Chapter Text
A year ago
This was the first party SungHoon had attended in his entire nineteen years of life. And he'd already decided he hated parties.
He hated the noise that came with them, the crowds, the overwhelming mixture of scents and, most of all, the way people seemed to forget the concept of personal space the moment alcohol entered their systems.
He stood near the edge of the crowded living room, one hand desperately tugging at the fur coat draped around his shoulders, trying to cover the half exposed cleavage the dress left on display.
It wasn't even his dress to begin with.
SungHoon couldn't imagine himself willingly choosing something so revealing, especially something that made him this uncomfortable. Sunoo had practically forced him into it, insisting that SungHoon needed to stop hiding himself beneath oversized hoodies and what Sunoo called his "nerdy dresses." If that even made sense.
The dress was a gold colored mini gown with a slit running up his right thigh and a V neckline that dipped far too low for SungHoon's liking. Every time he moved, he became painfully aware of how much skin was exposed.
Apparently, this was supposed to help him come out of his shell and, according to Sunoo, "get him laid."
SungHoon wasn't sure which shell Sunoo had been talking about, but he desperately wanted to crawl back inside it.
And to make matters worse, Sunoo was nowhere to be found.
The moment they'd arrived, Sunoo's cheerleading squad had dragged him somewhere into the crowd. SungHoon was sure Jungwon would eventually steal him away too, leaving him all alone to fend for himself in a party he didn't even want to be at.
He wanted to go home.
Biting down on his lower lip, SungHoon finally gathered enough courage to go look for Sunoo, bid him goodnight, and leave before anyone could convince him to stay.
The music seemed to get louder once SungHoon stepped further into the crowd.
He had no idea how people did this. Everywhere he looked, there was some new display of confidence that made him feel even more out of place. People moved with the music without a second thought, bodies swaying sensually together, hands resting casually on waists and hips. Some were laughing with their heads thrown back, drinks raised above their heads, while others disappeared into corners with someone they'd met only minutes ago.
There was an almost feverish energy in the room. SungHoon could see it in their eyes. That adrenaline. That reckless excitement that seemed to tell everyone else that tonight was meant for doing whatever they wanted. SungHoon wishes he could relate. He wishes he could feel among.
A couple nearby were kissing so messily that SungHoon immediately looked away, his cheeks heating beneath his makeup.
They're definitely going to end up in someone's bedroom.
He shouldn't have been staring in the first place. But he couldn't help looking around, trying to understand how everyone seemed so comfortable with themselves.
How did they know where to put their hands? How did they know who to talk to? How did they move so confidently when SungHoon was currently struggling to remember how to walk without tripping over his own feet?
His fingers tightened around his fur coat. He lowered his head, trying to make himself smaller as he moved through the crowd.
Don't draw attention.
Don't bump into anyone.
Don't......
His shoulder collided with someone, splashing drink all over the person. SungHoon froze. The male he'd bumped into turned around, his face flushed from alcohol.
"Watch where you're going freak"
"I'm s.... s..orry". He said quietly, moving away immediately.
His heart was beating too fast and suddenly he was aware of everything in triple folds.
We're people looking at him? They had to be, he could feel them. Every glance felt like an arrow dipped in venom, flying straight toward him.
They're staring.
They're wondering what you're doing here.
Look at him.
He's so awkward.
Why is he dressed like that?
SungHoon's breathing became uneven. He pressed his hands over his ears, trying to block out the music even though it barely helped. His eyes squeezed shut.
Everything felt to much. He just needed somewhere quiet. Somewhere nobody would look at him. He stumbled forward, barely paying attention to where his feet were taking him. He didn't know where he was going. He only knew he needed to get away. Away from the overwhelming mixture of scents clinging to the air and settling against his skin.
His legs seemed to understand before his mind did. They carried him through an open doorway and into a hallway. The difference was immediate. The music was still there, but muffled now, reduced to a distant rhythmic thump behind the walls.
He dropped his hands from his ear, leaning against the wall and dragging a shaky breath in.
In. Out. Slowly.
The pounding of his heart began to settle. The music remained a distant thump behind the walls, and the voices that had seemed so loud moments ago were now nothing more than muffled sounds.
