Archive of Our Own

It was a busy morning at Eternal Sunshine, a cozy little coffee shop that was tucked away in the backstreets of Hongdae. Park Seonghwa had opened his shop some few years before, and the first year, he thought he might go under, but slowly word spread of a cute fairytale forest themed café that had amazingly delicious coffee with a beautiful omega owner. Suddenly, Seonghwa had more clients than he knew what to do with and he had to hire some part-timers. He had been through a few in the past year, but finally had found two hardworking and kind employees in the forms of Song Mingi and Jung Wooyoung.

Eternal Sunshine opened at six-thirty and closed at five, with an hour and a half break in the afternoon. Its interior was like that of a fairytale—the wallpaper was of storybook trees and pathways with flowers and woodland creatures, while the tables were all more like garden furniture and white, half trellises serving as the backs of some booths, fairy lights strung up around the room and mason jars used as lamps, and plants generously placed around in a way that felt natural and not unencumbering. The front counter and bars were all made of what appeared to be birch, with little fake vines and flowers all over the front like it was growing, and bunny plushies and statues adorning the sides of the counters that weren’t needed for service. Seonghwa had spent a long time deciding on his interior and sank most of his funds into it, which was why he was so happy his little business had become so successful.

Seonghwa was in the middle of creating a rabbit head on the top of a latte while Mingi took orders and Wooyoung made the simpler drinks. He could hear the hustle and bustle about the shop, all of it pleasant white noise to his ears.

“Man, the line is long this morning,” said one of their regulars, Jung Yunho.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seonghwa saw how Mingi blushed a little bit. It was a little guarded secret that the tall omega had a crush on the equally tall alpha.

“But you made it,” Mingi said with a little smile, “Would you like your usual?”

“Please, but make it a large. We have a huge deposition coming up, so I know I’m going to be stuck at the office until three AM today. Oh, and can I get a piece of tiramisu, and a cookie, and a muffin, and, oh, how about a waffle too—”

“Yunho-ssi, it’s eight in the morning.”

Yunho flushed a little and laughed. “O-Oh, yeah…Just the coffee then.”

“Give him at least a muffin, Mingi,” Seonghwa said as he came over to place the finished latte on a tray. “Fifty-five, your latte is ready!”

As Mingi rang up Yunho, Seonghwa looked around his café to find whoever the latte belonged to. Soon enough, a man who was a little older (at least older than Seonghwa) came over.

“Thank you, Seonghwa-ssi, and might I say you look quite pretty this morning.”

Seonghwa didn’t know this man, but he was very used to the compliments, so he put a smile on his face.

“Thank you.”

“Perhaps I could take you out sometime? It would be an honor to court you.”

The man offered a business card. Oh Sehun.

Seonghwa took the card with a grin. “I’ll consider it, Oh Sehun-ssi. Have a great day and hope to see you again.”

“You know it,” Sehun said with a wink.

He went to sit with his coffee then.

Seonghwa was used to this kind of attention. His café had grown in popularity partially because of his looks. The omega did not want to tout it, but he knew he was pretty, a picturesque show of what an omega could be. It had been no surprise when he had presented as such at the age of sixteen.

The funny thing, of course, was that Seonghwa frequently received offers to court not only from alphas, but betas and even omegas. He had gone on a few dates, but no one had ever stuck. Seonghwa didn’t hate the attention, though, and everyone had always been pleasant, if not a little pushy.

“I bet that guy has money,” Wooyoung said from beside Seonghwa as he filled cups of Americanos, always their bestselling drink like every other coffee shop in Seoul.

Seonghwa turned the business card over in his hand. “I think he’s a talent scout.”

“Oh, yeah, he’s probably rolling in Won. I’d let him fuck me.”

The older omega laughed incredulously. If he didn’t know Wooyoung so well, he would have been scandalized by such a blatant statement, but he was used to the crude omega’s words.

“I’m sure he’s very nice, but he’ll find someone else.”

Seonghwa put the card into his pocket and began to put lids on the drinks Wooyoung had filled, checking the tickets to sort them accordingly. The café thinned out quickly as they handed over order after order.

“Mingi,” Seonghwa said.

The tall omega looked at him. Seonghwa tried to keep the little smile off of his face.

“Yunho’s drink is ready. Grab his muffin and take it to him, why don’t you?”

Mingi tried very hard to hide his excitement, but Seonghwa could see right through it.

“But I’m in charge of cashing out.”

“I can do it for a moment while you go take him his order, silly.”

“Okay, hyung,” Mingi said with a little smile.

Sometimes it was so strange to see such a big man be so bashful and cute, but Seonghwa loved it. Mingi was one of the gentlest people he’d ever met.

He stepped over to the cash register while Mingi grabbed tongs to obtain food out of the display case and grab the coffee to deliver to Yunho.

Yunho was a junior lawyer at a firm that was headquartered just down the street. He had become a regular at Eternal Sunshine two years before, right when he was finishing up law school and studying for the bar exam. There were days when Yunho had been there from opening to close, only drinking coffee and eating muffins. Seonghwa had even helped him tie his tie properly for an interview and given him free snacks to celebrate when he passed the bar and got a job. Yunho had asked Seonghwa out too, bashful and shy in a way that Seonghwa thought funny when he’d seen Yunho at his absolute worst, but he had turned him down. He only liked him as a friend.

The cutest thing, though, was that Yunho preferred more flavorful drinks than the average person. He loved his caramel and had enjoyed macchiatos for much of the year when he was studying, but now that he was an “adult,” he had tried to become like the other lawyers in his firm and only drink Americanos. Seonghwa could see how Yunho had winced whenever he took a sip on his way out, but he hadn’t said anything. It was Mingi who had suggested Seonghwa make him something else and put it in another cup so Yunho could still appear mature. Yunho had been surprised, but automatically fell in love with Mingi’s caramel iced coffee with cream that he prepared that day and he drank it every day since.

Seonghwa hoped that Mingi would be brave enough to ask Yunho out eventually.

“Good morning! How can I help you?” Seonghwa asked.

“Hi, I’m new here, so what would you recommend?” the woman said in response.

She was a taller woman with a wide face, her hair cut to frame it nicely. Seonghwa had never seen her before.

“What sort of flavor do you like?” he asked.

“Anything that isn’t an Americano. I like coffee,” she said, “My friend has been raving about your coffee, so I came to see if it was worth the hype.”

Seonghwa felt a bit pressured at that, but kept a smile on his face. Despite that, her tone had been quite kind, almost timid, like she was embarrassed to admit why she was there.

“Shall I surprise you then?”

She nodded and got out her wallet.

“What’s your name for the order?”

“Yoohyeon,” she said and handed over her card.

Seonghwa charged her the standard amount for a large, already forming an idea in his head. He offered it back to her and told her to wait a little bit.

Mingi came back right then and Seonghwa saw Yunho going out the door in his peripheral.

“I, um, I kind of gave Yunho a cookie too. You can take it out of my pay,” he admitted, his face looking all kinds of guilty, like he’d done something much worse than given a cookie away for free.

Seonghwa laughed softly and patted Mingi on his head. “Don’t worry about it, Mingi.”

Seonghwa stepped to the side to make something nice for Yoohyeon then.

The omega made her an espresso con panna, which was not in any way complicated or really fancy, something Seonghwa could easily make in his sleep, but Yoohyeon had been so impressed, she thanked him numerous times, gave him a tip, and then asked if he was single. Seonghwa had laughed and turned her down gently with a smile, encouraging her to come back and try more of their coffee another time.

“So, what was that one?” Wooyoung asked.

He was leaned over the counter, waiting for someone to come in. Mingi had gone on break, so the younger omega was in charge of the cash register for now.

“She was an omega.”

Seonghwa had this sixth sense ability to discern what someone’s subgender was. He couldn’t explain how, but he could just tell whenever he met someone. He’d been able to do it for as long as he could remember too. It wasn’t the most serious or useful skill ever, but it saved Seonghwa the hassle of going out with someone that likely wouldn’t suit him. Not that Seonghwa necessarily subscribed to the idea that you couldn’t date within your own subgender.

The door opened then, the bell chiming, and in strolled a man Seonghwa knew, but didn’t know. He was of average height and had black hair that was short, though one section of his bangs was bleached blond. He was wearing a crop top and low-rise jeans, abs on display. A tiger tattoo peeked over the edge of his jeans, assumingly coming up from his thigh, and there was also a cat tattooed on his inner forearm, a cute little Siamese, that Seonghwa could see from afar. He also had a lip ring on the bottom left side, a spiral with a point at the end.

Seonghwa didn’t know his name, but he knew that he worked at the tattoo and piercing parlor that had opened across the street from Eternal Sunshine a few months prior. Even right at that moment, Seonghwa could see the sign for Good Lil Boy out the front windows. The name gave him such a mixed feeling, a cross between perverse and funny.

“Hello,” Wooyoung said in the way you would when you saw a hot guy, which was exactly what the omega was thinking.

The tattooed man came up to the counter and smiled. He had an eyebrow ring too, Seonghwa noticed, and his entire look did not match the adorable expression on his face as he grinned.

“Hi!”

“Hi, welcome to Eternal Sunshine. I’m Jung Wooyoung. What’s your name?”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes and bumped Wooyoung. That was not how he was supposed to greet people and he knew it.

“I mean, what can I get you?”

The guy laughed a bit. “I’m Choi San. Your neighbor, technically! I work at Good Lil Boy across the street.”

“Oh, the tattoo and piercing parlor? That’s so cool!”

Seonghwa knew Wooyoung was a lost cause at that point. There was no reason to try to remind him to act professional and have manners. At least this Choi San didn’t seem to mind.

“You should come by sometime,” San said with a flirty little grin.

“I’d love to. What can I get you today, Mr. Artist?”

San laughed again and looked down at his phone.

“Could I please get a medium soy, no foam, two pump vanilla, quad shot latte, an extra-large latte with triple shot espresso, and...um…shit, I don’t know what I want.” San laughed for a third time, looking a little embarrassed. “How about a matcha latte? A large.”

“You got it,” Wooyoung said with a little grin, “Boss, can you make the lattes—?”

When Wooyoung had turned around, he saw Seonghwa had already started on the lattes. He was far enough ahead, it was like he’d already known what San was going to order. The young omega barista blinked, but said nothing and got payment from San, who went to stand to the side and wait.

Seonghwa tried to play it cool as Wooyoung came up beside him to pull down the jar of matcha he would need.

“How come you were already making the drink?” he asked.

“I was going to make a latte for myself, it just worked out that he happened to order one.”

Wooyoung paused a moment, seemingly taking that answer, then turned his eyes back on his boss. “You don’t even like lattes.”

“Yes, I do, Wooyoung. Why else would I have them on my menu?”

“Because they’re a staple for coffee everywhere. I’ve never seen you drink one.”

“I like them sometimes.”

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes at him, but instead of arguing, turned away to start making the drink. Seonghwa let out the softest breath he could.

Of course, Seonghwa was only half lying. He did like lattes sometimes, but that wasn’t why he’d already started making them. It was because he knew one of those orders by heart.

Latte with triple shot espresso.

It belonged to the man who had been the object of Seonghwa’s affection for the last few months, ever since Good Lil Boy opened, the pretty little alpha owner, Kim Hongjoong.

Seonghwa saw Hongjoong every morning like clockwork, promptly at six AM. He was short and pretty and always grumpy looking in the morning, like he absolutely hated it, but Seonghwa thought he was darling. He always ordered the exact same drink, always an extra large too. Since the moment Hongjoong had opened the door to Eternal Sunshine, he had captured all of Seonghwa’s attention. His interest in anyone else had quickly flown out the window. All he could think about was the feisty little man who consumed his caffeinated drinks like some kind of strange gremlin, only ever appearing early in the morning and never seeing him after. They exchanged very few words and Seonghwa was pretty sure he’d learned more about Hongjoong by listening to him talk on the phone than actually speaking to him. But even so, the omega was enraptured.

“Your drinks are ready, Sannie!” Wooyoung called as soon as Seonghwa handed him the lattes.

Seonghwa whacked Wooyoung for using informal speech with someone he’d just barely met, but San didn’t seem to care as he said thank you and headed out the door with the drinks. They both watched him walk back over to the parlor and disappear through the door. Since Korea had such tight laws on tattooing, the windows were blacked out and there was no way to see what was going on inside. Seonghwa wondered what it looked like, but he had no intention of going in there, so he would never find out.

The stream of customers was steady that day. Toward closing time, only Seonghwa was left, Mingi and Wooyoung long gone for home. Fewer people came in the evening for some reason, but that was okay with Seonghwa, since he was by himself.

The bell rang and Seonghwa looked up from the magazine he’d been flipping through. It was the delivery boy, Choi Jongho, who Seonghwa saw every day. He carried two crates easily in his hands.

“Evening, hyung. Sorry I’m late. Where do you want the boxes?” he asked.

“It’s not a problem, Jongho. Go ahead and set them over here by the counter.”

While Jongho brought in the boxes, Seonghwa made him a drink. It was the least he could do for his favorite delivery boy.

His favorite thing was that Jongho—Mr. Sensible as they tended to call him, because he always seemed too grown up for his age—didn’t like normal coffee drinks. In fact, he detested them, but was often too embarrassed to admit it. So, Seonghwa had taken it upon himself to make him a different cute drink every day.

That day, he made him a tuxedo hot chocolate with peppermint crumbles and mini colored marshmallows, liberally applying each, even though he knew Jongho didn’t like sweets. He never complained, always very thankful that Seonghwa had made him anything at all.

“That should be everything. Let me know if you need anything last minute, though,” Jongho said.

“Thank you so much, Jongho. Here’s your drink for today.”

Jongho blushed a little. “Ah, hyung, you know you don’t have to make me a drink every day.”

“Consider it a thank you for all of your hard work every single day.”

The younger man smiled and sipped on his drink with a smile. He gave Seonghwa a wave and headed out the door. Sometimes the young man would stick around for a bit, but since he’d arrived so close to closing, the omega had a feeling that Jongho was running a bit behind that day.

When it was closing time, Seonghwa locked the front door and turned off the “open” sign. He then spent a while organizing all the stock Jongho had brought, transferring products into the jars they used at the bar and organizing the stock room in the back. The omega had always been very meticulous in his organization, so everything in the shop had its place. He was still working on not getting frustrated when Mingi or Wooyoung moved things. It wasn’t their fault that Seonghwa had a system only he understood.

By the time he was finished, it was well after eight o’clock—he’d gotten enraptured in cleaning and ended up mopping the floors twice and wiping down every surface he could reach. He turned the lights off and locked up, then turned to head home. In the corner of his eyes, he could see the neon sign for Good Lil Boy lit up in the darkness, a fate light now showing through the tinted and covered windows, and wondered how long they stayed open. He’d never seen Good Lil Boy closed and wondered how Hongjoong kept it open late when he got up so early in the morning.

Maybe one day he would have the guts to ask him, he thought.

In the morning, Seonghwa hated the way his alarm clock sounded. It was blaring loudly, playing some pop song he didn’t know or particularly like, and he clicked it off. He’d barely gotten any sleep, since he’d gotten home late and had to look over the books before he went to bed. Part of him wanted to call in sick and ask if one of the boys could cover for him, but he knew Wooyoung would complain and Mingi would likely just not answer.

Besides, he had an alpha to see.

Seonghwa got up and washed his face, then brushed his hair away from his face. It was as black as a crow’s feathers and he sometimes wondered what it would be like if he dyed it the way Wooyoung and Mingi did. Could he pull off a bright fun color or even blond?

The omega had always viewed himself as quite boring and strait laced. He always had a normal haircut, wore modest clothes, had normal hobbies, went to bed at a normal time, and lived a very simple and straightforward life. He was not messy or dramatic in any way. Seonghwa didn’t even really drink or party—his school years had been filled with excellence and praise.

