Archive of Our Own ^beta

There’s a foreign scent in the room. It lingers in the air—faint, soft, and too inconspicuous for anyone in the room to even notice that it’s there. It mixes with the smell of coffee, scrambled eggs and avocado toasts, but it also gets entangled with the salty tinges of the ocean, the sweetness of a basket of cherries, and the sour citrus of ripe bergamot. Damp leaves and wet soil, akin to a rainforest, gets thrown into the mix. Subtle. Barely noticeable, held by the hope of one day being able to penetrate into the walls of the shared dorm the way the other scents have already done.

Until.

“Did it rain last night?” Ryo asks mindlessly munching on his toasts.

Sion glances at the window. It’s cloudy, with sunbeams barely peeking through the white clouds that fall into the middle of the table where the group is having breakfast. He goes back to his cup and takes a sip.

“I don’t think so.”

“Then why does it smell like…” Ryo pauses. He leaves his toast on the plate and sniffs the air. There is definitely something. Something new and foreign. He can’t pinpoint what it is, so he continues sniffing like it’s an itching he can’t just leave unattended. The other members simply stare at him in curiosity, until Ryo finally speaks again. His eyes finally light up with a hint of recognition, although there’s still sheer curiosity coating his pupils. “Like wet soil. Like the ground after it rains, and…” Ryo stares at the ceiling in concentration. “Rainforest!”

“Uh? That’s weird, though.” Riku also leaves his cup of tea on the table, deciding to join Ryo in his quest of finding out the origin of the scent. He also attempts to take a whiff, although he’s definitely more polite about it. “Why would it smell like rainforest in here?”

Everyone stops what they’re doing. It is a strange occurrence. A new smell in their home—that’s unheard of. There is no reason for a new scent to invade their space so suddenly. While Riku and Ryo are still busy sniffing the room, Sion giggles at the sight of them. Daeyoung also tries to catch a whiff of the rainforest scent—the more he tries, the stronger it gets. It makes him lightheaded. Yushi simply stares at them like they look absolutely ridiculous.

It's Sakuya the one who takes his curiosity a bit further. Sitting next to Daeyoung, he brings his nose to Daeyoung’s shoulder. He’s not sure of what prompts him to do it, he’s just pushed by his instincts. Yushi in front of them frowns. Daeyoung’s eyes open so big they look like they can pop out of their sockets.

And there he finds it.

“I think it’s you, hyung.”

The search comes to a halt. Sakuya looks at Daeyoung with pure innocence, like he’s unaware of the implications of what he just said. The other members turn their heads to stare at him. For a second, there’s silence. It’s like the world has been frozen. For a whole second, no one utters a word. They all look mildly surprised, definitely taken aback. Except, maybe, for Yushi, who looks down the moment Daeyoung returns their gazes as he tries to hide his own panic.

And Daeyoung doesn’t know what to feel. There’s no way, right? Why would the scent be impregnated on his body? Why would he have a scent, when he’s never even possessed one?

Sion immediately stands up from his spot and walks in his direction. He’s cautious in his movements, like this sudden quest has become a delicate matter. He stands behind him and holds his shoulders in what should be a reassuring gesture. Then, he leans down, close enough to take a whiff off his neck. As pack alpha, he needs to see if what the pups are saying is true—where have you heard of a pair of unpresented pups who are more perceptive than the alpha and the omegas in the pack?

As Sion moves, Daeyoung feels the familiarity of the seaside engulf him fully. It should be comforting, but Daeyoung can practically sense the way it mixes with something utterly humid and herbal, and that makes him tremble on his spot. The anxiety crawls up his throat before Sion can even say anything.

And when he does, Daeyoung feels like his entire world has been flipped.

“They’re right,” Sion mumbles. “That’s your smell, Daeyoung. I think you’re finally presenting.”

Daeyoung’s world stops spinning. Above the familiar scents, there is a dense cloud of awkwardness. It’s probably untrue, but Daeyoung feels like everyone has gone uncomfortable by the news. All their eyes are on him, like they’re trying to dissect his sub-gender solely based on undertones of his smell, or like they’re trying to see if they can catch his scent emanating from his neck in real time. Daeyoung feels observed, suddenly conscious of his own self, like everyone can notice the subtle tremble of his hands and the way his breathing has become heavier and ragged, and the way his eyes have started to shake with anxiety because he doesn’t know what it’s like to present.

He never thought he was going to go through a presentation, like the rest of his peers did. He’s already past the age, so he simply thought he was bound to be a beta—scentless, undergoing no changes, with no inner voice pushing his moves. He never thought he was going to be a late bloomer.

It’s embarrassing. There is something that makes him feel tiny and powerless in the way his teammates are staring at him. He knows it’s probably his own head making things up, and yet Daeyoung can’t stop himself from feeling ashamed of the way he didn’t notice that he was presenting, or that it had to be another person—a pup, on top of that—the one to point out that his scent was getting stronger and stronger, trying to overpower the calming aromas in the room, like an alpha who suddenly wants to be seen.

But the problem is that Daeyoung doesn’t want to be seen. He doesn’t want to be an inconvenience. It’s hard not to think that he’s one when all the attention is on him, and he knows this scenario is as overwhelming and challenging for his friends. He doesn’t want them to look at him and think that they’ll have to go out of their way to help him because they’re a pack and they share a dorm.

He tries to be nonchalant. He tries to brush it off and pretend that it’s not a big deal, and that the mere thought of a presentation doesn’t make him feel like there is something eating his insides. Daeyoung lets out a subtle chuckle and goes back to his scrambled eggs, like that can be enough to erase the evident worry in Riku and Sion’s eyes.

Eventually, his act seems to convince the other members that things will be okay and that it’s something natural instead of a life-or-death situation. Sakuya tries to put some avocado on his toasts but drops a bit on the table. That pushes Riku to scold him and Ryo to laugh at him. That’s enough to shift the focus of their conversation, and while everyone is distracted and has moved on from him, Daeyoung lets out a sigh.

Curious, he brings his nose to his shoulder and takes a whiff. It’s there—rainforest emanating from his very own body, suddenly tattooed on his skin. When Daeyoung looks up to check if anyone noticed, he catches Yushi averting his gaze and taking a big gulp of his tea, as if he could hide his expression behind the cup.

When he puts the cup down, Yushi brings a hand to his face and covers his mouth and his nose. It’s subtle. Yushi isn’t even looking at him anymore. The movement is way too natural for it to mean something, but when his hand stays there for the rest of breakfast, Daeyoung knows exactly what the gesture means.

It wounds him. He tries not to fixate on it, but it’s hard when this is the first time Daeyoung feels like his presentation is a big inconvenience and that even his scent is enough to bother an omega like Yushi. That’s the first time Daeyoung feels guilt washing over him—guilt of turning out an alpha.

🍃. . .

For a few days, his scent is the only symptom. It’s still faint, and yet it’s the only indication that he will full-on present rather soon. Daeyoung gets used to it. He gets used to bringing with him the smell of the Earth after it has rained and the distinguishable trace of a forest everywhere he goes. At first, it’s awkward. He catches a whiff of something herbal mixing with something utterly fruity when he gets into Riku’s room, but when Riku smiles and says that he likes the way he’s bringing something new into their surroundings, Daeyoung feels like he can relax.

Maybe it’s true that it’s not a big deal. Maybe the rest of the members think like that too.

Riku makes him feel like that. It’s probably because he’s an omega, and he’s quite sensitive to how the people around him feel. Either way, Daeyoung feels comforted in his vicinity. Riku’s cherry scent hugs him while he tells Daeyoung that it’s okay to be scared, and that things shouldn’t change if he doesn’t want to, and Daeyoung feels like he can breathe. He feels like maybe the rainforest shouldn’t suffocate him but be akin to fresh air and a source of oxygen for him.

Sion is also attentive to him at every moment. He always looks like he’s ready to act if Daeyoung shows just a slight hint of discomfort. He’s always looking over him, asking him if he needs anything, if he wants to talk, if he has an ache anywhere. Daeyoung smiles meekly while accepting the bottle of water Sion offers him before continuing with the dance routine they are practicing.

And then there’s the pups. Ryo, overly affectionate, looks for him during break and latches himself on the side of his body. They’re all sweaty, and it should be gross, but Ryo claims that he likes it like this. He says that Daeyoung’s scent gets stronger after practice, and that he likes that it’s different to his hyung’s.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he mumbles against his shoulder, “I like Riku and Yushi’s scents, but they’re too sweet sometimes. Yours is different, hyung. It’s comforting.”

Daeyoung doesn’t know what to reply. He’s still getting used to it but knowing that one of the pups likes his scent is enough to make something warm and fuzzy bloom inside him. So, he lets Ryo stick to him. He pats his hair and mutters a low, “Thank you, Ryo,” before Sion calls them over to keep on practicing.

At night, Sakuya goes to his room to chat his ears off. He asks about what it’s like to have a scent and rambles on how he imagines his own scent to be once he presents. Sakuya talks and speculates about his own presentation; he rants about how he’s already of age, excited that it could happen at any moment. Everyone around him claims that there’s no way he could be a beta. It makes Daeyoung smile, that’s for sure, but his excitement also makes him feel strange in a way—everyone thought Daeyoung was going to be a beta, so he never prepared for this. He doesn’t know about that feeling of anticipation. Still, he answers every single one of Sakuya’s questions.

The only one who’s acting like his presentation isn’t happening is Yushi, and Daeyoung can’t help but believe that maybe it’s because Yushi is bothered by it. He’s an omega, albeit somehow peculiar. He mostly acts like a beta, except for the rare occasions where he’s specially doting towards Sakuya, as if he were his own little brother. If it weren’t for the strong bergamot that lingers every time he moves, Daeyoung wouldn’t believe that he’s an omega if he’s honest. Yushi has never even shown interest in an alpha or the idea of needing one either, which could maybe explain the disdain he’s displaying for Daeyoung’s presentation.