When he took a breathe in again, another scent filled his nostrils, to the point it made SungHoon forrow his brow. It was faint at first, almost hidden beneath the layers of alcohol, perfume and pheromones lingering throughout the house. But the longer he stood there, the clearer it became.
Petrichor. Something about it made him pause. It wasn't overwhelming like the other scents had been. It didn't crawl beneath his skin or make his head spin. Instead, it settled over him quietly, cool and earthy, like the smell of rain touching dry pavement after a long, tiring day.
His shoulders slowly relaxed. The knot in his stomach loosened. His eyes fluttered closed as he inhaled again, almost unconsciously chasing it.
Why did it feel so comforting? He didn't know. His Omega seemed to recognize something he didn't, because the next second his feet is moving on their own accord, going down the unfamiliar path of the hallway.
He moved farther down, past another turn, until the scent grew stronger. SungHoon hesitated when he reached the end. A narrow glass door stood slightly ajar, moonlight spilling through the opening.
The scent was coming from there, so he pushed the door open. The balcony was small, barely large enough for a few people, but the view beyond it made SungHoon stop.
The city stretched endlessly beneath the night sky, buildings illuminated by countless windows and streets glowing with streams of headlights. From this height, everything looked almost unreal, like someone had scattered stars across the earth and forgotten to gather them back..
It was beautiful. But his mind was not on the view, it was more on the guy standing at the railing. The stranger is leaned against the railing, back to the city. A cigarette dangled loosely between his long fingers, its embers glowing. Smoke curled around him in delicate wisps, wrapping around his silhouette before disappearing into the night.
SungHoon forgot how to breathe. Beautiful wasn't enough. The word felt too ordinary for what he was seeing.
The light from the city below caught against the sharp lines of his face, tracing the bridge of his nose, the curve of his lips, the strong angle of his jaw. His dark hair was slightly tousled, strands falling carelessly across his forehead as though even the wind had become interested in him. He looked ethereal. Like something that had wandered out of a dream and somehow ended up standing on an apartment balcony. He looked like one of all those faceless people SungHoon had conjured in his dream.
SungHoon's eyes traveled over him before he could stop himself.
"Take a picture. It would last longer". The deep voice made SungHoon flinch. But what made his heartbeat stop were the male's eyes when he opened them.
They were dark. Darker than the night sky. Like bottomless pit that dragged you in, like the deepest part of the ocean that seemed to hide something beneath its surface.
"I...I...I...."
SungHoon tried to force the words out, but they refused to cooperate.
The stranger's lips curved slightly. "It's okay. I get a lot of looks from Omegas". His voice was lazy, and slurred. "You won't be the first".
SungHoon's cheeks immediately flushed. The stranger's eyes remained on him, and it was not in a casual way. His gaze slowly traveled over SungHoon, from the fur coat clutched tightly around his shoulders to the exposed gold fabric beneath it, lingering briefly before traveling back up to his face. There was something dazed about the way he looked at him, as though he'd forgotten what he had been doing before SungHoon appeared. The cigarette remained forgotten between his fingers.
SungHoon swallowed. The man's eyes are glazed, unfocused, yet somehow they never left him. And strangely, SungHoon didn't feel the usual urge to hide. Anyone else staring at him like that would have made him want to disappear beneath his coat. But this man's attention felt different. His Omega likes it. Almost too much.
SungHoon stepped forward before he could convince himself not to.
"S... smoking I... I... is dangerous." He squeezed his eyes shut in frustration when the last word finally escaped him.
Instead of laughing, or saying something harsh, the stranger watched him for another moment. Then he exhaled a slow stream of smoke, the corner of his mouth lifting into a faint amused smile.
"You worried about me?"
SungHoon's eyes widened. Before he could answer, the stranger took another drag, and SungHoon's eyes followed the movement. And the stranger's eyes also remained entirely on him.
When SungHoon finally moved to stand beside him, he could feel those dark eyes following his every movement. The stranger leaned slightly toward him, almost unconsciously. It was as though his body had already decided that being closer was preferable.
