Chapter Text
Mark groaned as he struggled to pry his eyes open. The 8am sun shone brightly through his window and directly onto his face. The omega stretched out his arms and let out an embarrassingly high pitched squeak as his joints creaked in protest. He reached over to his nightstand and felt around until he grabbed his phone. Scrolling through his notifications, he noticed an email from his university.
“HOUSING APPLICATIONS CLOSED: ASSIGNMENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY”
Mark perked up a bit seeing this. He had completed his application months ago, approximately four minutes after the portal had opened. Not that he had been counting or anything. This school year he was finally going to his dream university, to study under the best music production program in the U.S. He had been pretty upset after not being accepted to the program for his freshman year, but getting accepted for his sophomore year had washed away all of his sadness. Of course, leaving his old university also meant leaving all of the friends he had made. Going into his second year of university without his friends was less than ideal for Mark, but his excitement for the program outweighed any social qualms he had.
Clicking on the link to the housing assignment page brought Mark to an error message. Mark scrunched his eyebrows in confusion and refreshed the page, only to be greeted with the same message, saying that there wasn’t an assignment in the omega dorms for Mark.
“What the fuck?” Mark mumbled. This had to be a mistake. Mark wasn’t a commuter and he hadn’t signed a lease to live in an off campus apartment, so where was his assignment? As he refreshed the page time and time again, his confusion grew. He let out a frustrated whine and rubbed his hands over his face. It was too early to have to think about real world problems and his stomach was rumbling. He dropped his phone beside him and tossed off his covers. He padded across his bedroom to open the door and was immediately greeted with the sweet scent of pancakes floating through the house. He took a deep inhale and practically ran down the stairs.
“Would you look at that, Mark Lee awake and functioning before 1pm,” His older brother Taeyong teased. Taeyong was a senior in college and basically everything Mark wasn’t. Taeyong was the most organized person Mark had ever met, whereas Mark hardly had the word ‘organization’ in his vocabulary. Taeyong was an alpha too, and had already mated with his longtime boyfriend, Kim Doyoung. Mark had only ever kissed one person before, and that hardly counted because it was barely a brush of the lips from his best friend Lee Donghyuck after Mark had unsuccessfully tried to squirm away from Donghyuck’s skinship attack. The fellow omega had collapsed with laughter after Mark shrieked and began to furiously scrub his lips. So what if Mark was still a virgin? He was saving himself for someone special. That special someone happened to be a 6’2 built as fuck alpha with the cutest laugh and the sweetest heart, also know as one Johnny Suh. Who also was Taeyong’s best friend, Mark’s brain unhelpfully supplied. Mark snapped out of his little daydream before shooting a pointed glare back at Taeyong.
“Ha. Ha. Very funny hyung. It’s the middle of summer anyway, I’m just catching up on all of the sleep I'm gonna be losing when I go back to school.” Mark grumbled as he pulled up a stool to the breakfast bar where Taeyong was cooking.
“Not too much I hope, you need to get yourself on a good sleeping schedule this upcoming semester Markie, you're gonna be a big bad sophomore!” Taeyong teased as he handed Mark a plate full of pancakes and some fruit.
“He’s right you know,” Mark’s mom said, looking over at her two sons. “This new program you’re a part of is really cut throat, you're going to need to be as focused as possible this year.” She mused, coming over to kiss Mark on the cheek.
“Alright alright I get it!” Mark giggled, trying to lean away from his mother’s affection. “And plus you guys don’t even need to worry about me this year, I’m seriously so stoked to be a part of this program and I definitely won’t let it go to waste.” He said before quickly stuffing his mouth full of pancakes.
“Speaking of school,” Mark’s dad said, entering the kitchen. “Did you get your housing assignment Mark? The parent facebook page has been blowing up with posts about it.”
“Dad, I swear you’re more invested in this school than I am.” Mark joked. “But not really? I checked my portal this morning but it said there wasn’t a housing assignment for me in the omega dorms, which is weird because I remember filling out the form way back in February.” Mark said before turning back to his breakfast.
“It’s nice to stay updated! And it’s not like you ever tell us anything anyway Mark.” His dad said. “But after you finish up, go grab your laptop so we can look at the portal and figure out why you don’t have an assignment.” Said his dad, turning away to pour a cup of coffee.
Mark nodded and quickly finished up the last bits on his plate and put his dishes away before wrapping his arms tightly around Taeyong. “Thanks for breakfast hyung!” Mark said in an annoying voice. “Ew get off me,” Taeyong laughed before returning the embrace.
Mark laughed as he climbed up the stairs to his room. He retrieved his laptop and opened up his student portal as he walked back down the stairs. He clicked on the housing assignment notification before, once again, being greeted with the error message. Mark sat down at the table before calling his dad over. “Here’s the message I keep getting dad.” Mark said, turning his laptop to face his father.
“That’s strange,” His father mumbled before examining the message further. “And you’ve tried refreshing the page?” He asked in all seriousness.
“Yeah,” Mark sighed. “I checked it on my phone earlier and it was giving me the exact same message.”
“Let’s take a look at your housing application then.” Said Mark’s father, clicking through Mark’s student portal. “Alrighty here it is” He said, turning the laptop back to face Mark. Mark quickly scrolled through the different stages of the application before suddenly stopping on the last stage, hovering his mouse over the bright red ‘SUBMIT APPLICATION' button.
“Oh my god.” Mark groaned, burying his face in his hands.