Maybe his scent bothers him. Maybe it’s just the fact that Daeyoung is going to be an alpha. Whatever it is, it pierces something inside Daeyoung’s chest and makes him feel rejected. The distance Yushi keeps putting between them makes Daeyoung feel unwanted.

Which is a problem because Daeyoung is becoming more and more emotionally unstable with every passing day, and Yushi’s rejection does nothing to make him feel better. He’s always been a sensitive guy, but he shouldn’t feel like someone punched him in the stomach and like everyone around him hates him solely because Yushi chose to ride a different van on the way back to the dorms. He bites back the tears of frustration while he stares at the window under Ryo’s quizzical stare and tells himself that it’s not that deep and that he’s just being stupid.

And then his moodiness just morphs into straight-up irritation, and when Sion turns around to ask him if he’s okay, Daeyoung can’t even control the force of his own voice when he snaps back at him and tells him to just stop asking so many questions. He stares at Sion in silence for a second before apologizing, but Sion just brushes it off saying that it’s normal. He was like that when he presented, too. Weirdly irrational and moody, always getting irritated by something stupid.

Daeyoung wants to control it. He doesn’t like not being in tune with his emotions and feeling bothered by absolutely everything, he doesn’t like impulsiveness and feeling like he can snap at anyone who crosses his path. Especially, he doesn’t like the defiance he displays whenever Sion does something as simple as giving him an indication. He’s their leader! He’s the pack alpha! There’s no reason for Daeyoung to act like this, except maybe the fact that his inner alpha could feel threatened by Sion’s leadership, which is stupid. Daeyoung has always been nothing but pliant and obedient, well-behaved and a good listener. This is not him.

He's not acting like himself, and he hates it.

Sion doesn’t say anything. Whenever it happens, he simply tightens his lips and takes a deep breath before suggesting he just takes five and goes outside to take a breather if he needs to. Daeyoung lowers his head ashamed and exits the room clenching his hands in fists, feeling on the brink of tears just like yesterday and the day before that.

If being alpha will turn him into an asshole who can’t control his emotions, then maybe he would have preferred to stay a pup forever, unpresented for long enough for people to start calling him a beta. That’s what he says when he hugs Riku and Sakuya just before going to bed, and Riku simply releases more of his cherry scent and tells him that it’s part of the process.

“It’ll pass, Daeng,” he mumbles. “You’re still you, and you’ll go back to normal after your first rut.”

But Daeyoung doesn’t want that. He doesn’t want any of it, and he doesn’t want this stupid pungent scent sticking to everything. He wants to stop feeling overwhelmed. He wants to stop feeling like maybe Yushi is right for despising him.

🍃. . .

The closer he gets to his presentation, the worse the symptoms get. His scent is so strong it overpowers every other smell in their shared dorm. Yushi barely spends time near him, and Daeyoung is sure it’s because his scent has become more bothersome than before.

Not only that, but he’s also more moody and needier. He wants to be close to his pack. He wants to feel useful for them, and Daeyoung starts looking for their approval. He tries to help Riku with anything he can, no matter how big or small, and he becomes more overprotective towards Sakuya and Ryo, feeling anxious anytime they’re out of his sight. It’s his instincts speaking, but they let him. It’s part of the process—Riku, Sakuya and Ryo don’t say anything aside, only smiling in gratitude, and that’s enough for Daeyoung to feel content.

His alpha pushes him to provide for Yushi, too. It pushes him to stick close to him and watch over his needs, see if there’s something he can do for him, something he could provide to make him feel good. Daeyoung fights the urge. He tries to tell his inner alpha that Yushi’s omega wouldn’t like that and that it would cause the opposite effect, but his alpha doesn’t seem to understand, rumbling restlessly inside his chest.

When it comes to Sion, Daeyoung starts seeking his praise. After his initial defiance, his inner alpha is finally understanding that Sion is an alpha he can look up to, and that he can learn from him. So, he also sticks close to Sion, doing everything he can so Sion can tell him that he’s doing well.

And that makes him feel good.

Daeyoung would feel like he’s finally getting the hang of it if not for the fact that his rut hasn’t hit yet, and that leaves him worried and agitated. It makes him jittery, thinking that the real presentation hasn’t even started yet, and this is just his body making him accustomed to his new set of instincts—to the alpha-like side in him.

His worry takes him to a point where he feels like being surrounded by the smell of his pack is the only thing that could comfort him and ease his qualms. That’s why Riku comes up with a suggestion, albeit a bit untraditional for an alpha. It works, though. Riku asks everyone to gather their clothes and bring them to Daeyoung’s room. Sion stares from the door as Riku and Ryo fold their hoodies and sweaters into a pile in the corner of the bed.

“Isn’t this,” he gestures vaguely with a hand, “a bit like a nest?”

“I think it’ll help him,” Riku mutters. “It doesn’t matter if he’s not an omega, hyung.” Then, he turns around, and with a raised eyebrow he asks, “since when are you so traditional?”

Sion chuckles. “No, you’re right.”

Sion simply smiles and nods. If Riku says so, then he must be right. Sion would never disagree with Riku over something like this.

He even manages to make Yushi contribute with him. Daeyoung doesn’t know how their conversation goes. He doesn’t ask either. He’s just glad when he recognizes the grey hoodie in the pile and the bergamot fills his senses as soon as he brings it to his nose. It’s embarrassing, but it’s even more embarrassing the way he releases an evidently pleased rainforest scent into the room.

Ironically, Riku’s idea comes very in-handy when the physical symptoms finally hit him in the middle of practice.

It starts with a headache and blurry vision, way too similar to the initial stages of a migraine. The bass of the song thumps and hammers right on his temple, and Daeyoung suddenly feels a bit nauseous. He thinks it’s overexertion, so he gulps an entire bottle of water, sits down for a second, and then keeps going, but the ache is still there, bothering him.

His legs feel weak. The lights are too bright. The music is too loud. The scents are too much. He feels his heart going up his throat, like he could vomit it whole. His body feels heavy. It’s hot. Too hot, in fact. Suffocating, even. Daeyoung can’t even think. He can’t keep his eyes open. His clothes stick to his body, drenched in sweat, way too humid. He can’t really breathe. Oh my god, Daeyoung feels like dying, and everything feels so damn painful.

Faintly, he feels a hand on his back. Sion’s voice speaks to him from far away, but Daeyoung can barely distinguish it. He doesn’t even process the words; they’re just a muffled mix of phonemes smashed together. Sion pats his back, and Daeyoung believes he hears him say that he’s close and that they should bring him back to the dorms, but by this point Daeyoung is too far gone.

From his mouth the only thing that comes up is an incoherent string of whimpers that sound like he’s repeating “Hyung, it’s too much,” over and over again.

Strangely enough, the last thing Daeyoung remembers before passing out is the feeling of Yushi’s cold hands brushing his bangs out of his forehead and caressing his cheek. And bergamot filling his senses—ripe, strong, citric. Maybe he’s just hallucinating.

There’s no way, right?

🍃. . .

Daeyoung wakes up alone in his room. He doesn’t really remember changing into his pajamas, and yet the soft fabric clings into his skin thanks to the copious amount of sweat pooling on his back. It’s uncomfortable. Daeyoung’s entire body feels like it’s burning, and the comforters do nothing to help him. Lazily, he kicks them out of the bed and onto the floor before slipping his tee off his body. The cold air hits his skin, and yet it’s not enough.

He's quite disoriented. He doesn’t remember going back to the dorms. The only thing he knows is that he fainted in the middle of the practice room. Daeyoung feels so lost at this moment. His scent is stronger than ever; it overpowers the comforting aroma coming from the pile of clothes neatly arranged on his desk, although he still reaches for it hoping that the reminder of his pack can make this appear more bearable. With the remnants of lucidity, Daeyoung connects the dots: his rut is finally here. The first one ever.

That’s why he feels so hot and fidgety. That’s why he’s so dizzy and barely coherent. That’s also why his pants already feel so tight, no matter how hard he tries to ignore his own arousal.

The truth is that Daeyoung is nervous. This is all so new and foreign to him. Sion did talk to him in advance and told him about how it was for him. He also gave him some advice and told him that he should just let go and give on what his body was demanding. But it’s difficult. Daeyoung doesn’t know how to do it—how to just let go and follow his instincts. The truth is that he’s quite scared. He never thought he would be in this position.

He feels so lost that he gets whiny. Everything is just so frustrating. He feels so damn hot and lonely, and the cherry scent in Riku’s sweater does nothing to make him feel better and calm him. There are tears brimming on the corners of his eyes and something burning deep inside his chest, screaming at him to do something, to scratch the itch, to suffice the need so he can get relief. To, maybe, drink on the bergamot lingering in the room and just touch himself.

It’s unbearable. Daeyoung can’t stand it. He feels like he’s going to die if he doesn’t do something, but Daeyoung feels like he can’t do this alone. He’s not supposed to go through this alone, and it makes something in his chest ache. He needs someone to help him, to lead him and show him just how it’s supposed to be done. His dick is so hard in his pants, and he’s so stupidly aroused that the only thing he can think of is seeking pleasure and see if maybe that will soothe the impatient ardor inside him.

