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Jisung walked into lab and scowled when he saw his name on the board next to one Hwang Hyunjin. Their TA randomly assigned partners every lab in the name of fairness, and this was Jisung’s first time being paired with Hyunjin all semester.

Hyunjin was already seated in the front row with his arms crossed, scowl trained on Jisung. His jet black hair was pulled into a high ponytail and he was wearing a pair of jeans that Jisung knew made his ass look good. Disgusting.

Jisung returned Hyunjin’s glare as he sat down in the seat next to him. “Let’s just get this over as soon as possible, Hwang.”

“We will as long as you don’t pass out in class like you did last week in the dining hall. Little alpha couldn’t handle the stress of being an engineering student?”

Jisung held back a growl. “At least I don’t have to miss a week of classes once a semester for my heat. Isn’t yours coming up? The same week as the material science midterm?”

“Oh, so you pay attention to my cycle? Want to tap this like the rest of the alphas in this class?” Hyunjin leaned close so that Jisung got a whiff of Hyunjin’s sickly sweet scent. “Too bad you’re a weak-willed alpha who’s probably never gotten his dick wet.”

Jisung forcibly tamped down the rage that swilled in his chest, losing composure meant that Hyunjin won. “Good thing I don’t need an omega hanging off of me to win the end of year engineering award, something you won’t get if you miss midterms due to your heat.”

Before Hyunjin could respond, the TA clapped his hands and began to explain the lab. Normally Jisung was thrilled to have a smart lab partner, but unfortunately, Hyunjin’s unpleasantness superseded his intelligence.

Hyunjin was the only omega in engineering—normally omegas weren’t even allowed into the degree, but Hyunjin’s dad was the CEO of a big company and had pulled a few strings to get Hyunjin admitted. Jisung had overheard that one of the requirements had been that Hyunjin kept his GPA above a 3.0—a higher requirement than the 2.5 the alphas and betas had to maintain.

Not that keeping his GPA up was a problem for Hyunjin, he was one of the smartest people in the class, second only to Jisung. Despite being so smart, Hyunjin barely talked to his lab partners and usually did most group projects by himself. He was only friends with a small group of omegas that Jisung always saw eating meals in the dining hall together.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Jisung said when the TA had stopped explaining what they were doing today.

“Whatever,” Hyunjin replied and slid half of the carbon fiber pieces over to Jisung to start sanding. “At least this lab is straightforward, not even you can mess this up.”

Rage, hot and fierce, swelled in Jisung’s chest and it took several deep breaths for him to calm himself down. It was his lab partner who had misread the directions for the MOF synthesis, and the resulting mistakes were their fault, not Jisung’s. Jisung had been the one who had saved their grade. Hyunjin was just insecure because his gold nanorods had turned out the wrong shape, likely because he hadn’t been fast enough at pipetting to combine everything.

“Are you done sanding?” Jisung stood up. “I’d like to get the contact angle goniometry over with so we don’t have to wait long.”

“Have somewhere important to be? A date with your right hand?”

“Maybe you wouldn’t be so cantankerous if you took the stick out of your ass. Or do you need it for your instincts since you don’t let any alphas come near you?”

Hyunjin stepped closer to Jisung, forcing Jisung to crane his head up slightly to meet his eyes. Hyunjin was clearly trying to intimidate, but Jisung didn’t back down, just squared his shoulders and met Hyunjin straight on. “You want to be the alpha to fuck me until I know my place? Too bad your dick is so small I wouldn’t feel anything anyway.”

Jisung didn’t flinch, just kept staring Hyunjin down. “Why would I want you? I have my right hand, remember?” And with that, Jisung spun around and walked away. He had to retreat before he did something stupid like punch Hyunjin in the face. An alpha assaulting an omega never looked good, no matter how much Hyunjin deserved it.

“You’re lucky I didn’t slap you,” Hyunjin said when he caught up, “but my dad always told me to pick on people my own size.”

Jisung couldn’t help the wave of anger that overcame his scent and by the look on Hyunjin’s face, he knew that jab had landed exactly how he had wanted. Jisung’s height was a sore subject. He was small for an alpha, and while Jisung spent long hours at the gym to try to make up for his small stature with muscles, there was only so much that bulk could make up for. It didn’t help that Hyunjin was unnaturally tall for an omega, a full half head taller than Jisung. Jisung tried to tell himself that it didn’t matter, that Changbin was an alpha and shorter than Jisung and no one questioned his alpha status.

That didn’t stop Jisung from standing in front of the mirror in his apartment, flexing, trying to convince himself that he looked alpha enough, that no one was going to doubt him just because he was on the shorter side, had muscles that were more lean than bulky. Jisung smelled like an alpha, had the attitude and audacity of an alpha and that was what really mattered. Hyunjin clearly didn’t doubt Jisung’s secondary gender, judging by his quips, and if a fellow omega couldn’t figure Jisung out, then no one could.

“One day, you’ll realize that omegas are just as smart as alphas,” Hyunjin announced at the end of their lab.

Jisung rolled his eyes. “I don’t doubt that you’re smarter than our classmates, I just doubt that you’re smarter than me.” And with that, Jisung fled the classroom before he could hear Hyunjin’s response.

“So how was lab with Hyunjin? It had to be better than usual because no one had to step in to keep you two from coming to blows,” Changbin remarked over dinner.

“You and Hyunjin were partnered?” Seungmin let out a low whistle. “I’m surprised you’re both alive to tell the tale.”

Jisung scowled. “I know how to behave myself when necessary.”

Seungmin and Changbin both raised their eyebrows.

Jisung sighed. “Ugh. He’s just so annoying, okay? Him and his stupid long hair and his makeup and his tight cut jeans. He does it on purpose to have all the alphas crazy so he can get what he wants and it’s so annoying!”

“And you’re not one of the alphas that’s driven crazy by him?”

Jisung threw his arms up in the air. “I’m going to get more food.” He didn’t miss the look Changbin and Seungmin sent him. Whatever. The didn’t understand that it was impossible for Jisung to be one of those alphas driven crazy by Hyunjin. Everyone knew that omegas couldn’t like other omegas like that and no matter how often Jisung took heat suppressants and scent blockers and sprayed fake pheromones on his skin, Jisung would never be a real alpha—something his parents never let him forget.

When Jisung returned with more food, Chan had joined the table and the topic of conversation had shifted. Chan had apparently been eyeing a hot omega in the gym but didn’t know how to approach him without seeming like a creepy alpha.

“You could ask him for a spot,” Changbin suggested. “He can say always say no and then you’re showing him that you see him as an equal because you trust that he’s strong enough not to drop the weight on you.”

“Just don’t ask him out right away, though,” Seungmin said. “You have to build up his trust, otherwise it seems like you asked for a spot just to get into his pants and that’s something a creepy alpha would do.”

Jisung had to admit, the plan seemed pretty solid to him. He wasn’t sure what Chan’s backup was if the omega in the gym said no to spotting, but Jisung knew better than to chime into the conversation. Due to his vehement hatred of Hyunjin, the general consensus tended to be that Jisung was an omega misogynist. Jisung never corrected anyone. It was safer to be an alpha who hated omegas than one who was overly sympathetic to them.

“You should eat more.” Seungmin gestured to Jisung’s plate. He had eaten most of the fruit he had grabbed and had picked at a bread roll, but his pasta sat virtually untouched.

“Are you feeling okay, Jisung?” The skin between Chan’s brows was pinched with worry.

“I’m fine.” Jisung twirled the noodles in his bowl with his chopsticks. “Just had a big lunch.” He hadn’t. Food these days wasn’t appealing. Jisung knew he had to eat, but every mouthful was a struggle, anything with real substance made Jisung’s stomach turn.

“If you say so.” It was clear that no one believed Jisung.

“I’ll grab you some cookies and stuff to hide in your backpack,” Seungmin volunteered, already standing up from the table. “In case you get hungry later.”

“Yeah.” Changbin clapped Jisung on the shoulder. “We can’t have you passing out again. We have to take care of our Jisungie.”

The worry on their faces, the care in their eyes made Jisung’s stomach churn. Jisung hadn’t meant to make such good friends when he went to university, it had just sort of happened. He wondered how devastated they would be when they found out Jisung had been lying to them all along, that he wasn’t really who he said he was.

“I’ll try and take better care of myself,” Jisung promised, the lie tasting sour on his lips.

“You better.” Seungmin responded, his arms full of napkin-wrapped goodies that he proceeded to shove into Jisung’s backpack.

Jisung knew he should distance himself from his friends, should have never gotten so close to them in the first place. Whenever his parents called, Jisung always lied and said he ate dinner alone and rarely talked to anyone. He was at university to get a degree and nothing more. Friends were dangerous, they spent time with you, got to know you and your secrets.

No one could learn Jisung’s secrets, it would jeopardize Jisung’s whole future if he was found out. His parents weren’t rich like Hyunjin’s, they couldn’t buy out the school and convince them to allow another omega in the engineering program. Jisung was from a humble family and a long line of alphas. Upon graduating, Jisung would work at the same company as his dad, would continue to take scent suppressants and slap on alpha pheromones every morning. It was slowly killing Jisung, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was Jisung becoming the perfect alpha child his parents never had.

His friends knew that something was wrong though. Passing out in the dining hall wasn’t exactly inconspicuous.  Jisung had things under control. He just had to get through midterms and then it would be spring break and Jisung could go home and take a break from the drugs that were slowly poisoning his body and everything would be okay.

Jisung returned to his dorm room, slung his backpack onto the floor and collapsed face first onto his bed.

Hyunjin slammed his tray down on the table, causing his cup full of lemonade to wobble dangerously, saved from toppling over and rendering Hyunjin’s food inedible by Felix’s hand.

“I fucking hate him,” Hyunjin snarled.

              “I can cut off his knot,” Minho offered, stabbing his chicken with his knife.

Felix put his hand over Hyunjin’s, his skin soft and smooth. “Just ignore him. He’s just another bigoted alpha who can’t stand the thought of an omega who’s smarter than him. You’ll prove him wrong when you win the end of the year award.”

Hyunjin sighed. “It’s impossible to ignore him when we’re partner in lab. He’s just so annoying with all his posturing. I hope that someone puts him in his place one day.”

“You will,” Minho said confidently, “and if not, I’ll find out where he lives, sneak into his apartment at night and—”

Jeongin chose that moment to arrive to their table. “Who are we threatening right now?"

“Jisung,” Felix filled him in.

“Ah, what did he do this time?”

Felix placed his hand over Hyunjin’s, probably meant to calm him, but Hyunjin wasn’t the picture of omegean grace the way that Felix was. Felix was pretty, refined—at least in public—and was studying elementary education, a very omega-approved subject.

Hyunjin, however, was none of that. So instead of showing the restraint that was becoming of an omega, he launched into another tirade about how annoying Han Jisung was.

“Did Minho already offer to cut off his knot?” Jeongin asked. “That would maybe help with alpha posturing. You don’t see us betas doing things like that.”

Jeongin was one of the most mild-mannered betas Hyunjin had ever known and he was also majoring in elementary education even though it was a major considered to be beneath betas. But Jeongin loved kids and whole-heartedly enjoyed his classes.

“Some betas spew nonsense but maybe not quite as bad as the alphas.” Minho took another stab at his chicken. He was studying premed which wasn’t unheard of for an omega. However, instead of wanting to go onto pediatrics or gynecology Minho wanted to be a surgeon.

“People are just dumb,” Felix said. Hyunjin opened his mouth to say something about how Jisung wasn’t really a person, but Felix pointed at Hyunjin with his spoon. “You’re included in that. You all are.”

“I understand Hyunjin and Minho, but what did I do?” Jeongin asked.

“Hey!” Hyunjin protested. It wasn’t his fault that his lab partner was an idiot.

Felix just shook his head.

After several beats of silence, Minho spoke. “So there’s this alpha that I think has been checking me out at the gym.”

“In a gross way?” Jeongin asked, wrinkling his nose.

Minho shrugged. “I mean he’s lowkey about it, seems polite—for an alpha at least.”

