Chapter Text
Minho and Jisung were best friends. Like water is clear and grass is green, Minho and Jisung were just friends. As Minho woke up from a nap in Jisung’s arms, these simple words never appeared so painful and hollow. Friends. His nose touched Jisung’s nap and smelled him. He was still asleep. His scent was peaceful, a deep slightly bitter orange blending with soothing apple. His light brown hair was tingling his face but nothing could make Minho separate from the warm body in his arms. Friends.
Sometimes, when the sun had set and the stars were high in the sky, Minho liked to think about hope and love. He liked to think about acceptance. But, most and forevermore, he liked to think about Jisung. About his brown eyes, so warm and loving; about his laugh; about the feeling of his fingers on his bare skin.
JIsung hasn’t presented yet. It was a subject of debate in the group and outside. They were famous, so it was to be expected. However, Minho knew it was still anxiety-inducing for Jisung. They never talked about the pressure and how the company was handling it. He knew they were pressing him, asking questions, but how could jisung answer them besides “I don’t know”. The medical visits were, most of the time, inconclusive. It was just “wait and see”, ‘“it’s gonna happen soon”, “you’re still young”. But, with time flying- the others having presented; the public’s eyes on him- it had started to become too much. Minho tried to help with it- making him eat, scenting him- but no amount of help could protect someone from insecurity and judgment.
Shamefully, in some part of him, Minho felt thankful. Not that he would want his best friends to wait for years but the relationship they have would not be the same otherwise. Or maybe it would’ve been. He didn’t know. But, if ji’ was an omega, the company would have never let them be, let them engage in skinship, let them live together. And should he have been an alpha, Jisung would have probably put some distance between them, tried to find his perfect mate. The one he liked to talk about. Minho didn’t understand why it would have to be an omega. Even if it wasn't as accepted, he didn’t understand why Jisung wouldn’t even consider it.
Minho felt him move slowly in his arms before he turned around. HIs eyes were still closed but he was sporting a smile on his face. Minho’s alpha loved to see his mate like that. Not mate, friend. He looked content, as if the hardship of life had disappeared in his dreams and nothing could shake him. Minho nuzzled his temple. “Slept well ?”. He hummed, still sleepy. Minho would eat him if he could. He only bit lightly on his cheek. Jisung frowned before opening his eyes. “Hyuuuuung!”. Despite his scolding, he didn’t move an inch from Minho. Which was weird. Jisung would normally tap him lightly before going out of bed first. Taking pity, Minho stopped the mistreatment and started petting his head. “We need to move in 5 minutes, love.” “Noooooooooo”. Fuck, he wanted to bite him so bad. He could really be the cutest thing alive. Saliva started to gather in his mouth just thinking about it. He needed to get away or he will push jisung in the bed and take, take, take.
He got up quickly, startling jisung and went to the closet to dress. He grabbed a shirt, pants and underwear. He didn’t care about his look for practice so he just took the first things his hands touched. While undressing, he heard Jisung come to his side. Surprised, he felt two arms tightening around his waist and a face squishing on his back. “Sweetheart, I need to dress and I can't do it with you around me, you know.” He was smiling like crazy and blushing. What was happening ? This was new. He was reacting to it like he was a teenager experiencing his first love.
Jisung tightened his arms before letting go. Minho felt a kiss on his shoulder blade, but it was so light, it probably was just a hallucination, especially since it was so intimate. He didn’t know what was in the air today but Jisung felt clingier. His scent was kind of off too. But, maybe, it was just Minho experiencing the side effects of being so in love and delusional for so long. He decided to let it go.
When they arrived at the company, Jisung seemed even more anxious and clingy. He was attached to Minho, wrapping both hands around his arms since the ride in the car. Minho didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so as to not make him more anxious. But when they entered the practice room, he made direct eye contact with Chan, pointing with his chin at Jisung. Chan frowned and fixed Jisung before widening his eyes as if he had a revelation.