Tentatively, Daeyoung bites his lips in discomfort and turns around. With a meek movement of his hips, he ruts against the mattress. He’s clumsy, a bit uncoordinated, but it surely pushes a shaky sigh out of his mouth. It’s something, yet not enough. He chases the friction, but it’s awkward and Daeyoung feels embarrassed to be in this position. He’s still a bit self-conscious, and yet he pushes himself to keep going to see if maybe the discomfort morphs into pleasure at some point.

“Mhmm,” This is the only way he can feel better, he tells himself as he pulls down his pants, finally freeing his cock. The slide is not exactly pleasurable. It’s a bit dry and the angle is not entirely right. The sheets under his body feel a bit too rough against his dick. Daeyoung frowns, but he never stops moving his hips.

“Shit—” He mumbles before stopping altogether with a whine and a huff. “This won’t work.”

And it’s so damn exasperating. Daeyoung just wants to feel better, but this just feels humiliating. Getting himself off like this—so desperate, so horny, and yet his attempt is so futile. It’s pathetic. A pathetic excuse of an alpha.

Daeyoung turns around again, with his back to the mattress now. He lets out a deep sigh and stares at the ceiling for a second. He takes a moment to blink the frustrated tears away. He didn’t think going through his very first rut alone was going to be easy, but he also didn’t expect it to be so difficult. So irritating.

The arousal and lust are starting to cloud his senses and Daeyoung feels like he’s going insane. His cock stands tall and proud against his lower abdomen. The tip is angry red, begging to be touched judging by the way the pre-cum is already pooling around the tip. He’s so hard that Daeyoung thinks that maybe he only needs a certain push to find the pleasure he’s seeking.

Tentatively, Daeyoung spits into his palm and wraps his hand around his length. His movements start slowly and hesitant, a mere brush. He bites his lower lip to prevent the moan that escapes from his mouth—it feels good. He needs more. This is not nearly enough. He closes his eyes, and brings his thumb to his cockhead, spreading the pre-cum to get a much better slide. Daeyoung chokes out a whimper and tightens his hold around the base.

His breathing gets heavier. His movements get a bit more frantic.

Maybe Daeyoung was dreading his presentation because he still isn’t sure he’s actually deserving of being an alpha. Maybe he doesn’t like the weight of feeling like he’s supposed to be dominant. Sure, he likes to feel useful and make the people around him feel good, but he’s not sure if this is for him. In reality, at this very moment, Daeyoung would prefer someone to tell him what to do. He’d like it if someone led him and taught him just the way he’s supposed to touch himself to relieve the fire that’s setting his insides ablaze with impatience.

He'd like it if someone were with him right now, telling him that he’s doing well. That he should stop worrying because he’s doing okay. He tugs at his cock, slightly rough—it’s the desperation in him. He stopped being nice to his own dick the moment he felt like he was about to suffocate, and while the desperation gets the best of him and the droplets of sweat begin to slide of his neck, he whines something that sounds very similar to, “Hyung, please. More.”

By this point, Daeyoung is too far gone to control the incoherences that are being spit off his mouth. The truth is that ever since he went into pre-rut, there’s only one thing in his mind—something he’s seeking. Someone. Despite the deep and musky scent of an entire forest filling every corner of the room, he can still feel the acid traces of something citric surrounding him. And he wants more of it—sink his teeth into the plushness of that fruit and let its juice drip from the corners of his mouth.

The mere thought makes him salivate and writhe on the bed. He’s so damn close, and yet it’s still not enough. The knot is already forming at the base of his cock. He can’t even control the sounds that come from his mouth nor the incessant calls for his hyung to help him.

He wants more. He wants to choke on the smell of ripe bergamot. He wants to show Yushi that he’s not like the other alphas out there and that his rejection is senseless. Daeyoung would let him do anything to him, he would let Yushi take the reins and drag him around. He would do anything to please him, to make him feel good, to show him that he can be good for him just in case that’s enough to buy his forgiveness.

It's pathetic, but the thought of him is the only thing that keeps him going and that can push him to the edge. The truth is that Daeyoung has been fixated on his rejection all these days. He can’t move on. Daeyoung wants Yushi to like him, and it’s that very same thought the one that makes his insides recoil and ropes of cum spurt of his cockhead, popping his first proper knot ever. His chest heaves in and out, his skin is all sticky, and the warm white liquid coats his fingers in a way that should be disgusting.

Daeyoung doesn’t move from his spot in a few seconds. He’s still coming off his high and trying to process what just happened. The orgasm takes a toll on him. His entire body is exhausted. Languidly, he wipes his cum off his hand and brings the comforters back on the bed before passing out one more time.

It’s strange. When he wakes up again, Daeyoung still feels delirious. He’s already past the stage of feeling ashamed of his actions and his thoughts, so he can’t really stop himself from grabbing a pillow and placing it in the center of the bed so he can mount it. He doesn’t stop himself either when, involuntarily, images of Yushi appear on his head.

“F-fuck, hyung,” he mumbles between sighs. “Need you, please.”

He wonders what it’d be like to be under his mercy. Would Yushi boss him around or would he like to go pliant under him? How would he sound? Daeyoung would love to find out. He’s sure his scent becomes exquisite when he’s horny—when he’s being fucked good. Daeyoung can’t help but wish that instead of that stupid pillow he were filling his hyung instead, impaling him on his cock. He can make Yushi feel so good with his knot. He’d do anything Yushi wants him too. He would never do something Yushi dislikes.

As his rut progresses, Daeyoung becomes more and more illogical. He grunts and fucks into the pillow without stopping his moans. The smell of rainforest reeks and fills the entire room. He just wants to chase his high, feel something around his dick, feel like he’s capable of filling someone even when he’s alone in his room, haunted by plaguing thoughts.

It's stupid. The reality is that Yushi probably hates him. Or the idea of Daeyoung being an alpha. Same thing. At this point, Daeyoung can’t even distinguish between the two of them. For the past weeks, Yushi has done everything to be away from him, and he hasn’t uttered a word in his direction in days if not strictly necessary. He’d probably hate it if he were to find out that Daeyoung is thinking of him like this, in such an obscene and explicit way. His aversion would only grow if Yushi were to discover that Daeyoung knotted while thinking of filling him up and making him his omega.

Yushi is his friend. Supposedly—Daeyoung is not sure anymore. He regularly acts like a teenage boy who doesn’t have much going on in his head, and he’s never even tried to make himself a more appealing omega. It’s like he’s not even interested in those things. And, somehow, Daeyoung can only think of him and the idea of earning the right to have a taste of him—of what it’s like to be with such an aloof omega.

Daeyoung is so entranced with his own pleasure that he can practically sense the smell of bergamot seeping into the room. At first, Daeyoung thinks he’s hallucinating. Maybe the rut mixed with the fresh rejection are pushing him to insanity. He doesn’t stop, thought, still moving his hips as he searches for friction and soils the fabric of his pillow with pre-cum. A string of curses comes from his mouth.

But the smell persists. Strong, slightly spicy. It’s familiar, yet there’s something different in it this time. It doesn’t come from the grey hoodie lying next to the pillow. It’s something else, and Daeyoung’s nose picks up on it immediately. It spikes his curiosity. It appeases his arousal. It tips him further, closer to his climax, like some sort of aphrodisiac spell cast on him.

Then, there’s a faint knock on the door. Daeyoung freezes. It’s like he wakes up from a trance. He stops breathing, afraid of making a noise, as if the person at the other side wasn’t aware of the activities involved during an alpha rut. The person knocks again, and Daeyoung just knows. He knows exactly who it is, and he’s suddenly way too aware of the position he’s in, and what he’s done, and the profanities he was uttering while he thought no one could hear him.

His ears are burning. The worst of all? His cock, rock hard and angry red, twitches. The tip is leaking. This is turning his alpha on, and Daeyoung can’t be any more embarrassed.

“Daeyoung?” Yushi calls from outside the room.

Daeyoung doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing there, or why he would choose this moment—when he’s in the throes of his rut, in the middle of the night—to come to him. It’s too strange. Maybe Daeyoung died and he didn’t notice.

He can’t help the way he moans when he hears Yushi’s concerned voice. It does something to his head that Daeyoung can’t even explain. He feels like the worst person on Earth. Still, he has the decency to cover his mouth, like that could prevent Yushi from hearing him.

“Hm?” He musters. It does sound like a whimper, and it’s fucking embarrassing.

“Uhm,” Yushi starts. It’s awkward. Daeyoung tries not to think of the way his entire body is drenched in sweat or how dizzy Yushi’s scent makes him feel. He tries his best to focus on what he’s going to say. “I just, uh…”

“Did something happen, hyung?”

“No.” There’s a pause. Daeyoung’s hand moves on its own when it wraps around his cock, lazily stroking it. Daeyoung feels like his body is melting. Yushi keeps talking. Daeyoung can’t explain why hearing him could bring him closer to his climax. “I just wanted to check on you.”

Fuck. Daeyoung wasn’t expecting that. Yushi’s voice makes him roll his eyes. He has to bite his lips to stop himself from moaning and telling him just how much he needs him.

“I’m—shit,” Daeyoung can’t bring himself to stop the movements of his hands, not when his knot is already forming. He feels terrible. The squelching sound echoes in the room. It feels like he’s grazing the gates of heaven. He’s surely going to hell. “I’m fine. T-thank you, Yushi hyung…”

“Do you need anything?”

He makes his best attempt to keep himself lucid. Daeyoung could follow Sion’s advice and just let go of his own self-restraint, but he knows that if he did, he would only make things worse. The pleas are on the tip of his tongue. Daeyoung could simply beg Yushi to come inside and help him. Daeyoung could tell Yushi that the only thing he needs is him, and that he wants him so bad he feels like he could die.

But, instead, Daeyoung swallows the words and shakes his head with huff. Yushi can’t see him, but Daeyoung doesn’t trust himself. Not when the arousal has taken over his body.