Maybe that’s why Hongjoong was so attractive to him. He was seemingly the opposite of Seonghwa in every way. Seonghwa pondered this as he made his way to Eternal Sunshine.

He had barely unlocked the door and gone inside to flip on the lights when the door chime went off. Seonghwa looked back and saw it was indeed Hongjoong.

The tattoo artist was dressed in a coordinated outfit of oversized t-shirt and shorts. It was stylish in the way that Seonghwa couldn’t tell if it was streetwear or pajamas. Hongjoong was shorter than Seonghwa, which seemed to bother him, since he was always wearing some kind of lifted shoe whenever Seonghwa saw him. His short hair was a faded peach color—he probably needed to dye it again—but it worked for him. He had a tattoo on his right arm that peeked out from underneath his shirt, some words that he’d never been able to discern since Hongjoong never wore anything sleeveless. That one stuck out because the rest of his arm was bare. In fact, Hongjoong only had two visible tattoos, which he found very strange for a tattoo artist, at least from what he had seen in magazines. He had a bunch of earrings in that morning, an assortment all over his ears, and Seonghwa wondered why he would put all of them on in the early morning or wondered if he perhaps slept with them in.

Whatever the case, he knew he was staring.

“Morning. Just give me a second to start the coffee.”

Hongjoong nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry I came so early.”

“It’s fine!”

Seonghwa knew he probably sounded a little too excited, so he hurried into the back to put away his things and get on his apron. His bakery delivery wouldn’t come for another half hour or so, so the case was a little empty for the time being. Hongjoong only ever got coffee, though, so Seonghwa wasn’t worried.

He quickly turned on the espresso machine and then loaded up the regular coffee machines with two different beans—Blue Mountain medium roast and a local dark roast decaf. He turned the coffee they would use for iced drinks on after those two had started. He then checked the front fridge to make sure they had all the milk and whipped cream they needed. He knew he would need the milk for Hongjoong’s drink, but he didn’t want to act obvious about it, so he shut the fridge and turned around.

“What can I get you this morning?”

“Latte with three espresso shots, please,” Hongjoong said, like he did every morning.

Seonghwa tried not to smile. “Extra large?”

“Yes. I need a lot.”

The omega smiled and turned back to the fridge. He pulled out the milk, then grabbed his steaming pitcher. Seonghwa didn’t have to measure how much milk he needed to put in—he’d done it so many times that he could probably do it blindfolded. While it was steaming, he set to pull the shots he would need. Since the machine only made two at a time, it was always a challenge to make sure he could pull the third before the milk burned. Of course, since he did it every morning, Seonghwa was starting to get the moves down to a science.

With utmost care, he poured a bit of the steamed milk into the extra large cup, then added the three shots, and finished it off with the rest of the milk, a small layer of velvety foam appearing on top as he desired. Seonghwa then put the lid on it carefully and turned back.

“There you go.”

Hongjoong fished his wallet out of his pocket and handed over a few bills. He usually paid with card, so this caught Seonghwa off guard.

“Oh, hold on one second. Sorry.”

Seonghwa rushed into the back and opened the safe, where he drew out the pouch that he kept their petty cash in to balance the till. He went back out and made change for Hongjoong.

“Here you are. Have a great day.”

Hongjoong pocketed the money and picked up his coffee. The delighted grin on his face when he took a sip filled Seonghwa with a mix of pleasure and desire. He was happy to be the cause of Hongjoong’s joy, but he wished it was from more than just coffee.

“Thanks…” Hongjoong faltered. “I’m so sorry, I forgot your name.”

Seonghwa felt a mix of wanting to cry and wanting to laugh. He knew it wasn’t personal—Hongjoong seemed an absolute mess in the morning—but he couldn’t help it when he’d been obsessing over the short alpha ever since they’d met a few months ago.

“Park Seonghwa.”

“Ah, Park Seonghwa-ssi. Okay, I’m memorizing it!” Hongjoong said and then took another long drink of his latte.

He headed for the door while he drew his phone from his pocket. Seonghwa chuckled and waved goodbye to him. Hongjoong actually gave him a smile and held up his cup in lieu of a wave, already talking on the phone.

The omega wondered who called him so early in the morning. It seemed like an everyday thing. Maybe he had a long-distance partner of some kind. That made Seonghwa feel a little depressed.

Now that he was alone, he had time to balance the till and put the money back into the safe. He then checked all of the supplies in the front, even though he’d restocked them the night before. There wasn’t much to do in the morning and it took a while for patrons to come in. Since they were off the beaten path, Seonghwa didn’t have as many regulars that had the standard office job, which he was perfectly fine with.

He'd just finished cleaning the counter again when the door opened and a short omega man with an ash blond undercut came in. He was also noticeably pregnant, but still insisted on doing all of his own work and deliveries. This was Seonghwa’s baked goods supplier, Yoo Kihyun, who owned a café—the Tiger Moth—in Yongsan. Seonghwa had visited there quite a few times and when he’d gotten to talking to Kihyun for an extended period of time, they came to an agreement that Seonghwa could carry Kihyun’s various baked goods for a really great deal. Seonghwa always happily directed his patrons to the Tiger Moth Café too. Kihyun was very feisty, which Seonghwa really liked, though he did worry about how much the omega worked while being pregnant.

Seonghwa rushed around the counter and over to Kihyun to take the tray from him.

“Good morning, Kihyun-ssi.”

“Morning, Seonghwa-ssi.” Kihyun put his hands on his back, standing like a stereotypical pregnant person. “I’m sorry I don’t have everything today. I was horribly nauseous all night and barely got any sleep because of this one.” He motioned to his stomach. “I can give you a little bit of discount next month in exchange.”

“No! It’s perfectly alright. I’m not going to hold you being pregnant against you. Charge me the same amount as usual. You’re already so generous with your price.”

Kihyun scoffed a bit, but he smiled. “Okay, fine. That should last you the next couple of days at least. Don’t open any of the wrapping and they should stay in perfect condition.”

“Got it. Thank you so much.”

The shorter omega nodded, then looked around. “Would you mind if I sat for a moment?”

“Not at all. Please go ahead!”

Kihyun waddled over to a chair and sat down. He breathed a bit harshly while he held his stomach.

Seonghwa carried the tray of assorted pastries, cookies, and cake over to the counter.

“Can I make you a drink?”

“That would be great,” Kihyun called.

As Seonghwa made Kihyun a quick drink, some customers came in. The omega let them peruse the menu as he took the coffee over to his pregnant companion, who thanked him. While Seonghwa took care of his clients, Kihyun drank and rested, before telling Seonghwa goodbye and heading out. It was just the beginning of a long, but hopefully fruitful day.

Seonghwa’s days carried on mostly the same—open up the shop and see Hongjoong for a few minutes, get bakery delivery from Kihyun every few days, serve customers all day with Mingi and Wooyoung, and get asked out by multiple clients. In the last two days, he’d been asked out by Kim Jungwoo (omega), Kim Youngkyun (beta), Lee Keonhee (beta), Kim Hyungseo (beta), Park Jinwoo (alpha), Kim Chanmi (alpha), and Kim Mingyu (alpha). The most notable of those was definitely Kim Chanmi, better known as Chungha, an alpha idol girl who had come there in secret to try the amazing coffee she had seen rumored on Instagram, and Kim Mingyu, who was a well-known soccer player, which had Yunho freaking out from his regular table and passionately telling their staff all about Mingyu after he’d left. Seonghwa had a collection of business cards by then. But he hadn’t accepted a single date.

Even right now, he was serving a very good-looking older businessman, Lee Minhyuk. He was everything you could probably want in an alpha—calm and genteel with an air of mystery and a muscular body, which his suit was unable to hide. Minhyuk’s face was gorgeous too. Everyone went gaga over him the moment he came into Eternal Sunshine. He’d become a semi-regular patron, so Seonghwa had met him a few times, seen him act with sincerity and no sense of fakeness. They had lightly flirted a few times, though it seemed Minhyuk flirted with everyone, if Seonghwa was honest. But could he blame him? The man was impressive and irresistible.

“Seonghwa-ssi, I’ve been coming around for a while and we’ve interacted enough that I don’t think this is coming from left field, but would you be interested in having dinner with me sometime? My treat. I’d love to get to know you better,” Minhyuk said.

Seonghwa had just brought him his coffee. He was caught a little off guard, but he should have seen it coming. Minhyuk seemed to be lingering around more than usual. And, really, if he’d asked Seonghwa just a few months earlier, he probably would have said “yes.”

“Thank you so much for the offer, but I’m going to have to say ‘no.’”

Seonghwa always tried to turn people down politely. It usually went over well, at least.

Minhyuk nodded slowly, a little disappointment in his eyes. “No worries. If you ever change your mind, though, please know the offer still stands.”

“I appreciate that,” Seonghwa said with a smile, “I hope you’ll still come by.”

“I’ve gotten hooked on all the delicious things here. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

The alpha chuckled, took his coffee and pastries, and left out the door. Seonghwa let out a little breath.

He couldn’t believe he’d turned down Lee Minhyuk of all people. Seonghwa had used him as a masturbation fantasy at least twice that he could recall. What was wrong with him?

“What is wrong with you?!” Wooyoung suddenly yelled.

Seonghwa jumped and turned around. Not only were Mingi and Wooyoung staring at him, but Jongho and Yunho too. Yunho was standing at the counter, assumingly to get a refill since he’d been here since that morning looking through a case file and working on his computer, and Jongho had just brought in the delivery.

“Did Seonghwa-hyung just turn down a date?” Yunho asked Mingi.

Mingi nodded, mouth still agape like he’d seen a pig fly or something.

“What?” Seonghwa said.

He walked back over to the counter and Wooyoung slapped his hand onto Seonghwa’s forehead, hard enough that it startled the taller omega and he stumbled back a couple steps.

“Are you sick? Is your brain okay?”

“I’m fine. Why are you guys acting weird?” Seonghwa said with a frown.

He hated to be put on the spot, especially about something silly like this.

“Because you just turned down the daddy of all daddies, Lee Minhyuk!” Wooyoung almost screamed.

Mingi whacked him in the arm, but Wooyoung was quick to get him back and turn his attention on Seonghwa once again.

“I know you think he’s hot. We’ve talked about it multiple times since he started coming in six months ago. But it’s not just that. You’ve been asked out so many times in the last few days and you haven’t said ‘yes’ once! Hyung, do you have a boyfriend you haven’t told any of us about? When was the last time you went on a date? I don’t think you’ve been properly dicked down in months.”

Seonghwa was annoyed by the way Wooyoung was talking to him, especially about his concerns that he was getting “dicked down,” but most of all, he felt embarrassed that everyone had apparently noticed his lack of dates.

“I’m fine. And I haven’t turned everyone down!” Seonghwa said.

“But you kind of do, hyung…” Jongho said softly.

Everyone’s eyes went to the young delivery boy. He flushed for a split second, not thinking they would all pay him attention, but then he straightened up.

“Just coming in this last week, I noticed you’ve turned down at least three people while I’ve been here. There was that one guy—Soobin, I think his name was?—he pleaded with you for five whole minutes to reconsider.”

Wooyoung and Mingi turned their eyes back on Seonghwa in a flash. Yunho as well, though Seonghwa was unsure why he cared so much. He just wished something would happen and distract everyone for this, because he did not want to be the center of attention.

As if to answer his prayers, the door opened and someone came inside. Seonghwa felt incredibly thankful until he saw who it was.

Kim Hongjoong.

Seonghwa felt a lump form in his throat. Yunho and Jongho moved away from the counter and Mingi and Wooyoung tried to look like they’d been doing something productive as Hongjoong walked up.

Hongjoong looked up from his phone at them, then perked a bit when he noticed Seonghwa.

“Seonghwa-ssi, hi,” he greeted.

Seonghwa held back a grin. “Hello, Hongjoong-ssi.”

From the corner of his eye, he could see Mingi and Wooyoung look at him.

“Could I please get an extra large latte with three espresso shots, a large cold brew, and…” Hongjoong looked down at his phone again. “Oh my god, come on, San.”

Wooyoung laughed. “He’s indecisive that one, isn’t he?”

“Tell me about it,” Hongjoong said with a shake of his head.

The way his earrings fluttered around his face made him look extra pretty. Seonghwa loved the beret he was wearing that day too. Hongjoong really looked good in everything.

“I’m Jung Wooyoung. And this is Song Mingi. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

“Oh, yeah, I usually come in the early morning. I’m Kim Hongjoong. I own the tattoo parlor across the street.”

“Oh, I see,” Wooyoung said in that way like he’d learned some dirty little secret.

To avoid his gaze, Seonghwa started to make Hongjoong’s coffee. He didn’t have to pretend he hadn’t done it a thousand times, because they had clearly all heard Hongjoong order it. Mingi got the cold brew together as well.

Hongjoong sighed. “He’s taking too long to decide. Just get him a medium cinnamon latte with whip on top, please.”

“You got it, Hongjoong-hyung,” Wooyoung said.

Seonghwa could just imagine Wooyoung was winking as he ground the beans in the portafilter. When he peaked over his shoulder, he saw Hongjoong making a face, like he didn’t quite like Wooyoung’s familiarity with him. Seonghwa would give the younger omega a talking to later.

“It’ll be a few minutes, so please, feel free to take a seat.”

Hongjoong sat down, doing something on his phone for the time being. Seonghwa finished his drink. The cold brew sat on the counter, easiest to prepare, and Wooyoung was making the cinnamon latte. Seonghwa didn’t know what possessed him, but he walked around the counter and took Hongjoong his drink directly.

“They’re almost done, but I thought you’d want your drink while it was still fresh.”

Hongjoong smiled up at Seonghwa and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks. I’m gonna need it. I have a session scheduled for eight o’clock tonight and it’s going to take at least two hours.”

It was the first information Hongjoong had ever given him in conversation about his life. Seonghwa felt himself grinning.

“Oh, that’s so late. I hope it goes well. How do you do it? You seem to be open so late and yet are up so early.”

Hongjoong looked surprised by Seonghwa’s comment. He laughed softly and looked away, sipping on his latte. “It’s called lack of sleep, Seonghwa-ssi.”

“O-Oh.”

The omega felt like he’d messed up somehow, so he took his leave and went back behind the counter. Wooyoung had finished San’s latte and took the other two drinks over to Hongjoong with a drink carrier. He had that flirty sway to his hips. Seonghwa knew Wooyoung would flirt with anyone and everyone, but he felt a bit upset that he’d set his sights on Hongjoong.

“Hyung, are you okay?” Mingi asked.

Seonghwa wondered what expression was on his face to make the tall omega ask that.

“I’m fine,” he said and tried to smile.

“Do you want me to make you a drink?”

“Sure, Ming. Whatever you want to do.”

Mingi made Seonghwa a white mocha with extra whip. He’d been practicing making more drinks, since he didn’t quite have the knack for it like Wooyoung did. Mingi was a hard worker, though, so Seonghwa let him learn at his own pace. Besides, even though Seonghwa ran a coffee shop, he wasn’t as in love with coffee as most of patrons and drank rather sweet and mild things.

“Will you make Jongho his drink too? He needs to get going.”

“Okay, hyung.”

Seonghwa sipped on his mocha and watched as Wooyoung talked. Hongjoong looked like he wanted to leave, but was too polite to do so.

“Wooyoung, I’m going on break, so I need you back over here,” Seonghwa called.

Wooyoung looked back at him, a pout on his face, but then he came back to the counter. Hongjoong practically ran out the door.

“Why were you talking Hongjoong-ssi’s head off? You’re supposed to be working.”