“What is it?” His father questioned, moving closer to see the screen.
“I must not have finalized my application when I tried to submit it back in February.” Mark said, panic quickly rising in his throat.
“That can’t be that big of a deal right? Just submit the form right now.” Said his father, trying to console the clearly distressed omega.
“I can’t submit it now!” Mark exclaimed. “The housing application closed this morning!” Mark said, shaking his head as a million thoughts of what he was going to do now raced through his mind.
“Woah Mark control your scent man,” Taeyong said, scrunching his nose as the scent of one very distressed Mark wafted over to where he was cleaning up in the kitchen.
“Hyung, now really isn’t the time,” Mark snapped, turning to face Taeyong. “I didn’t submit housing in time and now I literally don’t have anywhere to live this semester.” Mark whined.
Taeyong dried his hands off with a towel before coming over to the table to take a look at Mark’s laptop. “I mean, you could commute?” Taeyong said as he rubbed at Mark’s back.
“It’s an hour commute, plus I told them in my application that I wasn’t a commuter.” Mark said standing up and shutting his laptop. “I’m gonna be in my room, making no noise, and pretending I don't exist if anyone needs me.” Mark said before rushing up the stairs and less-than-gently shutting his door. He slumped down on his bed before pulling the covers over his head and mentaly screaming at himself for how stupid he had been to not correctly submit his application. School started in less then a month and he now had to find a roommate who he could get along with and an apartment with affordable rent. The thought of all of the effort he was going to have to make in the coming weeks lulled Mark into a nap where he dreamt
of a handsome alpha (Who looked a lot like Johnny Suh, if you ask Mark) whisking him away from all of his problems.
“Mark,” The alpha in his dream (Johnny) called out. Mark groaned and shuffled around, scenting the air. He swore he could almost smell an alpha scent, which got Mark thinking about Johnny’s scent. Thick, and smokey, and slightly like coff- “MARK” he startled, abruptly pulled out of his fantasy. Mark rubbed his eyes and looked up. “Hyung? What are you doing?” Mark questioned, seeing his brother leaning over his bed.
“Solving all of your problems and being the best hyung ever pretty much.” Taeyong said with a huge smile on his face, leaning away from Mark before sitting down on his bed, much to Mark’s complaint.
“And you think you can solve my problems, how?” Mark questioned, a little skeptical and definitely still half asleep.
“Johnny Suh” Taeyong said triumphantly
“JOHNNY SUH?!?” Mark parrotted, a little too enthusiastically. “I mean, uh, what does Johnny have to do with me?” Mark said, now fully awake and at rapt attention.
“Simple,” Taeyong began. “Yuta got accepted into his study abroad program in Japan for this upcoming year and now Johnny needs a roommate and you need a place to stay.” Taeyong finished and sat back against Mark’s wall casually as if he hadn’t just rocked Mark’s fucking world.
Rooming with Johnny Suh. Johnny Suh. The sole cause of every single one of Mark’s wet dreams and heat fantasies since he had met the alpha. Taeyong had befriended Johnny his freshman year of high school, when Mark was a scrawny 12 year old who had just presented as an omega. After befriending each other, Johnny and Taeyong became virtually inseparable. Junior year when Taeyong and Doyoung had started to date, Johnny still came around a lot, but he started spending more time with Mark, “To avoid third wheeling!” Johnny had told Mark when the elder barged into Mark’s room and insisted that they spend time together. Mark could have sworn that he had died and gone to heaven that day. Since then, Johnny had been a constant in both Mark’s social life, and late night fantasies. Mark probably should have been ashamed of how often he got off to imagining the alpha pinning him down and mercilessly pounding him, but the second Mark got a whiff of the alpha’s mouth-watering scent left over on his pillow from their gaming session that day, all of his qualms went right out the fucking door. Which brings him back to the present moment, rooming with Johnny. Johnny was also a music major at Mark’s college, and he had honestly only thought he would see the elder in passing from time to time. Obviously, rooming with Johnny would literally be a dream come true for Mark, but could he really handle being around the intoxicating alpha all the time?
“Hyung what? Have you talked to Johnny about this?” Mark stated, confusion obvious in his voice.
“Of course I have!” Taeyong smiled and ruffled Mark’s hair. “He was actually the one who suggested it when I told him about your situation.”
Mark perked up a bit at that. Johnny had suggested this? That made Mark feel a lot better about the situation. Regardless of Mark’s crush on Johnny, the alpha really was like a brother to Mark. He had been there for Mark through all of his teenage years and knowing that the alpha was still looking out for him made him feel happier than he would like to admit. Still, Mark was an omega and Johnny was an alpha, wasn’t that a little dangerous for them to live together? Mark voiced this concern to Taeyong, but he just rolled his eyes and responded with, “Don’t be ridiculous.” He said, pushing off of Mark’s wall. “You're practically Johnny’s little brother, no way he’d try anything with you.”
Mark deflated a little at that. Of course, he knew that Johnny wouldn’t be interested in him, but it still hurt to hear it out loud.
“Anyway, you should text Johnny.” Taeyong said, standing up from Mark’s bed. “Yuta leaves at the end of this month and he said you could move in then.” He patted Mark’s shoulder before leaving Mark’s room and shutting the door behind him.
Mark sat in his bed, head still spinning a little bit, trying to understand what had just happened. He was going to live with Johnny. For a year. Just the two of them.
Mark was going to die.