“Well, if there is something, you can just tell me, okay?”

The worst part is that Yushi’s voice sounds so gentle, so soft. Like a warm caress on his cheek. It’s a complete contrast with his cold attitude and the distance he’s put between them lately.

“Okay, ah… Thank you.”

“I’ll get going, then.”

“Yes, hyung,” Daeyoung whines, high-pitched. He doesn’t wait to see if Yushi already left his spot at the other side of the door. He’s too impatient for that, too eager to reach his climax. The scent of bergamot lingers. Daeyoung doesn’t even notice when he’s grabbing the grey hoodie abandoned on the bed and brings it to his nose. He inhales sharply and closes his eyes. And, just like that, his body shudders and his vision goes white behind his closed eyelids.

This orgasm feels even more intense than the first one. He comes so much—on his hand, onto the pillow. He has the decency to check whether nothing got into Yushi’s grey hoodie. For a moment, it’s silent aside from the subtle buzz against his ears. Daeyoung’s world stops spinning, and he remains observing the web of drying cum on his fingers.

He’s the worst.

Daeyoung can’t believe he just did this. The guilt immediately washes over him and Daeyoung feels suddenly awake. Too awake for his liking. It’s like he’s just spent the past few hours caught in a web of delusion and he’s finally found the way to escape it. When he realizes what he’s just done, Daeyoung’s hands start trembling and he chokes out a sob. Panicked tears scorch on the corner of his eyes. His cheeks burn with exhaustion and embarrassment.

The post-nut clarity only makes Daeyoung feel disgusting. He can’t believe he went that far. Far enough to touch himself while thinking about Yushi—no, while Yushi was on the other side of the door, probably smelling the arousal in him. He’d totally understand if he hates him for real now. Daeyoung can’t believe he could be so stupid. Stupid enough to become unable to control himself just because he’s horny.

He thought he was better than that. He swore he wasn’t like the other alphas out there, who have knots for brains. It seems he was mistaken, though. Because no matter how much he respects and values Yushi and his decision to put some distance between them, that can be easily overpowered by his egotistic and shameful desires.

For a moment he wonders if Sion went through this too—if maybe it’s just a rut thing, an intrinsic part of the cycle. Does Sion fantasize about choking on the taste of berries whenever he’s chasing his high? Does Riku dream of drowning under turbulent ocean waves? Or is it just a Daeyoung thing? Yearning over someone he knows he can’t have, being fully aware that he’s out of reach and that he’ll never be able to get him under his grasp. Because, under the illusion of his arousal, it’s not wrong to want Yushi the way he does. It’s part of his own fantasy because in the real world having him is impossible.

He can only fantasize. Daeyoung can only yearn and get off to the pictures in his imagination. They are meant to stay there, after all. He can claim that it was just his alpha taking over him and desperately looking for a way to find relief. But Daeyoung knows there’s more to it. Yushi’s rejection still wounds him. He knows the images in his head will never be real at this pace.

He doesn’t know whether he’ll be able to look Yushi in the eye after this. Not after thinking so many filthy things about him. Not after cumming with his name caught between his teeth. Daeyoung is way too ashamed of his actions to pretend that he can just act normally around him.

Worst of all, his scent carries his shame. The rainforest will be nothing but a reminder of the guilt he feels for doing something so disgusting. Daeyoung would hate to make Yushi feel uncomfortable; however, he’s done enough already. He already feels guilty of being an alpha. What happened during his rut just adds more to it, deepening the sense of guilt that tries to push him to the ground.

🍃. . .

It’s hard to act normal when his rut finally subsides.

He does feel normal, though. It’s hard not to notice that after all Riku was right and he’s still the same Kim Daeyoung, albeit a bit clingier and more sensitive to smells, but he’s still himself. That part is a relief.

What is not a relief, though, is the way he’s being haunted by his thoughts and his past actions, and while he cannot blame his presentation on the awkwardness that carries every single one of his movements, his rut can definitely explain the way he’s been walking on eggshells.

He tries not to make it evident, even when everyone can see that he’s doing everything to avoid looking at Yushi in the eye or being in the same enclosed space as him. It’s not hard to notice just how the moment they’re left alone, the room falls silent before either of them finds an excuse to leave. Daeyoung makes an effort to act normal, but the truth is that he just can’t do it.

A mere whiff of Yushi’s citric scent is enough to make Daeyoung remember just how much he wants him. Of how dazed he feels when he’s in the same room as him. Unfortunately, his feelings didn’t go away with the rut. If only, it probably pushed them afloat after ignoring them for so long. Daeyoung doesn’t know when he started feeling like this, but his rut definitely triggered something.

He can’t stop thinking about the way his scent pushed him to completion and into a delirious frenzy. He can’t help but wonder why, after ignoring him for so long, Yushi would worry about him. Yushi’s visit also haunts him, and Daeyoung can’t find answers to his questions. Daeyoung doesn’t understand anything, and his thoughts are threatening to asphyxiate him.

When it gets too much, he resorts to the only person who can try and make up what goes on inside his head. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Sion—he would definitely be of better help since he’s an alpha like him, too—but Riku tends to be more sensible when it gets to situations like this one.

When Daeyoung pushes the door to Riku’s bedroom, he finds Ryo sprawled on the bed while playing a videogame and Riku in his desk with his headphones on while he scribbles something on a notebook.

“Hyung, can I talk to you for a second?”

Both guys lift their heads to look at Daeyoung fidgeting with his fingers.

“Do you want me to leave?” Ryo asks, but Daeyoung shakes his head before slumping his body on the bed next to him. Riku closes his notebook, leaves the headphones on the desk and moves the chair closer to them.

He stares at Daeyoung quizzically for a second before speaking.

“What’s worrying you?”

Daeyoung chuckles, nervous. “How do you know something’s worrying me?” Ryo and Riku look at each other, like they both agree that it’s obvious as hell.

“Sorry, hyung, but you’re a bit of an open book.”

Riku nods. “Yep. So, what is it?”

Daeyoung knows he should say something. He knows he’s been torturing himself with the feeling of guilt and remorse, but also wonder and newfound infatuation. Not to mention that there’s a part of him that’s still a bit sad over, well, everything. There is… a lot. He doesn’t know where to begin, and while he’s aware that Riku is patient, he’s also aware that he was the one who came asking for help. Ryo’s eyes are expectant, and Daeyoung blurts out the very first thing that comes to his mind.

“Do you think Yushi hates me?”

The room falls silent. Riku is definitely taken aback by his question.

“Uh. What?”

This is so embarrassing. Daeyoung glues his eyes on his lap to hide the nervousness.

“Yushi hyung?” Ryo parrots, “Hating you?” He takes a moment to think, visibly weirded out by the statement alone. “I don’t think so. Why would you think so?”

“I don’t know, it’s just—” Daeyoung’s breathing gets a bit quicker, he chokes on his words. His brain is going too fast for him to catch up. “He started acting so weird when we found out that I was going to present, and it was like he was repelling me. No words, no explanation. And, during my rut, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it and about some other things, and now I feel so bad. It’s killing me, hyung.” Daeyoung sighs.

“What were you thinking about? Why do you feel bad?”

“I can’t tell you,” Daeyoung blurts out, way too quickly for it to be natural. Riku quirks an eyebrow. He could have just said that it was the feeling of rejection the one hurting him, but instead he had to go and show Riku that he’s hiding parts of his mind that he can’t bear to accept.

“Wait, but do you feel bad because you were wondering why Yushi hates you, or… is it related to the other things you were thinking about?

Daeyoung doesn’t say anything. His mouth stays shut. His only response is a quick glance at Ryo, who looks both interested and confused, like he’s having trouble following. That’s enough for Riku to understand. He opens his mouth and starts nodding his head the moment things finally click on his head. Daeyoung did mention that it happened during his rut—what else could it be? He’s sure Riku knows what goes on while in a rut cycle.

“Ohhh, I get it. You don’t need to say anything if you don’t want to.”

Daeyoung nods, letting out a sigh of relief. He’s glad Riku didn’t push him any further because he knows that he would have been able to spill absolutely everything on his mind if Riku just asked the right questions with a bit more insistence.

“He went to my room during my rut, too. To check if I was doing okay,” Daeyoung adds, his voice descending pitifully. “It makes me even more confused. I don’t understand why he would do that after treating me this way.”

“I don’t think Yushi hates you, if that’s what worries you. At least, I don’t think that’s why he reacted to your presentation like that. He wouldn’t worry about you if that were the case.”

“Do you really think so?”

Riku nods. “Yes, he can be a little weird sometimes. Maybe he’s just—how do I put this?”

“Surprised? Confused?” Ryo suggests, and Riku nods in agreement. “Emotionally constipated, too? Maybe?”

“Yeah, that too.” Riku giggles. “Definitely that. I know my Yuu-chan.”

Daeyoung chuckles, too, at the affection in Riku’s words.

“Why would he be emotionally constipated?” He asks, a bit confused about how that could be connected to his situation. He doesn’t get it.

“That’s something you’ll have to ask him yourself.”

Daeyoung doesn’t argue any further. He stays there, letting Ryo play with his hair while he rambles about the lore of the videogame he was playing, when a sudden knock interrupts them. The door opens before any of them can say anything to let the intruder know that he can come in. Instead, Yushi makes his way inside without asking for permission, and freezes in his place the moments his eyes finally catch on Daeyoung’s figure on the bed.

They look at each other for a second, both equally surprised. Yushi looks like he wasn’t expecting him there, and like it’s too late to plan an escape route. His gaze, then, moves to Riku next to him, and immediately frowns. Yushi’s jaw tightens, and it’s clear this isn’t going the way he planned it.

