

“Please, God,” Your hips jerk, angling for him to touch you, you can feel your pleasure slipping and you need him to catch it before it’s gone. 

“Not God, babe,” Wooyoung nips your thigh with his teeth and you jerk again in his hands, “but I’ll do my best,” 

“So cocky,” Seonghwa rolls his eyes, stepping back to hand over control. 

“I’ll show you how it’s done, alpha,” Wooyoung shoots him an even cockier grin, tongue against teeth, and you’re about to say something more but then he’s on you. 

Wooyoung treats your cunt like he knows every inch of it, like he’s done this for you specifically a thousand times before. Without ever asking he knows the pace you like, the way you need something inside you just to feel the weight of it, the way your mind spins when he reaches around and lays a hand over belly. 

“I can’t, oh God, oh fuck,” You scramble but he holds you steady.

  He hums warmly against you, picking up the pace of his sucks on your swollen bundle of nerves and when he feels your legs start to shake in earnest he presses up with two fingers inside you and presses down with the heel of his hand over your lower stomach. You were close before, off the back of your orgasm from Seonghwa’s tongue, but this is something else entirely and your vision whites out as your back arches. One hand fists the sheets, the other gripping down over Wooyoung’s and you can barely hear the noises you’re making but you know they must be feral. 

When he’s sure you’re coming through it, no longer seeking drawn out stimulation but instead pulling your hips back and away from his sharp tongue, he lifts away just enough to give your aching clit some relief from overstimulation. 

“You do taste like honey,” Is the first thing he says, his breath hot against your cunt as he stays between your thighs, recovering from his own lack of oxygen. 

Your body is starting to relax from the tense muscle lock up of your orgasm, and slowly your eyes start to open. 

“Holy shit,” Seonghwa breathes and your eyes flick to him. His eyes are dark, studying you both and you can see the hard line of his erection straining against his trousers. 

San brushes your sweat slick hair back from your forehead and smiles down at you, “Doing okay?” 

Words feel slow to your lips but you nod, “Mhm,” 

Wooyoung makes a little huff between your thighs and you glance down, seeing how close Seonghwa has stepped again, his fingers running through the omega’s hair. Seonghwa hums appreciatively, caressing Wooyoung as he leans against your inner thigh, “Good boy,”

Wooyoung preens, you can see the sudden warmth flooding him at the praise. 

“A very good boy,” Seonghwa croons again, “taking such good care of our pretty new omega,” 

“Thank you, alpha,” Wooyoung nuzzles into Seonghwa’s palm and for a second it feels like you’re watching something too intimate, but then he pushes back from you and drops your legs off his shoulders, “I hope you took notes,” 

Seonghwa sighs and delivers a fast, friendly smack to the back of Wooyoung’s head, their brief moment of heat dissipating with Wooyoung’s easy teasing. But Seonghwa softens again the moment he turns his attention to you, his hands gentle on your sides as he settles close, “You still in there, darling?” 

“Kind of,” You admit, still hazy, “I can’t feel my legs,” 

“Sounds about right,” San laughs as Wooyoung collapses into his side, and San swings an arm over his shoulders to let him snuggle closer.

  “You still haven’t been knotted,” Seonghwa notes softly, stroking your skin, “how are you feeling?” 

The idea of a knot sends a thrill through you, but your body feels sluggish, “Dizzy,” 

He hums softly, the tone empathetic and warm. 

“I need a few minutes,” You tell him honestly.

“Of course,” He soothes, “we’re here for you, you set the pace.” 

“That was just a lot,” 

Wooyoung grins and you roll your eyes at him. 

“It’s a marathon, not a race,” San notes. 

“I’ll just touch you a little,” Seonghwa relaxes next to you, running his fingers up and down your thigh, “you tell me when you want more,” 

“Okay,” Your voice is thready as he dips his hand between your thighs. 

“You two look good together,” San appraises, reaching across the bed to feel your skin, gentle strokes and and down your arm. 

“Do we?” You laugh a little, but something is starting to thrum again in the back of your brain. 

“Mm,” San’s hand moves a little further, cupping your breast and kneading it slowly, “a little too good,”

Seonghwa’s fingers explore you lazily, running up the soft, plush skin of your cunt but never quite getting close enough to properly tease your slit or your aching bud. He sighs pleasantly as he watches your nipples harden into peaks, “Don’t be jealous Sannie,” 

San huffs softly, and then he leans forward to press a chaste kiss to your chest, “y/n,” he murmurs, “is this alright?” 

You twitch under them, “Y-yes,” 

“She’s a puddle,” Wooyoung jokes as he catches sight of your hazy look, “are my alphas making you feel so, so good, omega?” 

Your hips jerk and Seonghwa lays his hand over your thighs to steady you. 

“More,” You nod, resting one hand on the back of San’s neck, fingertips sinking into his hair as you push his head towards your breast. 

“Like this?” He murmurs against your skin, flattening his tongue over your nipple once to lick it firmly before he closes his plush lips around it and sucks.

Heat spikes up your spine and you nod, “Yes, like that,” 

The sound of a belt buckle draws your eyes back up to Seonghwa and you watch him disrobe entirely, dropping his trousers and kicking off his boxers. 

“Let’s just take it slow,” Seonghwa eases your legs open, and you tilt your hips back to shift yourself into position and give him the access he needs, “sound good?” 

Despite the way you’re starting to ache, you nod and relax back into the sheets, cupping San to your chest as he lavishes your nipple. 

“Pretty,” Seonghwa hums as he slides his hands up the back of your thighs and deepens your position. 

It’s exposing and raw, but at the same time you know exactly how much this is lighting up the deep part of your brain that needs this, so you just let yourself go. 

“Nice and wet,” He smiles, this time dragging two fingers down your slit, rocking the slick pad of his middle finger over your swollen bundle of nerves. 

You gasp a little, shaking in his grip. 

“Isn’t she pretty, Sannie?” He says, glancing at the other alpha. 

“Mhm,” San sighs, lifting up with a little pop so he can take you both in. He relaxes back against Wooyoung and when you twist your head to the side you see the hungry darkness in San’s gaze. Wooyoung’s eyes flick over you, a subtle smile on his lips, and then he tucks himself close behind San and starts to work a hand into the alpha’s sweats. 

You hiss sharply when you feel something heavier drop over your slit and you jerk back to Seonghwa, his hard cock now nestled between your folds as he teases your clit lazily with the head. 

“You want alpha’s cock, pretty girl?” Seonghwa says, rocking his hips to drag his length over your seam. 

“Please,” You nod, fingers tight in the sheets. 

“Where?” He teases. 

“Hwa,” 

“Here?” He presses the tip of his cock against your slick hole and then stops completely. 

“Yes, yes,” You shiver, “please,” 

He slides away with a smirk. 

“Where?” He asks again, and you realize he wants to hear you say it. 

Wooyoung chuckles softly next to you, and you hear San sigh, the distinct slow sound of swishing fabric as Wooyoung works his hand over San’s cock. It feels a little thrilling to have an audience, it’s making your hazy brain even needier and wanton and you jerk your hips against Seonghwa’s cock to try and get him to move the right way. 

Seonghwa shakes his head, “Where?” 

Your back aches, a cramp in your core, and you huff, a little flustered, “Inside,” 

“Inside where?” Seonghwa tuts.

You swallow hard, reaching down between your legs. With gentle fingers you run your fingers along his shaft, watching his face for every little reaction. His jaw jumps as you swirl your fingers over the velvet head of his cock and you repeat the motion, again and again to get a harder reaction from him. 

You’re watching each other intently, waiting to see who will fall apart first. When he sighs once, soft and breathy, you angle your hips back just a little and push down on his cock, directing him inside your aching channel and sinking him an inch or two inside you. 

“Ah, ah,” He scolds, catching your wrist and locking you both still, “just say where you want me, omega,” 

“Inside,” You insist, voice breaking a little as a flush lights up your chest, “alpha, please,” 

“Just tell me,” He pleads, dropping his thumb over your clit, “it’s easy, darling, it’s just words,” 

You wet your lips and reach up for him, fingertips skimming over his arm, “Hwa,” you murmur, blush lighting up your cheeks, “I want you inside me, please, in my pussy,” 

He smiles and then rocks forward, pushing inside you to the hilt in one fluid motion, “Good omega,” 

The sensation of him filling you so fast and so suddenly has your body arching up against the sheets and your head falling back, your eyes shutting tightly as you moan, “Oh, fuck,” 

“Damn,” Wooyoung murmurs, but you ignore him. 

“Does that feel good, omega?” Seonghwa leans down over you, holding you tightly with a hand anchored to the back of your thigh just below the knee, holding you open wide for him. 

You whine tightly as he rocks inside you, the curled angle driving the head of his cock over your sweet spot again and again, the firm plane of his pubic bone pressing rhythmically against your clit. You feel dizzy from the sensation, but then you feel something low and needy in your gut. 

“Knot,” You stammer out, gripping down on any part of Seonghwa you can hold. 

“Is that what you want?” He smiles, rolling his hips. 

“Alpha, please,” You pant, “knot me,” 

He thrusts forward hard, holding himself tightly inside you and he shakes his head, “Ask nicely,” 

A shudder runs up your spine and you think it’s entirely possible that Wooyoung isn’t really that much of a brat, Seonghwa just likes it when the omegas under him whine. You rock your hips and beg him to keep moving inside you with your body, but he shakes his head again. He wants to hear you. 

“Alpha,” You pant, dropping your voice a bit and tapping into that deep coursing need running through you, “please knot me, please,” 

“Good girl,” He sighs, moving his hips again.

“Please,” Your head lolls back as he starts to thrust again in earnest. 

“I’ll keep you on my knot all night,” He chokes, finally starting to lose himself a little, the base of his cock starting to swell. 

“Yes, yes,” 

“Beg,” He thrusts hard, knocking your hips together, “beg me to fucking knot you,” 

Your mind tunnels, nothing but you and Seonghwa working together now and when you answer him it feels almost like another person, “Alpha, please, please, I’m so empty,” 

“Fuck,” He pants. 

“Please, fill me up,” You moan, nails digging into his arms.

“Mine,” He drops lower over you, pulling your head back by your hair and attaching his lips to your throat, “isn’t that right, pretty thing?” 

“Oh,” Your body is locking up around his cock suddenly as the dam breaks, “oh, fuck Hwa, don’t stop,” 

He shakes his head against you and keeps thrusting, panting into your hair. With a groan he shudders, locking his hips forwards and you feel the swell of his knot push past your entrance and expand. “Fuck, that’s it,” He grinds his hips against yours, and then you feel him release hot and wet and filling inside you. Pleasure washes back over you and you jut your hips against his just to feel another sweeping wave, your body disconnecting deliciously as he comes inside you. 

Your brain reconnects slowly. First you register the weight of him above you, pressing down into you with his cock still buried inside your heat. Then his soft fingers in your hair, his lips on your cheek. 

His knot is already softening and you sigh, reaching up for him and running your fingers through his black hair as you catch your breath and reopen your eyes. 

“Hey,” He murmurs down at you, “okay?” 

“Mhm,” You smile lazily, “you?” 

“Excellent,” He laughs, dropping one more kiss to your cheek. 

“I’ll say,” Wooyoung clears his throat and you blush scarlet, you had forgotten how close they were, how present they were. 

You cover your face with your hands and groan.

“You’re fun when you let loose,” Wooyoung prods your shoulder to get your attention, “I never would have pegged you for so much dirty talk,” 

“Oh my god,” You sigh, twisting to look at him, “will you please shut up?” 

“I’m just saying,” He shrugs and you’re trying to come up with a clever retort but then you feel Seonghwa start to pull himself free and you realize a few things at once. 

Where Wooyoung is looking at you and Seonghwa together, San hasn’t glanced at you once. His eyes are glued to Seonghwa, running over his sweat-slick body, his lips parted and his muscles locked up tight. He’s not in a rut, you know that clearly, but his expression and his eyes remind you of a rut, singularly focused and serious. 

Seonghwa notices it a moment later as he slides off the bed and you watch him smile, “Like something you see Sannie?” 

Wooyoung rolls his eyes and scoots a little closer to you on the bed and then San moves, quick like a flash. He secures a hand around Seonghwa’s wrist and tugs him down fast to land on top of him and then he kisses the other alpha so hard they both make a surprised hiss of pleasure. 

“San, what,” Seonghwa manages, but San won’t let him be. His lips are hungry, his body hungrier still, dragging the man closer and closer and slotting their hips together as their mouths work together. 

San breaks the kiss first, rolling to the side and effectively trapping Seonghwa beneath him, “I need you right now,” 

“Oh,” Seonghwa shudders, his cock starting to stiffen again. 

Wooyoung moves closer to you, giving them some much needed space and giving you the post-coital cuddles you really need. He tugs a blanket up over your bodies and spoons you, settling in like you’re about to watch a show together.

“Don’t mind them,” Wooyoung murmurs into your ear, “they get like this,” 

You open your mouth but Seonghwa moans sharply as San kisses down his neck, letting his tongue drag over the other alpha’s gland and nipping his collarbone. 

“Turn over,” San says, manhandling Seonghwa into a better position before pushing down his own pants just enough to free his cock. 

They’re nothing but need, clawing at each other just to feel skin against skin and it’s clear that they’ve done this a thousand times before, so intimately familiar with each other’s bodies. You can hear their breath, their every move against the sheets, and it feels like you’ve been given a view into something too intimate, too real. 

“Woo,” You murmur quietly, “should we…” 

He hesitates, almost unable to tear his eyes away but then he nods, “Shower?” 

“Mhm,” 

Wooyoung slips out of bed behind you as San drags Seonghwa’s head to the side and reaches into Wooyoung’s nightstand for the lube. 

“San,” Seonghwa whines in a tone you’ve never in your life heard from the alpha, “please, fucking please,” 

“Shh,” San brushes a hand down his lover’s back and then uncaps the lubricant in his hands, “I’ve got you jagiya,” 

Your lips part in awe as you watch them, stunned at the way they look together, move together. You only snap out of it when Wooyoung taps your side, and you slide quietly out of the bed too, focused on not disturbing the couple beside you. You follow Wooyoung to the connected bathroom, but you keep watching them all the while. 

Seonghwa groans when San thrusts his hips forward hard, pushing himself inside and you shiver at the image, your own body responding at the sight. San runs a hand through his hair before squeezing Seonghwa’s hips, silently letting him know that he’s about to move. As he does, rocking his hips in slow steady thrusts, he runs his hand reverently along Seonghwa’s skin, finding his hand in the sheets and twining their fingers together. 

“I missed you so much,” San says lowly, pressing a kiss between Seonghwa’s shoulders. 

Seonghwa makes another noise, almost a sob as he nods into the bedding, gripping down on the alpha’s hand harder. 

Even with the knotting you just experienced, the sight of them together is enough to light a flushing warmth back through your body and make you want again. 

“y/n,” Wooyoung finally catches your attention and you pull yourself away from the doorway and into the bathroom. 

In the shower, you and Wooyoung stick close together, and the sounds from the other room still make it through the door despite the drone of the water. You gravitate towards each other easily, wanting to feel the comfort of each other’s bodies in the warmth of the spray. You kiss until your jaw aches, and make each other come one more time despite the water turning tepid halfway through. 

When you’re done and the water is off, you wrap yourselves in fluffy blue towels and listen closely to see if San and Seonghwa are finished. 

As you lean against the sink, Wooyoung gently drags a brush through your wet hair to detangle it from the shower and you finally ask the question that’s been brewing in the back of your mind, “Woo,” you murmur, keeping your voice low to ensure the alphas in the adjacent room can’t hear you, “why aren’t they together?” 

Relationships between the same designation are rare but certainly not unheard of, especially in polyamorous relationships, and it’s plain as day to you now how much they connect and care about one another.

Wooyoung meets your eyes in the mirror and shrugs, his mouth downturned, “You’d have to ask them,” 

“You don’t know?” Your eyebrows shoot high. 

He shakes his head, “I learned not to push that one a long time ago,” 

You chew the inside of your lip, mulling it over. Your conversation with San all those weeks ago when he walked you home flicks through your mind and you remember the way that he brushed right past the topic the minute you started to press. You had assumed the person he was referring to was Wooyoung, they’re always so tactile with one another, but the longer you spend with them behind closed doors the more you realize that is just how Wooyoung communicates, with touch. Now the little moments of tension you spotted between San and Seonghwa make so much more sense. 

Wooyoung finishes brushing out your hair and puts the brush back on the sink, “What’s that face for?” 

You smooth out your expression and recover, “Sorry,” 

“What?” He prompts you. 

“What about you?” You ask softly. 

“I love them, they’re my best friends,” He says with ease. 

“Okay,” You hold his gaze in the mirror. 

He wraps his arms around you and shakes his head, “It works for us,” He says, “and if they’re not ready to admit how they feel to themselves, then that’s up to them and they can have whatever this is,” 

“As long as you’re not caught in the middle,” You press a kiss to his forearm. 

“Not with them,” He assures you. 

The sound of laughter from the next room draws your attention and Wooyoung smiles, “Let’s go, don’t worry about this,” he says and you nod, staying bundled up in your towel as you follow him into the next room. 

San and Seonghwa are cuddled tightly together, trading soft and quiet kisses, but when they hear you both coming back in you watch San straighten up a little and look towards the two of you. They look so good together, so natural, relaxing against each other in the sheets looking far more at peace than you’ve ever seen them. 

“Sorry about that,” He clears his throat softly. 

“Don’t be sorry,” You shake your head. 

“We’re supposed to be taking care of you,” He smiles, “I just got a little carried away,”

Seonghwa blushes, dipping his face into the pillow below him and you grin, “I’m actually doing fine, don’t worry about me.” 

“Can we come back in?” Wooyoung asks as he climbs onto the bed, reaching back for your hand. 

“Of course,” Seonghwa pushes San back towards the other edge of the bed and he lifts the duvet, “it’s your nest not ours, please,” 

Something inside you feels a little soft, like warm melted butter at the idea of a full nest and you feel your tense shoulders relax. Wooyoung maneuvers you into the center, snuggled up between him and Seonghwa, but San reaches across and soon you’re sinking into all three of their touches. 

“You want to try and sleep?” San asks softly. 

“We probably should,” You nod. 

Seonghwa finds the tender gland in your neck and strokes it gently, “We’ll be right here when you wake up,” 

You shift closer, resting your cheek on his chest and you nod, “I know you will,”

“Good,” He sighs, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. 

Held like this it’s easy to drift off so you do. 

When you wake again it’s to the sounds of rustling sheets, but not someone getting up and out of bed, it’s the clear sound of rocking. Whoever it is sounds close, pleasured little pants and moans, and you can feel your stomach knotting up and just the sounds of sex in the room so close to you. 

There’s a warm body behind you, just coconing you in, but it’s different than how you fell asleep. The body behind you is broader, warmer, and you realize after a moment of hazy waking that it’s San cuddled up to your back and spooning you, not Wooyoung. You slept hard though, and you’re not really surprised that everyone shifting around didn’t wake you even though the bed isn’t really large enough for the four of you. You’re all making it work and you’d be lying if you said the close proximity of them and their scents wasn’t keeping you calmer than any heat you’ve had before. 

Your face is tucked into a pillow, and you don’t exactly want to alert the room that you’re awake, but you’re starting to feel uncomfortably hot again and you can feel yourself itching out of your skin, desperate to just slip a hand between your thighs and relieve the growing tension. 

Someone, Wooyoung you gather, moans quietly next to you. 

“So needy,” Seonghwa whispers, “and you’re not even in heat,” 

Wooyoung makes another shuddering noise, and the bed moves next to you a little faster. 

You feel it when San’s hand on your hip tightens, his breath warm behind you, and then there’s the telltale sensation of his cock growing hard against your backside. Your eyes flutter open, your hands gripping the bedding beneath you. 

San swallows tightly and drops his lips to your ear, “You awake?” 

You nod, lifting your head a little. 

Seonghwa and Wooyoung are tangled together inches from you, and the groan that leaves you at the sight of them is sudden and sharp, a cramp lighting up inside you. 

Seonghwa’s head snaps to the side at the sound and his brows knit together, “Omega?” 

Your muscles clench, slick rushing forth, “Oh, god,” 

Wooyoung whines, his fingers digging into Seonghwa’s shoulders, “Stay with me, Hwa,” 

“I’m sorry, baby,” Seonghwa shifts to tend to the omega in his lap, “I’m right here,” 

“y/n?” San’s lips press closer to your ear, “let me help,” 

You relax into his chest immediately, your legs parting, body practically purring the moment his hand smooths over your hip to press between your legs. 

“We have an audience, baby,” Seonghwa murmurs, pulling Wooyoung down to his mouth and kissing him soundly. 

Wooyoung moans, desperate and shaky, his hips starting to move again beneath the comforter as he and Seonghwa rock against each other. 

“You do like that, don’t you,” Seonghwa teases him, his fingers tracing a line up Wooyoung’s chest and circling his pebbled nipple. 

“Jesus,” Wooyoung stammers, “fuck,” 

You can’t tear your eyes away, you’re glued to them and the way their bodies move together, but you gasp sharply as San brushes his fingertips gently over your clit and starts to explore you.

  “More,” You beg softly, “please, Sannie,”

If it's at all possible, his cock gets stiffer against your backside. 

“Is my pretty boy going to come?” Seonghwa hums at Wooyoung, nipping at his lip and placing wet kisses across his jaw. 

“I need it,” He chokes out in reply. 

San pushes a finger inside you, but with the way you’re dripping and aching for a knot it’s nowhere near enough and you shake your head, “Alpha, please,” 

“Shh, shh,” He soothes, pulling back his hand entirely, “hold on, jagi,” 

He rifles around behind you, and you hear the sound of a drawer opening and closing. He’s fiddling with something behind you but you can’t turn around, you just need to let him take care of things. Your body is too flushed with warmth and slick with sweat to comprehend anything but the deep need inside you to feel what Wooyoung is feeling, and every second that you watch them makes your need hungrier. 

“Here we go,” San wraps an arm around you, and you see a flash of something pink and blue in his hands but you don’t make sense of it until he hikes up your leg to open you up wide and you feel something hard push at the entrance of your cunt. 

“What,” You start to say but then he angles the toy upwards and sinks the first few inches of the thick dildo inside you. 

“Just relax,” He eases you, “watch them,”

A moment ago you would have said you needed a real cock, that no knotting dildo would do, but with the way San is wrapped around you it doesn’t seem to matter. The heat from his body sinks into yours, blooming jasmine everywhere as his breath passes over you, staccatoed pants with every sharp flex of his arm to fuck you deeper. 

In front of you, Seonghwa and Wooyoung have gotten closer, their faces tucked close to one another as Wooyoung chokes out another moan. You watch the red blush creep up his chest, his back, his cheeks, flushing him deliciously as his body starts to tremble in earnest. 

“Come, baby,” Seonghwa kisses his ear, “don’t stop,” 

Wooyoung groans, muttering something into Seonghwa’s collarbone and he smiles in response, petting Wooyoung’s hair and dropping his lips to Wooyoung’s aching throat. Your body locks up, the sight too much for your heat-addled brain. 

“Deeper,” You plead, “harder,” 

San nods against your shoulder, “Good, omega,”

A throbbing pulses through your body, and he pushes the dildo in deeper, the knot at the base catching on your slick hole as he works the toy faster and harder. You look down between your legs, at the way his muscular arm arcs over your belly and at how fast his hand works the silicone cock inside you, and all you can do is moan and grip down on the bedding once more. 

“I’m, I’m,” Wooyoung pants and you look back up, “fuck, I’m coming,” 

Seonghwa sucks at Wooyoung’s pulse, teasing his mating gland and scenting him and you watch Wooyoung’s eyes roll back, his body locking up in absolute pleasure as his orgasm collides into him. He ruts himself against Seonghwa blindly, aching and whimpering until his hips slow and he slips down against the alpha to rest on his chest. 

“Baby,” Seonghwa strokes his lover’s back, “you’re so good,” 

The praise, even when not directed at you, sends a spark of needy pleasure through your body and you grip down on San’s arm, “Please,” 

He shifts you both suddenly, wrapping you tightly in his arms and rolling you so that you’re laid out on top of him, your back to his chest and your body folding open and prone like a fresh flower. Once you’re settled there he returns to working the toy in and out of your fluttering walls, but this time he takes his opposite hand and finds your clit, setting a quick rhythm against your bud to stimulate you fast. 

“G-God, oh god,” You grip down on the sheets, letting him control you. 

“Good omegas come,” San all but growls in your ear, “are you good, jagi?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Your brain is fogging up, things feeling hot and cold at the same time, “knot me,” 

“Come,” 

“Knot, please, alpha,” You manage, and even though you feel the pressure dropping low in your belly, the only thing that will get you over the edge of pleasure is his knot. 

“You want to be filled?” He pumps the toy sharply. 

“Yes!” You clamp your eyes down tight, holding on. 

His fingers slip off your clit, hand reaching for something in the bedding and you start to whine but then he does it. With one full thrust the knot of the toy pushes up inside you and activates the primal part of your brain that had been lying so dormant. You’re flustered and coming hard so suddenly, but he continues to rock and grind the toy to catch against your clit and leave your body fluttering over into orgasm. 

“Yes, oh, oh, fuck,” You babble, and then you feel something more. The sensation of a cock spilling inside you is so distinctive, so real, and you blink your eyes open with a gasp as the sensation heightens your orgasm into another rolling wave. 

When it all slows down, you can barely breathe.

San leaves the toy inside you, one hand on your hip and the other slowly stroking your belly. 

“y/n,” Seonghwa’s voice is warm and close, fingertips coasting along your cheek, “are you alright?” 

“I’m so good,” You sigh, an overwhelming urge to snuggle into a cuddle pile and never leave it, “I’m perfect,” 

“Not too rough?” San checks as he starts to push himself up a little. 

You shake your head against his chest, your hands finally unlocking from the sheets. 

“Alright,” He reaches between your legs and gently takes the toy, “relax, let me help with this,” 

Knotting dildos, while an incredible substitute during heat, lack one feature most of the time. Where a real alpha’s knot would deflate and easily allow you to uncouple, knotting dildos like this one are just solid silicone. You let him ease the toy out of your channel, going slow and keeping you calm with his warm scent. When it pops free you fall back with a sigh, ignoring the sudden rush of artificial cum out of you. 

“I’ll get a towel,” Wooyoung murmurs, and when you look up you realize he’s already standing and redressed in boxers and an oversized dark gray shirt. 

“Water too,” San instructs and Wooyoung diverts to the mini fridge. 

San eases you off his chest and to the side, and Seonghwa pulls away the sheets that had been under you, now damp and soiled with slick and cum. When he flops back to lie down you notice he’s closer, moving into San’s side and their bodies rest against each other from hip to shoulder, slotting together like a puzzle. 

“Let me in,” Wooyoung says as he climbs back into the bed, a warm washcloth swept between your thighs and a water bottle in your hand. 

Wooyoung’s phone lights up with a chime, an alarm, but he silences without a thought. 

“Woo,” Seonghwa stops him, “get your meds before you forget,” 

You blink hard and lift your head, “Your suppressants?”

“Mm,” Wooyoung nods, quickly moving towards his bag by the door, “I wasn’t even paying attention,” 

“What time is it?” You twist in the sheets. 

“You need yours?” Wooyoung asks, “Where are they?” 

“What day is it?” You start doing mental math and in much the same way you need to take birth control pills like clockwork, you need to stay on schedule with suppressants. 

“Saturday,” San runs a hand along your back to soothe you, “you’re alright,” 

“Where, babe?” Wooyoung asks again, pulling your bag from the floor. 

“There’s a pink pouch in the side,” You tell him, “they should be in there,” 

“Got it,” 

“Did you miss one?” Seonghwa eases you back into the bedding, “Or two?” 

“One,” You answer immediately, your schedule built into you even in heat, “I’m good,” 

“Good,” Seonghwa rubs your back, “don’t worry,” 

“Here,” Wooyoung presses your pill pack into your hand. 

He takes his own pill and then slides back into bed while you pop two out of their little foil packet, Friday and Saturday together, and then down them both with the remaining water in the bottle. Relief fills you immediately, the last thing you want to deal with during onboarding would be a broken and extended cycle. 

“Thank you for the reminder,” You sigh, “I don’t know where my head is,” 

“Heat,” Seonghwa laughs. 

“Mm,” You nod, “this one has been so easy though, honestly,” 

“That’s good,” San finds your hand and gives you a squeeze, “but don’t be hard on yourself,” 

“Exactly,” Seonghwa nods, “I should have asked your schedule,” 

“It’s fine,” You shake your head, “we’re good, crisis averted,” 

Wooyoung laughs and snuggles up to your back, “God, could you imagine if we both forgot,” 

“Absolutely not,” San groans. 

“Both of you in heat?” Seonghwa shakes his head, “I don’t know if we could handle that one,” 

“Ha ha,” Wooyoung grumbles, “I’m not that bad,” 

“I don’t know,” You relax into their touch, letting your eyes drift closed again, “I think I believe them,” 

He huffs into your shoulder, and San and Seonghwa both laugh again, shuffling lower in the bedding until all four of you are sandwiched together. Your body feels stiff, little cramps here and there, but for right now you can just relax and feel them close to you, their combined scents easing you into a warm mid-morning nap. 

You spend the whole weekend tangled up with the three of them in every possible way, falling in and out of the peaks and valleys of your heat right alongside them. It’s easier this time around, never feeling faded or too foggy even on your hardest days, everything you need just taken care of without question. It’s surely the suppressants, but it’s them too, everything feeling so natural and easy and comfortable. You hardly have room to think of anything but yourself and the men with you until your heat breaks entirely. 

You don’t think of them once until it’s over, and then you do. 

This time it’s immediate, a fast sinking feeling while you’re awake that’s like being doused in ice cold water when drinking, an instantly sobering effect that leaves you blinking hard and slightly dizzy. San and Seonghwa aren’t with you, they’re in the kitchen making lunch while you and Wooyoung relaxed together in a bit of a post orgasmic haze, but all of a sudden you wish they were here. 

“Shit,” You breathe, pushing yourself into a sitting position and dragging the robe tighter around you. 

“You good?” Wooyoung asks from his position to your side. 

“Yeah,” You nod, “but it’s done,” 

“That was fast,” He murmurs, stroking your hair back, “I would have thought one more day,” 

“Me too,” You breathe, running your hands over your face and trying to get your head around things. It’s both helpful that it’s Sunday so you can go back to work tomorrow, but too sudden, this heat a full two days shorter than the previous.

“What can I get you?” He rolls over onto one hip and looks up at you. 

“Can you just hand me my phone,” You nod past him to where it sits on the charger, flipped over and silenced, “my roommates are probably looking for me,”

“Yeah,” He grabs it and then grabs the water bottle on the nightstand too, “here, this too,” 

“Thank you,” You take both, and then drink as much water as you can manage to soothe your dry throat. 

Wooyoung slides up to sit next to you and rests a warm hand on your knee, but he stays quiet and lets you come back to center. 

After three days of being with them you almost fully forgot how you left it at the studio, how you left it with them. When you light up your phone and actually take a look at your notifications your stomach knots up immediately. There’s fluff of course, random notifications from Instagram and Twitter, a few texts from friends and you can see that your roommates group chat is actively pinging with messages, but then you scroll a little further to texts from a few nights ago and feel your pulse quicken. 

You hesitate a little, not sure if you really want to know what the unread text from Mingi says, but then you click it and lose your breath all over again. 

He’s freaking out a little bit, but I told him you’re probably already home and sleeping. 