“Is he cute?” Felix asked.

“I mean I guess.” Minho took another stab at his chicken, but his ears were bright red.

Felix has a knowing smile on his face as he spoke. “Well, if he asks you for a spot are you going to say yes?”

Minho took a beat too long to answer.

“Oh my gosh, you are?” Jeongin wrinkled his nose. “You really do like this gym alpha.”

The blush has spread across Minho’s face and down his neck.

“Really?” Hyunjin asked slightly incredulous.

Felix smacked Hyunjin’s arm.

“I still have that air fryer in my apartment,” Minho said ominously.

The threat didn’t have its usual bite considering Minho’s ears were still bright red, but Hyunjin wisely chose to shut his mouth. He hadn’t really meant to be so rude, it was just that Hyunjin had been surprised. He didn’t understand what could possibly be attractive about an alpha all sweaty and gross in the gym, eyes wandering from their own workout to check out the omegas around them.

Minho was cute, wide eyes, quick-witted, and a devilish grin. He’d be a catch for any alpha. Hyunjin just didn’t understand how an alpha had caught Minho’s eye. Alphas were annoying, overbearing. Their scents were thick and gave Hyunjin a headache, especially in the gym where people began to sweat through their scent blockers. Hyunjin avoided the campus gym like the plague, opting instead ot frequent the small gym at his omega-only campus apartment.

Hyunjin saw enough alphas—too many really—during his classes. He didn’t want to see them anymore than he already had to.

“Not all alphas are so bad, you know,” Felix said casually. “They’re not all knotheads like the ones your classes, right Jeongin?”

Jeongin looked like he did not want to be a part of this conversation but did ad a small “yeah some of them are fine I guess.”

“You’re fighting an uphill battle, Lixie,” Minho cut in. “It doesn’t matter if Hyunjin thinks all alphas are the spawn of the devil.”

Felix frowned. “I just want him to be happy.”

Hyunjin opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a sharp kick in the shin.

“Hyunjin doesn’t need an alpha to be happy, it’s the 21^st century.”

Hyunjin stood up. “I need to get going to my next class.”

“Oh, me too!” Jeongin grabbed his tray and followed Hyunjin out even though neither of their classes started for another 20 minutes. Hyunjin just couldn’t stand hearing his friends talking over him. Hyunjin knew that there were nice alphas out there. When Hyunjin was in high school there had been a boy, an alpha, that Hyunjin was friends with, that his parents had approved of. They had grown up together, had been best friends as long as Hyunjin could remember. So when they were 16 and Yeonjun had asked him out, it had been a no-brainer to say yes:

Going on a date with Yeonjun felt natural, no different from all the times they had hung out together before. On their third date Yeonjun drove Hyunjin home and stopped on the street in front of his house. They made eye contact and both leaned in and Hyunjin was having his first kiss. He waited for the rush of butterflies that were always described in movies but they never came.

Hyunjin had decided later that night that he just hadn't felt anything because it was his first kiss and had been awkward like all first kisses were. Yeonjun was a nice guy, he made Hyunjin laugh and didn't care that Hyunjin was smarter than he was. With time the butterflies would come.

They never did.

It was Yeonjun who broke up with Hyunjin, sitting on a park bench eating ice cream, “I don't think this is working.”

Hyunjin had frozen, whole body as cold as the ice cream in his mouth. “What do you mean?”

“Hyunjin, do you even like me? More than just as a friend, I mean. You don’t like cuddling with me—” because Yeonjun was too warm and his scent overpowered Hyunjin’s to a nauseating degree when they were that close— “and your scent doesn’t sweeten when we kiss or hold hands or anything.”

“I—” Hyunjin felt frozen in place, stripped bare. After four months of dating Hyunjin still hadn’t figured out how to get the butterflies, how to want to do more than just kiss. Ice cream dripped down Hyunjin’s hand and Yeonjun passed him napkins.  The action made Hyunjin’s heart clench. Yeonjun was so nice, so caring, why couldn’t Hyunjin just like him back?

“I’m sorry.” Tears welled at the corners of Hyunjin’s eyes and Hyunjin willed them away. He wasn’t the one who should be crying right now. “I think there’s something wrong with me.”

“Hyunjin, no. Yeonjun grabbed Hyunjin’s free hand and laced their fingers together. “It’s okay if you don’t like me like that.”

“It’s not just you.” And that was the thing, wasn’t it? Because if Hyunjin was going to like an alpha, it was going to be his sweet childhood friend. The fact that he didn’t was proof that something was wrong, that Hyunjin was broken.

Hyunjin had expected Yeonjun to pull away at that admission but instead he smiled. “Yeah, I figured.”

“What?” Hyunjin pulled awa from Yeonjun in shock. “I didn’t even know until now.”

“Last week Chaeryoung asked you for a pencil and when you gave it to her, your hands brushed together and I don’t think I’ve ever smelled your scent so sweet.”

“No.” Hyunjin could feel his face turning bright red. “Was it that obvious?”

“I think I only noticed because I know you so well.”

“I’m so sorry, Yeonjun.”

“Don’t be, seriously. Really, I should have noticed sooner. You’re shit at hiding your emotions in your scent.”

“Hey!” Hyunjin swatted at Yeonjun. He then noticed the sad state of their forgotten ice creams. “Do you want another? My treat.”

Hyunjin had lost a boyfriend that night but had gained a lifelong friend. So yes, Hyunjin did know that there were nice alphas. It was just that alphas weren’t his type.

“It’s okay you know.”

Jeongin’s voice startled Hyunjin out of his thoughts and he looked up and realized they were already standing in front of the education building.

“What?”

“You can always settle down with a nice beta,” Jeongin paused and looked Hyunjin up and down. “Or, you know, an omega.”

Hyunjin felt a bit like he had been blindsided. “Huh?”

But Jeongin was already walking away.

“Yang Jeongin get back here and explain yourself!” Hyunjin yelled.

Jeongin looked over his shoulder and waved, a shit eating grin on his face. It wasn’t exactly a secret that Hyunjin liked omegas, but he had never directly told his friends either, he thought it dumb that he had to.

Whatever, Hyunjin had a class to get to, he could always talk to Jeongin later.

When Hyunjin got home, Felix was sitting on the couch of their shared apartment. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, Lixie.”

Felix buried his head in his hands. “I sounded like an ass. I should have realized that you didn’t like alphas. I mean I knew that you like omegas, everyone knows that.”

“What? Everyone?”

Felix leveled Hyunjin with an unimpressed look. “You don’t wear scent blockers at home. If only you could smell yourself whenever a hot omega comes on the TV. Anway, I’m sorry I kept setting you up with alphas, I’ll stop.”

“Hyunjin was still caught up on the scent thing. “Am I really that obvious? Jeongin mentioned something today too.”

“Let’s just say that someone would have to blind not to see it. I was being blind not realizing that you didn’t like alphas. I’m sorry.”

Hyunjin sat down on the couch and ran his hand through Felix’s hair. “It’s really fine. I found it kind of amusing to be honest.” Felix scooted until his head was in Hyunjin’s lap like they always did after one of them had a hard day.

“Now that I know, I can focus my efforts on finding you cute omegas instead.”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes. “Sure, Lixie, whatever makes you happy.”

Jisung woke up and immediately regretted it. His head pounded, mouth felt sandpaper dry period his skin felt wrong on his body, itchy and stretched tight.

“Are you finally awake?”

Jisung slung an arm over his face, realizing that his body felt unnaturally hot.

“You have lab in 20 minutes.”

Jisung rolled sideways off his bed, landing in a heap of blankets on the floor. “I hate 8 am labs,” he groaned.

“Do you want me to make you some breakfast?” Seungmin asked, Jisung could hear the hope in his voice.

“Sure,” Jisung answered. He was running late enough that he could promise to eat the food on the walk and then dump it in the nearest trash can. Jisung felt bad about the deception, but this hardly even registered on the web of lies he had told his roommate.

Seungmin left and Jisung clambered to his feet, ignoring the way his joints ached and his stomach turned unpleasantly at the action. Jisung's room was a maze of clothes and blankets strewn across the floor. It was a compromise of sorts. Jisung didn't love the mass, but cleaning his room, leaving a bare floor and empty bed upset what was left of Jisung's inner omega so much that he had barely been able to breathe past the panic the one time he had done so.

In the en-suite bathroom, Jisung sprayed a misting of alpha pheromones on his skin and slapped a scent patch on his own horribly inflamed glands. The patches were designed to prevent any new secretion of scent and most people wore them in class to prevent distractions, but the patches didn’t erase the scent that clung to skin and clothes when at home, hence the alpha pheromones that Jisung had to spray on every morning.

The alpha pheromones burned where they touched Jisung’s bare skin and nausea rolled in Jisung's stomach, his inner omega rejecting the foreign chemical scent that clung to his skin. The bathroom blurred and heat swelled under Jisung’s skin. He swallowed forcefully but lost the battle against his stomach and spent several minutes dry heaving into the sink.

Once that bit of unpleasantness was over, Jisung felt shaky, legs barely able to hold his up bodyweight but Jisung didn’t have time to struggle so he forced himself up and brushed his teeth. Knowing that he was running out of time, Jisung grabbed a pair of jeans that were on the floor near the bathroom door and gave them a sniff. They smelled more like synthetic alpha than anything else, so Jisung tugged them on and left his room.

Seungmin was sitting at the table, sipping his coffee and frowned when he saw Jisung. “Are you sure you're feeling well enough to go to the lab today?”

“Of course.” the lie was ruined when Jisung flinched as speaking irritated his raw throat.

“I think you really need to go to a doctor Jisung.”

Jisung shook his head. “No, I'm fine, really. It's just stress. Thank you for breakfast.” Jisung grabbed the napkin wrapped bagel Seungmin had left for him off the counter and made a hasty retreat out the door.

The hallway reeked of alpha, a heavy, musky scent that clogged Jisung's nose and made him choke. One of their neighbors must be in rut.

Jisung covered his nose with the sleeve of his shirt but was met with the stench of his fake alpha pheromones. Disgust rolled through Jisung's body in a sickening wave. He wasn't sure how, but Jisung made it outside on shaky legs and was able to fill his lungs with fresh air.

When Jisung finally made it to his lab—only a minute late—he sat down in the first open seat he saw, not paying attention to who he was sitting next to.

“What poor omega did you upset?”

“Huh?” Jisung looked up, startled to see Hyunjin sitting next to him, a disapproving look on his face.

“You smell like an omega in distress. Did you bowl someone over on your way to class?” Before Jisung realized what was happening, Hyunjin leaned in closer to get a better smell and frowned. “Wow this scent is really on you.” Hyunjin pulled away. “That's disgusting. Do you make a habit of taking advantage of terrified omegas?”

Jisung felt frozen in place, a roaring sound filling his ears. “I--terrified?” Jisung’s hand came up to feel his neck, but his scent patch was still firmly in place.

“Yes, I doubt anyone else can smell it, omegas are more in tune to the scent of other omegas than other subgenders, but it’s unmistakable. You are a disgusting human being, Han Jisung.” They were still close enough that Jisung could smell revolt, even through Hyunjin’s scent blockers.

The world was closing in on Jisung, the lab spinning before his eyes. Hyunjin stood up and left and all Jisung could do was sit there and watch him go, Hyunjin's angry scent clogging his nose. Jisung felt like he was choking on strawberries and cream, with every breath, Jisung could still smell Hyunjin’s disgust, taste it on his tongue Hyunjin hated him. Hyunjin had rejected him. It was nothing new, but Jisung was devastated by it all the same.

“Hey, Jisung?” the TA was standing in front of him, a nice beta who hopefully couldn't smell the scent of distressed omega that clung to his skin. “You don't have to come to lab if you're sick, you know? Next time and just send me an e-mail.” She grabbed Jisung's lab from off the table in front of him. “You can finish this during my office hours on Monday. Go home and get some rest.”

“Thanks,”

“Yeah, just don't come the class sick again, no one wants your germs.”