“I didn’t know you were busy,” he mumbles, looking at Riku.

Before Riku can reply, Daeyoung pushes Ryo’s hand away from his hair and stands up. When he does so, he looks down, trying to avoid looking at Yushi.

“Don’t worry, I was just leaving.”

There’s an awkward silence installed in the room the moment Daeyoung strides to the door and passes by Yushi’s side. He looks like he wants to say something. His gaze is fixed on Daeyoung—he can feel it on him, but that’s not enough to convince him to stay.

🍃. . .

(“Do you two think I’m some sort of counseling center? Like, I’m not complaining, but why are you taking turns now?”

“Maybe you should charge them if they keep coming to talk about each other—Ah! That hurt!”

“Yuu-chan! Don’t be mean.”

“He deserved it.”

There’s a pause.

Yushi’s voice becomes timid.

“He came to talk about me, then?”)

🍃. . .

Tokuno Yushi has a staring problem, although that’s a bit of a fact of life. Daeyoung knows that. He’s quite aware of the fact that Yushi has a tendency to stare in hopes that his eyes and incessant blinks can convey what he’s keeping inside his mind. So, why is Daeyoung so taken aback the moment Yushi starts observing his every movement with deep attention?

Perhaps it’s because he was already getting used to being ignored and receiving minimal attention from Yushi. It hurt, but it became routine at some point. This is the complete opposite, and Daeyoung feels like he’s being haunted. He feels like a prey in one of those wildlife documentaries that his manager watches whenever they fly abroad. It’s stupid, but anytime he senses that Yushi is observing him, Daeyoung feels the little hairs at the back of his neck stand. It gives him chills.

Yushi looks like he’s waiting—Daeyoung still can’t pinpoint for what exactly, but Yushi is just waiting and waiting for something. An opportunity, maybe. The right moment to spit out the myriads of things he doesn’t know how to verbalize.

It is a dire situation. Yushi looks like he cannot bring himself to just talk to him because he’s waiting for the right moment or else he won’t do it, and Daeyoung—well, Daeyoung hates confrontation and he’s a bit scared of Yushi, so he won’t do it either. They’re stuck in a miscommunication loop.

Interestingly enough, this started happening after they passed by each other while coming from Riku’s room. There’s no way he isn’t involved. He’s probably mediating in this, like some sort of puppeteer moving the string for his schemes to work—or, simply, like the pack omega giving his dumb teammates the push they need. Daeyoung doesn’t know. He doesn’t want to ask, just so he doesn’t seem a bit desperate and overly paranoid. Not again. This time, he wants to keep his anxiety to himself, thank you very much.

In full honesty, the real reason why Daeyoung is so afraid of Yushi’s 180-degrees change of behavior is because a part of him fears that Yushi could have finally figured him out. Maybe Yushi is staring because Daeyoung is showing something without noticing. Maybe Yushi is staring because he knows that Daeyoung wants him; perhaps Yushi even heard Daeyoung during his rut, coming apart while thinking of him. It would make sense; Daeyoung can’t really come up with another explanation.

Perhaps Yushi can sense the guilt that follows Daeyoung anytime he moves: an intrinsic part of his rainforest scent. Maybe not. Either way, there is a possibility that Yushi finally saw Daeyoung cross a line and wants to do something about it. That’s for sure.

Ironically, for someone who’s trying to be so cautious, the moment the confrontation happens comes practically out of nowhere. At least that’s how Daeyoung’s mind perceives it. In reality, there are signs that this is pre-meditated everywhere, starting from the sudden absence of their teammates in the dorm, and that’s not to mention their lame excuses too.  Of course that’s how it occurs. But, honestly, Daeyoung wasn’t even aware that Yushi hadn’t left with the rest, so you can’t really blame him. He’s in the kitchen pouring hot water into an herbal infusion when a mellow voice calls his name from behind him.

He nearly jumps and drops the kettle. Luckily, none of that happens.

“Daeyoung.”

“Oh my god, hyung!” Daeyoung whimpers, turning around with a hand on his chest and a pitiful expression on his face. “You scared me.”

“Daeyoung,” Yushi repeats. He takes a step closer, and Daeyoung frowns, stumped. There is an air of determination around him. He looks at Daeyoung like he’s finally caught him in his trap. “You’re avoiding me.”

It’s a statement, not a question. There is no finesse in his words, in typical Tokuno fashion. He doesn’t even try to be sensible. It’s straightforward in a way that’s almost hilarious. While it should be intimidating, there is no denial that Yushi is definitely clumsy. His inept personality is a contrast to the softness of his voice and the daintiness of his appearance and what makes him a charming omega.

“Uh!?” Of course Daeyoung stutters “N-no, I’m not! That’s not true.”

“Not true?”

Yushi takes a step closer. Daeyoung takes a step backwards. His hip hits the kitchen counter. Daeyoung makes sure to move his cup of hot tea out of the way. Yushi takes the opportunity to corner him by placing both hands on the counter.

“Then how do you explain whatever you’ve been doing?”

“Okay,” Daeyoung mumbles, looking down this time. He can’t make eye contact with Yushi yet, not when he’s this close—what a coward. “Yes. I might be avoiding you…”

“Why?” Yushi squints. When he speaks, there is an air of self-sufficiency that only someone who knows he’s right can carry. “Is it because of your presentation?”

“No! I mean—yes, but not in the way you think, hyung.”

“Are you—are you going to start acting different just because you’re…” Yushi exhales shakily, “…an alpha.”

There it is. Daeyoung feels like he’s being punched on the stomach. Turns out all his suppositions were right, weren’t they? The shock is such that he immediately lifts his head, with his eyes as wide as plates, like he’s being accused of a crime he didn’t commit.

“What? No! I’m—Hyung, I only did it because I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“Eh?”

Yushi gasps, confused, and finally drops his hands from Daeyoung’s side. He even takes a step backwards, creating some distance between them. Yushi looks surprised, like he can’t believe that he’s the actual reason and the origin of the conflict, everything at once. Like he didn’t even consider that Daeyoung’s actions are nothing but a response. Maybe he didn’t even notice what he was doing.

“What I wanted?” He repeats, dumbfounded. “What gave you that idea?”

“You were the one acting like you were repulsed by me,” Daeyoung mumbles shyly. His eyes are looking down again. “So I thought that maybe you were bothered by my presentation, and you didn’t like my scent or the fact I turned out to be an alpha.”

“That’s not true, Daeyoung,” Yushi replies, grabbing both sides of Daeyoung’s face to force him to look at him. The sight that greets him is the one of the omega’s concerned eyes and furrowed eyebrows.

“Then why were you acting like you hated being close to me?”

“It’s not that. I was just taken aback, trying to process everything…” Yushi looks apologetic, like he’s finally realizing his mistake and that he hurt Daeyoung without meaning to. “It’s the first time my omega reacts to an alpha, and I didn’t know what to do” he admits, “but I was also scared that you could suddenly change just because you’re now an alpha. I wouldn’t like that.”

Upon hearing him, Daeyoung immediately feels like a liar. There are things he isn’t saying and that Yushi is unaware of—turns out he wasn’t looking through him and his act. His guilt crawls up his throat like an undigested giant ant, and Daeyoung feels like he’ll die if he doesn’t admit his sins. They’re talking, they’re finally doing it! If Daeyoung doesn’t do it now, he’ll never have the opportunity again, and he’ll be forced to live with the weight of his guilt.

His silence catches Yushi’s attention, whose expression of relief immediately becomes puzzled. He blinks at Daeyoung, like he’s silently asking him what’s wrong, when they’ve just cleared up their misunderstanding.

“There’s something I haven’t told you.” He starts carefully. “There is something inside me changing, hyung.”

“What do you mean?”

“I might be looking at you differently now, I’m so sorry. I really tried to control it, but I couldn’t stop.” His breathing becomes more erratic. His panic makes him ramble and spit out all the things in his head like they’re sins. His guilt pours out from his mouth, flooding. “And when my rut hit—during my rut I could only think about you, and how much I needed to be with you, and how much I wanted you to like me. Yushi hyung, I’m so sorry, I feel so bad for doing this to you.”

Daeyoung drops his head. As opposed to what he expected, Yushi holds him, like he doesn’t know what to do with the panicked alpha in his arms or how to calm him down. The outburst is unexpected. Daeyoung doesn’t put on a fight. He welcomes Yushi’s embrace and rests his head against his shoulder. His nose is mere centimeters apart from Yushi’s scent gland: the place where his bergamot scent is the richest. Selfishly, Daeyoung lets himself breathe into it.

To his surprise, the bergamot doesn’t go bitter. If anything, Daeyoung can sense the traces of concern in it, slightly sour.

They stay like that for a few seconds. The citric scent does calm him down. Daeyoung allows himself to close his eyes, only opening them when Yushi’s soft voice irrupts in the room, slicing through the density in the air. He’s careful, both deliberate and hesitant.

“Do you think… do you think it was just a rut thing?”

Daeyoung swallows down. He can feel Yushi tensing his body around him. But he can’t lie. Not to him. Not anymore. Yushi deserves to know everything.

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Oh.”

“It did make me notice that I felt that way for you, though. It triggered something, but I think those feelings were always there—they still are. I’m—”

“I was also thinking about you during your rut.”

It’s a bomb, thrown at him with no warning whatsoever that could prepare him for the explosion. A confession that comes out of nowhere, unpredictable in the way only Tokuno Yushi can be. Suddenly, Daeyoung remembers feeling Yushi’s scent in the throes of his rut, filled with traces of something spicy and strong and so different to Yushi’s usual fresh smell.

