Archive of Our Own ^beta

Joo Jaekyung is lauded as “The Strongest Omega in the World.” He always comes in on top, having shattered barriers with the strength of his fists alone. He’d outpaced omega peers from the get-go and entered the lucrative ring with alphas.

Sanctioned suppressants keep his pheromones and heats at bay, making him indistinguishable from a beta. No alpha would dare pursue him. Nothing good could come of attempting to do so, and there are rumors of the horrific things that have happened to those who have tried.

From his mind to his massive physique, the unstoppable, invulnerable Joo Jaekyung is an alpha in all but physiology.

And that jinx of his? With a satisfying fuck, the win might as well be guaranteed. Peer omegas, alphas, or betas, a hole is a hole.

No one tops him in the rankings, or otherwise.

It isn’t done.

In comes Kim Dan, the warm, polite new physical therapist whose looks caught Jaekyung’s depraved eye.

Kim. Fucking. Dan—a harmless, recessive alpha who has touched nobody but himself.

The doctor glanced away from his computer screen, across his desk to the patient. “Since we’ve already spoken extensively about your shoulder, and I’ve established with your physical therapist that you’ve got to take a rest day to preserve your overall health and the longevity of your career, let’s discuss your current medication regimen.”

As he scrolled through Jaekyung’s medical record, a data point eluded the doctor. He asked, “You’ve been on suppressants since you went pro—when did you last pause them to have a heat?”

In response, Jaekyung gritted his teeth, and Dan clasped his hands in his lap, already apprehensive about what the answer might be. It'd been a few months since Dan had become a live-in tool for his jinx. He could confirm that Jaekyung hadn’t smelled remotely off in that time. A singular prescribed day of rest was being treated like a personal insult to Jaekyung’s capabilities. Dan couldn’t even imagine the fight Jaekyung would put up, having to be hugely vulnerable for the day on top of that.

Jaekyung scoffed. “Hhmph.”

His non-answer and the silence that lingered, blanketing the exam room, was damning evidence of his personal neglect.

While long-term heat suppression was possible, an occasional one was essential for an omega’s long-term well-being. To neglect them completely would have torturous effects on the body, such as hormonal disruptions, brittle bones, and violent heats. Should a breakthrough heat occur whilst still taking the medication, it could irreparably harm an omega. He was already exerting himself way too much. The thought of those striking Jaekyung down in his prime made Dan’s heart hurt, and, who could tell, maybe the choice had contributed to his shoulder injury.

“We should discuss next steps right away,” the doctor said urgently, his words accompanied by the rapid click-clack of his keyboard. “You’re extremely lucky nothing has happened yet. It’s only a matter of time.”

Dan swallowed nervously before agreeing, “He’s right, Mr. Joo. You could be badly hurt.”

Jaekyung’s brows furrowed. A dark glare accompanied his menacing, “What?”

The doctor advised, “If you haven’t already, don’t take your suppressants today.”

“To do what, hole up in bed alone? That’s not fucking happening,” Jaekyung disagreed. “The time is better spent training.”

“No, no, after this long, a heat can’t be spent by yourself,” the doctor said quietly.

The quiet warning gave Dan pause, briefly, but had apparently gone unheard by Jaekyung, who’d begun to stand. He was ready to stalk away and out of the office when Dan reached for him. Dan’s worry overcame his nerves about overstepping.

He trembled as he grasped a hold of Jaekyung’s wrist. “I agree with the doctor, Mr. Joo. Please listen to him. This is about more than your shoulder. I’ll coordinate with Namwook, who’ll make sure enough time is freed up.”

“Don’t tell hyung anything, it’s not happening,” Jaekyung angrily said, wrenching his wrist away.

The doctor stated, “You can treat this as a rest period, then get right back to training hard once it’s done. We’ll set up a schedule for later ones. This heat will do your body good.”

“Not happening,” Jaekyung said, walking away.

In a last-ditch effort, the doctor said gravely, “You might lose your champion title. Frankly, sir, a breakthrough heat-incident at this point could be career-ending.”

Jaekyung’s hand stopped short of the doorknob. Then, he turned to glare over his shoulder at the blameless Dan.

“You, me, and hyung,” he ground out, turning back around. “If anyone else finds out what’s going on, you’re done.”

Despite Jaekyung’s genuine threat, Dan’s heart rate began to slow. That Jaekyung had reluctantly assented was calming. Dan let out a sound of relief as Jaekyung sat huffily in the upholstered chair beside him.

Arms crossed, Jaekyung asked, “Now what?”

The doctor, too, seemed relieved that his patient was somewhat cooperative. He replied, “You don’t have to do much at all. Do you have someone who can take care of you?”

“I can take care of myself.”

Leaning back in his seat, the doctor sighed, “That won’t do.”

“‘That won’t do?’” Jaekyung repeated tersely, raising his brows towards his hairline. “What do you mean, ‘That won’t do?’”

“The last time you had a heat, did you have a companion?” the doctor probed.

With a sense of apprehension, Dan began to comprehend what the doctor was about to prescribe. Between these comments and the softly spoken warning earlier, the meaning was clear.

Jaekyung answered, “No.”

The doctor sniffed the air and looked unambiguously at Dan. When their eyes met, Dan’s blood pressure rose a marked amount.

Turning his eyes back to his patient, the doctor said, “This time, you’ll need one.”

“No.”

“You really do, sir. Someone you can trust.”

Jaekyung’s volume increased slightly. “Care to explain why that is?”

“Based on what you declined to say before, your last heat was before your debut at twenty. When was it?”

Narrowing his eyes, Jaekyung snapped, “I was eighteen the last time.”

