Archive of Our Own

Mingi wakes up disgustingly hungover. He squints at the body lying in the unfamiliar bed next to him, taking in the long limbs and sliver of naked back. He winces slightly at the obvious red welts all over the stranger’s skin, long nail scratches overlapping on pale flesh.

The room is nice, he thinks absently, blinking sleep out of his eyes and trying to gather his bearings. It's cute, photos of friends on the walls and if it wasn't for the items of clothing on the floor, it would be clean.

There’s a scent of alpha in the room, something sea-salt and spiced, and Mingi has to swallow hard to stop himself from doing something stupid like crawling back into bed with the alpha and never leaving.

This is a stupid idea for many reasons, and the subtle anxiety pulling at the pit of his stomach only emphasises that. Staying over at an alpha’s place after the one-night stand is only a recipe for hurt feelings, in Mingi’s opinion, too used to the way the routine usually goes.

Alphas will hook up with him, want to experiment with something outside of their usual flings, but the following morning will be awkward and stiff, where it’s obvious that the other party regrets it. He doesn’t particularly want to face that again, even if the guy smells so good it’s making Mingi’s jaw ache.

Mingi takes in the puff of brown-blonde hair, the profile of the guy's face. He's attractive, even in sleep, pretty lips and soft lines. He thinks he'd appreciate it more if he wasn't so hungover that the room is still slightly spinning.

Before he even thinks about it, he's up and collecting his clothes, strewn over the floor, and shuffles into them as quietly as he can. His lower back aches as he moves, only confirming last night’s events further. He hovers awkwardly in the kitchen for a long moment, wondering if he should leave his number or not. He considers rummaging in a drawer for a pen and worries distractedly if that’s considered rude or not.

The decision is made for him as the guy wanders in, rubbing the back of his hand against his left eye sleepily, hair in a mess around his head. It shouldn’t be appealing, attractive, but it is, and Mingi’s throat makes a strange noise as he swallows, mouth dry.  

“Oh, hi, I…” Mingi starts.

“Do you want breakfast?” The pretty guy says at the same time, catching Mingi off-guard.

They blink at each other for a second before the guy – Mingi is rattling his brain desperately for his name – grins, chuckling a little as he walks further into the room.

“Oh, sure, you… That’s cool?” Mingi tries his best to maintain some form of dignity, but it’s difficult when one of the hottest men he’s ever seen in his life is offering him a meal. The knowledge that he fucked this man, only emphasised by the ache in his lower back, only makes his mouth drier.

He has a moment of self-consciousness, suddenly aware of his mild rosemary scent and the way it’s gaining an undertone of sweetness. He’s not often grateful for his weaker scent, but if it means that the alpha standing in the kitchen with him doesn’t notice that he’s ridiculously attracted to him, he’ll take it.

“Yeah of course, I…” the guy tilts his head at the cupboard in front of him, “Have literally nothing to offer you.” He sounds vaguely embarrassed, and he scratches the back of his neck as he turns to face Mingi. He’s glad he turns around, much too distracted by the obvious red scratches all over his back. He doesn’t need anything else to turn him on more, as he is already shifting his weight awkwardly, chubbing up a little bit in his boxers.

Flashes of big hands pressing into his hips come to his mind unbidden, and he gnaws on his bottom lip to distract himself.

“I-It’s okay,” Mingi rushes, not sure what to do with his hands. He swallows awkwardly and glances at the door. “I can j-just go if that’s… Easier?” He isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do, say.

“Oh, no I… I actually wanted to spend some more time with you?” It’s a statement but the way his voice is coloured with uncertainty makes it sound like a question. Mingi suddenly feels endeared. The guy seems just as nervous as he is, and it settles his nerves a little bit.  

“We could go get breakfast somewhere then, if… If you want to?” Mingi offers, and rakes a hand through his platinum strands, wincing a little as his rings get caught in the tangles of his heat-damaged hair.

“Yeah, yeah, I’d like that, give me like, ten minutes to get ready?” He offers, and Mingi is reminded of the fact that the man is shirtless in front of him. He tries his best not to look too hard, trying to play it casually, but mostly fails.

“A-Ah, actually, if we’re going out, could I maybe use your shower?” He asks, ears a bit red as he looks up at the other man, who raises an eyebrow at the way he’s obviously ogling him. He wonders if the alpha has picked up on the sweetness of his scent, wonders if his beta scent is even strong enough to carry that far.  

“You can join me if you want?” He offers, and Mingi’s brain freezes for a long second as he processes the request. He’s suddenly aware of the spiced scent of the alpha in the room, and he’s taken by surprise that the other man seems just as interested in Mingi as the beta is in him.

“O-Oh, fuck, sure, yeah,” Mingi stutters, which makes the brown-haired man grin, biting his bottom lip to try and hide it. He doesn’t mind coming across as eager if it makes the other man smile, and then he bats that thought out of his head before he ruminates on it for too long. “This is really fucking awkward, but, what’s your name?”

“Oh my god,” the guy says, eyes widening. “I’m so glad you asked because I didn’t want to ask you first,” he blurts out. Mingi can’t help the slightly delirious giggle that falls out of him, which makes the other man laugh in return, hiding his mouth behind his hand.

“I’m Mingi,” he offers, still smiling stupidly, holding out a hand, and the slightly taller man steps closer, reaching to shake his hand. He smells so good that it makes Mingi feel a little dizzy. He swallows, mouth suddenly a bit dry.

“I’m Yunho,” he says, and then pulls Mingi closer to himself using their intertwined hands, smirking at the beta. Mingi stumbles forward clumsily, but Yunho catches him easily. “I enjoyed fucking you a lot, could we do it again?” He flirts shamelessly, and the beta can smell the arousal in his sea salt scent even stronger from the sudden proximity, thick and perfumed. Yunho wants him, and it makes heat lick up his spine.

“O-Oh my god,” Mingi chokes out, and he knows his face is burning, can feel the heat radiating off himself. “Y-Yes please.” He mumbles, and Yunho laughs, pulling Mingi along as he guides him to the bathroom, down the short corridor.

They make out a little as the shower heats up, mostly led by Yunho, who seems to have gained some confidence back at Mingi’s blatant eagerness. The brunette pulls Mingi’s shirt off quickly, running his hands up and down the blonde’s torso, making him shiver at the sensations. His hands are hot against his cool skin, leaving little prickles of heat as he moves them against his waist.

“You’re so fucking pretty,” Yunho murmurs, pulling back, eyes darting across Mingi’s face. The blonde can feel his ears burning, and he averts his eyes awkwardly. He’s not used to being called pretty, and it makes him blush.

“I-I already said yes, you don’t have to flatter me,” he tries to joke, but he can’t make eye contact, and Yunho chuckles. Two fingers guide his chin gently to look up at Yunho, and his eyes are soft.

“I’m not trying to flatter you, Mingi, you are so pretty,” and his eyes are completely genuine when he says it. Mingi swallows down the lump in his throat and glances down at Yunho’s lips.

“Thank you,” he manages, and the alpha takes the hint and leans in to kiss him again.

They fumble off their clothes, and Mingi’s barely stepped into the spray of water when Yunho’s pressing him against the cool tiles and sucking a bruise into the hollow of his neck. Mingi sighs contentedly, lifting a hand to grab at the back of Yunho’s damp hair, and one of his big hands trails up and down Mingi’s hip.

“You smell so good,” the alpha says, rubbing his nose against the beta’s sensitive gland. Mingi moans quietly, trying to keep it behind his teeth, but Yunho glances up at him, raising an eyebrow.

“Y-Yunho…” he breathes out, mostly pointlessly, because the alpha just ignores him to search his expression for something.

“You’re gonna be good for me again, yeah?” He murmurs, and Mingi has to grab hold of Yunho’s arm to stop himself from stumbling embarrassingly.

“Y-Yeah,” he doesn’t mean to sound so desperate, but it spills out of him before he can stop it. Yunho looks up at him, quirking an eyebrow and Mingi gnaws on his bottom lip, suddenly shy. The brunette brings a hand up to his jaw, rubbing his thumb against Mingi’s cheekbone.

“You don’t have to be nervous,” he whispers, and Mingi glances up at him, eyes wide. He didn’t know it was that obvious.

“S-Sorry,” he whispers back, and Yunho tilts his head, hair wet from the shower spray, water dripping down the side of his face. “It feels scarier now I’m sober.”

“O-Oh,” Yunho looks surprised for a second before he smiles, leaning to press a kiss against Mingi’s lips, surprisingly gentle. “We don’t have to do anything, you know.”

“N-No, I want to,” Mingi blurts out, which makes Yunho’s smile widen further. “I’m still stretched from last night, but like, do you have lube in here?” He feels awkward, reminding the alpha that he is, in fact, a beta, and can’t produce slick outside of his or his partners' cycles.

“Oh, shit, uh, wait,” Yunho turns on the spot for a second, before he has to awkwardly get out of the shower and rummage under the sink, dripping water all over the floor. “Sorry,” he mumbles as he gets back in, and Mingi chuckles, endeared by the awkwardness, the clumsiness. It makes it feel more normal and less desperately terrifying.

“It’s chill,” Mingi mumbles, reaching to pull Yunho closer to him. “I just remember you being bigger than I expected, being safe and that.” The brunette snorts at that, obviously taken off-guard. “N-Not that I was expecting you to be small, I mean, you’re an alpha and that, s-sorry I didn’t mean-“ the alpha interrupts him with a sudden laugh.

“I’m not offended,” he mumbles, still grinning. “It’s okay,” he says, amusement in his voice. He leans back in to press a kiss on Mingi’s lips.

Ten minutes later Mingi’s bent over, holding onto the wall, one hand twisted back to hold onto Yunho’s wrist where his hand is gripping into the flesh of his waist. Yunho’s big and thick, more than Mingi remembered, but it stretches him out so well, pressing just right against his walls. Yunho fucks him hard, deep, and the beta can feel it in his toes. He can’t stop the pathetically little noises that the alpha fucks out of him.

“F-Fucking Christ,” Mingi gets out, and his legs quiver as Yunho shifts his angle and hits straight against his prostate. “F-Fuck, fuck, there.”

“Yeah?” Yunho murmurs, and his grip flexes on the place where his stomach rolls, and Mingi has a second of self-consciousness before Yunho grips tighter and fucks into him harder. “You feel so fucking good, God, fuck.”

“Y-Yunho, fuck,” he chokes over a moan, hand scrambling against the tile. He’s sort of surprised how good he is at fucking him, semi-convinced that his blurry memories from last night were only heightened by the alcohol, that it wasn’t going to feel as good the second time around. He was wrong. “God, I-I’m close,” he mumbles, slightly embarrassed at how quickly he’s teetering on the edge of orgasm, and as he reaches down to touch himself, his breath catches in his throat. The humiliation doesn’t particularly dull how his stomach knots with heat, especially not with how spiced the alpha’s scent is, how thick the aroma is, and how sweet Mingi smells. The way their pheromones intertwine makes Mingi’s mouth water, and his jaw aches with its intensity.

“Fuck, me too,” Yunho says, and speeds up slightly, the new angle making Mingi whimper weakly, eyes squeezed shut. “Shit, you’re so fucking good, you take it so well, fuck,” the alpha grits out, and Mingi moans, speeding up his own hand, suddenly desperate to cum.

“I-I’m good?” Mingi repeats breathlessly, and he feels Yunho’s hand around his chest, pulling him upright, flush against his own chest. He sucks a little mark under his jaw for a second. The possessiveness isn’t lost on the beta, who whimpers quietly. Yunho hears it, obvious by the way his scent spikes.  

“Fuck, yes. So good, Mingi,” Yunho murmurs in his ear, one hand snaking up to wrap around his throat softly. “Being such a good boy for me, made for taking cock, yeah?”

“F-Fuck, yeah,” Mingi moans, leaning his head back against Yunho’s shoulder, “can you c-choke me, please?” Yunho’s hand tightens a bit, pressing into the sides of his neck just right, making the beta whine low in his throat. It’s enough that the blonde feels a little breathless, and he moans weakly at the sensation.

“Fuck, even saying please, you’re unreal,” Yunho says, sounding a bit awed, not slowing his hips. Mingi chokes over a pathetic mewl, one hand still keeping himself upright against the wall. “G-God, I’m gonna cum.” It’s tightening in the pit of his stomach, creeping through his veins.

“P-Please,” Mingi chokes out, stroking himself desperately with his spare hand. “I’m s-so close, I-I, fuck, fuck.” He can barely get the words out, so close that he can feel his thighs trembling, heat licking at his stomach. “Y-Yunho, c-cumming.” He cums with an intensity that shocks him, breath shuddering as he moans, Yunho’s hand still pressing around his throat.

The alpha keeps fucking him through his orgasm, stretching it, and the waves of pleasure roll through him with such force that his ears ring slightly. Yunho groans as he pulls out, removing his hand from the blonde’s neck to stroke himself, and Mingi feels the familiar sensation of semen hit his lower back, but he’s mostly distracted by trying to get his breath back.

“Oh my god,” Mingi pants, and Yunho’s grip on his hip weakens slightly.

“You okay?” he murmurs, and Mingi nods, turning in the other man’s grip so he can look at him.

“Yeah, good,” he mumbles, and Yunho grins at him, leaning to press a kiss against his lips, strangely romantic considering the circumstances. “Thanks.” He adds as they pull apart.

“You’re so polite,” he whispers, and Mingi searches his face for any hint that the brunette is making fun of him, but he seems genuine.

Yunho washes Mingi’s hair and makes him sit on the edge of the bath with the conditioner on for several minutes, teasing him about the damage to his hair. The beta pouts and Yunho presses another kiss to his mouth, amusement in his eyes. Mingi wonders why his heart is beating so fast in his chest.

For a second he feels nervous all over again, suddenly wondering if Yunho’s caring gestures are a front for something deeper. He hates that his brain does this, spirals, and isn’t fully comfortable with himself. His beta sub-gender is something that he’s ever really connected to, something he’s always felt a little distanced from despite the years since his presentation.

Insecurity clouds him for a second, obviously enough to spike in his scent, because Yunho turns to him, eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“You okay?” he murmurs, and Mingi glances up, pulled out of his thoughts. He nods immediately, trying his best to smile convincingly. The alpha searches his expression for a second and then nods, pulling Mingi towards him, under the water spray.

“Okay, let me wash this out,” he says, reaching to rub the conditioner off his head. “Close your eyes, I don’t want to get soap in them.” Mingi squeezes his eyes closed easily, trusting.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Yunho whispers back, hands moving softly in his hair. “I like looking after you.”

Mingi doesn’t know what he means by that.

When they eventually get out, Yunho offers him some more comfortable clothes than the clothes he wore last night. Mingi is grateful, not looking forward to eating breakfast in skin-tight denim and the low-cut shirt that would almost definitely show the insane number of hickeys that he has on his neck and chest. The subtle marks and the hint of possession feel too good to be true, so Mingi ignores it as much as he can.

The shirt he borrows smells of Yunho, some masculine cologne and his sea-salt scent that Mingi shouldn’t be so attracted to already. It’s oversized, still big on Mingi’s slightly broader shoulders, and he wonders if he could get away with stealing it, as a reminder.

The brunette smirks at him as he reappears, dressed in his clothes, and when he leans in to kiss him, one of his big hands drifts under his shirt to squeeze his waist gently. The blonde has to focus hard to stop himself from whimpering. He doesn’t want to act like a helpless omega, even if that’s what Yunho might prefer. He tries to ignore that unfounded thought too.

Yunho takes him to a cramped café just down the road, and as they walk down the street Mingi realises that he only lives about five minutes from here. He wonders if he should mention it, still unsure about the situation, still slightly untethered.

He’s not sure if Yunho is just being nice or if after this, he’s not going to hear from the man again, not sure if it’s a one-night stand or something more serious. He wants it to be more serious, but he’s uncertain if he’s allowed to even want that. He realises abruptly that he likes Yunho, likes his stupid sense of humour, likes his gentle care, likes the way he speaks his mind and makes Mingi’s anxiety quiet down. He’s not even sure he’s allowed to like him.

“So, what do you do for work?” Yunho asks around a mouthful of pancakes that makes Mingi feel a bit nauseated when he looks at them – mostly due to the amount of syrup the alpha has drenched them in. “Sorry if I’ve already asked any of this last night, I’m… My memories of it are a bit…” he gestures with his fork.

“It’s fine,” Mingi answers, snorting a little, “same, honestly.” He swallows a mouthful of coffee and leans back against the squeaky vinyl of the booth chair. “I’m a music producer with a local idol company,” he admits taking a small bite of the limp toast he’d ordered.

“Oh!” Yunho sounds genuinely enthused, and his eyes widen. “That’s so cool!”

“Ah, it can be, sometimes it’s a bit…” Mingi searches for the word, waving his toast a little. “Repetitive?”

“In what way?” the brunette prompts, and when Mingi looks up at him, he looks actually interested. It makes the beta smile, but he looks down at his plate of half-eaten food to stop himself from looking quite so besotted so early on. He’s trying not to get his hopes up, but Yunho is making it hard not to when he looks at him like that.