"I need this", he finally said, tapping the cigarette lightly. "It's like therapy for me". He stepped closer. The distance between them becoming nonexistent.
SungHoon's breath caught. Up close, the scent of Petrichor was even stronger. It wrapped around him, cool and grounding, making his Omega practically melt beneath his skin.
The stranger seemed to notice his reaction. His eyes flickering with interest and something deep.
"What made you come all the way here? Needed some air?"
SungHoon nodded, unconsciously leaning closer to the warmth beside him.
"I... it w... was get... ting too m... much inside." He swallowed. "I... couldn't bre... breathe."
The stranger's expression softened, giving him a small nod. As if he was worth listening to.
It surprised SungHoon. People usually dismissed him. Sometimes they didn't even bother pretending to listen. Even his own parents preferred silence from him.
But this stranger like SungHoon noticed from the beginning is different. Something warm fluttered inside SungHoon's chest.
"When it gets too loud", the stranger started, snapping SungHoon out of his thoughts, "I usually find something that makes everything else disappear".
SungHoon tilted his head slightly. "L...like s....smok..ing?"
"Sometimes". The stranger was amused. He stubbed the cigarette against the ashtray beside him and pushed himself away from the railing. "But there are better things".
SungHoon watched him curiously as the stranger fished clumsily for his phone in his pocket, almost dropping it.
"Like dancing". Before SungHoon could ask what he meant, a soft tune played, disturbing the quiet of the night, and the stranger held out his hand. "Dance with me".
SungHoon stared at the hand, then back at the stranger's face, swiping his tongue over his bottom lip.
"I...I d....don't know h....how to dance".
"Neither did I, once".
"That d.... doesn't make me f....feel be....better".
A tiny laugh escaped the stranger, barely counting as a laugh. But it was something.
"Then don't think about it".
SungHoon hesitated before placing his hand in the outstretched one.
A small voice immediately whispered that this was a terrible idea. He was going to embarrass himself. He always did eventually. whoever this stranger was, would realize how awkward he was and regret asking.
But his hand was already in his.
The stranger's fingers closed around his. They were warm, and somehow, strangely right, fitting perfectly against his.
The stranger drew SungHoon closer. At first, there was still a careful space between them. SungHoon's other hand hovered uncertainly near the stranger's shoulder until the male gently took it and placed it there himself.
"Here".
SungHoon swallowed. The male's other hand settled against his waist.
"Just move with me".
The music was slow enough that there was nowhere to hide inside it. SungHoon followed the Alpha's movements, awkward at first, his eyes fixed on the space between their bodies. Gradually, the tension left his shoulders. The Alpha moved closer, and SungHoon gravitated toward him.
Neither of them seemed to make the decision.
It simply happened.
Their bodies began finding the same rhythm, swaying together beneath the pale moonlight. The Alpha's hand remained at the Omega's waist, his thumb occasionally brushing against the fabric of the dress.
Every time their bodies separated by even the smallest distance, something seemed to pull them back together.
SungHoon didn't understand it. He only knew he wanted to be closer. Closer to the warmth. Closer to that scent. Closer to him.
And maybe that was the dangerous part. Because someone like this alpha wouldn't normally choose someone like him. Maybe the dim lighting was simply making him look different. Prettier than he actually was. Maybe once the stranger saw him properly, without the makeup, the dress, the coat hiding half his body, he'd realize he'd made a mistake. But SungHoon didn't want to move away. Not yet.
The Alpha seemed to be struggling with the same thing. His eyes remained fixed on SungHoon's face, occasionally dropping to his lips before returning to his eyes.
"Your heart is beating fast".
The Alpha whispered, leaning close, their faces only inches apart now. SungHoon could feel his breath against his cheek. "You can feel it too, right? This pull?"
Yes. SungHoon could feel it.
He didn't know where this pull was coming from or what it meant. He didn't have a word for the strange ache drawing him toward this stranger.
A quieter, uglier part of him wondered if he was simply desperate for affection. Maybe he was mistaking the first kindness he'd received for something more.
But he didn't want to think about that.
Not tonight. Instead, he leaned closer, his hand moving up against the Alpha's shoulder and stopping by his nape.