Dan carefully kept his cringe internal. To hear that out loud was concerning, to say the least. Jaekyung’s pain tolerance was absurdly high. Dan knew that, but he didn’t believe that Jaekyung understood how brutal the urges brought on by a heat could be after a few rounds of suppression, let alone dozens, in the way Dan and the physician did.

The doctor voiced the thought Dan couldn’t say:

“At that age, heats are a breeze. You’ve suppressed the better part of a decade’s worth of adult cycles, which don’t compare.”

Jaekyung asserted, “I’ll be fine alone.”

The doctor glanced at Dan again, and Dan’s blood pressure rose another marked amount. This professional was a physician. With no idea about the nature of the existing dynamic between Dan and Jaekyung, why was this doctor—indirectly—advocating for malpractice of convenience?

“I’m going to put in an order for an after-pill, in case you change your mind. You don’t want any surprises,” the doctor supplied, unasked.

“I won’t pick it up.” Jaekyung followed the doctor’s glance and looked at Dan. He scowled, and Dan’s blood pressure skyrocketed.

The doctor laid his hint out in the open, saying to Dan, “Your pheromones are very, very weak, but I can tell that you’re an alpha. A question for you: do you experience ruts when exposed to omegas in heat?”

Simultaneously, Jaekyung’s expression blackened as he followed the thread. The messaging was clear in Jaekyung’s nasty study of Dan: This little thing couldn’t pop a knot if his life depended on it, and Don’t you dare get any fucking ideas, do you fucking hear me?

Dan thought back to how he shamefully found out he could knot years ago, while washing up at home after one of his student-clinic patients had a sudden-onset heat during a treatment. Just because Jaekyung hadn’t seen his knot while fucking Dan into oblivion, didn’t mean Dan couldn’t produce one if instinct-driven circumstances induced one in him.

To be thrown into the spotlight like this got Dan’s cheeks burning. “Sir, this isn’t really appropriate,” he replied. “Mr. Joo is in my care, I can’t have sex w—”

“That’s not what he asked,” Jaekyung interrupted, his scowl turning to a disgusted grimace. “Answer him. I’m curious to hear what you have to say.”

Between the doctor’s steady appraisal and Jaekyung’s scrutiny, the pressure was on. Uneasy, Dan squirmed in the hot seat.

“That rarely happens, but if I can’t avoid the omega, I handle my reaction on my own later,” he haltingly admitted, mortified. “Everything works as it should.”

Jaekyung was momentarily shocked into silence by the disclosure. “Huh.”

The doctor looked on appreciatively. “Most likely why they allowed you a license to work in healthcare. I feel vastly better knowing you’re an alpha that Jaekyung can call on when, ahem, should he need to.”

Jaekyung spat out, “I won’t need to, Jesus!” This time, when Jaekyung shot up and stalked off towards the door, no one stopped him. Halting in the door frame, he topped off his final piercing glare with an incensed, “Don’t say anything weird behind my back!”

When the door slammed shut, the doctor said pointedly, “He’s going to need to.”

The red-faced Dan wanted to sink through the floor.

“Oh,” Dan mumbled feebly. He put his head in his hands and supposed that participating should, technically, be considered part of his contract, if Jaekyung gave in and demanded he do. Dan had assumed it’d always be him who was spreading his legs, and only now was being forced to visualize offering assistance the other way.

Poor Dan was totally confident in his complete inability to perform.

Petrified, he asked, “When do you think the heat will begin?”

How long did he have to get in touch with Namwook? To gather courage? To read all the guidebooks on the shelves about helping omegas through heats that he could get his hands on?

“If he hasn’t taken a suppressant today, the day after tomorrow, at the latest. When they’re delayed like this, the heat comes on quickly.”

Thus, Dan learned that he had little time to prepare.

“Oh,” he mumbled. The suppressant was part of Jaekyung’s strict evening routine. Dan knew Jaekyung hadn’t taken it yet. Following up, he asked, “And how long will the heat last?”

The doctor drummed his fingers on his desk. “Forever, or he could end it immediately. It all depends on how stubborn he is. With the heat put off as long as he has, only being knotted will ease his condition. This won’t pass without one.”

“Oh,” Dan mumbled.

Typing again, the doctor said, “I’m going to send in an after-pill prescription under your name, please don’t forget to stop by the pharmacy.”

Dan looked up and nodded. That was a true necessity. He ought to track down other items Jaekyung might need, since god knows Jaekyung wasn’t going to request them. That was the second task he’d get on, after speaking with Namwook.

With a click of his mouse, the doctor told Dan, “Make sure he takes the pill. Jaekyung would be a terrible mother.”

Not knowing what to say at that remark, Dan stayed silent.

The doctor coughed lightly. “Considering his celebrity and the professional nature of your relationship, your name is off-record; I won’t place it in the heat-partner field.”

With a polite “Thanks,” Dan stood to head out. As he opened the door, the doctor bid him farewell and…

“Good luck, man.”

After a long pause at this fellow’s repeated questionable professionalism, Dan replied awkwardly, “Thank you, doctor.”

With that, he trundled off to the pharmacy and headed out to a nearby park. The fresh air outside the hospital did little to help his unease.

Sitting on a stone bench, Dan spoke with Namwook on the phone. The coach on the other end was understanding but fretful, concerned about how many outings and meetings would have to be rescheduled. When he inquired how long the doctor said it might be, Dan gave a vague estimate. He lied; a week, to be conservative. He prayed it wouldn’t last that long, or longer, though, and that Jaekyung would give in, reset his system, and move on.

“Doc Dan, do you think you’d be able to help him through it, if you know what I mean?” Namwook asked on the other end of the line. “He might actually be receptive to you and make a true break out of this. That, and you’re staying with him, so it’d be convenient. I’m sorry to ask, since you already do a lot for the ungrateful piece of work, but you’d be doing us a real solid. I know none of the other guys would touch him; they’d be too scared! Not that he’d let them.”