“Sung, I need to talk about something with you. It's about the song you produced yesterday. Do you have a sec ?” Jisung only tightened his hands more around Minho and stared at Chan. “Is it necessary to do it now ?” The statement made everyone turn their head to him. It was weird to refuse Chan for this, but it was especially weird for Jisung to do it. He would take every opportunity to talk about music with his hyung. Chan winced slightly before nodding his head and showing the door. “Can Minho come too then ?” Minho jerked and looked at him surprised. What was happening to him ? Chan made eye contact with him, nodded again and walked out. The other members were still staring so Minho frowned at the room to make them stop and mind their own business. It worked surprisingly well. Or maybe it was the threatening scent he was unknowingly putting out. When he realized, he felt his skin get warm. Jisung only looked at him warmly and pressed him to join Chan outside.
What the fuck was going on ?
Chan was waiting for them in the hallway. His scent didn’t give out anything but his face seemed serious; the kind of serious when you know you’re in trouble. But Minho didn’t know what the problem was.
“Jisung, I don’t think you’re realizing but I think you’re presenting.”
Silence. Minho freezed. Presenting ? Now that Chan was pointing it out, he could make out more bitterness in Jisung scent, coffee mixing more and more with orange and apple. How did Minho not realize it ? He scented him in the bed and Jisung had been all over him the whole morning. He felt his alpha pressed more in his mind, it was curious and wanted to meet his mate. Ha! Maybe Minho took his delusion from his alpha.
After a second, he looked to the side to see Jisung's reaction. His face was blank. He was blinking a lot and seemed stunned. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times. His hands were trembling around Minho’s arms. Finally, “What do you mean I’m presenting ? I feel fine ? I’m fine. What do you mean ?” He was clearly panicking, the fact getting more and more accurate as bitter coffee started to burn Minho's nose.
Without thinking, Minho took Jisung in his arms and started petting his hair. “Deep breath sweetheart. Deep breath.” Chan also cradled Jisung too and led them in a room with a couch to sit Jisung.
After a while, with Minho and Chan on each side, Jisung calmed down. He was clearly still shaken up by the whole ordeal so Minho kept their hand together but he could talk. “What should I do ? Can I go to the apartment ? I want to hide. I don’t want people to see me”. And Minho could understand. Heat and rut, even the pre-symptom always felt so vulnerable. Most of the time, you couldn’t really control your scent and, for some people, they acted a little bit differently during the time. Minho was always broodier, but also horny as fuck. It was annoying. Chan was more energetic and would sometimes lose his calm for nothing. It depended on each individual. Thankfully, it only happened twice a year for each sub-gender. Beta’s also had something like that but it was shorter and less intense. Thus, companies tend to employ them more. It causes real serious issues, especially in the idol industry. Thus, they only had 3 members that are not beta’s. The company didn’t want more in case Jisung presented as either omega or alpha. Unfair you would say, but it worked out in the end.
“We can organize a car for you. I’ll call the managers to talk about clearing your schedule for the week. Do you need something ? Do you want scented clothes from the members ?” For some people, having others' scents could be bothersome. Some omega’s had a very sensitive nose; some alpha needed the comfort. Jisung fixed Chan before shaking his head. “I just want to be alone. I want to be home.” Maybe Minho felt hurt, but it was between him and his alpha. He couldn’t force Jisung to accept him. Some people preferred to ride it in peace. Minho wished he was at least a source of comfort this morning. He petted his head one last time before moving a little bit away. He didn’t want to inconvenience him, he would die if he ever discomforted him.
Jisung looked at him weirdly before taking his hand again to put it on his head and pressing his whole body against him. Minho blinked, surprised. He looked at Chan who only smiled at him before putting his serious face back on. “Do you want to wait here with Minho for the car or do you want to stay alone baby ?” He pouted, checking Minho’s face quickly. Minho only smiled at him, probably looking fond because how could he not when Jisung looked at him like this ? Jisung turned to Chan again and nodded. He also pressed more into Minho’s side who took everything in him not to nuzzle in his hair or kiss him silly.
“Okay, I’ll leave you both here and check on you when the car’s here. The others are probably wondering what’s taking us so long.”
He glanced at them one last time before leaving the room. The silence that fell on the room made Minho nervous. He checked on Jisung on his side but he looked deep in his thoughts. It felt like a good time to talk about it but he didn’t know how to start the conversation.