"I'm Riki. Nishimura Riki". The Alpha said it quietly. SungHoon rolled the name over and over again on his tongue. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't figure out where he'd heard it.
"S... SungHoon. P......park Sung...Hoon".
The name sounded embarrassingly ordinary beside his. For a second, SungHoon wished he could introduce himself without the stutter. Without having to wonder if Riki would notice the hesitation in his voice and find it irritating.
But Riki only smiled. He took SungHoon's hands that were resting against him and placed them over his chest, right where his heart was beating rapidly. "Park SungHoon, what have you done to Nishimura Riki? My heart won't stop beating at the sight of you".
SungHoon's breath caught.
No one had ever spoken to him like that. Riki brushed a loose strand of hair away from SungHoon's face, tucking it gently behind his ear. His palm lingered there.
"You have such beautiful eyes". His index finger came up to feel SungHoon's eye, and the intimacy of it made SungHoon's heart flutter, his cheeks dusting pink. His Omega preened at the gesture, leaning more toward the palm against his cheek.
Beautiful. The word almost didn't belong to him. SungHoon had spent years picking apart everything he disliked about himself. Compliments always felt like things meant for somebody else. Yet Riki said it as though there wasn't even a question.
As though SungHoon was simply beautiful. And SungHoon believed him at that moment.
"I like your perfume, but..." Riki's eyes lowered toward the patch. "I think I'd like your real scent more. That's if you're okay with it".
SungHoon went still. Nobody had ever asked him that. He had spent years hiding beneath scent patches, terrified that someone might dislike what was underneath. His fingers hovered over the edge of it.
"What I...if y... you d.... don't?"
Riki's expression softened. "I doubt that. Every scent is meant to be unique in its own way".
Something about the honesty made SungHoon's fingers curl.
He wanted to know. He wanted to know what Riki would think. Maybe he could give himself this. Just this once.
Maybe he deserved one moment where he didn't have to be ashamed of himself.
Slowly, almost nervously but instinctively, he peeled the patch away.
The night air touched the sensitive skin of his scent gland, making him shiver.
He could feel the moment Riki froze.
For one horrible second, SungHoon wondered if he'd made a mistake. Maybe Riki didn't like it. Maybe he'd finally found the thing that would make those dark eyes lose their warmth. But a whimper left him in the next moment when Riki lowered his face to the side of his neck and inhaled. Once. Then again. Then deeper. His fingers tightened around SungHoon's waist as though he needed something to anchor himself.
SungHoon's eyes fluttered shut.
The reaction was so different from anything he'd imagined. There was no disgust. No hesitation. Only a desperate need to breathe him in.
For once, the cruel voice inside SungHoon's head had nothing to say.
It tried. It whispered that Riki was drunk. That he didn't really know what he was doing. That tomorrow he might regret every second of this. But SungHoon didn't want to listen.
Riki stayed there for another moment, his nose buried deep between SungHoon's collarbone. "You smell divine".
Riki's words were already slurred before, but now they sounded almost absent, as though he'd become completely scent drunk.
SungHoon's heart fluttered painfully.
Maybe he could have this.
Riki's head raised, his fingertips brushing along SungHoon's jaw.
SungHoon leaned into the touch before he could stop himself.
Dark eyes met brown eyes.
The music continued playing, but neither heard it anymore. A familiar voice whispered that he was moving too fast. That Riki would wake up tomorrow and wonder why he'd ever touched someone like him.
SungHoon knew he should probably listen. Instead, he looked at Riki's lips.
And thought, just this once. Riki leaned closer. This time, SungHoon closed the distance himself.
Their lips met, softly at first. Almost uncertain. Then SungHoon's fingers curled into the front of Riki's shirt, pulling him closer as though some part of him had already decided that this was exactly where he belonged.
He sighed into the kiss when Riki responded, one hand remaining at his waist while the other cradled his jaw.
The kiss deepened, unhurried but full of something neither of them had words for.
It didn't feel like meeting a stranger anymore. It felt like finding something they'd both been missing without ever knowing they were searching for it.