Which you are, right? 

You swallow tightly, and then read the third one, sent fifteen minutes after the first two. 

I just really hope you’re safe.

Now your chest hurts. 

“What is it?” Wooyoung glances at you, but you know he knows. 

It was real, you know it now. Deep in your core you know that every moment spent with them wasn’t just your heat, and it wasn’t just your hormones. The longing you felt after and your willingness to let them have every inch of you wasn’t just nothing. 

You hand him the phone silently, you just can’t manage to say it out loud. 

He reads the text and sees your expression, and all it once it dawns on him too. Wooyoung tucks your hair behind your ear and smooths his thumb along your jaw, “So this heat was different wasn’t it?” 

Your eyes fill with tears fast, and you wet your lips, “Yeah,” 

“Oh, babe,” His eyes soften. 

“Woo,” You swallow hard to push the tears away, “I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t,” 

“Fuck,” He gathers you close, leaning back into the cushions and tucking your face into his chest, “come here, don’t cry,” 

You hear the door creak open and you press your eyes closed tight. 

“What’s going on in here?” San asks, his voice low and soothing, “What’s wrong?” 

Wooyoung rubs your back and sighs, “Life sucks,” 

You laugh sharply into Wooyoung’s chest at his tone and nod your head, “Fucking sucks,” 

“Oh, y/n,” Seonghwa murmurs, “are you coming down already, I’m so sorry we stepped out,” 

Your brain throbs, the memory of Mingi holding you steady as you cried last time flickering so brightly you can almost feel the echo of his arms around you and you bury your head deeper into Wooyoung’s chest as if that will be a place for you to hide away from all of this. 

“Get in here,” Wooyoung says at that, “she’s shivering,” 

Someone warm sidles up to your back, and at the warm scent of freshly brewed coffee you know it’s Seonghwa. He cuddles you both close and presses kisses along your shoulder, “What’s wrong, jagiya? Talk to us,” 

You search through your feelings, through all the things you could say or not say and all you can do is sigh, heavy and hard against Wooyoung’s warm skin. You push yourself back, rolling onto your back between them and you realize San is sitting on the edge of the bed by Seonghwa, reaching over his lover to rest his hand on your thigh. 

You find Wooyoung’s hand in the tangled mess and lace your fingers together, “You’ve all been so wonderful to me the past couple of days,” 

“That’s why you’re so upset?” Seonghwa smooths his hand over your forehead. 

“I don’t want to go back to normal,” You confess, “I don’t want to go back to work,” 

Wooyoung’s brows knit together, fully empathizing with the part that’s hurting so badly. In the clarity of your come down it’s readily apparent to you how different this has been from your time with Yunho and Mingi. This time was casual, this time was easy. The comfort of these two alphas was essential and soothing, but you don’t want them, not like you wanted before. You had been so sure the ache in your body that yearned so deeply was something so easily written off, a biological want, but knowing better now hurts. 

“Why, jagi?” San strokes your skin lovingly. 

“I’ve been so stupid,” You pull your hand from Wooyoung’s and sweep both through your hair, wiping under your eyes as you get control of yourself, “Woo was right all along,” 

You know he’d normally make a joke, but he just nods, “I’m sorry,” 

“Is this about them?” Seonghwa asks softly. 

You manage a nod, “How am I supposed to go back to the studio?” 

“Stop,” San shakes his head firmly, “it’s your studio too.” 

“Is it though?” 

“Yes,” He squeezes you, “I know this hurts, but you said it yourself, they wanted it to be a one-time thing,” 

Misery curls in your gut at that thought, that your time with them really is over, but you nod, “They’ve been pretty clear, they just want to be friends.” 

“And you?” San prompts you again, and Seonghwa looks up to him. 

“I’ve been moving on from them since it happened,” You murmur, “I guess I just didn’t know before now if it was real or just… being an omega.” 

“At least you know now,” Wooyoung offers quietly, “and I know this doesn’t help, help, but next time when it feels real, you’ll know it is, you can trust it.” 

You don’t really want a next time with someone else, some faceless fated alpha, but you nod anyway. 

Seonghwa leans into you, pressing a kiss to your forehead, “I know it’s hard loving someone, or caring for someone like this when they don’t feel the same,” he says quietly, “but believe me when I say you’re worth a thousand of them, and this heartache will fade,” 

The room is still around you, quiet, and your breath hitches as you hang on his words and how true you know they are. Wooyoung reaches across you to brush his hand down Seonghwa’s arm, and you feel the weight of the bed change. When you open your eyes, San is gone. 

“Sannie?” You murmur. 

Seonghwa shakes his head against yours, “He’s fine,” he murmurs, “this isn’t about him,” 

“It’s complicated,” You surmise, turning to find Seonghwa’s brown eyes. 

“Isn’t it always?” He smiles, angles into a joke, and the moment of vulnerability is gone. 

You let him hold you quietly in the middle of the bed for a moment before you manage, “What now?” 

“Now we get up,” Wooyoung squeezes your hand, “we get cleaned up, and we get an absolutely delicious fucking dinner,” 

Despite the tears lingering in your eyes his words pull a laugh straight from your chest and you nod, “That sounds… so good right about now,” 

“Mhm,” Wooyoung nods, “you can’t let this pull you under again,” 

“I know,” You breathe. 

“Tomorrow will be fine,” He doubles down, “awkward, but you’ve done that with them before. You’ll be just fine,” 

“Okay,”

“You two can use the shower first if you want,” Wooyoung kisses your shoulder. 

“Should we order in?” Seonghwa asks, still resting by your side. 

“No,” Wooyoung insists, “we’re going out, and we’re getting our minds off things.” He’s off the bed a second later and he follows San out of the room, no room for argument now that he’s set his mind to cheering you back up. 

Seonghwa’s quiet, but then he drops his lips to your gland and presses gentle kisses there to help soothe you before he asks, “Are you up to going out? I can pull the alpha card if you need to me to calm Youngie down,” 

If you’re being really truly honest, you want nothing more than to curl up in bed, but you know if you do that you’ll just spend the next ten hours worrying about tomorrow’s inevitable encounter. You chew your lip and fight the urge to take his offer, “It might be good for me to get out,” you settle on. 

“Then we’re going,” He nods. 

Seonghwa rolls off the bed, but you can feel the question lingering on your tongue and you reach out and take his hand, “Hwa,”

“What is it?” He smiles softly down at you. 

You smooth your thumb along the back of his hand, “You and San,” 

His smile fades and his eyes flick away from yours for just a moment, “I’ll tell you another time,” 

“You don’t have to,” You rush to correct, “but you’ve been here for me, and I just wanted you to know that I’m here for you too,” 

“I’m fine, y/n, honestly,” He retracts his hand but you tighten your grip. 

“I’m sure you are,” You hold his gaze, “but I’m still here,” 

He swallows tightly and then nods, “I’ll start the shower for you,” 

You leave it here, you have to. With San so close in the next room and the way Seonghwa left you in bed you can practically feel his boundary line between you and you have to respect it. Maybe he’ll tell you someday and maybe he won’t, but it’s clear to you that there’s something swirling and deep between these two alphas and their omega. Even in the easiest relationships, things are hard. 

With the room empty you take a moment and you turn your phone over in your hands. You need to put them out of sight and out of mind if you’re going to make it through the night at your own apartment without fixating on them and how you feel. But for just a moment you just can’t help yourself. 

With a sigh you open up your messages again and read through Mingi’s texts and then Yunho’s. Your fingers hover over the keys and you wonder what message you could write back at this point that wouldn’t feel terrible to them or to you, or what doors it might open, but you don’t. 

Seonghwa calls out to let you know the shower is warm and you pull yourself out of bed, leaving your phone once again face down on the dresser. It will just be what it will be, and nothing you do today will change that. You follow Seonghwa into the shower, and then you both follow Wooyoung and San out for the night. 

It all feels normal almost immediately, like any other night out that you’ve had with them before. You don’t feel any longing, any desperate ache. You don’t want to cling to Seonghwa or San at all, despite how good the weekend might have been. Suppressants or not, you feel normal. Clear. 

The remaining tension with San is gone too, with practiced ease he’s back to his normal self. You know it clearly, he’s done this exact dance before. He laughs alongside Seonghwa like best friends do, with a perfectly acceptable amount of space between them. No heated glances, no touches under the table. 

You think maybe all you have to do is learn how to dance like San.

[avanwithoutaman]

Who wanna be fed with a Slick angst oneshot when it’s done

[winthorntales]

where it began…

what it became…

Arik Bane is lost. On the run from a tragic past that still haunts her, the royal wolf shifter is trapped between two paths: to rise above or disappear.  Fate nudges her toward the answer one snowy night when she saves the life of an omega mage and finds her heart bound to a path she least expected.

Ember Snow carries the weight of the world on her fragile shoulders. She's an omega with royal blood, a perfect pawn in a dangerous noble's quest for power. The night she tries to escape this fate, she falls into the arms of a fierce alpha wolf who saves her life with a mate-mark, tethering their souls. 

An unexpected bond blooms as Arik and Ember find solace in each other's arms. But when family burdens and royal treachery crosses their paths, the pair must choose between their desire for what lies ahead and their allegiance to what came before. 

Must Arik and Ember let fate slip between their fingers or will their fated love defy all odds?

Read now 💕

[deckerstarblanche]

CSSNS 2024 Entry!!!!!

Hello, friends! After a year and some change, I’m finally back with the conclusion to “An Offer She Can’t Refuse.”

I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 3

As soon as he cracked his eyes open the next morning, Killian knew she was gone. With a frustrated groan, he glared up at the stucco ceiling and flipped over onto his stomach, pressing his face into her pillow and feeling like a fool.

Really, he should have expected this from the beginning. Knowing Emma, her heat had probably finished sometime in the early hours that morning, she took a look at where she was, and who she was with, and bolted.

It’s not like she would go to me as a first choice, he thought to himself. And so Killian closed his eyes, allowing him to feel the hurt and the anguish and the pain, until he stuffed them back down into the part of his brain, where he’d stored all of his worst thoughts about himself for so many years.

And it did hurt, a lot. He knew, deep in his gut, that they were supposed to be together. Her shell of self-protection might be too tough to crack, though. For him, Emma Swan – her laugh, the intoxicating sweet scent that he would be able to pick out blindfolded – would always be his ideal. Now that he had had the chance to actually be with her physically, Killian felt like he’d been granted access to heaven for three glorious days. How could any other woman compare?

Pathetically, he hoped that one day they could still be friends.

When he finally set foot back inside the dorms, the clean, familiarly blank scent in the air confirmed that the filtration system was running smoothly. It was almost as if the past three days had been neutralized as well, leaving only a possibly ruined friendship in its wake.

“Jones? Where the hell have you been?” David asked, concerned etched on his face as Killian entered their room, aggressively tossing his backpack onto his bed.

He narrowed his eyes at David’s suspicious tone, hackles raised. The other man clearly knew something, probably from Emma herself.

“Did you not get the update from your girlfriend?” Killian sneered, unable to resist recklessly channeling all of his pain and anger toward his roommate. “After she got what she wanted, Emma chewed me up and spat me out! Well, I don’t want to talk about it, and I’ll know that you're lying if you tell me otherwise…”

David’s surprise quickly morphed into hostility, and he rose from his computer desk. “What exactly are you accusing me of? Are you gonna cry because a woman finally rejected you? That’s why you don’t fuck around with your friends!” he roared back, forcefully pushing Killian in the chest.

“She needed it– she begged for it, Dave. What kind of a self-respecting Alpha would I be if I said no? It doesn’t matter if it’s your best friend or a complete stranger, right? You’ve got some experience with that yourself, don’t you, eh?” he said crudely, shoving David back as soon as he regained his footing.

“What the hell does that mean? If you want me to kick your ass, say one more thing about Mary Margaret…” David replied in a growl, putting his fists up.

Killian laughed, ready to hit something, preferably David’s face. “Listen, I’m done with every Omega at this school, especially Emma Swan. I’m not the simpering asshole she seems to think I am, and she can come apologize to me if she wants to go back to being ‘just friends.’” he sneered, building a wall of his own ego around his fragile heart.

David put his fists down, hands angrily balled at his sides.

“Fuck you, Jones. If you don’t have enough sense to fight for Emma, then you don’t deserve her!” David thundered, hurling the door open and slamming it shut behind him so hard that the wood nearly cracked off the hinges.

———-

About an hour later, after he had cooled down from his argument with David, Killian heard a hesitant knock on the door. Hoping it was Emma, but unsure, he got up to open it. There she was, standing awkwardly in front of him, shoving her hands in and out of her pockets.

“Killian, I came by to apologize. My leaving wasn’t your fault. I was a coward, so I’ll understand if—” Emma began, but he cut her off, shaking his head.

“No, you don’t get to do that— slink off like everything has been said. I was hurt that you’d left without a trace, and I let that morph into anger. A man’s ego is a fragile thing, Swan…but I want to be a better person than that,” he told her, his blue eyes locked on hers with a penetrating gaze.

Taking a deep breath, he continued.

“Emma. The truth is, I care deeply for you. I have since the first day we met, so when you said that friendship was all you desired, I made my peace with that. But after what we shared last week, I knew that watching from the sidelines would never be enough.”

Killian looked away as soon as Emma did, color rushing to his cheeks. He readied himself for rejection: that speech, no matter how inauthentic it would sound about another woman, would definitely have anyone else melting in my arms, he thought to himself, barely suppressing a chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” he heard a small voice say, and he looked back at Emma, whose eyes were glittering with what looked like tears.

“Nothing, love. I’ve said my piece, and now I’ll give you your space. Hold on, why are you crying?” he asked her cautiously, furrowing his brow.

“I’m not crying, you idiot, I’m just emotional over what you said– there’s a difference!” Emma replied with a watery chuckle, raking her fingers through her hair.

Killian decided to throw caution to the wind.

“And what was it that I said? I want to know so that I can say it again,” he told her, summoning up his most rakish grin.

Emma rolled her eyes, but he knew from the way she blushed that things would be ok for them— maybe even better than ok. She hadn’t spurned him, and she hadn’t stormed out.

“Killian, I care about you too. I cared so much after our…um, time together last week that I freaked out. Big emotions are tough for me, you know that,” Emma admitted, stuffing her hands into her coat pockets.

“I do know that, Swan. I think that’s why we’ve worked so well as friends— we’re both godawful at expressing our feelings,” he began, drawing a few steps closer to her. Emma looked at him with wide eyes, like a deer in the headlights, but he wasn’t going to be put off by that anymore.

“Emma, I’m going to tell you something that I’ve never shared with anyone else before,” he murmured, close enough now that he could tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. She was so attuned to him that she gasped at the innocent contact, making him smile.

“Being with you was the most intimate I’ve ever been, with anybody. I don’t want to go back to the way things were before, and I don’t want anyone else in my bed but you.”

Terrifyingly, Emma was silent, her gaze dropping away from his and going to the floor. Killian felt like his heart was pounding loud enough for her to hear, and that humiliation was imminent.

“Emma, I’m—” he began, but she looked back up, a huge smile lighting up her face. She flung herself forward into his arms, pressing her lips to his, kissing him with what felt like years of pent-up emotion. Then, she pulled away, almost reluctantly.

“I don’t wanna talk. I mean, I know we have a lot to say to each other, but not right now. Just kiss me, ok?” she said breathlessly, tearing off her jacket. Killian barely had time to agree before she nearly jumped into his arms, the force of her excitement knocking them over onto his bed. Clothes were shed quickly, and soon enough he was hovering over her, admiring her golden hair as it spilled out over his pillow.

After one more searing kiss, he rose up, sitting back on his heels as he stroked his hands down her thighs. Emma shivered violently under his touch, as a rush of slick coated her inner thighs from the fairly innocent gesture.

“Oh Killian, please do that again,” Emma sighed, opening her knees wider. Surprised, he let his hands glide from the tops of her thighs all the way down to her knees, watching rapturously as she thrashed beneath him. Every attempt she made to raise her pelvis, to seek him out, was caught by Killian’s firm but gentle grip as he grounded her to the mattress.

“Do you think you could come just from this, love?” he asked, breathing harshly, as it was taking every ounce of his self control not to sheath himself inside her pulsing cunt.

“I…I’m not sure,” she admitted, opening her eyes as she reached up, grabbing the hair on the back of his head to smash her lips against his.

Emma’s kiss was electric and confident, and it made him thank whatever higher power existed in the universe that she’d given him another chance. When she finally tore her lips away, he felt dizzy with anticipation.

“Fuck me, Alpha,” she commanded, grabbing the nearest pillow and shoving it under her ass. Killian’s eyes lit up with amusement at her take-charge attitude, but he was soon distracted by a small warm hand shooting out to stroke his rock-hard length.

“As you wish, Emma, always,” he purred, and without another thought, he plunged in, savoring the feeling of being inside of her again.

They matched each other stroke for stroke, and as the room filled with the sounds of their frantic coupling, Killian realized that it was her first time fucking him with a clear head. She was choosing him, and not out of any desperation.

He was determined to make it last as long as possible, so after a few more thrusts, he rolled them so that Emma was on top, her long hair surrounding them like a curtain. She yelped in surprise, but quickly gained control, setting her own rhythm as she clutched at his chest.

“I seem to remember liking this view of you in particular,” he teased, reaching up to gather her hair with one hand while kissing up the long column of her neck.

“Is that so?” Emma asked breathlessly, moaning as he hit a spot deep inside of her, pinpointing it so he could press up into her as many times as he could. “Fuck, yes… keep going right there, please!”

From the way her inner muscles fluttered against him, he could tell that it wouldn’t be too much longer before she came, so he kept his pace brisk, giving her exactly what she needed. Moments later, Emma exploded, shouting his name as she clamped down like a vise, spasming multiple times. He’d felt it during her heat too, but never with anyone else.

“So fucking tight you are, Emma…so gorgeous when you come,” he praised, murmuring in her ear as she came back to herself, dazed and sated.

“You’re the gorgeous one,” she mumbled, “all of the girls on my floor talk about you like a sex god.”

“And what, pray tell, would you tell them after all of this time we’ve spent together?” Killian asked her playfully, nudging his erection against her inner thigh.

“Hmm…well, I’d definitely mention your impressive stamina,” she quipped, pumping her hand up and down his shaft.

“And then I’d tell them that they’d never find out for themselves because you’re MY Alpha,”

The sound of those words coming out of her mouth set Killian’s libido on fire. Quicker than lightning, he flipped her over on the mattress.

“If I’m your Alpha, that makes you my Omega, does it not?” Killian thundered, using a tone that their kind referred to as uniquely Alpha. While it may have been used in the past to force Omegas to submit, contemporary couples used it to spice up bedroom play.

“Yes!” she squeaked with delight, lifting herself up to hands and knees.

“Then present for your Alpha,” he ordered, slapping her on the ass. Immediately, she knelt, pressing her chest down as she sank further back onto her heels.

“Is this what you wanted, Alpha?” she asked sweetly, playing along with the game, which was about mutual consent rather than domination.

“Bloody perfect,” he growled, easing himself into her channel inch by inch, trying to prolong the moment they gave themselves to each other.

They were both so keyed up, emotionally and physically, from the events of the day that Emma cried out almost immediately, unable to stave off a powerful orgasm. Killian held on, pumping into her with determination to satisfy her as much as he could.

“I want your knot, and if you’re really an Alpha, you’ll give it to me,” Emma faux-jeered from below, all a part of the game.

“Are you sure you can handle it?” Killian bit out, watching as drops of his sweat beaded on her back.

“You fucking know it!” she shouted, clenching down on him as encouragement. It was an almost primal moment, the two of them acting on instinct instead of emotions; and moments later, he was coming, locking their bodies together as streams of cum filled her womb.

It took awhile for them both to come back to Earth, floating in a haze of post-orgasmic bliss. Killian felt her sigh contentedly, burrowing a bit closer as he covered them in his downy comforter.

“I’m so glad it’s you, Killian,” Emma told him sleepily, looking back so she could kiss him one last time. He smiled into her neck, gathering her into his arms with a feeling of completeness and affection.

“I couldn’t agree more, love.”

[hellfire--cult]

Edit of Eddie: pitifulbaby

Chapters: Masterlist (Go here to see list of chapters, plotline and general warnings.)

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Non-Traditional Omegaverse, Slow burn, Modern!AU, Mechanic!Eddie

⚠️18+: sexual tension, slight drinking, pining, jealousy, reader being childish, smacking, smut

wc: 16.3K

A/N: It's been a while, but it is here and it's steamy as fuck boys.

Anyways, Enjoy! ❤️ And don't forget to always support me by hitting the reblog button or leave a comment!

Taglist is closed

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CHAPTER 18

“I’m not going to forget you mom.”

Your mother was looking at you with tear filled eyes as you packed your last bag into the trunk of your car. Leaving your hometown was not part of your plan of the year at all. You figured you would be cradling your baby in your arms by now, having your husband at your side lending you a hand and messing up while changing diapers, laughing at both of your clumsiness even if you had prepared yourselves for it with books.

“It’s just, you’re moving far away from me. I won’t be able to visit you at all… Why don’t you reconsider–”

“I have to leave! I can’t stay here mom. It’s too–” You slammed the trunk shut as your hands went towards your eyes, covering them as a sob tried to rip out from your chest. You felt your mother’s arms wrap around you and pull you towards her chest. Her hand went to the back of your head as she made soft shushing noises to calm the turmoil of emotions that started to unravel inside of you.

“I know… I know baby girl. It’s painful…” Your tears started to wet the palms of your hands as you felt yourself lean on her shoulder. Her left hand went to your back to rub you in soothing circles, letting you cry one last time. This really was not in your plans at all. After a minute she pulled away from you and you lowered your hands to show her a pouty lip and tear stained cheeks. “I’m a phone call away, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know.” You sniffled as she took a deep breath in, a small smile appearing on her lips.

“But I repeat, don’t forget about me when you start dating.” You rolled your eyes with a sigh at that, shaking your head.

“I’m done with that. I don’t think I’ll date for a while.” Was your response, making your mother sigh with a smile.

“Whatever you say, my little dove.”

“Ngh…”

You whimpered as you started gaining consciousness, hearing the birds chirp, and– You felt like you were ran over by a fucking truck. Everything hurts. Every limb and joint hurts, even your jaw feels tense and hard to move, but there is still a sense of relief. Satisfaction.

Oh you were comfortable, like flying on clouds even if everything hurts. The pain was nothing compared to how accomplished you felt, or how satiated your body, even if spent, felt. You could lay here all day, on this soft mattress, with these sheets that were warm around you, with the fluffy pillow underneath your head, with the arm that was wrapped around your waist–

Hang on.

Your eyes snapped open and your first view of the day was Eddie Munson’s sleeping face.

He was laying on his side, facing you, while you were facing him. Your heart started beating rapidly as the memories of last night began flipping in your head like a scrapbook, and the more you remembered, the more flustered you got. 

You cannot even recognize who you were last night. You were completely feral, animalistic, not caring about anyone or anything but Eddie and the pleasure that he could bring you. Pleasure that you haven’t felt in a while, or maybe ever. You remembered him rising you from the floor, eating you out like it was his sole purpose in life. How his cock filled you, and how good he was in fucking you disrespectfully.

Your embarrassment caught up with you as you remembered how you moaned his name, how you teared up from the pleasure, from how good he was making you feel and then how he talked dirty to you. Your face was in flames, and your belly turned with nervousness as the kisses started flashing in your mind. So many kisses and whispers–

“You take me so well Peach…” 

You cringed slightly, but not out of disgust or second hand embarrassment, but because it flustered you. It was making you feel things you didn’t want to feel right now, like butterflies for example. You wanted to shoot those bastards down, because Eddie was just a friend, and you two were only curious about one another, that’s all. 

You licked your lips as you started to wiggle out of his embrace, moving backwards on the bed towards the edge. He groaned in his slip as his arm flopped to the bed once you got out of his reach. You stared at him for a while as you inspected his sleeping figure. He looked so peaceful like this, pretty even. His lashes were perfect, his stubble was neatly done, his hair was untied and–

You have to stop. You can’t keep looking at him with intentions of staying. What makes you think he wants you here when he wakes up? It was just a quick fuck the remaining hatred out kind of thing, that’s all it was for crying outloud. You bit your bottom lip as you got out of the sheets and turned to finally sit on the edge and pull yourself off the bed and–

“SHIT–” Your legs gave up on you, making you fall back down on the bed, ass hitting the mattress, making it bounce and of course, Eddie was shaken awake.

“Wha– What–?” He was sleepy, his voice raspy and it made your body shiver with its tone. You panicked as you realized you were completely naked, top to bottom, growing way too self-conscious about your situation. You grabbed onto a very thin polar fleece black blanket that had pooled at both your feet, and you put it all over the front but your back was still bare to him.

Your breathing was quick as you felt the bed move, and you closed your eyes while your heart wanted to kill you at the moment from how fast it was beating, threatening to explode. What is gonna happen now? What is going to become of the two of you? Did you two just fuck up your entire friendship? Your relationship? You have to say something, you can’t be shocked all day, sooner or later you’ll have to face him and talk, better that be now.

You turned your head around to look at him, and your breath simply cut off at the sight of him. He sat on the bed, the sheet covering his bottom half, his entire chest on display, his hair down as he rubbed one of his eyes. Your gaze went downwards towards his happy trail that went below the sheet, covering the trail you still wanted to follow. You didn’t notice his eyes were already open and looking at you, and a lazy smirk displayed on his lips.

“Wow, don’t make yourself too obvious, Peach.” You snapped out of your thoughts, your eyes going back towards his face. Embarrassment took over you and you whipped your head around again, trying to calm your breathing. It was already pathetic to be like this when he was this calm in front of you.

But unbeknownst to you, he wasn’t in the slightest. He was good at hiding his emotions, afraid people could know or read him as easily as he could with others… just like he knows you are completely losing your shit right now. 

“Um… I, uh… I fell.” What the fuck are you saying? Stupidity, that’s what. You heard a rough chuckle from behind you and you didn’t know how his eyes were looking at your naked back. He wanted to reach out and rub his hand all over it, and he clenched his jaw as he felt his dick twitch underneath the sheet. He can only imagine looking down at your back as he rails into you and– he needs to stop.

“I could feel that. Too rough for you?” There was mocking behind his tone, which sparked a bit of anger inside you. You stood up from the bed, and his breath hitched when seeing your bare ass for just a second. He bit the inside of his cheek as you turned around and damn you looked so good right now. Your makeup was all smeared, your hair a mess, and his blanket draped over your front as you clung it close to your chest with both hands. You looked fucked, literally fucked.

“Oh? As far as I remember, someone got a bit pussy drunk yesterday.” He threw his head back with a loud laugh, seeing his adam’s apple bobbing up and down at the motion, making your legs tremble more than what they are now thanks to the soreness. Shit, you are not sure if you can do more than two steps without tumbling over.

“Excuse me? I’m pretty sure Gareth who lives three blocks away heard you moaning my name Peach.” Your face grew fifty times hotter, your cheeks burning entirely as he looked at you once again. You were gripping onto the blanket against you as if your life depended on it. Your belly was turning in nervousness as you looked for the following words.

“You moaned my name too, you aren’t all that innocent either!”

“I know I did. You think I’m ashamed of that? It was good.” His eyes were looking at you with an intensity you haven’t felt in a while, just like when Bil– You shook your head from that thought and cleared your throat.

“It was and– and uhm–” You didn’t know what you wanted. It was– He was the best you ever had, there was no lie in that. Better than those boys from school before Henry, better than Henry, better than your hookups and better than Billy… But– he was also part of the friend group. You two were in the same group of people and if something were to happen between the two of you– things like jealousy or one being mad at the other and then it’s just going to be back as it was a year ago.

You didn’t want to go back to that place. You didn’t want to lose Eddie again.

And Eddie noticed it as you looked down at the floor. The thoughts, the doubt, and he could not believe you were thinking about this. You two spent one of the greatest nights, and he knows you enjoyed as much as he did. He knows you’ve never experienced what you have with him, just as he experienced something completely new with you and his fists were clenching the sheets underneath him, feeling anger rising in his chest.

Your mind was trying to come up with the words but if you said you didn’t want to do this ever again, you would be lying. If you said you didn’t want to feel him again it would also be a lie. If you said you didn’t want to feel him inside of you, it would be a terrible horrible lie, the worst of them all because you never felt like that in your life.

But you wouldn’t lie if you said you are afraid of what this might do to your friendship if it were to keep going. What might do to all the improvement you two did the past six months. What might happen in between the entire group of friends you have if it were to all fall apart. What if they took sides? What if you two broke the entire group apart, even between eachother, because of some fun?

“I swear to god, Peach–” He began, already knowing you had come to a resolve. An answer that only angers him terribly knowing you felt as great as he did the night before. That you enjoyed doing to him the things you did just as much as he enjoyed eating you out like he never did before to any other woman in his life.

“We really shouldn’t…” You began, not daring to look at him. You wanted to stop talking, to jump on the bed and into his arms, kiss him again, fuck him, ride him like last night already even if you were sore all over, muscles in pain, but he just–

“Are you serious? After how we went at eachother last night? You’re telling me you don’t want to do this again?” His eyebrows were meeting in the middle, not even hiding the anger behind them. Your cheeks burnt once more as you cleared your throat, your eyes finding his again, your stomach flipping at the intensity of his gaze.

“I just– What happens if something goes… wrong? I mean–” You bit your bottom lip, looking for the right words as you looked at him. “-- I don’t want us to go back to where we were a year ago.”

He realized now with what you were conflicted about, and in all honesty, he never thought of it that way. He had thought of the consequences of fucking you and what could happen if you two fall apart because of it. With the two of you and with the group… But after last night, there is no way in fucking hell he cares for all of that now. 

“Why would something go wrong? What do you exactly mean by ‘wrong’?” He was still looking at your entire figure, and it was rendering you stupid again. Your breathing quickened at how much you felt him burn you with his gaze. Scanning you like a predator, waiting to pounce at any given opportunity.

“I–” It was embarrassing. What if he thought you had feelings for him? Like, romantic feelings. More than simple attraction… maybe– “-- What if one becomes possessive of the other? Like, it can happen. What if you see me with another person and you don’t like that? It would just–” 

And his fists clenched against the sheets as you mentioned that part. He knew where you were going with it, and he wasn’t very keen on the idea of sharing you, but it wasn’t unbearable. If sharing you was his only way of having you, then he would take it. He wondered though–

“And what about you seeing me with another woman?” He raised an eyebrow at you, and you looked at him with a dumbfounded face.

“Huh?”

“As far as I remember you were absolutely jealous last night.” You scoffed at his words, anger boiling as denial settled in your gut. You? What? Your arms left your chest in fury as you burnt all over.

“Jealous!? Me!? I wasn’t!” And you saw how his eyes traveled downwards, his head cocking to the side as he scanned you. You squinted at him, opening your mouth ready to cuss at him, wondering what the hell this man was looking at you, only to feel a breeze brush on your–

Your eyes widened as you snapped your head to look down and you gasped, yelping loudly as you bent down to grab the blanket again. You let it fall and he saw your naked body, in the full-on daylight that was coming through the curtains. Are you dumb!? Your hands grabbed onto the fabric and you stood up quickly, covering yourself only to look up to see a pair of eyes staring down at you.

And you didn’t know how fast he had been, because he was towering over you, standing.

He had quickly crawled to the edge of the bed and stood up before you the moment you picked up the blanket from the floor. Your eyes were wide, staring up at him with bewilderment in them, your heartbeat banging in your ears, threatening to pop your eardrum off. His eyes were hungry, his jaw was clenched, and– You didn’t dare to look down at him. You didn’t dare to look at the thing that had filled you to the brim the night before because if you did, you didn’t know what you would do.