The sun was bright in the sky, burning Jisung's retinas when he stumbled out of the engineering building, Hyunjin's scent still clinging to Jisung's nose.

Everything felt shaky and wrong and Jisung wasn't sure how he was still standing. When Jisung was a kid, his brother had twisted up the chain of the swing Jisung had been sitting on and then let go. That the world had blurred as Jisung whipped around in dizzying circles. Afterwards he had fallen off of the swing and wretched into the sand.

That's how Jisung felt now. Like he had just got off a spinning swing and couldn't stand, didn't know how to tell up from down.

Jihyo had told Jisung to go home, but his feet refused to turn towards his apartment, to his cluttered room that sank of alpha pheromones and his empty bed. Instead, Jisung's feet moved of their own accord. Jisung didn't know where he was going, his head felt stuffed full of cotton and his body ached. Hyunjin's angry scent was still ever present, clouding his thoughts.

Jisung knew he was a bad omega. He had tried so hard to be good when he first presented, made the prettiest nest only for his parents to recoil in disgust. His mom had approached him later with a packet of suppressants, said that Jisung didn't have to, but they'd be so proud of him if he did. Jisung had taken the pills. A part of Jisung had died that day and a bigger part was dying now, drowning in a sea of rejection from the only omega Jisung knew, the person he had yearned to be.

Red flashed. Jisung tapped his student ID again. Still red. No. This wasn't right Jisung had to get inside. He needed to.

“Need some help?” a girl with a light floral scent reached over Jisung's shoulder to tap her ID card against the sensor. The light flashed green and the door clicked open. “I know we're not supposed to open the door for others. But I figure that only applies to alphas and betas, not a fellow omega and distress.

A whine slipped out of Jisung's throat. There was something wrong with what the girl had said, but Jisung wasn't quite sure what.

“Oh shit, you're further down than I realized.” A hand wrapped around Jisung's arm, and he let himself get tugged into the building. It was warm inside and smelled nice, like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies—a huge step up from the sweat and musk of Jisung's building.

“Hey, stay with me, you can't drop yet.” Cool hands cuffed Jisung's cheeks. “Focus please, what's your room number?”

Jisung let out a keen of distress. No, he didn't want to go to his room. It wasn't safe, Jisung wanted a nest.

“Okay, not your room then. Where do you want to go?”

“Hyunjin.” the scent of strawberries and cream, rotten in his nose. Jisung had tried to make things right, he had to—

“Hwang Hyunjin?”

Jisung chirped in agreement. Yes, he needed to see Hyunjin, he needed to nest.

“Okay, I know where his room is!”

Jisung let himself be led into the elevator and down the hall until they stopped in front of a door that smelled like strawberries and cream and sugar cookies. The girl said about being friends with Felix and asking him for the door code, but Jisung didn't care because the door was opening and Jisung was in Hyunjin's apartment and the strawberries and cream weren't rotten anymore and there were soft blankets against his skin and maybe Jisung was going to be okay.

Felix: hey I just gave lia the code to our apartment

there was an omega who was dropping

apparently he was asking for you?

lia didn’t think he had anywhere else to go

he’s in ur nest rn?

lia’s on our couch

keeping an eye on him

she’s rlly worried

he smells weird?

like alpha and chemicals

srry I gave out the code without asking u first

didn’t think he’d go in your nest ☹

u think you know him?

sorry again

Hyunjin: it’s fine, lab is over early, I’ll be home in 5

I’m just a bit confused bc I have no idea who it is?

              Hyunjin stared down at his phone, running through the list of omegas that he knew and Lia and Felix didn’t. There was no one. In fact, the only omega other than Felix that Hyunjin could imagine coming to him while dropping was Minho and even that was stretch.

               During a drop was when an omega was most vulnerable, most in touch with their instincts. Hyunjin hadn't dropped since high school when he failed a chemistry test. At the time, all Hyunjin had wanted to do was curl up in the family nest with his mom. It was worrying that this omega, whoever he was, felt more comfortable with Hyunjin than they did at home in their own nest.

              A nest was important to an omega; it had all their favorite scents and was where they slept at night. No one was allowed in without invitation. It rattled Hyunjin’s instincts a bit that an unknown omega was in his nest, but Hyunjin was trying to keep an open mind. A random person wouldn’t be seeking Hyunjin out to drop in his nest; they had to have a good reason.

              Hyunjin hurried home and when he opened the door, he was met with the sickening scent of rotting blackberries and honey underlain by musky alpha and chemicals.

              Lia was sitting in the corner by an open window and perked up when she saw Hyunjin enter. “Oh, thank god. I‘m so sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do, he was so far gone already, and I don’t think he even lives in this building.”

              “You definitely did the right thing,” Hyunjin reassured. “It’d be terrible for an omega in that kind of condition to be walking around campus.” Hyunjin’s gaze fell on a black backpack and jacket by the door to his room. The backpack and jacket he had seen Han Jisung wearing less than an hour ago. Several things clicked onto place all at once. “Fuck,” Hyunjin cursed. “Oh shit. Lia, I know who this is and you should go, he’s really not going to be happy you saw him like this. Thank you for your help.” Hyunjin ran his hand through his hair, gaze still on Jisung’s backpack.

              Now that Hyunjin thought about it, the rotten blackberries thick in the air was the same faint scent he had smelled on Jisung earlier. Hyunjin had assumed it was because Jisung had stressed out an omega when really it was Jisung who was the omega in distress. That’s why Jisung had checked his scent patch afterwards, because he was trying to keep more of his scent from leaking out. Then Hyunjin had—oh no. Jisung had been an omega in distress, calling out to Hyunjin for help, and Hyunjin—who was likely one of the only omegas Jisung knew—had rejected him, had called him disgusting.

              “Fuck.” This was worse than a regular drop. If Hyunjin didn’t do something quick, Jisung was going to die.

              Jisung's instability, his waning health, his strange scent he always covered all made sense now. He had to have been pretending to be an alpha since his presentation. Jisung's inner omega had been crying out for help for the past month and not only had Hyunjin missed it, but he had actively made things worse.

Hyunjin had thought that Jisung was an arrogant pompous alpha but in reality, he was an omega trying to survive in an alpha's world just like Hyunjin.

Hyunjin opened the door to his room slowly, wary of what he'd find inside. Sick omegas could be unpredictably violent and while Hyunjin was pretty sure that Jisung wouldn't lash out at him after seeking out his nest, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Much to Hyunjin's relief, no feral omega jumped him when he eased opened the door, but he was hit with a stomach turning wave of rotting blackberries. Hyunjin was going to have to clean and air out his whole nest after this.

Taking a deep breath through his mouth to calm himself, Hyunjin ripped off his scent blockers and forced a soothing scent into the air. Hyunjin could do this, he could stay calm and comfort his rival that was currently on the verge of losing himself forever in Hyunjin's nest.

The pile of blankets and pillows that made up Hyunjin’s nest on his bed didn’t seem visibly disturbed, in fact, Hyunjin couldn’t see Jisung at all. The only sign that Jisung was in Hyunjin’s room was his jeans and shirt laying on the floor by Hyunjin’s bed.

“Jisung,” Hyunjin said, making his presence known. “It’s me, Hyunjin. I’m sorry I said those things earlier.” Hyunjin didn’t repeat the words, fearing that a reminder would only make things worse. “I was wrong. You’re a beautiful omega.”

A rustling noise came from the center of Hyunjin's nest and Jisung's head popped out from under a pile of blankets. His eyes were glassy, underlain by the purple eye bags that Jisung had been sporting as of late. Hyunjin was just happy that Jisung was responsive.

“Hey, is it okay if I join you in there?” Hyunjin got as close to the edge of the nest as he dared and held out his wrist. It was a little ridiculous for Hyunjin to be asking for permission to enter his own nest, but so was finding out the bigoted alpha in your class was actually an omega.

Jisung eyed Hyunjin's wrist but didn't move to scent him. “It's okay,” Hyunjin soothed. “I'm not mad I won't hurt you. You like my scent, right? If you invite me in you can have more of it.” That seemed to do the trick. Jisung reached out and grabbed Hyunjin's arm and pulled him into the nest. Hyunjin had to scoot awkwardly to avoid toppling over.

Jisung started to rub Hyunjin's wrist against his neck, over the latex of his scent blocker. It was so ridiculous that Hyunjin let out a small puff of laughter. “Here, let me help.” With his free hand, Hyunjin carefully got his nail under the corner of the patch and peeled it off, revealing Jisung's red and swollen scent gland. It was so bad that Hyunjin didn't know how Jisung put on his scent blockers every morning.

Hyunjin let Jisung keep scenting him while he reached around to remove the patch from the other side of Jisung's neck. It was slightly loose, peeling off with little resistance which explained the amount of scent that had been escaping out from his patches.

Now that Jisung sent was fully bared, Hyunjin could better smell his emotions. Distress was still permeating Jisung's scent, but under it, Hyunjin could smell contentment. Jisung no longer smelled like an omega that was on the verge of losing himself. Hyunjin breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Here, Jisung, let me help.” Hyunjin moved so that he was closer to Jisung and started to massage Jisung’s scent glands. Jisung seemed uncertain at first, staring at Hyunjin with wide eyes that slowly started to ease as Hyunjin dug his thumbs into the swollen irritated glands. Jisung’s scent filled the room, no longer as rotten, smelling of blackberries and honey. It reminded Hyunjin of summer days picking blackberries off bushes until his fingers were stained purple. It was a scent that Hyunjin could never get sick of.

Hyunjin kept up his ministrations until Jisung fell asleep and then their scents were so intertwined that Hyunjin knew he was going to smell like Jisung for days. Now that they were out of the woods and Hyunjin had time to think, he wondered how this was all going to work out. Everyone still thought Jisung was an alpha but it was clear that was not a facade Jisung could keep up. His inner omega was suffering and cuddling and scenting Hyunjin was a stopgap that could only last for so long. Omegas needed to scent and be around other omegas to stay healthy, and it didn't seem like Jisung knew any omegas other than Hyunjin. And while Hyunjin’s sent would help, what Jisung really needed was to get off suppressants and stop plastering himself with alpha pheromones every day.

 Jisung let out a small mewl of distress and Hyunjin realized that his scent had gone slight sour thinking about the awkward conversation to come. “Sorry buddy.” Hyunjin resumed pumping out comforting pheromones and Jisung settled, nose pressed into Hyunjin's neck.

Jisung came back to himself in pieces. A sweet scent filled his nose, and he felt safe and secure. The headache and nausea Jisung had begun to associate of wakefulness were conspicuously absent and Jisung felt better than he had in weeks. Fingers combed lazily through Jisung's hair, gently scraping against his scalp. Warmth blossomed in Jisung's core and spread through his limbs, syrupy sweet. Jisung let out a soft purr of contentment and let his limbs go lax.

“There you go,” a soft voice cooed in praise.

Recognition angled in the back of Jisung's head, but he paid it no mind and let his purr grow into a rumble in his chest.

Slowly, Jisung became aware of the fact that he was lying next to someone, their bodies pressed together, Jisung's nose pressed to their neck, every inhale smelling like a strawberry milkshake—Jisung bolted upright, recognition flashing through his body followed closely by a chilling bolt of fear.

“Hey,” Hyunjin said softly, pushing out pheromones that were meant to sooth.

But Jisung was already scrambling backwards out of Hyunjin's reach, scattering blankets and pillows as he stumbled out of Hyunjin's nest.

Terror chilled Jisung's bones and a distressed keen tore itself from Jisung's throat.

Fuck. He was so screwed. There was no way Hyunjin didn't know. Jisung had been in his nest. Purring. Only omegas did that. Fuck.

Jisung's biggest secret revealed to his rival. The man who hated him, who would do anything to see Jisung's downfall. How had it come to this?

Jisung was so screwed. He was going to get kicked out of college. His parents were going to be so mad. They were right, in the end Jisung really was just a dumb, good for nothing omega who was a slave to his instincts.

“Can you calm the fuck down? I'm not going to go around telling everyone you're an omega.”