“The company knows what formula works, and we end up doing a lot of the same stuff over and over. A lot of following trends and stuff. Not as much freedom as I expected when I joined, I guess?” He pokes at his bacon, before he looks up, eyes wide. “Not that I’m like, ungrateful or whatever!” He rushes to add, “I love it, it’s like, my dream job, but sometimes recording the same girl-crush bubble-gum pop concepts can get a bit boring, is all.”

“No, I get it, don’t worry,” Yunho says easily, waving him off, shoving another mouthful of food in his mouth. The beta smiles at him, taking a bite of his own food.

“What do you do for work?” Mingi asks after a beat of silence, leaning back, and he places his knife and fork down, pushing his plate slightly away. It’s not that he’s done with it, he’s just a slow eater, and he doesn’t want Yunho to think that he has to wait for him. Yunho eyes the plate for a second before obviously deciding not to mention it.

“Oh, I… I’m an accountant,” and he looks embarrassed as he says it, eyes firmly on the table below them. His scent takes on a strange staleness for a brief second, and Mingi eyes him carefully.

“Do you enjoy it?” Mingi prompts, tilting his head, and Yunho glances up, eyebrow raised.

“I mean, it’s accountancy, I don’t think anyone enjoys it.” He chuckles, and the stale scent dissipates as quickly as it arrives. Mingi can feel himself watching Yunho, accidentally trying to pump out some soothing pheromones despite how weak his scent is. He stops it as soon as he realises what he’s doing, embarrassed at himself. “But it’s stable and the money is good so…” He shrugs, seemingly, hopefully, not noticing, taking another mouthful of his ridiculously sweet pancakes.

“If money wasn’t an object, what would you do? Dream job?” and Mingi doesn’t know why he’s so curious. He doesn’t usually do this, the whole, getting to know his one-night stand thing, but Yunho is so interesting, so charming. He can’t imagine not wanting to know more about the alpha. He wonders if that’s selfish of him, to want more.

“Dance,” Yunho says immediately and then averts his eyes, the tips of his ears red. “I really loved dance, a lot, but… It’s not what makes money and I… I don’t think it would have worked out. It’s a difficult industry.” Mingi knows what he means.

One of the many reasons he’s in the industry on the sidelines, rather than in a group, performing, like he’s always wanted to be, is his sub-gender.

Omegas are marketable in many ways, for many different reasons in both boy and girl groups, so they’re considered profitable and adaptable. Alphas are a gamble, maybe if you are in a boy group with an edgy concept. But for female alphas, it’s essentially a no-go, and they’d much rather debut another male omega that they can market as boyfriend material. Alphas are seen as a risk to hire as an idol but might be considered if their talent is worth it. Betas aren’t even considered.

Maybe that’s part of the reason why Mingi’s never fully been comfortable in his own skin, why it’s always felt closer to a hindrance than a help.

“Do you still dance then?” the blonde asks, trying not to let his thoughts spiral too drastically while he’s sat in public. He subtly inhales a bit of Yunho’s scent, still clinging to his borrowed shirt, and it calms him slightly. “Like, for fun?”

“N-No, I… I haven’t danced in a few years, outside of like, nightclubs or whatever.” He laughs, slightly awkward, and Mingi is hit with such a strong wave of affection for this almost stranger that it takes him by surprise.

“We should dance together sometime,” Mingi hears himself offering, slightly out of body, “I’m in this, crew thing,” he says, suddenly feeling a bit shy, “and we always need more people, if you… You’d want to do that, n-no pressure though.”

“O-Oh, really?” Yunho looks up at him, eyes sparkling brighter than they were a few seconds ago. “You dance?”

“Not like, professionally?” Mingi tries to reel it back a bit, not wanting to get Yunho’s hopes up too high. “It’s just like local stuff, we won some street-style competition earlier this year though.”

“You’re so cool,” Yunho sounds a bit awed, and Mingi’s eyes widen at the compliment. He doesn’t think anyone has ever called him cool before, not in that way, not with that tone of voice.

“T-Thanks?” the blonde tries and takes a hasty sip of his coffee to hide his pink cheeks. He thinks it probably shows in his scent though, and in the tips of his ears that are definitely burning.

“I’d like that, a lot, if… If you mean it?” the brunette says, and Mingi nods quickly, swallowing his drink.

“Of course, I mean it,” he murmurs. Yunho grins, widely, and digs back into his pancakes. Mingi tries another small piece of toast and the alpha watches him start to eat again, obviously curious but deciding not to mention it. He eats slowly, as usual, but Yunho seems unbothered, simply asking the passing waitress for another coffee when she comes to take his plate, and he notices Mingi isn’t finished. Two and half hours pass before the beta realises.

After breakfast, or maybe more accurately brunch, Mingi awkwardly hovers outside the cafe, waiting for Yunho’s lead. The alpha tilts his head at Mingi, before gnawing at his bottom lip for a second.

“Can I ask for your number? I… I would like to see you again if that’s something you’d want?” Yunho asks, and his voice is a little nervous as he speaks, which only makes Mingi endeared all over again. He doesn’t quite know how he’s fallen so quickly for this guy, considering he barely remembers how they even managed to hook up last night. He silently thanks whatever confidence and rizz he had last night that managed to bag him this alpha, despite everything.

“Yeah,” Mingi responds immediately, probably too quickly, and scrambles for his phone. “I want to see you again if that’s cool with you.” Yunho grins wide, and takes the device out of Mingi’s hand, programming his details into his phone easily, and sending himself a message so he can save Mingi’s number. Even if it’s just casual, a few hookups before the alpha inevitably gets bored and moves on, the beta wants to see more of him.

“Yeah, it’s cool with me,” he murmurs, returning the device. “I’d offer to take you somewhere today, but my friends are blowing up my phone.” He pouts, looking genuinely sad that he can’t extend their time together. His scent smells a little stale again, just for a moment. “Apparently I promised to see them today.”

“It’s okay, Yun,” Mingi says through a grin, unable to hide the slight giddiness in his voice. “We can see each other soon, go see your friends,” he surprises himself by leaning forward, pressing a soft kiss on Yunho’s mouth. The slightly taller man’s eyes soften, and when Mingi pulls back, he follows him, pressing his own gentle kiss on Mingi’s lips.

“I’ll text you, okay?”

“Okay.”

Mingi hides his face in his hands as Wooyoung screeches too loudly, embarrassed by his enthusiasm. He’s pumping out too much sweet vanilla, erring on the side of sickly with his excitement.

“Oh my god!” the younger man squeals, and he can hear the thump of him hitting San next to him in excitement. “That’s so fucking cute, I’m so jealous.”

“Hey, I’m right here,” and Mingi can hear the way San is speaking through a pout. His scent is still neutral, its usual lavender, so the beta isn’t concerned about the omega being genuinely upset.

“No, I’m not jealous of him fucking Yunho, idiot, I’m jealous of the cuteness,” Wooyoung reassures his boyfriend anyway, and Mingi finally drops his hands, ears still red.

“Is it cute? We both forgot each other’s names and can barely remember what happened last night,” Mingi protests, raising an eyebrow, and San shrugs at him. He couldn’t help but blurt out the events of the night before, of the morning, unable to keep the giddiness behind his teeth. Even though his brain is trying to wrestle him back in, lower his own expectations, he’s riding the wave of excitement while he can.

“Woo’s idea of cute is vastly different to ours,” he says, as if it can’t be helped, and Wooyoung shrugs with him. “But it’s modern romance, or whatever, right babe?” The dark-haired omega nods in agreement.

“Yeah, like don’t you think there is romance in the mundaneness of it?”

“Oh my god, you need to stop reading Instagram poetry,” Hongjoong calls from the kitchen, voice carrying easily. Wooyoung rolls his eyes.

“Anyway, you have to give him his clothes back, so that’s a definite reason to meet again!” He points out, reaching to tie up his dark hair into a little ponytail. “What did you say he did for work?”

“He’s an accountant,” Mingi repeats, and Hongjoong swears from the kitchen as he drops something on the floor with a loud clatter. His scent turns smoky for a split second, irritation sharp around the edges of it before it returns to its usual patchouli.

“Where does he work?” He shouts from the other room, poking his head out of the doorway. “He might work with ‘Hwa.”

“Uh, I don’t know?” Mingi shouts back, leaning his head back on the sofa so he can shout in the right direction.

“Wouldn’t that be so weird, if Seonghwa knew him before you did,” San mumbles, leaning back onto the sofa and letting Wooyoung fling his legs over his lap.

“Let me ask, wait,” Hongjoong mumbles, and a flash of blue flies down the corridor before they hear his voice carrying through the apartment. “Babe!”

“What?” He hears Seonghwa’s voice, slightly muffled from the bathroom.

“Do you work with someone called Yunho?”

“Jeong Yunho?” He shouts back, and Hongjoong leans down the corridor to shout down at them in the living room.

“Is his name Jeong Yunho?” he asks, and Mingi shrugs, unsure.

“I don’t know? He’s like 6ft 2, brown hair?” He offers, and Hongjoong retreats to the bathroom.

“Min doesn’t know, says he’s like 6ft 2 and has brown hair,” he shouts through the door, and Mingi hears the slam of the bathroom door opening.

“Oh my god, yeah, that’s Jeong Yunho!” Seonghwa sounds more enthusiastic than Mingi thinks is necessary, but he glances at Wooyoung, who just shrugs, invested in some matching game on Hongjoong’s iPad.

“What do you think?” Mingi shouts, twisting his neck awkwardly to peer down the corridor, and Hongjoong steps back, letting his boyfriend leave the bathroom.

“He’s so sweet,” the oldest man gushes, reaching the living room quickly and placing himself square on Mingi’s lap without asking. “He makes such good cups of tea.” His jasmine scent smells summery, warm with joy.

“W-What?” Mingi manages to splutter out, taken aback that Seonghwa appears to know the guy relatively well. It’s slightly jarring.

“He works in a cubicle a few down from me, he’s such a lovely guy, I didn’t know he was single, or gay, I would have said something before if I knew,” Seonghwa has that dreamy look in his eyes when he starts thinking about romantic things, real or imaginary, and Hongjoong rolls his eyes as he toddles back to the kitchen to clean up whatever he dropped.

“How do you know he’s gay? What about bisexual people huh? Do we not get any representation anymore?” Wooyoung pouts but doesn’t look up from the iPad he’s poking at, engrossed. Seonghwa rolls his eyes at him.

“Fine, I didn’t know he liked guys,” he amends, “but anyway, yeah, I approve.”

“Thanks?” Mingi mutters but is interrupted by Hongjoong appearing to throw himself onto the sofa next to them with slightly too much force.

“Is that the guy at your Christmas party who was really good at karaoke? With the round friend?” the blue-haired alpha asks, sipping a coffee and grimacing at the taste. Mingi glances between the two of them, confused.

“Yeah, he can sing so well, it’s kind of crazy that he just has that voice, and he’s wasted in accountancy,” Seonghwa runs a hand through his silver hair, shrugging. “His round friend was called Jongho, babe, and I don’t know if you can call people round without it sounding rude.”

“I didn’t mean it rudely,” Hongjoong pouts and Seonghwa reaches to pat the top of his head.

“I know,” the beta soothes, and Mingi lets himself sink further into the sofa, slightly overwhelmed. His phone buzzes loudly on the coffee table, and Seonghwa grabs it for him, passing it over.

“Oh, it’s Yunho,” Mingi whispers, and Wooyoung throws the iPad onto San’s lap and appears next to Mingi with such speed that he barely sees the omega moving.

“Oh my god, what did he say!” He squeals, and Mingi winces a little at the volume of the younger man’s voice so close to his ear.

“Wait a minute, I haven’t even looked myself yet,” he mumbles, unlocking his phone.

[Yunho ૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა]

 no worries if it’s too soon, but my friend is asking me to bring a ‘date’ to his art exhibit thing and I thought of you. Are you free this Wednesday at like 7pm? (13:14)

 literally no worries if that’s too soon/too much !! (13:15)

“Oh my god, he’s so cute,” Mingi whines, and Seonghwa chuckles from where he’s still perched on his lap. Wooyoung looks positively ecstatic, wiggling as he grabs Mingi’s knee hard, shaking it.

“Say yes! Say yes Song Mingi, I swear to God,” he begs, and Mingi laughs despite himself, tightening an arm around the man on his lap’s waist.

“I was going to,” he mumbles, typing and then deleting a message. “I don’t want to sound too eager, like, shouldn’t I play it cool?”

“Do you even know how to be cool?” Hongjoong inputs from next to them, raising an eyebrow over his coffee, and Mingi pouts.

“Just say, yes I would love that, be normal for one second of your life,” San mutters from the abandoned sofa, crossing his arms across his chest as if it personally offends him that Mingi is incapable of speaking to a hot man like a normal person.

“Oh my god, fine.”

[minki c:]

yes i would love that !!! that sounds so cute, where is it? ill definitely come along :) (13:22)

[Yunho ૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა]

 its supposed to rain that day I just realised :( can i come pick you up? nws if ur not comfortable sending ur address but somewhere near by maybe? [venue link] this is the place tho ! (13:24)

[minki c:]

oh! sure thing ! ! that’s really sweet of u [address link] . i still don’t have my license so that saves me having to brave the metro so thank u !!! oh its so cute, it looks super nice ! im excited to see u again :) (13:26)

[Yunho ૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა]

 im excited to see you again too! Im glad I can be of service :) u can be my passenger princess haha (13:28)

[minki c:]

hgh ok yes I can be ha ha yes ! (13:29)

[Yunho ૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა]

you like being a princess? ;) (13:30)

[minki c:]

for u, yeah :P (13:32)

“Oh my god,” Mingi whines, and Seonghwa glances at his phone screen, snorting at Mingi’s response, the way his scent spikes with nerves and giddiness.

“Stop being a useless bottom for five seconds, god damn,” Wooyoung mutters from where he’s slunk back to the other sofa, lying on San’s lap again, iPad back obscuring his face. “What’s he even said?”

“He’s just flirting,” Seonghwa inputs, and Mingi whines louder, hiding his face in the back of the older man’s jumper again. It’s safer there. “He’s realised that Mingi is a complete princess and is using it to his advantage.”

“Hhhng,” Mingi manages into the fluff of Seonghwa’s sweater, and Hongjoong laughs out loud.

“Get a grip man,” he says through a smirk, amused, and Mingi shakes his head.

“What is wrong with him, there has to be something wrong with him, surely? No one is this perfect,” He mumbles listlessly, and Seonghwa shrugs.

“Maybe he has a small dick? Although he’s an alpha, so I don’t know,” the beta suggests, and Hongjoong snorts into his coffee mug.

“No, he doesn’t,” Mingi moans, leaning back against the sofa with a thud. “He really doesn’t.”

Mingi spends the following handful of days veering wildly between giddy excitement and nauseating nerves. He can’t focus on work, not that it goes much noticed, as he records, clips, and edits vocal after vocal. They start blending together, and Mingi can’t help himself when Yunho sends him little texts throughout the day, easily distracted, gnawing his bottom lip to stop himself snickering.

“What are you giggling at?” Changbin mutters through a mouthful of rice, spraying crumbs across the table. His subtle peach scent is a little bitter around the edges at being ignored, and he pouts, slightly dramatically.

“Oh, sorry, just a message from Yunho,” Mingi tries to sound casual, but the omega opposite him widens his eyes immediately at his words, obviously intrigued.

“Who’s Yunho?” he presses instantly, still shovelling food into his mouth, and the beta can feel himself blushing before he even opens his mouth.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to tell Changbin, he likes his co-worker, and they’re closer to friends than colleagues at this point. Wooyoung loves the guy, they meet up outside of work semi-regularly when their schedules allow it, and Mingi trusts him not to judge too harshly. He’s just nervous about his own insecurities, how ridiculous they sound spoken out loud, and he flounders for a second.

“U-Uh, I’m not really… Sure?” He manages, and he hopes his own rosemary scent isn’t too strongly tinged with the acrid burning of his whirling thoughts. “We’re going on a date tomorrow?” He doesn’t mean for it to sound like a question.

“Oh, that’s so exciting!” Changbin says enthusiastically, slightly too loud, and Mingi can’t help himself from smiling stupidly. “What’s he like? Is he nice? Where did you meet him? Have you met him before?”

“That’s a lot of questions,” Mingi blinks at him, which makes the omega chuckle, waving his drink at him in emphasis.

“Look, I need the details, otherwise I’ll have to go to Wooyoung, and you know how he exaggerates,” he points out, and Mingi rolls his eyes, already aware. The dark-haired omega tends to get too over-zealous, and Changbin only seems to encourage this behaviour. He gnaws his bottom lip.

“Well, it’s like, not that romantic or anything?” Mingi offers, trying to lower the brunette omega’s expectations. “We had a one-night stand, but then we went out for breakfast together after and it was… It was really nice, and then he asked for my number.”

“That could be seen as romantic,” Changbin protests, and the beta is instantly reminded of why him and Wooyoung are so close. “Like, not everything has to be big sweeping gestures you know!”

“Right, yeah, we’re going to go out on a date to this art thing tomorrow, he’s picking me up because it’s supposed to rain,” he murmurs, and Changbin claps his hands together, grinning.

“See that’s so romantic!” Changbin squeals and Mingi grins back despite himself.

“Yeah, I’m… I’m excited, actually,” he mumbles, and the beefy omega reaches across the table to smack his upper arm, slightly too hard. He appears unaware of his own strength.