SungHoon broke the kiss, both breathing heavily, but neither of them getting enough of the other. His heart was still racing. His mind was still screaming. But for once, he didn't care. Whatever this was, whatever it meant, whatever tomorrow would bring...
He wanted to give himself this. Just this once.
He raised himself onto his tiptoes, brushing his lips over Riki's eyes, tongue lolling out to lick a stripe along Riki's nose before trailing back down until he caught Riki's lips again, all the while feeling the Alpha's breathing increase.
"What is this feeling?" Riki whispered against his lips, dragging him closer to himself.
"What is this feeling?"
•••
SungHoon wraps his arms around Riki's neck, with his legs wrapped around his waist, burying his face in his shoulder, inhaling and inhaling, cause he can't get enough of the scent. He can feel Riki's head between his shoulder, not any different, inhaling as if , if he stopped, he would die of suffocation.
Riki hesitates to lower him on the bed, but he made a mental note to himself, this omega is all his to have, he presses SungHoon to himself, lips on his cheek, trailing them down to his neck. SungHoon breathes heavily, and with bated breath, as Riki removes the last piece of his clothing, his touch burns, skin to skin, and SungHoon wants more, taking Riki in for another searing kiss.
Riki pulls away for just a millimeter and SungHoon can't help the sad whine that pathetically passes through his lips, but he relaxes seeing Riki also remove his last piece of clothing, and immediately the Alpha presses him into the sheets, taking the lips that has been testing his patience once again. SungHoon kisses greedily and deeply in a way his shy introverted self has never kisses before, and the alpha was no different, Riki licks his lips, strangles the omega with his pressure.
SungHoon can feel goosebumps all over his body, from the tip of his hair to his toes. Nerves twisted into a right spiral. The omega wants to cry from the many emotions from within. He has never felt anything like this before; he has never felt so full, so cherished and worthy. For a moment, he took his time, resting his head on the alpha's chest, listening to his heartbeat, trying to assure himself that this is not one of his heat induced dream. This, thud, thud. He could feel the alpha's heart beat. This was real.
Neither of them understood what was happening. They only knew that everytime they pulled apart, something inside them immediately reached for the other again. It wasn't simply attraction. Attraction was supposed to feel like wanting. This felt like recognition. Riki held him as though letting go wasn't an option. His arms tightened around SungHoon, and SungHoon melted into him without hesitation.
Riki took his lips in his once again, and SungHoon closed his eyes, getting lost in the feeling. The alpha seemed to be addicted with his lips. With each kisses seared on his skin, the omega sees starry sky instead of the ceiling above his head. Riki worships his body slowly, inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter.
SungHoon is ahy about the alpha's undisguised admiration, reaching down below to cover himself, but the Alpha stops him.
"You are so beautiful". The alpha's words are slurred, scent drunk, but sincere. "No jewelry in the world would be worthy to worship your body".
And at that moment, SungHoon believes his words, staring into those dark bottomless eyes. All negative thoughts, and the dark voices in his head, he locks them in a corner of his mind. He calms down and relaxes his nerves and for the first time isn't ashamed of himself. Riki kisses his thighs, and SungHoon crumples the sheets with his fingers. A moan escapes him when the alpha runs his tongue between his buttocks and up to his folds. SungHoon is pierced with red hot needles along his spins, he arches. "A..a ..alpha".
Riki seemed unable to stop telling him how beautiful he was. The words came quietly against SungHoon's skin, whispered between kisses as though Riki needed him to hear every single one.
Beautiful.
Precious.
Perfect.
Words SungHoon had spent years believing could never belong to him sounded different coming from Riki. They didn't feel like empty compliments. Riki said them with the kind of certainty that made SungHoon wonder if, for once, he was seeing himself through someone else's eyes.
In the sim lit room, submerged in moonlight, the temperature is high. The air heats up , cracks, Sparks fly from the friction of two bodies . SungHoon's fingers are buried in a hair black as night, his legs clasped tightly behind the alpha.