The roaring and Jisung's ears stopped. “You're not?”

“Who would believe me if I started going around telling everyone that the alpha I infamously hate is actually an omega? They'd all think I was trying to undermine you, or I had finally lost it.”

Hyunjin had a good point. Jisung pressed a hand to his chest, over his pounding heart I took a deep breath. It was okay, Jisung's weakness hadn't ruined everything.

“But you do know you can't go on like this, right?”

“What do you mean?”

Annoyance flared in Hyunjin's scent. “What do I mean? Jisung, you could have died today. If Lia wasn't there to let you in or I was too slow to get home--”

“Lia?” Jisung didn't recognize the name. “Someone else knows I'm an omega?”

“Calm down,” Hyunjin snapped. “She has no idea who you are. But even if she did, it wouldn't matter when you're dead in a month period you need to stop taking those suppressants.”

“What? No!” Hyunjin didn't understand. Those suppressants were Jisung's lifeline. His family wasn't rich and powerful like Hyunjin's, Jisung needed those suppressants to stay in engineering.

“You're going to fucking die, Jisung! And you want to know what they're going to say when you do? That it was the stress of the program, that an omega can't handle engineering. They'll kick me out because of your failure. Is that where you want your legacy to be? An omega who failed? Or you can accept my help and we can succeed together. One omega might be a fluke, something they can write off but two omegas? That means something.”

“You're going to help me?” Jisung couldn't quite believe it.

“Yes, you idiot.” Hyunjin sighed. “Unfortunately for the both of us our fates are now tied together. Two omegas in an alpha’s world.” Hyunjin laughed bitterly. “I need to call my parents.”

Hyunjin left Jisung alone in his room while he made the call. The walls were thin, but Jisung didn't hear any yelling and when Hyunjin returned, he smelled noticeably less sour.

“Okay, so here's the game plan: my dad is willing to vouch for you. He was kind of excited that I wasn't the only omega. Said that taking you and under his wing was good for optics would make him more appealing to his international clients.” Hyunjin shrugged. “My mom was happy that I'd have a friend who could understand my problems I didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't think we shared the same problems at all.

“Anyway, you have a doctor's appointment later this afternoon, a car will pick us up in two hours and you'll be excused from your class.”

“What?” Jisung's head was spinning and he felt like he was three steps behind.

“A doctor's appointment. Don't worry, Dr. Kim is very discreet, and she'll help us figure out next steps.

“I thought you hated me.”

Hyunjin levelled Jisung with an unimpressed look. “Yeah, well I thought you hated me too, but it's kind of hard to hate an omega who seeks out your nest when they're dropping.”

“It was jealousy,” Jisung admitted, throat thick. “I wanted what you had. I wanted to be myself.”

Hyunjin's sent softened and he reached out his hand to touch Jisung's cheek. Jisung leaned in and let himself be scented. Hyunjin’s scent blossomed on Jisung's skin, filled his nose, made everything else fuzzy.

Jisung's parents had sentenced him when he was little, to mark him as part of the pack but that had stopped when Jisung presented. Jisung didn't let his friends close enough to scent him, scared that they'd be able to detect the hint of fakeness in the alpha pheromones he wore or smelled traces of omega through his scent blockers.

Jisung regretted it now. The risk was worth it. Hyunjin's scent made all of his worries wash away; made his tense muscles relax.

“Woah.” Hyunjin pulled his wrist away and Jisung chased it with a whine. Rejection panged in his chest. Why was Hyunjin pulling away? Was Jisung not good enough for him?

“Oh baby, I’m sorry.” Hyunjin’s scent was back and Jisung happily nuzzled into it. “I didn’t realize you were going to get scent drunk from a little scenting.”

Hyunjin’s arm wrapped around Jisung’s shoulder, and he led them to the couch. “It’s okay,” Hyunjin said, guiding Jisung to his neck. “You can get lost in it, we have time.”

So Jisung did just that.

              Han Jisung truly was a tragic creature. Hyunjin wondered how anyone could look at this sweet little omega and force him to become an alpha.

              Jisung leaned into his instincts so much when he was given a chance, was now curled up next to Hyunjin, purring contentedly. Hyunjin had meant to scent Jisung to show him that he wasn't mad, he hadn't meant to get him sent drunk. Hyunjin supposed he should have known better. Covering up your scent and hiding your identity didn't really lend itself to frequent scentings.

This was probably good for Jisung and Hyunjin really couldn't complain about having a pretty omega purring in his lap.

Hyunjin managed to get Jisung out of his apartment and into the car waiting for them without complaint. It wasn't until they were halfway there that Jisung started to come out of his scent drunk haze.      

“You’re fine.” Hyunjin put his hand on Jisung’s thigh to stop its shaking. “Dr. Kim is nice and we’re going straight back to her office, no waiting room so no one will recognize you.”

Jisung started to bounce his other leg. “I haven’t been to a doctor since…”

Hyunjin gave up. There was nothing he could say that would calm Jisung down right now. The best he could was try and keep his scent relaxed so that he didn’t work Jisung up any more than he already was.

“Are you sure no one recognized me at your apartment?”

They had already been over this. “Jisung, you had on a baseball cap, a mask, smelled nothing like you usually do, and no one at my apartment even knows who you are.”

Jisung turned to look out the window, leg still bouncing.

Hyunjin was grateful when they finally pulled into the parking garage and he was no longer trapped in a confined space with Jisung and his anxious scent.

A nurse met them at the door and led them through white hallways to the examination room period the nurse took Jisung's blood pressure—it was high—and drew Jisung's blood before leaving with a promise that the doctor would be in shortly.

Doctor Kim was a short, no-nonsense omega who got right to business upon greeting Jisung and Hyunjin. She examined Jisung, her body language giving nothing away.

“How often do you wear scent blockers?” Dr. Kim asked as she examined the inflamed skin of Jisung’s scent glands.

“All day every day. I have to keep my roommate or any else from smelling me.”

Dr. Kim frowned. “You need to stop doing that. I understand that you’ll still want to wear scent blockers during the day, but you need to take them off at night.”

Jisung didn’t respond, just gazed down at his lap.

“How long have you been taking the suppressants? Have you ever had a heat?”

Jisung played with the hem of his shirt, rolling the fabric between his fingers. Dr. Kim waited patiently for his response. “I presented and then my family gave me suppressants and I’ve taken them every day since, so like 4 years?”

“Okay, have you been experiencing nausea, dizziness, fainting, or sensitivity to scents?”

“Yes to all three.”

Dr. Kim wrote something down and then looked up. “You need to stop taking the suppressants and go through a heat as soon as possible.”

Jisung made a noise of protest.

“If you don’t your symptoms will continue to get worse until your body completely shuts down and you die. The process has already started which is why you dropped today. You have to have a heat as soon as possible. Unless you don’t want to be an omega anymore? If that’s the case, there are therapies we can do to help you transition to a different subgender.”

Dr. Kim paused at that, waiting for Jisung’s response. It took a while and when Jisung spoke, his voice was quiet. “I don’t think I want to be anything else.”

When the appointment was done, they returned to the car and Jisung curled up into himself in the corner, sourness starting to permeate his scent.

“I can't,” Jisung gasped, hugging his knees to his chest.

“You can,” Hyunjin responded. And will if you want to become an engineer.”

“My parents will—”

“Your parents would rather you live as an omega than die as an alpha,” Hyunjin snapped.

Jisung stared back at Hyunjin and laughed mirthlessly. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Rage, hot and heavy, swelled under Hyunjin's skin. Hyunjin hoped he never met the monsters who had done this to their own son, made him ashamed to be who he truly was. “Well, your friends then, they care about you.”

“They're going to hate me.” Jisung buried his face in his knees. “I've been lying to them for years.”

Hyunjin rubbed Jisung's back soothingly. “They'll understand. I mean they'll probably be upset at first, but I'm sure they'll come around.”

“I need to have a heat soon and someone needs to help me through it.”

“Yes, do you think that your friends won't help?”

Jisung looked at Hyunjin with red-rimmed eyes “I-I don't know, probably they would. It's just that most of them are alphas and I trust them, I really do but their scents are just so strong, and I really haven't been able to stand the scent of alphas these days and I'm going to be at my most vulnerable and—”

“I’ll help.”

“What?”

“I’ll help.” Hyunjin was probably going to regret this, but it really screwed everything up for him if Jisung died. “My heat is soon; we can just sync up and go through our heads together. I have to take the time off anyway.”

“Really?” Jisung’s scent lost some of its desperate edge. “There isn’t an alpha or someone else you actually like that you’d rather spend your heat with?”

“No, I usually spend my heat with omegas, I also find alpha scents to be overbearing and I was planning to spend this one alone since it's midterm season.”

“Oh,” Jisung's ears started to turn red. “I mean, well, in that case, I think I'd like that. If we spent our hearts together. My omega likes your scent.” Jisung inhaled deeply and seemed to relax a bit. “It's nice.”

Hyunjin was sure his ears were as red as Jisung's. “I like your scent too.” Hyunjin took a steadying breath. “You could spend a couple of nights over at my place if you wanted. Since you have to take your scent patches off at night and it doesn't seem like you want your roommate to know you're an omega yet. It'd be good for us to get used to each other before we go through heat together.” It was simply a matter of convenience. Jisung's death would make things a lot harder for Hyunjin and he was going through heat anyway. It had nothing to do with Jisung's intoxicating scent, the way he's so easily curled into Hyunjin's side, looked at Hyunjin with those big, pleading round eyes.

“Thanks, I think I would like that, spending the night in your nest.”

“Of course, us omegas have to stick together.”

              Jisung’s head was buzzing as he entered his apartment. So much had happened in one day and his thoughts were a jumbled mess.

Hyunjin and Jisung had decided it best for Jisung to spend the night in his own apartment since Jisung had already spent most of the day with his scent patch off and it gave time for Hyunjin and Jisung to tell their roommates altered versions of the truth as an explanation for the events of the day.

It had been hard to shower off Hyunjin's scent and put on scent patches, but at least Hyunjin had let Jisung stuff a sweatshirt of his into his backpack so that Jisung could have something that smelled like Hyunjin in his bed.

“Hey,” Seungmin greeted from where he was sitting on the couch with his laptop. It seemed casual but Jisung knew Seungmin had been waiting for him. Seungmin hated doing his schoolwork on the couch, much preferring the desk in his room.

“Hey,” Jisung responded.

“You didn’t eat lunch or dinner with us.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t feel well and crashed at a friend’s place after lab. I ate with them.” Jisung shifted uncomfortably at the half-truth.

“Okay,” Seungmin eyed Jisung suspiciously. “We care about you, you know.”

Jisung felt like he’d been socked in the stomach.

“I know you’re a private person, but something is clearly wrong and I’m worried about you. I’m always here to talk if you want to.”

“I’m sorry.”

Seungmin sighed. Jisung thought he heard Seungmin say something along the lines of 'that's not something you have to be sorry for' but Jisung was already rushing into his room and closing the door behind himself.

Jisung was a terrible person. He had been lying to his friends for years, letting them become close to a version of Jisung that wasn't real.

They were going to hate him when they found out the truth.

              “I thought Jisung was your lab partner,” Minho said as Hyunjin sat down at their table with his lunch the day after Jisung’s drop.

              “He is?” Hyunjin shoveled noodles into his mouth, he was always so hungry after lab.

              “You don’t seem upset. You’re always upset after a lab with Jisung.”

              “Oh.” Hyunjin hadn’t considered that his friends would notice a change in mood. Lab with Jisung had been quite pleasant when they weren’t both posturing and Hyunjin was certain they were going to get a good grade. “I guess he wasn’t as annoying today. Maybe he was too tired or something?”

              “Hm.”

              Hyunjin was saved from Minho’s questioning by Jeongin arriving, immediately launching into a tirade about something that had happened during class.

Hyunjin had told Felix that the omega who had dropped in Hyunjin’s nest was one of his friends who lived off campus and was having roommate problems. Felix had been okay with Jisung spending the night over at their place as needed. Luckily, for as much as Hyunjin complained about Jisung, none of his friends actually knew what he looked like, so even if Felix saw Jisung in the apartment, he wouldn’t know who he was.