“I’m so excited for you!” Mingi’s phone vibrates again, flat on the table, and Changbin rolls his eyes, gesturing at it. “Yunho again?”

“Y-Yeah,” Mingi says shyly, grabbing his phone. “Sorry, I’m just gonna…”

“It’s fine,” The other man interrupts, waving him off. “Answer your man.”

“He’s not mine.” Mingi protests and Changbin just raises a single eyebrow at him before getting distracted by his food again.

Mingi can’t stop pacing. Wooyoung is watching him from the bed with something between amusement and genuine concern in his eyes. He’s been ready for about thirty minutes already, and he’s so nervous that he’s considering texting Yunho to call it off. He reaches for his phone, but Wooyoung snatches it out of his hand before he gets a chance to unlock it.

“You are not cancelling!” he scolds, which makes Mingi pout and shrink a little bit into his jacket. “You are excited about this!”

“I feel sick,” Mingi mumbles, dropping to sit on the floor, bringing his knees up to his chest. “I’m so nervous, I’m going to die, I’m going to throw up on him, I’m going to pass out and die.”

“Oh my god, and you say I’m dramatic?” Wooyoung mutters, rolling his eyes. “What are you nervous about, he’s met you before, he likes you, he asked you to come with him on this date!”

“I know!” Mingi whines, hiding his face in his hands. “I don’t even know, I’m just…” he groans pathetically. “What if he changes his mind?”

“Why would he change his mind?” The omega asks, sounding baffled - like he genuinely can’t envision the alpha changing his mind about Mingi.

“I-I’m just a beta…” he whispers into his own hands, and Wooyoung is on him before he can open his mouth to continue his sentence. His rosemary scent has burnt a little around the edges, his vague distress is obvious even through his mild aroma.

“What the fuck? Dude?” Wooyoung’s scent smells bitter with his agitation, “Firstly, he knows that! You’ve already fucked?” He emphasises his point by peeling Mingi’s big hand off his face. “Secondly, what is wrong with being a beta? I know for a fact you don’t think this way about Seonghwa, about any other beta, so what is this?”

“I-I don’t know, I’m just…” Mingi doesn’t know how to explain it, doesn’t know how to get the anxiety out of his mouth into something understandable. “He’s such a good alpha, he deserves a good omega.” The dark-haired omega wraps his arms around the beta instinctively, pulling Mingi to his chest. He can smell the sweetness of his vanilla, the way he’s trying to put out calming pheromones to bring Mingi down from his panic.

“Min…” Wooyoung murmurs, rocking him gently. “You can’t choose what he wants for him, he likes you, he’s asked you to go on a date with him, not an omega.”

“I know, I know, I’m just, panicking a bit.” He whispers into the top of the dark hair in front of him, and Wooyoung sighs a little, still rocking him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to spiral,” he adds.

“It’s going to be okay, Mingi, you can text me at any point and I’ll come to rescue you, okay?” Wooyoung makes him look in his eyes as he speaks, searching as Mingi nods at him. “It’s okay to be nervous, but it’s going to be fine.”

“Thanks, Woo,” Mingi murmurs, taking a long shaky breath. “It’ll be fine, it’ll be fun, right?” and Wooyoung just nods, placing the phone back in his hand.

“Yeah. I think he’s here; do you want me to come with you?”

“N-No, I’ll be okay.”

Yunho is waiting for him outside the apartment block when Mingi finally gets downstairs, wearing some dark wash jeans that make his legs look miles long, a soft jumper that the beta wants to burrow in, and his brunette hair pushed back off his face. Mingi wonders if his attraction is obvious in his scent, and he gnaws on his bottom lip for a second.

“H-Hey Yunho,” Mingi calls out, and Yunho’s eyes dart up from where he is staring at his phone. When he realises that it’s Mingi, his scent fills with something warm and joyous, intertwining with his usual sea salt. The beta swallows around nothing.

“Hi Mingi,” Yunho murmurs, taking a long stride towards him, reaching to brush a strand of his blonde hair behind his ear. “I’m so glad you came,” he whispers, and he presses a kiss on Mingi’s temple. His skin feels hot where the alpha's lips have touched his skin, and he can feel a stupid smile spreading on his face before he can stop it.

“O-Of course,” Mingi manages, and he knows the tips of his ears are probably bright red. “Thank you for inviting me,” he adds, shuffling his weight a little awkwardly, and Yunho grins at him, still looking at him, something in his eyes that Mingi can’t place.

“I parked just over there, are you ready to go?” the alpha asks, and then interlocks their hands together before Mingi can overthink if he’s allowed to or not. The beta nods easily, nudging his shoulder into Yunho’s carefully, affectionately.

“You know, you work with one of my friends,” Mingi hears himself saying, and he knows the nervousness is obvious in his voice, the way his hands are a little shaky in Yunho’s reassuring grip.

“Oh?” Yunho asks, unlocking the car and opening the door for Mingi to get in. It’s silly, really, how much the gesture makes the beta’s heart flutter, and he ducks in with a stupid little grin.

“Yeah,” Mingi adds, as Yunho slides into the driver’s seat, “Park Seonghwa, him and Hongjoong are my good friends.”

“Oh my god, Seonghwa-ssi is so nice, I had no idea you guys knew each other!” He sounds excited, and Mingi is reminded of absently of a small, eager puppy. He decides against saying anything, and the alpha starts driving them, glancing in his rearview as he pulls out of the parking space. “Small world, he’s such a nice guy, he works too hard though, honestly.”

“Oh, that doesn’t surprise me,” Mingi mumbles, sinking into the plush leather of Yunho’s fancy car. He feels a bit out of place, more used to Wooyoung’s beat-up three-door car that they cram into to get drive-through coffee in. “Hongjoong, his partner, is exactly the same.”

“I met him at the Christmas party, I think? Does he still have the mullet?” the brunette asks, and Mingi tries not to hyperfocus on the way the alpha’s big hand grips the gear stick, trying not to let his thoughts descend into depravity so soon.

“Sort of, he’s trimmed it a lot shorter, it’s blue right now,” Mingi tells him, fiddling with a thread on his shirt. “I think ‘Hwa is still mourning the loss.” Yunho chuckles at that, glancing over at Mingi with a soft little smile that makes the beta’s stomach flip.

“Jongho and Yeosang are going to be there, the friends I mentioned, it’s ‘Sangie’s exhibit,” the alpha tells him, flicking on the indicator with his long fingers. “But they’ll probably be busy mingling, so we can just say hi and bye if you don’t want to chat too much,” he offers, and Mingi tilts his head.

“I’d love to meet your friends!” the beta says instinctively, then realises what he’s said, and swallows around a lump in his throat awkwardly. “I mean, it’s okay if it’s a bit too soon, I-I don’t mean, we d-don’t have to-“

“Hey,” Yunho interrupts, reaching to place a hand on Mingi’s thigh soothingly. “I’d love to introduce you, I just didn’t want to overwhelm you,” he explains, and Mingi nods, the warmth of the alpha’s hand on his leg slightly distracting.

“O-Oh, t-that’s…” He nods again, mouth dry. “Thank you.”

When they get to the gallery, Yunho parks up and turns to Mingi, searching his face for a second. The beta blinks at him, eyes darting over the alpha’s face.

“You look so pretty tonight, Princess,” he whispers, and Mingi feels his eyes widen slightly at the compliment, at the pet name.

“O-Oh, thank you,” the beta whispers back, and his face is burning, so hot and shy, but unable to pull his eyes away from Yunho’s. “You look really good, as w-well, you know,” he stutters.

“Thanks,” Yunho murmurs, and then he leans in, pressing a gentle kiss on Mingi’s lips. It feels just as good as it did the first time around, and the beta feels himself relaxing, returning the kiss easily. Yunho’s hand on his thigh, his own draped over it, feels so warm, so soothing, and when the alpha pulls away, Mingi has to blink a few times to get his thoughts to focus. “We should probably go in, as much as I’d like to keep kissing you,” Yunho murmurs, and the beta nods, even though he can’t stop staring at the alpha’s mouth.

“Yeah, of course, right,” he mumbles, and Yunho grins at him, amused.

“Come on, they have free champagne at this place,” he winks, mischievous, and Mingi giggles, unable to stop the stupid giddy smile on his face. It’s easy to fall into the delusion with Yunho, easy to hope. He abstractly wonders if that will be his downfall, in the end.

They walk past a little huddle of people smoking, one of which seems to know Yunho, as he raises a hand in greeting. The alpha politely waves back, nodding his head, but doesn’t stop to talk, linking his arm through Mingi’s and guiding them into the building.

The alpha grabs a glass of champagne off a table, passing it to Mingi, before grabbing his own, and downs it in one. The beta sips his own cautiously, before grimacing a little at the taste.

“Does all champagne taste like vinegar?” He whispers, and Yunho laughs, too loud, before covering his mouth with his hand.

“Basically, yeah, do you want me to get rid of it?” the alpha whispers back, scent filled with soft warm joy and contentment. It makes Mingi melt easily into his side, feeling more comfortable every second they’re together.

“Yeah, please, that’s… Hmm,” He doesn’t know how to politely say how disgusting it is, so he just passes it over to Yunho, who looks around the room for a second before pouring it into a potted plant they walk past. Mingi can’t stop the little giggle that falls out of him. The alpha looks back at him with soft eyes, smiling wide, and he stares at Mingi for a long minute, his scent warm and comforting around him.

“Yunho!” Someone shouts from across the room, and Yunho tears his eyes away from Mingi’s face to scan the horizon for whoever is shouting for him. “You made it!”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world ‘Sangie,” he murmurs, pulling the handsome guy into his arms so he can hug him. The guy pretends to wiggle for a second, pulling a face, before he pats Yunho on the back and extracts himself.

“Gross, Jongho is just in the bathroom a second,” he says, and Mingi puts two and two together and realises that this is Yeosang. He’s hit with a horrible little pang of jealousy for a second before he manages to rearrange his expression. Yunho reaches for him instantly, without really looking, pulling him closer.

“This is Mingi,” he says, and he sounds a little shy as he speaks. Yeosang’s eyes widen, before his face settles into something slightly mischievous, a flare of citrus becoming obvious on his scent due to their proximity.

“Oh, I’ve heard a lot about you!” He says, leaning to shake Mingi’s hand. “All good things.”

“O-Oh?” the beta says surprised, glancing at Yunho, whose ears are bright red. Yeosang grins, his mild lemon-lime scent filled with glee. “About me?”

“Of course, Yunho won’t shut up about you, I feel like I know you better than I know my own boyfriend a-“ the guy starts.

“Ignore him,” Yunho interrupts and the beta can smell the vague embarrassment on his usually calm scent, which only makes Mingi more endeared. “Please just ignore him.”

“Why, what did he say?” a broad guy wanders over, placing a hand on Yeosang’s shoulder easily, chewing on some bread. “I thought we weren’t allowed to tease Yunho tonight,” and he pouts like he’s been left out.

“Jongho, this is Mingi,” Yeosang introduces them, gesturing, and the broad alpha tilts his head at Mingi for a second before reaching to shake his hand.

“You’re taller than Yunho described,” he says, factually, and Mingi nods awkwardly, intrigued by the alpha’s unusual coffee scent, something milky on the edges of it. “Nice to meet you, we’ve heard a lot about you,” he adds, and Yunho sighs dramatically, which makes the pretty beta snicker. Yeosang’s laugh is pretty, lilting, and Jongho watches him with soft eyes that remind Mingi of something. He can’t place what it is.

“I said that already,” The other beta says, nudging his alpha’s shoulder gently. “That’s why Yunho was embarrassed.”

“Oh, sorry,” Jongho mumbles, obviously not that sorry if the way he shoves bread into his mouth is anything to go by. “Hyunjin was looking for you, by the way, he wanted to ask you about the show in LA.”

“Oh shit, okay, we should probably go then,” Yeosang says, and he looks genuinely a bit sad at the fact that he has to leave them. “But make sure you come see us before you go, okay, I want to know your thoughts!” He calls over his shoulder and Jongho guides him away, and Yunho sends him a thumbs up.

“Of course,” he calls back, and the pretty beta grins at him before they walk away, arms intertwined. “Please don’t listen to them,” Yunho murmurs as soon as they’ve got out of earshot, “they take great joy in embarrassing me.”

“That’s because you look so cute when your ears are all red like that,” Mingi hears himself flirting, surprised at himself. “I like seeing you all shy.” Yunho’s scent spikes with spice for a split second, almost imperceivable, before he clears his throat, linking their arms again.

“R-Right, we should, go look around,” he mumbles, averting his eyes, and Mingi bites on his bottom lip to stop himself smiling too obnoxiously. Making the alpha flustered is entertaining, and he likes the way he looks when he flushes pink. He wonders how much teasing he can get away with.  

They wander through the gallery slowly, and Yunho reads out the little cards for Mingi despite the fact he could probably do it himself. He adds little snippets of gossip about the artists, friends of friends that he whispers silly little facts about that make the beta snort loudly and hide his mouth behind his hand. Mingi knows he’s got all his teeth out, uneven front teeth poking into his bottom lip as he giggles, but Yunho just laughs warmly, eyes sparking as he watched the beta beam. He doesn’t let go of his hand the entire time.

The night flies fast, and Mingi is bidding goodbye to Yunho’s friends and sliding into his car before he knows it. He says as much, and the alpha grins to himself, keeping his eyes on the road. Mingi thinks that if the alpha had a tail, it’d be wagging right now.

“You know, you remind me of a puppy sometimes,” Mingi says casually, watching the alpha as his hands clench slightly on the wheel. His scent spices for a split second, before he obviously battles it back down and laughs a bit too quickly. Mingi can see the way the tips of his ears are burning.

“Oh yeah? What type of dog would I be then?” he jokes, glancing in his side mirror as he changes lanes. The beta pretends to think for a second, just to play with the alpha for a moment longer. He likes having the upper hand, even if it’s only temporary.

“Maybe a retriever, or… No, wait, a Borzoi!” The blonde teases and Yunho glances at him, eyebrow raised in amusement.

“The ones that look like they’re melting?” he asks, eyes back on the road, but he’s grinning as he speaks. Mingi grins back, even though the alpha isn’t looking at him. He likes watching Yunho’s profile as he drives, the way it’s captured in the streetlights through the window, flickering streaks of colour on his face. He’s beautiful. Mingi shoves that thought deep into the back of his head.

“Yeah, the ones that are built like bendy straws,” he adds, unthinking, and Yunho snorts loudly.

“I’m built like a bendy straw?” He doesn’t sound genuinely offended, if anything he sounds greatly amused, but Mingi shoves a hand over his mouth anyway.

“Oh my god, no I didn’t mean-“ Yunho laughs at him, pretty and warm, and Mingi shakes his head, joining in with his own giggles. “The way you’re built like a bendy straw is so sexy, I promise,” he jokes, and Yunho snickers loudly, obviously entertained.

“I don’t think I want to be a Borzoi anymore,” he teases, and Mingi pretends to think some more.

“Fine, okay, you can be…” he taps his chin theatrically. “You know what, it doesn’t really matter because you’d be a good puppy no matter what, right?” he adds, knowing exactly what he’s saying, and Yunho’s knuckles turn a bit white on the wheel. The spice that was there for a second comes back in full force, and he clears his throat suddenly, forcing out a little laugh.

“R-Right,” he stutters, eyes staring directly at the road and nowhere else. He seems to gather himself, scent dissipating to something more manageable and shifts his weight in his chair. “You’d be a corgi.”

“I feel like you’re trying to insult me, but it won’t work, because corgis are known to be the favourites of royalty,” Mingi leans back in his chair, still watching the alpha as he drives, and the brunette smirks.

“That feels appropriate, right Princess?” he teases, and it’s Mingi’s turn to try and wrestle his scent back into something less humiliatingly turned on.

“S-Shut up,” he manages, slightly wobbly, and Yunho chuckles as he turns on his indicator, turning into Mingi’s street. “Do you want to come inside for a bit?” he asks, slightly too eager, and Yunho turns off the engine easily.

“Yeah, I’d like that,”

Mingi doesn’t really know how they end up making out on the sofa, but he’s not going to complain, not when Yunho is rubbing his big hands up under his shirt and over his waist, scorching against his cool skin.

“You always smell so fucking good, makes me insane,” the alpha mutters, nudging his nose against Mingi’s scent gland, like he wants to inhale it straight from the source.

“Y-You like my scent?” the beta hears himself asking, half-distracted by Yunho’s hand gripping his hip, rubbing circles with his thumb.

“Mmm, love when it goes all sweet around the edges,” he murmurs, and Mingi feels himself blushing hot. He removes himself from the beta’s neck, glancing up at Mingi with dilated pupils. It makes the blonde bite his bottom lip so he doesn’t do anything embarrassing, like whimper. “You smell pretty sweet right now Princess.”

“Yeah?” he hears himself tease back, “and you smell pretty spicy Puppy, I don’t know if you’re one to talk right now.” He raises an eyebrow at the alpha, riding the sudden wave of confidence he has, and Yunho’s eyes widen slightly.

“I-I mean…” the alpha tries, but Mingi just leans closer, smirking at the brunette whose lap he’s sat on, encouraged by the way his scent is getting more and more spiced, the way his ears are turning red.