“I was just asking him about his business and prices. I think I want another tattoo, but that is besides the point! How do you know him? You two seem quite buddy-buddy!”

Seonghwa regretted having saved Hongjoong from Wooyoung just because he was going to get this kind of questioning.

“He comes by in the early morning a lot. That’s all.”

Wooyoung looked at him in that way that said he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t argue. Seonghwa took his mocha into the back and sat down, but not until after he’d made sure Jongho got a drink from Mingi.

He hadn’t thought about it until then, but he really hadn’t been paying anyone much attention since Hongjoong had shown up. Seonghwa felt kind of embarrassed about it now. He got hit on constantly and yet the only man he wanted to pay attention to was the alpha who had barely learned his name and he only saw every morning for maybe ten to fifteen minutes. He saw his other clients more than that. Was it concerning that his crush was so strong?

Seonghwa wanted to reflect on it, but he was at work. Maybe he should just go on a date and get laid. Maybe then his feelings for Hongjoong would fade away. And now he had Wooyoung and Mingi to look out for, because he was certain that at least Wooyoung was going to start trying to intrude on his personal life and see where exactly Hongjoong fit into it.

Seonghwa kind of felt like crying. He wanted to deal with his emotions in peace, or rather keep living in his little fantasy bubble of having a silly crush on an alpha no one but him knew existed. He knew that was dramatic and silly, so he decided to accept a date offer from someone the next time they asked. He set a resolution to thumb through all the business cards he had once he got home that night. They were all stuffed into a box at home, always with the intention to be thrown away, but Seonghwa somehow felt it was heartless to do so, and they’d kept growing in the box over the past few years.

Whatever the case, he was going to go on a date, at the very least.

And Seonghwa went on his date. It was with an alpha, Lee Juyeon, who he’d actually been introduced to by his friend, Lee Minho. They’d exchanged cards at a mixer.

It was a nice date, but there wasn’t a spark, and by the end of it, Seonghwa had admitted he had a crush on someone else, to which Juyeon admitted he did too. They ended up discussing Hongjoong and the object of Juyeon’s affections, Jaehyun, at length. It felt nice to divulge the secret and find camaraderie in it. Seonghwa headed home after with some good leftovers and a sore belly from laughing so much, but he would be in honest in that he was disappointed to be alone.

But he decided it was just a slow season in his life and he would move on soon. Seonghwa was resilient and determined. He would be just fine.

It was an innocent mistake, really. That was what Seonghwa had to tell himself. Wooyoung had been coming around earlier and earlier, claiming he didn’t need to study for his classes or that he was off that day, so he started to intrude on Seonghwa’s time with Hongjoong, just like he’d predicted. Hongjoong stopped coming so early too, which made the omega miss him, as embarrassed as he was to admit.

So, when he saw Hongjoong in line that morning, Seonghwa didn’t think anything of what he was about to do. When Hongjoong was the next person in line, he started pulling the shots he would need.

“Morning,” Hongjoong greeted, “Could I get a large cold brew with milk, a medium iced coffee with brown sugar syrup and cold foam, and an extra large latte with triple—”

Seonghwa placed the cup on the counter, the extra large latte with triple shot espresso already prepared. Hongjoong’s eyes widened and Mingi turned to look at Seonghwa with confusion in his eyes. The tattoo artist looked utterly bewildered.

The omega realized what he had done then. He had prepared Hongjoong’s drink without even hearing his order. And, yeah, Hongjoong ordered the same thing every single day, but he didn’t even get to order it. Seonghwa wasn’t working the front counter. He shouldn’t have noticed Hongjoong in the line. He could have helped make the order before Hongjoong’s instead.

His whole face turned bright red and he couldn’t even think of an excuse or something to say to try to play it off, so he just walked away and went into the back to hide.

Seonghwa couldn’t believe he had done that. He felt so silly. He could have played it off easily with a laugh, saying he already knew what Hongjoong was going to order. None of them could have argued with that logic. But it was still obvious he had made it early. Those espresso shots took time to pull and he needed three! Even if he had started making it when Hongjoong started to order, he wouldn’t have finished before the alpha could.

He put his head in his hands and told himself not to cry. Seonghwa was not going to cry because he made his crush’s favorite drink early. He was not some overly hormonal teenager, even though that’s exactly what he felt like.

The way Hongjoong had looked at him, though. Did he think Seonghwa was a weirdo? Was it obvious he had a crush on the alpha? What did he think of him? They’d barely spoken to one another over the course of the last few months. Of course, Hongjoong thought Seonghwa was odd for this. What else would he think!

Seonghwa wanted to scream, but he held it in and let a few tears slip down his cheeks. Good job, Seonghwa, he thought, That’s just what you needed.

When he finally went back out to the front, Hongjoong was gone. Seonghwa had mustered up the courage to apologize and even lie that he’d been making it for himself—“isn’t it so funny that we like the same coffee?”—but the alpha had left. Seonghwa didn’t blame him, but it still hurt a little. Everyone wanted him, so why didn’t Hongjoong? He shook his head and dispelled those thoughts from his mind. Hongjoong probably had to get back to work. It’s not like he had seen the alpha flee the coffee shop anyway. There was no reason to panic.

Except Hongjoong didn’t come the next day or the one after that. Seonghwa kept his eye out for him all day, but he didn’t see him. San never came by for a coffee run in the afternoon like he sometimes did either. Seonghwa tried to rationalize that they were swamped with clients or maybe one of them was sick, but he noticed the steady stream of patrons going in and out of Good Lil Boy, the neon sign still on at its normal times. It was much more likely that Seonghwa had run Hongjoong off and he was getting his coffee elsewhere now. There were tons of cafés in Hongdae; Seonghwa’s wasn’t special.

So, Seonghwa started to mope. His energy was low and he had trouble carrying on conversations with patrons for more than a few minutes. For once, he didn’t get asked out on a date for over twenty-four hours. It took him longer to balance the books and stock all the supplies at night too. Dragging himself out of bed in the morning felt like a chore and he’d even come late a few days, once making Kihyun wait outside, which Seonghwa had apologized for profusely. He knew it was pathetic. All he had was a crush on this alpha and yet he was acting like he was heartbroken.

“Why are you so down in the dumps?” Wooyoung finally asked.

He, Seonghwa, and Mingi were eating bibimmyeon on their lunch break. Seonghwa had been eating slowly, which was unusual for him. He usually finished before everyone else.

“It’s nothing,” Seonghwa said.

“Is it because Hongjoong-ssi hasn’t been around?” Mingi asked.

Seonghwa blushed. He hated how obvious it was. Everyone had definitely figured out he had a crush on the tattoo artist.

“What are you worried about? That he doesn’t like you?” Wooyoung said.

Seonghwa, a bit irritated to be called out, snapped. “He hasn’t come around all week after what I did, so yeah…”

Wooyoung gave him an unimpressed look and slurped down his noodles.

“Well, we don’t have to open the doors for another thirty minutes. Why don’t we go over there?”

The eldest omega choked on his noodles. Mingi quickly slapped his back and Seonghwa coughed, then took a drink of water.

“What?”

“Why don’t we go over there? They’re open. We can see if Hongjoong is there and avoiding you, hyung.”

Mingi pinched Wooyoung, which made his nose screw up and he glared at him.

“What the hell?”

“Stop calling him by his name informally.”

“He’s not even here!” Wooyoung said.

“It doesn’t matter. You can’t be rude!” Mingi said back, looking rather serious.

That made Seonghwa feel a little better and he laughed. Trust that Mingi and Wooyoung could cheer him up just by being themselves.

“It’s fine. I don’t need to go over there,” Seonghwa said and waved a hand.

He slurped some more noodles down. Wooyoung stood up then.

“Come on, hyung. We’re going.”

“What? No, I just said—”

Wooyoung pulled Seonghwa up by his arm—he forgot sometimes that the smaller omega could be quite strong. He looked to Mingi for help, but the tall omega was following behind them with a little smile. Apparently Seonghwa had no choice. They were going to Good Lil Boy whether he wanted to or not.

“Mingi, grab some coffees,” Wooyoung called as he pulled Seonghwa out the front door.

Mingi rushed back to the counter to put some drinks in a drink carrier. Seonghwa was a bit concerned by how they were already made, like they’d been planning this the entire time.

Wooyoung dragged him straight across the street and pulled open the door. They were blasted by the A/C instantly and Seonghwa shivered. The small omega pushed him inside, keeping the door open for Mingi with the coffees.

The interior of the building was smaller than Seonghwa expected. It was a rather large open room, with red and white diamond patterned floors. The walls were a dark blue-gray, almost charcoal, color but not black, which would have made it look smaller, and they were adorned with various art pieces in varying sizes, though they all had the same frames. There were two tattoo areas, separated by a half-wall that one could see over if they were taller, and each stall had a curtain for privacy assumingly. There was both a bed and chair in each, as well as various equipment set-ups. There was a small booth to the left, which had a door, and Seonghwa wondered what that room was for. There was another bed on the other side of it, closer to the front door, and there was some kind of display there with a lot of jewelry. There were leather chairs and a couch in the front area where they were standing, which he assumed was the waiting area, and a front counter that was decorated with a colorful marble and the shop’s name plastered across it. Everything was chrome, black, and white, with little pops of color everywhere, giving it a very cool and chic feel.

There was a man at the front counter that Seonghwa had never seen before. He was just a little taller than Wooyoung and rather pale, though Seonghwa suspected he was wearing makeup. He was very pretty, though. His hair was short and light blue and he had on a black beret that had spikes all over it. He looked up at them and gave a slight smile, a bit of his teeth showing.

“Hi, can I help you with something?” he asked.

His voice was lower than Seonghwa had expected. It didn’t exactly go with his face in a good way and the omega wondered where Hongjoong had found such pretty people to work for him.

Wooyoung waltzed up to the counter and folded his arms, balancing his elbows on the edge, practically half bent over with his ass out.

“Hi. We’re from Eternal Sunshine across the street. We brought you guys some coffee and just wanted to say ‘hello.’ I’m Jung Wooyoung, by the way.”

“Kang Yeosang, nice to meet you.” He turned a bit and called, “Hey! The coffee shop across the street brought drinks.”

San appeared from behind a curtain on the back wall, nearly the same color as the paint. Seonghwa hadn’t even noticed it. He practically jogged over.

“Hi, Wooyoung,” he said with a grin, then greeted Mingi and Seonghwa. “What a nice surprise!”

Seonghwa waited for Hongjoong to come out too, but after a minute or two, he never showed.

“Were you guys interested in something?” San asked.

“Yeah, actually,” Wooyoung said, “Seonghwa-hyung was wondering how much it would cost to get a tattoo from Hongjoong-ssi. What’s his availability like?”

Seonghwa tried not to glare at Wooyoung. San lit up a bit.

“I can do it, actually, if you want something small,” he said with a little grin.

“N-No, that’s okay. I don’t even know what I want,” he lied.

“Oh, okay. Hongjoong-hyung would definitely be a better help then.”

“Can you even tattoo anyone without his permission?” Yeosang said and sipped on his coffee.

“He gave me permission to tattoo people while he was gone. Nothing complicated and none of his clients, but I can do walk-ins who want flash stuff.” San looked back at Seonghwa. “I’m still an apprentice, but Hongjoong-hyung is really cool and lets me do stuff even when he’s not here. But, since you want to see him, you’ll have to wait until he’s back from Japan.”

Seonghwa perked at that. “Japan?”

“Yeah! There’s a tattoo convention over there this week, so he left on Monday.”

Seonghwa counted back in his head. That was the day Hongjoong had stopped coming in. So, he wasn’t avoiding Seonghwa, he was just gone. Relief flooded through him suddenly and he felt his shoulders relax.

“Oh, good,” Wooyoung said.

His voice sounded further away. Seonghwa turned and saw he was sitting on the bed closer to the door where the jewelry displays were. Yeosang was standing there as well, prepping something.

“What’s good about it?” San asked with a little smile.

“Seonghwa-hyung was worried Hongjoong-ssi was avoiding him, since he hasn’t come to get coffee all week.”

Seonghwa wanted to throw something at him. He grabbed something off the counter, a little pen holder or something, but Mingi caught his wrist. San laughed softly.

“Nope. He’s just gone. He’ll be back on Sunday night, I’m pretty sure.”

“Hold still. This might sting a little,” Yeosang said.

Seonghwa turned away as he saw Yeosang lift a hollowed needle toward Wooyoung’s face. Mingi also turned with him. He heard San laugh from beside him, then sipped on his coffee.

“All done,” Wooyoung said.

Seonghwa looked at him and took in how a ring now curved around Wooyoung’s left nostril. He had seriously gotten a nose piercing.

Yeosang cashed Wooyoung out quickly, handing back his card. So, he was the piercing artist, Seonghwa knew now.

Seonghwa checked the time. “We need to get back.”

“Okay,” Wooyoung said. He turned and waved cutely at the two employees. “See you guys later.”

“Bye,” Yeosang and San said in unison.

Seonghwa tugged Wooyoung along toward the door. Mingi followed after them. He’d been so quiet the whole time, the older omega wondered if he was uncomfortable there.

“Thanks for the coffee!” San called, “I’ll make sure Hongjoong-hyung knows you came by!”

That made Seonghwa run and they rushed out the door of Good Lil Boy and back to the safety of Eternal Sunshine. He could not believe all of that had happened.

Seonghwa forced himself to think about other things for the rest of the week. He refused to fixate on when Hongjoong would be back. He spent the week going out with friends in the evening, watching movies, or reading books, really taking some time for himself. Seonghwa knew how to be happy just on his own.

But he still felt that warmth in his heart when he was stocking the bake case and he heard the door chime at six-forty-five in the morning. Seonghwa told himself not to get his hopes up—he wasn’t certain it was Hongjoong. But when he looked, it was indeed the tattoo artist.

Hongjoong had dyed his hair. It was now half blond and half black, split right down the middle. He was wearing a shirt with Japanese writing all over it, but Seonghwa couldn’t recall much of what he’d learned in high school to try and read it.

“Park Seonghwa-ssi, good morning,” he greeted.

Hongjoong almost seemed nervous, which made Seonghwa smile. He finished putting the last of Kihyun’s baked goods in the case and shut the door.

“Good morning, Kim Hongjoong-ssi.” Seonghwa laughed at the tail end of his sentence. “That’s so formal. You can just call me Seonghwa, if you want.”

Hongjoong nodded and stepped up to the counter. He inhaled, assumingly taking in the aroma of the coffee.

“Man, I missed this place.”

Seonghwa’s cheeks reddened at that. “Really?”

“Yeah. Japanese coffee was fine, but I couldn’t help thinking about how much better it is here. Your coffee is definitely the best.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” Seonghwa hesitated a moment, then said, “To be honest, I thought I might have run you off because of what happened the last time you were here…”

Seonghwa was purposefully vague, just in case Hongjoong had forgotten all about it. But he could see a bit of panic in Hongjoong’s eyes as they widened slightly.

“No, no,” he said and waved his hands in the air, “You didn’t do anything. Honestly, I was embarrassed I’m so predictable.”

“I think it’s cute.”

Seonghwa didn’t know why he said it, but he did and his cheeks turned red. When he looked at Hongjoong, his whole face, ears, and neck were as red as a tomato. They just kind of looked at one another for a few moments, before Seonghwa finally broke the silence.

“Would you like your usual?”

“Please.”

Seonghwa started to make him his drink. Even though it had been a week, he could still do it just fine. Apparently, he’d done it enough to have memorized the exact sequence of steps he needed to follow.

“So, San mentioned you came by the shop and expressed interest in getting a tattoo,” Hongjoong said.

Seonghwa’s hand wavered for a moment. He’d forgotten all about the tattoo shop encounter, effectively suppressed from his brain, though it was hard to forget when he saw Wooyoung’s pierced nose every single day.