Riki is no different himself, his cock requires attention, he wants everything and nothing all at once, to rub the omega over his skin, lick him from head to toe, drink to the bottom till there's no more left to take. Riki is startled by his thoughts, cause why this omega? Why so much intensity for an omega? Something he never felt for anyone before. Since he saw the omega and inhaled his scent, he's become addicted, almost like of he doesn't have him, he'll die.
SungHoon is also scared of the alpha's thirst. The flame only flares up in the eyes in front of him, and he's already covered in blisters. SungHoon pulls the Alpha towards himself, eye to eye, he wants to see every emotion, catch every breath.
SungHoon breathes out, finally, Riki is in him, tongue in his mouth, his fingers seemed to reach the very bottom of the Omega's core, he moves them so that the bones bends, blood sliding through them like honey. Riki hangs over him, holds his hips with his hands, and pushes in slowly. The cock slides into the stretched omega easily on the slick, and SungHoon squints up to dark spots in front of his eyes, digs his nails into Riki's shoulder. It's painful and apart from his slick, he can feel another thing between his legs - he's still a virgin after all. He can feel the pride in the alpha's scent , and he opens his eyes for a moment, a sigh escaping his lips, but disappearing into the lips of another.
Riki looks straight into the soul, then pushes deeper, making SungHoon gasp with the pressure. Riki crumples his milky buttocks, pushes so hard that the bed moves towards the wall. SungHoon didn't survive that, how did the bed survive?
The omega is smeared on the sheets, forced to take any shape, he presses his cheek into the sheets, then he sees the ceiling, then he sees the alpha under him, stuns from the slaps, from the squelching sounds and from his own moans. He squirts many times, but he doesn't care. He wants more, more, and more.
There is no living space on SungHoon, Riki's prints are everywhere, and alpha wants more. SungHoon strokes his back, begs for more, and Riki is glad to oblige, in a swift motion, he puts SungHoon on his cock, holding him under his buttocks and fucks him hard.
Neither knows where the other begins again, getting lost in the high of the moment.
Riki sighs into SungHoon's neck, kissing over a mark he sucked along his collarbone. SungHoon is spent and tired as this is the fourth time they are going at it, but still he couldn't keep his moans in, still wanting more of the alpha. His nails sink into Riki's shoulder blades carving another stripes of red lines down his spine.
The omega has his head thrown back, arching from the bed as Riki strikes that perfect spot over and over again, although sensitive from its abuse. His lips are bitten red and glossy with spit. His eyelids fluttering helplessly and when Riki drags out a thrust, his eyes roll back with a strained noise, nails digging into his skin hard.
They both are flushed red, sweat dripping down Riki's body, skin red and heated. SungHoon can feel the sheets sticky with his sweat and slick. Riki slides his hands between their stomach, SungHoon turns his head into the pillow, moans continuously spilling from his lips. Riki fucks harder into him, SungHoon's ankles twisting around his neck.
"A .. alpha" SungHoon breathes out amidst his moans and not long after, Riki followed, coming into the condom.
For a while, neither of them spoke, coming down from the high of everything.
They simply stayed there, tangled together beneath the sheets, their bodies pressed so closely together that there wasn't even a sliver of space left between them.
SungHoon rested against Riki's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Riki's arm remained wrapped securely around his waist, his fingers tracing absentminded patterns against his skin as though even in exhaustion, he needed the reassurance that SungHoon was still there.
Whenever SungHoon shifted, Riki pulled him closer. Whenever Riki loosened his hold, SungHoon instinctively moved back into him. Neither seemed willing to be the first to let go.
Riki lowered his face until his lips brushed against SungHoon's hair.
"We'll work this through, little star," he whispered, burying his face deeper into SungHoon's hair.
SungHoon's eyes fluttered closed.
Something about the words settled deep inside him. It was almost as though his Omega took them personally.
He didn't know why this stranger felt so familiar, why his scent felt like something SungHoon had been searching for without knowing it, or why being held in Riki's arms made every ugly thought inside his head disappear.
For tonight, he didn't need to know.
Maybe this was what people meant when they talked about falling in love at first sight.
SungHoon had never understood the phrase before. How could someone look at a stranger and suddenly feel something so enormous? How could a single glance possibly be enough to make a person's heart choose someone it barely knew?