Dan winced. No one else was in the know about their contract, and yet here was a second person casually saying he ought to risk his own welfare by attempting sexual activity with Jaekyung while the omega was potentially out of it, mind-addled by his heat. The provider-patient boundary was apparently irrelevant in these circumstances; no one gave a damn.

“Ah, please don’t tell anyone the specifics of what’s happening with Mr. Joo. He’d like to keep this private,” Dan responded, neglecting to mention the threat of bodily harm if word got out. “He also plans to handle his heat alone.”

Namwook made a frustrated sound.

“I’ll be with him, making sure nothing goes wrong,” Dan assured. “If it comes down to it, I’m present.”

Voicing the implication was hard enough. Dan was glad this was a phone conversation because he wouldn’t live it down if Namwook saw his flush, the sweat beading on his forehead, and the nervous bounce of his knee.

“Oh, you’re really the best thing that’s ever happened to Team Black! Thank you, thank you! You’re a lifesaver!” Namwook said appreciatively. “Good luck! Keep me updated!”

Pleased by the praise despite the context, Dan said, “No problem, and I will.”

Although this was, in fact, a gigantic problem, Dan closed out the call with the next phase on his mind. He needed to grab what a large, hostile omega might need while stuck at home. He’d hit up the grocery store and perhaps the hobby shop to browse for a few games, like he’d planned for the original rest day.

…Dan was in no rush to get back to the penthouse.

Before that, he would sit on that hard stone bench for another two hours, alternating between staring at the concrete beneath his feet and doomscrolling barely helpful articles on his tiny phone screen. These articles were about caring for a standard-issue, submissive, dependent, heat-stricken omega. When it came to figuring out the care and keeping of a willful, scary one, Dan was on his own.

When Dan arrived back home that night, the lights were dimmed and the penthouse was quiet. Since he was nowhere to be seen, Dan assumed Jaekyung must have gone to bed early. By his mental calculation, Jaekyung had skipped his suppressant three hours earlier. Perhaps that was why he’d turned in? From his quick reading, Dan had gleaned that the tiredness that preceded pre-heat could set in quickly once the suppressants were stopped.

He lugged his bags into the kitchen; the presence of the sweatshirt Jaekyung had been wearing earlier, hanging over a chair, further supported the assumption that he’d turned in early, not that he was yet to return. Dan put away ingredients for nutrient-dense meals, sweet snacks he doubted would be touched, but were listed as essentials, and stuck some ice packs in the freezer. He placed his new board games on the counter for them to play tomorrow.

He looked back at the sweatshirt, and was pulled over by a sudden surge of curiosity. Dan looked around, left, right, and behind before he speedily grabbed it. Bringing it up to his nose, he took a deep breath. He was slightly disappointed that it smelled like typical day-old laundry, with no hint of anything new and exciting—simply Jaekyung, who never failed to smell halfway decent, always a stickler for hygiene. He exhaled and tossed it back on the chair as quickly as he’d picked it up, self-conscious of his sheer perversion.

Dan decided to spend some time winding down and walked to the living area. He settled on the couch and looked out the high windows at the city lights, and wondered what the next few days would look like for him. Earlier, he’d told the truth that he’d rarely encountered omegas in heat. A brief brush at most, as the vast majority of omegas sequestered themselves away for their safety during easily predicted heats.

Those few brushes had made his heart race, and his body want. But he was different from other alphas. He was smaller and less sex driven. A distraction could keep his weak lust at bay. While he’d never made his reaction anyone’s problem but his own, he couldn’t help but worry. Who’s to say how he’d react in close, prolonged proximity?

He chuckled weakly to himself. Dan could literally die at the hands of the omega if he forced himself on Jaekyung, and it would be considered lawful self-defense.

A creak and shifting shadow captured his attention, and he looked behind him. He called quietly, “Mr. Joo, you’re awake?”

“You got back late.” Jaekyung stepped out of the dark, a look of displeasure on his face. “What were you doing?”

Late for what, exactly? Anyway, it wasn’t terribly late. Sleeping must have thrown off his sense of what time of day it was.

As he came closer, Dan replied, “A little shopping.”

“What for?” Jaekyung asked. Further illumination showed his exhaustion. He moved slowly, and there were purple hollows beneath his eyes.

Dan put his hands in his lap and fought to keep his voice steady, intimidated. “Supplies that might help you.”

Jaekyung sat heavily on the other end of the couch from Dan. His head lolling to the side, he grumbled, “No one asked. I don’t need help.” Hard, but tired, eyes turned to Dan. “I won’t need help. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“I understand.” Rather than dwelling on the rejection of his generosity, Dan looked for something else to say. “Um, I figured you’d spend a lot of time resting, so I also bought some passive things for you and me to do. I don’t want you to get too bored.”

Jaekyung scooted nearer, putting Dan on edge. “For the two of us to do?” He smirked slightly and leaned in. “I can think of a few things myself.”

Dan’s breath hitched, and he felt blood rush to his face. “Not like that! Aren’t you exhausted?”

“You’re not wrong,” Jaekyung admitted after an irritated sigh. He settled backwards. “Alright, let’s see what you come up with.”

Looking at the floor, Dan said delicately, “Why don’t you go back to bed?”

For a time, Jaekyung didn’t say anything at all.

“What, are you sick of me, Kim Dan?” he responded easily. “It’s more comfortable out here.”

Not totally lying, not totally telling the truth, Dan said, “I… no, I’m not sick of you. You seemed fatigued, that's all.” He dug his fingers into the fabric of his pants. “Here’s more comfortable? On the couch? Why’s that?”