Maybe that night Yushi was also moving through his instincts and impulses.

“Your scent was so strong,” Yushi mutters, his voice barely above a whisper, like it’s his turn to confess now. “It made me so dizzy, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you struggling, all alone. I kept thinking that maybe you needed help.”

“I’d like that,” Daeyoung blurts out before he can even stop himself. “I mean, I would have wanted that at that moment.”

Yushi giggles, lowly and boyish. From his position, Daeyoung can feel the way his shoulders shake and the laughter rumbles in his chest.

“I can show you.”

Daeyoung stops breathing. Yushi is impulsive, more impulsive than what Daeyoung can handle. It does something to him, it ignites the urge to just stop thinking so much and sink his teeth into the freshness of his citrus.

“Just so you know what to do next time, I mean.” Yushi swallows. “Or… or when you find an omega.”

It’s an excuse. Yushi doesn’t even sound like he believes a half of his words. It’s evident, and they both know it, but even though they’ve both hinted at the way they want each other, none of them is daring enough to just dip both feet in and sink into the water till they’re breathless, drowning on the shared scent of something utterly herbal and fresh.

There’s no point in denying the desire that blooms and simmers between their bodies, but they can also go on without giving it a name, just ignoring the real reason why those feelings are there. Daeyoung and Yushi want each other, but they’re too scared to fully give in into the truth: it’s something more than primal, there is a real connection beyond being an alpha who just needs an omega.

“I want that, hyung.”

“Can I, then?” Yushi asks now. He’s grabbing Daeyoung’s jaw, forcing him to look at each other. Daeyoung stares at him with expectant puppy eyes before nodding. He looks so timid, so inexpert, and yet so ready. Yushi connects their lips and Daeyoung feels like he’s finally having a sip of water after weeks of dehydration. It’s gratifying. The taste of Yushi’s lips against his own feels like he’s having contact with something divine. Their lips mold together, and Daeyoung allows Yushi to take the lead and kiss him senseless, however he wants.

Despite being shorter, Yushi still pushes Daeyoung’s body against the counter. His hold in his jaw doesn’t falter, and his other hand slides to keep his waist in place. Daeyoung lets him, too pliant for an alpha. His lips follow Yushi’s rhythm while Yushi explores his mouth with his tongue, as if he were the one who’s been dying to taste him. Daeyoung can only moan under his hold, enjoying the way Yushi kisses him with so much vigor.

They separate for a second to breathe. They’re already flushed. Yushi stares at him before bursting into a fit of giggles. Daeyoung simply looks at him, a big question sign painted on his face.

“What is it? Did I do something wrong?”

Yushi shakes his head. “No, it’s just—you’re so cute.”

Daeyoung shrugs, slightly embarrassed. He’s supposed to be an alpha, after all. “Is that a bad thing?”

Yushi shakes his head and pecks his lips. “No. I like you like that,” he confesses. “I like that you’re so soft, gentle, and puppy-like. I wouldn’t want that to change.”

Daeyoung’s cheeks get even redder, as if that were even possible. Something warm expands inside him. Yushi likes him the way he is, even when he might not act like a stereotypical alpha and more like an overgrown puppy who wants to be taken care of. He spent the first weeks leading up to his presentation wondering whether he was worthy of being an alpha or not, but here Yushi is, easing his worries with such a simple sentence.

“I like you too, hyung.”

Yushi smiles at him, fondness overflowing from his eyes, and grabs his hand before pulling Daeyoung along with him. Daeyoung trails behind Yushi’s steps until they reach the omega’s bedroom. The bed is unmade, and the room reeks of citrus and something that’s so naturally Yushi. Daeyoung feels his mouth water, almost like a pavlovian response. Before he can even react and take a deeper breath to inhale Yushi’s scent, he’s being pushed to sit on the bed.

Yushi, standing, stares at him from above. There’s a certain glint on his black eyes—something almost feline. Daeyoung looks up at him and grabs Yushi’s hips, pulling him much closer. It’s almost like he’s worshipping. The scent does something to him, it makes him a bit stupid—it’s a problem because it makes Daeyoung want to let go of his self-restrictions. He wants to stay like this, surrounded by Yushi.

They intertwine their fingers.

“Hyung, I really want you.”

Saying it is freeing. Involuntarily, the smile on Yushi’s face expands. It shows all his teeth. Daeyoung can’t stop the words that come from his mouth.

“I don’t think I’ve wanted someone like this before. During my rut I could only think of you and your scent, and—”

Yushi shuts him up. He leans down, grabs Daeyoung’s jaw again and starts kissing him, so fervent and wanton. Daeyoung moans the moment he feels Yushi’s tongue against his own. The kiss is wet and messy, borderline obscene. It’s clear their feelings are already beyond virgin innocence. Daeyoung wants Yushi to be much closer. All the thoughts that filled his mind during his rut are coming to him again, graphic, explicit, they go further than before because now Daeyoung doesn’t feel guilty. He can’t feel guilty when Yushi is straddling him and pulling his hair to keep his head angled the way he wants to.

Yushi is much rougher than Daeyoung imagined he would be. He always knew that there was something special in him—something that made him unlike the other omegas he knew, or how he was taught omegas were supposed to be. He’s only finding out now, but Daeyoung doesn’t complain. He doesn’t mind. He’ll allow Yushi to treat him however he wants to. His role as an alpha is to be the one of a provider after all, so he can give Yushi whatever he wants from him.

They separate for a moment to accommodate themselves on the bed and continue kissing. Now, Daeyoung is lying down with Yushi straddling him. He’s practically caging Daeyoung under him. His thighs are bracketing Daeyoung’s hips, and when Daeyoung starts trailing his fingers under Yushi’s over-sized tee, teasing to take his clothes off, Yushi suddenly breaks the kiss and grabs Daeyoung’s wrists.

“Sorry, you didn’t like that?” It’s supposed to be a statement, but it comes off as a question.

Yushi is panting over him, looking at Daeyoung like he’s trying to tell him that he’s the one who’s supposed to be in charge now. He was the one who offered to help him and be his teacher, so Daeyoung should play by his rules and follow his rhythm.

Yushi doesn’t say anything. Instead, he keeps Daeyoung’s hands pinned next to his head and leans down again. He peppers kisses down the length of Daeyoung’s jaw. It’s ticklish, and very kittenish of him. And, when Yushi finally reaches the side of his neck, he makes sure to leave a caress over Daeyoung’s scent gland with the tip of his nose, causing him to writhe under him.

Then, Yushi finally smells him. He inhales sharply with his eyes closed and sighs. A shiver travels down Daeyoung’s entire body.

“You smell so good.” Yushi’s voice is low, electrifying.

Daeyoung feels like a prey. Yushi has him pinned to the bed, holding him in such a way so that Daeyoung can’t escape him—not that he would think of doing it anyway. It should be an embarrassing position: an alpha immobilized under an omega, while the latter takes his time just smelling him whole and drinking on his scent. Yushi is breathing into the now tempestuous rainforest that emanates from Daeyoung’s body, while Daeyoung just lets him. Where have you heard of an alpha who willingly submits under an omega?

Yushi’s lips now are leaving small, wet kisses along Daeyoung’s neck. He’s releasing pheromones in an attempt to scent Daeyoung too, hoping that their aromas can mix together. His chest heaves up and down, erratically. It feels good, way too good, better than he imagined. They haven’t even started and it’s already better than the pictures he imagined in order to get himself to cum during his rut. Yushi has barely kissed and scented him, but Daeyoung is already hard in his pants. With how close Yushi is to his neck, he’s pretty sure that Yushi can smell how horny he already is.

“That day during breakfast,” The hairs in Daeyoung’s entire body stand, thrilled. “I could sense your scent even before Ryo pointed it out. I even knew it was you before they could say anything.”

The moment his lips are closed shut, they latch onto his skin again, kissing and sucking. Daeyoung is panting.

“Why did you cover your nose, then?”

“I was feeling faint,” Yushi finally takes his head from his neck and lifts it enough so they can stare at each other. Their chests are touching: heartbeat against heartbeat. Yushi’s black hair is messy. His eyes are kittenish, round, dark, a glint on them—he looks like a cat with his fangs and claws out, trying to show his owner that he just caught a bird. “I couldn’t understand why it was affecting me so much.”

Daeyoung smiles. Yushi hasn’t let go of his wrists yet, so he can’t just grab his nape and push him down. Instead, he has to make an effort to lean up and bring their lips together.

“And now, do you know why?”

Yushi nods. “It’s because I want you. Your scent was pushing me closer to you; I had to control it.”

“Now you don’t have to.”

“I know.”

Yushi finally liberates one of Daeyoung’s wrists, just so he can be able to push a strand of his hair out of his face. Daeyoung’s wrist is sore and red, and he has to gyrate it a bit to loosen up the joint. Yushi’s other hand trails up to join Daeyoung’s palm and intertwine their fingers.

“You know,” Daeyoung starts. His hand now moves to caress Yushi’s waist. He moves it in circles, brushes over his butt and then comes to rest on his lower back. “Back then, I thought you were rejecting me.”

“I could never.” Yushi gives his hand a squeeze. “Not to you.”

This time, the one who initiates the kiss is Daeyoung. It’s him giving on his own desires and doing whatever his alpha tells him to, but it’s also a way to thank Yushi for his reassurance. He gets it now. He finally does, and he’s glad that he had been wrong about all his insecurities. Yushi sighs into his lips.