But now, lying in Riki's arms, he thought he finally understood.
Because the moment he'd first seen Riki, something inside him had gone quiet.
That strange pause in his chest when their eyes had met, followed by the frantic beating of his heart. It wasn't simply that Riki was beautiful. SungHoon had seen beautiful people before.
There was just something about him.
Something that made SungHoon want to keep looking.
Something that made him wonder what it would feel like to be noticed by him, to hear his voice directed at him, to have those dark eyes linger on him for even a second longer than necessary.
And somehow, all those little wishes had led him here. In Riki's arms.
Being held as though he belonged there. Maybe that was what falling in love felt like. Not fireworks. Not some grand, earth-shattering moment.
Maybe it was simply looking at someone and, without knowing why, feeling as though you'd finally found the place you were supposed to be.
SungHoon curled closer, hiding his face against Riki's chest. He felt safe and he felt warm.
For the first time in a very long time, he felt alive.
And wrapped in the arms of a man he barely knew, SungHoon allowed himself to believe that perhaps, just perhaps, he had finally found something worth holding onto.
••
SungHoon expected the aching body. He expected the marks scattered across his skin, the crimson stain left behind on the sheets, and the overwhelming sweetness of his own scent still lingering in the room.
What he didn't expect was the emptiness. Blinking against the dull morning sunlight filtering through the curtains, SungHoon slowly opened his eyes. The memories of the night before flashed through his eyes and it made SungHoon's chest flutter, and his cheeks warming up down to his neck. He had lost his virginity to someone..... special. The thought made butterfly swarm in his belly.
His hand moved instinctively across the sheets. But it came up short and empty. The warmth beside him was gone.
A bad feeling coiled into his stomach twisting his insides, slowly he turned his head, and stared at the empty space for a long moment, bile tightening his chest.
He stared for a long moment that everything began to blur into itself. If someone were to look at SungHoon right now, he'd be one with the white sheets at how suddenly pale he's become.
The voices is a normal thing at this point, their words slittering his heart like venom.
Of course he left, what did you expect.
SungHoon swallowed, a single tear dropping onto the mattress below him. His fingers curled into the sheets tightly.
Someone like him was never going to stay.
SungHoon shook his head, turning over to the other side. This wasn't fair.
Riki hadn't promised him anything exactly. They hadn't known each other before last night. Riki didn't owe him anything. He didn't owe him another morning, another conversation, another moment. And besides......
SungHoon looked down at himself. He had already been given so much. More than he had ever imagined he could have. For one night, Riki had looked at him as though he was beautiful. He had held SungHoon like he was something precious. He had whispered praises against his skin until, for a few precious hours, SungHoon had actually believed them.
He had felt wanted, cherished, safe and loved. Even if it hadn't been love for Riki, it had felt like it to SungHoon.
And perhaps that was enough. Who was he to ask for more?
SungHoon's tears flowed. Maybe this was all he was ever meant to have.
You're worthless. A stupid omega that can't speak properly. Who would want you beyond your body.
One night, one beautiful, impossible night with the person he'd been hopelessly drawn to since the first moment he'd seen him. Perhaps asking for anything beyond that would be greedy.
His lips trembled. "T...thank y... you", he whispered to the empty room. The words sounded pathetic, even to his own ears. But he meant it.
He wanted to be angry, but does he have a right to? Riki gave him something he believes he could never have. For once, someone has touched him without making him feel like something was wrong with him. For once, he'd fallen asleep believing he was worth everything.
He would keep that. He would keep every whispered praise, every look, every touch, every moment Riki had made him feel like the only person in the world. He would remember the way Riki had called him little star. He would remember it for the rest of his life if he had to.
SungHoon pulled the sheets closer around himself, lowering his face into the pillow where Riki's scent still lingered.
His heart still hoped, maybe it always would. SungHoon decided he would cherish the memory. He would keep it tucked somewhere safe inside him.
SungHoon didn't see the point in overstaying his welcome. He stood up, though it goes against his Omega instinct, the animal whining inside him to borrow deep into the faint Petrichor scent.
He quickly dressed himself and made his way out of the room then out of the quiet building.