“None of your business.”

Glancing back over at Jaekyung, Dan’s heart skipped a beat. He noticed something; Jaekyung was wearing the new branded Team Black jacket. “New,” in the sense that it was the most recently issued, but Jaekyung had passed the article off to Dan. He could believe Namwook had done a reorder if it wasn’t for the tiny, easily missed iron-on patch near the collar. Dan had quickly fixed it after the jacket caught on an errant something or other.

Jaekyung had to have gone into Dan’s room to retrieve it.

Mouth dry, Dan opted not to comment on that. To think too much about an omega doing as an omega is wont to do had to be avoided. He couldn’t let these instincts mean anything, and promised himself he wouldn’t try to decipher the behaviors. He’d observe, listen, and assist during this time; that was all.

Instead of cornering Jaekyung with his intrigue, Dan asked a bit nervously, “Do you want to do something, then? We can watch a movie.”

Bleary eyes turned towards the television. “Yeah, whatever. Choose,” Jaekyung replied.

The remote was on the coffee table in front of them, sitting closest to Jaekyung. If he were anyone else, he’d have politely passed it over. Alas, the remote remained in its place, coaxing Dan closer. He moved so he could reach the remote. Thigh to thigh, Dan, at last, caught a whiff of what he’d been curious about earlier.

The brutal Joo Jaekyung smelled faintly of sweet-scented flowers, a favorite of Dan’s. He couldn’t bring himself to move away.

Pressing “on,” he breathed in the wafting pheromones subtly, guiltily, breath after breath. In the TV’s faint light, Jaekyung looked striking. His dark hair swept across his forehead, lightly mussed from his time in bed, and his hard, masculine features were softer from tiredness. Where their thighs touched, Jaekyung radiated abnormal warmth. The unconscious reaction to that warmth was surprising and uncontrollable—Dan could sense an unusual storm of his own pheromones flooding the two, and he grew tense. Usually, his scent was nearly absent. What if he’d slipped up, and this was too much?

Unlike Dan’s breaths, Jaekyung’s were deep and audible. Dan was surprised. Despite his reservations, Dan resisted the urge to flee. No, he would stay and offer this. He knew that scenting from a reliable alpha was helpful for an omega, even if there was no mating bond between them. As Jaekyung basked, his eyelids grew heavy and quickly fluttered shut.

Dan opened the streaming service and was near-immediately crushed by the massive weight of Jaekyung resting against him, dead to the world.

So heavy! Dan slumped under his mass and struggled to shift Jaekyung into a more comfortable position. He found this… pleasant? In a suffocating kind of way.

Continuing with his suggested activity, Dan began browsing the options. He wasn’t actually paying close attention to movies as the titles darted across the screen. Dan was preoccupied with the thought that gently touching the tranquil Jaekyung would be easy. He wouldn’t even notice because he was sleeping deeply.

Dan stiffened when Jaekyung stirred. Gravity was getting to the omega, and his head tilted further, resting atop Dan’s. His warm, steady breathing ruffled Dan’s hair. The proximity of the scent gland on Jaekyung’s neck made Dan uncomfortably twitchy as he was engulfed in a cloud of pheromones, faint but slightly stronger than before. A shoulder rolled forward, and Jaekyung’s weight did the rest. Dan didn’t dare move as Jaekyung’s malleable body drifted. His torso sagged, and then he was draped across Dan’s lap, his head resting on the sofa cushion.

Looking down at Jaekyung, Dan exhaled shakily. He liked this, but felt he shouldn’t. He had to keep himself in check.

Dan ignored the predicament, but it was a mental battle. Jaekyung was so softly different from usual that Dan was truly drowning in temptation. The intrusive thoughts were getting worse. While Dan would be murdered if Jaekyung woke up to him taking advantage of this vulnerability, staying still might kill Dan, too.

Abruptly, he felt breathless and knew he had to get his attention elsewhere. To distract himself from Jaekyung’s feverish body heat and nearness to a dangerous place, Dan fixated on the television. He chose a horror movie to nuke the mood. Now he could claim his shivers were courtesy of blood and gore, his heart rate high from villainy, and his prickling groin due to gratuitously titillating slasher-movie sex scenes. Then, he decided on a comedy to calm his primed nerves so he could sleep that night, and, finally, he knocked himself out with the gentle narration of a nature documentary.

He awoke with a start to the musical soundtrack of a random film, right as the sun was appearing on the horizon. Jaekyung and his warmth had vanished, along with a number of the surrounding couch cushions. Smiling lightly, Dan considered that possibly, maybe, he’d overthought how scary Jaekyung would be.

Before he began the day with cooking for Jaekyung, Dan wanted to get a few more hours of shut-eye. He stretched out creaky joints, turned off the TV, and then stood up. A glass of water called to him, so he stopped in the kitchen. Slightly refreshed, he breezed past Jaekyung’s bedroom, made a quick pit stop, then headed off towards his own room.

He turned the knob. The door slowly creaked open.

POW!

If what had hit him in the face had been anything heavier than a luxurious goose feather pillow drenched in the omega’s fierce, cloying, unsuppressed pre-heat pheromones, it would’ve been lights out for Dan.

Dazed from the sheer force of the impact and, unfortunately, his steadily growing arousal, the alpha stood frozen in the doorway.

The mighty fighter Joo Jaekyung was curled up, huddled under Dan’s comforter in the middle of the bed. He’d ducked underneath it after the attack, leaving only his face visible. Surrounding him were Dan’s few pieces of clothing, torn from their shelves and hangers, numerous pillows, milk cartons from who knows where, and a ratty old pair of boxing gloves.