Nervous energy was thrumming under Jisung's skin, hands shoved in his pockets to hide their shaking.

“Hey Seungmin, I'm heading out.”

Seungmin looked up from where he was sitting on the couch. “Jisung it's like 9 pm.”

“I know, but there’s a lab midterm tomorrow and I was going to do some last-minute studying with a classmate.” It wasn't technically a lie. There was a midterm tomorrow and Hyunjin was a classmate.

“You worry too much. You'll do great on all your midterms like always.”

“Thanks, see you tomorrow.” Jisung closed the door behind him and leaned against it with a sigh. He knew that Seungmin wouldn't be so nice to him if he knew the truth. Knew that he was a weak-willed omega instead of a brazen alpha, knew that Jisung was a liar, was better suited to stay at home and pop out kids than be an engineer.

A part of Jisung wanted to turn around, wanted to go back in his room, wanted to plaster himself with fake alpha pheromones even if they burned his skin, swallow down his suppressants even if they were killing him.

But another part of Jisung wanted to forge forward, to embrace the part of himself that he had been told to shun. Jisung wanted to prove everyone wrong, he wanted to be like Hyunjin: unabashedly himself and thriving.

So Jisung zipped up his coat to his chin, took a deep breath and headed across campus to Hyunjin's apartment.

Hyunjin's apartment building smelled as good as Jisung remembered and he couldn't help but take a deep breath, scenting the air. Hyunjin shot Jisung a look, but didn't say anything until they were in the elevator. “So, my roommate Felix is at home and he'll want to meet you, but it's fine, he'll never draw the connection between the alpha Jisung that I hate and the omega Jisung who is my friend with roommate troubles.”

“You gave him my real name?”

“Yes, it's a common enough name and I couldn't come up with an alias on the spot. Who would Felix tell anyway?”

“Whatever,” Jisung's sighed. He was going to have to get used to people knowing he was in an omega and Hyunjin's roommate was probably a safe enough place to start.

“Oh, one more thing.” Hyunjin reached out and ripped off one of Jisung's scent patches.

“Hey!” Jisung yelped at the sting slapping his hands over his neck.

“You need to smell like omega not stale alpha. I thought Dr. Kim told you to stop wearing the alpha pheromones.”

“I didn't spray on any more, it's just how my clothes smell,” Jisung grumbled, getting a nail under his remaining scent hatch and slowly peeling it off. “Happy?”

“Rub the sleeves of your shirt on your neck to spread your scent around and then I will be.”

Jisung rolled his eyes but did what Hyunjin instructed. Only then did Hyunjin finally open the door to his apartment. “Hey Lixie, I'm back with Jisung.”

A blond-haired omega bounced into view, a wide grin splitting his freckled face “Jisung! It's so good to meet you!” Felix enveloped Jisung and a hug that Jisung somewhat awkwardly returned.

Jisung now understood why Hyunjin had insisted on Jisung's taking off his scent patches and spreading around his omega scent. Felix was incredible incredibly touchy, way more so than Hyunjin was.

“Wow, you smell so good.” Felix leaned in and rubbed their necks together.

Warm sugar cookies exploded in Jisung's nose, warmth spread to his limbs, turning his legs weak.

“Felix! You can't just do that to people!” Felix was pulled out of Jisung's arms and Jisung's head slowly started to clear. Jisung leaned against the wall and away he hoped seemed casual rather than a desperate attempt to remain upright.

“I’m sorry,” Hyunjin said, still holding Felix by the back of this shirt. “Felix usually has more manners than that.”

“Sorry,” but under Felix’s repentant look was a studying stare that made Jisung glance at the ground to avoid. When Jisung looked back up, the stare was gone and Felix had on an easy-going smile.

“Jisung and I are going to head to my room to get some work done.”

“You're always doing work,” Felix whined. “let's watch a movie. It'll be good for Jisung to be around more than just one omega after his drop.”

“Okay,” Hyunjin agreed, “but Jisung needs to get change first.” Hyunjin grabbed Jisung's wrist and all but dragged him into Hyunjin's room. Once inside, Hyunjin threw a hoodie and sweatpants at him.

“What's wrong with my clothes?” Jisung asked.

“They still smell like fake alpha. Put all your stuff here.” Hyunjin gestured to the corner of his room by the door. “I don't want you stinking up my nest again.”

“I literally took off my clothes before I got in your nest last time,” Jisung complained, but did as Hyunjin asked. A part of him was happy to don the comfortable clothes that smelled slightly of strawberries, but Jisung would never admit it.

“Don't think omegas go around greeting each other by scenting like that. Felix is just weird. He's from Australia so the culture is different or whatever.”

“It's okay, I was just caught off guard.”

“We don't have to watch a movie with Felix if you don't want.”

It was an easy out, but one that Jisung realized he didn't want to take. “No, it's fine. Felix seems, I don't know, comforting?” Hyunjin gave Jisung a look that was too knowing for his taste. “I mean unless you feel like you're not ready for the midterm tomorrow. I thought it was all basic stuff but...”

Hyunjin opened the door to the to his room. “For the record, I'm going to get a better grade than you.”

“In your dreams.”

Jisung somehow found himself between Felix and Hyunjin on the couch, Felix snuggled into his side and Hyunjin's arm around his shoulders. It was nice. Jisung barely paid attention to the movie, too busy floating on a sea of strawberries, cream, and sugar cookies.

When the movie was over, Hyunjin guided Jisung, half scent-drunk, into his nest. Jisung settled into Hyunjin's side, marveling at how comforting his nest was and drifted off into the best sleep he'd had in years.

“So, Jisung’s cute.”

Hyunjin ignored Felix and sipped his coffee. Jisung was in the shower, washing off Hyunjin's scent, something that didn't bother Hyunjin in the slightest.

“He has that doe-eyed, tragic back story look about him and you know everyone always loves a good rivals to lovers story.”

Hyunjin choked on his coffee. “What are you talking about?”

“You didn't even give me a fake name. Plus, you weren't upset with Jisung after lab yesterday when we were subjected to a whole tirade last week. The scenting confirmed it.”

Hyunjin gaped at Felix. He honestly should have known something was up after the scenting, but Felix had always been touchy and Hyunjin hadn't thought that Felix had a single conniving bone in his body. What a fool he had been.

“Just be careful, with your heart and his, he's in a vulnerable place right now.”

Hyunjin shook off Felix’s words, feelings weren't involved, this was simply about Hyunjin ensuring he got to stay in the engineering program. Nothing else.

Before Hyunjin had a chance to respond to Felix, Jisung entered the kitchen, hair wet and in his face, sent patches on his neck, clad in clothes that smelled like fake alpha.

“Well, I have to get to class.” Felix started to walk out of the kitchen, clapping Jisung on the shoulder as he passed by. “It was nice meeting you, Jisung.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Jisung served himself a cup of coffee and then sat down at the table across from Hyunjin.

It was Hyunjin who broke the silence first. “We should arrive at lab at different times.”

“Yeah, for sure, I was thinking of heading to the dining hall anyway for some breakfast because I'm starving.”

“Oh, yeah, that should work perfect then.”

“Cool,” Jisung grinned at Hyunjin and drained the rest of his mug. “I, uh, guess I'll head out now. Thanks for the coffee.”

Felix had made it. “Yeah of course, see you in lab.”

“See you in lab,” Jisung echoed.

And then Jisung was gone and Hyunjin was alone in his apartment. With a sigh, Hyunjin stood and headed to his room to get ready for the day.

His nest smelled like Jisung, blackberries and honey mixed in with Hyunjin's scent. It smelled good, right in a way that Hyunjin didn't understand. As Hyunjin headed to the bathroom to shower, Hyunjin noticed the sweatshirt he had lent Jisung sitting on the ground. Of course Han Jisung would leave his clothes on the floor for someone else to clean up.

Hyunjin scooped up the sweatshirt and Jisung’s scent hit him in the face. Sweet and warm and happy. Instead of in the hamper, the sweatshirt ended up in Hyunjin's nest right under his pillow.

              “You smell like omega,” Changbin said casually over breakfast.

              “What?” Jisung’s heart skipped a beat. He had just come back from his third night spent over at Hyunjin’s apartment and none of his friends had noticed the scent of omega on Jisung before, but Jisung hadn’t been spraying on his alpha pheromones for several days and there was only so much scent neutralizers could do.

              “Yeah,” Chan leaned in a took a deep breath. “It’s like a mix of things though, I can’t get a clear scent out of it, I can only get something sweet and slightly fruity, maybe sugar?”

              Sugar? That would probably be Felix’s scent, but it was strange that was the strongest scent Chan could pick out. Except now that Jisung thought about it, every morning Felix was coming up with excuses to touch Jisung near his scent glands, a clap on the shoulder or a tousle of Jisung’s hair. Felix was purposefully spreading his scent on Jisung to muddle Hyunjin and Jisung’s own scent on his skin.

              “Is that where you’ve been these past couple of night?” Seungmin asked, leaning forward. “With an omega? You said it was one of your classmates.”

              “Jisung has an omega?” Changbin asked, sounding way too surprised for Jisung’s comfort.

              “Well, I mean, it technically is with one of my classmates, he just happens to have an omega roommate,” Jisung stuttered out, it wasn’t technically a lie, but it certainly wasn’t the truth either.

              “So you’re fucking his roommate?”

              “I-what? No!” Jisung’s face was on fire, something that wasn’t helping his case.

              “But you want to?” Chan asked, a shit eating grin on his face.

              “No, of course not, we’re just friends.” Jisung wasn’t even sure if they were friends. Hyunjin was just helping him out of convenience.

              “Sure, just friends but his scent is all over you.”

              Jisung was going to pass away. He wanted to sink into the floor, hide under the table and never be seen again.

              “So,” Changbin said. “You’re telling me that if this omega told you that he liked you and wanted to court, you would say no?”

              “Yeah, we’re just friends.”

              “Liar.” Changbin leaned back in his chair, triumphant. “You like him. Han Jisung likes an omega and wants to court him. I thought I’d never see the day. Is the sky still blue? Does the sun still rise in the east?”

              Chan clapped Jisung on the back. “Congrats, man. I really thought you’d stay single forever with the way you talk about your omega classmate. I thought you hated the whole subgender, we were ready to stage an intervention.”

              “I don’t hate omegas! Hyunjin just happens to get on my nerves sometimes,” Jisung defended himself.

              “But not as much these days,” Seungmin said.

              “What?”

              “You haven’t complained about him hardly at all this week and you were partners a couple of days ago for the material sciences lab.”

              “I mean I never really hated him in the first place.”

Everyone at the table scoffed.

Jisung didn’t know how to defend himself, didn’t know how to explain his sudden change of heart towards Hyunjin, didn’t know how to say that the animosity on Jisung’s part came from jealousy and a desperation to hide his true nature.

“So, when do we get to meet this omega of yours?” Changbin asked.

Jisung was grateful that the topic had moved away from Hyunjin specifically, but he really didn’t want to be talking about any of this right now. Hyunjin wasn’t even Jisung’s omega and he never would be, he made his feelings about Jisung plenty clear. It didn’t matter if Jisung thought that Hyunjin was cute, was obsessed with his scent, nothing would ever come from it, so it wasn’t worth trying.

“You don’t get to meet him,” Jisung finally said. “I don’t know if he even feels the same way about me yet.”

“His scent is all over you,” Chan pointed out. “Omegas don’t just scent alphas like that.”

But Jisung wasn’t an alpha and Hyunjin and Felix had made it clear that scenting each other was a normal part of omega friendships. “I don’t know, this whole thing is new. I’m not going to rush anything.” That seemed to finally work.

“Fair enough, you definitely can’t rush things with omegas. Let me know if you need any tips.”

Jisung was definitely not going to be asking Changbin for tips.