“Then, what is your final answer Peach? We done here? One time thing, that’s it?” You didn’t know what you expected, but not this. He was asking if this was the last time, not really convincing you to say otherwise. Did you want to be convinced to let this continue? What were you expecting from him?

“I–” Your mouth went dry, not knowing what to respond, but your mind knew exactly what it needed to be said. This, even if your body craves it once more, you cannot allow it. He shouldn’t either. You had to tell him that it was done but your eyes drifted to his lips at the same time he did to yours. 

Will you be able to hold back from kissing him, knowing just how good it felt to do so? Will you be able to not look at him the way you have been doing for the past month? Will you be able to not think about how he fucked you speechless on those lonely nights of yours? You don’t know… You don’t want to know but–

“I’ll respect it. I’ll back off.” No. You don’t want him to back off. You don’t want him to stop, you don’t want to stop this, but you can’t let it happen. The group could be involved, the relationship you so craved of him would be destroyed if something were to happen. You closed your eyes as you swallowed harshly, to then look up at his eyes once more.

“It was just this one time… We were curious, and it’s– it’s done.”

You two stared one another down for a few seconds, and it was as if the both of you were expecting someone to break first. For one of you to grab the other’s face and kiss them stupid. You could feel his hot breath all over your face, even if he wasn’t that close. That’s just how hard he was breathing.

His jaw clenched once and then you saw him take a step away from you, turning and grabbing his boxers from the floor. You wanted to look. You really did but you couldn’t. You fucking couldn’t, so you turned your head the other way as you clutched the blanket to your chest. He put his boxers on and then stretched his back, looking at you once more.

“Well, then there’s that Peach. We’ll go back to how we were before all this… or well, try.” You were puzzled by those words, looking at him as you felt your heart clench in your chest.

“Try?” 

“Well yes. Give me a little bit of time to forget about your tits and pussy, hard to look at your face when I have that in my head.” He was so fucking bold for saying this, making your face just flare up, and you looked away for him not to notice. You swallowed a lump of, you don’t even know what, as you stared at his dresser to keep your mind occupied.

“I see.” You didn’t know what to say. He wants to forget about last night and that’s what you wanted right? So why does it hurt your fucking ego? Why does it make your heart clench? It shouldn’t.

“Right. Okay. Well, I’ll let you put your clothes back on and you can go home.” And you snapped your head to look at him only to see him walking out after grabbing his shirt and pants, closing the door behind him. Your mouth fell open in disbelief and you slowly sat down on the bed once again.

What was that? Why did he agree so easily? But you wanted that? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why do you feel like this? Why do you feel like you lost? Like you are making the wrong decision? It was just sex for fuck sake! There’s probably someone out there with Eddie’s same– same damn cock size! And– someone who can fuck you the way he did… someone who ate you out the way he did–

“Asshole.” You muttered through your teeth, not noticing you were showing them towards the door, a glare in your eyes. Fine, he wants to forget that night. He wants to forget you and your body. Perfectly fine, you’ll do the same. You’ll do the exact same, because this is how it should be. You made the right decision.

You did.

You’re enraged.

He really did not talk to you for the whole fucking week. You were basically back to how you two were a year ago, and you were hating it. You've gotten so used to talking to him everyday, sending funny memes to eachother, and just having fun, and now, it’s nonexistent.

But you sort of understood now what he meant about trying to forget… that. You understood because you can hardly stop thinking about it. You can hardly stop doubting yourself if your decision was the right one, debating the pros and cons about the situation. Of course the cons always won, it had to do with your friendship with him and the group, while the pros were… the pro was you could fuck him whenever you wanted.

You wanted to message him many times, but your dignity always won over as well as your respect for him to move away from you a bit to gather his thoughts once again. But fuck, you tried masturbating last night with the dildo you owned and– it just doesn’t satisfy you the way his cock did. You were enraged because Eddie Munson had ruined you for everyone else, or at least until you found someone that matches him in size and performance.

Robin doesn’t know and she will never know, and you hoped Eddie didn’t tell Steve. That was the last conversation you two had when you left his house, to keep this a secret. You couldn’t even accept his offer of him driving you home, preferring to just order a car to take you. You were awkward and nervous and you probably looked completely stupid, but can you be blamed?

You fucked your friend! You fucked someone you never thought you would fuck in your entire life! And you liked it– No, loved it and you wanted to do it again and again and again, but it just cannot be. You were also mad at yourself for wanting to do this again, despite knowing it was wrong. You hated that your body was already craving him desperately, wanting to feel him against you again, kiss you, fill you up and just turn you into a mess.

You wondered if Robin would kill you for it. She would probably be surprised and ask for details. You really need to stop thinking of him because tonight would be the first night you see him after literally riding him into oblivion and you have to pretend nothing ever happened between the two of you so your friends wouldn’t suspect anything at all.

How the fuck were you supposed to act normal?

Your doorbell rang and you looked at yourself in your full sized mirror again. A black simple strap dress with a black leather jacket on top. Hair done, makeup done, and some low heels. It was good enough and the air was starting to become warmer so, you were absolutely fine with a dress. 

You took a deep breath in and walked towards the door, opening it to reveal Steve, Robin and Jonathan holding their drinks up. You smiled, feeling the nerves invade your belly knowing he could come at any minute. The group decided to go out this saturday for Argyle’s birthday. He didn’t want to celebrate his birthday but you all invited Eden this time so he gratefully said yes. 

He decided on the club all of you were gonna go, and you could already guess it was going to be something different from the usual. Your eyes followed Steve as he entered the house with his boyfriend and roommate and you bit your bottom lip as your heart hammered in your chest. What if Eddie did tell him? Would he tell everyone?

You closed the door and you waited but no questions were asked and you didn’t notice Steve looking at you differently in any way. Same with Jonathan and thankfully Robin as well. He didn’t talk, which was good. 

“So…” Robin began and your blood went cold. Jonathan and Steve smirked at one another and– fuck, did they know? Did Eddie talk? You’re gonna kill him, you’re gonna fucking murder him. “You were glowing this week at work.”

“Huh?” You asked, trying to act innocent, trying to act like your blood didn’t just run cold in your veins just now.

“Robin told me you looked refreshed. What happened when we left Eddie’s house, hmm?” Steve asked and you felt like your breathing was cutting off. You had to lie, you had to make up a lie, anything.

“Nothing happened?” You busied yourself as you all stood in the kitchen, opening up the six packs of beer and putting them inside your fridge. Jonathan leaned on the wall next to it, arms crossed as he looked at you.

“Oh, something did happen.” Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Lie, you have to lie.

“Okay, fine… Something– happened.” You mumbled and you heard Robin gasp, and you turned around to see Robin covering her mouth and then Steve’s eyes were about to bulge out of its sockets.

“With Eddie?” His voice seemed strained, almost angry through the shock. You winced and frowned, shaking your head.

“What? No! He hooked me up with– with his friend Jeff!” 

Silence in the room. You gulped slowly as you looked at them, and then locked eyes with Robin. She was tilting her head in complete confusion as she stared at you. Her gaze fell on Steve who looked back at her and then you saw him sigh in relief.

Your shoulders fell down as you realized that it was indeed the right decision not to continue being friends with benefits with Eddie. By the looks of your friends, and especially Steve, you could see the fear behind the eyes. There was no happiness about it, or overall excitement for the two of you, just plain worry. Yeah, it was the better choice after all.

“You never told me you liked Jeff?” Robin looked at you once again and you shrugged, opening a beer for yourself.

“He looked nice that night and when you guys left he picked me up from Eddie’s and we went to a motel because he lives with Gareth.” You hoped they were buying your story because you would die if they didn’t.

“And?” Jonathan asked, holding onto your shoulder with a smirk on his face and you cleared your throat, took a sip of your beer and opened your mouth only for the doorbell to ring again and your heart stopped.

“I’ll get it! I want details so don’t start without me!” Robin yelled as she walked out of the kitchen and your blood drained your face. No, you cannot be this unlucky. You gulped as you took a bigger sip of your can and Steve was next to you, and if you squinted you could almost see a tail wag behind him.

“You never said anything! Like if it were someone random I don’t care, but Jeff? We know Jeff!” You rolled your eyes at him as you shook your head, feeling the nerves in your belly grow tenfold as you heard the door opening. You had to get out of this situation and fast.

“I would prefer to keep it to myself, I mean, like you said, it is someone you guys know–” And Jonathan rolled his eyes at you grabbing the rum and coke to start preparing his drink on your kitchen island.

“Oh please, just tell us if he was good and all that stuff.” You should have mentioned someone random from the party, someone they didn’t know. That’s why they’re fucking curious about it and you dug your own hole. You wanted to run away and not deal with this but then Robin marched back in with a smile to her face, Nancy holding her hand, Argyle, Eden and–

Fuck. He put his hair in a half ponytail just like you did that one time for him.

He was wearing a black button up linen shirt, open buttons at the top revealing his thin silver necklace. He was also wearing some worn out black colored pants, or jeans, you didn’t know, but fuck he looked good. Warm weather Eddie was going to fuck you over wasn’t he?

“Okay, continue!” Robin yelled as she sat on one of the stools, elbows on the counter and her chin on her hands with a smile on her face. Eddie’s eyes found yours and– shivers went down your spine as a flash of that night came to your mind. Him on top of you, moaning, thrusting in and out of you and you–

“Continue what?” Nancy snapped you out of your thoughts, making you look at her. Everyone was now waiting for you to continue and when you stuttered, not daring to look at Eddie, Jonathan talked for you.

“Robin said that since Eddie’s party, she–” and he made a nod at you making you wince”--has been in a special mood at work and now we found out why.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her and Nancy gasped, covering her mouth and her head snapped towards Eddie. His eyes were wide as he looked at you, a look that only asked one thing of you. ‘Did you tell them?’

Your mouth opened and closed as you looked at him and Argyle was looking in between the two of you while elbowing Eden to the side. You wanted to talk but Eddie was looking at you with anger or with confusion, you couldn’t really tell, but maybe it was both. You stuttered a bit but Steve was the one who interrupted this time, and you wanted the earth to swallow you whole.

“She just told us Jeff came to pick her up that night after we left.” He chuckled and looked at you while your eyes snapped to the wall on your side, not wanting to look at Eddie anymore. Your whole body and face was on fire as you wondered what his reaction was right now.

“Jeff…” By the sound of his voice he was starting to connect the dots together, and a dry chuckle escaped him, making you frown and turn your head to look back at him. “Yeah. Didn’t know he was that good, Peach. Special mood?” 

He was acting cocky now. A defiant look in his eyes and it reminded you of the Eddie of a year ago. Same look, same hateful gaze, arrogant, infuriating, making you want to walk over to him and strangle him until he couldn’t breathe anymore. 

But it was still enough to send shivers down your spine, making you move a bit in your place.

“It wasn’t that good.” Was your short reply, biting the inside of your left cheek and you just now noticed that she had been preparing drinks for everyone.

“Really?” Robin asked while looking at you as she took a sip of her drink. Your mouth opened to answer only for the motherfucker to interrupt you once again, while walking towards you, his hand reaching next to you to open the fridge and take a beer out.

“Hmm, is that why Jeff agreed that it was a one time thing? Maybe the one that wasn’t good…” and he looked at you, glares being exchanged, your heart beating into your chest as you looked at him and you saw his nostrils flare slightly as he continued, “-- was you, little Peach.” 

He slammed the door closed and you hissed at him, the sound startling you, but your anger was rising up, not being able to stop it as you fully faced him. Who does he think he is? Why does he feel that fucking entitled to treat you like this again?

“Slam my fridge one more fucking time Munson.” He cocked his head at you and Steve’s smile fell, immediately stepping in between you two, making you take a step back as well as Eddie, your eyes never leaving his, as he glared down at you.

“Okay, let’s not get too personal here…” Your breathing was deep, face burning with anger now, not knowing how to feel about this whole situation. Why was he acting so badly? He was the one who didn’t want to speak to you for a whole week, and he comes to your house and acts like a child?

“I was just protecting my friend Harrington. That’s all.” Eddie responded and took a sip of his beer before turning away from you. Your heart clenched at that, not really knowing why. You wanted to do something but you were not quite sure what. Just do something to him. But what?

You sighed as you looked at Robin who was looking back and forth to you and Eddie, while the other gave you one last look before turning to go to the living room, or to your balcony. You know Robin is worried, and you are too. Your heart clenched once more, feeling a pang of anxiety in the pit of your stomach.

All you wanted was to avoid this treatment. You wanted to avoid going back to the old ways Eddie and you treated eachother, yet you are still back into it. It was wrong to sleep with him. It was so wrong because now your friendship might be over thanks to ego, to pride, and you felt like crying. 

God, you knew he had become a close friend, almost a best friend you could say, and now realizing you fucked it all up for one night just made you want to hit yourself in the face. You wondered if he had the same thoughts or worries in his head. If he also didn’t like this situation at all.

But even with all these feelings, as you walked out with everyone else from the kitchen, and you looked towards the balcony, you couldn’t help but look at his broad back as smoke left his mouth while looking at his phone–

Wait, why is he looking at his phone? Is he– Nope, you are not doing this. You are not. You are going to pretend the knot in your stomach is not there, because, why the fuck would you care if Eddie was talking to someone? He can! He is free to do so, and maybe one of his hookups will be at the club you were all gonna go and he was just securing a fucking pussy. Yes, and he has all the right.

Yet, you couldn’t help but rush towards your table to grab your cellphone and turn away so no one could peek at your phone. You opened Instagram and saw Eddie had posted a story, right before he arrived. Your heart beat wildly in your chest and your finger clicked on his picture, only for the story to pop up and–

You let out a sigh of relief, very quietly, as you saw it was a goofy picture of him, Nancy, Argyle, and Eden in the mirror of your elevator. Wait, why are you relieved? If he wanted to post a shirtless picture on the mirror he could. It would probably score him some girl tonight for him to fuck, and he has all the right to do so because he wanted to forget about your body. And, did he say you weren’t good?

He fucking did. Anger bubbled up in your chest and you turned to see him in the balcony still, and you saw everyone else minding their own business, so you walked towards the sliding doors and stepped out, closing them behind you. Eddie looked over his shoulder and a dry huff escaped him before putting the cigarette on his lips again and taking a big puff.

“So, Jeff, huh.” He mumbled as he let the smoke out and your eyebrow twitched as you walked closer, standing next to him.

“You wanted me to tell the truth? I didn’t know Robin had been talking behind my back about how I–” Oh you chose your words wrong. A smirk broke on his lips, turning to face you with a piercing gaze, making you straighten up in your place.

“How you…? How you were glowing the whole week as Steve said? Or probably how satisfied you looked after riding my dick?” You gasped at how straightforward he was being. Didn’t he need the space to forget any kind of thoughts regarding that night? Thoughts about you? You cleared your throat and looked away, into the horizon, avoiding his eyes completely.

“Don’t give yourself so much credit. I bet you were also in a fucking great mood this week, let’s not forget how ‘I took you so well.’” You heard a groan from him and you turned your head to look at him with a frown and he was looking at you with those sharp eyes, jaw clenched and his free hand clenching onto the rail of the balcony.

“Now it is you who is giving herself way too much fucking credit.”

“I’m literally treating you the same way you are treating me. I didn’t know you would become a fucking asshole again after I said no!” You tried to keep your voice low, but high enough for him to know you were angry. He scoffed and shook his head, taking another puff of his cigarette before he continued talking.

“Don’t you fucking remember? I can read people like the back of my hand, and that is why I’m so goddamned angry at you.” Your mouth fell open as your body burnt from… anger? You didn’t know anymore. You just felt restless, and you felt like he could see right through you at the moment. Could he see how there is a part of you that regrets telling him no? That you want to kiss him again? That you want to feel him again? Can he see all of that?

“Stop with that bullshit Eddie. Did I crush your fucking ego? Is that the issue here?” You scoffed and you saw him clench his jaw as he straightened up, chuckling under his breath. There was tension between you, both are hunters ready to pounce, there’s no small and defenseless prey here. You’re both baring your teeth out at eachother to see who breaks first.

“You’re really up on that stupid high horse, aren’t you Peach?” His voice was rough, trying his best to probably sound cruel, but all you wanted was to pull him to your lips. You really need to fucking stop. “You started the insult, and I finished it.”

“I didn’t start shit! You made fun of my lie–”

“You know what, let’s just–” He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath to then exhale, looking down at you. “-- let’s just move on from this. You slept with Jeff last saturday, that’s the lie, let’s stick to it.”

“Yes, and he had a good time with me as well, even if he wants to fucking deny it just because I don’t want to do it again.” He was containing his own anger inside and you know it. He bit his bottom lip as he gave small nods while his nose flared up. He was pissed. Absolutely pissed. You were being a fucking hypocrite, and a liar.

“Believe what you want. In the end, you seem to be the one who looked refreshed this week.” You frowned at that, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Oh, and you didn’t?”

“Nope. I actually wasn’t refreshed. Hopefully, I can change that tonight.” You frowned in confusion as you turned to look at how he put out his cigarette on the ashtray. What did he mean? You felt nervousness as he looked at you one more time. Without saying another word he opened the sliding door and stepped inside. You stood there, processing what had just happened, wondering what he truly meant. 

Was he going to try to make a move on you tonight? The tension is there, the bantering is there and you should be disgusted or afraid of him making a move but why do you feel… elated? You feel happy or giddy from knowing that he is angry yet he might come onto you again.

Should you put condoms in your bag? Maybe, it doesn’t really hurt, but– no, no. You are not fucking him again. This is final. The group reacted badly when they suspected it was Eddie, which he was, but then they sighed with relief when they ‘knew’ it wasn’t. You sighed yourself as you held onto the rail and looked out into the city.

This really wasn’t supposed to be like this, but you can’t deny you are attracted to Eddie. More than any hookup you had before. It’s like you tried him once and it was enough to make you addicted. Nobody made you feel that way… well… except–

No time to think about that. No time to think about anything. You have to go back to being friends with Eddie. You can’t be salty or angry at one another because this little adventure happened between the two of you. You don’t want to lose Eddie, and you were trying to avoid it, but in the end, it didn’t matter, because it feels like you are losing him either way.

So you took a deep breath in and walked back into the living room, not wanting to look Eddie’s way but it was like you were magnetized to him. You tried focusing on getting to know Eden, and she was really cool, very Argyle in all the good sense. She was the perfect match for him, and her alternative clothes were a contrast to Argyle’s vibrant ones. It was cute.

You were on your second beer now, minutes had passed, almost an hour, and you didn’t want to drink anymore. Eddie has not been interacting or looking your way, and you are restless for some reason. Didn’t he say– No, if he does try something the answer is no. 

Even when you two were left alone in the kitchen for a whole minute, you didn’t share any words as you cleaned up to finally go to the club. You kept glancing at him, but he pretended you were non existent. Your heart ached at how he was treating you because before anything happened he was your friend first, and now you also lost that.

You opened your mouth to talk to him, tell him you didn’t mean what you said, just something for him to finally talk to you the way he always did, but you were interrupted when Jonathan came into the kitchen.

“Welp, you guys ready?” He was sober, being the designated driver this time. Eddie only drank one beer and he stopped because he was going to take the people that came with him home as well. You nodded as you closed the trash bag and walked out the kitchen. 

“Is everything okay between you and Eddie?” Robin asked worriedly. You didn’t really know what to tell her. Everyone for sure noticed the cold shoulders between the both of you, or how you talked to one another before. They weren’t blind, nor deaf.

“Um we– It seems that my comment towards Jeff didn’t sit right with him. And then he insulted me back so–”

“But I saw you two talking outside?” She asked with a small slur on her tongue. You sighed and rubbed her shoulder.

“Yeah, I am not saying sorry and he isn’t either.” Robin rolled her eyes at the two of you, knowing how childish that sounded.

“So, is everyone ready to go celebrate the great Argyle’s birthday?” Steve said a little too loud and you smiled weakly at his state of drunkenness. You heard Eddie laugh at him and your stomach flipped at the sound. This stupid crush towards your friend should be gone by now. It should, you already killed that curiosity, you know how it feels, you know how he does, it should be done.

“Let’s go amigos! You’re gonna like this club!” Eden cheered at her boyfriend as you remembered your purse, walking to your room to get it. This was going to be an outing with friends, so you should act like it. You will try to do some innocent talk with Eddie, maybe things flow naturally between the two of you again if you try.

Maybe.

Or maybe fucking not.

He is avoiding you like the plague. Argyle brought you all to a club that plays Latin music mostly, so it was easy for all of you to just stand around a table, drinking as you talked, laughing when Argyle did a shot of Jagermeister and almost spit it out, but his girlfriend took it like a champ. 

Steve and Robin were drunk, as always. Jonathan was sober trying to fix Steve’s hair while the other tried kissing his boyfriend, and Nancy was giddy, just hugging Robin from behind, and then Eddie… Eddie and you were sober. He was across from you, when a week ago he probably preferred to stand next to you, knowing the two of you were the single people in the group. You both shared that in common, and now you are separated while the couples around you were all over eachother.

You wanted to go dance, to distract yourself from it all, but no one was making any moves to do so. You turned around to look into the dancefloor, and the women were dancing sensually, exotic even, and then, a dark haired girl walked in front of you, her dress glistening from the lights in the club. You were mesmerized by her, not even hiding the fact you were looking at her, but she noticed, looking back at you.

She was really beautiful, and then she winked at you while walking away. Oh… That should have gotten you to make a move. To go after her, but– Fuck, why don’t you feel like going after her? You sighed, turning around to take a small sip of your glass of water only to find a pair of eyes, digging into your skull.

He was glaring your way, and you wondered if it was his ego once more. You got flirted at and he hadn’t. That’s all it was. You rolled your eyes at him and grabbed your glass, turning back around to avoid looking at him again. You felt your heart accelerating as you tried to think of ways to not think about him at all.

But the more you pondered, the more you realized that you didn’t go after that girl because– Fuck, you can’t, you can’t want him! It’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong. The two beers you had probably were enough to make you this stupid. You had to go dance with someone, or get away from Eddie, but you didn’t have to. Eddie was heading to the dancefloor with Steve and Argyle, the two drunks. You only guessed he was going as a chaperone for them.

But what if someone–

You looked at Eden and smiled, nodding towards the dancefloor to join the boys. She smiled back at you, linked her arm around yours, and dragged you to the middle where the guys were. You just wanted to dance, that’s the whole reason you came to dance with them. Steve immediately grabbed you and twirled you around, making you giggle at how he almost stepped all over your feet.

“I don’t know how to dance any of this shit, but I sure as hell will try!” You heard him yell and you shook your head at him, only to then be pushed on your back, making you stumble over. You gasped and tried to grab onto anyone. A pair of arms wrapped around you before you tumbled to the floor, and your face was pressed to a chest, the leather like cologne filling your nostrils, making your heart thump faster.

“Watch the fuck out!” You heard Eddie yell over the music, and then you felt as if he shoved someone. You wanted to remain here, in his arms, and then– memories of that night started coming to your mind. You felt yourself burning all over, and particularly downwards. Fuck– 

“God, there was enough space for him to go through!” You heard Eden complain and then you were being pushed away, gently, the arms unwrapping from your body. You looked up to see those brown irises looking back at you, reminding you of that time where he supposedly hated you, yet still defended you from an asshole.

You don’t want this to be like that time, where he felt obligated to act heroic. He didn’t hate you now, did he? It’s just a rough patch in your relationship and you have to get over it. His hand squeezed your right shoulder and you felt shivers running down your entire spine.

“You alright?” His voice was loud but he wasn’t screaming. You gulped and nodded, feeling cold when the hand retracted. How long will it have to be for you to at least feel Eddie’s embrace again? A hug. Anything… but–

“Thanks…” You muttered under your breath. He gave a single nod, looking back at Argyle who was now trying to twerk to a song, and all you could do is stare at his side profile. 

Stop. Stop. Stop. You can’t fuck him again.

He said you were jealous, and you weren’t! You were curious only! You just wanted to know if he kept hookups as friends later on. Was that so bad? Was it bad to be curious about what a friend does in their life? In their relationships? No, it isn’t. You know everything about Robin, and you just wanted to have the same level of knowledge on Eddie.

You weren’t fucking jealous. You didn’t like him that way even, it was just attraction, so how could you be jealous over someone you just like physically?

“I’m off to get water.” You heard him talk, and you saw him walk away, and now you didn’t want to dance anymore. You bit your bottom lip as you stared at him until he got lost in the crowd. You wanted to follow him and talk to him, but you couldn’t. Maybe tomorrow, because right now it is for certain he doesn’t want to talk to you at all. 

“C’mon brochacha, dance with me! I’m the birthday boy!” You giggled at Argyle and he was right. You weren’t enjoying your friend’s birthday because of these stupid thoughts. Because of Eddie. You tried to calm your heart and dance with him, laughing when he tried to show you and Steve how to dance this music, and Steve just failed miserably.

You were laughing, songs passing and your worries started to leave your mind. Jonathan, Robin and Nancy joined after, but no sign of Eddie. It didn’t matter, because you were laughing as you were twirled around by Nancy. The music was not something the lot of you listened daily, but at least they were very well known songs.

Your bladder suddenly yelled at you for release. You have been holding it in for thirty minutes already, and you had to rush to the bathroom. You leaned over to Eden to yell to her over the music and into her ear so she could hear you.

“Where’s the bathroom!?”

“Next to the left side of the bar!” You nodded and gave her a thumbs up. You told everyone you were going to the bathroom and you started swimming through the sea of people. You avoided a few men that tried grabbing your hand in order to dance with you, rolling your eyes at the insistence. You finally stepped out of the dancefloor and saw the bathroom sign over the entrance of a hallway, but as you walked towards it, your head turned to the left only for your face to completely fall.

Eddie was leaning against the bar counter, smiling down at a girl. Both of them with drinks in their hands. Didn’t he say he was getting water? When did that change to alcohol? And how did he get to flirt with a girl this quickly? Your mouth was dry as you felt your belly turning, feeling your ego being crushed for some fucking reason. 

You turned and walked down the hallway, your knees feeling like jelly. You rushed to get inside the lady’s room and into a stall. You could hear all the girls talk but all you could think about was Eddie’s flirtatious smile towards this stranger. You should feel happy for him, like, good for him for getting some.

You relieved yourself, knees hurting from having to hold yourself up from not touching the toilet seat, and you walked to wash your hands, looking at your reflection as foam appeared on your palms. Your heart was hammering in your chest, and why– why are you thinking like this?

You feel sick. Maybe you are sick. You felt like you wanted to puke, your stomach was turning and your throat was closing up on you. Everything was spinning and you felt dizzy, and angry, and like your dignity was fucking squashed into the floor. At least he shouldn’t flirt with her in your face? You didn’t flirt with that girl before, and he is just–

What the fuck are you thinking? He is nothing to you and you are nothing to him, so why are you thinking like this? You really do feel sick don’t you? You need to go home, but everyone wants to stay most likely, so who on earth can take you home? Maybe just order a car?

Meanwhile, Eddie was outside, in the bar, having the most boring conversation there is with a girl that started talking to him out of nowhere. He was really going to get water, but maybe this was a good opportunity to try to go back to who he was before having a taste of you.

She wasn’t exactly his type, but she was very pretty. She just seemed the typical airhead who laughs at whatever he says for his attention, the hand trick on his arm, the lip biting. Nothing like you flirted with him. It was subtle and you didn’t even know you were doing it, thinking it was simple bantering.

That’s what it was at first, and now you two are back to how you were months ago. He didn’t want to treat you the way he did, but he was angry. He knew you wanted him as much as he wanted you, and he understood you. He really did understand your point of view, and why you were so afraid, but fuck did he want you again. He knows the woman in front of him won’t satisfy him, but if he isn’t going to be able to have you, then he should just refresh his contact list. 

“And then, we just like, drank a whole keg and it was insane.” Her voice was nasal, and her topic of conversation revolved around her solely. He faked a smirk, and he was already told that Argyle and Eden were heading to a motel after this. He didn’t need to know, but that leaves him with no passengers because he knows Nancy is leaving with Robin. So… he can easily take this girl back to his place.

He has to start trying to not think about your body because that’s all he did this past week. Seeing you tonight, in that dress, just made him want to grab you and take you to your room and just bend you over on all fours on your desk and rail into you, over and over again. Make you scream the way you did a week ago. But he can’t do that. 

So, taking this girl back to his place is. He opened his mouth to talk to her only to be interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head, frowning in surprise as he saw you standing next to him. You were nervous, and you were a bit shaky from what he could see. He felt his stomach do a stupid twirl, and he wondered if something happened to you.

“Hi, sorry to interrupt um– I– I feel sick…” Now he was confused. His head tilted to the side in question, an eyebrow rising as he looked at you. You felt sick?

“Um… Alright Peach, go tell Jonathan.” Eddie was trying to understand why you were interrupting him, but he didn’t have to wonder for long.

“You promised me you were my ride tonight… Plus they don’t seem like they want to go…” Oh. Oh you were a fucking bitch. He didn’t make such a promise and you knew it. You saw him flirting with someone else, and just like he predicted, you became jealous, to the point of interrupting him. 

“Right. You feel sick and you want to leave now, is that correct?” Your jaw clenched while looking up at him with those glossy eyes of yours. You slowly nodded at him and he had to gather his thoughts for a second, his heart thumping in his chest in excitement. He didn’t plan this at all, he really was going to respect your choice even if you were lying and he didn’t like it either.

“Aww, but I was having fun.” The girl in front of him pouted and fuck, he already forgot her name. The adrenaline of leaving with you overtaking him completely, excited to feel you around him again, hopeful to feel you cum around his cock and yell his name like seven days ago.

“I’m sorry baby, but I did promise her I was her ride for tonight.” He side-eyed you for a moment, and you were fiddling with your fingers while looking away. He wondered what you were thinking right now. 

“Can I at least have your instagram? Snapchat?” His eyes turned to look at the girl in front of him again, and he chuckled, shaking his head.

“Sorry, I don’t own social media.” And before she could ask for his number, his arm wrapped around your shoulders, turning you towards the entrance of the club, making sure you didn’t bump into anyone. He felt you tense up under his touch, or shiver, but it filled him with pride knowing he was making you feel this way just by touching your shoulder.

Once you two were out, he let go of your shoulders and he saw you looking back at the club, and then continued walking next to him. He didn’t see you drink, just at your home and those two beers. He knows you are not drunk, and you did whatever you did back there completely conscious. 

The car was not far away, and there were no words exchanged by the two of you. His heart was beating loudly, hearing his blood flowing, already feeling his belly burn with need. He couldn’t believe how primal he became when you were next to him now. You were a fucking drug. 

He opened the passenger’s seat for you and you looked at him as you slowly got inside, your eyes never breaking contact with one another’s. He felt his hands itching to touch you, knowing he is a few minutes away to actually get to touch you the way he did a week ago. He closed the door and while rounding the car, he messaged Argyle and Nancy to tell them he is taking you home because you were really sick.

He wondered if they were going to buy that lie. He honestly didn’t actually care, not when his stomach turned with adrenaline at the thought of eating you out again, or feel you cum around his cock, very tight at the base, bottoming out completely inside of you. He got into the driver’s seat and he saw you were texting, probably Jonathan since he was the sober one. 

But, he didn’t see excitement in your face. He could detect hints of doubt, of worry, embarrassment? He was about to talk when your phone started ringing, your eyes frowning in confusion and answering it.