Increasingly bloodshot eyes traversed Dan, and Jaekyung’s nose twitched as he sniffed the air suspiciously. When Jaekyung’s heightened senses zeroed in on Dan’s creeping desire, his hitherto hidden fangs sprang forth, flashing dangerously. “You! Don’t come any closer, Kim Dan!” he hissed.

Faced with no guarantee of resting comfortably or being able to access his possessions, Dan whispered morosely, “My room?”

Since Dan didn’t immediately move, Jaekyung propped himself up. When the blanket fell away, one could catch a glimpse of sharp, lengthening claws. Jaekyung growled. He lunged forward slightly, a fearsome bluff that freaked Dan out to no end.

Throwing his hands up in a gesture of surrender, Dan “eep”-ed and scrambled away, his prior overthinking validated. He shut the door behind him to give Jaekyung his privacy back. Outside, Dan pressed himself to the wall. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as his heart thumped wildly in his chest.

Those fangs were scary! The claws? Could no one have warned him about Jaekyung’s fangs and claws? Was anyone else actually privy to that information? One hundred percent, those weren’t MFC-compliant. They must be the source of the wild rumors surrounding what happened to the alphas who’d ever pursued Jaekyung.

Suddenly, he was more appreciative of the doctor and Namwook’s closing well-wishes. Good luck might truly be needed if Dan were to come out the other side of this heat unscathed.

Shaking off the spooked feeling, Dan wiped the tears away with his shirt and looked down at his bulging zipper. He bit his lip, astounded that a biological imperative allowed him to be this painfully turned on after a scare like that.

Letting Jaekyung lead was the strategic approach he’d been unofficially following, but Dan’s moment of fear cemented that. The throbbing erection of his had to be vanquished. Only with the immediate threat eradicated, might Jaekyung make himself known again, and, a frightening thought, perhaps even drag Dan into his nest.

Dan shook his head, exhaled slowly to calm himself further, and headed towards the bathroom. There, he’d find reprieve in the hot, flowing water, solitude, and tedious masturbation that awaited him. Stripping his clothes, he didn’t waste a single second; when the burning stream hit, he gave in to the sharp demand of his instincts.

With a whimper, Dan came into his hand. Breathing heavily, he rinsed it off and spent the next few minutes in the shower waiting for his sensitive knot to shrink. His problem dealt with, and his mind fully cleared, he turned off the water. He reached for a terry-cloth towel and dried off.

Dan brushed his teeth, standing naked in front of the mirror.

Of other things he’d done in the shower, Dan had thought. As intimidating as Jaekyung’s displeasure had been when he arrived while Dan was settling down, he realized Jaekyung was likely waiting up the prior night. Conscious or not, in early pre-heat, he’d surrounded himself in Dan’s scent and was waiting on… an alpha before succumbing to unprotected sleep. He’d left his fragile, ripped, hard-as-nails underbelly on display. The hissing and spitting—Jaekyung was nothing if not prideful. He’d never address that vulnerability, so, of course, he’d run off to protect himself with a terrifying front.

The Dan looking back at him in the mirror was pink-cheeked and bright-eyed, even though he was tired. How could he not be a little charmed, thinking about how endearing the behavior was? Behind a shroud of detachment and aggression, Jaekyung was behaving rather typically for an omega that was the dependent type. Reflecting, Dan had a brief second of sorrow; Jaekyung must have had a horrible time of heats when he was young, if he was alone, as he’d said.

After he spat out his toothpaste, he absently looked at the pile of dirty clothes and realized that they were all he had. A small part of him supposed he could dart into Jaekyung’s room and grab something of his. A bigger part of Dan was afraid that Jaekyung would tolerate no such thing, as irrational as refusing to let Dan borrow clothing when he was being denied his own would be.

Wandering naked through the common areas didn’t appeal much to Dan either.

Cringing, he concluded he’d have to put on the prior day’s clothes. Maybe his lingering musk would be what changed Jaekyung’s tune, and Dan might be allowed into his own bedroom to retrieve at least a few of his belongings. Entering without permission was bloodshed waiting to happen. Could Jaekyung want the dirty clothes? Dan could execute an exchange of sorts.

He sighed. Like with the jacket, Dan wouldn’t overthink the nest in his bedroom. Rinsing his toothbrush, the rightfully cynical cynic dispassionately thought, Biology is biology. He didn’t allow himself to dwell as he gave his hair a quick brush. He had to get moving.

Once dressed in the prior day’s slightly stinky clothes, Dan got started on his usual morning duties and headed to the kitchen, leaving behind the faint smell of Jaekyung’s pheromones that slipped through cracks in Dan’s door frame. Deeply breathing in the neutral air, Dan pulled out the ingredients and snacks he’d bought the night before and began organizing a basket of goodies and putting together breakfast.

He’d just finished plating the different dishes when the inevitable happened. Jaekyung emerged.

He was wrapped in Dan’s blanket, which draped over his shoulders and fell to the floor. Dan watched the blanket drag behind Jaekyung on the marble tile as he walked across the penthouse, heading towards the smell of food. There was a little more energy in Jaekyung’s gait this morning. When he sat at the dining table, the cozy blanket around him pooled at his feet, and he pulled it tightly to him. He looked at Dan expectantly, with his typical lack of gratitude, as if everything about this was totally, utterly, normal.

Dan didn’t react, saying nothing at all as he made multiple trips to place numerous small plates out before Jaekyung. At last, he returned to the table with his own sole plate of food.

They sat in silence.

Dan quickly realized he couldn’t smell much at all. The neutral air hadn’t changed in the slightest.

His voice tinted with concern, Dan began, “Mr. Joo, did you…?”