Chan and Changbin moved on with their conversation, but Seungmin kept stealing glances at Jisung when he thought Jisung wasn’t looking like he was trying to figure something out. Jisung ignored it best he could. He didn’t know what part of his web of lies had caught Seungmin up, but Jisung was going to have his heat in three days and all his secrets would be out then.

This had probably been a good time to come clean to his friends about his subgender, but they were in the public dining hall and Jisung didn’t want to deal with the fallout of lying to his friends for years in such a public place. That, and Jisung was a coward. He was probably going to put his off until the last second, until he was taking time off from class and missing one of his midterms because he was on heat leave.

Hyunjin’s dad was apparently going to try and deal with the whole Jisung-being-an-omega problem as quietly as possible, but since Jisung couldn’t wear alpha pheromones anymore, he was going to slowly start smelling less and less like alpha and more and more like omega, even with his scent blockers. It was only a matter of time until everyone knew, or at least suspected.

Jisung wondered where that would leave him. Would he and Hyunjin still be friends after their heats? Or would they go back to being rivals? Felix was nice, but he was Hyunjin’s roommate, definitely off limits as a friend for Jisung.

Jisung just hoped he wasn’t left completely alone once everyone figured out his secret.

              The day before Hyunjin and Jisung’s heats were supposed to start, Jisung woke up in bed soaked in sweat. His first thought was that that heater had broken or maybe he was sick. Then, Jisung felt the slick between his thighs and realized what had happened: his heat had come early.

              Fuck.

              Hyunjin had told Jisung that he should spend the night, but Jisung had insisted on going back to his own room since his friends were growing suspicious and worried about the amount of time Jisung was spending ‘studying’ with his ‘friend.’

              Jisung regretted the decision now, lying on his bed, heat coursing under his skin, slick between his thighs, his scent thick in the air despite the scent patches on his neck. Jisung didn’t know how he was going to get out of his room, let alone across campus to Hyunjin’s apartment.

Jisung: don’t say I told you so but I’m in preheat

Hyunjin: … on my way

              Maybe if Jisung was lucky, Seungmin wouldn’t be home right now. With that thought, Jisung rolled himself out of his bed. A pang shot through Jisung’s chest at the action, his inner omega crying out at the loss of its nest. Jisung thought his inner omega was being dramatic, his ‘nest’ consisted of two blankets, two pillows, the sweatshirt Hyunjin had lent him, Felix’s sock that he had dropped on his way to do laundry, and Seungmin’s hoodie Jisung had nabbed off the back of the couch.

              It was fine. Jisung just had to make it to Hyunjin's apartment and then he could nest properly on Hyunjin's bed.

When Jisung worked up the courage to open his door, he saw Seungmin sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. “Oh Jisung, I didn't expect you to be up yet, but...” Seungmin trailed off as he took in Jisung's appearance, nose flaring as Jisung's scent reached him.

There was a long bee of silence. Jisung didn't know what to say. ‘Sorry I lied to you for years. I'm actually an omega and I'm going into heat right now. Surprise?’

 Jisung's phone buzzed in his pocket, a text from Hyunjin saying that he was waiting outside.

“I shouldn't be so surprised, this honestly explains a lot,” Seungmin said. “Who convinced you to get off your suppressants? That's what was making you sick, I suppose.”

“Hwang Hyunjin,” Jisung admitted. “I kind of ended up dropping in his nest.” Jisung's phone buzzed again. “He's waiting outside for me now. We're going to go through heat together.”

Seungmin nodded, a small furrow between his brows.

“Do you hate me? Jisung couldn't help but ask.

“No,” Seungmin answered. “I'm a little hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me, but I've met you parents, Jisung. I think I know where this all came from.”

“I'm sorry. I just wanted to be a good son and chase my dreams and I thought this was the only way.” Tears pricked the corners of Jisung's eyes.

“Oh, Sungie.” Seungmin got up and enveloped Jisung in a hug, and suddenly Jisung couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

He sobbed pathetically into Seungmin's shoulder, holding Seungmin as tight as he could. “I thought you were going to hate me. I wanted to tell you, but I was so scared. Omegas aren't supposed to be in the engineering program, and if you told anyone, it'd be all over for me.”

“Shh,” Seungmin soothed patting Jisung's back. “It's okay, no one will hate you for this.” Jisung's phone buzzed between them, this time with a call. “Now let's get you downstairs before Hyunjin breaks in or something.”

Jisung let Seungmin bundle him into his coat and lead him downstairs, Jisung sniffling the whole time. Before they exited the building, Seungmin turned to Jisung. “I can tell the others, if you want.”

“Yeah,” Jisung breathed out a sigh of relief. “That'd be great, thank you.”

Hyunjin was leaning against the wall, waiting for them, hands shoved into his pockets, each breath coming out as a puff of white. He perked up when he saw Jisung, a frown marring his face when he clocked Seungmin and the tears on Jisung's face.

“What happened?”

“Seungmin, my roommate, was home, but it's fine.” Jisung was suddenly feeling very tired. “Can we just go to your nest?”

“Yeah, of course.” Hyunjin held out his arm.

Instead of releasing Jisung right away, Seungmin sized up Hyunjin. “You will take good care of him, right?”

Jisung rolled his eyes, but Hyunjin and Seungmin were serious.

“I will, I promise.”

Then Jisung was finally in Hyunjin's arms, strawberries and cream filling his nose. Slick trickled out from Jisung's hole wetting his underwear.

Hyunjin smirked. “Let's get you to my nest, yeah?”

Jisung didn't remember much from the walk across campus, it was a blur of cold air and mixed scents assaulting his nose. Jisung stayed tucked firmly into Hyunjin's side the entire time.

When they reached Hyunjin's apartment, all Jisung wanted to do was curl up in Hyunjin's nest, but Hyunjin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Hold on, we need to talk while we still have our wits about us.”

“Why?” Jisung whined. “We had that whole conversation yesterday about heats.” Jisung had already sat through one incredibly awkward conversation about what to expect and knotting toys and what Jisung would want to do. He didn't need another when Hyunjin’s nest was so close and he could already feel the slick collecting in his underwear.

“It's just that now you're in pre and sometimes omegas feel differently when they're actually in heat and—”

“Can you not smell my slick right now? Yes, I still want to get fucked by you or fuck you or whatever. Can we please just go to your nest now?”

Jisung finally managed to drag Hyunjin into his room and immediately started to shed as many layers as possible, he under his skin swelling to an almost unbearable level. All Jisung could think about was burying himself in Hyunjin's nest.

              When Hyunjin saw Jisung, weepy and in preheat in his roommate’s arms, he was forced to admit to himself that maybe this wasn’t just about convenience. The flair of protectiveness in Hyunjin’s chest, the surge of his instincts wasn’t something that happened with just anyone. It was wrong, Hyunjin knew that, but a part of him realized that he liked Jisung. That maybe spending his heat with Jisung was a selfish act rather than a selfless one.

              Did that mean that Hyunjin had forced Jisung into this? He had been the one to suggest they spend their heats together after all. Jisung didn’t like Hyunjin in this way, of that Hyunjin was sure.

“Hold on, we need to talk while we still have our wits about us,” Hyunjin said, grabbing Jisung’s shoulder. He needed to make sure that they weren’t making a huge mistake.

“Why? We had that whole conversation yesterday about heats.” Jisung was trying his best to drag Hyunjin into his nest, but Hyunjin resisted. Jisung needed to better understand what was happening, Hyunjin clearly hadn’t explained it well enough yesterday.

“It's just that now you're in pre and sometimes omegas feel differently when they're actually in heat and—”

Jisung cut Hyunjin off. “Can you not smell my slick right now? Yes, I still want to get fucked by you or fuck you or whatever. Can we please just go to your nest now?”

Hyunjin was shocked enough by Jisung’s forwardness, that Jisung finally managed to yank Hyunjin towards his nest. Hyunjin had smelled Jisung’s slick, it was impossible to miss, but the thought that Jisung was getting slick for Hyunjin was enough to make his throat go dry, his scent sharpen with interest.

Jisung was so pretty like this, tears still drying on his cheeks, hair mussed, a pleading look in his eyes. Hyunjin wanted nothing more than to pin Jisung to his nest and take him apart, piece by piece until Jisung was a crying, squirmy mess, Hyunjin the only name on his lips, the only thought in his mind.

Hyunjin felt his chest growing warm and he knew that he was going to start preheat soon, brought on a day early by Jisung’s pheromones.

Jisung buried himself in Hyunjin’s nest, clad only in his boxers, and immediately started to move things around, arranging blankets and pillows just the way he wanted. It should bother Hyunjin, someone messing with his nest, but all Hyunjin felt was fondness. Jisung could do whatever he wanted with Hyunjin’s nest as long as he was happy, as long as Hyunjin got to smell his sweet, pleased scent, see the way his bronze skin glistened with sweat when he moved.

“Why are you out there?” Jisung whined, voice high and needy. “Come join me.”

Hyunjin moved across the room, but Jisung whined again. “You’re wearing too many clothes, take them off. Hyunjin didn’t need to be told twice. He stripped down to his boxers like Jisung and crawled into his nest. Jisung pushed him into the corner and told him to stay put and Hyunjin did, content to watch Jisung give in to his instincts that he had suppressed for so long. It was a gorgeous sight, seeing Jisung so sure of himself moving things around, thrusting things at Hyunjin for him to scent. In the past week, Jisung had come so far from the hidden omega he had been.

Jisung finally seemed happy with the way the nest looked and crawled over to Hyunjin to collapse on top of him, their bare, sweaty chests pressed together, Hyunjin’s leg in between Jisung’s, Jisung’s face in Hyunjin’s neck.

“You smell so good. Are you in preheat too?”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin answered, his voice husky. He could feel Jisung’s slick against his thigh through the thin fabric of his underwear, could smell the desire in Jisung’s scent. It was enough to drive Hyunjin crazy.

“Good.” Jisung bit down on Hyunjin’s neck, right over his scent gland. Pain and pleasure coursed through Hyunjin’s body and he couldn’t help but buck his hips.

“Fuck, Jisung.”

“You smell so good. I just want to devour you whole.” Jisung bit down again and Hyunjin saw stars behind his closed eyes. He fisted his hands in the blankets, trying not to rake his nails down Jisung’s back. Hyunjin was determined to let Jisung take what he wanted during his first heat, Hyunjin didn’t want to make him do anything he didn’t want to, but it was so hard to resist the temptation in front of him. Hyunjin wanted so badly to flip them over, pin Jisung to the mattress and make him squirm, make him beg for more until he was crying.

“I’m going to leave so many pretty marks on your skin and then people will know that you belong to me, that we’re a pair now, two omegas at the top of the class. Were you relieved to find out that I was an omega, Hyunjin? That no alpha could possibly be as smart as you were?”

Holy fucking shit.

“If only they could see us now. You’d never let an alpha on top of you like this, but me? An omega? You like this.” Jisung licked at Hyunjin’s neck. “But then again, they all still think I’m an alpha. An alpha putting a bossy little omega in his place.” Jisung bit down.

Hyunjin’s composure broke. He bucked up his hips to knock Jisung off balance, and flipped them over, pinning Jisung’s wrists down above his head. “A bossy alpha you say?” Hyunjin’s words came out as a growl. “Who’s putting who in their place?”

Jisung grinned, scent blossoming with arousal, and Hyunjin realized this was exactly what Jisung had wanted. He had been baiting Hyunjin, hoping to get this exact reaction from him.

“You little shit, you wanted this didn’t you?” Hyunjin leaned forward to sniff at Jisung’s neck. “You want me to put you in your place?”

“Please,” Jisung gasped, squirming under Hyunjin’s grasp. “Please, please, please. I’m yours.”

“Oh yeah?” Hyunjin bit at Jisung’s neck just how Jisung had bit at his. Jisung gasped and went lax beneath him, submitting to Hyunjin.

“I wanted this,” Jisung whined. “Even before. I thought you were so pretty.”

A flash of heat shot through Hyunjin’s body. Hyunjin tried not to read too much into Jisung’s words, he was on the brink of heat, but it was hard not to. Maybe Jisung really did want this as much as Hyunjin did, maybe it wasn’t just because Hyunjin was one of the only omegas Jisung knew.