“Hello?” You asked and motioned for him to start driving. He started the car and he got out of the parking space to start driving… to your house? His? “Robin, you are drunk– I’m– Yeah, I’m fine! Eddie is taking me home.” 

To your house it is, okay. He leaned over to talk over the phone so that Robin could hear him talk, knowing she won’t remember shit from this night.

“We’re gonna go have sex with eachother Robin!” He felt you push his shoulder, and he could hear how Robin went ‘That’s impossible!’ and he snorted as he kept his eyes on the road. You cursed under your breath as you got on the phone with Robin again.

“He– Of course he lied, god Robin– Yes, I do feel sick… Uh huh.” You closed your eyes, head thumping on the headrest of your seat as you kept listening to your friend. He fixed himself on his own because– for some reason, there was anger bubbling inside of him, and he was hoping his intuition was wrong. “Yeah, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Bye.”

He saw you hang up and sigh, putting the phone into your purse again. Should he ask? Should he just drive to your place without a word? He was never in this position and now he is realizing just how different it is to fuck a stranger from a friend.

“So… sick huh.” He started and you gulped, staring out your window.

“Y-Yeah… I’m honestly feeling icky. Nauseous and stuff.” And he frowned, his gut already turning with a bad feeling, an awful taste in his mouth at your words. Were you serious? No, he definitely knows you are lying.

“Wait, you’re actually sick?” 

“Yeah, I was– in the bathroom trying not to puke before talking to you.” And– Oh he was pissed.

“You– Oh my fucking god!” His foot stepped on the gas, and his speed raised a bit more as he turned left, completely getting off the route to your house. You gasped as you held onto the handle above the window, and he knew you were a bit afraid, but he wanted to murder you right now.

“What the fuck Munson! Take me home!” You could see how the buildings started becoming smaller, then houses–

“No, you and I are going to have a fucking talk, Peach.” He gave you an unamused laugh as you saw the trees coming closer, your stomach turning wildly from nerves, of anger, of excitement? You are not sure anymore. You didn’t do anything wrong. You truly felt sick, you could feel it.

“We don’t have to talk about anything! I just need to get home to rest–” You hear him groan loudly at your response and he turns onto a dirt road, making the car swing around as he gets deeper into the trees around you. You knew there was some kind of countryside outside of the city, but not with trees. It looks more like an ecological park than anything.

Suddenly he comes to a stop, both of you jerking forward, stopped by your seatbelts. Your heart was pounding wildly in your chest as you looked at him, wide-eyed. He turned off the headlights, leaving your surroundings in complete darkness, and the only thing illuminating the inside of his car was the small navigating screen in the middle.

“You are a fucking bitch, you know that?” His voice was low as he almost ripped the seatbelt off of him, running a hand over his face. He couldn’t really believe what you just did, and the fact you are denying it is bringing back all those old feelings he had for you again. How much he hated seeing you lie over and over again in front of Robin. Lying about who you were. But this time, this involves him, and you are lying into his face and even fucking his night over.

“Excuse me? What the hell is your problem!?” You were angry at him because he basically kidnapped you, taking you far away from the city and your friends, and all you wanted was to get home and curl up in your bed. Didn’t you?

“My problem? Oh, I don’t know, the fact I was about to score a fuck for tonight until you showed up and demanded me to take you home, LYING that I promised to be your drive back, when we both know I didn’t agree to shit!” He was looking at you, both of your chests going up and down with heavy breaths. You felt your belly dropping lower and lower, the consequences of your actions now coming clean in front of your face, but you won’t admit that to him.

“I– I had to do it because no one wanted to leave! That’s that!” 

“And your best option was to lie to me, when you knew I was actually busy? You’re full of fucking bullshit and you know I know it.” His eyes were like daggers into your skull, your soul, your heart. He could see you and he could feel your lies and your tricks. It’s not that you didn’t want him to be with someone else, you just felt sick at the moment, that’s all.

“I felt sick! I really did!” You squealed out, making him huff as he let out a fake chuckle, shaking his head.

“Yeah, sick because I was going to stick my dick in someone else’s cunt and not yours.” Your whole stomach, intestines, and lungs made a turn, knocking the air out of you in an instant. How dare he? How fucking dare he say that about you when it was nothing like that?

It wasn’t.

“I– The world doesn’t revolve around you Munson! Why would I care about something like that? The fuck you think you are? The best I’ve ever had or some shit?” You wanted to scoff at that because you were lying. You were fucking lying but you cannot admit it to him. His face turned to you, a glare directed into your soul and you felt a shiver run down your whole body.

“I fucking know I am the best you’ve ever had. And I know you are regretting saying it was a one-time thing.” 

Your body was set aflame at that, and you knew you were becoming aroused each second that passed. You were aroused at the bantering? Were you for real? You couldn’t do this, you had to get home because you were feeling your body tremble with adrenaline as your stomach did somersaults. 

“You’re so fucking full of yourself, you know that?” He was angry, you could see it in the way his jaw clenched and unclenched, how he was looking at you with murderous eyes, and you didn’t really have a way to defend yourself at this point but just keet arguing with him.

“Me? Fine princess. I’ll just pretend you admitted you regretted your fucking choices and so you ruined my night.” You were fuming, thighs rubbing together as your impulsiveness started to get hold of you. Your hands were restless as you looked at him, whole body flushed and burning from inside out.

“Admit!? I didn’t admit shit, and it wasn’t like that! Why can’t you just accept that!?” Your voices were loud, and you were glad no one was around you, at least nowhere close.

“Because you’re a fucking liar Peach!” His whole body was turned to you and you felt your heart hammering in your chest, blood pumping in your ears and your breath was heavy and elaborated. Your eyes were scanning his eyes, his lips as they moved, the vein on his neck, his hand as he flayed it around when he talked.

“Why the fuck would I lie about something like that!?” You gritted out of your teeth and you could feel the tension inside the car, how the air became heavy, two predators waiting for one to pounce onto the other. You dug your nails into your thighs as he rolled his eyes at you, a final scoff out of his lips.

“The sooner you admit it, the sooner we can get this over with and fuck eachother stupid, because I know you want that as much as I do.” Your mouth fell open at that, jaw dropping to your thighs almost. Your hands gripped onto your seatbelt that was still tight on you, glaring at him with sharp eyes.

“No, I do not.” He lets out a chuckle at that, shaking his head and then giving you one nod as his tongue licks on his bottom lip, trying to contain himself, his eyes looking forward and out of the windshield.

“Alright, then it’s done. I’ll take you home and I’ll go back to the club.” Your heart hammered in your chest because, why? It’s already late, he wouldn’t be able to get in. Would he? You felt your entire skin burning, your fingertips up in flames as well as your cheeks. Your body trembled and you couldn’t pinpoint why. It felt like a mixture of things, adrenaline, excitement, euphoria, anger, and– your ego being squashed.

That is all it fucking was. Your pride being destroyed right on your face. Why do you feel like this when you were the one who made the decision? He wanted to keep doing it but you refused and– You didn’t want him to fuck another girl, at least not in front of you.

Because you know you were the best he ever had.

You unbuckled your seatbelt, the noise of it making Eddie turn to look at you, your body immediately reaching for him over the console. You heard him take a sharp intake of breath, as if in a hiss, meeting you in the middle, the both of you breathing heavily, desperate for one another. Your hands grasped his face, his left hand moving to your waist, right hand on the back of your neck, and you two gave one another one final look, before closing your eyes and hungrily taking eachother’s lips.

You kissed him with the purpose of taking his breath away. You wanted to leave no air at all in his lungs as the lip smacking could be heard inside the car, loudly so. Your fingernails went into his scalp, earning a groan from his part. You wanted to die from embarrassment because you realized how desperate you were to separate your thighs for him, so you rubbed them together as his hand on your waist gripped even harder, his fingertips digging into the fabric of your dress.

Your heads turned from side to side as the kiss grew more fierce, rougher, and sloppier. You wanted to feel him again, rub yourself on him, get him inside of you as quickly as possible. You don’t even know if you have the strength to go to his or your house at this point, the need being too unbearable. 

You moaned into his mouth when his hand moved downwards, gripping your ass and you felt a sweat moving all over your body, drenching you from how hot the car felt. How hot you felt. He chuckled into the kiss at your moan which earned him a tug on his hair from your part. He growled into his throat and his hand left your ass. You wanted to whine at the loss of touch, but then he pulled away, making the both of you look at one another, and then, his seat went all the way backwards, away from the steering wheel, his left hand on the lever underneath his seat.

You didn’t hesitate, not a single second, your breathing heavy as you moved quickly over the console, not caring if you were flashing him at all, you just needed to sit down on the bulge you could clearly see on his pants. Feel him once more because who were you going to lie to right now? Lie about how you didn’t think of messaging him all week and tell him to fuck what you said before? Lie about how you were close to visiting him at his shop and probably suck his cock under his desk?

Yeah, whatever friendship you had with Eddie, it’s gone.

Your knees were against the leather seat, one on each side of his hips and your hands cradled his face once again, leaning down to kiss his lips just like seconds before. Your head was bumping slightly against the roof of the car but you didn’t care. It will be a bit uncomfortable but it’s not something you really care for right now.

His right hand gripped the lever on the side to lean the back of his seat downwards, just slightly, not all the way. You didn’t stop kissing him for a second, and then your hips collided with his and he couldn’t help but moan into the kiss, almost a whimper, which you reciprocated with a moan of your own. You could feel him through your wet underwear, rubbing deliciously against you and the zipper’s fly of his pants catching onto your aching clit. 

Your hips were rubbing against him aggressively, not caring if he noticed how desperate you were because, by how his hands started gripping your waist, and by how his own hips swayed on the seat back and forth with you tells you he was in the exact same situation as you were. 

Eddie grunted into the kiss as he felt his dick become harder, twitch at every movement, and he was probably leaking a lot of precum already. This whole week had been torturous for him, not being able to get you out of his head and no matter how many times he jerked off and dedicated his cum to your name, it wasn’t enough. 

And right now, this wasn’t what he had planned. He had planned to meet a chick at the club to take home and try to satiate himself with her, even if he knew damn well it wasn’t going to work out, he still wanted to try. He didn’t expect your jealousy, or whatever it is called because the two of you do not like eachother, not in that way.

This was just physical attraction.

He knew he was territorial. He had his reasons to, but you, you were a mystery to him. Maybe it was your ego, your pride, and it probably really was. Maybe if you weren’t there and you found out later, you wouldn’t have cared. Would he care if he found out about you sleeping with someone else? Missing a night out and to find out you went out and fucked some guy or girl–

The thought made his mind spin, his right hand flying up to grip the back of your head, yanking onto your hair so you would open your mouth. A gasp escaped you, your lips parting over his, and he took this opportunity to slide his tongue in your mouth in order to meet yours. Your moans filled his throat and he felt as if he came back to life once more after the fucking week he had.

Your hands, now clawed onto his shoulders, nails digging into the stupid shirt he is wearing that looks way too good on him and you want to see it in complete shreds. Your hips started circling onto him, and you moaned into his mouth as your clit was rubbed on, your cunt just getting wetter at each roll. His hips were jerking upwards, his need to be inside of you growing each second.

You were pathetically clenching around nothing. Fuck, he felt too good, and you were so stupid for saying that it should have been a one-time thing only, and he is not even inside you yet. His dick is still inside his pants and you already felt cockdrunk on him, but it feels too good to stop. You could already feel the coil in your belly turning, finally pleased to have what it has been craving for.

His tongue was greedily licking onto yours, tasting you and devouring you, eating you whole. He wanted to eat you out again, have your pussy in his mouth, and make you crumble under his touch, but it seems there is going to be another time after this. Your hands went down his chest, and your breaths were heavy against eachother, and he couldn’t help but feel… victorious. He gripped your hair in order to pull away from you, keeping his lips close to yours and he smirked when a whimper fell from your pouted and puffy lips.

“One time thing my fucking ass, right Peach?” Your eyes were glistening with lustful tears, and you glared at him, grunting at his cockiness. You responded by rolling your hips against his, making him choke on his breath.

“Shut the fuck up Munson, my pussy drove you so mad that you didn’t think rationally at all. One of us had to be the voice of reason, and it wasn’t going to be you.” At your response, his eyes looked at you with a murderous stare, and his nostrils were flaring up at you, showing how pissed off your comment made him. 

But you were right on that.

He wanted you so bad that he didn’t want to see how it would affect the entire group and not just the two of you. He wanted to be inside of you again so bad that he was willing to risk it all. He wanted you again. He needed you again. But you are never going to hear that coming from his mouth.

“You say that, yet I had the intention of taking someone home tonight, and trust me Peach, you weren’t a choice.” And now it was your turn to glare into his eyes because, how fucking dare he? How dare he say something like that to you? Why does that hurt you? Why do you feel so angry? Why does it feel like he just carved a hole somewhere in your body?

Your hand flew to grip his chin, tilting his head back as his hand let go of your hair, letting you dive into his neck and biting him. It wasn’t that harsh, but it was enough to sink your teeth in if just a little bit. He winced, clenching his eyes as he felt his whole body tremble at the sensation. You were marking him up. Fuck, if only you knew what it was doing to him.

His dick twitched in his pants, making him groan in pain at how much pressure was being put onto him, your relentless rubbing against him making it all worse. His breathing was shaky, your tongue now lapping at the part where you had bitten. You proceeded to kiss him there, the burning in your belly becoming even more unbearable. 

You pulled away from him with a pop, trying to not hit the roof of the car with your head, and his hands gripped onto your jacket, pulling it down your shoulders and you helped him with taking it off. His mouth latched onto your neck this time, and you sat down on his thighs as you sighed in delight at his kisses. He knew he couldn’t mark you now, it would be too obvious since he probably has your fucking teeth engraved in his neck right now. 

Your hands went to his pants, and you thanked the heavens he didn’t wear a belt today. It was just a matter of seconds before you had unbuttoned him and pulled the fly of his zipper down. You were so close, and then– he pulled away.

“Shit, fuck–”

“What is it?” You were infuriated. Why was he stopping? Why was he stopping you now?

“I don’t have a condom sweetheart, and as much as I would love to fuck you raw, who knows what dick’s been in there.” That earned him a bite to his bottom lip this time, making him whimper against you. Fuck. This was another side of you that he never expected. He loved it. No one ever treated him like this, as if he was owned, as if he should know his place. This was new. You were new.

“I’m more worried about where your dick’s been. I have condoms in my purse.” And that earned you a smirk from him, his bottom lip now red and pulsing from your bite. 

“So, you came prepared.”

“And who says you were a choice?” At that, Eddie only leans in towards you, and you could see him inhaling, how his pupils dilated even more for just a second, and then focused on your face once again. 

“Oh baby, I know I was your only choice.” His and your eyes were locked on one another, fire and sparks flying between the two of you. Your jaw clenched, looking at the purse sitting on the passenger’s seat and then back at him.

“You’re gonna put it on or not?” And his hand flew to reach your purse, without taking his eyes off you. He hands it to you and you take just one second to stick your hand in and then into the small side pocket to take the condom out. You could see your phone lighting up from the movement, and that you had notifications, more than thirty minutes passed since you left the club. It can wait.

He threw the purse back to the side, and you raised yourself a bit from his thighs as you opened the condom with your teeth. He was mesmerized by you, not being able to take his eyes off you as he raised his hips to push his pants and boxers down to his bent knees. You took the latex out of the foil and you threw it away, not caring where it landed really.

You looked down to see his cock, up, alert, red, and leaking for you. You wanted to bend down and lick it clean, to taste it again, but your pussy is begging for it. It has been begging for it for the past week. You gulped as you felt your mouth watering, the back of your head touching the roof of the car from being kneeled on the seat.

Eddie was seeing how you were biting your bottom lip, looking down at his cock and– fuck you were going to be the death of him because if he is not inside you in the next three seconds, he is going to explode. He grabbed the condom from your hand, and immediately rolled it down, holding in a pathetic moan from finally feeling some friction, but it’s stupid to feel it from his own hands.

Your left hand pressed on his shoulder as the right one lifted the hem of your dress up towards your stomach, keeping it bunched up there, finally revealing your underwear to him. He licked the inside of his cheek as he saw how you pushed your thong to the side, and fuck– he could see it. He could see how sticky your underwear was to your pussy from how wet you were. He felt his heart punching his chest with the need to go down on you again, but you didn’t give him time to think at all.

You were already guiding yourself on top of him, the head of his cock gliding between your folds and catching onto your clit, making you moan with relief. Your body shook with adrenaline as Eddie’s hands went to your hips, bracing himself for the moment he had been dreaming of for days. He should have put music on because this was going to be loud, he knew it–

His thoughts were shut off as you started sinking down on him, no need for foreplay, no time for it. It was stupid to try to stop this. It was stupid to try to make this a one-time thing. It was stupid to try to make it seem as if the attraction was not there. It was stupid to try to deny that the year of hatred just made you both want eachother even more. Craving a friendship, or this, you don’t know.

A smile spread on your lips while you bit your bottom lip, your eyes closed as you relished in the feeling of finally having him inside, and you couldn’t wait to feel like last saturday again. Full. Satisfied. Relaxed. You didn’t notice how Eddie was fighting off closing his own eyes so he could drink you in. You were smiling while taking his cock, slowly, inch by inch. Fuck, he can’t wait to feel you around him, to feel you pulsating, throbbing, and then the clench. That delicious fucking clench.

He threw his head back on the headrest as your mouth finally opened with a silent moan, and you looked down to where the two of you were connecting, finally opening your eyes. Your left hand on his shoulder while the other gripped the roof handle on his side for some leverage. If you didn’t, then you were for sure going to sink down at once, and even if you know you can take him, you also know you didn’t stretch yourself out first. You’re wet enough to go slow, but not to immediately slam down on him like you did last time. 

“Oh, holy fuck…” He moaned out, breaths leaving his lungs in huffs, holding himself back from thrusting his hips upwards. The more you took him, the more he was beginning to lose control of his movements. He didn’t want you to be in charge, that was his job… but fuck, you looked so good like this.

You could feel him filling you up, finally swallowing up his base, noticing how his back arched from the backrest, just slightly, as well as a whimper leaving his lips. He looks so good, he feels so good. Your breath was completely out of your lungs as you adjusted to his size, walls fluttering around him, pulsating, sucking him in and not letting him go anywhere anytime soon.

He let out a loud grunt, almost a growl, opening his eyes when your hips finally touched his. He was breathing heavily through his nose as he looked where you clearly swallowed him whole, his cock deep inside of you, and your face did not show a single sign of pain, of hurt, of displeasure. He had some doubts from last time, that maybe the euphoria of it all let you take him the way you did but– no… No, you could take him.

You can fucking take him.

“God, yes...” You breathed out when you felt the tip of his cock just touch you in places you’ve never felt before, or in a while. You weren’t sure, and you really weren’t. All you know is that now you feel amazing, and that’s what matters, that he feels amazing. Your left hand gripped his shoulder tightly, your pussy suddenly clenching around him, making his eyes go wide, and his hips jerk upwards. You gasped at the feeling, the back of your head knocking on the roof, just gently. 

“Shit– Sorry Peach– But fuck do you feel good…” His ass was back on the seat, and you took the opportunity to hover a little longer so his cock would slide out of you a few inches, and then you slammed yourself against him, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Your eyes were glistening, the pleasure taking over your features and body.

“You feel good Eddie, so good–” You could admit that to him, just like he was to you. You rolled your hips against him, your G-spot being rubbed on and your mouth fell open in silent moans. Eddie could only grip your thighs, trying not to dig his fingertips into your flesh, not wanting to hurt you but–

It was as if the two of you were made for eachother.

You raised yourself from him, only to move down again, swaying your hips just slightly as you did so. He let out a sigh of pleasure, rolling his head over the headrest as he felt you start to create a tempo slowly. He could feel how deep he was inside of you, and he kept wondering how it was possible. But just like last time, maybe some things just have no answers. ‘Because it can’ and it was as simple as that.

You were now moaning a louder, your moves quickening as you felt him glide inside of you, feeling every vein and ridge of his shaft. You felt like you were floating on clouds by how good it felt, only the burning on your thighs from the work you were putting into bringing you back to earth. 

He saw how there was some drool pooling at the corner of your mouth as it remained open with noises coming out of it each time you went down on his cock. He could also hear the squelching sound of your juices, of your wetness all around him. You look so beautiful and perfect right now, he can’t help it. He leaned forward, his right hand moving to the back of your neck to pull you downwards and clash his lips onto yours.

You moaned into the kiss as your right hand now rested on his left shoulder, mimicking your left one. You kissed him back, instantly melting your tongue with his, savoring him once again as you kept moving your hips, up and down, quicker, faster, rougher, and his left hand moved from your thigh to your ass and then–

SMACK.

You gasped into the kiss, pulling away for just a second, your right ass cheek burning from the slap it received. 

“Eddie–!” His hand pulled you back to his lips by the back of your neck. You moaned into the kiss, his hand now rubbing the area where he slapped and you just rutted your hips against him, the tip of his cock just abusing your g spot, tipping you closer and closer towards the edge. 

You didn’t feel like yourself and Eddie didn’t either. It was weird to think that the two of you were just friends a few weeks ago and now you are roughly fucking inside his car, like two horny teenagers. The windows of it all fogged up, and you are pretty sure your moans can be heard from the fucking city. 

Your belly burnt and twisted, and you felt like it was going to explode. Your orgasm was coming closer and closer and Eddie could feel it all around his cock. Your walls were throbbing against him and in all honesty, Eddie had been thinking about this for so long that his own orgasm was coming quicker than normal. He grunted when he raised his hips and then set a brutal pace on you, pistoning his hips into you, the slapping of hips loud inside the small room in the car.

You pulled away from the kiss, holding onto his shoulders and feeling his fingertips digging into the flesh of your ass. He had a death grip on you, helping him pull you down towards him as he thrust upwards into you.

“So well. Taking me so fucking well Peach–” He groaned as he felt beads of sweat falling from the side of his face, your moans and the squelch of your pussy a degenerate but blissful sound in his ears.

“Eddie– Eddie– oh fuck–” Your belly coiled, pussy clenching around him which made him stutter, feeling himself getting closer. He wished he wasn’t, just to make you time two, maybe three times around his cock, but his body was betraying him tonight. He gave one deep thrust before pulling his hips back down onto the seat, making you slam down on him, a loud grunt escaping him.

You started moving desperately, trying to chase your high, needing it, and Eddie was just letting you use him at your disposal. You were moaning his name like your life depended on it and he was loving it. His right hand left the back of your neck to push one of the straps of your dress down, as well as the strap of your bralette.

He almost ripped the cup of the lace off you but he wasn’t going to risk being yelled at by you, so he pulled it downwards, making your left breast pop out. His mouth immediately latched on your neck, kissing it sloppily. You were dizzy, your mind completely shut off thanks to pleasure as your hips kept moving on him, feeling the drag of his cock against your walls, and the tip of it hit you deliciously where you needed him the most.

You felt him unlatch from your neck to then feel your nipple being pinched by teeth. You let out a pathetic whine, a whimper, and you hear him moan against you as his lips envelop your nipple and he starts sucking on it, making you sweat all over as you feel your orgasm as if it were about to murder you.

He could feel you, smell you, and you were driving him absolutely mad. He was throbbing, begging for release, but he was holding himself back trying to wait for you to cum around him first. He needs to feel it. He lets go of your nipple with a pop and he presses his forehead against your collarbone, his face twisting as his entire body starts to shake from the impending orgasm.

“Peach– I’m going to fucking cum, fuck–” And for some reason, knowing she was making him cum by just riding him stupid was the drop that tipped over the glass.

“Ed– Ed– Eddie–!” Your eyebrows were met in the middle as your mouth remained open with breathless moans as your walls clenched tightly all around him, making you stop moving. He threw his head back onto the headrest, feeling himself being engulfed by you, trapped by you around his base and it felt too good.

“You feel so fucking good baby, god fucking damnit–” You were trembling on top of him as he moved back and forth in the seat so his cock would drag inside of you, helping you ride your orgasm out, and he realized you came with penetration only. His hands held onto your thighs now, his hips thrusting as much as they could, his breath coming out ragged as he still felt you spasming around him, and clenching on him. “-- sh-SHIT!”

He pushed your thighs down on him, seething himself deep inside of you, finally letting a loud cry escape your lips, and he clenched his eyes as he moaned your name, his seed spilling into the condom in huge spurts, and in great quantities. His hips twitched underneath you, the vein in his neck popping off from the intensity of the orgasm. He felt so good, so satisfied, his breathing coming in heavy as well as yours as you both finally relaxed, him on the seat and you over him. 

The crescent moon marks on his shoulders thanks to your nails, your heart threatening to just give up on you at any moment, the fogginess of your climax starting to slowly wear off the more you catch your breath. Your legs were shaking, spasming every now and then and he winced from the overstimulation around him.

With one hand he managed to press the button to pull the window down, letting the cool air come in and it felt like a punch to the face, a punch of reality. You felt quite shocked suddenly, pulling the strap of your bra and dress over your shoulder, fixing it on you. Eddie was just like you, just staring at your middle because the adrenaline started to wear off and– fuck.

You slowly moved your hips upwards, pulling him out of you, earning a wince from the two of you. You saw the filled condom, making the situation more real than just a passing dream. You were trying to catch your breath yet as you moved, trying not to make a fool of yourself and just fall on your face, going back to the passenger seat, stepping over the console. Once seated, you fixed your dress, looking forward completely wide eyed, feeling your juices dampening your now fixed underwear, covering you once more.

Eddie was staring at the windshield, starting to get clearer, the fog of it coming off thanks to the window being open. He gulped as he looked down and took off the condom, hearing you still fixing yourself on the passenger’s seat. He tied the latex up, and opened the small trash can container that is underneath the radio. He has to remember to take it out the next day.

He fixed his pants, then the seat and then it was just silence as the two of you looked forward into nothingness. You were slowly putting your jacket back on, and then you could hear just how quiet the outside was, making the entire situation even more embarrassing.

“We… have to talk… but tomorrow–” You started, and he quickly answered.

“Agreed.” He knows the two of you are quite in a state of shock right now, so talking about this now was not the best idea. He sees you putting your seatbelt on, so he copies your movements, and before he can ask–

“Want to… sleep over?”

end of chapter 18

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a/n: it's all uphill from here

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C H A P T E R — T W O

Summary: As the days lead up to the infamous dinner for the courting season, Akira becomes overwhelmed with all the sudden changes. Secrets are revealed and relationships are formed, but is it all for Akira’s benefit?

Warnings: strong language, breeding kink, heavy smut, strong violence, angst, parallel polyandry relationships, omegaverse, a/b/o, slow burn, trauma/healing themes, abusive family.

WC: 8,966

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“Akira, can I talk to you for a moment?”

I was in the middle of packing my books away when my mother entered my room. I never really saw my mother before, like really see her. She didn’t look like she aged much, even with the few streaks of gray in her curls. We were nearly built the same but still, she was slimmer than me. And her caramel complexed skin seemed a few shades lighter than my own.

“Did you need me to do something for you, mama?” I stopped what I was doing and straightened my posture. She just shook her head, closed the door behind her and walked over to me. I moved the cardboard box I was placing my books in, to the top of my bed and sat down. When by my mother sat down, I could see the tiredness in her eyes. I could see the worry and the concern. I had no idea what was troubling her, but like always, I knew it had something to do with me,

“Akira…baby, I know your life hasn’t been an easy one.” I looked down at my shirt and started playing with the hem. I hate awkward conversations like this. I don’t like getting into the details of my childhood, much of which I’m thankful I blocked out. “Last night’s celebration dinner shouldn’t have happened. We should’ve fully celebrated you finding your pack too.”

“It’s fine mama, I’m used to it.” I shrugged, getting up quickly to grab more books when I saw that she was about to reach for me.

“It’s not fine, Akira. Your brother tells me that the leader believes his pack are your mates? That’s a higher rarity.” I looked up from my books when I saw how interested my mother looked. I squinted,

“I seem to hear that a lot lately. I’m a “rarity”. It’s rare for a full human to be born in a family of wolves; it’s rare for me to have mates, let alone seven of them—I’m really confused and really tired of hearing it.” I usually never get upset with my mother but the word ‘rarity’ suddenly became triggering. I felt like I didn’t belong, like I was the family pet or an unwanted guest. Being rare in something that should be normal didn’t make me feel special.

“I wasn’t trying to upset you, Akira. I just meant that knowing that your pack is filled with your partners and not just strangers is rare. It changes things now.” My mother tried to explain. I frowned, still confused,

“How?”

I watched my mother sigh as she tried to think of a way to explain things, “In our world, when wolves find their true mate, be it an alpha with another alpha or an alpha and omega—even omega and omega—they have to go through the courting process. Betas do too but because we don’t really have mates, it feels more like…human dating than it is with wolves.” I know that she’s trying to explain, but once again my mother lost me.

“I’m still confused, mama.” I started my packing again, making sure the last of my books were secured before moving on to my clothes. Opening the closet; I looked at the limited amount I had in the small storage space. I truly didn’t own much.

“The process starts out similar: during courting, you have to get to know each other. Then there’s the meeting of the familial packs, followed by a crossover ceremony—.”

“A crossover ceremony?” I interrupted, “Where exactly do you crossover to?”

My mother giggled, “It’s a ceremony when the familial alpha transfers the responsibility of taking care of their pup over to the new pack leader. You become part of the new leader’s pack.”

“Like a wedding ceremony.” I figured that’s why it was so similar. It’s exactly like a wedding.

“Yes, similar to that. Only when involving mates, the difference is you have to meet with the family. You have seven mates, my love, that’s more than what’s required.” She laughed again, “With betas, it’s more like a human ritual, an actual wedding, to make it more special because our wolf is neutral. It does not need to seek a mate, it simply just wants to have one, it’s not as instinctual like it is with alphas and omegas. If it were just a regular crossing over, like with Justine and Theo, who aren’t mates, it would be like a regular wedding type of ceremony.”

“But…I don’t feel anything that they do.” I shrugged, throwing my folded clothes into another box. I wouldn’t really be leaving until the courting process, I guess, was done. Whatever that may look like for me, “I don’t feel anything werewolves feel.” I walked back over to my closet to grab more folded clothes, “Why are we talking about this? Are you saying you have to marry me off in order to have me move in with a new pack?”

“In a way…yes. Truthfully, I didn’t think I’d be having this talk with you.”

“Neither did I.” I agreed. I kind of thought I’d be at home taking care of my parents but I guess they had other plans. “I don’t think I even pictured my life with anyone.”

“Akira…” my mother frowned as I placed more clothes away, clothes I knew I wouldn't be wearing for a while, “I promise I didn’t mean it in a negative way, it’s just…there’s certain things that you have to know and do—.”

“Oh god, please tell me you’re not telling me I have to sleep with them, too.” I froze, scared that this is what this conversation was really about. My mother shook her head,

“No, and I’m so sorry about what your father said. You do not have to immediately sleep with them, or ever, the point I’m trying to make is that courting is a little different than just dating. It leads to a sort of marriage. If you were an omega, alphas would gift you things that omegas need: soft blankets or clothing to feel warm, things with their scent so that you’d feel safe, things you’d need for a nest. For alphas, they just want a true alpha to take charge, to know where their place is in a hierarchy. It takes the pressure off of them.”

“And for betas?” I questioned, curious.