“You can be good for me, can’t you Pup?” the beta pushes on, watching Yunho’s expression as he takes his bottom lip between his teeth, spice flaring strongly, only emphasised by the hardness against Mingi’s ass as he shifts on him a little more, teasing.

“Y-Yeah,” Yunho mumbles, nodding shakily. “I’ll be good,” he whispers, and Mingi knows what he’s saying, knows what he wants from the way he’s looking up at him.

“Let me ride you?” Mingi half-states and half-asks and Yunho leans back, nodding even faster.

“Yes, please,”

They fumble their way through getting their clothes off, distracted by kissing each other, by feeling each other’s skin, and Yunho chokes on a little moan when Mingi finally gropes him through the front of his boxers. It’s a little damp to the touch, and the beta tilts his head patronisingly, stroking him through the fabric.

“You’re so wet puppy, is this for me?” Mingi teases and the alpha takes a shuddery breath.

“Y-You just feel so good, smell so good,” he whispers, and Mingi coos at him, rubbing his thumb across Yunho’s cheek soothingly.

“You’re so cute,” the beta murmurs, squeezing him gently. Yunho’s hips jerk a little, breath catching, scent so spiced that Mingi has to lean in and lick over his scent gland, addicted to the taste.

“Can I open you up?” The alpha sounds close to begging, and Mingi is momentarily shocked that he wants to, petting him softly.

“I prepped myself earlier,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss on Yunho’s forehead. “But if you grab the lube in the middle drawer, you can check to make sure I’m stretched enough, yeah?”

“Please,” Yunho says immediately, reaching for the drawer before Mingi has even shifted from his lap. “Yes please.”

“You like opening me up that much?” he hears himself asking, and Yunho fumbles with the drawer for a second, awkwardly angled, before he manages to grab the bottle.

“Yeah,” he says and Mingi notices the way his cheeks are pink, the way his eyes are darting around, and then reaches for the waistband of Mingi’s boxers. “Can I?”

“Go ahead,” the beta murmurs, and Yunho shuffles them, making Mingi lean back against the arm of the sofa, pushing his legs apart. “Fuck, cold,” he hisses when the alpha’s fingers smear lube against his hole.

“S-Sorry,” Yunho mumbles, adding a little more to his fingers and rubbing them together to warm it up. When he returns his hand down, it’s a little warmer, and Mingi sighs as he starts the process of fingering the beta open.

He’s mostly already stretched, but Yunho goes slowly anyway, spending slightly too long fingering him, but Mingi doesn’t have the heart to complain, not as his fingertips brush against his prostate.

“Come on Yu, I’m ready, let me ride you,” Mingi murmurs, slightly breathless, and Yunho swallows hard, eyes darting from where his fingers are stretching his entrance up to the beta’s face. His pupils are dark, blown out, the room so filled with spice and sweetness that it’s almost choking.

“W-Where do you want me?” he mumbles, and Mingi takes the opportunity to push the alpha’s hand away, manhandling him to sit against the back of the sofa. Yunho goes easily, letting the beta arrange him into the right place.

“Just sit here and look pretty, okay puppy?” Mingi says, and Yunho seems unable to hold in the little whimper that falls out of his mouth, nodding jerkily.

“I’ll be good,” he promises dazedly, and Mingi is so endeared and horny that he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

“Of course you will, you’re my good pup, aren’t you?” He shifts his weight, using his hand to line up with Yunho’s cock, and starts sinking slowly onto the alpha’s length, gasping quietly. “Fuck, good boy,” he gets out, and Yunho’s head falls back, hiccupping over a little moan. Mingi feels the way his dick twitches headily, halfway in his hole, half in his hand.

“M-Mingi,” he whispers, hands gripping at the sofa cushions underneath him, “G-Good for y-you,” he says, slightly mindless, and Mingi sighs as he finally gets fully seated, Yunho’s thick cock all the way in and pressing against his prostate deliciously. He grinds experimentally, unable to stop the way his breath catches in his throat.

“Fuck, yeah, so good for me baby,” he murmurs, and grinds again, starting a slow rhythm. “Such an obedient puppy, look at you, perfect for me,” he can’t stop babbling, spilling praises out of his mouth, but Yunho just watches him with dazed eyes, cheeks pink, nodding along. Mingi starts moving properly, watching the alpha’s face the entire time, watching as he gnaws his bottom lip, eyebrows furrowed, panting out little moans and whines.

He looks so good under the beta, he thinks absently, so fucking perfect, sitting so politely and keeping his hands gripped in the fabric of the sofa. Mingi leans to kiss him deeply, still moving, and Yunho tries his best to kiss back, mostly panting into the blonde’s mouth.

“C-Can I make you feel good, p-please?” he begs after a few minutes when Mingi’s thighs start trembling and he can see the sweat forming on Yunho’s hairline. “I’ll be so good, I’ll make you feel so good, please.”

“Hm, okay pup, go ahead,” he tries to play at indifference, but he doubts he can manage it, not with the way his scent is sickly sweet, how much he’s leaking precum onto his own stomach. Yunho pushes Mingi onto his back clumsily, with the mannerisms of an overly enthusiastic dog, and pushing the beta’s legs up to his chest.

“T-Thank you,” he whispers, sliding back in, eyelids fluttering as he does. “F-Fuck, Mingi, thank you, thank you,” he moans out, thrusting slowly at first, but speeding up as he gets a rhythm going. His hands grip hard into the flesh of Mingi’s thighs as he presses them up against his torso, and he’s panting as he pounds into the beta, his pupils so diluted, his scent so spiced, that Mingi feels a little insane with it.

Seeing how attracted the alpha is to him, the way he’s struggling to control himself, thrusts a little desperate and sloppy, only makes him burn hotter. It licks up his spine, the heat scorching through him, and he can’t stop the little noises falling out of him, the little gasps and whines.

“Fuck, so good, Yun, fuck,” he chokes out between thrusts, one hand falling back to scrabble at the arm of the sofa desperately. “Such a good pup, making me feel so good,” he adds, breathless, and Yunho whimpers, speeding up even more. Mingi reaches down to jerk himself off, watching as the alpha squeezes his eyes shut for a second, choking over a moan.

“C-Close, M-Min, please, can I?” he begs, eyebrows furrowed, bottom lip caught between his teeth. “Can I cum?” Mingi moans, unable to keep it in, Yunho asking permission sending hot sparks of desire to his already throbbing cock, leaking more precum over his fingers.

“Fuck, baby, of course you can, fuck, fuck, c-cum inside, please,” he manages between whimpers and gasps, barely able to keep his eyes open. “I’m so close, pup, fuck, cum for me puppy,” he chants out, working himself desperately, feeling the knot in the pit of his stomach tightening and tightening, threads away from orgasm.

“F-Fuck,” Yunho pants out, and then he’s cumming, shoving himself as deep as he can as he spurts semen into Mingi’s hole, fucking it back into him as he orgasms. “Shit, fuck, fuck,” he pants out, half-whiny and half-breathy, mouth dropped open and eyes squeezed shut as he climaxes. The look on his face, the feeling of him painting Mingi’s insides sends him over the edge and he groans as he throws his head back, cumming all over his own stomach. His orgasm crashes through him in waves, scorching heat rolling through him. He squeezes his eyes shut, mouth open, panting over weak little moans. Yunho slows his thrusts down as he rides out his aftershocks, letting Mingi tremble through his own waves of pleasure, gasping as he shivers.

“Jesus Christ,” Yunho gets out, still catching his breath, and Mingi finally manages to pull open his eyes, still shaking slightly, and a delirious little giggle falls out of him.

“No, just Mingi,” he jokes, and Yunho stares at him for a second, something in his eyes that the beta can’t place, before he just leans down, kissing Mingi so deeply that it makes him breathless. Not that he had fully caught his breath back yet anyway.

“I really fucking like you, Mingi,” Yunho says abruptly, pulling away and smoothing Mingi’s sweaty hair off his forehead gently, searching his expression for something.

“O-Oh,” the beta manages, surprised, and he swallows, eyes darting around Yunho’s face for a second. “I really like you too, Yunho.”

“I… I don’t know if it’s too soon,” Yunho starts and the blonde instinctively tilts his head, curious. “M-My ruts in just over a week and I…” he averts his eyes. “I wanted you to be there, if… If you’d want that?”

Mingi freezes for a long moment, staring at Yunho who is still staring at the arm of the sofa instead of the beta, scent a little stale with nerves. He blinks several times before he gets his brain to reboot.

“Are you sure you want me?” He blurts out, and Yunho’s eyes snap back to his, confusion on his face. “I mean, I’m… I’m just a beta,” he whispers, and the alpha’s expression flashes with something before he frowns.

“You aren’t ‘just’ anything, Min,” he murmurs, smelling of something a little stale. Mingi feels himself blushing immediately, turning to hide his face in his arm, still slung behind him on the arm of the sofa. “I want you, no one else.”

“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean… I was just…” Mingi gnaws on his bottom lip for a second. “As long as you’re sure, then yeah, I’d… I’d really like to help you with your rut.” He manages, and Yunho searches his face for a long second before he leans down, kissing Mingi softly.

“I’m sure, are you sure?” Yunho checks and the beta nods instantly, leaning up to press his lips against the alphas, seeking comfort.

“I’m sure, so sure, I promise,” he whispers, and the alpha smiles at him softly, reaching to pull Mingi to his chest, fluids ignored, shuffling him onto his lap. “I like you so much Yunho.”

“I like you so much too, idiot.”

Mingi speaks to his manager the next day at work. He blushes his way through the question, barely able to make eye contact, and the overweight man frowns at him.

“I thought you were a beta?” he asks, sounding tired and stressed, and Mingi shuffles his weight a little in the chair.

“I-I am, but my…” He isn’t sure what to describe Yunho as, suddenly stumbling over his words. “M-My partner’s rut is due, and when I joined I was told I could take up to a week off to accompany my partner’s rut or heat.”

“Right,” the man sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “Sure, whatever,” he adds, already distracted by his laptop, which is chirping incessantly at him. “Just send the dates you need off over email, and I’ll program them into the schedule.”

“Thank you, sir,” Mingi says, bowing slightly as he stands.

“Is this going to be a regular thing?” the man asks, not looking up, clicking his mouse obnoxiously. Mingi thinks that’s a slightly too personal question for the workplace and swallows awkwardly.

“U-Um, I… I don’t know?” he mumbles, still hovering next to the chair, not sure whether he’s allowed to leave or not. “I-Is that a problem? If it is?” His manager sighs again, glancing up at him, irritation obvious on his face, in his scent. Mingi cowers ever so slightly, hating the strong tobacco scent that is wafting through the room.

“It’s inconvenient, and shouldn’t a rut be handled by an omega anyway?” the large man mutters, rolling his eyes as he looks back at his screen. Mingi is slightly taken aback by his words, blinking wildly at the overweight man who is deliberately not looking at him.

“O-Oh,” is what comes out of the beta’s mouth.

“Legally we have to let you have the time off, but just be careful with how much you use, okay?” his manager says, clicking something on his screen.

“Right, o-okay,” Mingi gets out, nodding. “Thank you, sir.”

“No worries, Mingyu.” He says, waving him off. Mingi doesn’t bother to correct him, glad to scurry out of the room silently.

[Yunho ૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა]

hope it all goes okay today princess <3 (11:41)

fighting !! (11:42)

[minki c:]

yeah all good, got the time off fine but he’s still a dickhead :( (11:58)

made a weird comment about how “ruts should be handled by omegas…” ? and forgot my name again but are we even surprised >:( (12:01)

[Yunho ૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა]

min that’s fucking out of order of him, what the fuck? does he make inappropriate comments often? (12:04)

[minki c:]

sometimes yeah? I mean he also said that “legally we have to let you have the time off, but be careful with how much you use” which I don’t think is like… policy? (12:06)

and asked why i even needed rut/heat leave when im a beta which made me um… ?? a little uncomfortable i guess :/ (12:07)

but hes also old and been in the company for like a billion years so i think people mostly just ignore him lol (12:09)

[Yunho ૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა]

jesus princess that’s fucking awful? im sorry you have to deal with him :( is there not anyone you can report him to? like hr people or whatever? (12:11)

can i pick u up from work this afternoon? I want to see you (12:12)

[minki c:]

ah idk, i don’t want to make a fuss or whatever its ok really its just a bit jarring im not upset or anything :) (12:14)

oh yeah of course! Id love to see u <3 (12:15)

When Mingi leaves the company at the end of the day, Yunho, somehow, is already there. He’s typing furiously on his phone with his long fingers, reaching to shove his hair out of his face harshly. The beta doesn’t know what is stressing him out, but whatever is it is enough that Yunho doesn’t notice him until he’s already beside him, reaching to put a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, Yun?” Mingi murmurs and the alpha nods distractedly, shoving his phone into his pocket.

“Yeah, sorry, I’m fine,” he mutters, reaching to bring Mingi to his chest easily, hugging him tight. He smells a bit stale, and embarrassingly, the beta instinctively pumps out some soothing pheromones, despite how weak they probably are. Yunho, surprisingly, relaxes fractionally against Mingi when he catches the smell, resting his head on the beta’s shoulder.

“Sure?” Mingi asks quietly, and Yunho nods against him, not making a move to let him go. There’s a long beat of silence between them.

“Yeah,” he says, finally removing himself. Mingi almost pouts at the loss of body contact but catches himself. “Better now,” he whispers, and he’s got that strange look in his eyes again that the beta doesn’t quite understand.

It’s not until they’re back at Yunho’s flat, curled up on his sofa together, that the alpha fully relaxes. The room is getting a bit dark, but Mingi doesn’t want to move to turn the lamp on, not when he’s pressed against Yunho’s chest like this, not when the alpha’s arms are around him tight.

“Thank you for being here,” Yunho murmurs and Mingi twists a little so he can look at the alpha properly.

“Of course,” the beta says easily, honestly, “you want to talk about it?”

“I think it’s just hormones,” he says quietly, “pre-rut and that.” Mingi tilts his head a little, nudging his nose against the bottom of Yunho’s jaw as soothingly as he can. The alpha looks down at him, giving him a small smile. “I just feel very protective over you.”

“M-Me?” the blonde gets out, taken aback. Yunho just nods, glancing back up at the ceiling. “Why?”

“’Cause I like you, obviously,” he teases, squeezing his arms around Mingi’s body tight for a second. “Pre-rut just makes it harder to ignore.”

“Oh, r-right,” Mingi says, like he understands. He’s never been through pre-rut, and his instincts have never really been the most natural to him anyway, but he nods like he can relate anyway. “I’m not an omega though,” he blurts out, unthinking, and Yunho snorts at that, glancing down at Mingi in his arms with a raised eyebrow.

“I know?” He says like he doesn’t quite get what Mingi’s trying to say. The beta shifts his weight a little so he can sit up, straddling Yunho’s lap so he can look at him. “What are you talking about?”

“I-I…” Mingi starts, and then stops, gnawing his bottom lip. “I’m nervous,” he admits, eyes darting around Yunho’s face. “For your rut.” He adds, and Yunho’s expression shifts slightly, before he frowns a little, tilting his head.

“Min, you don’t have to, if it’s too soon, I-“ Yunho says, but Mingi interrupts him.

“No, I want to. I do.” He emphasises his point by nudging his nose against Yunho’s, slightly frustrated by his inability to speak properly. “I just… I’m a beta, so it’s not… I’m not…” He struggles to get the words out, and Yunho watches him carefully.

“Princess, talk to me,” he murmurs, and the beta catches the softness Yunho is putting through his scent to try and relax him.

“Alphas I’ve been with before h-haven’t been… T-The most satisfied with me, in their ruts, and I…” he swallows, throat clicking with the way his mouth is so dry. He’s fighting against the roll of his thoughts, threads tangling together, and Yunho’s scent spikes with worry before it fills with stronger soothing pheromones.

“Min…” Yunho whispers and Mingi shakes his head a little. He wants to get it out if he can, wants to explain, and wants to make sure Yunho’s expectations aren’t too high of him.

“I don’t produce as much slick as an omega would, and I-I can’t be knotted without prep, really, which can be i-irritating,” Mingi’s voice wavers on the word, and Yunho reaches to cradle his face softly, pulling him slightly closer. “And I… Sometimes, more often with omegas, but like, a partner’s cycle will trigger a faux knot, and a-alphas usually don’t like that.”

“Mingi, look at me,” the alpha murmurs, and Mingi finally makes proper eye contact, despite the way his cheeks are burning pink. For some reason Yunho’s ears are red, and his eyes shift around the beta’s face. “I promise you that it’s all okay,” he whispers, and Mingi blinks at him.

“Are you sure? B-Because, I get it if you want to b-back out,” he mumbles, and Yunho shakes his head instantly.

“I don’t want to back out, I want to do this with you, Min.” His eyes dart awkwardly around the beta’s face for a second, and he looks like he’s about to say something, and then changes his mind. “I promise I want you.”

“Yeah?” Mingi murmurs and Yunho nods instantly. “Even if I knot by accident?”

“Y-Yeah,” Yunho’s scent takes on a strange spice for a second, and the beta tilts his head, a little confused. “If your knot forms c-can you…” he swallows hard. “Can you knot me?”