Seemingly reading Dan’s mind, Jaekyung muttered snippily, “I only rubbed in a masking cream. My scent is disgusting, I can't stand it long.”

Dan relaxed at the explanation, although he doubted that it was the full truth. His gut reaction was to disagree, assure him that, no, Jaekyung’s pheromones were far from disgusting. But, he had the distinct sense that Jaekyung wouldn’t appreciate the comment. Not from anyone, and particularly not from Dan, the alpha in his midst.

Jaekyung bristled where he sat. “And you. What was that earlier? God, get a hold of yourself. Isn’t your drive weak as shit? That means you should stay normal around me.”

“I, I couldn’t help it,” Dan stammered, pressing into the back of his seat. “I wasn’t planning on doing anything, though, I swear.” Like I didn’t last night, have you forgotten? he thought.

“You sure? I think I scared you away,” Jaekyung accused. “When you walked in on me like that, I could’ve done a hell of a lot more. I let you off easy.”

Dan’s pulse spiked. ”Of course I walked in, it’s my bedroom you built a nest in! You left it unlocked! How was I supposed to know?” Dan wished to insist, but he abstained. He wasn’t about to open that can of worms with Jaekyung.

Rather, Dan openly admitted, “You did scare me, but I really wasn’t planning on doing anything.” His pleading might be futile, but he’d try. “I wouldn’t lie to you, Mr. Joo; you can trust me.”

Jaekyung’s hardened eyes met Dan’s across the table. He held that eye contact for a few contemplative seconds, where Dan could hear his blood pulsing in his ears. Then, Jaekyung looked away. Freeing his hands from the swaddle, he wordlessly began to eat, closing down the discussion.

Dan quietly dug in as well, unsure of the outcome of that conversation. As he swallowed his final bite of a silent meal, he thought, This is too awkward.

“So, what are we gonna do today?” Jaekyung asked abruptly, jarring Dan into alertness. “It better be extremely fun.”

“Oh,” Dan said, brightening. “Let me clean this up, and I’ll show you what I’ve got.”

Picking up his plate and stacking all the others on top of it, Dan took the pile of dirty dishes to the sink. He’d find time to clean them later. Right now, he wanted to see Jaekyung’s reaction. He hoped Jaekyung would find the games enjoyable. He grabbed the basket of sweet snacks he’d prepared earlier, as well as the games, and brought them over to where Jaekyung sat.

“This is what you decided on?” Jaekyung commented. “Board games?”

Dan nodded, slightly worried—would he refuse? “There’s only so much to do while closed in at home. If you don’t like these, we could try something else?”

“Like what?”

“We could do some of your rehab stretches, or maybe try meditation?”

Jaekyung looked between the boxes and Dan, unenthused about either of those additional options. “Ah, fuck it. Let’s do this.”

Dan was delighted. They’d never spent casual time together before. Jaekyung stayed snug in his blanket as Dan sat back down across from him.

“Have you played these?” Dan asked, turning a box over to look at the instructions. “I don’t know the rules yet myself.”

“No, but whatever. It’s not rocket science,” Jaekyung replied, grabbing a cream bread from the basket. “I’ll take you down.”

He engaged deeply with the games throughout the morning, but Jaekyung did not, in actuality, take Dan down.

Dan couldn’t help but quietly laugh when Jaekyung angrily slammed his hands down as he lost yet again.

“Fuck this shit!” Jaekyung erupted, standing up from the table. “I’m out!”

After taking a big handful of snacks, he stormed away, dragging Dan’s blanket behind him. When the door to his room closed, Dan privately laughed aloud for the first time in too long.

With Jaekyung’s earlier edginess gone, Dan supposed that now was as good a time as any to knock on his own bedroom door to ask about a new set of clothes. He quickly followed, rehearsing his request as he walked.

“Sir?” Dan said aloud.

From inside, Jaekyung responded aggressively, “I’m done with those games!”

“Um, it’s not that,” Dan began shyly. “Can I get something from inside?”

“No!”

“But I need new clothes,” Dan said, his cheeks warming at the yucky upcoming admission. “… Everything I’m wearing is from yesterday morning.”

He waited patiently.

“Gross, no wonder you’re fucking rank,” Jaekyung grouched.

Jaekyung was not one to mince words or censor himself. Considering both those, Dan thought, amused, Is it that bad? You didn’t say a word the whole time we were at the table…

There was movement inside, and the lock turned. The door opened up enough for a single outfit’s worth of clothes to be passed through. An eye appeared at the crack. Goosebumps rose on Dan’s arms at the territorial snarl that colored the omega’s voice as Jaekyung demanded, “Bring back the old ones, that way I can toss them in the hamper. I don’t want you leaving clothes around, messing up the place.”

When the door shut loudly in his face, Dan didn’t laugh. He couldn’t laugh. He wouldn’t laugh. Dan wanted to laugh so, so badly. Sure, he’d ignore the empty washer-dryer and hand his dirty laundry back to Jaekyung, not a problem.

Looking at the fresh clothes, Dan smiled as he softly played along, murmuring, “Thank you, Mr. Joo.”

He’d successfully executed the nest exchange, so Dan quickly headed to the bathroom, where he switched out his clothes. He neatly folded them, thick with his scent, and walked back.

Dan knocked on the door once. “Mr. Joo, I have the laundry here for you.” He flinched at how quickly it opened, like Jaekyung had been waiting on the other side. The omega's large hand darted out, snatched the clothing, and shut the door sharply with a thud.

Having done his due diligence, Dan laughed under his breath as he returned to the kitchen to clean up from breakfast.

While scrubbing dishes, the doctor’s words from yesterday, “the day after tomorrow at the latest,” made rounds in Dan's head. At the latest, at the latest, at the latest. That meant it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Jaekyung’s heat would flare up today, putting Dan on the line to sit by and listen to him suffer. Standing aside would be difficult, as Dan was nothing if not a compassionate person.