They kiss like that for a few minutes, diving once again into the shared desire and the intimacy their bodies and hearts were craving these past few weeks. Maybe this is what Daeyoung needed—and Yushi too. His alpha hasn’t felt this appeased ever since the first moment he started showing signs of a presentation. Maybe earning Yushi’s affection was all he needed, especially if it comes with his care and his attention and the sweet and rich taste of ripe bergamot on his lips.

But Yushi is impatient. Daeyoung knows that. Even through their misunderstandings, there are some things about Yushi that Daeyoung is sure about. He’s impatient, and when he wants something it’s hard to get it out of his head, only focusing on the way he wants things done. So, it’s no surprise when his hands start trailing lower and lower, and a ticklish sensation spreads inside Daeyoung while Yushi’s mouth kisses his shoulder and his hand approaches his crotch.

The anticipation bubbles inside him. It feels akin to being in rut, except that this time Daeyoung is more conscious, less desperate, a bit nervous but still frantic and excited.

And, when Yushi finally touches him over the fabric of his sweatpants, Daeyoung can’t help the way he yelps and grabs Yushi’s wrist.

“Wait, hyung!”

“Hm?”

Yushi looks up at him through his eyelashes. Daeyoung doesn’t comprehend how he manages to look so put-together.

“I have never…” Daeyoung looks away, embarrassed. He misses the way Yushi grins.

“What is it, Daeyoung?”

“I have never done this before. With someone else, I mean.”

Yushi doesn’t say anything. Not at first, at least, so when Daeyoung looks back at him to check on his reaction, he’s surprised to find Yushi biting his lips while he tries (and fails) to suppress the big smirk on his face. It’s not teasing, but it’s definitely entertained. Daeyoung notices how Yushi’s scent gets fresher, like he’s so pleased to hear this.

“Don’t laugh,” he whispers pitifully with a pout on his lips.

“Sorry.” Yushi chuckles. “I said I was going to show you, right? So let me.”

“Okay.” Daeyoung nods. His cheeks are completely flushed.

Yushi is still grinning when he sits on Daeyoung’s lap—just over his growing bulge—and pushes him up to take his clothes off. His tank top is thrown somewhere on the floor next to the bed, and Daeyoung pulls Yushi closer from the waist so they can join their lips one more time before Yushi starts descending over his body. He leaves a trail of wet kisses over Daeyoung’s collarbones and his chest, and the more he crawls, the more jittery Daeyoung gets. His eyes are glued to Yushi and the way he leaves a bite just over his ribs.

Daeyoung’s breathing gets more erratic. He sighs loudly. He can feel his heartbeat thumping against his neck. And, when Yushi stops just below his belly button and looks up at him, Daeyoung swears he stops breathing. He bites his lips, as if that could help him control his own arousal. He’s stupidly horny, and his pants so, so tight. He wants Yushi to do something, he’s the only one who can make him feel better.

Yushi, however, doesn’t move lower. He takes his moment kissing and sucking Daeyoung’s flat abdomen. He gives it extra attention, and for a moment Daeyoung wonders why Yushi could be so fascinated by that specific part of his body. Until it hits him, and his cheeks get even redder upon realization. Daeyoung tries to wiggle his way out of Yushi’s touch, impatient, but Yushi is holding him firmly with a hand on his hip.

Yushi kisses his abdomen like there’s something he could imprint in it. The expectation of something that could never happen. To leave a mark, knowing damn well that Daeyoung is not an omega like him. It makes Daeyoung whine, and that’s Yushi’s signal to finally stop and grab the waistband of his pants.

There is something in Yushi that wasn’t there the moment they started whatever they’re doing now. There’s a certain air around him, like he’s thrilled by the idea of being Daeyoung’s first and only one. He enjoys it, and it’s evident. He likes the idea of being able to mark him as his. The possessiveness in him makes him hotter—it thrills Daeyoung too, because Yushi is touching him and looking at him like he has no intentions of letting go of him, and that’s exactly what Daeyoung needs right now.

Once his aching cock is freed and Yushi has taken his sweatpants off, Daeyoung immediately lets out a hiss. The cold air hits his length, and Daeyoung feels like he could whine and beg for Yushi to just touch him. His tip is already so wet, the pre-cum is oozing from him, and Daeyoung thinks he won’t be able to last much longer. He’s trying to be patient, but if Yushi keeps teasing him and dragging it out, then Daeyoung will have to just do something about it.

“Hyung, please,” he begs.

“What do you want?”

“Do something.”

There’s a trickle of sweat sliding down the side of Daeyoung’s face.

“Only if you promise that you’ll be good,” Yushi says, licking his lips like he’s getting ready for a feast.

“Yes, please. I’ll be good, hyung, please. I’ll do anything, just—ohhh.”

Daeyoung melts into a moan. He closes his eyes, and his head hits the pillow the moment Yushi takes his dick into his mouth. His lips wrap around his length, coating it with his spit before letting it out of his mouth with a soft pop. Yushi’s giggles reach Daeyoung’s ears, and, in full honesty, he feels like he’s dying. It’s too much, and yet Yushi has barely done anything.

“Pay attention,” Yushi whispers, just for the sake of being a menace, like he enjoys tipping Daeyoung to the edge. He’s having so much fun—Daeyoung thinks it’s a bit sadistic of him, if he’s honest.

“Sorry,” he whines, trying to keep his eyes open. The sight of Yushi giving him kitten licks and swirling his tongue over his tip is too much, though. It’s even more deadly than the feeling of his dick finally receiving attention.

But then Yushi gets his cock into his mouth again and Daeyoung simply gives up on trying to control himself and his sounds. He lets Yushi do whatever he wants with him and simply takes it, grateful that he’s been able to receive such pleasure from such a mesmerizing omega like Yushi.

He’s mean about it, slurping and bobbing his head up and down with no regard to whether he gags on it or not because Daeyoung is too big for the size of his cavity. With tears prickling on the corners of his eyes, Yushi wraps his hand around the portion of his length that doesn’t fit inside his mouth. He squeezes lightly, just to give Daeyoung the illusion of something tight around him and moves his hand at just the right pace.

Daeyoung doesn’t know what to do with his hands. Yushi is too focused, sometimes closing his eyes like he’s also getting lost in the taste of such a potent newly-presented alpha in his mouth, and sometimes staring back at Daeyoung’s face like he wants to drink on every single one of his expressions. It’s too hot for Daeyoung to handle, but he’s really trying to show Yushi that he can be good for him and take whatever he decides to give him without being impatient. The only thing he can do is to squirm under Yushi and grab the bedsheets under him like his life depends on it.

Suddenly, Yushi’s movements come to a halt. He takes Daeyoung’s cock out of his mouth to stare at him. His lips are red and swollen, glowing with his spit. One of his hands is wrapped around the hints of a growing knot on the base of his crotch. He’s panting, and when he speaks, his voice is slightly hoarse.

“You can grab my head, you know.”

“But…” Daeyoung frowns, unsure. He doesn’t want to be mean to him.

Yushi simply nods, reassuringly and takes one of Daeyoung’s hands into his own, bringing it to the crown of his head. Quickly, his long fingers get entangled around the strands of black hair. He doesn’t pull, afraid of being too harsh, but it does feel anchoring.

Yushi simply stifles a laugh and whispers to himself. “Such a good boy.”

It’s not meant for Daeyoung to hear it; if anything, it’s like Yushi is just realizing how lucky he got with an alpha like this. So pliant, so careful, so obedient.

Like that, Yushi gets to work again. He swirls his tongue across the length of Daeyoung’s dick, bobs his head, and when he feels Daeyoung’s breathing getting more and more irregular and frantic, and the knot at the base becomes more and more swollen, redder and redder—Yushi decides to stop.

It’s cruel. Daeyoung lets him know with a pitiful whine.

“Hyung, why?”

“Don’t want you to waste your knot like that,” Yushi mumbles. “You’re not in rut, I can’t ask so much from you, right?” Then, his voice descends into a whisper that makes Daeyoung’s guts churn. “I have to be gentle with you, puppy.”

He lays down on the bed, next to the alpha, and pulls him closer, so this time Daeyoung is the one over him. They kiss deeply. Yushi allows the alpha to taste himself on his tongue while he lets Daeyoung’s hands roam under his clothes, all over his body. It is a bit unfair that he’s still fully clothed, so Daeyoung doesn’t even try to hide his desperation when he starts undressing him too, until Yushi is naked under him.

“I want you. So much, hyung. It hurts,” Daeyoung mumbles against his neck, completely drunk-dazed. His mouth is everywhere on Yushi’s skin. The freshness of the bergamot calls him closer and closer. “I really want you. Don’t wanna stop.”

“You can have me,” Yushi pants.

“Please, let me touch you. Wanna feel you.”

“Go on then. You can.”

There it is. That’s the cue Daeyoung was expecting. He just needs Yushi to provoke him so he can bite the bullet. He will never do something Yushi doesn’t want to, after all.

Daeyoung is quick to grab his thighs and settle in between them. Yushi looks so pretty like this—open and ready for him, dripping with slick. His mouth waters, and Daeyoung has the urge to dive down and taste the slick directly from the source and see if it tastes as delicious as his scent. He holds back, though, and instead brings his fingers to Yushi’s entrance, working him open.

He's the prettiest omega he’s ever seen. There’s no one like him. Daeyoung doesn’t want any other omega.

Yushi is so aroused, probably more than Daeyoung, although that sounds impossible because Daeyoung feels like his insides have been set ablaze, like a lit match over gasoline. Yushi stares at him with half-lidded eyes while puffing out small huffs every time Daeyoung’s fingers move inside him. His scent is so strong, with a tinge of spiciness in it, too. His cock is rock hard, laying over the pale skin of his navel, and his thighs are glistening with slick. He’s so wet that the slide of Daeyoung’s fingers inside him is kind of sloppy—he probably doesn’t even need preparation. Still, he squirms and whimpers every time Daeyoung’s thick fingers reach deep inside him.