“Well, for me and other betas, we liked being considered. Betas' role in society is to mediate. Our job is kind of like we’re second in charge; we temper alphas when they get too out of control. But we like knowing that our words are heard. That everything we say and the reasons behind it are taken into consideration.” I looked away. I find it funny that her job is to temper my father, and yet that isn’t at all what’s been happening. I could feel her eyes on me, “…I know your father’s temper isn’t great,” she spoke quietly. I covered my bruise as her eyes lingered on my arm, “but he still loves you.”

“Please,” I nearly snapped, rolling my eyes to myself, “don’t lie to me. Joseph hates me and you trying to sugarcoat it isn’t helping anything.” I scoffed, finding a stopping point in my packing. I would have to start lunch soon since my large family likes to come over for every meal.

“It’s the truth Akira, your father does love you.” My mother stood, reaching out to touch me. I didn’t even think about it when I flinched away, expecting her to grab me harshly too. That seems to be this family’s go-to.

“He doesn’t love me, he tolerates me. I know the truth now and I’m learning to live with it. Once this courting thing is done for Naomi, I will leave. You shouldn’t have come here, I don’t need a ceremony, I don’t want it! I don’t need a pity party because you suddenly feel guilty, just—.” I stopped spouting, trying to calm my nerves. “You don’t have to lie anymore. Whatever his reasons, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Akira, you couldn’t be more wrong. Your father does love you and no, he doesn’t show it, but he won’t deny it—.”

“He told me if it were up to him he would’ve left me in the woods years ago! That you begged him to keep me!” I was fed up with my mother’s blind trust in this man. He was no longer my father and if she keeps it up, she would no longer be my mother, “Stop apologizing for him! Stop lying to me and most of all, stop lying to yourself because we both know if I had presented, none of what I’ve been through would’ve happened!” I moved past my mother and left my room. I started feeling guilty for having this fight with my mother, but I also didn’t want to apologize for finally saying what I felt. I have been holding in my feelings for so long, to finally express them felt relieving. I don’t know if I could ever go back to hiding it anymore.

“Would you like some help today, Akira?”

I stopped peeling my potatoes to see Naomi standing in the open archway of the kitchen. I looked at her confused as to why she suddenly wanted to help me. I watched as she walked further, snatching an extra apron off the hook on the pantry door and tied it around her. I felt like I was stuck for a moment. Frozen in place over how she quickly grabbed a potato and a peeler, then got to work, “…Naomi, what are you doing?”

“I’m helping, what does it look like little sister?” Naomi laughed, peeling carefully. I stared at the sink for a moment before putting my potato down,

“Why are you helping me? Don’t you usually keep to yourself?” What is it with my family all of a sudden? One is trying to tell me about wolf traditions, another is trying to help me cook—I’m starting to think I’m in the twilight zone.

“I just want to help, don’t make a big deal out of it.” Naomi shrugged, placing her peeled potato into the bowl of water before moving onto the next one. I looked at her for a moment longer before going back to prepping lunch in silence. Making such large batches of food was common in my family. Everyone on the compound came to eat, it was a tradition my grandmother started and it just stayed that way. With my aunts and uncles and their children and grandchildren, it can get pretty rowdy, but nothing I wasn’t used to. Once prepping was done, I was now getting anxious with the silence between Naomi and I. This was out of the norm for us and usually, cooking was my only alone time, my time where I felt safe. “Naomi, please, why are you helping me? It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, it’s just…weird.”

“Fine. I felt bad about what happened at the summit.” She stared at my arm for a moment, probably noticing the bruise. It finally stopped hurting this morning, thankfully. “Yesterday, I should’ve noticed your fidgeting, but Jackson and I were talking more and more and I just—.”

“It’s fine Naomi.” I shook my head, checking over the pork chops we were having today, “You seemed to be hitting it off with Jackson, my thing with father shouldn’t interfere with that.”

“How do you do that?” She asked me quietly. I furrowed my brow,

“Do what?”

“Shrug every grievance off like it’s nothing; look at your arm. It’s the nastiest bruise I’ve ever seen. And that thing at dinner last night, he’s putting something that happened to grandpa onto you and you just take it.”

I sighed, stopping my stirring of the gravy on the stove to get my anger in check. Then I replied, “What exactly am I supposed to do, Naomi? He’s stronger than me. He’s bigger than me. If he really wanted to—and let’s face it, he probably does—he could kill me by snapping my neck in half. You’re telling me to stand up against him, against everyone who is like him in our family like I have a choice, I don’t! I represent everything he hates! I represent the very thing that took his father away from him, that man will never love me like he loves his other children and that’s the bottom line of it!” Naomi stared at me like I had three heads. Maybe because she didn’t expect me to get angry, maybe it’s because I refuse to fight him, but I have three months of this left. Once the ceremony for Jackson and Naomi is over, I have to start my life over with the Kim-Bangtan pack, and I’m actually not scared about it anymore.

“Once I found out the truth, accepting my fate just seemed…easier.” I went back to stirring the gravy, “Joseph Baptiste doesn’t love me and he wants me gone just as much as everyone else does.” I felt my face become warm and my eyes start to burn, “Over the years, I thought that that was just his way, that he wasn’t an affectionate man. But it wasn’t until recently, right after you spoke to me in my room, before the summit, that I started remembering everything I blocked out.” I looked over at Naomi, barely making out her face due my eyes watering. Naomi had this look on her face, I couldn’t tell if it was disgust or concern or sadness, “You were right, we didn’t celebrate my birthday as much. Then we just completely stopped altogether. Christmases, I was lucky if anyone remembered me, usually it was grandmother, while all of you got mountains of presents. Halloween, everyone got costumes they wanted while suddenly there was no time left to buy mine so I had to use hand-me-downs. Eventually, I just stopped asking, I stopped going with you. There were no sweet memories like baking with mama or going fishing with Joseph. You all have those, I don’t. You didn’t cry yourself to sleep, I did. You didn’t get whoopings when you did anything wrong, I did.

“I never rocked the boat. When everyone joined team sports or activities in school, I never asked to join because I didn’t want him or mama to have to spend even more money on me. I didn’t even fight back when he decided to take me out of school my junior year of high school, I just accepted it. I learned to..block it out.” I chuckled, stepping back from the stove as tears fell down my face, “I taught myself to be quiet. To do what was needed to not make anyone upset because it was easier. To be numb was just easier.” I wiped my face and closed my eyes as I tried to control my breathing, “I kept telling myself that if I just did what he wanted me to do—clean, cook, stay quiet, don’t bother him, whatever…it’ll be easier. I could survive it. It’s like I never existed as part of this family, and that’s the way he wanted it until now.” It surprised me to see tears stream down Naomi’s face. “You told me once how you didn’t like that the attention was on you. I don’t know what that feels like at all.” I shrugged. The saddest chuckle I could give slipped past my lips. I walked over to the counter near the kitchen sink and grabbed a paper towel to wipe my face.

The wind was knocked out of me as the feeling of two strong arms wrapped around my waist. My heart rate sped up, thinking I was in trouble when I heard a whimper, “I’m so sorry, Akira. I’m sorry I never did anything to stop it.” I never heard Naomi cry, ever, and it was unsettling. If anything, it made me even more nervous, “Your heart is beating so fast are you…are you scared of me too?” She seemed hurt? It wasn’t an emotion I would easily associate with Naomi, hell yeah I was scared.

“If I’m being honest, I’ve been scared of all of you ever since we learned I wouldn’t be a werewolf, and it’s the first time you’ve hugged me, ever, please let go of me.” I was shaking at this point. Feeling as though she could probably snap my spine in half if she squeezed too tight. Naomi let go of me and I let out a shaken breath.

“That’s fair, I don’t blame you for how you feel.” Naomi wiped her face, “If I was in your position, I’d be scared too. You endured so much over the years, I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did.”

“I almost didn’t…” Naomi’s eyes widened. I wasn’t going to tell anyone about my suicide attempt but for some reason, I wanted to tell Naomi. I think I wanted to trust her. “When I was sixteen…Joseph took me out of school. It was the only place I felt comfortable. You didn’t talk to me then. I guess you and Braxton didn’t want people to know I was your sister, and that was fine, I made friends with humans like me.” I shrugged, picking at the paper towel, “It wasn’t like I was doing poorly, I made really good grades, good enough to skip to senior level if I wanted, but I guess after a month or so of school left, when he found out that Keith Jackson planned to ask me out after he kissed me one day during P.E., he pulled me out of school. Til this day, I still don’t know how he found out, but we argued as soon as we got home. I don’t remember much of that day but what I do remember was him grabbing his belt and whipping so hard that you could hear the belt before it connected. I remember being grabbed by the back of my neck so hard it bruised. He didn’t care when mama told him to stop, he wanted to make an example out of me. So I just laid there on the living room floor and went somewhere else in my mind until it was over.”

“We were told you got in trouble at school, we didn’t know that was the reason…Fuck Akira, you couldn’t leave your room for a week, you were so bruised.” Naomi gasped.

“I tried slitting my wrists later that night but couldn’t go through with it so I found pills in mama’s medicine cabinet. I knew it was strong enough to put me to sleep but I ended up not taking enough.” I sighed, regretting not finishing the whole bottle, “God, 7 pills was just not enough.”

“Do you..do you still think about it?” Naomi questioned me. I looked her dead in the eyes, unmoving,

“What do you think, Naomi?”

“Lunch was delicious Akira, thank you! I think the kids even wanted thirds!”

I smiled as my Aunt Regina handed me her empty plate. “I can’t take all the credit, Naomi helped.” Everyone’s eyes shot to Naomi who felt very on the spot. I bit my lip, shrugging.

“I uh..I figured I needed more practice in the kitchen seeing as how I’ll have seven mouths to feed now that I’ll be joining a new pack. I wanted to see how Akira managed it all by herself.” Everyone seemed pleased with the answer but my father was unfazed. He wiped his mouth then held out his plate for me to grab. I sighed, then grabbed his plate. Naomi got up and started helping me clear the dishes, “Oh, Naomi you don’t have to get that, I’ll clean up everything.”

“I want to.” Naomi smiled, “I wanna help.” After gathering all the dishes, we headed to the kitchen. The children at the smaller dining table were making a mess, but nothing that was too big to clean up. I sat the dishes in the sink before heading over to the table, grabbing the littlest of the children out of his high chair. I placed him on my hip then told the children to finish up so I could clean up. Naomi just pretty much watched me the whole time, watching me take care of our cousin Nikki’s son, Jayden, “Did this little pup make a mess today? Yes you did!” I tickled him, listening to his cute laugh. I cleaned up his face and picked up the shirt I took off earlier back onto him.

“You do this every day? Clean this house, cooking all the meals, watch over the kids? Did you even eat yet?”

I shook my head ‘no’, “If I have time to, I’ll eat, if not, then I just end up binge eating. Probably the reason why I’m so big now.” I muttered the last part to myself, though I’m sure Naomi could hear me, “I get to eat after my chores are done and everyone’s left.”

“That’s really sad, Akira. How are you taking care of so much and not taking care of yourself?”

I squinted, “It’s not like I get a lot of help. You realize this is the first time you've helped me in the kitchen, ever, right?” Naomi looked away. I sighed, “Sorry. I’m just not used to you saying more than two words to me, yesterday and today kinda threw me off.” I fixed Jayden’s onesie then placed him back on my hip.

“Was I really that bad of a sister to you?” Naomi seemed genuinely curious about her behavior towards me. Over the years, she was indifferent. She didn’t seem to care either way about what I did or what happened to me. She just seemed to exist in her own world, “Was I so bad of a sister that I didn’t see your depression?”

“You weren’t bad, you were absent. You didn’t want to see, Naomi.” I snipped, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden attention she was giving me, “I don’t know what type of game you’re playing at, and I don’t care. Just please, go back to how you used to be with me, by ignoring me.”

“It's not a game, Akira, I really feel horrible about how I didn’t treat you like a big sister is supposed to.” Naomi urged, walking a few steps closer to me, “I thought about my own situation and ignored yours. Compared to yours, mine wasn’t even that bad.”

“Don’t do that.” Naomi tilted her head at me, “Don’t downplay your situation in this family by sympathizing with mine. I may not know what being a beta is like, but I do know what it feels like to have expectations forced on you.”

Naomi chuckled lightly and shook her head, “There you go again, little sister. Always thinking of others, never yourself.” I didn’t reply to that statement. I rocked Jayden, who decided to lay his head on my chest. Naomi decided to clean up the table and put the kids' dishes away. Each one of the kids hugged me and then I handed over Jayden to his older brother, Jacobi. After cleaning up the area, Naomi decided to help me with the dishes. She decided to talk more, telling me about her phone calls with Jackson and how he wants her to meet the rest of the pack soon. She asked about Namjoon, “Um, Namjoon is nice, I guess. He texts me, I guess he figured out I don’t like to talk as much.”

“He thinks you’re nervous, I can smell it on you.” Naomi motioned, taking a sniff, “Jackson said their packs grew up together, that they’ve been brother packs for a long time. He thinks Namjoon really likes you.” Naomi smiled. I blinked, the new information surprising me,

“You…You think he does?” I asked nervously. I wasn’t sure if I like Namjoon that way but I knew I felt something with him. Yesterday, at the summit, he seemed solely focused on me, even his beta, Jin, seemed more focused on me, “Mama said that his pack are my mates. I thought you’re supposed to have one mate. I thought humans couldn’t have mates.”

“It’s not black and white. Having a human mate isn’t taboo but it’s not necessarily normal or heard of. Having a human partner is a choice whereas having a mate is not. You’re biologically fated to be with them. Your pheromones are supposed to complement each other. That’s how you find your mate so really, you being mated to them is a phenomenon within itself, especially since three of them are betas. Betas don’t have mates, and the way I saw Jin react to you at the summit? Biologically, this isn’t supposed to happen.” Naomi was in deep thought by this point, I could see it on her face.

“What do you mean how he reacted?” Now I was curious myself at what she saw.

“There’s this thing that happens to alphas and omegas when they find their mate. Their wolf takes over their human mind for a brief period of time, no more than a few minutes. You notice it in the eye color; their eyes shimmer when their wolf is present. That doesn’t happen with betas, they don't have mates, and it definitely doesn’t happen with humans. It’s actually very odd that we noticed it.” I assumed the ‘we’ was my family when they spoke at the summit. Rather than make both of our brains implode, I changed the subject, “I wish I understood what the courting ritual process was like. Mama tried to explain it to me, but I don’t really understand it.”

Naomi shrugged, “From what I heard, there’s a ritual for each sub gender. It’s three months long and the heads of each familial pack meet to discuss the terms of their alliances and lay down the rules. Like if anything were to happen to us while we’re in the responsibility of our mate, the alliances would be broken. First we, as the ones being inducted into a new pack, have to honor our new pack’s familial leader by giving them a present. Then, the pack we’re being transferred to has to give us a present. It’s a sign of welcoming. If they're your mate, it’ll be something special to them to give to you since that’s their way of being vulnerable. If not, it’ll be something special, just not something of theirs, it’ll be store bought more than likely.

“Then there’s the first dinner. Each family wants to watch how you work with each other, to see if it’ll be a good match. After which the mothers or the highest ranking female of each family will start the planning process for the ceremony. While they go do that, the courting phase between the intended is like…dating for humans; you go out on dates, you spend time getting to know each other, etc.. Throughout all of this, there will be dress fittings and preparations for the grand ceremony.”

I probably looked terrified to her because Naomi just laughed, “What happens at the ceremony??”

“From what I was told, you pledge your alliance to your new pack, light the unity candle and kiss. The mating mark comes later, but that’s for betas to decide if they want the mark. For alphas and omegas, it’s instinctual, but betas have the right to choose if they want it or not since we don’t really have mates.”

“Would you get your mating mark?” I wondered, wanting to know her thoughts on it.

“Probably not. That’s something you do if you really love that person; you’re linked to them forever if you do that and while I like Jackson, I don’t know him. Three months is not a long time to know if I want that deep of a commitment.”

“But you’re practically marrying him.” I theorized, putting away the dishes in the dishwasher while Naomi scrapped the remains on lunch down the disposal, “That’s a commitment within itself.”

“But I can choose to walk away. Like I said little sister, it’s not all black and white. A mating mark symbolizes your wolf connection being made. Your emotions, your thoughts…your soul is forever linked to each other. If one of you dies, you’re forever mourning the loss.”

“Like grandmother..” I realized now how she never truly looked happy but the only time she did was when she talked about grandpa. “God, I can’t imagine living like that.”

Naomi placed the last dish in the dishwasher after rinsing it off, “Honestly, I have no clue what all of this will be like for you. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of humans with a mating mark, let alone having to go through the ritual practices with multiple mates and their families. I just know based on what mama told me her experience was.” I nodded in reply, still reeling over the fact that I have to do all of this. Still, I didn’t believe that that would be the case for me, “I don’t know. I don’t exactly see our parents shelling out money for my ceremony. If anything, I expected them to solely focus on yours and I would just maybe get sent away to Namjoon’s.”

“No.” Naomi closed the dishwasher and turned to me, “No, I will make sure that you’re included, Akira. The crossing over ceremony is a huge deal, and even though I don’t like the attention, I’m actually looking forward to it. It’s a huge honor to know someone has chosen you, and you have seven men who are very powerful in our community, they chose you. I can’t tell you if you’re really their mate or if they think you are or if it’s biological or emotional but they chose you. It should be celebrated just as any other wolf’s crossover.”

“I’m not a wolf.” I countered.

“You are now.” Naomi quipped back.

I wasn’t sure how it happened, but the discernment I felt towards Naomi was slowly dissipating. She showed me more kindness today than I’ve seen in a lifetime. And while I was still on the fence, I couldn’t ignore the fact that maybe Naomi was trying with me, and I’ll be honest, I’m glad that she is.

“What about this? This would make a great gift to give to the head of their familial pack.”

It had been a couple of weeks since the summit had taken place, and my parents already started things in motion between Jackson and Namjoon. I managed to get out of my comfort zone and actually spoke to Namjoon on the phone. I couldn’t believe how patient he was with me. I know I’m practically moving at a snail’s pace with getting to know him, but all of it was so new to me. I have no idea what to expect from him or anyone else for that matter.

“Jade is supposed to be a lucky gem in Chinese culture, maybe this hair comb for Jackson’s mother would be nice.” My mother took Naomi and I to the mall to find gifts for our first dinner with the heads of the familial packs. Well, that was the plan. It took us an hour and a half to get to that point because Naomi and mother wanted to go shopping first, “Or look at these earrings, maybe those.”

“Maybe both? I really want her to like me.” It’s unsettling to see Naomi this way. Maybe it’s because she and Jackson talked damn near everyday since the summit or maybe she’s secretly always been this person that I’m just now seeing, but whatever the case, it’s unsettling. I would rather the nonchalant, indifferent, hate-the-world Naomi than…whatever this is.

“We should really find gifts for your in-laws too, Akira. There’s seven of them you have to impress.” My mother expressed happily, moving onto other things in the store. I don’t even know the name of the place we’re in but it felt like we’ve been here for hours. “Goodness, seven mates…this has to be the most unprecedented event ever.”

“My crossing over isn’t that big of a deal. I bet there won’t even be a ceremony for me.”

Naomi scoffed, “Please. You’re the mate of one of these most important packs in the city, you’re all anyone talks about these days.” I watched my mother nod her head in agreement, “Just pay attention, haven’t you noticed the stares we’ve gotten since being here?” I frowned, suddenly looking around the store, noticing a few glances and whispers thrown my way. Had I always been this aloof to not see the gawking and murmuring happening around me?

“This is…everyone’s really s-staring..?” I nervously pulled on the strap of my crossbody purse. I felt my anxiety get the best of me—I never had so much attention on me like this, it was uncomfortable.

“Well now you’ve gone and made her nervous.” My mother tutted, shushing me though her comment was aimed at Naomi, “It’s alright, Akira. It’s nothing to feel nervous about.”

“What if I mess up with the gifts? What if their families don't like me?? What if they don’t want their sons to have a human in their pack?!”

My mother grabbed my face and shushed me, having probably heard my uptick in heartbeats seconds before I felt it. My hands felt hot and clammy. I felt dizzy and winded, like I couldn’t breathe and could faint any moment. I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of these people. I didn’t want to embarrass anyone. “Breathe Akira, I’m sure if they had a problem with you, they would’ve called it all off days ago. They are not the people to tempt fate. If your pack feels that you are meant to be with them, then that is what will happen.”

After finding presents for everyone, my mother made us go shopping for more new clothes, insisting that I actually buy some, “Half of these stores don’t sell my size, and the ones that do are for middle aged women!”

“Will you just look and see? It doesn’t even have to be anything extremely fancy, just a nice dress, Akira.” I could tell that my mother was getting frustrated with my attitude. I sighed and nodded, complying with her. I knew I was being a brat today and I think it was more of the fact that I was tired and wanted to rest. While in the store, I came across a simple black wrap dress, nothing fancy. It had long sleeves to hide the ugly bruise that was still on my arm and I knew I had some flats to go with it, “Mama, how about this?”

“Oh that would look nice on you.” She smiled, “We just need some accessories to match.”

“Oh, ma,” I felt myself about to whine and soon tampered it down, “You don’t have to do that, I feel bad that you’re buying all of this.”

My mother tutted at me, “Nonsense, you need a first dinner dress, besides, it’s very modest, which means it’s not—oh look, there’s Namjoon!” My head whipped towards another section of the store just as Namjoon’s did, probably hearing his name. He wasn’t alone; I could see two others with him, all staring at us. The smirk on Namjoon’s face was barely noticeable as he started making his way over to us. Why did I feel so nervous?

“Good afternoon Akira. Naomi, Mrs. Baptiste, how are you?” His voice was deep, deeper than I remembered. I nearly fell back into my mother as I said hello back.

“Good afternoon, Namjoon. And who are your friends?” My mother was smiling from ear to ear, you’d think she was the one getting courted.

“These are my pack mates, this is Hoseok,” he pointed to a man similar in height with a slender build, hair long enough to touch the back of his neck and just as black as the sweater he was wearing. He was tall but not overly tall like Namjoon and had a heart shaped smile when he introduced himself to me, “Finally nice to meet you, Akira. And please, everyone calls me Hobi.” His eyes were suddenly a blown out crystal blue, obviously a beta. He reached for my free hand, the icy blue of his eyes relaxed into a soft dark brown color then, while my other hand clenched hard around the dress I found.

“Would you prefer I call you Hobi?” The slight growl I heard from him shocked me. Namjoon smiled, trying to mask his laugh. Hoseok seemed to like that I called him that so I guess I will. Faintly he smelled sweet like spied lemonade, a bergamot and mahogany scent that seemed to settle me. Reminded me of when grandmother would eat gingersnaps and drink lemonade with me on her porch.

Namjoon continued, “And this Taehyung,” The next man I met was nearly the same height as Namjoon, with black curly hair that covered his eyes, one hazel brown eye, the other green from what I could see. His sharp jawline complimented his boxy smile and he was just as muscular as Namjoon. He held out his hand, the body movement making his long dangling earring swing from his right earlobe, “Nice to finally meet you, Akira, hyung told me so many wonderful things.” His smirk made me nervous. I shook his hand, watching his eyes shimmer a vibrant red before settling once again.

“Nice to meet you, Taehyung.” I replied softly. His smile widened like if he were the human version of a puppy and then he stepped to the side, back in toe with Hobi.

“So you’re my sister’s other mates” Naomi smiled, nudging my shoulder some. I felt the heat rise to my face as my eyes widened and I looked down at the floor, a little embarrassed, “Forgive her, she’s naturally shy.”

“Naomi!” I groaned internally, squeezing my eyes shut.

“Naomi, stop teasing your sister; Akira, why don’t you go with the guys, hm?” My eyes widened as I turned to face my mother, “Go on! Get to know each other better!” She had the biggest smile on her face from ear to ear. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind keeping you company.”

“Maaaa!” I covered my face just as Namjoon chuckled while Taehyung and Hobi snickered. My mother practically snatched the dress out of my hands and pushed me into Namjoon’s chest. His hands caught my arms and instantly, I winced slightly and unfortunately he noticed. Sighing, I glanced at my mother and Naomi before following in Namjoon’s direction. “W-What brings you to the mall today?”

“Well, actually, we were shopping for you.” Taehyung answered honestly. You nearly tumbled into him as you stopped abruptly, “And before you say anything, it’s a part of the courting season.” He smiled wickedly, like he knew he had me cornered.

“Because rejecting a gift is like rejecting your alpha.” I mumbled, somehow remembering that rule out of all the others. “Just please, I don’t need anything fancy.”

“Well we’ve already finished shopping for everyone, love. Now we’re just loitering.” Taehyung continued, his obvious pet name not missing my ears. By everyone, I’m assuming the others have gifts for me too.

“Does this mean that all of you will be at the dinner?” I kept my eyes to the tiled floor of the mall as we walked, a leisurely pace set for us as we had nowhere else to be.

“Yes, all of us will be in attendance, Princess. We’re excited to be able to talk more with you, it seems like our leader has been hogging you.” Hobi joked, making Namjoon playfully roll his eyes. I don't know what came over me but I giggled—I actually freaking giggled, I never giggled a day in my life! They all stopped, their eyes shimmering various shades of red and blue as their smiles widened. I gawked, afraid I might’ve done something wrong. Namjoon pressed a hand to my non-bruised arm, squeezing lightly, assuringly, “You have the most adorable laugh.”

I snorted, “I do not!”

“You actually do,” Hobi countered, “it’s bubbly and airy, like champagne.” He winked, sending my wrecked nerves into overdrive.

“Let’s stop teasing, she’s clearly uncomfortable.” Namjoon mocked, clearly in a teasing tone.

“It’s not that, I’m just…” I sighed, fixing my purse, “I’m not used to all the attention. I just assumed this would never happen to me, it’s a little…” I trailed off, thinking of the right word to express it.

“Overwhelming?” Namjoon tilted his head, trying to look me in the eyes. I nodded, clearly feeling that feeling now. Namjoon reached out and lifted my chin with his other hand. “It can be when you’re suddenly the center of attention.” I bit my bottom lip, nodding in agreement.

“Well you better get used to it Princess because you have four other wolves dying for your attention.” I heard Hobi say, watching his smirking gaze look past me. I slowly turned my head, seeing four other men—at least one I have met before—with bags in their hands, all smiling and waving at us. My god, were they all supposed to be this beautiful?

“We can practically hear that beautiful heart of yours going crazy.” Namjoon whispered to me, making me gasp in surprise at how close he was, “Just relax, baby. We’re just as normal as any other pack.” I felt my body sway, even with his hand still holding my arm. Taking a deep breath, I follow him, Hobi and Taehyung over to the rest of the men, introducing myself to everyone and saying hello to Jin once again.

“Hyung told me you were beautiful but he never said you were this beautiful, wow.” The one to speak was Jimin, with his icy blues flickering brighter before flaming out to a nice rich brown color. He looked unreal, almost angelic. With his sculpted jawline and pouty lips. His average height and build, only slightly muscular, and his jet black hair that reached the base of his neck. I felt like I’d turn to stone if I stared any longer. “Very happy I left the den today.” He laughed.

“Hyung? What does that mean?” I felt my head tilt, no doubt a curious look on my face. Their smiles never faltered, though I wish I knew what they were thinking about.

“In Korean culture, hyung means older brother. It’s a sign of respect to use honorifics when addressing someone.” Namjoon explained. I bit my lip, already feeling nervous about my second question,

“You’re gonna kick me for this but…?” I trailed off, which Namjoon figured out almost instantly, chuckling some as he shook his head,

“It’s okay, beautiful. Honorifics are titles used when addressing someone older or higher in status. I’m the leader of our pack and older than Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook. But I’m younger than Jin, Hobi and Yoongi. Leader or not, I show them respect, even though at this point in our relationship, we’ve sort of dropped honorifics.”

“So wait, who’s the oldest?” I asked, slightly confused.

“I am.” Jin raised his hand slightly, “Then it’s Yoongi and Hobi, Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook.” After learning everyone’s age, I realized I was the youngest among them, “JK finally got his wish, he’s not the youngest anymore.” Jin laughed, the sound squeaky like windshield wipers. His laugh actually made me smile.

“And, forgive me, I’m still pretty new here, I think I’ve met everyone except you two,” I spoke softly, pointing towards Jungkook and Yoongi, “Which one is which?”

“I’m Yoongi.” His deep voice nearly made me froze as he spoke, reaching to grab my hand. Like Jimin and I, he was of average height, but with a slightly buff chest and arms. His skin was fairer than everyone else, even with his tan, making his long black hair stand out. And stretching along one of his eyes that seemed to shimmer a bright deep red the most was a long scar stretching from above his brow to the top of his cheek. By far, he felt the most intimidating? “That’s Jungkook. Nice to meet you, Akira.”

“H-Hi.” I stuttered before turning to the last member of the pack who was just as tall as Jin and Namjoon, with an even muscular—if not more—build. He too had long black hair reaching past his neck, with a lip and brow piercing and an entire sleeve tattoo. You would think out of all of them, he’d be the most intimidating one but when he smiles, it’s like he’s a human bunny. A fully grown puppy. He didn’t shake my hand, he fully hugged me, making me freeze, “Oh!”

“Jungkook—.” Namjoon started to warn him but I slowly started to relax, finding my hands slowly reaching to rest on his shoulder blades.

“She smells like chocolate chip cookies, hyung!” Jungkook giggled excitedly, pulling back to look at my overwhelmed face. His red eyes dimmed back to a dark, almost black color. “I like her!”

“I swear this kid has no filter.” Yoongi sighed, rubbing his temples. I giggled again and that seemed to make everyone growl. I’m starting to see that when they do, it’s a good thing, so I relax some more, “Anyway, Akira did you come alone?”

“N-No. I came with my mother and sister, we were getting things for the first dinner.” I replied softly. “It was a little overwhelming, I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“I’m sure whatever you picked out, our mothers will love them.” Hobi answered.

“Wait, all of your familial packs are ran by women??” Now I was truly nervous, women are way harder to impress, especially mothers!

“Well everyone’s except Jimin and Jin. Their fathers are the leaders, but I promise you have nothing to worry about. Our parents are actually really excited to meet you.” Taehyung shrugged, trying to make me feel at ease. I nodded, still nervous and worried, but not as much as before.

“We were actually about to meet up for lunch, would you like to join us?” Jin asked me. Everyone turned to me, waiting for my response. When I wasn’t looking at them, I was noticing the onlookers watching the eight of us.

“Um, ok, sure.” I nodded, clutching my purse strap once again. I felt Namjoon slip his fingers on the small of my back as we started heading towards the entrance of the mall, coming up on the store my mother, sister, and I were just recently in, “Oh, uh, can you give me a moment?” I went back inside the store, searching for my mother and sister. When I found them by the home goods section, I told them that I would be heading out to lunch with the pack.

“Ok but be home by dinner, we still have a few things to go over with you both.” I nodded, saying goodbye before heading back out the store. We left the mall, heading towards a large black SUV in the parking lot. I’ve never felt this comfortable around people, especially strangers, but it seemed the more I spent with them, the more at ease I started to feel. Maybe this was good for me.

“You know you should really consider the heels.”

Startled, I turned around to see Naomi standing in the doorway of my bedroom. By the end of the week, the family dinner had snuck up on me so quickly, I hadn’t realized how nervous I started to be. The whole time I had been fiddling with my hair, she snuck up on me. “I can barely walk in heels, I don’t usually have to wear any.”