“You want that?” Mingi blurts, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice, his scent. Yunho flushes darker pink, averting his eyes.

“I mean, y-you don’t have to, I just meant… I just-“ he tries, but Mingi rushes to correct him.

“No, I want to, I want that, I just… Are you sure? When you’re in rut?” He searches Yunho’s blushing face and the alpha nods stiffly, still not making eye contact.

“I… I like being fucked, in rut,” he admits quietly, and Mingi can’t stop the way his scent sweetens drastically at the admission. Yunho obviously catches it, because he glances up at Mingi with wide eyes, inhaling deeply. “Is that… Is that weird?”

“No,” Mingi says instantly, unable to look away from Yunho’s dilated pupils, the pink on his cheeks. “No that’s… Fuck, Yunho, that’s really hot, fuck,” he leans down, pressing his forehead against Yunho’s. “Christ, you’re unreal.”

“O-Oh,” Yunho stutters, and then giggles a little hysterically. “You like that?”

“Fuck, yes, obviously,” Mingi mutters, moving so he can press a kiss onto Yunho’s lips, “Can I fuck you?”

“Right now?” The alpha asks, sounding surprised, and it’s the beta’s turn to blush.

“I mean, just for practice, or whatever, right?” Mingi tries, eyes darting around Yunho’s face, and he laughs prettily in response, reaching to cup the beta’s face.

“Yeah, you can practice fucking me, sure,” he answers, grinning. “Good to try before the real thing, right?”

They move to Yunho’s bedroom, and Mingi is taken back to their first meeting, fuzzy, drunken memories of being fucked hard against the alpha’s sheets. The sea-salt scent is strong here, where it’s soaked into his bedding, and the beta can’t stop himself from inhaling deeply as he settles on Yunho’s lap, the alpha’s back against the headboard.

“I haven’t topped an alpha before,” he admits suddenly, watching Yunho’s expression closely. “You might have to like, tell me what to do, a bit,” he mumbles, and the alpha nods instantly, rubbing a thumb along Mingi’s cheekbone softly.

They get distracted by making out for a little while, and Yunho brushes his thumb up over the beta’s nipple, feather-light touch, and Mingi gasps a little into the alpha’s mouth. Yunho takes the opportunity to push his shirt off, and Mingi follows suit, wiggling out of his jeans. They’re both just in their boxers when Yunho reaches into his drawer and grabs the lube, and he subtly adjusts himself, hard-on obvious through the thin fabric of his underwear.

“Do you want to o-open me up, or I can just…” Yunho mumbles, averting his eyes, and Mingi pushes against his shoulder easily, making him lie down.

“Can I prep you, please?” Mingi asks, eyes a little wide. The alpha hides his smile by biting his bottom lip and nodding.

“Of course,” he answers, “how do you want me?”

“Can I see you? I-Is that…?” the beta whispers and Yunho nods, lifting his hips to shuffle his boxers off. Mingi grabs the lube, pouring some onto his fingers quickly, and warms it with one hand while he pushes on the back of Yunho’s thigh up. “Legs up, Pup.”

“O-Okay,” Yunho answers, voice already a little shaky, and Mingi presses a finger against his entrance, surprised at how easily it slips inside, how relaxed the alpha seems to be. Maybe his sex education was a bit lacking because he was semi-convinced that Yunho would instinctively reject it, maybe even snarl at him. But instead, he’s biting his bottom lip, eyes bordering on begging as he looks up at Mingi, and the beta wants to devour him, so turned on he can feel his dick throbbing in his underwear.

Mingi fucks him with one finger for a long moment, before he nudges his second digit next to it, stroking Yunho’s walls carefully. He’s not sure he’s hitting the alpha’s prostate, but Yunho’s big cock is leaking little drops of precum as he fingers him anyway, cheeks bright pink as he whimpers quietly behind his teeth. It’s so attractive that the beta wants to pin him down, fuck him hard, but he decides to add another finger instead after a few minutes, not wanting to hurt Yunho.

“A-Ah, s-shit,” Yunho whines out, eyelids fluttering, and Mingi presses against the same spot again, realising what he’s found. “M-Min, Christ,” he reaches to grab at the beta’s spare hand, clutching it tight.

“Does it feel good puppy?” Mingi asks, even though he kind of knows the answer, and Yunho nods desperately, his grip flexing in the beta’s hand. “You’re almost ready, think you can take one more?”

“Y-Yes, please,” Yunho begs, opening his eyes wide to beg with his eyes as well as his voice, like Mingi could ever say no to him. “Want you to fuck me.”

“God, Pup,” Mingi grits out, adding a fourth and final finger, stretching him carefully, scissoring his fingers the best he can. “You’re fucking perfect, Christ.” The sounds Yunho is making are sinful, rushing straight to Mingi’s already rock-hard dick, making him leak precum pathetically into his underwear.

“F-Fuck me, please?” Yunho asks, after a long moment of Mingi fingering him, sounding as desperate as he smells.

“Of course,” Mingi mumbles, pulling his hand out and fumbling for the lube, squirting more in his hand, pushing his boxers down just enough to get his dick out, too desperate to bother pulling away, slicking himself up. “You ready?”

“Y-yes, please, please,” Yunho begs prettily, and Mingi wonders if he’s ever going to find something about the other man that he doesn’t find wildly attractive. He leans to kiss him hard, and then slowly starts pushing in, wanting to thrust in hard, but also wanting Yunho to be able to adjust. The alpha moans as he enters him, head falling back as he does, eyes squeezing shut. “Fuck, Min, fuck.”

“Okay?” Mingi checks, finally settling all the way in, staying still for a second to make sure Yunho is still alright. He’s big, not as big as Yunho, obviously, but bigger than most betas, and he keeps an eye on his face to be sure. “You’re doing so good,” he adds, and Yunho looks back up at him, slightly dazed.

“Feels good, fuck, please move, please?” he asks, so politely, and Mingi nods, readjusting his grip so he can start thrusting properly into Yunho. It takes a bit of moving, but after a couple of attempts, the alpha hiccups over a moan, gripping Mingi’s wrist hard. “Fuck there, there,” he whines out, and Mingi grins when he realises, he’s hitting his prostate properly.

“Yeah, baby? Right there?” The beta teases, speeding up at the same angle, watching as Yunho squirms with the sensation, big cock leaking helplessly over his stomach, strings of precum between his tip and his soft tummy, making Mingi feel deranged with it. “You take it so well pup, look at you, fucking perfect,” he can’t stop the words from falling out of him, and Yunho just moans with it, spare hand scrabbling for something to hold onto on the bed.

“H-Ah, M-Min, fuck,” he gets out between pants, thighs trembling under Mingi’s hands, where he’s got him almost folded in half, the way he’s pounding into him. He feels so good around Mingi’s cock, so tight and perfect and he can’t stop the way he’s groaning as he fucks into him, gripping his thighs tight. He can feel the way the heat is gathering in his stomach, fast, entranced by the way the alpha is squirming and whining under him, dazed with it.

“You feel so good, so fucking, fuck,” Mingi says eloquently, and speeds up, pounding into him as hard as he can, trying his best to keep hitting Yunho’s prostate with every thrust.

He fucks him as deep as he can, and Yunho whines with it, lip caught between his teeth and eyebrows furrowed, looking beautiful as gasps and whines. At some point the alpha shifts their grip, pulling his own legs up, and Mingi takes the opportunity to grab hard into the soft sides of Yunho’s hips, squeezing mindlessly.

“G-God, Mingi, I- Fuck,” Yunho can’t seem to form words properly, eyes unfocused as his mouth falls open, cheeks a beautiful pink as he whimpers. Mingi can feel his orgasm building, heat licking up his spine, through his legs, and he groans, not slowing down, if anything going harder.

“God, puppy, I’m so close,” he mutters, and the alpha whines, nodding his head jerkily.

“M-Me too,” Yunho chokes, even though he hasn’t reached to touch himself, and Mingi moans helplessly, heat blooming so quickly that he can barely see with it. “P-Please, c-cum inside,” he whines, eyes squeezed shut as he pants, muscles quivering. “G-Gonna cum.”

“Fuck, fuck,” Mingi moans, and then he’s cumming inside Yunho’s hole, fucking him through it, panting. He’s still coming down, ears ringing, muscles shivering when Yunho’s hole spasms around him and he chokes over a sob, whimpering as he cums untouched against his own stomach.

Mingi watches, open-mouthed as he grinds against Yunho’s prostate despite the way he’s veering into overstimulation, hypnotised by the way the alpha is spurting streams of semen over his own pale skin, all over his soft stomach, and Mingi growls under his breath by accident. Yunho whines at that, another little spurt of cum escaping his drooling cock, and Mingi leans in to kiss him as deeply as he can. Yunho mostly pants against his mouth, trying his best to return the kiss despite the way he’s folded in half, the way he’s trying to catch his breath.

“Oh my god,” Mingi mumbles, watching as Yunho finally gets his eyes open, forehead sweaty and chest heaving. “Fucking hell,” and the alpha laughs breathlessly, letting his head flop back against the pillows. “You can cum untouched?”

“N-Not all the time,” Yunho replies, looking a little embarrassed. “It took me by surprise a little bit,” he admits, and Mingi chuckles, a little deliriously, pulling out carefully, wincing at the oversensitivity. Yunho bites his bottom lip as the beta’s cum leaks out of him, and Mingi stops himself from reaching to fuck it back in with his fingers. He thinks that might be a little too much.

“Is my stroke game just that good?” Mingi jokes, grabbing his shirt that he had thrown off earlier, and using it to wipe Yunho’s stomach instinctively. The alpha laughs, reaching for the beta as soon as he’s cleaned him up a bit, pulling him to his chest.

“Obviously, yeah,” he teases, burying his nose against Mingi’s scent gland. They lie in silence together for a moment, just breathing together, before Yunho clears his throat suddenly, breaking the quiet.

“Hm?” Mingi asks, curious, and the alpha shifts a little, moving so he can lie face-to-face with the beta on the bed, keeping their bodies intertwined as best he can.

“Thanks,” he whispers, and Mingi blinks at him, confused.

“For what?” he answers, reaching to brush a strand of hair out of Yunho’s eyes.

“D-Doing that, for me,” he gets out awkwardly, sea-salt scent a little embarrassed around the edges. “Humouring me, or whatever,” he adds.

“Yunho,” Mingi pouts at him, “It greatly offends me that you don’t realise how much I enjoy fucking you,” he says bluntly, which makes Yunho snort, obviously taken aback.

“O-Oh,” he manages, biting his bottom lip, still amused despite his shyness. “I like it a lot too,” he murmurs, leaning to butt his nose against Mingi’s, a smile overtaking his face. “I still like fucking you a lot though.”

“Good, because I like being fucked a lot as well,” Mingi says easily, which makes Yunho’s cheeks go a bit pink, but he doesn’t stop smiling. The beta leans in to kiss him softly, endeared. “You’re really fucking perfect, you know that,” he whispers, and Yunho’s eyes widen a fraction, ears bright red.

“T-Thanks, I… I like you a lot, you know,” he whispers back, and Mingi rolls his eyes in amusement, grinning.

“I like you a lot too, obviously.”

The days running up to Yunho’s rut are slightly nerve-wracking, and Mingi spends a lot of time scrolling through Reddit posts on the r/helpingwithruts page. He struggles to find much advice about topping an alpha in rut, and he has to close the page in a rush when someone knocks on his studio door. He turns, welcoming in the latest female idol, some young girl that Mingi vaguely recognises from around the company.

Time drags, despite the way he and Yunho text throughout the day, and when it comes to the day he’s supposed to go over, he’s so nervous that he can smell it on himself, despite his mild scent. He wakes up early, a little too pent-up to sleep, and rechecks his bag even though he’d packed it several days in advance and had already sorted through it three separate times.

When Yunho finally texts him to say it’s starting, Mingi is halfway out the door before he’s even texted back a reply, so eager to get there that he hops to get one shoe on, slamming the door behind him. He almost jogs to get there, ignoring the looks of passersby, too worried to be bothered by the judgement.

“I’m here,” he shouts into the apartment as he arrives, using the spare key that Yunho left under the mat for him. He wanders in, surprised when he sees the alpha on the sofa, wrapped in a hoodie that Mingi is sure he misplaced somewhen last week, that Yunho had sworn he hadn’t seen. “Is that my hoodie?”

“Maybe,” Yunho mumbles, and when he turns to look at Mingi, he can already see the little haze in his eyes. “I wanted your scent until you got here,” he explains, and Mingi’s heart skips in his chest, fluttering painfully.

“I’m here now, what do you need?” he asks, dumping his bag and shoes, and moving to Yunho’s side instinctively. “Have you eaten recently, drunk water?”

“Yeah,” Yunho answers, reaching to bury himself in Mingi’s chest. “Just want you for a bit, is that okay?”

“Of course, pup,” Mingi mumbles, a little surprised but getting better at hiding it, tightening his grip around the alpha’s waist, shuffling him closer, more on his lap. “Whatever you need.”

Yunho keeps himself buried against the beta’s scent gland for a while, inhaling deeply and nosing at it, and Mingi is a little embarrassed when he feels himself slicking up slightly as the sensation of his nose against his sensitive gland rocks through him. Yunho obviously catches it, because he removes himself, glancing up at Mingi with wide eyes.

“Are you slicking?” He asks, and Mingi nods awkwardly, biting his bottom lip.

“I-I’ve always been pretty sensitive to cycle pheromones…” he admits, and he can feel his cheeks burning. “I slick easy and, that’s why I pop a knot sometimes as well and… Sorry,” he mumbles.

“Why are you apologising?” Yunho murmurs, tilting his head slightly. “Min, I’ve already said it’s okay, I like it,” he whispers, nudging his nose against Mingi’s cheek soothingly. The beta sighs contentedly, leaning into the touch.

“We don’t have to do anything yet, just ‘cause I’ve started getting wet,” he says quietly, reaching to smooth Yunho’s hair softly, looking at him properly. “I can wait until you’re ready,” he adds.

“Hm, I know,” Yunho murmurs back, returning to his place against Mingi’s scent gland, letting him pet his hair soothingly. “Thank you, baby,” he mumbles, a little dazedly, and Mingi wonders if the alpha can hear the way his heart is beating in his chest, loud and fast.

They cuddle for a bit longer, until Yunho starts to squirm, obviously in the beginning of a wave, and winces against Mingi’s shoulder noticeably.

“H-Hurts,” he says, mostly muffled in Mingi’s t-shirt, bending a little to clutch at his stomach. “M-Mingi, c-can you fuck me now?”

“Are you sure? You don’t want to get a knot out first?” Mingi asks, shuffling them a little so he can examine the alpha’s expression. He shakes his head vehemently, his arm still wrapped around his own stomach.

“I’ll want to knot you later, w-want you to fuck me first,” he states, sounding sure, and the beta can’t find it in him to say no, doesn’t even want to.

“Okay, baby, as long as you’re sure,” Mingi murmurs, reaching to rub a thumb across Yunho’s flushed cheek. He leans into it, eyelids fluttering. He’s so pretty, pink and dazed, the beginnings of rut heating his skin.

“H-Have a toy, to knot into, w-want you inside,” he stutters out, and Mingi nods immediately, going to help Yunho up, towards the bedroom.

“Okay pup, let’s get you on the bed, yeah?” Mingi assures him, leading him carefully, and Yunho trails with him easily, letting himself get manhandled onto the bed, and get his sweaty clothes stripped of his body.

“I p-prepped myself a bit, earlier,” Yunho says suddenly, as Mingi is reaching for the lube that’s been placed on the bedside table. “B-But you’re bigger than my toy, I think,” he mumbles, averting his eyes. Mingi feels his ears burn red instantly at that admission, swallowing around a dry throat.

“W-Where’s your toys, pup? Don’t want you to knot into nothing,” he says instead of addressing that, trying to gather himself. He’s so ridiculously turned on already, and they’ve barely done anything. He’s entranced by the way Yunho’s cock is drooling, smearing against his skin, the way he’s dazedly watching Mingi as he moves.

Even when he pops a beta knot, it hurts horribly to cum into nothing, and he can’t imagine how much worse it must be for an alpha. Yunho blinks at him for a second.

“Bottom drawer,” he says, and the beta is back on the bed with the fleshlight and lube as quickly as possible, ignoring the way he’s leaking little drips of slick down his thigh, the way he’s ridiculously hard already just from the scent Yunho is producing.

“Okay,” Mingi mumbles, pouring some lube onto his fingers, “I’m just gonna stretch you a little more, do you want to fuck into your toy while I’m prepping you, Pup?” Yunho nods at that, and Mingi passes him the fleshlight with his dry hand, fumbling to drip some lube into it while not smearing the liquid on his fingers on the sheets.

He feeds his big cock, already dripping with precum, into the toy, and Mingi takes the opportunity to gently press one finger into Yunho’s hole. The alpha whines and the beta falters slightly, concerned.

“O-Okay, puppy?” he asks, worried, and Yunho shudders under his hands, one gripped on his waist, one against his entrance. His eyes are dazed when he opens them to look at Mingi, cheeks pink.