Or, maybe Jaekyung would fall into his heat today and painfully grunt, “Ah, fuck it. Let’s do this,” about Dan’s thing, too, and demand a knot to get everything over with. That would be difficult, but also terrifying—Dan hadn’t even gotten a chance to research the, uh, “essential information” he ought to know. Perhaps there was time to watch a few instructional videos, or, or, or… to think really, really intensely about what Jaekyung did when he fucked Dan?

Prepping shouldn’t be that hard to learn. Dan did it to himself all the time. And there’d be lots… of… slick to… ease… the learning curve. Then, he’d just put it in. Right? Dan’s thing wasn’t nearly as big. Easy. But it wasn’t small either. Truthfully, he thought he ought to be careful, and treat Jaekyung the way Dan dearly wished to be treated…

Darn it!

Dan shouldn’t have thought about any of that; it only caused him trouble and a needle-prick of angst.

He squeezed his thighs together, warding away the inappropriate arousal by focusing on the task in front of him. The scent mask had worn off, and Jaekyung’s pheromones were stronger than ever, wafting all the way to the kitchen. Between that and his wandering mind, Dan wished for something, anything, to make this less excruciating.

Unfortunately, the situation worsened.

At the clatter of a door opening, Dan looked up from what he was doing, and his hair stood on end.

“It’s freaking hot,” Jaekyung complained as he came out again, approaching in nothing but his clinging swim trunks and house slippers, with a towel in hand. Every part of the omega was unnaturally flushed, and rivers of sweat left a sheen over every inch of his bulk, despite the temperate thermostat setting. The scent was dizzying.

The sight was dizzying, too.

Dan was already having a hard enough time, and now this?

Wary of accidentally throwing off Jaekyung’s calm by looking for too long, Dan returned to the dishes and volunteered, “There are ice packs in the freezer, Mr. Joo.”

Jaekyung vehemently rejected the suggestion as he strolled past. “Come with me, Kim Dan.”

With great trepidation, Dan turned off the water and peeled off his cleaning gloves. The nest was off-limits, but it seemed like Jaekyung had taken Dan’s plea for his trust at face value, since he was willing to keep the alpha close as the pre-heat wore on. Warmed at the thought, Dan would make sure to remain dependable.

Lagging behind to let himself cool down, Dan followed Jaekyung to his swimming pool for the first time. He breathed easier when the distance between him and Jaekyung increased, and when the other man jumped into the water. That nipped the scent problem in the bud, temporarily.

“Sir, go easy on that shoulder,” Dan called as Jaekyung began swimming laps. Approaching the edge of the pool, Dan kicked off his slippers and sat down, dipping his feet in the cold water.

“I know,” Jaekyung replied. His lips had an unusual upward turn. To Dan, he seemed the most pleased he had in ages when Jaekyung continued, “I haven’t been swimming in a while. This helps.”

Dan watched Jaekyung swim for a few minutes, admiring him, as he often did. He was interested to see that his sporting skills weren’t limited to the ring.

After some time, Jaekyung stopped his laps and stood up, a questioning expression on his face. “Why are you just sitting there?” he asked, brushing his dark, dripping hair away from his eyes.

“I don’t know how to swim,” Dan answered hesitantly. He didn’t even own a swimsuit. “I’ll just watch.”

Jaekyung’s shifting mood at the response gave Dan a sinking feeling, like something unpleasant was about to happen. A wicked smile appeared, which would signal mischief in someone else. On Jaekyung, the smile looked predatory.

“Is that so?” he asked, moving through the water towards Dan. He grabbed Dan’s ankle. With “Then you can learn today,” he dragged Dan into the pool, where the alpha panicked and spluttered until Jaekyung righted him, helping him stand in the shallow water. Dan gasped for breath as Jaekyung scolded him for his panic. He laughed at the flushing, embarrassed Dan, who waded away and climbed out on the deck.

Dan sat there, panting. Mean as it had been, Jaekyung’s dunking was like a bucket of cold water. The experience had relieved Dan of his amorous ills completely.

Pain radiated in Dan’s arms as his elbows hit the hard tile of the pool deck. His cool head became hot, his deep breaths shallow and rushed.

Jaekyung had crept over, and now loomed between Dan’s slim thighs. With nothing but wet fabric to separate them, Jaekyung was stiff, rigid, against Dan. That predatory smile was back. “It’s a shame we didn’t do this last night, but there’s still time.”

“M-Mr. Joo!” Dan cried out. Really, at a time like this?

Rutting against Dan, Jaekyung said, “I need you to know nothing’s changed, Doc. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

Dan looked anxiously into dark eyes. “I-I haven’t gotten the wrong idea, sir,” he replied. He clamped his eyes shut as he was kissed roughly. At the breaking point, the hold Dan had kept on his reactions failed. He could smell and feel his body going haywire with arousal as Jaekyung, his scent front and center, pressed Dan against the deck.

Jaekyung flinched and pulled away. As fast as he’d come on to Dan, he was retreating, coughing. Flushed in the face, he stood up and clutched at his stomach briefly. “Stay away from me!” he commanded before grabbing his towel and lurching away.

From the floor, Dan watched Jaekyung stumble away. When he was out of sight, Dan slowly sat up—stunned, but not surprised. He looked down at the water around his ankles, which was beginning to calm after their short, rapid flurry of activity. This was surely his doing, caused by the spike in his pheromones.