“Um, yeah. Wooyoung wanted a piercing more than anything, but I was a little curious. I don’t think I could do it, though. Pain isn’t something I deal with well and I feel like I’d regret it immediately or something.”

He handed Hongjoong his coffee, then took his payment. Hongjoong took a sip as he waited.

“Well, even so, you could change your mind. If you want, just come by the shop and we can discuss it. Maybe I can draw you something you’ll like so much, it’ll be impossible to regret.”

If Seonghwa didn’t know better, it almost sounded as if Hongjoong was flirting with him. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

“So, I can just come by?” he asked.

“Yeah. It’ll just be a consult. If I’m busy with a client, you’d have to wait, but if not, it’s no big deal. I’d be happy to talk to you about it. Just drop by any time.”

“O-Okay.”

Hongjoong pulled his phone out and looked at the screen. His eyes widened a little.

“Oh, shit, I’m gonna be late. Thanks for the coffee! Bye, Seonghwa-ssi.”

The alpha bolted toward the door with incredible speed. Seonghwa had never seen him move that fast in the morning. By the time he called out goodbye, Hongjoong was already out the door.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong had their morning coffee encounters like normal once again, except they had started actually talking to one another more. It was mostly just exchanging news of how business was going or discussing the weather, maybe discussing some story that had been on the news the night before, but nothing substantial. The omega liked it, but he longed for more.

He closed up Eternal Sunshine and did all of his usual steps like he did every night, but when he was walking to the door to go home, he saw the bright light of Good Lil Boy reflected in the glass. His omega side wanted to go over there. Hongjoong had told him he could come by anytime, so why hadn’t he gone? He would never spend more time with the alpha if he didn’t make the effort.

So, Seonghwa made three coffees, cleaned up again, turned off the lights, locked the door, and walked across the street. He pulled open the door to the parlor and was blasted with cold air like the last time he’d gone there, which made his face scrunch up in discomfort for a moment. San and Yeosang were playing cards on the front table and they both looked up at Seonghwa in surprise.

“Seonghwa-ssi, hi,” San greeted.

Seonghwa quickly spotted Hongjoong sitting at one of the tattoo stations. He was alone, drawing on his tablet, looking very enthralled by whatever he was working on.

“Hi. Um, Hongjoong-ssi told me I could come by for a consult any time, so here I am. I brought coffee too.”

Yeosang and San were both up quickly to take the coffee from him.

“Thank you,” San practically sang.

“Hyung, Seonghwa-ssi brought coffee,” Yeosang called with glee.

Hongjoong finally looked up from his tablet and froze a moment when he saw Seonghwa. The omega waved at him, a little shy, wondering if he’d made a mistake in coming, but then Hongjoong motioned him over.

“You came in,” Hongjoong said with a little smile, “Take a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”

Seonghwa handed the alpha his coffee and then settled into one of the plush chairs. Hongjoong set his tablet aside, his pen behind his ear, and took a sip.

“So, Seonghwa-ssi, what do you like?”

“Oh, um…” Seonghwa hated to be put on the spot for things like this. “Music, coffee, tea, rabbits…?”

Hongjoong laughed a little. “You can be more specific. Like, favorite movies or sports or something. I mean, coffee and music and rabbits are also good.”

The omega took a moment to think. “I really like Star Wars.”

Hongjoong snorted. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Seonghwa said, frowning but also blushing.

“How much do you like Star Wars?”

“Like, I buy Legos of it and replica lightsabers and have movie marathons at least three times a year.”

Hongjoong looked at him like he was crazy, but he nodded and set his coffee cup down. He took his pen from behind his ear and tapped on the tablet a few times.

“Okay, I can work with that. Do you have a favorite thing from Star Wars?”

“I like the Siths.” Seonghwa could already see the confusion on the alpha’s face. “The bad guys. With the red lightsabers.”

“Ah, okay. Got it.”

Hongjoong’s hand started to move rapidly. Seonghwa felt tempted to lean forward and try to see what he was drawing, but he remained in his chair, holding his bag in his lap. The alpha worked quietly, his utmost attention focused on what he was doing. It was interesting to see him like this, very different from the Hongjoong the omega saw in the mornings.

Hongjoong stopped some fifteen minutes later and turned the tablet toward Seonghwa.

“Do you like any of these?”

He had sketched three different designs—one was of Darth Maul’s double-bladed lightsaber with the standard “May the Force Be with You” beneath it, but in Hongjoong’s own script, which Seonghwa kind of liked; another was of the Death Star, quite well drawn and detailed for a simple sketch, and the last was of the series logo, in the standard font, with little symbols and items inside of them.

“I’ll do them in color, unless you like the grayscale and I can remove or add more stuff in the last design. Are you feeling any of these?”

Seonghwa gaped a bit. He couldn’t believe that Hongjoong had created those drawings in such a short amount of time despite that he knew very little about Star Wars in the first place.

“They’re all lovely. I can’t believe you just drew those!”

Hongjoong laughed. “I mean, I just looked at some stuff on the internet real quick and then sketched. It’s nothing too complicated, and it’s your first time, so I figured we’d start with something small.”

Seonghwa nodded. He was not at all going to get any of those things on his body, because he had no interest in tattoos, but watching Hongjoong work was worth the little lie.

“Any of them speak to you?”

“I really like the Death Star, to be honest. It’s simple, but very nice.”

“Enough to get it?” Hongjoong asked.

Seonghwa didn’t want to be rude. He couldn’t flat out tell Hongjoong he was taking up his time.

“Maybe?”

“So, when do you want to come in? Something like this doesn’t take a super long time, so I can fit you in between other appointments.”

The omega was enjoying the way Hongjoong spoke. His voice was so nice to listen to and his lips were so pretty. It was probably really nice to kiss him, Seonghwa thought. He would do anything to hear him talk to him more.

“Okay,” he said.

“Yeah? You want to? How about on Saturday? I have an opening at seven. Would you be done at the coffee shop by then?” Hongjoong said while looking at his tablet.

“Yeah, sure. I can do that.”

Wait, what?

Seonghwa felt himself freeze up. Had he just agreed to get a tattoo? Why did he say that? He could have said “no” or told him he needed more time to think about it. But, no, Seonghwa had agreed to make an appointment. What was wrong with him? Sure, Hongjoong was pretty and Seonghwa wanted to spend more time with him, but he could not get a tattoo.

“Cool. I’ve got you down.”

Hongjoong grinned at him. Seonghwa felt like he could be blinded by how beautiful it was. He had never seen Hongjoong’s teeth before. How could he have been hiding such a gorgeous smile?

That quickly destroyed any sort of protest he had been about to put up. Seonghwa could not be the reason for that grin to go away. He would just have to think of a way out of getting the tattoo before Saturday.

Seonghwa tried to think of a way to let Hongjoong down easy, that he had changed his mind, but every morning after that, when Hongjoong came in, he talked about how he was looking forward to Seonghwa’s appointment. The omega thought maybe he was just being nice, but after three days straight, he really thought Hongjoong meant it. It made it harder to tell him he didn’t actually want to do it. He had only gone in to spend more time with the tattoo artist.

While he relished in the attention from Hongjoong after so long, he got rather glum in the afternoons, fixated on how he might be able to get out of it. He often found himself staring into space, lost in thought, and spilled drinks more than once. Wooyoung had complained at him a few times and, finally, Mingi had sent him into the back to take a break with a sparkling strawberry iced tea lemonade. Seonghwa realized that he probably needed to seek guidance.

He went back out to the bar after ten minutes.

“You guys, I did something dumb,” he said.

“Just now?” Wooyoung said, looking aggravated.

“No. Like, personally.”

Mingi’s face got a bit concerned. “What happened?”

“I agreed to get a tattoo from Hongjoong-ssi on Saturday, even though I don’t have any intention of getting a tattoo.”

Wooyoung and Mingi stared at him. Seonghwa was about to repeat himself, when Wooyoung started laughing and Mingi sighed, his whole body sagging.

Mingi said, “Hyung, you had me worried there. I thought it was something serious.”

“This is serious!”

“Because you have a crush, not because you did something wrong,” Wooyoung chimed, “Which is so cute of you, hyung. You’re usually so cool and unflappable whenever you deal with a suitor, but all of a sudden, this alpha comes to our neighborhood and you’ve lost it.”

“Shut up, Wooyoung.”

Mingi and Wooyoung both laughed a bit more.

“Why don’t you just tell him you don’t want it after all?” Mingi asked.

“I keep trying, but he’s told me how he’s looking forward to it every morning.”

Wooyoung set a coffee on the counter and called a number, then looked at him. “Sounds like he likes you then.”

“N-Not necessarily…”

The shorter omega rolled his eyes. Seonghwa wanted to flick him. He hated when Wooyoung got like that.

“I mean, if he does, hyung, you could just ask him out instead,” Mingi said, trying to diffuse the situation already, “That’s why you agreed to it, right? To spend time with him?”

Seonghwa hesitated, but then he nodded. He felt embarrassed to admit it, but it was true. He needed to be more honest about his feelings for Hongjoong if he was going to get anywhere or get any help.

“Well, one of you needs to be honest about your feelings. You both need to get laid,” Wooyoung said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mingi said with a pout.

Wooyoung turned his “you’re stupid” look on the tallest omega then.

“Really? Do you think we don’t have eyes and can’t see how you feel about Yunho? You ‘accidentally’ give him an extra muffin or cookie every single day,” Wooyoung said, making air quotes around “accidentally.”

Mingi’s whole face turned red. He opened his mouth to deny it, Seonghwa could tell, but then he closed it, knowing it was of no use. Mingi wore his heart on his sleeve and he had never been subtle in terms of his feeling for Yunho. Seonghwa was sure he didn’t realize how obvious he was, though, which was cute.

“It’s okay, Ming. I think it’s sweet,” he tried to say encouragingly.

Mingi sighed softly and turned a hard expression on them, though he kind of looked adorable and also like he didn’t want to cry.

“Why are we talking about me? This is about Seonghwa-hyung.”

Wooyoung nodded. “So, what are you going to do about Hongjoong-ssi?”

Seonghwa shrugged. “I don’t know. I get all bashful and lose any sort of determination to tell him that I won’t do it.”

“You’re so cute, hyung. You’d really let him tattoo you.”

“I might…”

“Do you hate the idea of tattoos that much?” Mingi asked.

“No. I think they’re neat. Hongjoong-ssi and San-ssi’s tattoos are beautiful. I just don’t know about getting one for myself. I don’t deal with pain well. You know me and my weak body…”

Wooyoung and Mingi nodded. Despite Seonghwa’s stature and good looks, he did have slightly poorer health. He took good care of himself for a reason, but it could still prove to be a problem sometimes.

“Maybe you should get it,” Wooyoung said as he washed out a container, “Just to prove to yourself that you can. Did he design something you like?”

“He did. It’s nerdy and cute, nothing big. He was very understanding when I told him I was scared and didn’t like pain.”

“It kind of sounds like you want it,” Mingi said as he started to wipe down the counter.

Seonghwa hadn’t considered that. He had, of course, entered the tattoo parlor without any intention to get a tattoo, but almost a week had gone by and he had been unable to tell Hongjoong he truly didn’t want it. Maybe he did want it? Was he fooling himself into thinking he didn’t? Now he needed to think more.

Saturday came and Seonghwa was still unsure about how he felt. He’d been unable to tell Hongjoong he didn’t want a tattoo, but he was still feeling a bit apprehensive about it. Wooyoung and Mingi had offered to go with him, though Seonghwa was sure only Mingi was going out of the goodness of his own heart and not because he wanted to flirt with the staff.

They entered Good Lil Boy at six-fifty. Yeosang smiled at them from the front counter.

“Hi. Take a seat and I’ll let San know you’re here.”

Seonghwa sat down with Mingi and Wooyoung. He wrung his hands, stomach twisting in knots. San came over then and grinned.

“Follow me this way and I’ll get you prepped. Hongjoong-hyung is just about done. He’s running a little behind.”

“That’s okay,” Seonghwa said.

He got up and followed San over to the open stall. He could hear a soft hum on the other side of the wall and figured that was where Hongjoong was. San was setting up the things Hongjoong would need and he sanitized the bench and tools quickly. He moved with a surety that he did not have when ordering his coffee.

“Hyung said I can go ahead and put the stencil on you. Have you decided where you want it?” San asked then.

Seonghwa bit his lip and looked at Wooyoung and Mingi, then back at San. The beta’s eyes softened a bit.

“It’s okay to be nervous. I was the first time I got mine too,” he said, “Hyung didn’t make it very big so you could put it anywhere. The parts of your body that will hurt the least are your outer arms, thighs, calves, and your back, so I would recommend picking one of those places.”

The omega nodded. “O-Okay.”

Seonghwa set his bag down and took off his jacket. He looked at his hands and arms, wondering where he should choose. Was he really going to do this? His eyes went to Mingi, who was sitting there, and he offered him a supportive smile. Wooyoung was off talking to Yeosang it seemed. Seonghwa wondered if the youngest omega would end up getting another piercing while they were there.

“I’ll do my calf,” Seonghwa said then.

He had slender legs, but he was sure his calves were strong enough, and he often wore pants, so it wouldn’t be on display often.

“Okay, great,” San said, “Can you roll up your pant leg easily?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Roll it up and then lay down on the bed here.”

San turned around to assumingly grab the stencil. Seonghwa rolled his left pant leg up to his knee, then climbed onto the bed. He laid on his back, unsure if that would be good or not.

“Do you want it on the front or side?” San asked, leaning over him just a bit.

The light felt so bright above the bed and the omega closed his eyes a bit.

“Side.”

“Okay. Roll onto your side then. That’ll be easier.”

Seonghwa rolled onto his side and got as comfortable as he could on the hard table bed. San started to shave his leg, which startled Seonghwa at first, but it ended just as quickly. He then wiped down the skin twice, at least one of them being with alcohol—Seonghwa could smell it. Then something was dotted onto his skin, then rubbed in.

“Okay, I’m applying the stencil now, so please don’t move,” San said.

Seonghwa took a breath and held still. He didn’t think he was going to move, but he still focused on it. He felt something like paper get pressed against his skin and San’s fingers gently spread across it, then he applied gentle pressure with his whole hand. The paper was peeled off after.

“Okay, there it is!” San said with a smile in his voice. “It needs a little time to dry, so don’t roll over or anything or it’ll be ruined. Hongjoong-hyung should be here in just a few minutes.”

“Thank you, San-ssi,” Seonghwa said.

“You’re welcome! Do you want any water or anything beforehand? It’s good to be hydrated when you’re getting tattooed.”

“Sure.”

“You?” San asked and looked at Mingi.

“Yes, please.”

San walked away then, his shoes vaguely echoing on the floor. Seonghwa took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

“How does it look?” he asked Mingi, who was sitting right in his eyeline.

“It looks nice. Small, but detailed. I think it’ll be a nice tattoo.”

“You don’t think I’m stupid?”

“Hyung,” Mingi said with a sympathetic smile, “It’s just a tattoo. As long as you want it, it’s not a big deal.”

Seonghwa still didn’t know if he wanted it or not, but he didn’t want to tell anyone that. He heard the hum on the other side of the wall shut off and the sounds of people talking, just hushed enough that he couldn’t make out the conversation. He heard walking. He knew he could move his head, but focusing on Mingi’s relaxed expression was calming him.

San gave both of them a water bottle.

“Sorry for the delay!”

Hongjoong’s voice was like music to Seonghwa’s ears. He sat up just a bit to look at him. The tattoo artist was stretching and he smiled at the omega when their eyes connected.

“Just gotta get myself a little loose before we do this.”

“How long was your last session?” Seonghwa asked.