“Y-Yes, please, m-more,” he whimpers, and Mingi pumps his finger in and out gently, finding that the alpha is already quite well stretched already. He fingers him open pretty quickly, and Yunho breathes through it, hips bucking mindlessly into the toy he’s got gripped around himself. It’s only a few minutes before the alpha is ready for him, stretched and wet, and Mingi has to swallow hard to try and gather himself, so turned on that he can feel his jaw aching.

“You’re ready, you want me now?” Mingi asks, and Yunho nods desperately, pulling on the beta’s arm, as if he’s urging him to hurry up. It shouldn’t be endearing, not when the blonde is leaking slick down his thighs, when he’s so hard he can feel himself throbbing, but he’s endeared anyway, smiling at the alpha as he stares up at him.

“Please, please,” he whispers, spreading his legs a little further apart, and Mingi swallows dryly, nodding.

“Of course pup,” he answers, lining himself up and pushing the tip gently against his entrance. “Tell me if it gets too much, yeah?” he double checks, and Yunho nods shakily, starting to move the fleshlight on his cock slowly, breath catching in his throat.

“F-Fuck, please,” he moans as Mingi pushes in slowly, wiggling his hips a bit, as if he can fuck himself back on the beta’s cock. His scent is so strong, so spiced, and the rut pheromones are so powerful that Mingi can feel the way he’s leaking slick down his ass. He wonders distractedly if he’s going to accidentally knot Yunho in the first wave. He’s not sure he’s ever felt this deranged in a partner’s cycle before, everything about the alpha making him feel overwhelmed with heat, licking through his stomach, up his spine. He groans under his breath.

“God, you smell so fucking good,” Mingi grits out, starting to move his hips. Yunho growls a little in the back of his throat, and the beta falters, surprised. “Pup?” He stays still, and the alpha’s eyebrows furrow, obviously unhappy with something, and Mingi reaches to push his sweaty hair off his forehead. “Talk to me puppy.”

“S-Sorry,” he moans out, spare hand scrabbling at the sheets. “I, fuck, can I ride you instead?” he whimpers, eyes darting around Mingi’s face, and he nods instantly.

“Sure, let me, just,” he mumbles, pulling out, and Yunho is on him, pushing him down before he gets his bearings, pinning him. “Oh, hi,” he manages, and the alpha shoves his nose against Mingi’s scent gland like he doesn’t want to be away from it. The toy is still on his dick, and it would probably be kind of comical if the overwhelming pheromones weren’t making Mingi so horny that it almost hurts.

“Stay,” Yunho grits out, shuffling and lining himself up, sinking onto Mingi’s dick without warning. “Fuck, be good,” he groans, one hand clutching the sheets, the other gripping onto the toy, moving it jerkily. He doesn’t move for a second, just using the fleshlight and biting his bottom lip as he moans, visibly dazed. “You’re gonna be good for me?” He suddenly asks, opening his eyes to stare at the beta, and Mingi nods instantly, desperate to be good.

“Y-Yeah, I’ll be good,” Mingi chokes out, mostly distracted by the tight heat around his cock, the way Yunho suddenly starts moving, fucking himself on the beta’s cock like he’s just another toy to use. It makes Mingi leak even more slick, more than he usually produces, even as a beta who is more sensitive to cycle pheromones, and he bites his bottom lip to stop himself from groaning out loud.

“Fuck, I can smell you slicking,” Yunho growls, moving to lean forward, spare hand coming up to press against Mingi’s chest. “Smells so good, wanna taste it,” he says between moans, riding Mingi desperately, pumping the toy mindlessly over his leaking cock. “Fuck, fuck.”

“Y-You can pup, whenever you want,” the blonde gets out, despite the way he’s holding on for dear life and hoping he doesn’t cum early, feeling pulled tight already, certain he’s leaving a wet patch on the sheets from how much he’s drooling slick everywhere.

“Feel so good, fuck, fuck,” he chants, eyes squeezed shut, and his thighs tremble visibly, breath coming out in little pants. “Min, Min, f-fuck, shit.” He rides him slightly clumsily, movements tinged with desperation, and Mingi can’t stop the way he’s watching him with wide eyes, entranced. The alpha looks perfect, sweat beading on his forehead, eyebrows furrowed, mouth dropped open. The beta doesn’t know if he’s ever going to be able to fuck anyone else, can’t imagine being anywhere but under Yunho, whether he’s fucking him, or being fucked.

After a few minutes, Yunho whimpers, sounding pained, and Mingi can’t stop the weak moan that falls out of him in response.

“You close alpha?” Mingi hears himself saying, hands scrambling to hold on as he veers dangerously close to orgasm, so turned on that he can smell it himself, even with his worse sense of smell. He can feel the pull of his orgasm in the pit of his stomach, can feel the way his dick is throbbing, hardening even more somehow. He realises belatedly that it’s the beginning of his beta knot, and he whines quietly, embarrassed. “I-I think I’m gonna knot, I’m… Yun, alpha, d-do you want me to knot you?”

“K-Knot?” Yunho asks blearily, and then as he thrusts himself down he moans, obviously feeling the beginnings of his beta knot forming. “Oh fuck, please, fuck, knot me, k-knot me, please, you p-promised, p-please,” he begs, so prettily, and the embarrassment leaves him as quickly as it came.

“O-Of course baby, I-I’ll knot you pup,” he promises, reaching to grab at Yunho’s thigh, just for something to hold on to, “F-Fuck, I’m so close.”

“P-Please, fuck, please, Min,” Yunho begs, gasping desperately, “So close, please, please,” he chants, moving so fast that Mingi can barely breathe with the sensations, heat scorching through him so intensely that he can’t keep his eyes open.

“Oh my god, Yunho, Yunho, fuck, fuck,” Mingi pants out, and he can feel the way his knot is expanding, faster and larger than usual, muscles trembling. “K-Knotting, fuck, c-cumming,” he babbles out, and Yunho shoves himself down on it, knot popping into his hole abruptly, and they moan in sync.

The beta’s orgasm crashes into him hard, taking his breath away. Mingi pumps stream after stream of cum into Yunho, waves and waves of scorching heat rolling through him, stretching. Yunho is panting as he grinds down on him, extending the devastating climax, and then he’s suddenly knotting in the toy with a wet little groan, movements stilling. He cums so much, as expected for an alpha, and little pools of it escape out the bottom of the toy, dripping onto Mingi’s stomach. It should probably be gross, really, but the beta just watches it, slightly mesmerised.

“Fuck,” Yunho gets out after a long moment, slumping onto Mingi’s chest, stickiness and fluids ignored. “Your knot is fucking big, what the fuck,” he mumbles, mostly into the beta’s bare chest, and Mingi flushes pink despite everything.

“S-Sorry, it’s not usually s-so big, I don’t usually leak s-so much either,” he admits, and Yunho lifts himself up slightly so he can press a kiss sloppily into the side of Mingi’s mouth, before flopping back down. Mingi rubs his hands over the alpha’s back, can feel the way he’s still trembling slightly under his palms.

“Don’t apologise, I already said I like it,” he says, voice muffled, and Mingi smiles a little into the top of his head, pressing a kiss there.

“It’ll deflate in like ten minutes,” he murmurs into the hair in front of him, and Yunho hums.

“Me too,” he answers, pressing his nose as close to Mingi’s scent gland as possible. “Don’t want to move,” he whines, and Mingi snorts despite himself, endeared.

“We don’t have to yet pup, just rest for a bit,” he lifts a hand to stroke through Yunho’s hair, and he sighs happily, and Mingi can feel his eyelashes fluttering against his skin.

“Okay, thank you,” he mumbles, sounding immediately sleepy, and Mingi is so endeared with it that he has to bite his lip to stop himself grinning stupidly.

He thinks that Yunho probably falls asleep for a bit, because he barely seems to notice when Mingi taps him gently, easing his now deflated knot out of the alpha, carefully removing the toy from Yunho’s messy cock. He pouts a little but allows Mingi to lie him flat on the bed, using some wipes to clean him up.

The beta goes to stand up, mostly just to get some water and throw the wipes in the bin but Yunho’s arm grabs him before he can probably reach the edge of the bed, pulling him back.

“No,” he grunts out, rolling them so he can half-heartedly pin Mingi to the bed, nose back against his scent gland, apparently his favourite place to be. “You have to stay,” he murmurs, and Mingi hates to admit that his words send a shock of heat into the pit of his stomach. He shouldn’t be so turned on by possession.

“I was gonna get you some water Pup,” he explains, and Yunho shakes his head, still buried against his skin.

“My job to provide,” he mumbles, eyes hazy as he looks up at Mingi. “For my beta.”

“O-Oh,” Mingi gets out, eyes wide as he takes in Yunho’s dazed expression. “Yeah of course, I-I’m yours, Yun,” he assures him, and something strong and harsh settles in his chest. He blinks up at the alpha, who smiles at him dopily and retreats back to his place against his neck, snuffling gently, unaware.

Mingi blinks at the ceiling for a second, before the crashing reality of his emotions hits him, and he realises with a horrible pang that he’s fallen in love with the alpha. He’s fallen in love with Jeong Yunho.

Considering the rut daze he’s in, Mingi probably shouldn’t be taking the words to heart the way he is, but he can’t help it, can’t help the way he’s helplessly head over heels for the other man, besotted.

“Do you want some food or water baby?” Mingi says instead, and Yunho sighs, rolling over so the beta is no longer pinned under his weight.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to leave you,” he mumbles, and Mingi can’t stop the stupid smile that comes over his face.

“I’ll come with you then,” he murmurs, and Yunho smiles at him, shuffling to press a kiss directly on the end of the beta’s nose. “Come on,” he encourages, shifting, and Yunho follows suit, pulling them upright. They’re still a bit sticky, and Mingi feels a bit awkward, boxers lost somewhere in the room. Yunho glances at him, before he rummages in his wardrobe, passing over a large, soft t-shirt.

“I like it when you wear my clothes,” Yunho admits, akin to nothing, and the beta takes it easily, shucking it on.

“Yeah?” Mingi answers, teasing, nudging his shoulder against Yunho’s, “I couldn’t tell,” he jokes, and Yunho laughs a little, despite the rut-daze he’s in.

They eat quickly, Yunho huddled so close to him that they could be one person, and Mingi struggles to eat properly with the way the alpha is clinging to him, too endeared to say anything. When the brunette finishes his meal he places the plate on the side, and shuffles closer to Mingi, watching as he eats with hazy eyes.

“You’re so pretty,” Yunho mumbles suddenly, and Mingi almost chokes on his noodles, snapping his eyes to look at the alpha, shocked. His eyes are a little unfocused, cheeks pink, sweat on his forehead, and the beta realises he’s slipping into another wave. He places his plate to the side as well, swallowing hastily.

“Yeah?” Mingi says, tilting his head, and as the spice in Yunho’s scent gets stronger, he tries his best to ignore the way he slicks up immediately, already wet against the cold wood of the chair seat. “Where do you want me, pup?” He asks, and Yunho blinks at him blankly for a second, before nodding decidedly.

“Need to fuck you,” he grits out, pushing his hard, hot cock against Mingi’s hip. “Bed, please,” he manages, obviously struggling, and the beta manages to guide them to the bedroom without too much difficulty.

Yunho pulls the shirt off him harshly, shoving him down onto the mattress hard, eyes dark. Mingi gasps against the sheets as little as he thuds down, startled, and the alpha pins him down easily, rutting his cock against the back of the beta’s thigh mindlessly. He’s got a hand hard against his hip, gripping tight, and Mingi bites down on the pillow underneath him to stop himself moaning already.

“F-Fuck, Mingi,” he whines, pushing a hand harshly against the middle of his shoulder blades to keep him down like the beta has made any effort to get away. “Y-You’re leaking so much for me,” he pants, and he’s nudging his thick cock against Mingi’s hole insistently.

“Y-Yun, you n-need to prep m-me,” Mingi whimpers out, and Yunho grunts, moving away. For a moment the beta is worried, but then Yunho’s mouth is on him and he can barely keep his legs from giving out under him. “O-Oh fuck, pup, what are y-you…” he chokes out a moan as the alpha fucks his tongue into his hole messily, saliva everywhere, and he feels himself slick even more, a trail of it leaking out of his hole, so sweet that even he can smell it.

“Taste so good,” Yunho growls against his entrance, licking desperately, eagerly. “My beta, mine,” he chants, and then he slips a finger into his hole, gathering up his slick to feed it back in to him, next to his tongue.

“S-Shit, a-alpha,” Mingi gets out, gripping the sheets as hard as he can, almost drooling into the pillow with the way he’s so out of it, completely overtaken by the alpha’s pheromones, his movements. “F-Fuck, m-more please.” Yunho shoves another finger in, a little clumsily, scissoring his fingers, leaning back to breathe, to watch as Mingi leaks over his digits.

“Look at you, so wet,” Yunho sounds awed, a little drunk with it, and he leans to gather more slick on his tongue. “Taste so good, knot me so good,” he murmurs, and Mingi can tell by his scent and voice that he’s completely dazed, drunk on hormones. He pumps his long fingers in and out fast, seemingly taken by complete instinct, and there are several long moments where Yunho is so entranced by fingering him that he doesn’t seem to hear the beta’s little gasps and whimpers.

“Another f-finger, please,” Mingi moans after a long moment and Yunho does as he’s told, diving back in to sneak his tongue next to his digits, drooling so much saliva that Mingi can feel it dripping down his taint. He’s leaking so much, little waves of it drooling out of him, and Yunho laps it all up like a man starved. Mingi’s so hard he’s squirming, leaking pathetically, dripping onto the sheets. Yunho adds another finger, pushing harshly against his prostate with his fingertips, and Mingi whimpers wetly, thrashing a little under the alpha’s hands.

“Stay still,” Yunho growls, gripping him hard enough that his nails dig in, and Mingi shudders, trying his best to stop himself from shaking. “Be good,” he commands, and the blonde feels another devastating wave of slick leak out of him, so much so that he wonders if he’s ever been this turned on before in his life.

“S-Sorry, a-alpha, please, f-fuck,” the beta manages between gasps, Yunho’s fingers still scissoring him open, “I-I’m ready, please,” he whines, and Yunho ignores him, fingering him harder.

“I want you to cum on my fingers first,” he says lowly, voice a little hoarse as he leans over Mingi’s back to speak in his ear. “Then again on my cock,” he adds, and the beta whines pitifully, letting Yunho’s weight pin him to the bed, letting him massage his prostate maddeningly. He ruts his drooling cock against the bed, mindless, and Yunho groans in his ear, moving to suck a mark just under Mingi’s scent gland. The beta can’t stop the way his orgasm is building inside of him, so dizzy with sensations that he doesn’t even notice how quickly he’s careening towards climax, drooling into the sheets.

“Y-Yun, p-please, n-need to cum,” he whines out embarrassingly quickly, desperation obvious in his voice. Yunho doesn’t slow down, if anything going harder, growling lowly in his ear.

“Then cum for me, Princess,” he murmurs, hitting Mingi’s prostate head-on with every thrust of his fingers. “Be good for me.”

The words cut through the beta with a sharp pang of heat, and he can barely see as his orgasm rolls through him, muscles spasming. He trembles through his orgasm, waves and waves of scorching heat flowing through him, leaking streams and streams of cum over the sheets, smearing against his own stomach. He feels a wave of slick rush out of him, saturating the bedding even more, and Yunho makes an almost pained-sounding noise. He manhandles Mingi over before he’s even fully through his first orgasm, still panting through the last parts of the aftershocks, and Yunho shoves his legs up to his chest harshly.

“N-Need to fuck you,” he gets out from gritted teeth, and Mingi watches the little bead of sweat that drips down the side of his face. The lower half of his face is saturated with the beta’s slick, lips a little swollen, and he looks so dazed with it that Mingi’s staggered he hasn’t just shoved himself already.

“G-Go ahead, pup,” the blonde gets out shakily, holding his legs up the best he can with his trembling hands so Yunho can enter him more easily. “You can fuck me.”

“T-Thank you,” Yunho grits out, and then lines himself up, groaning lowly as he presses himself in. “F-fuck, th-thank you, thank you, than-thank you,” he chants, eyes squeezed shut as he tentatively thrusts, moaning instantly.

“A-Alpha,” Mingi whimpers out, and as he speeds up, he feels his stomach tightening embarrassingly quickly, barely out of one orgasm before his second is building. “F-Fuck, feel so good.” Yunho can’t seem to hear him, too overtaken by the need to fuck into him, face flushed and sweaty, whining over moans as he thrusts.

“K-Knot you, please,” he gasps out after a few minutes, hips smacking hard against Mingi’s ass as he pounds into him, hands gripping tightly on his thighs, just under Mingi’s own hands. “N-Need to k-knot, my b-beta, my Mingi,” he babbles, and Mingi can’t stop the helpless little whimper that falls out of him, throwing his head back. He can feel the way the alpha’s knot is expanding a little, starting to harden and fill out, and it only makes him more dizzy, overtaken by the waves of heat.

“Y-Yours, yeah, k-knot me pup, p-please,” he begs, and he blinks up at the alpha, who is watching his face closely, eyes completely hazy but gaze still fixed on him. “Yunho…” he whispers brokenly, and he feels himself teetering on the edge of a devastating orgasm.

“Mine,” the alpha grits out, thrusting in hard as his knot expands further, popping into Mingi and locking them together.