One after the other, he removed his feet from the water. He stood up, determined to investigate a hunch. Following wet footprints, he supposed that his uncontrolled scent might’ve been the final push Jaekyung’s body needed. Soon, those footprints dried up. In their place began a light, then steadily heavier trail of fluid with a heady, intoxicating scent. Dan’s hunch was unmistakably correct. This was slick, and the heady scent of an omega in heat ran rampant in the air.

He quit walking for now, only following the trail with his eyes as it headed towards his bedroom.

Dan swallowed as he stood in place, his eyes widening. This is really happening, he remarked internally, incredulous despite this being the expected outcome.

What could he do now? He’d respect Jaekyung’s command. First thing, he had to find a distraction again. While Dan wasn’t great at cleaning, the drying trail of slick should be washed away. His breaths were shallow as he tracked down cleaning supplies, then tackled the mess, constantly ignoring his body’s pleas for him to address the desire piling up.

Dan held his breath when the task brought him near his door. From inside, he could hear fabric shift alongside thrashing, accompanied by a plethora of curses and groaning. Between the scent radiating out and the torment inside the room, the painful crisis was hard to stomach with the knowledge that he could stop it immediately.

He scurried to put the cleaning supplies away, knowing that the rising tide of his arousal and pheromones would only make the situation inside worse. With nothing else to do, Dan slipped into Jaekyung’s bedroom. He stripped himself of his uncomfortable, wet, clinging clothes and into pieces of Jaekyung’s that hung off his slim frame. Irritation over borrowed clothes would surely be the last thing on Jaekyung’s mind.

Going out, Dan settled on a nearby seat where he could hear everything. Jaekyung’s noise was relentless. Minutes turned to an hour, an hour to multiple. The groaning gave way to quieter exhaustion, but the air stayed heavy with distress. Guilt ate at Dan as he felt the same draw as he had been. He stayed there, tormenting himself, until he couldn’t.

Dan would be disobedient and overstep.

Unable to twiddle his thumbs anymore, Dan headed towards his room. Hoping the omega had left it unlocked in his haste, Dan grabbed the doorknob and turned.

The sight that Dan opened the door on was truly pitiful. Jaekyung looked miserable as he lay naked, thighs wet with slick, spread out in his nest, breathing as heavily as he would be post-bout. Thawed ice packs surrounded him, uselessly contributing to the damp mess of the sheets. Wanting nothing more than to help, Dan made his presence known.

As earnest as he could be while entering the mire of Jaekyung’s heat, Dan said quietly, “You said you don’t need help, Mr. Joo, but listening to you suffer has been hard to hear. I know how it feels to suffer alone.” He took a deep breath. “So, if I can help, I want to.”

“Kim Dan…” Jaekyung turned his head towards Dan, wary and fully cognizant. The omega’s appearance screamed a cornered prey animal. His face was wet and ashen, his eyes bloodshot, as he haltingly spoke through heavy, pained breaths. “I knew it. I bet you’ve been waiting for this opportunity all damn day!”

Standing a safe distance away at the door, Dan corrected, “No, I’m responsible for your body. The way I’m looking at it… knotting is like that.” He struggled to spit out what Jaekyung would hate to hear. “The doctor implied this in his discussion with you, but he said explicitly to me that this one wouldn’t pass without a knot because of how long it's been.”

“What?!”

Nodding, Dan confirmed glumly, “‘It’ll last forever, or he could end it immediately. It all depends on how stubborn he is.’”

“Next time I see that guy…” Righteous annoyance tossed aside, Jaekyung mumbled to himself, “Never received in my life. Never in my whole fucking life, and it’s gonna be him. Fine. Fine, I’ll do it this once to get this shit over with.”

Surprised at the rapid, grudging acceptance of the necessity, Dan shivered like a leaf in the wind as he awaited his invitation into the nest. His voice was a wisp of its usual self as he shared, “I also picked up that after-pill he prescribed, too.”

Jaekyung groaned, long and drawn out, “Fuck this.”

“I’m sorry,” Dan said, needlessly.

Jaekyung gasped through strained breaths, “Don’t even, just get over here!”

Dan took a single, nervous step over the threshold of his own bedroom. “Okay…”

“Hurry up, don’t just stand there!”

In his anxiety, Dan was struck dumb at the sight and sound of Jaekyung calling out for him in such an urgent way. He asked, “Do you want to sit, or should I be on top?”

Jaekyung hissed, “You! I can barely fucking move, Kim Dan! Fuck!”

“Right,” Dan acknowledged, embarrassed.

“Get over here!”

Dan got over there, undressed, climbed in—politely pushing aside stacks of his laundry and a few milk cartons—and gave it his all.

After about twelve minutes composed of fumbling prep and slick-heavy missionary sex chock-full of Jaekyung’s mid-fuck bitching, Dan and he lay stuck together with cum-coated abs and insides, face-to-face, breathing in each other’s air as the second knot of those twelve minutes began to shrink.

Dan collapsed on top of Jaekyung, resting his face on the omega’s chest. His skin was cooling as the acute crisis faded. Flushed and dizzy after their entanglement, Dan took pleasure in the sensation.

“Hey, hey!” Jaekyung said, unwrapping muscular legs from around Dan’s slender hips. “Get off me, it’s done.”

Oh no, Dan lamented to himself. He didn’t want to let the warmth of this fade.

Jaekyung began to push Dan away. “Let go.”

Dan resisted with his slight weight, staying in place. The more time goes by, the less control I have over my body… He sighed, cozying up a little. …And my feelings.

Jaekyung could use his full strength, but he wasn’t. “Oh, come on,” he complained, tapping Dan on the back, urging him off.

Dan was weak, wanting nothing else but to stay warm this way, like they’d been most of the day. But I can’t let this happen…

What now? Clinging, he decided he wouldn’t think about what would come, and take pleasure in this closeness while it lasted.