Hongjoong’s eyes flicked toward the ceiling as he thought, then he turned to San as he said, “Four? Five hours?”

“Four and a half,” San said with a little nod.

“And you’re going to do mine too?” Seonghwa said in awe.

“Yeah. I wasn’t going to reschedule you,” Hongjoong said with a little grin as he came over, “We’ve talked about it every day, I couldn’t cancel on you.”

Seonghwa smiled a bit. He hadn’t thought that it meant so much to Hongjoong or he was under the impression that it meant that much to Seonghwa. It was sweet that he was doing so much for him.

“You’re too sweet,” he said.

Hongjoong chuckled. “So, are you ready?”

Seonghwa nodded. He was as ready as he could be.

“It’ll hurt but it shouldn’t be so bad. I have a light touch. If it’s too bad, though, just let me know and we can take a break,” Hongjoong said as he sat down on his stool and grabbed a pair of gloves.

“Okay.”

Seonghwa laid back down. It wasn’t going to be terrible. He could do this. Hongjoong had even decided to work on the same side as him, so he could see him while he worked. That would give Seonghwa all the comfort he needed to stick it out.

But Seonghwa saw Hongjoong pick up the needle and turn on the machine. It hummed to life and the sound filled his ears. He felt a panic well up inside of him, his eyes fixated on the tool as Hongjoong loaded it with ink and then turned toward him. His gloved hand gently took hold of Seonghwa’s leg, right above his ankle, and he lowered it down. Just before Hongjoong could get the needle to skin, Seonghwa pulled his leg away and rolled right off of the table with a loud crash.

“Seonghwa-ssi?” Hongjoong called in shock.

Seonghwa got up slowly, using the table bed as leverage. His body hurt from the fall and his cheeks were flushed in embarrassment. The alpha looked at him, half confused and half concerned. Mingi was watching him in shock.

“I can’t do this,” Seonghwa said.

Hongjoong’s expression softened and he turned off the machine. “It’s okay. I know you’re scared. We can try again some other time.”

“No. I’m not going to get it at all.”

The alpha opened his mouth to presumably argue, but Seonghwa kept talking.

“I never intended to get it. I don’t have any interest in getting a tattoo. I just wanted to spend time with you and didn’t know how else to do it. I’m so sorry I wasted your time and took away a chance for you to make money.”

Hongjoong looked shocked again, his eyes as big as saucers and his mouth hanging open a bit. Seonghwa felt incredibly embarrassed that he had admitted that and even more embarrassed that he had let it happen in the first place. How could he be so stupid?

Without waiting for a response, Seonghwa grabbed his bag and hurried toward the exit. His hip hurt from the fall, so he couldn’t exactly run, but he was still going really fast.

“Hyung, wait!” he heard Mingi call, but Seonghwa kept going.

He felt far too embarrassed to face anyone and he was going to go straight home. The omega just prayed that no one was going to follow him there.

When Seonghwa had gotten home, he’d cried and taken a shower, where he washed off the stencil. He felt incredibly stupid. How could he have done all of that just to spend some time with Hongjoong? He could have easily asked him out on his own, not made up some goofy scheme to spend time with him. Tattooing was how Hongjoong made his living and Seonghwa had wasted his time. That was what he felt the worst about. He was a small business owner too. Wasted time meant lost money. And Hongjoong had been so happy to see him, so understanding of his fear, and Seonghwa had run out on him. He kept replaying the moment in his head, feeling worse and worse each and every time. So, he finally got into bed and tried to fall asleep instead of fixating.

When he woke up in the morning, though, he still felt pretty upset about it. The feelings of embarrassment and stupidity were strong. How the hell was he supposed to face Hongjoong that morning after what he’d done? So, instead, Seonghwa decided not to go to work. He couldn’t face anyone after that and needed time to get over it. Besides, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken the day off.

He went back to sleep and woke up in the mid-morning with messages from Wooyoung and Mingi asking where he was and talking about how busy it was. Seonghwa knew they could handle it, so he didn’t respond. He wasn’t in the mood for Wooyoung to tease him and he had definitely embarrassed himself in front of Mingi too. Way to be the cool hyung, he thought.

Seonghwa took the day to do things he normally had to squeeze into his schedule—do the laundry, go grocery shopping, watch television. He even read a short book and built a Star Wars Lego set. It felt nice to be at home and escape his problems.

And so, the next morning, Seonghwa did it again. This time, he told Wooyoung and Mingi that he wasn’t coming, saying he was under the weather. They both told him to feel better soon and Mingi added in an “I miss you,” which made Seonghwa feel bad for his lie. But he wasn’t quite ready yet. He had to figure out what to do or say, or if he was lucky, everyone would forget about it after a few days and everything could go back to normal. That’s what he really hoped for.

Neither of the boys, nor the insurance company, police, or fire department had called him, so he assumed everything was running fine. He knew it was a lot of work for two people, though, since it was already a lot for three, so he did feel a bit bad and hoped they were managing okay. Seonghwa felt very childish. He should have hired more part-timers.

He was eating fried chicken in front of the television when his phone rang.

It was Mingi.

The omega thought about letting it go to voicemail, but he knew Mingi preferred texting over calling and figured it was probably important. He picked it up and answered.

“Hello?” he said, trying his best to sound a little sick.

“Hi, hyung. Wooyoung told me not to call you, because he said he’ll take care of it, but he chased Jongho around the café today for ten minutes.”

That made Seonghwa sit up straight. “What happened?”

“We’re running low on some supplies. Well, on some pretty important stuff, like decaf coffee beans and cup lids and sleeves. I tried to look at the book you keep for stock, but I didn’t understand it…and Jongho didn’t deliver anything today. He came by to ask if we were doing okay, because he hadn’t gotten an order, so then Wooyoung told him what we needed, but Jongho told him that’s not how it worked and that we had to use the specific app or whatever it is, so then Wooyoung got mad…” Mingi explained. “I went out during lunch to buy some milk today, but it seems like everyone is ordering drinks with milk, so it’s already low and I’m out of pocket money until next week…”

Mingi sounded almost like he was going to cry, but also apologetic, like he’d done something wrong. Seonghwa was the one who had put him in that position and he felt like an awful boss, though he also wondered how he’d only been gone for two days and they were running out of things he could have sworn he’d made sure to get. Seonghwa should have shown his staff how to reorder products and even how to access the till if they really needed. He had failed them on that part.

“I’m so sorry, Mingi. I’ll take care of it, okay? And I’ll reimburse you for the milk you bought.”

“I gave Yunho some cookies, so we can call it even.”

Seonghwa could just imagine Mingi blushing as he admitted it. It made him laugh.

“You’re so cute. You really should just ask him out. I think he’d accept.”

Mingi made a noncommittal sound. Seonghwa could tell he wanted to say something else.

“Are you okay, hyung? Are you avoiding the shop because of what happened?”

“A little,” Seonghwa admitted, “but also, I realized I haven’t taken a day off in months. I think I want to change some stuff about the store, like hiring more workers. It’s unfair that I’ve put all of this on you and Wooyoung.”

“That’s a good idea, Seonghwa-hyung. I think you still think of Eternal Sunshine as this really small little business, but we’re actually quite successful. You know that we’re ranked in the top five coffee shops in Hongdae when you take out the big chains like Gongcha, right?”

Seonghwa blinked.

“We are?” he said in awe.

“Yeah. We get tagged on Instagram all the time.”

Seonghwa had never really thought about their online presence. They had a website, but he’d paid for it to be designed by a web designer, Kim Hanbin, and barely knew how to edit it, so he’d maybe updated it once or twice. As much as he used social media, he tended to watch funny videos and hobby stuff more than follow celebrities and keep up with what was trending. He’d been into all of that when he was younger and in high school, but it had waned when he didn’t have the time, since he was busy running his own business. The money he’d spent advertising Eternal Sunshine in its first year had been enough. Seonghwa was happy. But, now that he was thinking about it, forced to look at how the business did when he wasn’t there, he saw Mingi was right—Eternal Sunshine was bigger than he’d acknowledged and he overworked himself to keep up instead of just hiring more people. They were in the green more often than not and he knew he could spare some expenses for more people.

“I never even thought about it, to be honest. Thank you for telling me,” Seonghwa said after a moment, “I think I need to be more diligent about the business as a whole. I got stuck being content with what we had.”

“I know, hyung. And that’s good, because you haven’t lost your vision. I just think you’re underselling a really great place,” Mingi said.

“Thank you, Mingi. I’m going to take a few days to sort everything out, but I promise everything will be in stock and organized tomorrow. Will you text me a list of everything we need?”

“Sure, hyung. I’ll do it now.”

“Okay. Go treat yourself to something yummy for dinner, okay? I’ll send you some money,” Seonghwa said.

Mingi laughed a bit. “Okay. Good night, Seonghwa-hyung.”

“Good night, Mingi.”

Seonghwa hung up and went to get his laptop. While he waited for Mingi’s text message, he looked up the Top 5 Cafés in Hongdae on Naver. Mingi was right—Eternal Sunshine was listed there. The coffee shop was rated highly on review websites too. He felt so silly not knowing that. He ended up spending the rest of the evening putting out ads looking for more employees, as well as responding to e-mails from their website (he didn’t even know the website had an e-mail until he checked) and putting in an order for supplies so that Jongho would deliver them the next day.

In the morning, Seonghwa got up early like he usually did and headed to Eternal Sunshine. He didn’t open, keeping the lights in the front off, and arranged their stock room and fridges, updating his log of supplies as he went. A quick run down to GS25 was needed for milk, but otherwise, the boys should be able to survive until Jongho delivered the supplies in the late morning. He also balanced the cash register and till, taking out the money he needed to deposit.

Seonghwa heard someone try the door and peaked out, afraid it was Hongjoong, but instead it was Kihyun, who had brought their bakery delivery. The omega was glad he’d come that day, because he hadn’t told either of the boys to come early for it. He quickly went to unlock the door.

If it was possible, Kihyun looked even bigger than he had the last time Seonghwa had seen him. He looked more like a ball with arms and legs than anything else.

“Good morning, Kihyun-ssi. Sorry the door was locked. I’ve decided to start opening a little later.”

“That’s okay,” Kihyun said.

His voice sounded strained. It was obvious he was tired.

“Please, come sit down.”

Seonghwa helped him inside and Kihyun plopped down. The older omega groaned.

“Don’t have kids,” he said.

Seonghwa tried not to laugh as he put the bakery delivery on the counter.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because they’re little parasites. I’m forty-two weeks pregnant and this little sucker hasn’t decided to come yet,” Kihyun grumbled.

No wonder he looked so miserable.

“I’m glad you’re here, because I wanted to talk to you. I’m getting induced in a couple of days and then I have to, well, y’know, become a mother, so I won’t be working for a while. The Tiger Moth is going to be run by my employee, Lee Minhyuk, while I’m gone, but we won’t have anyone to deliver any goods. You don’t have to send me any money and I understand if you want to find someone else to buy from.”

“I would never do that, Kihyun-ssi. Will someone still be making the pastries and things?” Seonghwa asked.

“Minhyuk knows how to make them and my brother and best friend are going to help out too. They might not be perfect, but they’ll certainly be edible, because if not, they know I’ll kill them.”

Seonghwa loved how feisty the older omega was. He was such a delight to talk to.

“I’d be happy to keep buying them. I’ll send someone over to pick up the stock instead. I actually recently decided to expand the business a little bit, so I’m hiring more workers and things like that.”

“Really? That’s great, Seonghwa-ssi. I’m glad Eternal Sunshine is doing so well,” Kihyun said.

“Thank you.” Seonghwa smiled, then said, “Can I call you a cab? I don’t feel right sending you out on your feet.”

“Actually, my fiancé is outside…” Kihyun cheeks were a bit red. Seonghwa had never seen the cool omega flustered before. “He insisted on driving me since I said I was coming to deliver these things whether he liked it or not.”

Seonghwa laughed that time, unable to hold it in. He could just imagine Kihyun giving attitude to his fiancé, even though Seonghwa knew nothing about him.

“Well, let me help you out to the car, at least.”

“Okay. Fine. I hate admitting I need help, but I also don’t think I can get up.”

Seonghwa helped Kihyun up and out to the car. It was rather nice, sleek and expensive looking, with tinted windows. Whoever was inside apparently wanted privacy, which he found very interesting. He felt very thankful that Wooyoung wasn’t there to be nosy, because he would certainly be trying to figure out who was in the car.

“Thanks, Seonghwa-ssi. If you have any questions or need anything, just call The Tiger Moth. I’ll make sure the boys take care of you well.”

“Okay. Thank you, Kihyun-ssi. I hope your baby is born quickly and is healthy.”

“Me too,” Kihyun said as he got in the car.

Seonghwa waved goodbye and then went back inside, pointedly making sure to avoid looking at Good Lil Boy, even though it was directly across the street. He didn’t have time to think about how he had embarrassed himself. He had a business to run and improve.

In the following week, Seonghwa didn’t have much time to actually work inside of Eternal Sunshine. He conducted interviews, looking for new employees that he thought would mesh well with the staff. He went through quite a few interviews, many of whom tried to hit on him during, but finally found the right people. He hired two new boys—Choi Yeonjun, an omega, and Kang Taehyun, a beta—as well as Jongho, who Seonghwa was very surprised to see apply and hired on the spot, since he knew the young beta was a hard worker. Jongho still worked his delivery job, so he worked the least number of hours, but his knowledge was invaluable. They started doing delivery and Jongho took his trusty motorbike out to do so.

Seonghwa spent most of his time training the new boys. They changed their hours to seven-thirty to six, with a two-hour lunch break. Seonghwa felt happy with the change. He usually only worked in the store before and after hours, restocking and organizing the coffee shop just the way he needed it to be. He’d started letting Mingi help him with it, as well as promoted him to be in charge of their social media pages, which the tall omega was quite good at, it turned out. He had even managed to get Seonghwa in contact with people who wanted to interview him and feature Eternal Sunshine on their website or in a news article to highlight their business, which felt too good to be true.

The omega was doing great. His future was bright and he felt like he was on top of the world.

So, he was a little shocked to see Hongjoong leaving the tattoo parlor at the same time he was locking up Eternal Sunshine that evening. It had been nearly a month since they’d seen one another. Seonghwa had not had a moment to think about Hongjoong at all, but as soon as he laid eyes on him, his heart did a little pitter patter and a warmth spread through his chest. Those feelings had apparently just been hibernating instead of going away completely.

Seonghwa wasn’t sure if he should say “hello,” but then Hongjoong waved to him and crossed the street.

“Seonghwa-ssi, long time no see,” he greeted.

“Good evening, Hongjoong-ssi.”

“It’s good to see you. I thought you sold the business or something.”

“Why do you say that?” Seonghwa said in surprise.

“Ah, well,” Hongjoong said and rubbed at the back of his neck, “The coffee hasn’t been as good while you’ve been gone. My latte is always better when you make it.”

Seonghwa blushed and was unsure what to say. He felt flustered for the first time in weeks. Hongjoong seemed equally flustered, standing there awkwardly.

“I don’t know what to ask you out to, since coffee’s kind of out of the question,” Hongjoong said then.

The omega felt himself gape.

Had Hongjoong just asked him out? Was he dreaming? Hallucinating? There was no way after their last awkward encounter and not seeing one another for a month that the man he’d been pining after for months had just asked him on a date.

Seonghwa couldn’t even form words. What was he supposed to say? Was this a joke? Was he serious? Why couldn’t he just say yes? His mouth refused to move.

Hongjoong quickly grew nervous, his hands twitching and rubbing at the back of his neck more. He lowered his eyes.

“Wow. I just made myself look really stupid. I’m so sorry. I should have known I was totally misreading the signs these last few months,” he said.