“Still, this wrap dress would look good with some. Maybe grandmother has a pair your size?” I shrugged, nodding as I picked out my curls. It took two hours to put perm rods in my hair; didn’t help that my hair was as long and thick as it was but we made it work. I didn’t use any makeup as I didn’t have any besides lipgloss, I never went anywhere that there was an occasion for it. After fixing my hair and changing my shoes, thanks to my grandmother who just somehow magically had some (yeah they planned it), I left home with the rest of my immediate family and headed to dinner. Being that there’s so many of us, my parents had to rent out a banquet hall for all nine families to attend. I was just happy everything was catered and I didn’t have to cook anything.

When we arrived, I noticed Jackson and Yoongi outside, most likely waiting for Naomi and I. Though I had only met Yoongi last weekend, we managed to talk the most out of everyone. I guess whatever job he had, he had the most flexible hours, but he managed to text me the most. We even got comfortable talking on the phone, sometimes ranging from morning to when I'd eventually fall asleep. As soon as we parked, everyone got out of their cars. I quickly grabbed the gift bags before getting out, making sure everything was right. We started making our way to the entrance and Yoongi smiled, his cheeks all plump, teeth gummy and wide. I gave him back an even smaller smile, my nerves getting the best of me. “You look beautiful, Akira. Even more beautiful than the last we’ve met.”

“Yoongi please.” If I could blush, I’d be as red as a tomato right now. Laughing, he held out his arm for me to take, which I was grateful for as walking in heels of any kind wasn’t second nature to me. “I feel like I’m gonna be sick.” I paused; I had this overwhelming feeling of nausea settle deep within my stomach. I was scared. Terrified. What if the heads of their families didn’t like me? What if I embarrassed myself? My family? What if I embarrass the guys?

“Akira? Jagiya, are you alright?” Both Yoongi and I turned to the entrance of the hall, Taehyung came rushing over. I felt Yoongi’s grip tighten on my hip as I stumbled, the nausea hitting me once again. “Yoongi-hyung, what’s happening?”

“She’s nervous, Taehyungie. She needs to rest.” I turned towards Yoongi, shaking my head slightly,

“No, I can do this, I can get through it, I’m just really nervous.” I just really don’t wanna mess this up. I kept telling myself that, but really, I couldn’t make it two steps before pushing the gifts in Yoongi and Taehyung’s arms and running to the nearest bathroom, heels nearly tripping me up as I struggled to open the door. I ran to the first stall and threw everything up. I could feel my stomach tighten at every hurl, and the burning in the back of my throat and eyes grew worse. When I finished, I flushed away everything and went to the sinks. I rinsed out my mouth, washed my hands and wet my face. “I can do this. I can do this, it’s just dinner.” I whispered to myself.

After composing myself, making sure my dress or hair wasn’t out of place, I headed back to the door to leave. It felt like I ran into a brick wall the minute I stumbled into a hard body. Strong hands stopped me from falling and instantly, the deja vu engulfed me. I looked up just in time to see Namjoon staring down at me. My bottom lip trembled as I fixed my mouth to apologize but he spoke first, “Beautiful, I felt your distress, are you okay? We were worried.” My eyes quickly caught the faces of all seven men standing outside the bathroom, each one looking incredibly worried. “Are you feeling sick?”

“A little but,” realizing how close we stood, I pushed on his chest some, but he wouldn’t budge, “it’s just nerves, Namjoon, I’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Say the word. We can leave right now.” Jimin proposed the idea and instantly, everyone agreed. I shook my head, grabbing onto Namjoon’s forearm for balance, “I am fine. You’re gonna make everyone worried about all of you coming out here like this—.”

“We don’t care about everyone else, we care about you.” Jungkook interrupted, making me pause. “Our families would understand, if something is wrong with our mate, they would understand.” I could tell he was feeling anxious, they all were, about me getting sick. I looked up at Namjoon and squeezed his arm. He nodded back, letting me go, as if he knew that I needed to reassure Jungkook that I was fine. I moved away, taking a few steps towards Jungkook, who instantly had his hands out for me.

“I’m okay, Jungkook. I promise.” I squeezed his wrist, then looked around at the group, letting them know I was fine, “When I get nervous, I get a little nauseated. This is a huge night for everyone and I guess…I guess I was scared of embarrassing you…” My eyes found the carpeted floor more appealing as awkward tension filled my body. Jungkook’s fingers rubbed the small of my back. He then used his other hand to raise my chin, making my head tilt slightly so that we were eye to eye,

“You could never embarrass us. You’re perfect, Akira.” I closed my eyes, shocked at the feel of his lips kissing my cheek. I bowed my head slightly, feeling his chin rest on top of my head. Why is my heart fluttering like this?

“They’re waiting, shall we go, love?” Hobi questioned, waiting for me to give the go ahead, no one else. I nodded, pulling away from Jungkook slightly,

“Let’s do this.”

[hungermakesmonsters]

Devotion & Desire

Chapter Two

Plot summary : When you, a lone omega, move in across the hall from alpha Bucky Barnes, he knows that his life is about to get a lot more complicated, but he has no idea just how much you’re going to turn his life upside down. You’re both devoted to fixing your past mistakes, but will desire for something more get the better of you?

Pairing : Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader

Story Rating : R 

Warnings : [This is a fic for 18+ only, minors DNI] This chapter contains violence. All chapters will contain the usual omegaverse and A/B/O tropes, and explicit smut. Please check the warnings on each chapter if you choose to follow this story. 

Word Count : 5.9k

A/N : 😅😅😅

CHAPTER ONE

MASTER LIST

Chapter Two

It had been going so well.

Too well, really. 

So well, that you really should have known that it was all going to go to shit.

You cursed under your breath as you limped away, sporadically glancing over your shoulder, making sure you weren’t being followed. It was paranoia mostly - you knew Bucky had more sense than to try and follow you out in the open. And it wasn’t as if you didn’t garner enough attention on your own, making your way past groups of people heading home after a night out on the town, looking every bit the poor, helpless and pathetic little omega as you limped alone.

You hated it and you hated yourself for letting it happen.

It had been sloppy, careless. Hindsight was a bitch and had no problem telling you everything you’d done wrong; you should have waited, you should have taken your time.

But that was the problem. You hadn’t wanted to wait. You hadn’t wanted to spend another moment with him like that; touching him, kissing him, and doing every other unmentionable thing. As you walked, you scrubbed your cheek with your sleeve, trying to get his scent off you, but it felt like it was everywhere, like it was seeping into your pores, into your very being, and you’d never be rid of it.

The only thing you knew for certain was that Bucky Barnes was supposed to be dead and you were going to have to find a way to fix your mistake.

Though first you’d need to deal with the world of shit you’d found yourself in. Everything you owned was back at your apartment and Bucky wasn’t an idiot, he wasn’t just going to sit back and forget that you’d tried to kill him. No, he was probably already trying to figure out who you were and why you wanted him dead.

Your weeks of hard work in getting close to him had gone down the drain and all the pathetic, degrading things you’d done had been rendered pointless.

It was playing over and over again in your head, every little thing you’d done and how you could have done better.

You’d played the part of the meek little omega, you’d made him want to protect you. That night in his apartment you’d spread your scent all over his bathroom in the hope of driving him crazy, getting in his head and making it so that you were all he could think about. And, then he’d started seeking you out; offering to walk you too and from work, and agreeing to come to the bar with you.

It had all been perfect.

He should be dead.

What had gone wrong?

You were so caught up in your own frustration that you didn’t hear the call at first, someone shouting your name from down the street. Looking up, you noticed Nikki and Jade, finally on their way home, heading straight towards you.

“What happened?” Nikki asked, looking you up and down, voice filled with concern.

“Didn’t you leave with Bucky?” Jade added a second later.

You took a breath, mind racing as you tried to come up with the perfect lie. Then your gaze dropped and you slipped back into the role of the helpless, delicate omega.

“I think I left my purse at the bar,” you said softly, not looking at either of them.

“You could have called us, we would’ve gone back for it,” Nikki told you.

“Did you tell Bucky? Did he not offer to walk you back to the bar?” Jade asked.

“No, he - we -” you swallowed awkwardly and paused for effect before daring to glance up.

“What’s wrong?” Nikki asked. “Did he -”

“No - no, Bucky didn’t do anything,” you quickly explained. “It was me, I - I tried to kiss him..”

The both fell into a stunned silence while you dropped your gaze again, looking thoroughly embarrassed. And, in a way, you were embarrassed, just not in the way that they thought.

“What did he do? If he was mean -” Nikki sounded ready to fight, and that was the last thing you needed.

“No, he was nice, really. I just - I feel so stupid for thinking he could like me like that...” you sighed, glancing up for a split-second to see if they were buying the lie. They were. “I needed some space so I came out for a walk. I don't want to go back to my apartment in case he sees and wants to talk about it, and then I tripped and hurt my ankle...”

“So, your purse...” Jade prompted softly.

You shook your head, indicating that you hadn’t left it, that you were just using it as an excuse to stay away from your apartment and, by extension, Bucky. For effect, you gave a little sniffle.

“Oh, mouse,” Nikki said with a shake of her head. “I’m sure it’s not that bad. I bet if you just talk to Bucky you’ll be able to sort it out.”

“I can’t. Not tonight,” you told her. “You didn’t see his face... it was so embarrassing.”

“Do you want to crash on our sofa tonight?” Jade offered.

You gave a weak little nod but stayed silent, quickly forming a plan. Their apartment was a couple of floors below yours but it was connected by the same fire escape. You’d be able to sneak back into your apartment in the morning, grab your stuff and get the hell out of there before Bucky could catch up to you.

The three of you walked back slowly, Jade putting her arm around your waist and helping you limp along on your injured ankle. Neither of them said anything, but you’d catch the way they were looking at you from the corner of your eye and it made your stomach turn.

Eventually you ended up in their apartment, set up on the sofa for the night, but you didn’t sleep; how could you when you knew he was upstairs and when you couldn’t trust that Nikki and Jade wouldn’t try to go talk to him on your behalf? Fortunately, the night passed without incident and, in the morning, you caught sight of Bucky leaving from the window. Your eyes followed him to his motorcycle, watching as he finished a phone call before riding off.

You didn’t have to hear his conversation to know that he was looking for you; he’d probably been up half the night trying to track you down, without once stopping to think that you’d be dumb enough to still be in the building.

You made your excuses to Nikki and Jade, and headed back upstairs.

Bucky had shut your apartment door, but the lock was busted. Fortunately, you weren’t planning on sticking around long enough to get your security deposit back. It didn’t look like anything had been taken, but a few drawers had been opened, obviously he’d spent some time in there, looking for clues. But you already knew he wouldn’t have found anything. It wasn’t like you’d kept a journal detailing how you wanted to kill your neighbour.

Luckily, the latch on the door was still intact and held the door shut well enough for you to dare to risk a quick shower, needing to scrub yourself to try and get rid of the last of his scent that you hadn’t been able to wash off the night before. Then you changed into some clean clothes and set about trying to pack a bag so you could get the hell out of there.

It was shocking just how much you’d settled into the apartment in the few months you’d been there, and you almost felt sad knowing you were leaving it. Aside from the act you’d had to put on for everyone around you, you realised that you’d actually liked it there; you’d found a comfort and sense of safety that you’d never had before.

Lost in the strange feeling, you almost didn’t notice the door rattling until someone forced their way inside, breaking the latch and the last thing holding the door shut.

Turning you expected to see him standing there, angry and ready to demand an explanation. 

But it wasn’t Bucky.

There were two of them, and you could only guess what they wanted, but you didn’t bother wasting time asking. Instead you dropped behind the sofa.

You pulled the knife from your boot and threw it, catching one of your attackers in the shoulder, causing him to stagger back and let out a string of curses. There was a moment of confusion, but they quickly realised where you were. Scrambling out of your hiding place, you tried to race for your nightstand and the gun that was hidden in the top drawer, but your injured ankle slowed you down. Before you got there, a large hand grabbed your collar and a fistful of your hair, yanking you backwards so hard that you fell.

A boot connected with your stomach, knocking the wind from you, but it didn’t stop you from grabbing the leg attached to that boot and biting down as hard as you could, earning a pained yelp from your attacker. A second later, you were scrambling towards the door, desperate to get out. Then came another kick and, this time, instead of pulling away, he pressed his boot down on your back, holding you in place.

You heard the click of a gun’s safety and held your breath, waiting for the inevitable.

“Hey, jackass, Rumlow wants her alive,” said the other and your stomach almost turned itself inside out at the sound of a name you hadn’t heard in five years.

“I’m not gonna kill her, just gonna put one in the back of her leg to keep her from running,” came the response.

Immediately, you started to struggle, cursing and swearing as he pressed down harder on your back and laughed. You were trapped and powerless to defend yourself; you were everything you’d never wanted to be again, and the realisation had you thrashing and struggling in vain.

“What’s he want with a scrawny little omega like this anyway?”

Somehow, you managed to crawl a few inches despite the weight on your back, managing to get yourself ever so slightly closer to the nightstand, refusing to give up, refusing to resign yourself to your fate.

“I dunno,” the other goon answered, looking down at you, “she’s a feisty little thing though.”

You twisted and squirmed, trying to reach behind you to pull the boot from your back, still fighting, even though you knew there was no real chance of escape. Each breath you took was an awkward gasp, panic plus the pressure on your chest was making it harder and harder to breathe. And it only got worse when your vision started to blur.

But, before you could pass out, you felt something against your neck, then you were zapped with about a thousand volts. The pain only lasted a couple of seconds before you lost consciousness.

------------

In a way, Bucky knew that he should have seen it coming, that you (or any one really) wanting to be close to him should only ever have been seen as a massive red flag. In retrospect, it was easy to see how he’d fallen for it, how he’d let you play him and get close enough to almost take his life. 

And Bucky was angry, he was pissed that he’d let you get close, that he’d allowed himself to want for the first time in years.

He wanted to follow you as you ran, consequences be damned. He wanted to know why, wanted to know how your lies could make him feel a longing ache in the cave of his chest, an ache that hadn’t lessened even after your betrayal. 

For hours he looked through your apartment, trying to find some sign of who you were and why you wanted him dead, but there was nothing. He made call after call, upsetting almost everyone he knew by disturbing them at such a late hour. All he managed to find out was what he’d already suspected; the name you’d given him was fake, and so was every little scrap of your past that you’d shared.

There was no trace of you, like your entire life had been a lie, like you’d never even been a real person.

He began to wonder if you’d been trained somewhere like the Red Room, or been part of the Winter Soldier program, but none of that made sense. While you were clever enough to get close to him, it was obvious from your scuffle that you had no training, that you weren’t a fighter or a trained assassin. 

By the time morning came around, there was only one person left that Bucky hadn’t asked for help.

And, with great reluctance, he went to see Sam.

There was an awkwardness to the way he stood there in Sam’s home, half looking at him, the person he considered to be his only friend, and only in the loosest sense of the word. He didn’t want to explain himself or the maelstrom of emotions that he was trying to fight back. All he wanted was help finding you.

“I need your help tracking someone down,” he said, pulling up a photo he’d taken of the group on his phone last night, zooming in on your face. “I have a name, but I don’t think it’s real. The picture’s all I have to go on.”

Sam looked at the picture then looked at Bucky

“You know, when a woman doesn’t tell you her real name during a hook-up, it’s usually a sign she’s not interested in a relationship,” Sam joked with an easy sort of smile that Bucky had always been jealous of.

“It’s not like that,” Bucky answered, snatching back his phone. “She tried to kill me.”

“You do have that effect on people.”

“And this is why you’re the last person I came to for help,” Bucky responded,  taking a step back, about ready to give up leave.

“I see that cyborg brain of yours still doesn’t know how to process humour.”

“It can process humour just fine, it’s that you’re not funny,” Bucky snapped, his tone more than enough to tell his friend that he was already wearing on his last nerve. This was important to him and he wasn’t in the mood to play games. “If you’re not gonna help -”

“Alright, alright,” Sam held his hands up, signalling his surrender, “send me the photo and I’ll pass it on to Torres and see if he can find anything. In the meantime, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened?”

Bucky did as he was asked, sending the picture of Sam and then watching as Sam sent it on. Then there was a pause, Bucky obviously hesitating before he started to explain what had happened, in a tasteful and censored way. He told Sam how you’d moved in and how he’d tried to help you, how he’d tried to be a good alpha, and how the pair of you had started to get close.

“Any idea why she tried to kill you?” Sam dared to ask, even though he seemed to sense that it was something of a sensitive subject for Bucky. 

“No, she didn’t exactly stick around to explain it after trying to stab me.”

Sam gave him a look that had Bucky bristling, looking about ready to fight if Sam even thought about making another joke.

“Do you think someone paid her?” Sam said, looking at your picture again.

“No... it felt personal. She was really angry...” Bucky said, barely managing to hold back a sigh. “But she didn’t fight like she had any training and she’s an omega, so it’s not like she stood a chance at overpowering me..”

“She must’ve put on quite the act if she managed to get that close to you.” Again Bucky bristled, discomfort on his face betraying him. But if Sam noticed, thankfully, he decided not to say anything about it. “Why does it feel like there’s more than your wounded pride at stake here?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bucky shrugged. “I just want to know why she tried to kill me and if she’s gonna try again.”

Sam was about to say something when his phone buzzed with a message. 

“Torres says it might take him a couple of hours.”

“Can you let me know what he finds?” Bucky asked.

“Sure. Where are you going?”

“Home. In case she goes back to her apartment.”

“You really think she’ll go back?”

“I don’t think she planned for failure,” Bucky offered, “I think she saw the opportunity and took it, now she’s out there with nothing but the clothes on her back.”

“Need me to come with?”

Bucky shook his head. “No, if she shows up I can deal with her.”

The pair shared an awkward goodbye and Bucky headed back to the apartment building, hoping that he hadn’t missed you, but not entirely sure what he’d do if you did turn up. He told himself that he just wanted answers, but it was more than that; he wanted to understand, he wanted to know why you’d gone to such great lengths.

A van peeled past him as he reached the building and he quickly noticed Nikki on the sidewalk, blood pouring from her nose, her eyes fixed on the van until she noticed Bucky.

“What happened?” Bucky asked, quickly moving to her, trying to make sure she was alright.

“They took her,” she answered, frantic. “Someone took mouse.”

“What?” He glanced down the street at the van.

“They had guns, Bucky. I think they’re gonna - oh my god...” she let out an awkward sob, her hand lifting to cover her mouth as she struggled not to fall apart. 

“It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay,” Bucky told her, placing a hand on her shoulder and trying to comfort her. 

“She was bleeding, Bucky. They’re gonna hurt her,” she continued. “I tried to stop them, but I -”

For a split second, he was torn - torn between staying and looking after Nikki and going after you - but his indecision didn’t last long. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt you. He needed answers, he needed to know what was going on.

“Go inside,” he told her, starting back towards his motorcycle, “I’m going to get her back.”

Bucky didn’t wait for a response before starting the engine and taking off after the van.

He easily managed to catch up with the van in the city traffic, pulling up alongside it. He couldn’t see you, but he could hear something, someone, in the back of the van, struggling and kicking against the door. Whatever was going on, Bucky knew he wasn’t going to get any answers if he couldn’t get to you. Hearing your screams and shouts was the last straw; no matter who you really were or what you’d done, you didn’t deserve this.

Slamming his vibranium arm into the passenger door, he tore it off the van, quickly pulling one of your kidnappers out and tossing him into the street, causing the car behind to swerve wildly. In the commotion, the driver fumbled for his gun, giving Bucky ample time to climb into the van and slam his fist into the guy’s jaw. His head rebounded off the window, and the van turned sharply, slamming into a streetlight.

The collision was enough to knock the driver out.

Bucky climbed out of the van, practically tearing the back door off as he pulled it open, find you bloody and sprawled unconscious on the floor. He quickly dialled Sam.

“Hey, Sam, do you still have that safehouse downtown?”

------------

You woke up in a small, mostly unfurnished bedroom with no memory of how you’d gotten there; you could remember waking up in the back of the van, kicking and screaming, trying to get out but, then, nothing. But that blank spot in your memory was really the least of your concerns.

When you moved, everything ached. Someone had cleaned you up and bandaged your wounds but, given the circumstances, that just made you feel worse.

All you wanted to do was curl up and surrender yourself to whatever was about to happen. You were so tired of running, so tired of fighting.

You wanted to give up.

You just wanted to sleep.

But a familiar scent reached you, a scent that confused everything even more; Bucky.

Your head ached as you tried to process what was going on and how you’d come to be with Bucky and not Rumlow, and how you’d come to trade one kind of fear for another.

Slowly, you managed to get to your feet, despite the way that the room seemed to spin and the floor felt uneven beneath your feet. Looking around, you tried to find something that gave you some idea of what was going on, but there was nothing. The only things in the room were the bed, a small bedside table with empty drawers, and an empty wardrobe. The view from the window told you that you were in an apartment building, but you couldn’t tell where.

Once you’d finished looking around the room, you headed for the door, expecting to find it locked but, instead, it opened out into the rest of the apartment. 

And there he was.

Bucky was sitting on the sofa, but he got to his feet the second the door opened. You gripped the doorframe as your stomach knotted and cramped, fear coiling in your insides at the realisation you were trapped and there was no way you’d be able to escape him.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air between you, neither of you moving, neither of you taking your eyes off the other. Your mind was racing, trying to figure out what was happening and why you were there instead of rotting in a cell or worse.

“What’s going on?” You finally forced yourself to ask, trying not to lean too heavily against the doorframe, not wanting to show him just how weak and vulnerable you were.

“Funny, I was gonna ask you the same thing,” he answered, anger and upset thick in his voice.

Finally, you let your gaze shift to the door and started weighing up whether you could reach it before he stopped you. And Bucky noticed, in fact, he took a step towards you, almost goading you to try your luck.

“Why am I here?” You asked, exhausting and discomfort intensifying with every second that passed.

“Because I want answers before I decide what to do with you,” Bucky answered. “The guys that tried to grab you were ex-Hydra, a hit squad - is that who you’re working for?”

“I’m not working for anyone.”

“So it’s personal then?”

“I’m not playing twenty questions with you,” you answered with a sharpness that he didn’t expect, a tone he’d never heard from you before. “Just get it over with.”

“Get what over with?” His confusion was almost believable, but you knew better than to think he didn’t know what you were talking about.

“Just kill me.”

“I don’t make a habit of killing unarmed omegas for no reason.”

“Right. Sure you don’t.” you scoffed sarcastically.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means drop the crap. I know you’re the Winter Soldier.”

Suddenly it felt like all the air had been sucked from the room and there was no missing the flicker of discomfort that crossed his face before a look of resignation appeared. You leaned against the doorframe all the more, watching as he struggled to respond, feeling worse by the second.

“So - what? - you came after me to settle a score?” He finally found his voice.

“You killed my brother,” you spat. “You ruined my life.”

Again, there was silence, but all you could think about was the suffocating heat in the room and how it felt like you could barely breathe, and how every breath you did manage to take filled your lungs with his scent.

Bucky had said something and was staring at you expectantly but your only response was to shake your head and start moving, limping towards the door knowing you couldn’t escape but wanting to try your luck regardless. You made it about halfway before you had to stop, the pain in your abdomen only getting worse until you were almost doubled over. Before you could think, before you could say anything, Bucky was at your side, catching you just as your legs crumpled beneath you.

Your vision blurred and you almost lost yourself in his scent and the way his arm pulled you against him in his attempts to steady you. And, for a moment, you wanted nothing more than to melt into his side and surrender yourself to whatever might happen, but you refused to give up that easily.

“No,” you muttered weakly, trying to push him away, “get off me.”

He didn’t let go, knowing that if he did you’d only end up on the floor.

“You need to lay down,” you heard him mutter, a tenderness in his voice that didn’t belong, a kindness you didn’t want or need.

As much as you tried to struggle, you found yourself led back into the bedroom and placed on the bed. The moment your head hit the pillow, everything went black.

------------

The revelation that he had killed your brother had left Bucky reeling. It wasn’t the first time that he’d been forced to confront his past as the Winter Soldier but it was turning out to be one of the most painful. He’d hurt you, taken something from you, and he’d never be able to make that right. The thought alone was enough to make him spiral.

As easy as it would have been to hide behind the idea that it hadn’t really been him, that the Winter Soldier wasn’t him, Bucky couldn’t separate himself from the pain he’d obviously caused you. And the worst part? He had no way of knowing who your brother was, no way of narrowing it down or understanding why; had your brother been his target, or had he just been collateral damage.

For a couple of hours he sat, thinking over all the terrible things he’d done, remembering all the things that haunted him, all the things he wouldn’t allow himself to forget in the hopes that something would spark a memory and he’d have the answers that he needed. But, the sorry truth of the matter was that he had far too much blood on his hands, too many deaths on his conscience.  

Whatever had happened, it seemed that his actions as the Winter Soldier had set you on a path that had put you in the crosshairs of dangerous people and, now that he had some idea of why, Bucky knew that he needed to try and make amends. He needed to try and help you. 

But, convincing you to let him was going to be the hardest part.

There was so much he didn’t know, but the majority of the anger and hostility he’d felt towards you had disappeared the moment he started to understand why you wanted him dead. Your words still rang in his ears; you ruined my life. It made him feel sick, but it was a sickness he’d felt before, a sickness he’d managed to work through.

When the bedroom door opened again a few hours later, he was shocked to see that, instead of looking better and rested, you somehow looked worse. You were barely keeping your balance as you stopped and looked at him, pure hatred in your eyes.

“What do you want with me?” You finally asked. “Am I your prisoner?”

“I don’t want anything. And, no, you’re not a prisoner,” Bucky answered, slowly getting to his feet and watching you closely, in case you collapsed again.

“So I can leave?”

“You can, but it’d hardly be the smartest option when you’ve got an ex-Hydra hit-squad looking for you,” he answered.

For a moment you gave him an indecipherable look, as if you were caught between shock and confusion that he’d put everything together so quickly. He didn’t bother to tell you it was because he’d had at least half a dozen people researching you and your assailants, trying to find out whatever they could.

“That’s how he found me...” you sighed under your breath but, before Bucky could ask, you were moving towards the door.

“Seriously?” He asked, clinging desperately to the last of his patience. “Just look at you, you can barely walk. How far do you think you’re gonna get?”

“Whose fault is that?” You snapped back.

“Seriously? You're gonna try and blame me? You jumped off the fire escape after trying to kill me,” he stated, moving to block you as you tried to reach the door.

“I thought you said I wasn’t a prisoner.”

No. You weren’t a prisoner but Bucky couldn’t let you go, not in your current state. You could barely stand and, besides, you had nowhere to go and nothing but your phone.

“You’re not, but if you think I’m gonna let you get yourself killed...”

“I can’t stay here with you,” you told him, trying to step around him.

“You’re not exactly a joy to be around either but you should at least wait until you’re well enough to -”

“My heat is about to start,” you finally admitted, hoping it would be enough to make him move. It wasn't.

“Seriously?” A moment later he was shaking his head. “All the more reason you should stay. You’re not gonna be able to look after yourself.”

“You’re fucking kidding, right?” You asked and the look he gave you was enough to tell you that he wasn’t. He was dead serious. “I can’t stay here with you.” 

“Don’t flatter yourself. I can control myself around an omega in heat,” he answered, annoyed by the implication.

But, if he was honest, he understood at least some part of your worry; the events of the night before were still burned into his memory and, even though that longing ache in his chest had dulled somewhat, it was still there.

“Said every alpha ever,” you muttered, turning away from him, obviously looking for another way out.

“Look, I get it -” he tried, following after you.

“No, you really don’t.”

“I killed someone close to you and I’m sorry -”

“Sorry?” You turned back towards him, tone dripping with disbelief. “I bet you don’t even remember him. I bet you don’t even remember why. You don’t get to tell me sorry.”

“You’re right,” Bucky conceded, “I don’t remember a lot of my time as the Winter Soldier, but I want to make this right.”

You lunged suddenly, almost losing your foot as your hands met his chest and pushed. He barely moved and you almost crumpled to the floor as you shoved him.

“There is no making this right,” you told him angrily, hitting a balled fist against his chest. “You can’t fix this. You can’t bring him back from the dead.”

“Maybe not, but I can keep you alive,” he answered stubbornly, gripping your arm for a moment so you didn’t fall. “I have some friends looking for the guys that tried to grab you, once they’re in custody I’ll take you back to your apartment and we’ll never have to see each other again, okay?”

But, obviously, it wasn’t okay.

“I. Can’t. Stay. Here.” You repeated, slowly, as if he was an idiot. (And maybe he was an idiot for trying to help you.) 

“If I was going to hurt you, don’t you think I would’ve done it by now?” He answered back, tone becoming clipped as he became more frustrated by the conversation. “Just... let me help you and, when all of this is all over and you can stand without looking like you’re gonna pass out, you can have your revenge.”

The offer was made more out of desperation than anything else; he just wanted you to be safe while he dealt with the people trying to hurt you. Everything else could come after.

You made your way into the kitchen and he watched you glancing out the window, as if you were weighing up the pros and cons of jumping from the fifth floor. There was panic on your face as you turned back and looked towards the front door again, but Bucky was starting to realise that he wasn’t the only thing making you feel that way.

“What’s the big deal? It’s not like this is your first heat.” He said because it couldn’t be - you must have been dealing with them for easily over a decade now.

Finally, you turned your attention back to him, no longer trying to hide your discomfort

“I haven’t had a heat in over five years,” you confessed with all of your previous anger. “I don’t do this. I don’t want to do this, especially not near you.”

Bucky chose to ignore the obvious insult. “Five years? How is that even possible?”

“Suppressants,” you snapped. “That I stopped taking so I could get close to you.”

“Oh, well I’m sorry my attempted murder was such an inconvenience to you,” he retorted sarcastically. He fell silent for a moment, watching as your trembling hand reached for the counter for support. “I thought you weren’t supposed to take them over long periods of time? Doesn’t that cause serious problems?”

“Wow, are you really going to stand there and try to alpha-splain it to me?”

“No, that’s not -” he stopped himself, seeing you tense in discomfort. “Can you just go sit down before you fall down?”

“I told you, I can’t -”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first twenty times,” he said, moving towards you and wrapping an arm around your waist, forcibly leading you from the kitchen and into the bedroom again, depositing you on the bed.

You didn’t fight him, despite obviously wanting nothing more than to push him away from you. He wondered if being close to him had the same effect that being close to you had on him, if his scent was filling your lungs with every breath.

“I can see if I can find something, some suppressants or -”

“It’s too late. You have to take them before it starts...” you told him.

“Then what do you need?” He asked.

You looked shocked by the concern in his voice and the way he was looking at you - which, given you’d tried to kill him less than twenty-four hours ago, seemed fair. But Bucky ignored it. Whether it was alpha instincts or guilt over whatever he’d done to your brother, he just wanted to help you, look after you. It didn’t matter that you hated him. It didn’t even matter that he was almost certain you’d try to kill him again once you got the chance.

He needed to do this. He needed to try and fix whatever he’d broken, however he could.

“I need you to leave me alone,” you told him.

Bucky tongued the inside of his cheek, biting back a dozen comments that would probably only make the situation worse before relenting. He lingered for a few seconds before shrugging and letting out a sigh, before finally turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him and giving you what you needed.

End Note : I know I'm probably raising more questions than I'm answering with this chapter but don't worry, everything will be answered eventually. And, yes, by Rumlow I do mean Brock (I'm saying he's still alive because I needed a bad guy 😅) Anyway, thanks for all the likes/comments/reblogs on the first chapter!

If you'd like to be tagged in future chapters, let me know!