“What do you think I’m presenting as ? It’s weird because I can’t smell a difference but obviously there’s one since Chan seemed to know and you looked really troubled and surprised but not really if you see what I mean when he announced it and I think you can also see a difference and I don’t understand why I feel so weird and clingy. It’s not like everything I read about and-” Minho gaped at the monologue, blinked two times, smiled and interrupted him. “Hey, breathe, it’s okay to feel stressed and it’s normal you can’t smell the difference. Your sense of smell is not as developed as ours since you haven’t really presented yet. I don’t know what you’ll be but you have a new coffee undertone that wasn’t there before. It makes me think you might be an alpha.” As he said that, he saw Jisung deflated. He seemed sad and disappointed. “Oh okay. An alpha… I always wanted to be an alpha I guess.” Minho frowned. Why did he look so defeated ? Jisung detached from his side and strengthened his back. “You should probably go back to the others.” Now, he was really confused. What was happening ? “Are you okay ? I don’t mind staying with you, you know ? What’s going on in your pretty head ? Talk to me, sweetheart.” JIsung stiffened, looking at his hand. He was biting his bottom lip before he looked back at Minho. “It’s just…now I’m an alpha. You shouldn’t come with me.” “What do you mean ‘I shouldn’t come with you’ ?”
If he was sincere with himself, Minho knew where this was going. He didn’t even know why he was fighting it. He knew Jisung would never let him help if he was an alpha. It wasn’t that he was a bigot per se, but Jisung always had these opinions about things like that. It was more about what was right, what was supposed to be. He never got out of his way to be hateful but everyone could see that he never really accepted Hyunjin's inclination for the same sub-gender. It caused some friction in the group and he knew Chan had a talk about it with Jisung. Since then, he never expressed his opinions on it. But, Hyunjin never really forgave him.
Jisung was not perfect. He was messy. Sometimes, he was too oblivious to the feelings of other people or self-centered. He grew up in a very conservative household, with two parents overbearing. They talked briefly about it. Jisung never really liked to talk about his childhood but Minho figured out that becoming a trainee was his way of getting out, of leaving his parents. Even if he was hopelessly in love, Minho was aware of all of that. But, Jisung was also so kind. He would leave snacks for the others when he knew they were underfeeding. He was always the first to wish happy birthday to his friends. He was also passionate like crazy, always lost in thoughts, thinking about music and lyrics. He was endearing and, surprisingly, open to critics.
Minho loved him. Painfully so. And, because he loved him so much, he would never tell him. Friends. What a sick word.
“It’s just… you know… I think it would be better. You’re an alpha and I might be one too. And we’re both men..” Oh yeah, because being gay is okay only if you’re two different sub-genders or genders. Honestly, the mental gymnastics were making Minho’s head hurt sometimes.
“Oh, okay. But you know, I could only stay for comfort or practicability. Like cooking food or scenting stuff and all.” Jisung stared at him. He seemed to consider it. He looked down, pouting again. “I guess that could work. But don’t think anything of it, okay ! I’m not attracted to you or anything you’re just very comfortable and I like your scent and I-”
“It’s okay, I understand, I don’t mind Jisung.” He was suddenly so tired, so so tired.
They waited a little bit more before a manager came and took them home. The ride home was silent. They’ve been silent since the conversation. Minho was just sad; Jisung looked uncomfortable. Maybe it was not a good idea ? Maybe Minho shouldn’t have said anything and left him alone. But knowing he was at home, probably hurting, Minho wouldn’t have been able to concentrate or do anything. He was sure of it. What a mess he was. A joke of a friend.
When they entered the apartment again, Jisung went to his room and closed the door before a deep scent of pre-rut started to infiltrate the whole space. It smelled so good, Minho thought he was going crazy. It made him want things he shouldn’t. He said he would only help feed him and maybe clean but with how his body was already reacting it was going to be hard. His alpha was confused. Why didn’t he go to his mate ? He didn’t know how to make him understand Jisung would never be his mate. All the hope died in the small room at the company. And maybe a part of Minho’s heart was left behind too.