He turned around to head back across the street and Seonghwa felt his shock break.

“No, you’re not!” he called.

The alpha paused and then turned back to look at him. Seonghwa pushed his hair back from his face and smiled.

“You’re not. I wanted you to ask me out. Or I could have asked you out,” he said quickly, words shooting out of his mouth at an alarming rate, “I mean, I like you and I would like to go on a date!”

He could feel how flushed his cheeks were, feeling silly and embarrassed from the way he was acting, but when Hongjoong smiled, those emotions melted away and left behind only happiness.

Hongjoong liked him. He wanted to go on a date with him.

“So, we’re going on a date?” Hongjoong said, coming back toward him.

Seonghwa would have asked the same thing. Apparently, Hongjoong also thought that maybe he was dreaming, which made the omega feel very special.

“Yes. I’d really like that.”

“Cool.”

Hongjoong half-smiled, the corner of his lips turned up in that attractive way that Seonghwa adored. He felt all giddy being the source of it.

“Let’s talk about it and figure out when we can get together then. Maybe tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Seonghwa agreed, “I’m finally done with training and all of the other stuff that’s had me busy, so I’ll be working in Eternal Sunshine full time again starting tomorrow.”

“Glad to hear it. I’ll be by in the morning to get my latte, then. And I’ll bring my appointment book.”

Seonghwa laughed and covered his mouth with his hand. Hongjoong grinned, leaned in to give the omega a peck on the cheek, and then headed back across the street. Seonghwa watched him go, giving a little wave when Hongjoong looked back at him, and then headed home, feeling like he was on Cloud Nine. Life really couldn’t get any better.

The next morning, Seonghwa opened Eternal Sunshine with the assistance of Taehyun, who was a great worker. He was quiet, but also quite witty and brought a calm energy to their team that they’d needed. Seonghwa would have been lying if he said he hadn’t been watching for Hongjoong, because he immediately saw when the tattoo artist came out of Good Lil Boy and made his way across the street. When he opened the door, his eyes immediately found Seonghwa and he smiled. The omega knew he was smiling too.

“I got this one, Taehyun,” he said.

Taehyun nodded, a knowing smile on his face, and went to finish setting up the tables. Seonghwa could only guess that Wooyoung had been running his mouth.

“Good morning, Hongjoong-ssi.”

“Good morning, Seonghwa-ssi,” Hongjoong said, even though he looked rather tired.

“Are the mornings more difficult for you now that we open later?”

“Mornings are always difficult, but it’s truly a struggle that I can’t get my latte an hour earlier.”

Seonghwa laughed softly and turned around to ready the espresso machine.

“Should I even ask what you want?”

“No. I would prefer if as soon as you see me enter the building, you just make my drink like you did before,” Hongjoong said with a teasing tone.

Seonghwa couldn’t help blushing, but he laughed. What was once embarrassing to him was now endeared, because Hongjoong liked him. He’d secretly been wooing the man without even knowing.

As Seonghwa made the latte, Hongjoong talked.

“So, what does your schedule look like?” he asked.

“I’m pretty free in the evenings after work. I usually finish up here around seven. And I take Mondays off now. It would probably be easier if you told me when you’re free. I assume your schedule is a lot more unpredictable.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

Seonghwa turned around and put Hongjoong’s cup down in front of him. The tattoo artist had his appointment book open on the counter, just like he said he would. There were all kinds of notes scribbled all over the various days on the page. Hongjoong’s handwriting seemed questionable, but that only made him cuter in Seonghwa’s opinion.

“I guess the first thing we should figure out is what we want to do,” Hongjoong said, “Since a coffee date is still out of the question.”

Seonghwa leaned his elbows on the counter and put his chin in his hands. “Wouldn’t this count as a coffee date?”

Hongjoong glanced up at him from under his half and half fringe. Seonghwa felt giddy and couldn’t help smiling.

“Okay, so we’re on a mini-date right now, but I’d like to have your undivided attention when you’re not at work.”

Seonghwa laughed. “I know. Why don’t we go to dinner? We can eat something yummy and talk. I hope you like talking, because I want to actually get to know you.”

 “I love talking. I’m going to get to know the shit out of you,” Hongjoong said, which made Seonghwa bust up laughing.

He knew for a fact that Hongjoong was not that sociable and did not love talking—San had mentioned it in passing and their neighboring businesses had never spoken to Hongjoong for more than five minutes when he’d first moved in—but he appreciated that he seemed so enthused to talk with Seonghwa.

“Is tonight too soon?” Hongjoong asked, “I actually had a cancellation. I’m sure San and Yeosang would love to go home early.”

“I’d love that. Seven-thirty?”

“I will be here.”

Hongjoong smiled, then leaned up to kiss Seonghwa’s cheek like he had the night before. For a moment, the omega had thought he might be bold enough to try to go for his lips, but he hadn’t. Seonghwa would just think about kissing Hongjoong for the next two hours.

“I need to run,” Hongjoong said, “See you tonight. And thank you for my coffee.”

“Which you need to pay for.”

The short alpha flushed bright red. “Shit.”

He got out some money, which he gave to Seonghwa, the omega laughing to himself. Hongjoong took his appointment book and coffee, then headed for the door.

“Oh!”

He turned back around and came to the counter. Seonghwa blinked. Had he forgotten something?

“I brought your jacket. You left it at the shop.”

Hongjoong held up the taupe-colored jacket. Seonghwa had been looking for it for over a week. He’d completely forgotten about the fact that he’d worn it to the tattoo appointment.

“Omo, I was wondering where I left it,” Seonghwa said with a grin, “Thank you.”

He took the jacket from Hongjoong and the tattoo artist quickly headed for the door, giving Seonghwa a little toast with his coffee cup before he slipped outside. Seonghwa watched him cross the street and enter the parlor. He was excited to go on a date that night.

Seonghwa locked up Eternal Sunshine right at seven-thirty, but Hongjoong was nowhere to be seen. Good Lil Boy’s sign was still lit up, so he decided to go across the street. The door was unlocked, so he went inside. He saw Yeosang and San standing with Hongjoong, the alpha holding his arms out.

“What about this? Does this make me look stupid?” he asked.

“It looks great, hyung,” San said.

“Yeah. I mean, I like the white better than the blue,” Yeosang added.

Hongjoong was wearing a white dress shirt and some ripped up skinny jeans, which showed off the shape of his legs. His calves were a lot thicker than Seonghwa had expected, but he liked it quite a lot. This was also a different outfit than he had been wearing that morning.

“Maybe I should wear the gray t-shirt…” Hongjoong groaned afterwards. “I just want to look nice.”

Seonghwa laughed softly and drew the other three men’s attention. Hongjoong’s eyes widened as his face paled. His head whipped from Seonghwa to the clock and then his employees.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was seven-thirty?” he yelled, “I’m going to scold you both!”

“Well, look at the time,” Yeosang said and walked away, bag over his shoulder.

He smiled at Seonghwa as he passed by and headed out. Seonghwa gave him a nod and  Hongjoong yelled after him, but Yeosang was already gone. San picked up his own bag.

“Bye, hyung,” he said and rushed away, slowing down when he got by Seonghwa, “Have fun, Seonghwa-ssi.”

“Bye, San.”

San slipped out the door, leaving the two of them alone. Hongjoong nervously pushed his hand through his hair.

“Sorry, I meant to be over there earlier, but…”

He was blushing. Seonghwa smiled and adjusted the bag on his shoulder and smoothed out his sweater he was wearing.

“It’s fine. I think you look very nice.”

“T-Thanks. Uh, let’s go then.”

Hongjoong grabbed his wallet and keys off the counter. He switched off the lights and the two of them walked out, where he locked the door and then slid everything into his pockets.

“So, where should we eat?” Seonghwa asked.

“There’s actually this great place one stop over in Sinchon, if you’re willing to take a little subway ride.”

“I’d love to. Lead the way.”

They made their way to the station and took it one stop over, despite that they probably could have walked there, but Seonghwa thought of this as going on an adventure with Hongjoong. He was going to let the alpha lead the way. They got off at Sinchon Station and walked out, heading deep into the neighborhood. It felt kind of funny to be out and about in the area where there were mostly young kids and college students, but Seonghwa had to remind himself that he was barely a little older than them. He just hadn’t followed the traditional way of doing things and sometimes felt much older than other people his age.

Finally, they came to a chicken barbeque restaurant.

“This place’s chicken is delicious, but I like to come here specifically for the cheese tteok.”

“Cheese tteok?”

Seonghwa had never heard of such a thing. Hongjoong grinned.

“Just wait until you try it. Your life will change forever.”

The omega laughed and nodded, following him inside. They sat at a small table with a grill and Hongjoong ordered for them. It seemed he’d been there quite a few times.

Seonghwa learned two things about Hongjoong very quickly—he hated vegetables and he was a bit clumsy for an adult artist. The omega ended up cooking the food and they talked while he did so, at first just exchanging basic information, like their birthdays and where they came from. Seonghwa was surprised to find out Hongjoong was younger than him, though not by much, and Hongjoong was surprised to hear Seonghwa had moved all the way to Seoul at such a young age all by himself.

“You came all the way here to open a coffee shop?”

“Not exactly,” Seonghwa said, “I was in a prestigious high school program. I lived abroad for a while too even. I tried to go to college, but I couldn’t seem to find anything I wanted to do. I ended up dropping out, which made my parents upset, so I found a job to support myself while I figured out what I wanted to do. I worked at a coffee shop and I really liked it, so then I took a barista course and kept going from there. I was fortunate to come up with an entire business plan and my parents gave me some money to invest and their blessing. I almost went under the first year, though, to be honest, so it’s kind of amazing that I’ve gotten this far almost entirely on my own.”

“That is impressive. Why did you stay in Seoul to do it, though? You could have gone anywhere.”

“It’s Seoul. If you’re going to succeed, might do it somewhere big, right? Also, I don’t think it would have done well in Jinju. It’s too small and competition would be high or I wouldn’t have enough business. At least in Seoul there are so many shops that there’s competition, but also enough people to spare between each one.”

“I guess that’s true,” Hongjoong said.

“What about you?”

“Ah, well, I went to Hongik University for art. But, similar to you, I dropped out. I just didn’t like the rigidity of academia. I wanted to find a way to do art my own way. Originally, I was studying art and fashion and I had this whole thing I did, which I called reforming, but it never quite took off the way I hoped, so I had to find an alternative. I happened to go to a tattoo expo with a friend and I met Eden, who ended up taking me under his wing. I apprenticed under him and got licensed, then worked for a while and saved all my money to get a loan to open Good Lil Boy, which I regret naming it that, but it’s too late now. So, yeah…I guess we’re both hard workers, huh?”

Seonghwa smiled and put some meat on Hongjoong’s plate. “I guess so.” He ate a little bit, then asked, “How did you find San and Yeosang?”

“Yeosang answered my ad looking for a piercer to rent from me. I tried taking a course to learn to do it, but I was very bad.” Hongjoong snorted a bit. “So, I knew people would come in wanting them and I needed someone to do it. I just put an ad out and he showed up. It was nice because even though Yeosang was a bit newer, he already had clientele he could bring and that helped my name get out there. San actually came through my partnering with a local program. They give basic training and then send them out to apprenticeship, so I was given a few options and picked San from among them. He’s a good worker despite how scatterbrained he seems.”

“Oh, I understand that,” Seonghwa said with a laugh, “Wooyoung is so nosy and forward, but he’s an incredibly hard worker. He really has a knack for making drinks and cooking. I’m actually thinking of adding some food to the menu because of him. And Mingi was sort of hopeless at first, but he’s just a slow starter and now I have him taking care of our social profiles and he’s an absolute genius! I feel bad having wasted his skills these past few years.”

Hongjoong was smiling fondly at him and Seonghwa blushed.

“What? Do I have something on my face?”

“No. I just love how much you love your employees. You really care about them. I think that’s sweet.”

The omega smiled. “I wanted to work somewhere that felt like a family. It’s important to me that everyone get along and care about one another.”

“That’s great. I think it shows in how you all work together.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Seonghwa said, “I think your team’s dynamic is nice too.”

“They’re little shits, but I love them.”

Hongjoong took the tongs from Seonghwa so that he could eat, tending to the few pieces of meat left on the grill. The omega finally grabbed a piece of cheese tteok and popped it into his mouth. It was delicious—a piece of rice cake stuffed with cheese. He’d never had something so tiny but delectable, an utter joy to his tastebuds.

“Wow, that is delicious.”

“Right?” Hongjoong said with a laugh.

“Thank you for showing me my new favorite food.”

Hongjoong laughed harder and dropped the tongs right onto the ground. He flushed immediately, which made Seonghwa burst out laughing. They ordered more meat and asked for new tongs after that.

“You know, I always thought you’d be some cool guy, but you’re kind of a nerd,” Seonghwa said with a little laugh.

“Um, okay, look who’s talking. You like Star Wars!”

“I like Star Wars a normal amount, thank you very much.”

“You let me draw you a Death Star!” Hongjoong argued.

“You offered!”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “It’s kind of nice to hear you say you thought I was cool. Sorry to disappoint.”

“It’s fine. I’m glad you aren’t. It makes it easier to talk to you and not freak out. The amount of time I spent not knowing what to say or thinking you already had someone, because how could you not?”

The alpha blinked. “You thought I was dating someone?”

“You were always on the phone when you came in, so I kind of assumed…Who else would you talk to so early in the morning?”

“Actually, I was talking to my fellow artist, Maddox. He’s been living and tattooing in England for the last couple years. I have to call him first thing in the morning or I can’t talk to him. I hate the mornings. The only good things about it were talking and catching up with him and seeing you—”

Hongjoong realized what he had said and his cheeks turned crimson. Seonghwa laughed softly. He had always thought Hongjoong was pretty, but he’d never considered just how cute he was. Seeing this side of him being bashful and getting easily flustered was super adorable. He’d always acted so calm and collected around Seonghwa, so it was definitely a change.

“I wish we’d connected a little earlier,” Seonghwa admitted.

Hongjoong nodded. “Me too. I guess…I wasn’t sure if I should pursue you or not. We didn’t talk much in the mornings—which now I know is my fault, because I’m a dumbass—and San usually told me about how someone was always asking you out and you turned them down. He managed to see someone almost everyday, I swear. So, I knew you got offers all the time, and it’s not like I have much to offer you in terms of dating…”

The omega tilted his head, then stuck a piece of meat in his mouth. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t have a retirement and my paycheck is really varied, depending on what kind of work I do. I lived with my parents up until last year. And, I mean, look at me. I’m small and slender and anyone could beat me up if they tried hard enough, but I can put up a good fight, I swear!”

Seonghwa laughed softly. “You seem alpha enough to me.”

“Wait, you know I’m an alpha?”

Hongjoong seemed genuinely shocked. Seonghwa nodded.

“I have this uncanny ability to discern what someone’s second gender is. You and Yeosang are alphas and San is a beta, right?”

Hongjoong blinked again, really stunned apparently. Seonghwa tried not to laugh and smiled more.

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t ask me if I was a beta or an omega first,” Hongjoong said.

“I don’t really think it’s important, to be honest. Expecting everyone to adhere to tiny boxes of desirable traits is silly. We’ve come so far since the days those were made. I used to get mistaken for an alpha in high school all the time.”

“You? Really?”

“Yeah. I had a pretty mean face,” Seonghwa said with a laugh.

“You’re gorgeous, in my opinion.”

The omega flushed at that. He’d been told he was pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, and every other adjective for good looking by hundreds, if not thousands of people, but when Hongjoong said it, it meant more. He really was down bad for this alpha.

“What is it like, being a male omega? Is it okay that I ask that?”