Tag List : @greatenthusiasttidalwave

[bardic-tales]

au: omegaverse | au: canon divergent | soulmate | Supernatural

possession vs protection | light vs darkness | consent vs autonomy | found family | healing redemption

In "Bound in Shadows," the bond between Bianca and Sephiroth transcends traditional Alpha-Omega dynamics. It is rooted in a profound soul-bond that connects their minds, bodies, and souls. This is set against the backdrop of Gaia (FF 7's world) where Alphas, Betas, and Omegas navigate complex social hierarchies. This AU reimages the characters' relationships, as it focuses on the intense emotional and spiritual connection between Bianca and Sephiroth.

This is a light A/B/O interpretation.

Content Warnings: abuse, blood, body horror, bondage, captivity, child abuse, coercion, control and domination, cults, dark magic, demons, emotional manipulation, experimentation, gore, harassment, heat cycles, hierarchy and power dynamics, kidnapping, magic, manipulation, menstruation, mind control, non-traditional relationships, omegaverse dynamics, parental abuse, possession, predatory behavior, psychological abuse, religious trauma, ritual sacrifice, self-harm, sexual themes, slavery, stalking, torture, trauma, unhealthy relationships, violence

Universe Plot:

The main storyline follows Bianca, an independent Omega, and Sephiroth, a powerful Alpha, as they navigate the challenges of their bond within a society structured around Omegaverse dynamics. Significant differences from the original plot include Sephiroth’s internal conflict regarding his identity as an Alpha and his desire to protect Bianca, leading to a refusal to mark her. This refusal creates tensions within their relationship and with other characters, particularly Angeal and Genesis, who challenge his decisions. The plot diverges further with the introduction of the Infernal Dominion, where Bianca faces the looming threat of Asmodeus, who seeks to force a union between his family and the Shinra.

Plot Points

The Ritual Marking

Bianca and Sephiroth participate in a marking ritual involving Jenova-enhanced scent exchange, solidifying their soul-bond without traditional marking. The ritual deepens their connection, establishing a visible sigil on their skin that represents their intertwining souls.

The Challenge from Other Alphas

Angeal and Genesis question Sephiroth's refusal to mark Bianca, testing his authority and forcing him to confront his fears. This tension highlights Sephiroth’s internal struggles while emphasizing Bianca's strength as an independent Omega.

Bianca’s Heat and the Heightened Connection

During Bianca’s heat, their soul-bond amplifies, bringing out Sephiroth’s Alpha instincts and testing his restraint. This event deepens their relationship, exploring themes of consent and power dynamics, as Bianca balances her desire for independence with her bond to Sephiroth.

Main Characters:

Aerith Gainsborough (Beta): A nurturing presence in the group, she fosters connections among the characters and provides emotional support to Bianca.

Angeal Hewley (Alpha): Acts as a mediator, providing wisdom and support while questioning Sephiroth's choices regarding Bianca. Asmodeus (Alpha Antagonist): A powerful demon and Bianca’s father, he seeks to manipulate the bond between Bianca and Sephiroth for his own gain.

Bianca (Omega): A strong-willed Omega who challenges traditional expectations; her connection to Sephiroth is enhanced by their soul-bond.

Genesis Rhapsodos (Alpha): A rebellious Alpha who often provokes Sephiroth, challenging his decisions about Bianca.

President Shinra (Alpha Antagonist): The authoritative figure representing the corrupt corporate system that seeks to exploit both Bianca and Sephiroth.

Tifa Lockhart (Beta): Bianca’s confidant and emotional support, Tifa helps her navigate the complexities of her relationship with Sephiroth.

Sephiroth (Alpha): The embodiment of an ultimate Alpha, he is protective of Bianca and struggles with the fear that marking her would corrupt her purity.

Character Dynamics: The relationships among the characters in this AU are complex and multifaceted, with Bianca navigating her strong bond with Sephiroth while contending with the manipulative influences of her father, Asmodeus, and President Shinra. Asmodeus and Shinra embody antagonistic forces that challenge Bianca and Sephiroth’s relationship, pushing them to assert their autonomy. The support from characters like Tifa and Aerith offers a balance to the intense dynamics, helping Bianca to find her strength amidst the struggles against the powerful Alphas in her life.

World Building

Cosmic Elements

Angelic (celestial) and demonic influences: The presence of demons, angels, and other cosmic horrors in this AU enhances the stakes and themes of the narrative.

Angelic and Demonic Influence: Bianca's heritage as the daughter of an archangel and a demon influences her character and abilities, creating a unique perspective on the balance between light and darkness. Her dual nature represents the struggle between these opposing forces, leading to complex character arcs and moral dilemmas.

Conflict with Cosmic Beings: The ongoing threat from cosmic horrors, such as Asmodeus and other demon entities, creates external conflict that forces the characters to confront their fears and insecurities. These beings often manipulate the energies of the Lifestream, impacting the balance of power in their world and driving the narrative tension.

Culture

The cultural landscape in this AU is shaped by the presence of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, each with specific societal roles and expectations.

Hierarchy and Relationships: Alphas are often seen as leaders, responsible for protecting and providing for their packs, while Omegas are viewed as nurturers and caretakers. This traditional perspective is challenged by Bianca, who embodies independence and strength, rejecting the notion of submissiveness. Betas serve as mediators, often holding influential positions in society that bridge the gap between Alphas and Omegas.

Mating Bonds and Rituals: Mating bonds between Alphas and Omegas are significant cultural events, often accompanied by rituals that solidify their connection. These bonds are celebrated within the community and can involve the exchange of scents or markings that signify commitment. In this AU, the unique marking ritual involving Jenova's influence enhances the spiritual connection between Bianca and Sephiroth.

Magic Systems

The magic system incorporates traditional materia mechanics from Final Fantasy VII while also introducing unique elements related to the Omegaverse.

Cosmic Blood Magic: Bianca and other cosmic entities wield magic powered by their cosmic blood. This allows them to utilize their inherent magical abilities, granting them a versatile source of power that is not limited to materia. Their celestial heritage enables them to perform a wide range of spells and abilities naturally, reflecting their unique connection to the cosmos.

Materia: Materia remains a central aspect of the magic system, with characters harnessing its powers for combat, healing, and elemental manipulation. The ability to combine materia can create powerful effects, allowing characters to tap into the Lifestream’s energies.

Soul Bonds: The soul bond between Bianca and Sephiroth allows them to share emotions, thoughts, and even physical sensations. This connection heightens their magical abilities and can be used strategically in combat or during emotional crises.

Omegaverse Elements

The Omegaverse introduces distinct biological and societal traits that significantly influence character interactions and world dynamics.

Alpha, Beta, Omega Dynamics: In this AU, characters are categorized as Alphas, Betas, or Omegas, each with distinct traits. Alphas exhibit heightened physical abilities and instincts, often taking on leadership roles, while Omegas possess unique reproductive capabilities and emotional sensitivity. Betas act as stabilizers in the social structure, holding significant influence without the biological traits of Alphas and Omegas.

Heat Cycle: Omegas experience both menstruation and a heat cycle, with the latter being a monthly event where their bodies become more receptive to mating and they emit pheromones that attract Alphas. During this time, emotional and physical needs become heightened, leading to challenges in maintaining autonomy and consent. This cycle can create tension within relationships, especially as Bianca navigates her heat in the context of her bond with Sephiroth, who struggles with his protective instincts.

Menstruation: Like in the human experience, menstruation occurs for Omega females, affecting their physical and emotional states. This aspect of their biology adds a layer of realism to their experiences, particularly in how it intersects with their heat cycles and overall health.

Setting

The AU takes place in a reimagined version of the Final Fantasy VII universe, blending its iconic locations with new cultural and societal elements shaped by the Omegaverse framework. Key settings include:

Midgar: The primary hub of activity, Midgar is a sprawling metropolis that serves as the corporate stronghold of Shinra. Within this city, there are distinct districts that reflect the varying socio-economic statuses of its inhabitants, from the affluent Upper Plates to the impoverished slums below. The presence of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas creates distinct neighborhoods where social interactions reflect their hierarchical status.

The Lifestream: A mystical river of energy that flows beneath the Planet, the Lifestream holds the souls of deceased beings and is pivotal in understanding the interconnectedness of life and death. In this AU, it serves as a source of power that both Alphas and Omegas can tap into, particularly in the context of the cosmic beings influencing the world. The Lifestream's energies are coveted by both Shinra and the Infernal Dominion, leading to conflicts over its control.

The Infernal Dominion: A realm populated by demons and fallen angels, the Infernal Dominion is ruled by Asmodeus, representing a darker aspect of the universe. It serves as a juxtaposition to the celestial nature of the protagonists, further emphasizing the balance between light and darkness.

Technology

The technology in this universe reflects a blend of advanced science and mystical elements, especially in relation to Shinra's operations. Key aspects include:

Jenova Technology: Shinra’s experiments with Jenova cells create a technological foundation that blurs the lines between science and magic. This technology is employed to enhance the abilities of SOLDIERs and manipulate the natural order of the world, often leading to ethical dilemmas regarding the treatment of individuals.

Surveillance and Control: Shinra's technology allows for extensive surveillance of the population, utilizing drones and advanced monitoring systems to maintain control over both the populace and their resources. This aspect of technology adds tension to the story as characters navigate the oppressive environment.

Packs

Avalanche

Members: Barrett Wallace, Tifa Lockhart, Cloud Strife, Aerith Gainsborough, Red XIII (Nanaki), Barret's daughter (Marlene Wallace), Wedge, Biggs, Jessie, Reeve Tuesti (Cait Sith), Vincent Valentine, Cid Highwind, Yuffie Kisaragi, and the rest of the AVALANCHE team, along with additional allies they may gather throughout their journey.

Role/Purpose: The AVALANCHE Pack's primary goal is to resist Shinra's oppressive control and save the Planet from destruction caused by the corporation's exploitation of its resources, as well as stopping the Infernal Dominion. They aim to empower the oppressed and foster hope, striving for a future where the Planet and its inhabitants can thrive free from the shackles of corporate greed.

Dynamics: Members of the AVALANCHE Pack interact with a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect, fostering an environment of open communication and collaboration. Their familial bond is strengthened by shared experiences and struggles, allowing them to adapt their roles as needed while collectively pursuing their mission to protect the Planet.

Former SOLDIER Pack

Members: Sephiroth, Bianca, Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos, Zack Fair, Kunsel

Role/Purpose: The Ex-SOLDIER Pack was formed from a shared desire to escape Shinra's oppressive control and uncover the truth about their origins. Together, they seek freedom, self-discovery, and a way to overcome the traumas of their pasts while forging a new identity separate from their former lives as SOLDIERs.

Dynamics: The members of the pack interact in a cooperative environment that allows for diverse leadership styles and strengths. With multiple Alphas—Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis, and Zack—decision-making is collaborative, and Bianca's empathetic nature as the Omega helps maintain harmony, mediating conflicts and fostering strong emotional connections among members.

Infernal Dominion

Members: Asmodeus, Bianca (before she joins Sephiroth's pack), various lesser demons, fallen angels, and loyal enforcers.

Role/Purpose: The primary goal of the Infernal Dominion is to secure a powerful alliance with the Shinra Pack through a mating bond with Bianca, which would grant them access to the Lifestream's energies on Gaia. This alliance would enable Asmodeus to siphon souls from the Planet, replenishing the dwindling souls in Hell and strengthening his dominion over both realms.

Dynamics: Members of the Infernal Dominion operate in a hierarchical structure, with Asmodeus at the top and his loyal followers competing for favor and influence. They engage in strategic manipulation and power plays, forming alliances and rivalries while fostering a sense of loyalty to Asmodeus’s grand design.

Shinra

Members: President Shinra, Rufus Shinra, Heidegger, Palmer, Professor Hojo, Reeve, Scarlet, the Turks, scientists and engineers from the Advanced Weaponry Division, 2nd and 3rd SOLDIERS, and various corporate executives.

Role/Purpose: The Shinra Corporate Pack aims to maintain and expand the company’s power and influence over Midgar and the world. This strategic alliance allows each member to contribute to corporate goals while simultaneously safeguarding their personal interests.

Dynamics: Interactions among members are primarily professional, characterized by a veneer of loyalty that masks underlying opportunism. While the Turks serve as enforcers and problem-solvers for Rufus and the executives, the focus remains on achieving individual agendas within the rigid hierarchy, resulting in weaker bonds compared to more intimate or familial groups.

SOLDIER Pack (Part of Shinra)

Members: The SOLDIER Pack is composed of Roche, a charismatic 3rd Class SOLDIER, along with a group of enthusiastic 2nd and 3rd Class SOLDIERs who share his passion for speed and excitement.

Role/Purpose: The primary goal of the SOLDIER Pack is to uphold the legacy of SOLDIER while embracing their rebellious spirit and thrill-seeking tendencies. They aim to support Shinra's interests by demonstrating their strength and skills in competitive scenarios that enhance the company's reputation.

Dynamics: Members interact in a highly competitive environment where camaraderie is built through rivalry and exhilarating challenges. Roche’s dramatic flair fosters a culture of flamboyance and recklessness, encouraging strong bonds through shared experiences of adrenaline and the thrill of high-speed confrontations.

The Turks (part of Shinra)

Members: Tseng, Cisseni, Reno, Rude, Elena, and other supporting members of the Turk organization.

Role/Purpose: The Turks serve as Shinra's elite covert operatives, executing high-stakes missions and maintaining order in the shadows. Their primary goal is to protect Shinra's interests, often through clandestine operations, while also fostering a strong sense of loyalty and protection among their members.

Dynamics: Within the Turks, interactions are characterized by a blend of camaraderie and professional rivalry, with each member contributing their unique skills to the group’s success. Despite the hierarchical structure led by Tseng, a deep sense of loyalty exists among the members, often prioritizing their personal bonds over corporate allegiance, which can lead to tensions when conflicts of interest arise.

Differences from the Original Universe

Introduction of Original Character: Bound in Shadows features Bianca, an original character whose complex backstory and motivations are not part of the Final Fantasy VII universe. Her unique heritage as the daughter of an archangel and a demon adds depth to the narrative, allowing for new themes of duality and internal conflict that are distinct from the existing characters in FFVII.

Character Dynamics: The relationships among characters are reimagined through the Omegaverse framework, introducing complexities based on Alpha, Beta, and Omega hierarchies. This redefinition creates a fresh take on character interactions and emotional connections that differ from the original game's portrayals.

Soul-Bond Concept: Bound in Shadows introduces the concept of a soul-bond between characters, which plays a crucial role in driving their emotional and physical relationships. This metaphysical connection adds depth to their struggles and vulnerabilities, setting it apart from the more straightforward relationships depicted in FFVII.

Primal Instinct Exploration: The narrative dives into the primal instincts associated with Alpha and Omega roles, influencing character motivations and plot developments. This exploration provides a new perspective on character behavior and relationships, contrasting with the static roles in the original game.

Societal Structure: The AU presents a detailed societal hierarchy based on Alpha, Beta, and Omega dynamics, shaping cultural norms and character interactions. This contrasts with FFVII, where social structures are less explicitly defined and focus more on overarching conflicts.

Rituals and Bonding: The introduction of marking rituals tied to the Omegaverse, including scent exchange, serves as a significant plot device that solidifies relationships without traditional markings. This element differs from FFVII's handling of relationships, where such rituals do not exist.

Focus on Personal Conflicts: The central conflicts in Bound in Shadows are more intimate, revolving around personal struggles within the Omegaverse framework, such as societal expectations and pressures from other Alphas. This contrasts with FFVII's focus on larger, external conflicts involving corporations and global threats.

Themes of Consent and Autonomy: The AU emphasizes themes of consent and personal autonomy, especially regarding the implications of heat cycles and the power dynamics involved in relationships. This focus on nuanced consent stands in contrast to the action-oriented themes prevalent in FFVII.

Rules and Mechanics

Omegaverse Dynamics

Hierarchy: The society is structured around Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, each with distinct roles and social expectations. Alphas are typically seen as dominant, Betas are neutral, and Omegas are often perceived as nurturing and submissive.

Heat Cycles: Omegas experience heat cycles, during which their instincts drive them to seek a mate. During this time, their bond with their Alpha intensifies, allowing for shared emotional and physical experiences. Consent remains central to navigating this dynamic.

Soul-Bond Mechanics

Connection: The bond between Bianca and Sephiroth allows them to share thoughts and emotions, enhancing their understanding of each other's fears and desires. This bond is strengthened through rituals and shared experiences, making their connection deeper than traditional A/B/O dynamics.

Visual Representation: Their soul-bond manifests as a visible sigil on their skin, symbolizing their commitment and connection, which can also offer them mutual protection and strength during battles.

Scent Marking

Role in Relationships: Instead of traditional marking, characters can engage in scent marking rituals that enhance emotional bonds without compromising Bianca’s autonomy. This process allows for the sharing of scents that represent their feelings, strengthening their connection.

Emotional Significance: Scent plays a crucial role in establishing emotional ties, with specific scents evoking memories and feelings, reinforcing their connection in both emotional and physical realms.

Power Dynamics

Character Strengths: Each character possesses unique strengths and weaknesses based on their roles within the Omegaverse. Alphas like Sephiroth are expected to embody strength and leadership, while Omegas like Bianca navigate societal perceptions of their roles.

Conflict Resolution: Conflicts arising from the dynamics between Alphas and Omegas lead to discussions about power, consent, and personal agency, driving character development and relationships forward.

Influence of Jenova Cells

Biological and Emotional Effects: The presence of Jenova cells in characters influences their physical abilities and emotional states. This dynamic complicates relationships, as characters must navigate their innate urges alongside societal expectations and personal desires. Those affected by Jenova may struggle with feelings of isolation and horror due to their connection to this cosmic entity.

[not-poignant]

Underline the Blue (Nate/Janusz - Omegaverse)

Title: Underline the Blue

Pairing: Nate Prince/Janusz Bodanowicz

Notes: This is another story in the Underline the Black universe! Set prior to Underline the Black.

Summary: Nate, an omega, has been sent to Hillview by his alpha partner who doesn’t believe he’s good enough to claim or bond with, and wants him trained up at an omega rehabilitation facility to be a better partner. Nate is paired up with the alpha Janusz, who soon realises Nate has been micromanaged and ‘trained’ already to the point of having his soul shattered, and a journey of slow recovery and rehabilitation begins.

Underline the Blue - Chapter 18 - on AO3!

In which Janusz takes Nate out for a drive, and then to a restaurant, and Nate reveals he’s too scared to go in because he doesn’t believe he’s good enough to be allowed to eat in public.

Underline the Blue (early access) - Chapter 20 @ Patreon || Ream

In which Janusz confronts Nate for implying that he’s weak, and they unpack the idea of what it means for an alpha to be weak. While Nate’s scared of a conversation like this, Janusz is excited to finally be getting beneath the fear into Nate’s deep-seated anger at the world.

Early access chapters are released in the Augus & Gwyn tiers and higher on both Patreon and Ream. :D (Folks are only charged once a month on Ream, hence the slightly higher fee - that and I set my tier prices 10 years ago and cost of living has gone up a little since then! T.T)

– Thanks to all the Patreon and Ream supporters for making this (and my other writing) possible!

[downbad4yoongi]

Merry and Mended

🎄Merry and Mended

🎄Alpha!Yoongi x Omega!Taehyung

🎄AU/Genre: holiday fluff, strangers to lovers, a/b/o

🎄Warnings: smut

🎄Rating: MA

🎄Word count: 8536

Wrote this as a birthday gift to myself, and as a part of @bangtanwritershq Holiday Wish List December Event.

I love a good Taegi 🥰 Enjoy your holidays.

(Thank you to my beta readers, @moonleeai & @colormepurplex2. Thank you, @cherrysoulth, for my beautiful banner.)

Yoongi’s head jerks up as the store is filled with a cacophony of tin cans crashing to the floor. He straightens from where he was slouching on a stool behind the counter, sets down his book, and moves toward the front of the store to discover the cause of the commotion. He shuffles toward the front, his nose wrinkling as he picks up on the lightly burnt scent of a distressed omega. It doesn’t take long to figure out what the crashing sound was when his foot connects with a Sterno can that strayed a bit too far from the rest.

With a furrowed brow, the alpha rounds the aisle and sees a man desperately scrambling to pick up the fallen merchandise. He crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side; he is sure he has never seen this man in town before. They don’t get many strangers out this way.

Yoongi clears his throat to capture the stranger’s attention. The man’s head snaps up, his fluffy dark brown curls falling into widened eyes. Anything Yoongi was going to say stalls in his mind, leaving him there to stare at one of the most gorgeous people he has ever seen.

The man stands up, arms full of tin cans, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to. I was just trying to look at–” he looks over his shoulder, motioning back behind him, causing a few of the cans he gathered to slip out of his arms. He winces, an embarrassed blush spreading across smooth, golden skin.

The omega’s movements cause the air around him to stir, the currents carrying his scent to Yoongi. His senses pick up on the subtle chamomile, albeit tinged from his worry, smell surrounding the omega. Yoongi blinks at him silently, a bit disoriented by the memories that scent brings up for him. This complete stranger reminds him of when his mother would brew him a cup of tea whenever he wasn’t feeling his best to soothe him. He snaps out of it only when the man’s expression goes from contrite to worried. 

“Um, it’s okay. Honestly, it was a bit too quiet this week. Needed something to liven things up.” Inhaling deeply, soaking up more of the comforting scent emanating from the man, Yoongi stoops to gather the Sterno tins into a central location before reassembling the display. His hands move carefully while trying to concentrate on controlling his own scent, not wanting it to flare and give away the confusing emotions swirling within.

The omega stoops down with him and places the tins he was holding on the pile that Yoongi began accumulating. A deep chuckle rumbles out of the stranger as he shoots Yoongi a boxy smile, “Well then, I am happy I could be of service.”

A light blush perfuses across the apples of Yoongi’s pale cheeks, his fingers tightening on the can in his hand, his own cedar scent saturating the air to mix with the gentle one surrounding the other man. Fuck, even his smile is beautiful. Yoongi tears his eyes away, quickly sweeping up the last few errant cans and stands. The man stands with him, his camel duster falling to its full length, leaving only the bottom half of a pair of black slacks and shiny loafers in view.

“So I haven’t seen you around here before. Are you just stopping through?”

The man cocks an eyebrow and sarcastically quips, “Oh, do you know everyone who lives around here?”

“Yeah, I do,” Yoongi retorts, a deadpan expression on his face.

He scoffs, “Really?”

“Really. Welcome to my general store. This store has been in my family's hands for eighty years, and we’ve lived in this town that entire time. I’m Yoongi, Min Yoongi.”

The man blinks sheepishly, “I seem to be on a roll with making things awkward…” He scrunches his face up before shaking his arms and thrusting his hand toward Yoongi. “I’m Kim Taehyung, and yes, I am very new in town.”

Yoongi slides his hand into Taehyung’s grip and shakes the proffered hand. Both of their scents spiking at the contact. “Welcome to town. What were you needing from here before you destroyed my display?”

“Yah! I apologized for that, and you accepted the apology,” Taehyung huffs.

“I’m prone to changing my mind.” Yoongi sweeps the edges of his red plaid flannel back and shoves his hands into his black jeans. “Can I help you find something in particular?”

Taehyung purses his lips, studying Yoongi for a beat before spinning to motion at the aisle behind him. “I was trying to choose a space heater. The heat in my place doesn’t seem to work.”

Yoongi maneuvers around Taehyung and eyes the selection on the shelf. He slaps his hand on the top of one of the boxes, “This one would be best for heating mid to large areas.” Yoongi’s eyes flick away, his teeth pulling at the dry skin of his lip. “Or I could come and fix your heat for you…”

Taehyung feels his brows disappear into his hairline and can’t help the sassy comment that flows from his lips, “Are you the town’s handyman, too?”

Yoongi’s lips twist into a wry smile. “No. I just thought, um, that I could maybe help.” 

“That’s really kind of you. When would you be able to come by?” Taehyung questions.

“Tomorrow?” Yoongi suggests, “The store is closed on Sundays, so that would be best for me.”

Taehyung’s head bobs, “Honestly, the sooner the better. While I love a good popsicle, I personally don’t enjoy being turned into one.”

The truck eases to a stop in front of the quaint red house at the end of the street. Yoongi squints out of the window at the structure. He recognizes the house as belonging to the Kims, an adorable elderly couple who mostly kept to themselves, as he shuts off the engine, still contemplating why he offered to help this stranger. 

He is not a morning person, and he is known for not being the friendliest toward strangers. It really doesn’t make sense that he is here and outside before noon. He picks up his iced coffee in one hand and pushes the door open with the other before sliding out of the cab of the truck. He scowls as the cold air envelopes him and seeps through the layers of his puffy winter jacket and hoodie. He reaches into the bed, hefting his toolbox over the side, and starts lugging it up toward the front door, his scowl deepening with each freezing step.

Huddling in on himself, he waits for Taehyung to answer his knocks on the door, internally cursing himself for this dumb idea; so what if this man reminds him of home. After what feels like an ice age, the white door opens to reveal a drowsy-looking Taehyung in an oversized green hoodie, black lounge pants, and sherpa-lined slippers. 

The scowl on Yoongi’s face evaporates as he takes in Taehyung’s messy bed hair and puffy sleep face. The earthy notes of chamomile hang heavy in the air. Oh, this is why he is out here freezing his nuts off. “Hi.”

Taehyung squints and just looks at him for a beat before clearing the sleep from his throat. “Good morning. Sorry, I forgot you were going to come by today, or at least I didn’t think it would be this early.” Taehyung’s deep timbre washes over Yoongi, pulling him into his aura even more.

“Oh well. I was up, so here I am,” Yoongi responds flatly.

Taehyung backs up, opening the door wider, “Come on in.” He swiftly closes the door once Yoongi has cleared the entrance, shutting out the winter weather. As soon as he steps inside, the soothing herbal aroma envelopes him like a warm embrace.

“I would say it’s good to be out of the cold, but it really isn’t much warmer in here. Your heat truly is broken.”

“And yet, you are drinking an iced coffee,” Taehyung motions at the clear plastic cup held in Yoongi’s fingerless gloved hand.

Yoongi looks from his coffee to Taehyung, “Your point?”

Taehyung opens his mouth but quickly shuts it again, shaking his head. “Um, let me show you where things are.” Taehyung spins on his heel and leads Yoongi through the house and to the hall thermostat. “You have to start here, no?”

Yoongi nods in affirmation, “Yeah, this is the first step.” Yoongi sets his coffee down and slips out of his winter jacket before peering at the wall thermostat and fiddling with different settings. When that doesn’t yield a result, he asks Taehyung where his breaker box is and is guided to a storage closet deeper inside the house. Opening the metal door, he examines the breaker switches and confirms none are tripped, and everything should operate normally.

“Where’s your furnace?” Yoongi asks as he shuts and latches the breaker box door.

Taehyung jerks his head behind him, motioning further toward the back of the house. “Closet near the back of the house.”

Yoongi follows Taehyung to the next location and pulls open the closet door. He takes in the small space before squatting down in front of the furnace in the corner.

Taehyung leans against the open door and watches as Yoongi stoops down to look at the unit. He locates the power switch and confirms it is in the ‘on’ position. Yoongi’s mouth thins into a firm line as he runs his fingers along the seam of the furnace door. He leans closer to the furnace door, eyes narrowing, sliding his hand to the handle, jiggling it a tad. That confirms his suspicion; he opens the door and then firmly shuts it again.

“What was that for?” Taehyung pipes up over his shoulder, clearly confused. Before Yoongi can respond, a loud shuddering sound is heard through the house, followed by a low hissing.

Yoongi glances over his shoulder at Taehyung, “That was to turn your heat back on.” Yoongi straightens back up, brushing his hands off on his ripped jeans. “The door to your furnace wasn’t shut all the way, and the failsafe was triggered. When the failsafe is on, the furnace won’t function as a precaution.”

Understanding dawns on Taehyung’s face as he processes what Yoongi is saying. “Oh! I guess I could have searched that on Naver for myself,” he says sheepishly.

Yoongi shrugs and takes a sip from his straw. “Probably.” He watches Taehyung chew on his lower lip. “But I’m glad I could help.”

Taehyung peers at Yoongi through the fringe of his hair, gauging how sincere his words are before letting a small smile spread across his lips. “Can I repay you with breakfast?”

“You cook?”

Silence remains for a beat. “Um. Not very well?”

Yoongi’s lips lift in a smirk on one side, and he throws out a lifeline. “Lucy’s in town makes a wonderful breakfast. We could just go there?”

Relief sweeps through Taehyung’s eyes, “My treat.” He starts backing down the hallway toward one of the open bedroom doors. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be right out.”

The bell chimes loudly as the diner door swings open, and the two of them rush in out of the cold. As they stomp the snow from their shoes, Taehyung looks around the interior. “Oh!”

The town’s diner has quintessential 50s-themed decor and makes its best impression of a Lucille Ball shrine. Yoongi smirks, “Ahjumma is a fan.” Yoongi veers off to the right and slides into the third raised booth, settling into the vinyl seat.

Taehyung follows, “That is putting it mildly.” His eyes still bouncing around the restaurant as Yoongi sets the menu in front of him. Eventually, Taehyung pulls his gaze back to Yoongi, who has been sitting there watching him with an amused expression, “What?”

Yoongi shakes his head slightly, “I just haven’t had many opportunities to experience the places I’ve known my entire life through someone new.”

“So this has always been decorated like this?”

“Mhmm, though briefly, very briefly, she contemplated redecorating when she discovered Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck didn’t try hard enough to flip her in the end.”

Taehyung covers his mouth with his large palm, muffling his giggle as he listens to Yoongi’s story. The overhead light haloing his dark curls just right, Yoongi can’t help but stare and trace the way the harsh diner lights perfectly highlight the angles of Taehyung’s face.

“Yoongi-yah! Where have you been? You haven’t been visiting as often as you should be.”

Yoongi is snapped out of his reverie at the admonishment and looks as a petite beta in her early sixties sidles up to their table.

Taehyung’s eyes bounce back and forth between Yoongi and the newcomer. Yoongi’s lips screw to the side at the gentle scolding as he rubs at the back of his neck. “Aish, ajumma, I have been busy with the store.”

With a smack of her pad to his shoulder, “Nonsense! That store runs itself at this point. You can’t avoid him forever, you know?”

Taehyung’s brows lift slightly at that, wondering who they are talking about. Yoongi ducks his head, “I’m not avoiding him.”

“Could have fooled me.” She frowns at him for a moment more before turning to Taehyung with a bright smile, “Hello there! You’re new. I know everyone in this town; who are you?”

Taehyung blinks up at her a few times, “I’m Kim Taehyung, and this is my first time visiting your lovely establishment.”

“Of course it is. I would remember such a handsome face as yours. I’m Mrs. Kim.” Her brows furrow as she looks at Taehyung harder, “Any relation to the Kims out on Whale Drive?”

Taehyung nods, “They’re my grandparents. I’m taking care of their house as they transition to an assisted living facility.”

“No!”

“Yes, unfortunately, the house's upkeep just got a bit too much for them. I’m the only relative left, so here I am.” Yoongi listens to the exchange silently, processing this new information.

Mrs. Kim tsks under her breath. “You are a good grandson.” She pats his shoulder, “You keep me updated, okay?” Taehyung nods silently. “Good. Now, what can I get you?”

“Oh!” Taehyung’s eyes drop to the plastic menu before him and quickly scans it. He jabs his finger against the menu, “Dakjuk, please.” Mrs. Kim nods and swipes the menu from in front of him, quickly turning and leaving them again, the subtle hint of an apple orchard left behind by the beta.

“I di–”

“She–”

They both halt, looking at each other before Yoongi motions for Taehyung to go first.

“She didn’t take your order.”