              “I’m pretty?” Hyunjin asked.

              “Yes,” Jisung whined. “So pretty, it’s unfair.”

              “Tell me what you find pretty about me.”

              “I-uh-your hair.” Hyunjin pressed gentle kisses to Jisung’s neck and started to work his way lower as Jisung talked. “It’s so black and glossy and nicely styled. And your skin is so soft and smooth. And—I can’t—oh,” Jisung gasped as Hyunjin took one of his nipples into his mouth, sucking gently at the tender skin.

              Hyunjin pulled away. “Keep talking.”

              “Okay, yeah, uh, your brain is so pretty.” Hyunjin leaned down to continue his ministrations, rewarding Jisung’s good behavior. “I mean you’re like almost as smart as me—ow.” Hyunjin bit down. “Okay, okay, smarter than me. And like you always know the answers.” Jisung continued to ramble on. All the praise was starting to go to Hyunjin’s head. He wanted Jisung to never stop talking, to just keep rambling about all the way he found Hyunjin pretty while Hyunjin worshipped his body forever.

              Jisung’s reactions were so cute. Hyunjin loved the way his breath would hitch, how he would stumble over his words. Hyunjin was doing that to him, was making Jisung feel good, making his scent sweeten until it was thick in the air.

              Jisung’s sweat was salty on Hyunjin’s tongue, his skin smooth under Hyunjin’s touch. Hyunjin licked and kissed across the planes of Jisung’s stomach, worshipped Jisung’s nipples until they were red and puffy against his chest.

              Jisung’s hands were knotted in Hyunjin’s hair and the small pinpricks of pain only drove Hyunjin on. His hands roved over skin, massaging, memorizing every dip, tracing over muscles. Hyunjin’s mouth worked pressing kisses and licks and bites to sensitive areas. He licked stripes up Jisung’s side, kissed his stomach, bit at his pecs.

              Jisung had stopped saying cognizant things at some point, his rambling replaced with moans and pleas for Hyunjin to go lower, to do more. But Hyunjin ignored him, just kept his slow tortuous worship of Jisung’s body until Jisung was sobbing into the sheets, body putty until Hyunjin’s touch.

              Only then did Hyunjin move lower, let his pinky finger dip under the band of Jisung’s boxers. Jisung’s breath hitched, but Hyunjin retreated, hand moving higher, only to dip slightly lower on the next pass. He knew he was torturing Jisung, but it was so much fun, so much fun watching Jisung’s muscles tense when Hyunjin moved an inch lower, got just a little bit closer to where he knew Jisung so desperately wanted him.

              “Oh, Hyunjin. Please. I’m going to die. Please, please.”

              Hyunjin gave in, tugging down Jisung’s boxers until he was fully bared, small omega dick straining against his stomach, red and dripping precum, legs parted for Hyunjin, revealing his glistening hole, slick drenching his inner thighs, pooling onto the sheets beneath him.

              Jisung moaned and Hyunjin watched in fascination as even more slick leaked out. Hyunjin wasn’t sure he had even seen an omega this wet and the fact that this was Hyunjin’s doing, that Hyunjin was the one who had worked Jisung up this much, made Hyunjin’s head feel light. He knew his own boxers were damn near soaked through, but Hyunjin ignored it, satisfied to pleasure Jisung for now. This was Jisung’s first heat in years, Hyunjin had to make it good, show Jisung that being an omega wasn’t so scary.

              Hyunjin traced a finger around Jisung’s hole in a teasing circle before gently pressing inside. Jisung moaned, hips leaving the nest as he chased the sensation. “Hyunjin, Hyunjin please.”

              Hyunjin ignored him and leaned closer to smell Jisung up close. He was so sweet like this, blackberries thick with honey. Wondering if Jisung tasted as good as he smelled, Hyunjin licked stripe through Jisung’s center. Sugar exploded on Hyunjin’s tongue, thick with arousal. Hyunjin dove back in, teasing Jisung’s entrance with his tongue, circling the outside to never dip more than the tip of his tongue inside. Jisung’s hands knotted in Hyunjin’s hair and forced Hyunjin closer until Hyunjin’s face was pressed against Jisung’s hole, soaked in Jisung’s scent.

              Jisung came then, squirted right into Hyunjin’s mouth, cock spraying against his stomach. “Oh,” Jisung gasped, legs tensing, closing like a vice around Hyunjin’s head. Hyunjin worked Jisung through the orgasm, lapped at Jisung’s hole until Jisung relaxed again, fell back into the sheets, whining with oversensitivity.

              Only then did Hyunjin pull away, face dripping with Jisung’s slick, and move to kiss Jisung. Jisung opened up beautifully for Hyunjin, moaning into Hyunjin’s mouth as he tasted his own slick on Hyunjin’s tongue. He let Hyunjin lead, let Hyunjin explore his mouth, his lips soft against Hyunjin’s.

              Hyunjin thought that he could live in this moment forever, his lips against Jisung’s, the taste of Jisung’s arousal shared between them, Jisung limp and pliant and whiny beneath him. Jisung hadn’t cried from pleasure yet, but Hyunjin was sure that was going to change.

              After several minutes of making out, Jisung pulled away. “I need you to fuck me, please.”

              “Yeah,” Hyunjin agreed, Jisung’s skin was hotter now, that orgasm had likely tipped Jisung from preheat into the throws of heat. “Let me grab the knotting dildo.”

              “No,” Jisung grabbed Hyunjin’s arm. “You. I want you to fuck me.”

              “But that’s not going to feel as good, you want a knot, not—”

              “I want you.” Jisung’s gaze was steely, grip sure even through the haze of his heat, and who was Hyunjin to say no to his omega?

              “Of course, yeah. I’ll fuck you, Jisung.”

              Jisung let out a whine and spread his legs even wider in invitation. His dick was hard again, hole even slicker than it was before. Hyunjin knew the nice thing to do would be to shuck off his own boxer and fuck into Jisung’s hole until they both came, but that would be too easy. Hyunjin wanted to hear Jisung whine, wanted to see him cry.

              Hyunjin situated himself between Jisung’s thighs and pressed his lips to the skin on Jisung’s lower stomach.

              “No,” Jisung whined, trying to push Hyunjin’s head away. “I want you to fuck me, please.”

              “I will,” Hyunjin said, “I promise.”

              “I mean right now.” Jisung pulled at Hyunjin, but Hyunjin didn’t budge.

              “Oh, you’re in charge right now? Would you rather fuck yourself with one of my dildos?”

              Jisung seemed to realize his mistake. “No, no. I’m sorry.”

              “Be patient, Sungie, and you’ll get what you want.” Hyunjin pressed a kiss to Jisung’s cheek before dipping lower, tracing the same path he had earlier, pressing light kisses to Jisung’s neck, his chest, his stomach, his hips, his thighs, avoiding the area Jisung wanted attention the most.

              Jisung was trying his best to be good, squirming, but not grabbing at Hyunjin and forcing him to go where Jisung wanted him. Hyunjin rewarded the good behavior by kissing the sensitive skin on the inside of Jisung’s thigh, drawing smalls gasps from Jisung’s throat, a tremor going through his body as he forced himself to stay still.

              “You’re so pretty like this, all laid out and desperate for me, at my mercy.”

              “Yes,” Jisung agreed.

              Hyunjin laughed. “You don’t even know what I’m saying right now, do you? You just want me, want more, want pleasure.”

              “Please, please.”

              And who was Hyunjin to refuse an omega as beautiful as Jisung? Hyunjin finally did what Jisung wanted and pressed a kiss directly to Jisung’s hole before taking Jisung’s dick into his mouth, swallowing it whole with ease.

              “Oh,” Jisung arched up and Hyunjin let him, Hyunjin’s gag reflex was practically non-existent and Jisung wasn’t big enough to cause much problem. Hyunjin hollowed his cheeks and sucked, bobbing up and down Jisung’s entire length, one hand on Jisung’s hip, pressing him down into the mattress and the other on Jisung’s chest, grabbing a handful of Jisung’s pec. Jisung had an admittedly nice chest from all the hours he spent at the gym trying to get the physique of an alpha. His pecs were big enough that Hyunjin couldn’t help but want to grab and bite at them until they were red and swollen, marked by Hyunjin’s teeth.

              “Ah, Hyunjin!”

              Hyunjin pulled off before Jisung could come, causing Jisung to cry out, he squirmed in the sheets, but there was no where for him to go, pinned down by Hyunjin’s hands.

              “You’re so pretty,” Hyunjin cooed, pressing a light kiss to Jisung’s lips.

              Jisung stared up at him with glassy eyes, he was so close to crying. It was only going to take a little more. Hyunjin kissed Jisung’s scent gland and slotted a knee between Jisung’s legs, pressing it directly into Jisung’s hole. Jisung bucked his hips, spreading slick into Hyunjin’s skin.

              “There you go,” Hyunjin encouraged. “Take what you need.”

              Jisung continued to hump Hyunjin’s leg while Hyunjin sucked marks into the skin of Jisung’s chest, marveling at the way the skin turned red, retained the marks of Hyunjin’s teeth afterwards. Hyunjin couldn’t wait until the marks turned purple and blue, proof that Hyunjin had been there.

              Jisung’s humping had turned slightly desperate and Hyunjin looked up. Jisung’s bottom lip was in between his teeth, his eyes rolled back to look at the ceiling as he pleasured himself against Hyunjin’s thigh, slick dripping between their bodies.

              Deciding that Jisung had enough, Hyunjin pulled away, pressing Jisung down into the bed with firm hands on his shoulders.

              “No!” Jisung cried at the loss. “No please!” His hips bucked wildly into the air, chasing pressure that was no longer there. Hyunjin was still between Jisung, so he couldn’t close his thighs, couldn’t get the sensation he was seeking. “Hyunjin!”

              Tears were gathering at the corners of Jisung’s eyes. He was so close to where Hyunjin wanted him. Hyunjin sucked one of Jisung’s nipples into his mouth and bit down, eyes trained on Jisung’s face.

              Jisung was beautiful when he broke. “Ah, Hyunjin, please!” Tears streamed down his cheeks and Hyunjin couldn’t resist the urge to kiss them, salt sharp on his tongue. Jisung’s scent was so thick in the air that Hyunjin’s couldn’t smell anything but his want, his need for Hyunjin to do more.

              “You want me to fuck you?” Hyunjin asked.

              “Please!” Jisung struggled but couldn’t go far with how Hyunjin had him pinned down. “Please.”

              Hyunjin gave in. He had gotten what he wanted, and it was just as beautiful as he had imagined. Jisung, fucked dumb, begging for more, begging for Hyunjin, tears streaming down that pretty face of his.

              Hyunjin’s dick was rock hard and Jisung was so wet that there was no need for any preparation, so Hyunjin slid straight into Jisung’s heat. Jisung whined and threw his head back when Hyunjin snapped his hips, seating himself fully inside of Jisung. Warmth enveloped his dick and Hyunjin had to fight the urge to come on the spot, he was so worked up from seeing Jisung cry for him, fully submit for him.

              Hyunjin pulled out and snapped back in, moaning at both the sensation and the reaction it elicited from Jisung. He was still crying, tears of pleasure this time, hands grabbing desperately at Hyunjin, scratching down his back.

              Hyunjin’s dick wasn’t as big as an alphas, but it was big enough to make Jisung feel good, good enough to hit that spot inside Jisung that made him cry out, made him tense with pleasure.

              Hyunjin worked his hips in circles, fucking in and out of Jisung’s hole. Neither of them were going to last long, they were both too worked up for that, but Hyunjin was determined to make it as good for Jisung as he could. It was what Jisung deserved.

              Jisung was the one who came first, with a cry and a gush of slick, mouth open, breaths coming out in desperate pants, eyes rolled back in his head and tears dripping down his face. The sight was enough to make Hyunjin come, buried deep inside Jisung’s heat, cock pulsing, pussy dripping slick down his thighs and onto Jisung below him.