The sensation is insane, and Mingi can’t stop the wet sob that falls out of him as he cums again, spurting semen weakly all over his already sticky stomach. Yunho gasps quietly, grinding himself further in as he cums as well, filling his hole with so much release that the beta feels full with it, panting his way through the devastating waves of heat that are trembling through him.

“Mine, mine,” Yunho chants, still shuddering through his orgasm, thrust petering out as he pants.

“Y-yeah of course,” Mingi answers, feeling exhausted, flopping against the pillows dramatically. “Fuck.” When he opens his eyes, Yunho is staring at him, and he blinks hard, seemingly coming out of his rut-daze a little.

“You okay?” He asks, sounding more with it, and shuffles a little so he can wrap his arms around Mingi’s neck, press a kiss on his forehead. “Sorry, that was a lot,” he whispers, and the beta giggles a little, slightly delirious.

“It’s fine, Yun, I’m okay,” he assures him, nudging his nose against Yunho’s the best he can while they're locked together. “You’re cute,” he mumbles dizzily, and the alpha chuckles, reaching to brush some of his sweaty blonde hair out of his eyes.

“You did so well,” he murmurs, and Mingi blushes at the praise, smiling stupidly but trying to hide his face in the pillow a little bit. “I was rough, I’m sorry,” he adds, looking genuinely concerned, and Mingi rushes to settle him.

“N-No, it was fine, Yunho, I promise,” he assures him, looking up at his face intently. “You didn’t hurt me at all.” The alpha searches his face for a second before he nods, leaning to bury his face in the crook of Mingi’s neck the best he can in their position, inhaling deeply.

“Good,” he mumbles into the beta’s throat, breath warm against his flesh. “Wake me up in ten minutes, please, I want to wash you,” he states, and then he drops off, body relaxing on top of Mingi’s. It’s violently endearing, ridiculous and stupid, but Mingi’s stomach swoops with it, aching with a sudden surge of devotion, and he swallows hard.

He’s in love with Yunho. He can’t even pretend not to be anymore, doesn’t know how to hide it, and he gnaws on his bottom lip as the alpha snores quietly on his shoulder. He’s torn with it all, stuck between what he’s allowed to feel and what’s too soon. He doesn’t know if he’s disrespecting some unspoken boundary, something he’s too blinded by attraction to see, and he worries silently as Yunho sleeps on him, thoughts rolling sickeningly.

Yunho’s knot deflates about fifteen minutes later, and Mingi shakes him gently, pressing a kiss on his forehead as he rolls him slightly.

“Yun, baby, you told me to wake you,” he murmurs, and the alpha blinks at him sleepily before seemingly coming to, smiling at him softly.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, sitting up a little, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. Yunho leads him to the shower, and the beta lets himself get pulled along, lets the alpha fuss over him, fuss with the temperature of the water. Yunho gathers him and guides him into the shower, even though Mingi is basically fine, only mildly achy. The gentle protectiveness does nothing to stop the way the beta’s chest is aching with emotion.

“Close your eyes,” Yunho murmurs, squirting shampoo into his hands. “I don’t want to get soap in them.” Mingi closes his eyes easily, trustingly and he’s hit with a wave of strange déjà vu.

“Thanks,” the beta whispers, and Yunho just chuckles, massaging his scalp gently. He washes the entirety of Mingi’s body with the same careful care, washing him off carefully and rubbing conditioner through his strands.

“It’s feeling softer already,” Yunho mumbles, hands still scratching at his scalp. “Look what happens when you let me look after you,” he teases and Mingi’s heart flutters painfully in his chest.

“Mmm, you know what’s good for me, right alpha?” He says mindlessly, and Yunho’s scent spikes suddenly with strong spice, and Mingi realises what he’s said. He blinks up at the alpha, who is staring at him and swallows. “I m-mean…” but Yunho just pushes him under the spray of water, leaning in to kiss him abruptly. He kisses him deeply, hand moving up to cradle Mingi’s jaw, possessive and heavy. He licks into the beta’s mouth messily, desperately, and Mingi can’t stop the little moan that falls out of him.

“You’re so fucking perfect,” Yunho growls out, pulling away to watch Mingi’s face, thumb rubbing absently on his cheekbone. “You’re mine,” he whispers, and the beta nods quickly, leaning into Yunho’s touch.

“Yeah, I’m yours,” he agrees simply, and Yunho makes a pleased noise in the back of his throat, before rubbing his hands through Mingi’s hair, washing the conditioner out. “Thank you,” he whispers, and Yunho presses a kiss, soft, against his forehead.

Yunho manages to nap for a bit after they get out of the shower, and Mingi stays beside him, drifting in and out of sleep fitfully. He wakes up with a start, not sure what’s woken him up, when Yunho whines weakly, body contorting as he doubles over on himself.

“Yun, fuck, baby, are you okay?” Mingi rushes, moving to him easily, stroking his sweaty hair off of his face.

“H-Hurts, Min,” he gasps, and his hips jerk mindlessly, knocking his drooling hard-on against the beta’s thigh clumsily, smearing precum over his skin. “Fuck.”

“It’s okay, let me help,” Mingi says instantly, still stroking his hair. “Do you want to mount me pup? It’ll feel better once you knot again.” Yunho whimpers quietly, nodding his head desperately, and Mingi shuffles himself onto all fours, letting Yunho pull his hips to where he wants them, rutting clumsily against his hole.

“F-Fuck, fuck,” Yunho chants, struggling, and Mingi reaches back, trying his best to help line the alpha up with his still-stretched hole. It takes a few messy thrusts, Yunho whining sadly, but then the brunette slips in with a groan, and he barely lets Mingi adjust before he’s gripping hard into his hips and thrusting into him, hard.

“Y-Yunho,” Mingi chokes out, taken by surprise, but Yunho ignores him, pounding into him repeatedly, desperately. “G-God,” he pants out, rapidly growing hard as the alpha messily humps him, sometimes hitting his prostate, sometimes not. The clumsiness shouldn’t be endearing, but Yunho’s so rut-drunk he can barely speak, panting and whining as he fucks into Mingi like a toy.

“Mingi, Mingi, fuck, fuck,” Yunho babbles out, and he moves one of his hands to Mingi’s back, pushing him further into an arch, further into the sheets. “My beta, mine.”

“Y-Yeah baby, I’m yours,” he manages to get out between thrusts, and the brunette whines horribly, sounding distressed. “I-It’s okay pup, you’re okay,” Mingi tries his best to calm him down, despite the way he can’t see him, attempts to pump out some soothing pheromones. Yunho inhales audibly, slumping a little against Mingi’s back, still pounding into him, movements tinged with desperation.

 “Princess, f-fuck, please, I-I c-can’t-“ and he cuts himself off with a whimper, hips pistoning mindlessly.

“I-It’s o-okay baby, y-you can knot wh-whenever you need to,” Mingi manages between thrusts, and Yunho whines again, hand scratching down the beta’s back as he tries to get a grip.

“N-No, n-need to mark, m-mine,” he pants, and then he’s hiccupping over a moan, sounding close to tears. “I c-can’t hold it, n-need to p-pee, please,” he begs, and Mingi chokes over a moan of his own, shocked but hit with such a strong wave of heat that he feels a bit breathless. He’d read about it, alphas wanting to mark their mates with their piss, and he’d scrolled past it quickly to stop himself from getting hard at work. He shivers under Yunho’s hands.

“Y-You can mark me puppy,” Mingi gets out, barely able to speak through the way his orgasm is building up so rapidly, the way his muscles are trembling. “P-Piss in me, it’s o-okay,” he assures him.

Yunho sobs brokenly, shoving himself as deep into Mingi as he can and then he’s peeing, filling the beta with warmth, hands shaking where they’re still gripped on his hips, on his back. He thinks it might draw blood, how tight Yunho’s clutching him, but he doesn’t care, too dizzy with the sensations, too overwhelmed with the heat licking up his spine. He thinks he might cum, think he might spurt semen over the sheets below him, but he’s not sure, because as soon as Yunho’s finished he’s fucking into him so hard that the beta can barely breathe with it. The pleasure blends endlessly, and the beta can’t tell where one wave ends and another begins.

“Mine, mine, mine,” Yunho babbles, voice sounding wet, seemingly unbothered by the way he’s fucking his piss back out of Mingi, leaking down his thighs and onto the sheets. “Mine, f-fucking, my beta, mine,” the alpha chants, and Mingi whimpers pathetically, muffled by the bedding he’s crushed into. He’s uncertain if he’s still orgasming or if he’s just leaking so much precum that it feels that way, unable to stop his muscles from spasming, clenching repeatedly around Yunho’s thick cock.

“F-Fuck, Yunho, alpha, p-please,” he begs mindlessly, not even sure what he’s begging for, and the alpha keeps going, pounding into him desperately.

“K-Knot, need to k-knot m-my beta,” he chokes out, and Mingi moans brokenly, drool slipping past his lips, only adding to the mess of the sheets.

“K-Knot me puppy, p-please,” he whines, and then Yunho’s knotting him, thrusting in hard, sudden, knot inflating and locking them in place as he cums into the beta’s hole. Mingi feels his body jerking, spasming through aftershocks, or maybe another orgasm, so dizzy with pheromones, so wet with Yunho’s piss, his own slick that he isn’t even sure. He pants for a moment, trying to get his breath back, when Yunho makes a wounded little noise behind him, falling on top of him, covering the beta’s entire body with his own.

“Mingi,” he whispers, “Fuck, I’m sorry,” he sounds horribly embarrassed, maybe even a little upset, and Mingi’s stomach drops a little at the sound. He tries to pump out soothing pheromones as best he can, even if they aren’t the strongest, and Yunho sinks his nose into the beta’s neck easily.

“It’s okay, Yunho, you’re fine, I promise, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Mingi murmurs, reaching for the alpha’s hand, which is lying limp on the sheets next to them. “Please don’t be sad,” he says shakily, sounding a bit pathetic, “I promise you did good, pup.”

“Y-You’re so nice,” Yunho’s voice wobbles as he speaks, “I like you so much,” he whimpers, and Mingi giggles despite himself, endeared.

“I like you so much too, silly puppy,” he says back, and Yunho snorts into the skin of his throat, scent clearing a little, and he swallows audibly next to Mingi’s ear. He rolls them a little, so he can tuck himself closer against Mingi’s back, nose right on the sensitive skin of his scent gland.

“I’m sorry for pissing in you,” he whispers, and there is a little tinge of embarrassment in his sea-salt scent. Mingi feels himself blushing, and he hides his face in the pillow, ignoring the curious tilt of Yunho’s head against him.

“Ilikedit,” Mingi rushes, muffled in the material, and Yunho shifts a little, knot tugging at the blonde’s entrance.

“W-What?” Yunho asks, sounding confused, and Mingi blushes so hot that he’s surprised the alpha can’t feel the heat radiating from him.

“I liked it,” he repeats, moving his face to the side slightly so he’s not so crushed into the fabric, and Yunho makes a little noise in the back of his throat. “I liked you pissing in me,” he adds, just in case, and Yunho’s dick twitches where it’s still locked inside him.

“Oh,” he says, sounding dazed, and Mingi hides his face back in the pillow. “Fuck, okay, well, um,” he mutters awkwardly, so obviously turned on that it’s almost endearing. “That’s cool.” Mingi laughs, squeezing the alpha’s hand that he’s still holding onto tightly.

“The sheets are gonna be fucked though,” he points out, and Yunho groans dramatically, forehead flopping against Mingi’s sweaty shoulder.

“I didn’t think about that,” he whines sadly, and Mingi can feel him pouting against his bare skin. “I don’t wanna move.”

“It’s okay pup, just rest for a bit.”

The waves start to blend after that. They manage to change the sheets before the alpha’s next wave, and then Yunho knots him twice more, and Mingi accidentally pops a knot of his own into nothing, trying to hide the way it aches to not worry the alpha. He notices anyway, and grabs the beta’s cock hard, easing the pain as best he can while he’s still grinding his alpha knot into him, distractingly. It’s sweet, the way Yunho is trying so hard to look after him despite how dazed he is, and Mingi can’t stop the way his chest aches with it all.

He's so besotted, devoted, that it leaks through his teeth, the way he’s babbling praise and encouragement, and Yunho whimpers like a puppy, clinging to him as hard as he can. The next wave he begs prettily for Mingi’s knot, eyes wet and sniffling, and the beta crumbles instantly, the idea of saying no not even crossing his mind.

It would be adorable if it wasn’t so mind-numbingly hot, and Mingi for once, feels grateful to be a beta. He’s not sure why he is quite so sensitive to Yunho’s rut pheromones, but he pops a knot easily into the alpha, watching intently as the brunette squirms on his cock, spurting cum all over his hand, clutching at his own aching knot hard.  

It slows down after that, and Yunho can barely keep his eyes open as he mouths mindlessly at Mingi’s scent gland, mostly content to just rut lazily against his hip.

“Mmm,” Yunho mumbles, knocking his nose against the sensitive skin on his neck, “So good for me, Princess Minki,” he sounds a little rut-drunk still, but half there, and the beta chuckles, reaching to smooth the back of Yunho’s head, massaging his scalp softly.

“Of course puppy, you’re looking after me so well,” he murmurs, and Yunho purrs quietly, hips stilling as he nuzzles even closer like he’s trying to crawl into Mingi’s skin.

“I’m a good alpha?” He asks softly, and the beta’s heart flutters painfully in his chest, stomach swooping with emotion that he’s desperately trying to keep inside his mouth.

“You’re so good, so good Yun,” he assures him, still petting him, “I love-“ he falters, “I love the way you look after me, baby.”

“Mmmm,” Yunho mumbles again, eyelashes fluttering against Mingi’s skin as his eyes droop. “Love looking after you, love my beta, love you,” he slurs, and then he snuffles sleepily, seemingly dropping off. “My Minki,” he whispers.

“Y-Yeah,” Mingi can’t get his brain to comprehend the words that just fell out of the alpha’s mouth, so he swallows hard. “Yours,” he confirms, but Yunho seems to already be asleep, falling silent as his breaths even out.

Yunho sleeps for a few hours, and Mingi, still mostly trapped under the alpha’s body, spirals.

He doesn’t know what they are, doesn’t know where the boundaries are, if they’ve shattered into minuscule pieces and scattered on the floor. He stares at the ceiling blankly, wonders if he’s managed to fuck up, wonders if he was supposed to stop himself from falling in love with the dopey alpha who’s still stuck to his scent gland, little snores tickling the skin of his neck. If that was ever even possible.

He can feel the sting of tears in his eyes, the stupid guilt and inferiority he always feels rolling through him, and Yunho comes to slowly, nudging his nose against his gland.

“Sad? Minki?” the alpha slurs, still half-dazed and probably heading into another wave, and Mingi shakes his head as best he can.

“N-No, I’m okay Yunho,” he lies, reaching to smooth the back of his hair instinctively. “How are you feeling pup?” he asks instead, and Yunho blinks up at him hazily, eyebrows furrowed.

“Dizzy,” he mumbles, and Mingi takes the opportunity to reach for the bottle of water placed on the side table and help the brunette drink a little. He tries his best, but some of it spills onto his chin, and he looks a bit disorientated as Mingi sits him up so he doesn’t choke.

“You’re okay puppy, just a little more,” he soothes, and he hopes he manages to disguise the way his voice wobbles. His chest feels tight, filled with some strange tangle of emotions that he can’t even process right now, too preoccupied with making sure Yunho is okay. “What do you need?” he whispers, recapping the bottle and placing it out of the way, smoothing the alpha’s sweaty hair off his face.

“Mingi, need… Need my Mingi,” he mumbles, blinking slowly, and Mingi’s heart skips in his chest, painfully.

“Okay, where do you want me?” he manages to ask, rubbing a thumb across the alpha’s cheekbone as soothingly as he can, despite his trembling hands. “Do you want to knot me?”

“P-Please, I’ll be good,” he begs quietly, eyes opening to stare up at Mingi, desperation in his eyes. “C-Can I be good for you? Please?” Mingi’s chest aches so intensely that he can feel his eyes watering again, and he nods swiftly, easily.

“Of course, puppy, you’re always so good for me, whatever you need,” he whispers, and Yunho smiles at him softly, pushing the beta onto his back with much less force than previous waves.

It doesn’t take long for the alpha to knot him, locking them together with a drawn-out groan. Mingi’s too exhausted and emotional to do much, letting Yunho pet his hair, his face, panting into his neck as he thrusts in. Not that his dick gets the memo, still trying valiantly to get hard despite the fact he’s already cum so many times. Yunho trembles against his chest as he comes down, and Mingi hides himself against the alpha’s neck, smoothing his hands down his back.

“T-Thank you, thank you,” Yunho whispers against his throat, and the beta forces out a chuckle, still petting the alpha soothingly.

“You don’t have to thank me, pup,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss on the top of his head. “You’re doing so well.”

“I think it’s almost over,” he says, voice a bit weak and tired, but sounding mostly pleased. Mingi nods in response, not bothering to move, too comfortable being crushed under the alpha’s weight.

He’s right, and the alpha only has one more wave – where he knots into a fleshlight and gets Mingi to fuck him from behind – before it’s over. He lies on the bed, sweaty and flushed, looking exhausted, and Mingi wipes his stomach for him.