“It’s fine. I don’t have a problem with it. I always sort of knew that’s what I would end up, honestly. I think because people consider me good looking, they always give me a pass for everything else that doesn’t quite ‘fit,’ like the fact that I’m tall or that I have a bad body.”

“Bad body?” Hongjoong echoed.

“Oh, um…” Seonghwa regretted bringing it up. “My physical health isn’t always great. I have a really low pain tolerance and get sore easily. I get sick easily too, which doesn’t help that I usually run myself ragged for work.”

“No wonder you were so scared about being tattooed.”

Seonghwa nodded and bit his lip. “I really am sorry about that. I felt so terrible for wasting your time. I even had talked myself into getting it because I must have wanted it subconsciously or something.”

Hongjoong laughed. “I’m honored you tried that hard just so you wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”

“I was so embarrassed. I felt like a kid again.”

The two of them laughed together as Seonghwa covered his face in embarrassment. When he peeked at Hongjoong, he saw the alpha was smiling.

Hongjoong then said, “If it’s any consolation, I honestly never knew what to say to you. I felt so dumb. Like, I wanted to ask you if you always open that early or if you specifically did it for me, because no one was ever there, but I was afraid that would be too flirty and you’d think I was weird. So, when you came to the studio, I was able to put on my work persona and not double, triple think what it was I was saying to you.”

“We both get a little dumb around one another, huh?”

Hongjoong nodded and smiled. “I like to think it’s a good thing?”

“It’s a good thing,” Seonghwa agreed with a nod.

They both took a shot of soju then and laughed, feeling very at ease with one another.

Hongjoong insisted on walking Seonghwa home after their meal. Seonghwa had been happy to learn Hongjoong wasn’t much of a drinker, which was great since he struggled with it too, so they were only a tiny bit buzzed as they rode the last train to Seonghwa’s stop. They kept talking as they walked, debating movies. Hongjoong had turned out to be a big film nerd, which Seonghwa ribbed him for, since he’d made fun of his love of Star Wars, only for Seonghwa to find out he liked the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

When they reached Seonghwa’s apartment complex, he turned to Hongjoong.

“Well, here it is.”

Hongjoong looked up at it, appearing shocked and clueless.

“Already?”

Seonghwa laughed softly and hummed to say “yes.” The alpha picked at one of his fingernails.

“I don’t want to go yet.”

The omega wondered if that was his way of asking to come up. Usually, Seonghwa wouldn’t go home with anyone until at least the third or fourth date. But Hongjoong was different. Seonghwa would let him up if he asked.

Hongjoong squeezed his eyes shut suddenly. “That was cheesy. I obviously need to leave.”

Seonghwa laughed at that, a lot louder than he meant, but just buzzed enough to be uninhibited in that regard.

“Should we walk around the neighborhood again?” he asked once he’d caught his breath.

“Okay,” Hongjoong agreed without missing a beat.

He offered Seonghwa his hand and the omega took it. They walked around the block one more time, laughing and talking with one another, getting a little louder than they probably should have. Once they circled back around to Seonghwa’s apartment, Hongjoong turned to him.

“Okay, I’ll go after this.”

Seonghwa wanted to tell him he could stay. That he would let Hongjoong come up and do anything he wanted to him. That’s how crazy he was for the alpha.

But Hongjoong reached up and pulled Seonghwa’s head down by the back of his neck, crashing their lips together. Even though he was caught off guard, their noses did not bump and their teeth did not clash. Instead, their lips met perfectly. Hongjoong’s lips were just a little chapped, but Seonghwa liked it. There was a hunger that was palpable between them. Hongjoong’s lips moved furiously over his, his tongue prodding for access, and Seonghwa felt his knees go weak. He slung his arms over the shorter man’s shoulders, his fingers gripping Hongjoong’s shirt as tight as he could.

With a strength Seonghwa had not expected (especially after what he’d said earlier), Hongjoong crowded him up against the wall beside the door to his complex. The alpha’s tongue slipped between his lips when he let out the stunned little gasp caused from his back meeting the wall. Seonghwa felt like putty in Hongjoong’s hands and he liked it very much. This aggressive side of Hongjoong was better than he’d expected.

Their tongues tangled in an almost dance that had Seonghwa wanting to giggle, but then Hongjoong would bite down or tug on his lip with his teeth and the omega’s entire brain would short circuit for a moment. He didn’t know how long they kissed or how long it had been since he went up for air, his head tilting to accommodate and trying to reciprocate everything he was being given while also keeping himself upright.

Their make out session—because that’s what it was—was interrupted by someone opening the door and bumping Hongjoong. He pushed into Seonghwa’s chest for a brief moment, nearly pinning him to the wall. Seonghwa glanced over Hongjoong’s head and saw one of his elderly neighborhoods shooting him an annoyed and disappointed look. The omega felt his cheeks flush, feeling every bit like a guilty school boy caught making out in a classroom. Hongjoong must have felt the same because he was stiff as a board and bright red.

He stepped back and looked up at Seonghwa.

“That, um, I…”

He couldn’t seem to form any words. Seonghwa just nodded, knowing what he meant.

“Okay, I’m going,” Hongjoong said, but he barely backed up enough for Seonghwa to stand up straight. “We’ll do this again?”

“Definitely,” Seonghwa said before he’d even finished asking. “Good night, Hongjoong.”

“Good night, Seonghwa.”

They shared another very brief kiss, the sparks still there, and the omega was grinning as he headed up to his apartment. He waited for Hongjoong to text him that he’d made it home safe before he went to bed, feeling happier than ever.

After that, Hongjoong and Seonghwa started to casually date. They didn’t discuss being exclusive or calling one another boyfriends, but they went out once or twice a week and ate or went to the movies or did some other activity together, just the two of them. Hongjoong always walked Seonghwa home, though he never asked to come up. It had been a great month and a half, but the omega was starting to want more and wondered if he needed to bring it up. They’d made out a few times more, but aside from some heavy petting which had stayed above their clothes, they hadn’t done much more. Seonghwa didn’t want to rush things, but their relationship almost felt like it was starting to get stuck in the mud.

He sighed wistfully as he leaned against the front counter. They had agreed to see one another that night and Seonghwa was trying to work up the courage to tell Hongjoong he wanted to have sex. It had been far too long since he’d been intimate with anyone and he knew he wanted to be with Hongjoong. The alpha wouldn’t turn him down, would he? Honestly, with the way they’d been flirting and touching, he found it was a miracle that they hadn’t gone further yet.

“Hyung, don’t forget that there’s reporter coming by this evening to talk to you about an interview,” Mingi said as he got his jacket on.

“Oh, yes. I’ll make sure to be ready,” Seonghwa said.

He noticed that Mingi had done his hair and makeup, looking a bit fancier than normal.

“Where are you off to?”

Mingi was a bit pink as he smiled. “I have a date.”

“With who?” Seonghwa asked playfully, playing the Wooyoung role since the other omega had already gone home that day.

“Y-Yunho-ssi…”

Seonghwa lit up. “You’re going out with Yunho? Yay! When did this happen? Who asked who?”

“He came the other day and tried to pay for all the cookies I’ve been giving him for months. He said he’d been waiting for the deposition to end so he could pay in a lump sum, but I told him that it wasn’t his fault I kept doing it and couldn’t accept his money, so then he asked if he could repay me by taking me out to dinner…” Mingi was practically grinning. “I’m really excited.”

“That’s great, Mingi. I hope you have the best time together.”

“Thanks, hyung. I have to go or I’ll be late. Promise me you’ll look over the information I left you about the publication.”

“I will! Go, go!”

Seonghwa shooed Mingi out with a laugh. He felt happy for his friend that he was going to go on a date with someone he’d been crushing on for so long. It gave Seonghwa the little feeling of courage he needed to know it was fine to tell Hongjoong he wanted more.

The tattoo artist was a bit flighty about feelings, always shying away from Seonghwa when he told him he thought he was good looking or if he paid him any compliment at all, really. He even got weird about Seonghwa remarking they had couple ice cream when they had ordered the exact same flavor at the same time without discussing it. It had made Seonghwa wonder if Hongjoong didn’t like him as much as he thought. The omega had been ignoring those negative feelings as best he could, but he had decided enough was enough.

Seonghwa was going to ask Hongjoong to be his boyfriend and if he accepted, they would finally have sex. The omega knew he needed both.

Eternal Sunshine was a bit slow that day, enough that only one person needed to be there, and just busy enough that Seonghwa couldn’t be idle for long, his personal thoughts and problems set aside for the time being. He still got asked out once or twice, but Seonghwa was able to kindly turn them down before helping someone else.

He heard someone chuckle lightly just as he said goodbye to yet another person asking him out. Seonghwa looked back in confusion, thinking perhaps it would be Hongjoong or maybe even Wooyoung, but instead finding a man he didn’t know at all.

He was pretty, straddling the line of masculine and feminine in a way that most people could not. His hair was a shaggy black mullet and he had numerous earrings in his lobes, plus a nose ring and lip ring on opposite sides from one another. Though Seonghwa knew colored contacts were trendy, he so rarely encountered anyone who wore them, this man’s icy blue eyes were almost kind of scary. He wore an oversized sweater and a few chain necklaces, as well as numerous rings on his fingers. His fingernails were painted and Seonghwa could spot a few tattoos peeking out. This guy had a vibe.

All of it at once reminded Seonghwa of Hongjoong a lot—small and pretty with an edgy vibe, fashion forward but wholly unique. He had never seen anyone else like this before.

“Um, hello,” he said.

“Hi. Sorry, I was just a little shocked. I’ve heard the owner here often gets asked out by patrons, but I didn’t think there was any grain of salt to it. But, I then saw it right before my own eyes within five minutes of entering this place. It was too ridiculous to believe.”

Seonghwa only blinked. The pretty man offered his hand.

“Do Hanse. I had an appointment to discuss a publication in the Eye of Hongdae Examiner.”

This was the reporter Mingi had told Seonghwa about. He didn’t think he would come in so soon or look the way he did. Then again, the omega had no idea what kind of publication the Eye of Hongdae Examiner even was. He’d never heard of it until Mingi had mentioned it. And he obviously had not read anything that Mingi had prepared for him, which Seonghwa now felt a little guilty about.

“Yes! Hi, I’m Park Seonghwa. Welcome to Eternal Sunshine.”

“Nice to meet you,” Hanse said with an easy smile.

His tone felt almost flirty and it actually got a bit of a reaction from Seonghwa. Usually, he was pretty cool when people hit on him, but there was something subtly sultry about Hanse that made him feel a little nervous.

“So, what would you recommend on your menu?”

Seonghwa opened his mouth, then shut it. He’d almost recommended Hongjoong’s drink, which was incredibly silly and so particular that he felt his cheeks flush. He was letting himself get too swept up in the similarities he saw between the two.

“That depends. What sort of drink do you normally like?” he asked.

“Anything’s good for me.”

Hanse’s lip curved up in a devilish way and Seonghwa swore his hands started to shake. A nervous little laugh bubbled past his lips.

“You’re the owner, so what would you normally have?”

“I’m actually not a huge coffee lover, so I tend to stick with a mocha or fruit flavored drinks,” Seonghwa admitted.

Hanse’s eyebrows pinched, looking skeptical, and Seonghwa felt himself flush. He’d never told any customer that he didn’t love coffee.

“And yet you own a coffee shop? Interesting.”

“I mean, I like it just fine. I’m just not a strong flavor person,” Seonghwa said quickly.

Hanse nodded a little bit and laughed the smallest bit. “I see. Well, I’ll try whatever you’d like to make me. I’ll sit over there for now and when you’re ready, you can talk to me.”

The tall omega nodded. Hanse walked over to an empty table and sat down. He drew a notepad from his bag and wrote something down. Seonghwa wondered if he was fucking up all the hard work Mingi had put into organizing this interview.

As he started to make a drink, he began to think.

For the first time in his life, Seonghwa was stumped. He wasn’t quite sure what Hanse’s second gender could be. Usually it took at most five minutes of talking for Seonghwa to figure it out, but he was really struggling. Hanse was straddling the line of every subgender. He was beautiful and on the petite side, which fit being an omega, but then he was rather quick witted and had a quiet authority that suited an alpha. And yet he seemed completely unthreatening in a way that befit a beta, someone who was “normal” in some sense of the word.

Seonghwa went with something simple and made a caramel vanilla latte for the other man. He took it over to him and sat down. Hanse accepted the drink with a grateful smile.

“So, I’m just sort of getting a vibe for this place and wondering what all I should ask you,” Hanse said, “I like to take some time getting to know a place before actually doing an interview. There’s nothing like giving publicity to an asshole, am I right?”

Seonghwa nodded, even though he had no opinion. He was mesmerized by the way Hanse talked, still trying his hardest to figure out what he might be. In the end, he knew it wasn’t important, but now he was starting to obsess over it.

“Anyway, I just want to make sure that you aren’t fake or something,” Hanse continued, “But, I did see a guy just try to ask you out and I doubt you staged that just for me.”

“I can’t have. I didn’t even know who you were,” Seonghwa admitted.

“Right. You have an SNS manager, yeah?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impressive for a small business, to have someone dedicated just to SNS. And you recently added a delivery option?” Hanse asked.

“Yes. I hired some new employees since we’d expanded more than I had expected and one of them was actually our deliveryman. I was really flattered when he applied for the job and he contributed to the idea that we could do delivery ourselves and not contract the work to someone else, which I’d been hesitant to do.”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s just…” Seonghwa paused. “If you contract with someone else to provide delivery, how do you know they’re adhering to your standard when you’re not there? I hated working places prior to this where people didn’t honor the heart of the business with them always. I personally train my entire staff to do the same work and carry the same mindset. If they can’t do that, they aren’t a good fit. I wanted us to feel like a family, so I felt nervous about letting people who I had no control over come in. Sure they’ll pick up and deliver our drinks, but would they make sure to get the hot drinks to them hot? Would they be polite? Those kinds of things.”

Hanse was listening with a blank face. Seonghwa couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or fascinated or what, but it made him nervous.

“Sorry, I was babbling.”

“No, no. Don’t apologize. That’s the kind of thing I like to hear. Makes you interesting,” Hanse said, “That made me decide I will interview you.”

Seonghwa lit up a bit. “Ah, really?”

Hanse nodded and sipped on his latte. He hadn’t said anything about it, but had been drinking it, so he must have been fine with it.

“What does your schedule look like?”

Seonghwa watched Hanse reach into his bag to get out his phone. There was something in the way that he moved right then, the way he reached into his bag while moving his hair aside, that told Seonghwa he was an omega. It made him relax the slightest bit—which seemed rather silly—but Seonghwa felt some tension in his shoulders release. It didn’t mean anything really, but it made Hanse seem more approachable, since they were of the same subgender. They would understand one another in a way most people didn’t.

“Evenings are usually the best for me,” Hanse said.

“That’s fine. I don’t work on Mondays, but any other evening would be just fine. I’m always here to close up.”

Hanse nodded a bit as he scrolled through his calendar on his phone.

The bell above the door dinged and Seonghwa glanced up. Hongjoong had come in, assumingly to pick him up for their date. Seonghwa didn’t realize it was already closing time. He waved at Hongjoong, who was looking around for him.

The alpha’s eyes found him and he was smiling, but then his face turned hard. Seonghwa stopped waving, wondering what was wrong, but he didn’t have time to think about it.

“How about Wednesday evening? I can come about six,” Hanse said.

“That would be great. We close at that time, so it should be nice and quiet.”

Hanse drew out a business card and offered it to him.

“If you happen to need to change the time or if maybe sometime you’d like to get drinks, give me a call.”

Seonghwa felt himself blush. “T-Thank you, Do Hanse-ssi.”