“Mmm, ajumma brings me what she wants to feed me.”

Taehyung’s head tilts to the side, amused by the straightforward response. “What were you going to ask me?”

“Um, I didn’t know you were the Kim's grandson. They didn’t talk much about their family.”

Taehyung gives a wry smile, “Not much to talk about. It’s just me. I worked in Seoul and would visit when I could, which wasn’t often.”

“Wh-” Yoongi clears his throat, “When do you have to go back?”

“I don’t.”

“What do you mean you don’t? Don’t you have a job and a life to return to?”

“I quit. I couldn’t churn away at the machine any longer.”

“Okay, but what about your life in Seoul?”

“What life? I spent most of my time at work. I spent the little time I had outside of work with… someone who used to matter, but that’s in the past now.”

Yoongi blinks at him and can’t help the spark of curiosity flicking to life in his chest. “Why don’t they matter anymore?”

Taehyung gives the saddest smile Yoongi has ever seen, his gentle chamomile scent wilting a little, “I’ll tell mine when you tell yours.”

A plastic straw is shoved under Yoongi’s nose, capturing his attention. He sets down the guitar he is repairing and looks up to find Taehyung offering him an iced coffee with a boxy grin. “Hi, hyung!”

“Taehyung. What are you here for this time?” Yoongi sips through the straw, humming at the rich, bitter taste of coffee washing over his tongue. This has become a routine for them. For the past couple of weeks now, several days out of the week, Taehyung shows up with an iced coffee for Yoongi and the ploy that he just remembered that he needed to buy something he forgot. 

Granted, Yoongi didn’t catch on that it was a ploy until Taehyung came in to purchase a single screwdriver, then the next day he was back to purchase a wrench, then a hammer… Yoongi had suggested he just buy a toolbox, but Taehyung had insisted that he didn’t need one and then proceeded to purchase a set of pliers. So now Yoongi just plays along with this little game just to see how far it will go. 

Taehyung rocks back on his heels, the sweet aroma of chamomile swirling around him, and pulls the hand he was holding behind his back out in front of him, holding a small container of nails. “Just this for today.”

Yoongi blinks slowly at him, “Is your plan to buy every item in my store, one thing at a time? If this is your villain origin story, I gotta tell you it needs work.”

Taehyung grins mischievously, the flush on his cheeks deepening as he meets Yoongi's gaze. "Oh, you caught on to my evil plan already? I guess I'll have to devise a more diabolical scheme," he says playfully, his eyes twinkling with humor. "But for now, let's just stick to one item at a time. Keeps things interesting, don't you think?"

Yoongi tongues the inside of his cheek, amused, “So what are the nails for?”

Taehyung winks at Yoongi before turning his attention back to the container of nails, examining them with feigned seriousness. "These nails? They're special. You see, they're going to be the foundation of my grand master plan to take over the world... or maybe just build a really cool bookshelf. Haven't decided yet." Taehyung chuckles, enjoying the banter, and adds, "But seriously, I just thought it would be nice to have a reason to come back and see you again. Your store has this charm that's hard to resist."

“You caught me! You see, having a charming store is a side effect of my diabolical plan to lure in unsuspecting customers.” Yoongi smirks, leaning casually against the counter and crossing his arms. “If you’re going to keep showing up to buy one item at a time, you might as well come up with a convincing evil laugh. I mean, where’s the drama? The theatrics? You’re missing out on the full villain experience,” he adds with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. 

Taehyung chuckles, "You've got a point. I guess I'll have to work on my evil laugh if I want to be a proper villain." He feigns a sinister chuckle, only to giggle a moment later. "Or maybe I'll stick to being the charming customer who keeps you on your toes." He takes a step closer, his playful expression turning into a more sincere smile. "Speaking of which, if you can handle my one-item-at-a-time takeover plan, how about we break the routine? How about you let me take you out for coffee or dinner sometime? I promise I won't make you sell me your entire inventory in one go." Taehyung winks, hoping the offer comes across as genuine and lighthearted.

Yoongi's eyes widen for a moment, surprised by the sudden turn of events, but then a small smirk plays on his lips. He tilts his head, considering Taehyung's proposition. 

"Well, that's a plot twist I wasn't expecting in my villainous day." Yoongi chuckles, matching Taehyung's playful tone, the alpha’s warm and spicy scent spiking at the other man’s offer. With a thoughtful expression, he nods. "Alright, you've got yourself a deal. But only if you promise to leave your world-domination plans at home for the night. When and where, villain?"

The omega’s lips spread into a boxy grin, “No promises on leaving the world domination plans at home, but I’ll try to keep them on a tight leash. How about dinner at Lucy’s tomorrow at 7 PM? I haven’t tasted ajumma’s dinner menu yet.”

Yoongi smirks, his interest piqued by Taehyung's choice. "Lucy's, huh? Ahjumma does work wonders in the kitchen, so I can't blame you for wanting to try it out. Dinner it is. And as for the world domination plans, I suppose a tight leash will have to do. We wouldn't want to scare the other diners away with our diabolical schemes." He winks playfully at Taehyung. "Alright then, partner in crime. Lucy's it is."

Yoongi chuckles, leaning onto the table, amused at Taehyung’s antics. His nose twitches pleasantly as it picks up the gentle scent of chamomile mixing with his cedar's warm, spicy aroma. He has only known the omega for a few weeks but feels utterly comfortable with the man.

The dinner date at Lucy’s has been going well; there’s laughter, good food, and engaging conversation. Ahjumma immediately started gushing over them when they stepped into the restaurant and realized that they were there on a date. The beta has been doting on them all night and seems to have curated a special menu for them on the fly. 

“So, what’s the verdict on dinner at Lucy’s?” Yoongi asks as he gathers a spoonful of strawberry bingsu from their shared bowl. 

Taehyung hums, swallowing his spoonful, “Honestly, it has not disappointed. Everything has been absolutely delicious. Lucy’s may just be my new favorite spot.”

Yoongi gives the other man a gummy smile, “I’m glad you liked it. Maybe we should start a Lucy’s fan club.” Taehyung claps his hands together, giggling at the idea. 

That laugh may be one of Yoongi’s new favorite sounds. He twirls his spoon in the frozen treat, pondering what else he can say to tease more of it out. 

Taehyung’s eyes light up as ajumma steps out of the kitchen and quickly waves the older beta over. “How would you like your own personal fan club?” 

 “Made up of the two of you? I would be so lucky to have such handsome men devoted to me.” Her raspy chuckle mixes pleasantly with the omega’s huskier one.

“Then it’s decided. We are your devotees, ajumma!” Taehyung states brightly. 

Yoongi’s cheeks ache as he watches the two of them tease each other. “The food was delicious. Thank you so much, ajumma, for making us such special treats,” Yoongi effuses. “I’ll take the check whenever you’re ready.”

She scoffs and brushes him off. “No, no. This is my treat.”

Yoongi shakes his head, protesting, “Yah, you can’t do that.”

She props her hands on her hips, “Yes, I can. If you insist, you can repay me by inviting me to the mating ceremony.”

Yoongi’s cheeks warm at her words, and a similar blush is mirrored on Taehyung’s face. He clears his throat, “Um, well, thank you.”

She pats his shoulder and bids them both goodbye before bustling over to another table.

“I guess we weren’t the only ones to feel a connection then?” Taehyung quips, breaking the tension. 

Yoongi’s eyes meet Taehyung’s warm brown ones, a soft smile playing across his lips, “I guess so. Want to get out of here?”

They slide out of the booth, Yoongi leading them out of the diner. Taehyung sidles up next to him as they step out onto the sidewalk. They linger there, the fresh air tinged with their anticipation of what could happen next. 

There’s a palpable tension in the air, and neither are quite ready to say goodnight. They stand there, smiling at each other, the air charged with unspoken words. The small town has quieted down significantly in the evening hours, and in that moment, it feels like they are in a bubble all their own.

Yoongi clears his throat, “Listen, would you like a ride home?”

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to put you out,” Taehyung demures. 

“Nonsense. It’s late. Let me give you a lift. I promise I don’t mind.”

Taehyung caves and agrees. They walk down the street, arms brushing each other with each step. Once they reach his truck, Yoongi rushes ahead a little to open the passenger door, holding it open for the omega. 

Taehyung pauses briefly at the gesture, a tiny smile on his lips. “Thank you.” He brushes his fingers across the back of Yoongi’s hand as he slides into the cab.

Yoongi circles around the hood and climbs in on the other side. The drive to Taehyung’s house is silent. The quiet intimacy of the ride contrasts with the lively energy of their date. 

As they reach Taehyung’s place, neither seems in a rush to part ways. The conversation becomes a bit more subdued, a mixture of shared laughter and more serious reflections on life. 

Taehyung tilts his head against the headrest and sighs. “I should probably head inside. I had a great time tonight, Yoongi.”

“Me too, Tae.” A beat passes before Yoongi starts, “Oh–”

The omega’s hand covers the back of his own. “It’s okay. You can call me Tae.”

A tension eases out of Yoongi, and he flips his hand over, lacing their fingers together. “So, uh, maybe we can do this again? Another dinner, perhaps?”

Smiling, Tae leans closer, “I’d really like that, hyung.”

Their scents intermingle, adding to the intimacy of the moment. The soft glow from a nearby streetlamp casts a warm halo, illuminating the anticipation in Taehyung’s eyes. Yoongi feels a pull and leans in closer, too. 

Yoongi’s fingers find their way to the side of the other man’s neck, his touch gentle yet firm. The warmth of his thumb tracing the line of Taehyung’s jaw. “Tae,” he whispers, “Can I kiss you?”

Taehyung’s response is a quick, eager nod. The warmth of his breath against Yoongi’s lips is a silent affirmation, and the tension between them escalates as the distance between them disappears. Their lips meet in a soft, tentative kiss, a blend of warmth and sweetness that speaks of unspoken desires. 

As their kiss deepens, the world around them fades into the background, leaving only their shared connection. Time seems to stand still in that moment, the quiet acknowledgment of something new and exciting unfolding between them. 

The kiss lingers, a promise of the possibilities ahead, and when they finally pull away, their eyes meet with a newfound understanding. They share a smile and bask in the wonder of the start of something beautiful. 

It’s been a few weeks, and each day gets better. The initial spark from their first date has developed into a deeper connection. Yoongi marvels that in such a short amount of time, the sweet omega has become a staple in his life. Their days are intertwined with laughter, shared secrets, and a growing sense of intimacy. 

Their routine is filled with moments, both ordinary and extraordinary. From lazy Sunday afternoons spent cuddling on the couch, exchanging soft kisses, and recounting the week's events to more adventurous endeavors like taking Taehyung ice skating for the first time at the local rink. Yoongi feels a sense of completeness in Taehyung’s company. 

Their late-night conversations have become a cherished ritual; the quiet vulnerability shared in those moments is strengthening the bond that formed all those weeks ago. Taehyung has become Yoongi’s confidante, a source of comfort, and a partner in the beautiful dance of their blossoming relationship. 

Yoongi sets down the box he brought back from the stock room as he hears his phone ring on the counter. His lips curl into a smile, his chest filling with warmth as he sees Tae’s name flashing across the screen. 

“Hey! Did you miss me already? We just had lunch an hour ago.”  The alpha teases, the memory of their shared meal flashing in his mind. 

“Hyung! Oh my god, you won’t believe what’s happening!” The panicked sound echoing through the receiver has Yoongi straightening from where he was slumped against the counter in alarm.

“What’s going on, Tae?”

“There’s water everywhere! I think there’s a leak under the kitchen sink. It’s like a waterfall in here.”

Even alone, Yoongi can’t help but release calming pheromones wanting to comfort the omega. “Okay, calm down. Do you know where your main water valve is?”

Tae’s frantic voice comes through even higher pitched. “No! I don’t know where that is. Everything is wet, and I’m freaking out. How do I make it stop?”

“Baby, it’s going to be okay. Do you know where your water heater is?”

“Um, um,” Taehyung stutters furiously, trying to remember the layout of the house. “I think so.”

“That’s good. Go to the water heater, and I’ll tell you what to do once you get there.”

Yoongi listens to Tae rush through the house, his breath coming in fast pants. “I’m here! I’m here! What do I do?”

“Do you see a valve anywhere?”

“Is it the handle near the back, halfway up the wall?”

“Yes! Right now, it should be sticking out perpendicular to the pipe. Turn it until it's parallel to the pipe.”

He listens to Taehyung fumble a bit before his voice returns through the phone. “Okay, I turned it. What now?”

“That should have turned the water off. Go and check to see if that stopped it.”

Yoongi listens to the omega rush back through the house. His voice this time is a bit calmer in relief, “It sounds like the water has stopped.” He whines loudly, “There is water everywhere, though, and it’s still spreading.”

Yoongi chuckles, his own energy calming at Taehyung’s relief. “But the main problem is done. Grab some towels, or whatever you have that is absorbent to help contain the mess. Crisis averted.”

“Yeah, thanks to you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“Well, now that we’ve conquered the great kitchen flood of 2023, maybe I should come over and check on what went wrong,” Yoongi teases.

Taehyung’s warm laugh sends shivers over Yoongi. “You’re always welcome, especially if you come with your toolbox.”

“Let me close the store, and I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

That’s how, on a late Friday afternoon, Yoongi finds himself at Taehyung’s house with his head underneath the kitchen sink.

Taehyung sits on the kitchen counter, watching anxiously. “So what happened? Why did my kitchen become a lake?”

Yoongi’s voice is a little echo-y as it reverberates around the hollow space, “Your pipe burst. I think water froze inside it when the temperature dropped and caused it to burst. Unfortunately, it just looks like your pipes are old, and time took its toll.”

Taehyung hangs his head, groaning. “Old pipes, huh? I never thought they’d give up on me like this.”

“It happens. Especially with the winter chill, but hey, the good news is we caught it early, and it could have been much worse.” Yoongi continues to work, his hands deftly maneuvering to fix the problem. 

“How do you even know what you are doing?” Taehyung asks curiously.

Yoongi chuckles, “Years of being a responsible adult, Tae. You pick up a thing or two.”

Playfully, Taehyung quips, “I guess I should add ‘adulting’ to my list of skills to brush up on.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ll get the hang of it eventually,” Yoongi tosses back. He tinkers silently for a few minutes before adding, “You know, dealing with home emergencies together is practically a relationship milestone.”

Taehyung hums, “Is that so?”

“I think so. I’ll take any excuse to spend more time with you.”

Yoongi can’t see the other man’s blush, but he smells the spike in the omega’s chamomile scent. It distracts him just enough that he wrenches a pipe a little too hard, sending the water remaining in the pipe straight onto him. 

“Shit!” He gasps, jerking out from under the sink, and wipes at his face. He clamors to his feet, his white shirt soaked with stale pipe water. 

The omega’s eyes widen as he hops off the counter, rushing over to the alpha. Taehyung’s scent sours as, in a flurry of motions, he pulls at Yoongi’s shirt until it is yanked over his head.

Before Yoongi knows it, he is standing shirtless under the fluorescent glare of the kitchen light—the bright light casting shadows in the dips and hollows of his bare chest. The wet fabric of his shirt hangs limply in the other man’s fist as they both pause.

Taehyung’s lips part on his next exhale as his eyes flicker over the vast expanse of bare skin that is exposed. A new tension fills the air as the previous sharp scent from the omega softens and sweetens, Yoongi’s own scent growing fresher to mix with the omega’s. A beat passes with them both frozen, only inches separating them. 

Between one breath and the next, the two collide. The sodden fabric slips through Taehyung’s fingers, landing on the cool tile floor with a wet slap. Swiftly, the omega trades the clammy chill of the wet cloth for the comforting warmth and silkiness of the alpha’s exposed skin. As Yoongi’s hands assertively find their place on Taehyung’s hips, he effortlessly pulls the other man closer while Taehyung’s large palms tenderly encircle Yoongi’s shoulders. 

Their lips hover closer, breath buffeting against parted lips. Even at this distance, Yoongi’s eyes search the other’s, seeking acceptance before crashing his lips against the omega’s. Taehyung’s arms circle the alpha tighter, sealing their lips together in a searing kiss. 

A deep purr resonates through the alpha’s chest as he tilts his head, sliding their lips against each other. The rest of the world falls away as the building tension ebbs and flows around them.  Taehyung rocks his hips forward, lips parting with a moan when he feels Yoongi’s growing length pressed against him. 

Taking advantage of the opening, Yoongi presses forward, his tongue sweeping into the other man’s mouth. His own groan echoes as the omega’s sweet, floral chamomile scent washes over his palette. He doesn’t want to stop; he feels like he could kiss Taehyung forever. 

As moments have seamlessly slipped away, the kitchen now holds a rich tapestry of their mingling scents. The air is saturated with the delicate freshness of chamomile, gracefully intertwining with the warm and subtly spiced essence of cedar. It blankets them comfortingly, a testament to their undeniable chemistry. Both men feel drawn inextricably to each other. 

The air is thick with unspoken words, each touch and movement communicating more than language ever could. Yoongi’s hands, with firm pressure, run over Taehyung’s hips and lower back; his long fingers teasing lightly over the omega’s ass. They cling to each other even as they pull back, silently rubbing their noses along each other. 

Taehyung rocks his hips forward again, his eyelids fluttering at the long, thick press of the alpha between them. His own body responding in kind and leaking into his briefs, the sweet, honeyed scent of slick tinging the air. The deep timbre of his voice breaks the silent tension in the air, “Please.”

Yoongi’s eyes darken at the omega’s whimper. “Please, what?”

Taehyung’s scent spikes, running his lip between his teeth as he meets Yoongi’s gaze before breathing, “Please, alpha.”

A wicked smile pulls at Yoogi’s lips, his hands sliding down and palming the round globes of the omega’s ass, pulling them tighter against each other. The kitchen fills with the sound of their lips smacking together as they crash back against the counter. The sharp edge digs into the omega’s back, causing him to whine into the alpha’s mouth. 

Yoongi grips his ass and lifts, sliding Taehyung onto the countertop, their lips never parting. Taehyung’s hands slide down Yoongi’s chest until they reach the dark pinkish-brown nipples gracing his pecs. Taehyung slides his mouth away, grazing his teeth along the other’s jaw as he flicks the nubs.

Yoongi groans, digging his fingers into the omega’s hips. His head tips backward as pleasure zings down his spine. Taehyung chuckles, “Someone’s sensitive.”

The alpha’s head snaps upright, eyes sparking, “Two can play at this game.” Yoongi yanks Taehyung forward, pressing tighter in between his spread thighs. Their clothed cocks grinding against each other. It’s Taehyung’s turn to hang his head, moaning as the air thickens with the sweet scent of his slick. “You were saying?” Yoongi’s breath brushes the shell of the other’s ear. 

Tae’s lustful gaze returns to Yoongi’s, “I’m saying that I need you, alpha.” Taehyung’s hands caress down the expanse of Yoongi’s abs until his fingers tease the man’s waistband, thumbing the button. A subtle nod from Yoongi has the man undoing the button snap and sliding down the zipper. Another groan is pulled from the alpha as the pressure around his cock eases. 

The relief is only temporary because soon, the restrictive confines of his jeans is replaced with the firm clasp of Taehyung’s palm. Yoongi snaps his hips forward into the omega’s tight grip, the slide eased by his eagerly leaking tip. Taehyung mouths at the alpha’s neck, his tongue teasing in tight circles and nipping at his fair skin, marking him up. 

The omega’s fist tightens as he speeds up his strokes, his wrist snapping at the height of each stroke. Yoongi’s fingers flex on Taehyung’s thighs as he moans louder. “Fuck, baby, that feels so good.”

“Yeah?” Taehyung leaves a particular stinging nip along Yoongi’s neck. “Are you going to come for me?” He speeds up his strokes, the alpha’s hips snapping into the warm clasp. Taehyung’s other hand slides down to encircle the alpha’s base, his fist gripping firmly as the knot forms at the base of Yoongi’s cock.

Taehyung trails his lips back up the other’s neck, reaching Yoongi’s ear. He swirls his tongue around the lobe before sucking it into his mouth. 

“Ahhhhh—” Yoongi cries out, hips stuttering as his length jerks in the omega’s fist, coating it in sticky, warm wetness. The omega presses gentle kisses to Yoongi’s neck, coaxing him down from his high. Yoongi slumps into the man’s arms, panting. 

Yoongi nuzzles into Taehyung’s neck, inhaling the omega’s sweet scent but being cautious to avoid the scent gland. He works to regulate his breathing as the Taehyung’s grip on his knot remains steady. Only a few minutes pass before he’s trailing his lips along the dark caramel expanse of skin until he reaches Taehyung’s lips. Their lips gently move together, Yoongi’s high dissipating.

“Mmm, darling, you were so good for me.” Taehyung slips his hands from between them, his skin coated in the alpha’s pleasure. Eyeing him boldly, the omega slips two messy fingers into his mouth, swirling his tongue around them until they are sucked clean. 

The alpha’s nostrils flare at the bold gesture. He curls his fingers into the waistband of Taehyung’s jeans and yanks him forward, letting the younger man teeter on the edge for a moment before sliding him to his feet. “Someone made a mess,” his raspy voice filters between them. 

Taehyung grins cheekily, reaching for the kitchen towel to clean the mess on his hands, “A delicious one.”

Yoongi’s thumb deftly releases the fastening of Taehyung’s pants, their lips crashing together again. The kiss is messy and deep, the omega whining into his mouth. Yoongi pulls back, sliding his lips down the omega’s neck.  “That is not really how I saw that going.”

“Mmmm,” Tae murmurs, head leaning back, “It’s okay. I liked making you feel good.”

Yoongi leaves a stinging kiss at the base of Taehyung’s neck before pulling back. “Well, let me make you feel good now.” Yoongi slips Taehyung’s pants open and works the jeans down his hips. The heady aroma of the omega’s slick wafts between them as they're pushed down toward the floor. Yoongi’s eyes flutter close as he inhales deeply, a low growl rumbling from deep in his chest. 

Yoongi yanks harder, ripping the jeans off of the other man, taking his soaked briefs with them. Taehyung’s cock springs out, slapping up against his belly. Slick dripping down the omega’s thighs in thick lines. 

Yoongi’s eyes are sharp as he takes in the wanton man before him. He shifts onto his knees, his long, knobby fingers trailing down his legs until they grip his thighs. Yoongi leans in, nostrils flaring as he breathes deep to soak in the addicting scent of the aroused omega. He presses an open-mouthed kiss to the bare hip before him. His hands move around to cup the back of Taehyung’s knees, lifting one at a time to pull the pooled cloth from around his ankles. 

The omega leans back against the counter, his fingers gripping the granite edge to steady him. His eyes are hooded as he looks down the length of his own body and watches as the alpha shifts one of his legs to rest on his shoulder. 

The alpha trails stinging kisses up the inside of the omega’s thighs until his face nuzzles against Tae’s hard, straining cock. Yoongi swirls his tongue around the thick base of Taehyung’s cock, before leaving a line of wet, open-mouthed kisses up the length until he can circle his tongue around the leaking tip. 

Taehyung sucks in a sharp inhale as his hips buck, pushing the leaking tip into the alpha’s mouth. Yoongi jerks his head back, tsking the omega under his breath. “Uh-uh. Who said you could do that?”

The omega’s cheeks flush with the admonishment, “Sorry, alpha.”

“Patience, baby.” Yoongi strokes his hard length with one hand as his other hand slips behind the omega to ease between wet cheeks. At the feel of his trembling rim, Yoongi moans deep in his chest, feeling how soaked Taehyung is. His extended finger circles, teasing the man’s hole. Yoongi slips Taehyung into his mouth as he simultaneously pushes one digit into the omega’s tight hole. 

Curling his tongue around Taehyung’s leaking tip, Yoongi pumps his finger deeper. He teases the omega, pulling more syrupy, slick, and evocative sounds from the man above him. Soon, Yoongi is three fingers deep and is sliding Taehyung’s length in and out of his throat. 

Taehyung’s head is thrown back, moaning to the ceiling. He buries his hands into the alpha’s hair as he tugs and pushes at his head. Pleasure surges through him. “Fuck…fuck, alpha! You’re making me feel so good.”

Yoongi hums around the girth stretching his throat, and sucks harder, swallowing around Taehyung’s cock. Yoongi’s slick-soaked hand scissors his fingers before surging deeper, targeting that spot deep inside the omega.

Taehyung’s eyes leak as he cries out, back arching as he comes down Yoongi’s throat. His cock spasms over and over as he is drained dry. Yoongi swallows every last drop and slowly pulls back, licking the omega clean as he goes. 

Taehyung slumps against the counter, his arms trembling to hold him as he comes down from his high. Yoongi hums, pressing soft kisses along the other’s hip, gently slipping his fingers from inside him. He soothingly rubs the omega’s thigh as his other fingers slip inside his mouth to lick his fingers clean. Yoongi’s eyes flutter as the omega’s taste bursts across his tongue. 

Taehyung takes a loud shuddering breath, “That…was unexpected.”

Yoongi presses his lips to the inside of the omega’s thigh, hiding his smile, “The best things usually are.”

Taehyung looks down at the alpha still kneeling in front of him, and cups the man’s cheek. “Yoongi, I need you to know…” he pauses, swallowing hard. “I’ve never felt this way before.”

Yoongi leans into the warm touch, smiling as Tae’s thumb strokes across his cheek, “Tae, neither have I. But it feels right, doesn’t it?”

He slides the fingers of his other hand through the alpha’s soft black strands, “It does. It feels more than right; it feels like…home.”

The alpha’s eyes shutter, rolling his mouth to press the softest of kisses to his palm. “Yeah, it does.” Silence settles over them. The two let the intimacy of the moment and the weight of their words sink in. 

“What does this mean for us?” Tae’s words are soft as they’re whispered into the silence.

Yoongi’s head tilts back to meet the deep brown eyes of the man he’s quickly falling for, “I don’t have all the answers, but I want to figure it out with you. Do you want the same?”

“I want us. Whatever that means.” 

“Me too,” Yoongi breathes. 

Their shared gaze is filled with an unspoken understanding that defines the moment they just had. They don’t know what is in store but are committed to exploring it together.

In the days that follow, Taehyung and Yoongi find themselves navigating the delicate waters of a burgeoning relationship. The small town, adorned with holiday decorations, adds an extra layer of magic to their newfound connection. 

One chilly evening, as snowflakes gently descend from the sky, they stroll hand in hand through the twinkling lights of the town square. The air is crisp, filled with the festive scent of pine and the distant sounds of holiday carols. 

Taehyung can’t contain the smile stretching his lips, “I can’t believe how beautiful this town is during the holidays.”

The omega’s boxy grin brings forth Yoongi’s own gummy smile. “It’s like something out of a storybook.”

Their fingers intertwine as they wander through the town’s festive markets, sampling sweet treats and sipping hot cocoa. The cozy warmth of the holiday atmosphere mirrors the growing warmth between them.

As they stroll through the markets, Taehyung feels a surge of emotion in his chest. The twinkling lights, the laughter around them, and the shared moments with Yoongi paint a picture of a perfect holiday season.

Tae tugs on their clasped hands, pulling them out of the flow of pedestrians. They step into a small alcove in front of a closed storefront. “Yoongi, you know, I’ve been thinking…”

“What’s on your mind, baby?” Yoongi gently encourages when the other pauses.

“Well, with Christmas just around the corner, I was wondering if… maybe you’d like to spend it with me?” The last part of the sentence said in a rush of one breath.

Yoongi’s lips part on a caught breath, his eyes softening fondly. “You’re inviting me to spend Christmas with you?”

Taehyung bites his lip and nods. “Yeah, I know it’s a bit last-minute, but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather share the holiday with.”

Yoongi steps closer, closing the space between them. The market fades away as the alpha looks at the omega with fondness. “Tae, I’d love to spend Christmas with you.”

The omega launches himself at Yoongi, his heart swelling with happiness. Their lips press together, the two filled with joy at the promised festivities. The lights around them seem to glow brighter as they lose themselves in each other.

As Christmas approaches, they find themselves caught up in the whirlwind of preparations. From decorating a small tree in Taehyung’s living room to sharing quiet moments by the fireplace, the holiday spirit seems to amplify their connection. 

Yoongi places a handmade ornament on the tree. “This is nice. Really nice.”

Taehyung hums, “It is. And it’s only our first Christmas together.”

“I never thought decorating a tree could be this enjoyable.”

“It’s the company that makes it special,” Taehyung smiles. 

Yoongi tilts his head in agreement. “These ornaments are beautiful, Tae.”

“It’s a tradition in my family. Each ornament tells a story. Now, these ornaments are a part of ours.”

Silence settles over them as they finish decorating and settle in front of the roaring fire. The glow of the tree haloing them in soft light as they cuddle under a shared blanket and admire their handiwork.

Each day is filled with a sweet memory; before they realize it, it’s Christmas Eve. That day, a light snowfall has dusted the town in a soft blanket of white. They sit before a roaring fire and exchange thoughtful gifts as laughter fills the room. 

After their shared candle-lit dinner, they move to the porch and watch the slow drifting of the falling snow. The silence blankets them.

They stand like that in a drawn-out moment before Yoongi turns his head, nestling his lips into Tae’s soft, brown curls on the side of his head. “Merry Christmas, baby.”

Taehyung leans into the alpha’s hold, “Merry Christmas, Yoongi.”

Under the winter sky, they share a tender kiss. A promise of more shared moments and the magic of the holidays weaving together to create another beautiful memory. 

Epilogue - One year later

Yoongi scrunches his face and burrows deeper into his pillow, clinging to the last vestiges of slumber. The featherlight brush of lips along his bare shoulder isn’t deterred and continues its path across his shoulder and up his neck. Their trek slows to a stop behind his ear, settling there and pressing further into the space. Yoongi’s fingers tangle into the sheet as the pressure of those lips increases, sucking and pulling Yoongi out of sleep with a whine. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Taehyung whispers in his ear in a deep voice. Yoongi sinks back into Taehyung as the younger man wraps his arm around him, their fingers tangling together. 

“Hmm, why are we awake?” Yoongi grumbles, eyes still closed.

Taehyung’s arm tightens around Yoongi, “I don’t think we should sleep away our second Christmas together.” Taehyung pats his chest one more time before pulling away with a kiss on his cheek. “Hurry up and meet me downstairs.”

He cards his hand through the wet strands of his hair as he lumbers down the wide staircase. Pausing at the base, nose rising in the air, sniffing out the delicious aroma of syrupy pancakes and crispy bacon. He lets his nose lead him toward the kitchen, his eyes lighting up at the spread before him.

"How?”

Taehyung spins around, grinning, "Merry Christmas!”

Youngi's eyes bounce from one food-laden dish to the next.  Confusion swirls through him, and while he had been teaching the omega how to cook, there's no way he had improved enough to make all of this.

Still dumbfounded, Yoongi accepts the champagne flute of mimosa from his love. He eventually pulls his gaze from the pile of food and stares at his love in awe. 

"When did you make all of this? I was only in the shower for like 20 minutes.”

The words barely finish passing his lips when the other man doubles over, giggling uncontrollably. Yoongi just watches on, bemused.

After several moments, Tae regains control of himself and straightens.  

Eyes still sparkling with laughter, his scent ethereal and wafting around them, Tae manages to answer. "Oh god, I wanted to fool you so bad, but I can't. You know I'm ajumma's favorite, and I wanted our second Christmas to be special. So why not have food from our favorite place?” 

Yoongi remains frozen for a moment, then sweeps the omega into his arms. He kisses Taehyung soundly before resting their foreheads together. “My every day is special with you.”