              They both collapsed onto the bed, breathing hard, wrapped up in each other. Hyunjin could feel his heat truly starting now, the familiar haziness in his head taking over, want and need spreading through his gut. He was content to cuddle from Jisung and come down from their orgasms together, but Hyunjin knew it wasn’t long before he was just as gone as Jisung, eyes glazed over in want.

              Hyunjin pressed his forehead against Jisung’s and just breathed. Their scents were intertwined now, sickly sweet with heat. Jisung had his eyes closed, tears tracks still on his face, breathing hard, body wracked with small tremors. He was perfect. Hyunjin pressed a kiss to Jisung’s lips and Jisung responded, kissing back, and pulling Hyunjin closer.

              “Thank you,” Jisung whispered against Hyunjin’s lips, his orgasm clearing his head a bit. “That was so good.”

              Hyunjin smiled. “Just you wait, there’s so much more to come.”

              Jisung was fire personified. He was greed, hunger, lust, all wrapped up into one. He wanted Hyunjin, wanted everything about him, wanted to be inside Hyunjin, wanted Hyunjin to be inside him. If Jisung could, he would merge their bodies into one, combine his heat with Hyunjin’s so that Hyunjin could never leave him.

              Hyunjin was riding him now, hole wrapped so tightly around Jisung’s cock, squeezing him, milking him. There was a knotting dildo up Jisung’s own hole and every roll of Hyunjin’s hips jostled it just enough that it hit that one spot inside him that made him see stars.

              Hyunjin had one hand braced against Jisung’s chest for support, moans breathy and high in the way that Jisung had come to know to mean that Hyunjin was about to come. When Hyunjin finally tipped over that ledge, it was with a breathy scream, hole clenching around Jisung’s dick, thighs shaking as he collapsed onto Jisung’s chest. Jisung felt slick gush out of Hyunjin’s hole, soaking his skin and blankets beneath them. Jisung and Hyunjin had been so slicked up their whole heats that they were both covered in it, their aroused scents so intertwined that they had become one.

              After this wave, they were going to have to clean out the nest again, replace the dirtied blankets with clean ones. There was already a mountain by Hyunjin’s door and Jisung hoped Hyunjin enjoyed the whole day he was going to have to spend in the laundry room. Luckily, Hyunjin had a seemingly endless supply, and it was relatively easy to swap them out. Jisung would hate sleeping on soaked blankets, but he would hate not having any in the nest even more. Jisung hadn’t had a nest for most of his life, but there was no way he was going back after this. The nest made him feel so safe and secure. It was his and Hyunjin’s space and only theirs.

A part of Jisung hoped that their heats never ended so that he could stay in this moment forever, Hyunjin pressing him into the mattress, sweaty, hair plastered to his skin, mouthing sleepily at Jisung’s neck after he had just came.

Jisung carefully moved a strand of Hyunjin’s hair out of his face. “You’re beautiful,” Jisung whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Hyunjin’s head.

Hyunjin looked up at him with wide brown eyes. “Yeah?” His voice was soft and vulnerable and Jisung couldn’t help but kiss him again.

“Yeah, you’re beautiful and you’re mine.”

“You’re mine,” Hyunjin agreed, mouthing sleepily at Jisung’s neck. Jisung let his own eyes close, pulling Hyunjin tighter, so that he could never leave. This was their nest, their shared heat. Hyunjin was Jisung’s and Jisung was Hyunjin’s. Two omegas, intertwined. It was Jisung and Hyunjin against the world and there wasn’t anyone else Jisung would rather have at his side.

The next time Jisung gained consciousness, Hyunjin was holding a water bottle to his lips, Jisung in his lap. Fire was burning under Jisung’s skin, but he drank obediently.

“There you go,” Hyunjin praised.

Jisung took another sip.

“You’re doing so well for me.”

Jisung wriggled his hips, feeling Hyunjin hard behind him, cock pressing into Jisung’s ass. He wriggled again, chasing the pleasure that shot straight to his core.

“Hey, hey.” Hyunjin shifted until there was some space between their bodies. Jisung whined. Didn’t Hyunjin know he needed that? That the pleasure was the only think that cooled the fire, cleared Jisung’s head?

“You need to drink the water, then you’ll get what you want, okay?”

Jisung took another sip, but then flung himself backwards, both him and Hyunjin tumbling into the nest, water bottle slipping out of Hyunjin’s hands. Jisung didn’t care. All he cared about was Hyunjin.

“Jisung! You needed to drink that.”

Jisung flipped over so that he was straddling Hyunjin and started to nip at Hyunjin’s chest. The only thing he needed was Hyunjin. Hyunjin’s taste in his mouth, dick in Jisung’s hole, pleasure on Jisung’s tongue.

The heat was all encompassing, burning through all of Jisung’s other thoughts. There was only Hyunjin. The press of their skin, intermingling of their scents, taste of their pleasure. That was all Jisung cared about.

Hyunjin was saying something, but Jisung didn’t understand the words, just took Hyunjin until his mouth, sucked until Hyunjin stopped talking and pleasure bloomed on Jisung’s tongue. This was the only water Jisung needed. This was the only thing that quenched his inner heat, soothed his omega. Hyunjin was all Jisung needed.

Chest heaving, eyes burning with salt, Jisung stared up at the ceiling. His whole body ached, pain pulsing with every heartbeat. Jisung wasn’t sure if he was ever going to be able to stand again.

A hand stroked through his hair, soothing the pain, bringing Jisung back to the moment. He was in Hyunjin’s nest, head cradled in Hyunjin’s lap. “Hey, are you back with me?”

“Yeah,” Jisung croaked. His mouth was drier than the Sahara, felt as if he had been swallowing sand. Jisung tried to sit up, searching for water.

“Hey, hey.” Hyunjin’s hands pushed Jisung back down. “Let me.” Seconds later a straw was at Jisung’s mouth and Jisung sucked down the water like it was the best thing he had ever tasted. The cool liquid soothed his throat, made breathing and talking slightly more bearable.

“My heat is finally over?” Jisung asked once he had drained the cup.

“Yeah,” Hyunjin agreed. “It was a rough one just like Dr. Kim said it would. I could barely get you to eat or drink anything. You’re a little sex demon when you’re in heat.”

Jisung face heated. “Sorry, I hope I wasn’t too much.”

“Of course not,” Hyunjin soothed, stroking over Jisung’s face. His hands were smooth and cool and Jisung couldn’t help but lean into the touch. “I was in heat too, just a bit more cognizant that you, I think. I enjoyed every second of it though.” Hyunjin paused. “I think this was one of the best heats I’ve ever had.”

“Really?” Jisung craned to look at Hyunjin’s face. He was looking down at Jisung with an expression that Jisung didn’t think anyone had ever looked at him with. Hyunjin’s gaze was full of fondness, of care, and Jisung realized that maybe his feelings weren’t one sided. “There’s no else I would have rather spent my heat with.”

Hyunjin looked away. “Of course not, no one else even knows you’re an omega.”

“No.” Jisung sat up the best he could. He wasn’t going to let Hyunjin get this wrong. “Seungmin knows now. I could have asked him, but I didn’t. I asked you. It’s not a thing of convenience for me, I’ve always liked you Hyunjin, always thought you were so pretty. You drove me crazy. You were everything I wanted to be and everything I couldn’t have, but now? Now I can have it, and I want it, Hyunjin, I want you.”

“Jisung.” Hyunjin’s mouth was slightly open, staring at Jisung with a look of disbelief. “You don’t mean it. I’m just the first person you’ve slept with.”

“I mean it.” Jisung struggled to sit up, only managing it with the help of Hyunjin. “I know you don’t like me like that, that just is just so you can stay in engineering, but it’s more for me. I’m sorry.”

“No.” Hyunjin cupped Jisung’s chin in his hand and tilted Jisung’s face up until they were looking at each other in the eye. “I thought you were an asshole, that’s true, but things changed when I found out you were an omega. Struggling like that, hiding who you were from everyone just so that you can chase your dreams, it made me change my mind. You’re a strong person, Han Jisung, and you’re not as mean as you pretended to be.” Hyunjin took a deep breath. “I like you too. I didn’t want to admit it because I thought I would be taking advantage of you, you barely even know what it means to be an omega and I was the first person whose nest you’d been in.”

“That’s why you were so weird while I was in preheat.”

“Yeah.”

“We’re good now though?”

“Yeah.”

Jisung breathed out a sigh of relief. “I think I don’t really know what it means to be an omega yet, but I’d like to learn, with you if possible.”

A smile crept across Hyunjin’s face. “Yeah, I think that might work.”

Jisung leaned in and their lips connected. It wasn’t like the kisses they had shared during heat, full of arousal and hunger, this kiss was softer, more tender, two people getting to know one another.

Hyunjin pulled away first and smiled at Jisung. “The first lesson is that a hot bath after a heat is a must.”

“I think that sounds pretty legit.”

Hyunjin got up and Jisung mourned the loss, felt cold without Hyunjin at his side, but Hyunjin quickly returned and picked Jisung up like it was nothing, just scooped him up in his arms and carried Jisung to the bathroom where the tub was already filling with steaming water.

Afterwards, Jisung laid loose-limbed in Hyunjin’s nest, lips swollen and muscles soothed. It was then that it occurred to him that he and Hyunjin had missed one of their midterms. Hyunjin had said that his dad would take care of it, but Jisung didn’t know what that meant, how Jisung was going to continue in this degree as his true self.

“What’s wrong?” Hyunjin asked, smelling the change in Jisung’s scent.

“I’m an omega in engineering who just missed a midterm because of his heat and has been lying to everyone for years. What if they kick me out?”

“Check your email.” Hyunjin procured Jisung’s phone out of thin air and tossed it to him. It was fully charged and notifications lit up the screen. Jisung ignored them all to navigate to his email. There, flagged to the top was an email from the Dean, subject reading: Re: The designation of Han Jisung. Hands shaking, Jisung clicked on it. His eyes roved over the text once and then twice. He couldn’t believe what he was reading.

“It’s okay? They’re letting me stay?”

Hyunjin reached out and ruffled Jisung’s hair. “Of course they are, I told you my dad would figure things out.”

Jisung tackled Hyunjin to the bed, messing up the nest. “I can’t believe it. I was so scared. Thank you. Thank you so much, Hyunjin.”

“Of course. We’re going to succeed together Jisung, I mean it. We’re going to show them that omegas are stronger and smarter than they ever imagined, we’re going to do so well that they won’t be able to deny us. Both of us, together.”

Jisung kissed Hyunjin. It was messy, their teeth clacked together in Jisung’s eagerness, but Jisung didn’t care. He and Hyunjin were going to be engineers. They were going to prove everyone wrong together. Jisung didn’t have to chose between who he was and who he wanted to be, they could both coexist now thanks to Hyunjin. “Thank you,” Jisung spoke the words half into Hyunjin’s mouth.

“Of course,” Hyunjin responded, pulling away from Jisung. “Now respond to all your texts. I had to put your phone on do not disturb because it was buzzing so much.”

Most of the messages were in a groupchat full of Jisung’s friends. He was scared to open it, petrified that they all hated him now after Seungmin had told them all the truth. Jisung loved his friends, cared about them. He didn’t want to lose them all because he had been too coward to tell them the truth.

              But when Jisung opened his messages, they weren’t the scathing words he had expected, instead everyone was wishing Jisung luck with his heat, telling him to ask them for anything he needed. Changbin was already volunteering some of his gym clothes for Jisung’s nest and Chan reminded him to eat and drink plenty of fluids. They were going to have to talk in person about it, an awkward conversation that Jisung wasn’t looking forward to, but he owed them all an explanation.

              Jisung breathed out a sigh of relief. “They’re not mad. They don’t hate me.”

              “Of course not, they’re your friends.”

              “Yeah.” Jisung smiled. “Yeah they are.” He turned to Hyunjin. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

              “Everything’s going to be okay,” Hyunjin confirmed, pulling Jisung into a hug. For the first time in a long time, Jisung felt hope for his future.