“Sorry,” Yunho murmurs abruptly as Mingi leans to throw the used wipes in the bin, and he turns, raising an eyebrow at the alpha who is vehemently not looking at him, eyes glued to the ceiling. “I… I’m really sorry,” he repeats.

“What are you talking about?” Mingi answers, nudging his knee into Yunho’s thigh, trying to make the alpha look at him. “You don’t have anything to apologise for.”

“I…” and the brunette finally glances at him, gnawing on his bottom lip for a second. “It was a lot, I’m sorry, that must have been a lot for you,” he blurts, and his eyes look a bit watery as he speaks. Mingi frowns, shaking his head.

“Yun, that wasn’t bad at all, I…” and it’s his turn to avert his eyes, cheeks pink. “I enjoyed all of it,” he mumbles, picking aimlessly at the bedsheets for something to do with his hands.

“All of it?” Yunho checks, sitting up a little bit so he can watch Mingi more closely. The beta nods shyly, eyes darting around the bed, but not at Yunho. “Aren’t you in pain or anything?” Mingi shakes his head.

“No, I mean, my back is a little achy but nothing more than just… Usual bottoming stuff,” he explains awkwardly, and finally gets the courage to look up at Yunho, who is watching him with wide eyes. “A-Are you in pain?”

“N-No, I…” he swallows dryly, Adam’s apple visibly bobbing in his throat. “Your knot is kind of the perfect size,” he admits, ears red. “It sates my instincts without hurting.”

“O-Oh,” Mingi mumbles, and he knows that his face is burning, can feel it rushing across his face. “Thanks? I think?”

“Y-You were really good for me, Min, I mean it,” Yunho says earnestly, and he reaches for the beta’s cheek, stroking it softly. “I enjoyed it, I just didn’t want you to be hurt.”

“I’m not, I… I really enjoyed it as well,” he whispers, and Yunho smiles at him softly, rubbing a thumb along his cheekbone. “All of it,” he adds, just to make his point, and Yunho chuckles, wrapping his arms around the beta and pulling him onto his chest as he flops back, holding him tight.

“You’re so ridiculous,” he murmurs, rubbing his nose on the top of the blonde’s head. “So perfect.”

“S-Shut up,” Mingi manages to get out, still a little embarrassed. “’M not perfect.”

“You are for me,” the alpha whispers, and the beta has to keep his mouth firmly shut to stop himself saying something stupid, something like I love you. They lie in the thick silence for a long time, until Yunho decides he needs a shower, and Mingi awkwardly rummages through the bag he packed for some clothes. The minutes tick past slowly, and with every single one Mingi slips further and further into the spiral he’s thinking himself into.

He rushes out of the apartment before Yunho’s done washing up, and immediately feels guilty about it. He’s too overwhelmed, too caught in his own brain to think about the implications of what he’s doing, and he walks aimlessly for almost an hour before he realises that he still probably stinks of rut hormones and distress.

It hurts, the way his chest is crumbling in on itself, the way his insecurities are eating him from the inside out. All he wants to do is call Yunho, cry, tell him how much pain he’s in, but he doesn’t let himself. He’s not his alpha to run to, to cry on, and he slumps on a park bench heavily, body aching, exhaustion hitting him suddenly. He gets a few odd looks as people wander past, but he’s too dissociated in his own head to care.

His phone buzzes incessantly in his pocket, not quite distracting enough to pull him out of his mind, and he stares at the park in front of him blindly.

Yunho said he loved him. That’s the part of the situation that runs on a loop in Mingi’s head, the alpha sleepy and dazed on his chest, slurring his words.

It stings, because it’s happened before, alphas in rut promising Mingi things they don’t have any intention to keep, blinded by hormones. As a beta, the blonde is used to the way it goes, the routine of these situations. He’s helped a few too many alphas in rut who see Mingi as an experiment, or maybe as almost-omega, frustrated and irritated when he can’t be what they want.

Even in situations where they were kind through their rut, they would inevitably end up in some strange not-quite relationship where Mingi was plainly considered a stopgap until they found the ‘real thing’.

But Yunho wasn’t frustrated or irritated, and he’d still been caring even after the most intense of his waves. Mingi hadn’t felt like a stopgap. Yunho hadn’t slipped up and called him omega, hadn’t growled at him when he popped a knot, hadn’t felt threatened by his beta pheromones. But something about it all feels almost too good to be true, and it puts Mingi on edge. It’s nonsensical if he thinks about it deeply enough, but the hurt from his past clings to him like a second skin. It won’t let him believe that Yunho could actually love him. He wonders what that says about his self-esteem.

He’s cold by the time he gets home, shivering, and he’s barely halfway in the door when someone is flying at him, a large body smacking against his hard. He’s so emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted that he doesn’t even make an effort to protect himself, brain moving too slowly to understand what’s happening.

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck Mingi, I was so worried,” they say, muffled against Mingi’s hair, and it takes him a long moment to realise Yunho’s the one clinging to him, sniffling wetly into his scalp. His sea-salt aroma is burning, acrid, and Mingi has to breathe through his mouth at the horrible smell of it.

“Y-Yunho?” Mingi tries, still trembling from the cold, thin shirt not doing much to keep him warm. “What are you doing here?” Yunho pulls back, eyebrows furrowed, eyes confused and worried, and Mingi’s chest crumbles a little more. He doesn’t understand why the alpha is so distressed.

“You just left?” Yunho says, searching Mingi’s expression quickly, eyes darting frantically. “Did I fuck up?” he whispers, and the beta shakes his head immediately.

“N-No Yunho, you didn’t do anything wrong, I just…” he shakes his head again, as if that’ll clear his head, and Yunho has such concern on his face that Mingi’s bottom lip wobbles horribly. His eyes are stinging, and Yunho’s expression shifts even deeper into worry.

“Princess, what’s going on? Talk to me, please,” the alpha begs, and Mingi can’t stop the way he crumbles into his arms, face pressed against his shoulder, probably smearing his wet face all over the hoodie he’s wearing. His hoodie, he realises, with a jolt, Yunho’s wearing his hoodie.

“I f-fucking love you s-so much,” he sobs, and Yunho lets out a weird choking noise, scent spiking with something that Mingi has caught before but never could place. “I’m s-sorry, I-I didn’t m-mean to,” he can barely speak, struggling to breathe through sobs, and Yunho easily picks him up, carrying him to the sofa. If Mingi was more with it, he’d probably be astonished, but he’s too distracted, accidentally wiping snot onto the alpha’s chest.

“Mingi, baby, you have to breathe,” Yunho soothes him, keeping him close to his chest, on his lap, rocking him softly. Mingi can smell the strong calming pheromones that the alpha is pumping out, and he heaves over his own breathing, struggling. “Hey, hey, look at me,” he coaxes, long fingers under Mingi’s jaw to move his face. The beta blinks at him, sniffling wetly, trying to follow Yunho’s breathing as best he can.

“Sorry, s-sorry,” Mingi stutters, when he can breathe a little more freely again, eyes still streaming. “I’m sorry, Yunho.”

“What are you apologising for?” Yunho asks, “I don’t understand.” He’s watching Mingi’s expression closely, searching, and the beta’s bottom lip wobbles again. “Hey, no, it’s okay, Princess,” he soothes instantly, reaching to stroke his head softly.

“I love you,” he finally gets out clearly, blinking wetly at the alpha. Yunho just stares at him for a long moment, before he tilts his head minutely.

“And that’s… Bad?” He tries, looking visibly confused, eyebrows furrowed. Mingi thinks he can see the cogs in his head turning with how hard he’s trying to figure the situation out.

“N-No!” Mingi rushes, embarrassed, and he brings his hands up to cover his hot face. “Y-You’re good, you’re so good, it’s not y-you, i-it’s-“

“If you’re going to say it’s not you it’s me, I’m going to bite you, what are you saying right now?” Yunho interrupts, and when Mingi peeks through his fingers, he looks incredulous.

“But it is!” the blonde whines, dropping his hands. “You’re so good, and I’m just…” he gestures aimlessly with his hands, and Yunho stares at him, expression fixed in complete confusion. “I’m just this,” he finishes lamely, and the alpha stays silent for a long moment, seemingly processing.

“Mingi,” he says suddenly, making the beta glance up at him instinctively, “I love you so much, it… It literally hurts my chest if I think about it too much,” he admits, and Mingi’s eyes widen in surprise. “I d-don’t want to lose you,” he says shakily, and the beta is shocked to see that Yunho’s eyes are wet.

“Yunho…” Mingi tries, but the alpha carries on.

“How can I make you believe it?” He says firmly, searching Mingi’s expression for something. “How can I make you realise that I love you, I want you, I… I need you, Min,” Yunho whispers, and the beta feels wetness on his face before he realises he’s even crying. The way he says it, the tone of his voice, crashes through Mingi’s chest so harshly that he almost winces with it. Yunho loves him. Yunho loves him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I…” Mingi leans forward, desperate for comfort, and Yunho scoops him into his arms easily, sea-salt scent enveloping him. “I didn’t mean to freak out, I’m so sorry, I just panicked because I just, fuck,” he babbles, and Yunho holds him close, stroking his back repeatedly.

“You really scared me, baby,” he murmurs, and Mingi realises that the alpha’s hands are trembling against his back.

“I love you so much, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to run away,” Mingi blurts out, pulling away to look at Yunho’s face. His eyes are a little red from tears, cheeks a little flushed from the rut come down, but he’s so pretty, so beautiful and Mingi feels his face crumble a little. “I’m so sorry Yunho, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay, Mingi, it’s fine, don’t cry,” he coaxes, rubbing a thumb across his cheekbone. “Please don’t do it again, though, for the health of my heart,” he murmurs, and Mingi chokes out a delirious laugh, leaning into Yunho’s hand.

“You love me?” The beta asks, eyelids fluttering open, and Yunho raises an eyebrow at him, bemused.

“Yes, obviously, so much,” he answers, one hand slipping to Mingi’s waist to keep him stable. “I’ll say it until you believe it.”

“You won’t get bored, o-of saying it? Of me?” he can’t help but ask, hating how needy he’s coming across, how anxious he seems. Yunho’s smile doesn’t drop, however.

“I could never get bored of you Princess,” the alpha says, voice certain and unwavering. “I promise.”

The embarrassment of Mingi’s minor – or potentially major - breakdown hits him full force about fifteen minutes later when he’s still slung on Yunho’s lap, nestled in his scent gland. He can feel the way his ears are burning, and Yunho shifts slightly, obviously noticing his scent. He’s never met anyone that can smell him so accurately, so easily, and it burns through him, the humiliation of being seen.

“God, I… Fuck, sorry,” Mingi gets out, now he’s calmed down, and Yunho lets him pull away, keeping his slim waist. “I can’t believe I did that, I’m… I just left you, shit, I didn’t even think…”

“Min, hey, no spiralling,” Yunho chastises gently, squeezing his waist softly. “You don’t have to keep beating yourself up, you know?” He murmurs, and Mingi blinks at him, surprised.

“You’re not mad?” he whispers, and Yunho’s expression crumbles in concern.

“N-No, why… Why would I be mad?” he asks, and Mingi swallows awkwardly, butting his head softly against Yunho’s neck to distract himself from the vague humiliation still lining the pit of his stomach.

“D-Dunno, just… Other people may have gotten mad…? I-In that situation?” he mumbles, and Yunho's scent turns stale for a second before he hides it.  

“Princess, you had a panic attack, why would anyone be mad at you about that?” he asks carefully, softly, and Mingi’s eyes snap up to Yunho’s face, eyes wide.

“O-Oh,” he whispers, blinking, before he bites his bottom lip habitually. “I… Thanks,” he gets out awkwardly, shuffling a little on the alpha’s lap. “Thanks for looking after me,” he says quietly, and Yunho’s eyes soften.

“I love looking after you, Min,” he says, and Mingi realises with a harsh pang that the alpha means it. “I love you.”

“I-I, yeah, I love you too, Yunho.”

Despite Mingi’s lingering embarrassment about his panic attack, Yunho continues to treat him the way he always does; with so much subtle care it makes the beta’s chest ache.

The next handful of weeks see them falling into their own strange routine, where the alpha drops by Mingi’s company after work on random days, his only reason being that he wants to see Mingi. It blows his mind, the first few times, until he settles into it, getting comfortable with letting Yunho show his affection more and more.

Sometimes they’ll grab food out on the way home. Sometimes Mingi will attempt to cook, and Yunho will laugh at his horrible crispy eggs and burnt rice. Sometimes they’ll buy cheap convenience store food and sit, crushed together as close as possible, on the wall outside.

It’s one of those nights that Mingi sprays water all over Yunho’s fancy work shirt, laughing hysterically, unable to get his breath back.

He can’t quite remember what Yunho even said, because all he can think about is when he looks up at the alpha through teary eyes, and he suddenly sees it. He suddenly sees the look in Yunho’s eyes, the scent that’s spreading through the air, the way he’s grinning, unguarded, unabashed. Yunho loves him. On the cold brick wall, over cheap snacks that make their stomachs hurt, in the stupid small moments. Yunho loves him.

It hits him square in the chest, and he has to take another gulp of water to calm his aching throat. Mingi isn’t brave enough to ask the question. It’s been three weeks, and the beta can’t get the five words out of his mouth. There’s been plenty of opportunities for him to ask, perfect little moments where he could easily open his mouth and just speak. Will you be my boyfriend? But instead, he chokes over his own tongue and stays silent.

Yunho appears oblivious, pulling him closer as he points out a constellation above them, pressing a kiss on his temple as he babbles about horoscopes with the kind of enthusiasm that makes the beta love him achingly.

Or, passing him another serving of his food, encouraging, unbothered by his slow eating, still wanting to share.

Or, butting his nose against Mingi’s scent gland, panting against his neck, flopped against him, sticky with their releases and sweat.

The opportunities come and go, and Mingi stays the same, stays quiet.

It takes Mingi by surprise when Yunho turns up outside his office after work, not because he’s there, but because of what he’s carrying, and he strides over to the alpha quickly, confused.

“What have you got there?” He asks, examining the plant he has in his hand. It’s a beautiful pink and white hibiscus, and Mingi coos at it, stroking its petals softly. “Oh, she’s so pretty,” he murmurs, and Yunho laughs, so warmly that Mingi can’t help but grin.

“It’s for you,” he announces, pressing it into Mingi’s hands. He blinks up at Yunho in confusion, obviously visible on his face, and the alpha blushes a little bit, pressing the plant into his hands harder.

“For me?” Mingi asks, taking it carefully, and cradling it. “Why?” He questions, tilting his head, and Yunho’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as he swallows.

“I… I want to court you, if-if that’s okay?” The alpha gets out, and Mingi takes in the way his ears are bright red, the way his cheeks are pink.

“Court me?” Mingi repeats, eyes wide as his brain processes the situation, and Yunho nods, fidgeting with his hands nervously. “W-What do you mean? Like, to be mates?” He feels like he’s in a strange dream, that he’s going to wake up any moment and be faced with the harsh reality.

“I think that is usually the definition, yeah,” Yunho jokes, but Mingi can see the nerves in the tension of his jaw, in the way he’s picking his fingers.

“Oh my god,” the blonde gets out, blinking, “I was going to ask you to be my boyfriend,” he blurts out, unhelpfully, “but this is like, yeah, okay, yeah.”

“Yeah?” Yunho repeats as his eyes soften, tension loosening. “I-I mean, we can be boyfriends too, if you want,” he adds, eyes flitting around Mingi’s face, and the beta nods instantly, a grin spreading across his face.

“Yeah, yeah,” Mingi states, probably looking stupid as he beams, all his teeth out. “Yeah, let’s be boyfriends, and you can court me, and then we can be mates,” he rushes out, and Yunho laughs at his eagerness, eyes squishing into crescent moons. He reaches to Mingi and places a hand on his cheek.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” the alpha giggles, and then he leans in, over the hibiscus, pressing a gentle kiss on Mingi’s smiling mouth. The beta tries to kiss back through his grin, but it’s a bit clumsy, teeth clanking as they laugh, foreheads pressed together.

“Mine or yours?” Mingi asks, and the alpha raises an eyebrow in amusement, pressing a kiss on his temple before steering the blonde to his car.

“Yours, I left my charger at yours this morning,” he answers, pouting, and Mingi laughs again, bumping his shoulder into Yunho’s gently, careful not to jostle the beautiful plant he’s carrying.

“Dumb pup,” Mingi teases, and the alpha rolls his eyes, rubbing a hand on the top of Mingi’s head, deliberately messing up his, not quite so damaged, hair.

“Someone distracted me,” he points out, holding Mingi’s door open so he can slide in the car. Mingi just shrugs cutely, as if he doesn’t know who that could be, and Yunho rolls his eyes in bemusement as he shuts the door and slides in the driver’s side. He leans to press a kiss on Mingi’s cheek before he turns on the engine, starting the familiar journey to the beta’s apartment, and he can’t stop the stupid grin on his face as he gently strokes the silk-soft petals of the plant in his lap.

“Thanks for loving me, Yun,” he says suddenly, over the tinny radio and engine noise, and Yunho glances at him, eyebrows raised, obviously caught off-guard. His face relaxes into a smile, warmth spreading through his scent.

“Of course,” he murmurs, “I always will.”