“I think I’m ready,” Yushi says, losing against the impatience. “Shit—Daeyoung, just put it in, you don’t need to—this is n-not, ah, necessary. Come on,” and his words become more and more slurred.

And who’s Daeyoung to say no to him? Of course he obeys. Yushi did tell him that he was going to show him how to do this and lead the way to show him a new array of feelings and sensations. This is exactly what he was yearning for during his rut, it’s the cure for his frustration.

He aligns his cock with Yushi’s entrance and pushes himself inside until he’s finally bottomed out. And, when he’s finally sheathed inside of Yushi, Daeyoung squeezes his eyes shut, welcoming the pleasure the warm and tight heat of Yushi offers him. It feels so damn good. They’re just starting, but Daeyoung already feels like he could cum just from this. Of course, he can’t—that would be pathetic, and he wants to last long enough to pleasure Yushi too.

He takes a moment to breathe. Yushi grabs him by the cheeks and pushes him to join their lips one more time in a kiss that is a bit more tender than the ones they shared before. It’s reassuring. It’s a form of praise and telling him that he’s doing good. Daeyoung takes it.

“Tell me when you’re ready,” Daeyoung whispers against his lips, his eyes are still closed.

“I am,” Yushi replies. “You can go on, Daeng.”

Daeyoung starts with a tentative roll of his hips. It makes Yushi let out a shaky exhalation, and Daeyoung feels proud of being the cause of that. He wants to see Yushi dissolve under him and be the only one who can make him feel like this. There’s something inside him that thrives anytime Yushi shows that he’s feeling good, so Daeyoung continues. He fucks into him with vigor, trying to drag more of those sounds.

The squelching sound of their skin meeting is loud. It should be disgusting, but none of them mind. It mixes with the small whimpers and moans that come out of Yushi’s mouth every time Daeyoung hits deeper inside him.

“You’re so good, so good to me.”

“Am I, hyung? Am I making you feel good?”

“Yes, yes, hmm.” Yushi bites his own lips, trying to stop his moans. “You’re doing so well—” A hiccup. “My perfect alpha, so perfect for me.”

“Only for you hyung.”

Daeyoung preens on the praise. It feeds something inside him. He wants more of it. It pushes him to do better, to keep trying. Daeyoung changes the angle, lying next to Yushi with his back to his chest, and he holds one of his legs in the air to keep the omega open for him. He keeps pounding, making sure to hit the spot that makes Yushi get a bit louder, a little less restrained. He’s a bit uncoordinated, a little too rough—not because he’s trying to be mean, but because of the inexperience; Yushi seems to be into that, though.

“You’re my only one,” Daeyoung blabbers, almost delirious, chasing for Yushi’s approval.

“I know.” Yushi bares his neck. It’s an act of submission, and Daeyoung is a bit shocked by that, it’s like he’s not even noticing what he’s doing. It’s inviting, provoking. He didn’t think Tokuno Yushi had this in him. But Daeyoung doesn’t bite, he simply kisses the spot where his neck meets his shoulder—it’s more of a tender caress rather than a rough promise, like a bite would be. “Won’t let anyone else have you, don’t wanna share you. You were made for me.”

“’m only yours, hyung. Your alpha.”

Yushi’s words are finally sincere. In this position, so vulnerable, so open to take Daeyoung in him, he finally lets his true intentions come to light, where Daeyoung can see it clearly. It was an excuse that he could help him just so he could get a taste of an omega and be ready for a new opportunity or a new cycle. The truth only reveals that Yushi is selfish and his omega has wanted Daeyoung since the moment he started showing signs of a presentation.

But Daeyoung isn’t bothered by that in the slightest. If anything, it makes his alpha feel delighted. Yushi does want him in the same way. After he tried to convince himself that he didn’t deserve Yushi’s omega, Yushi is finally showing him that he’s the perfect match for him. His scent not only goes aroused, but also pleased and happy, and it’s a terrible combination because it makes Yushi feel even more drunk-dazed under him until he’s almost incoherent.

Daeyoung feels so close. He can feel his knot growing, expanding. He doesn’t know if Yushi would let him knot him. It’s the only thing missing to finally match and surpass the fervor of his rut-induced delusions. Instead, the only words that come out of Yushi’s throat are a string of whines, sweet and high-pitched, mixed with pleas and requests that sound like commands: There, please, don’t stop, yes, more—fuck.

But Daeyoung can’t stop. The heat expands inside him, unstoppable, uncontrolled, like wildfire. He’s burning himself alive under Yushi’s touch. He wants to bury himself inside Yushi. He wants to fill him up. He wants to get drunk on the smell of him and suffocate in his tight walls and exquisite heat. Yushi is everything he ever imagined, and he just can’t bring himself to slow down or stop. He can’t even control the force of his thrusts, but Yushi keeps demanding for more and Daeyoung feels like he’s about to go insane.

There is really only one single thought in Daeyoung’s head.

“’m so close, hyung. I can’t stop” He sighs against Yushi’s ear, already past coherence. “Wanna fill you, would you let me?”

He’s so polite about it, it’s almost stupid. Daeyoung just wants to show Yushi that he only does what Yushi tells him—what makes his Yushi hyung feel good, nothing else. If Yushi tells him that he can’t do it, then Daeyoung will swallow his pride and stop, even if he feels like his own sanity is hanging from a thread. A pliant alpha who only wants to provide and give his omega what he wants and what he needs.

“Yes, yes, oh my god.” Yushi chokes on his moans when Daeyoung doesn’t falter his rhythm. “I wanna feel you, Daeng—wanna feel your knot.”

“Okay, okay.”

It doesn’t take much for Daeyoung to cum. It’s not as vicious as it had been during his rut, though, but there’s a curse caught between his teeth along with Yushi’s name, and that much is very similar. His knot is caught in Yushi’s rim, swollen so they can’t be separated, and Daeyoung believes that this is better than he imagined. Nothing compares to having Yushi in his arms, flushed skin against flushed skin. But Daeyoung keeps thrusting his knot inside the omega, just to make sure that Yushi gets to cum too, so he can feel proud of being the one who makes Yushi orgasm like that. Yushi’s back arches with every thrust, wailing.

“It’s too much,” he pleas, broken. And, for Daeyoung, knowing that he was the one who made Yushi like this feels absolutely insane. With a specific hit on his prostate, Yushi’s eyes roll to the back of his skull, his mouth opens in a silent moan, and ropes of cum spurt from his cock.

For a moment, the room falls silent aside from their loud pants. There’s a pungent smell: the mixture of their scents intertwined. Daeyoung holds Yushi close to his chest, like he doesn’t want to let go of him—like he’s afraid that this is part of his delusions, too. But Yushi curls against him, and, with his eyes closed, he takes Daeyoung’s hand, links their fingers one more time, and brings it to his chest, just over his heart.

They’re joined together by the knot waiting to deflate, but there’s something else. A new connection in their emotions that finally has the chance of being seen.

The seconds pass. Timidly, Daeyoung speaks up, afraid of slicing through the cloud of drowsiness they’ve fallen into.

“Yushi hyung.”

“Hm?” Yushi is definitely starting to doze off, too tired after taking an alpha knot outside of his heat cycle.

“Thank you.”

It’s shy, excessively honest. With his eyes closed, Yushi’s entire body shakes with a stifled laugh. Daeyoung can feel it against him; he can feel the laughter bubbling up inside Yushi. The only thing he can do is hide his face in the omega’s neck, praying he doesn’t notice how red his cheeks are.

“Why?”

“For showing me what it’s like to be with an omega and helping me and just not freaking out when I told you…” Daeyoung swallows, suddenly nervous, “…when I told you that I was attracted to you and that I only noticed during my rut.”

“You need to stop being so endearing,” Yushi mumbles, the sleepiness heavy on his voice, before making an attempt to turn around, trying to change their position so they can look at each other in a much more comfortable way. He still keeps Daeyoung’s hand to his chest. “Were you really that worried, hm?”

Daeyoung nods against his neck. His brown hair prickles Yushi’s skin.

“I felt really guilty for thinking that.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know I was hurting you.” Yushi’s free hand travels to Daeyoung’s head and starts patting his hair. It’s a bit damp. “Would you forgive me? I promise I’ll stay by your side.”

Daeyoung nods. “Anything for you, Yushi hyung.”

There is something fascinating about how well Yushi and Daeyoung match each other. Underneath the misunderstandings and the miscommunication, they do have what the other one was yearning for. A perfect middle point, like they can simply meet the needs of the other one just by being themselves, like pre-designed pieces, made to fit with one another.

Daeyoung dreaded his presentations for a variety of reasons: the fear of change, of becoming and inconvenience, of not being liked by his Yushi hyung, and of not having what it’s needed to be an alpha. It is fascinating because it is Yushi himself the one who shows him that all his fears were senseless.

Yushi does like him—like crazy, like the rainforest scent alone can just pull his omega closer to the point that he has to fight the urge that tugs at his heart as if it had a rope tied to it. Daeyoung would never be an inconvenience for him, not when he’s just so nice all the time, so accommodating. He may feel like he’s too soft to be an alpha (like the ones in the old-fashioned books), but he’s quite perfect for an omega who is too stubborn to submit like Yushi.

They have a connection—beyond physical, beyond the instincts of their sub-gender. It’s something more, and Daeyoung is just glad to know that Yushi recognizes and cherishes that connection too, because he’s not sure if he’d like to navigate life as a newly-presented alpha without Yushi’s reassurance by his side. It should be easier now that they’re finally in tune.