Hanse gave him a little smirk, put his things in his bag, and got up.  “No, thank you, Park Seonghwa-ssi.” He winked and headed for the door, passing Hongjoong.

Seonghwa stared after him, then looked at Hongjoong. The alpha seemed a bit off. The omega regained himself and stood up, sliding the card into his pocket.

“Hi,” he greeted with a smile, “I didn’t realize how late it was already. Let me just close up and we can go.”

“Okay.”

Hongjoong’s tone was a bit short. Seonghwa was not used to him speaking like that, so it made him feel a bit nervous. Was he angry that Seonghwa had not realized the time? They were just getting dinner, though. He didn’t think it was a big deal if they didn’t eat right at seven. He was actually surprised Hongjoong was there at six. The omega usually had to go get the alpha.

Seonghwa quickly locked up and closed down Eternal Sunshine in a hurry. He restocked the easy things before they left.

Hongjoong walked ahead of him instead of behind him on the way there, which felt rather weird. He was rather silent while they ate too and when Seonghwa did say things, he just hummed acknowledgements and gave terse, short answers when he was asked a question. Perhaps he’d had a bad day, Seonghwa thought, but he didn’t know why Hongjoong had to take it out on him.

It made Seonghwa feel depressed. Uncomfortable even. He’d lost any courage to ask Hongjoong about having sex. In fact, he kind of wanted to go home. Maybe this would be the end of their short lived whatever it was they were doing.

After dinner, they started to walk back toward their businesses. Seonghwa had promised to watch a movie at Hongjoong’s that night after dinner—he still hadn’t been to the other man’s apartment or house or wherever he lived—but now he was feeling like he shouldn’t bother.

“Maybe I should just head home,” Seonghwa said then, seeing the nearby station entrance, “I’m feeling kind of tired.”

Hongjoong looked shocked. “I thought you were coming over to watch a movie?”

“I can come another night…”

Seonghwa was trying not to make it awkward but it felt awkward. He wanted to get away from Hongjoong. The alpha was so grumpy and unpleasant right now and he didn’t know why. Seonghwa figured if he was the cause, it would be better if they just went their separate ways, but now Hongjoong seemed shocked he wanted to leave, so he was as confused as ever.

“I just…I just get the feeling that you aren’t feeling great this evening,” Seonghwa said, unsure how else to word it.

Hongjoong winced, like Seonghwa had hit him, and he looked away. His hand worked nervously at the back of his neck. The omega wondered what had gotten him so wound up.

“Are you seeing someone else besides me?” Hongjoong asked then, looking at him.

His eyes had a mix of hurt and hope in them, like he didn’t know what to think or feel about how Seonghwa would answer.

It took Seonghwa a moment to process what Hongjoong had said.

Had he heard Hongjoong right? Did he ask if Seonghwa was seeing someone else?

For a moment, he felt a little offended that Hongjoong would think he was someone to do that, but he had to remind himself that they hadn’t agreed to be boyfriends, that a lot of people did sometimes date more than one person casually until they decided to be exclusive. But Seonghwa was unsure where Hongjoong had gotten the idea that Seonghwa did that.

But then he thought of how Hongjoong had come in while Seonghwa had been talking to Hanse. Had he heard Hanse flirting with him?

Was he jealous? Did he think that there were other people in competition for Seonghwa’s affection?

“And if there is?” he said, trying not to smile.

Hongjoong’s head snapped toward him, his eyes wide. They grew dark as he looked at him, something feral and instinctual coming alive within him.

Seonghwa tried to keep his face calm as he leaned closer.

“What are you going to do about it?”

Hongjoong grabbed Seonghwa’s hand, his grip surprisingly strong, and dragged him further down the street. The omega tried to contain his glee, hide his excitement over how Hongjoong was acting. Sure, he had people fawning over him everyday, but it wasn’t the same as having some alpha go feral over the idea that maybe he was seeing someone else when really he wasn’t. Seonghwa felt very happy in finding out that Hongjoong liked him as much as the omega liked the alpha. It was exciting.

They came up to Good Lil Boy and Seonghwa was still confused as to why they’d gone back to where their works were. But then Hongjoong tugged him into the side alley of the tattoo parlor and up the stairs that would take them to the second floor. Seonghwa had never found out what was above the tattoo parlor, so he was shocked when the alpha pulled him inside and revealed it was actually an apartment.

Before he could even get his shoes off, Hongjoong tugged him down into a kiss, fingers digging into the back of his neck, hard enough to bruise. It stirred arousal in his gut as he returned the kiss. Hongjoong’s tongue forced its way into Seonghwa’s mouth and the omega groaned. The alpha was always a little aggressive, but not like this.

Hongjoong pulled back to look at him. Seonghwa laughed softly then and put his arms around the alpha’s neck.

“This was all I wanted tonight, you know,” he said, “For you to wreck me.”

The alpha’s pupils dilated again and it made Seonghwa feel particularly special. He loved that he could warrant that kind of reaction from the man before him. His finger playfully dragged down the bridge of Hongjoong’s nose.

“Could you do that for me?”

Hongjoong’s hands pulled Seonghwa close to him, their chests meeting. Seonghwa felt like he was grinning like a madman, but he didn’t care. The alpha nipped at his chin, teeth sharp, but it only sent sparks down Seonghwa’s spine. The alpha’s hands rested on the small of Seonghwa’s back as he mouthed at Seonghwa’s jaw, giving harsh nips and sucks.

The omega’s knees started to shake as Hongjoong sucked on his neck. His fingers curled into the back of Hongjoong’s shirt and he nearly collapsed against him as the alpha partially bit down on the skin.

With surprising strength, Hongjoong lifted Seonghwa up around the thighs and carried him into the other room. Seonghwa had never thought the alpha would carry him, so he was getting more turned on by the second as they made their way through the apartment. He caught glimpse of the living room and kitchen and the doorway to the bathroom before they entered Hongjoong’s bedroom. It was a bit messy, cramped with a bed too big for the room and clothes strewn everywhere. There was art all over the walls and a desk set up with a computer and tablet. Seonghwa hated it, but felt himself getting weirdly more turned on by it, like the messiness was some kind of taboo.

Hongjoong put Seonghwa down on the bed and stepped back. The alpha stripped out of his t-shirt and jeans as quickly as he could, the omega watching in sheer fascination.

The alpha’s body was slim muscle, faint line of abs visible even, but Seonghwa was distracted by the tattoos on Hongjoong’s body that he’d never seen before. His shoulders, pecs, and sides all the way down to his thighs were covered with monochromatic images—curling vines and flowers all in black and white, but with intricate shading which added depth to them. They were very different from the “No 1 Like Me” on his arm and the winged cross which said “Faith” on his leg. It was stunning and overwhelming in a way that Seonghwa had never expected, awed by the beauty of the art but also entranced by how it looked on Hongjoong’s skin.

Seonghwa’s body felt hot with Hongjoong’s eyes on him. He started to strip out of his clothes quickly. The omega tried not to get embarrassed as he revealed his long, slender legs and slim physique. Seonghwa didn’t think he was bad to look at, but he couldn’t think of the last time he’d been naked with someone else not in the dark. Hongjoong was still in his underwear, so Seonghwa decided to be bold and strip his own off. He felt how they clung to his ass from the slick that was already starting to drip from him and flushed a little bit as he peeled them off and tossed them aside. His cock stood boldly toward his stomach, excited and aching for someone to touch it.

The omega watched how Hongjoong’s cock twitched in his underwear, already erect and straining against the fabric. It made Seonghwa’s mouth water. Hongjoong crawled onto the bed with him and leaned in to kiss Seonghwa again, surprisingly tender this time. The omega’s fingers pressed through Hongjoong’s half and half hair and sucked on his bottom lip. The alpha groaned as he returned it, his arm winding around the omega’s middle.

Seonghwa tried to kiss him harder, but Hongjoong pulled back. The omega whined softly. Hongjoong pressed Seonghwa back onto the bed, shimmying over him and pinning his hands. His lips started to trail down Seonghwa’s throat onto his chest. Seonghwa let himself relax under Hongjoong’s touch.

The alpha’s teeth nipped at Seonghwa’s collarbones rather hard, which made Seonghwa groan in surprise. The mix of pain and pleasure was intense. He shivered. Hongjoong sucked hard, his lips suctioned to the skin, and Seonghwa knew that he was going to have a hickey there. Except Hongjoong did it again, slowly moving over his collarbones. The constant barrage on his collarbones was too much and Seonghwa’s legs drew up, trying to wriggle away.

Hongjoong pushed his hips down against Seonghwa, their cocks rubbing against one another, and the omega cried out. He heard the alpha chuckle. He let go of Seonghwa and scooted down, spreading the omega’s thighs as he leaned down. His lips kissed the tip of Seonghwa’s dick, then his tongue lapped at it playfully. The sensation made the omega shiver once again and he tried to keep his hips still as Hongjoong took half of him into his mouth. Slick dribbled down the cleft of his ass, excited and ready for the alpha to fuck him.

Hongjoong gave a little suck as his fingers went between Seonghwa’s legs and rubbed at his rim. The omega took a deep breath. Hongjoong’s finger eased past his rim without warning, his head starting to bob on Seonghwa’s dick. The omega felt his gaze getting blurry, feeling pleasured from two ends. Hongjoong was impatient, it seemed, because he added a second finger to Seonghwa’s ass only a few minutes later.

Seonghwa didn’t fight it, though. He squeezed around Hongjoong’s fingers, hips pressing up into the alpha’s mouth. Hongjoong sucked on his dick, deep throating him. The sensation was too much and Seonghwa felt himself come suddenly. His toes curled at the feeling as he moaned loudly. Hongjoong pulled off of him, Seonghwa’s already softening cock dripping onto his own stomach. The alpha wiped at his mouth and grabbed a tissue from nearby to spit it out. The omega caught his breath as he reached out and got hold of Hongjoong’s hips.

He forced the tattoo artist’s underwear down to reveal his dick and Seonghwa paused.

The first thing that was surprising was Hongjoong was big, like an alpha would be, though in a way that seemed almost out of proportion with his body; he wasn’t exceptionally long, but he was thick. It was better than anything he had imagined, that was for sure. But the more surprising thing was that the alpha’s dick was pierced. There was a barbell very clearly resting on the underside of his penis, right below his glans. Seonghwa didn’t know what to think and so he ended up just staring at Hongjoong’s dick for a moment.

Hongjoong’s thighs twitched and Seonghwa could suddenly smell the alpha. It was a strong scent, slightly bitter, and the omega realized he smelled kind of like roasted coffee. He felt a little laugh bubble up and smiled. The alpha was feeling nervous, probably because Seonghwa was staring.

He ran his hands up Hongjoong’s thighs before he took hold of him by the hips and brought him closer, putting his lips over the head of Hongjoong’s cock. He slid down until he fully had the head in his mouth, as well as Hongjoong’s piercing, which felt heavy on his tongue. He suckled, hollowing his cheeks, and squeezed the alpha’s waist with his hands. The barbell was a pleasant source of friction against his tongue and he rubbed it vigorously, tasting Hongjoong’s precum as it flooded his tastebuds. The omega sucked a bit hard and started to slowly bob his head, tongue teasing the piercing and his glans vigorously.

The alpha’s hand took hold of Seonghwa by the hair, tight enough that it felt like he was holding Seonghwa in place, but still letting the omega move at his own pace. Seonghwa squeezed Hongjoong’s thighs then. The alpha took it as a sign and gripped the omega’s dark hair tightly, keeping him in place now. His hips started to move vigorously and Seonghwa relaxed his throat, letting the alpha fuck him the way he wanted. Letting Hongjoong use him felt good and Seonghwa found himself letting go, letting that base instinct as an omega take over. He didn’t need to think.

But his omega brain couldn’t get the thought of what Hongjoong’s pierced cock might feel like inside of him. He wanted that more than anything now.

He felt Hongjoong’s cock twitch against his tongue and Seonghwa sucked hard, drawing the alpha’s orgasm out of him. He came with a loud groan, his grip on the omega’s hair loosening. Seonghwa sucked his cock vigorously, drinking down every last drop of cum while stimulating the alpha’s flaccid cock. He wasn’t ready for them to be done yet.

Hongjoong didn’t seem to feel that way either, because he got hard again rather quickly. Seonghwa pulled off, some cum dribbling from his mouth and he wiped it from his lips with a little smile. Hongjoong was watching him with fascination. It was obvious his alpha had taken over him too.

Seonghwa pressed Hongjoong back into the bed and climbed over him. He rubbed his ass back against the alpha’s dick, feeling the head catch on his rim every so often. They both panted, little moans and groans falling from their lips. Seonghwa kept his thighs apart as he reached down and held Hongjoong still. He aligned the tip with his slick entrance, thumb teasing the frenum piercing. He knew it would hurt a little, since neither he nor the alpha had bothered to open him up much, but he couldn’t wait. He needed the alpha’s cock in him immediately.

The omega pressed down onto Hongjoong’s cock. The initial budge wasn’t so bad, but when he felt the barbell edge past his rim, he couldn’t help inhaling deeply. He slid down further, trying to relax, and seated himself in Hongjoong’s lap after a moment. The alpha’s girth was a lot and he was acutely aware of the piercing on his dick, giving just enough friction to tip him past the point of normal pleasure. Seonghwa was pretty sure he was drooling on himself and he didn’t care one bit. He leaned back a little, balancing his hands on Hongjoong’s thighs, and looked down at the alpha, who was staring at him.

Seonghwa felt himself grinning as he slowly pushed himself up the length of Hongjoong’s cock. He stopped when he felt the piercing rub against his rim and squeezed around it and the head. Slick flooded around it, dripping from his ass and onto his thighs. He wasn’t sure he had ever been that wet. Hongjoong twitched inside of him, but kept still, like he was obediently waiting for Seonghwa’s permission to do something, which only made him hotter.

The omega sunk back down and started to bounce in Hongjoong’s lap. The alpha’s hands stayed prone at his sides.

Seonghwa giggled softly. “You can touch me, Alpha.”

Hongjoong’s hands went to Seonghwa’s hips immediately and he sat up a bit, his knees coming up to brace slightly against Seonghwa’s back. The omega kept bouncing vigorously in his lap, his cock bobbing against his stomach and dripping precum. Hongjoong nipped at Seonghwa’s chest as he planted his feet and started to fuck up into him. Seonghwa whined, his hands taking purchase on Hongjoong’s shoulders quickly to keep him upright. With Hongjoong’s thrusts joining in, he felt overwhelmed by pleasure. He’d had good sex before, but this was simply mindblowing.

His fingers traced the thorns etched along Hongjoong’s shoulders before he dug his fingers in and sped up. He bounced as fast as he could, even though it made his knees hurt a bit and his thighs burned with exertion. Hongjoong tried to keep up, pulling Seonghwa closer so that they were practically embracing as their hips worked in tandem together. The alpha’s cock hit his prostate, making Seonghwa moan loudly.

Seonghwa could already feel his orgasm growing closer, but he didn’t want it to end. He kissed Hongjoong, his mouth wet with drool. The alpha returned the sloppy kiss, their lips smacking loudly. It made Seonghwa feel hotter. He was so turned on, it felt like he was in heat practically. His fingers curled into the ends of Hongjoong’s hair at the back of his neck, which was matted with sweat.

Seonghwa himself sweated easily and he could only imagine how shiny he looked, but he didn’t care, still bouncing eagerly in the alpha’s lap as fast as he could, squelching sound getting louder. His thighs and ass felt so wet that Hongjoong was sliding without any resistance. Craving the friction, he squeezed the alpha’s cock as hard as he could.

Hongjoong slammed up into him, pressing Seonghwa down harshly with all his might. The pressure against his prostate was too much and the omega threw back his head as he practically screamed. His thighs tightened around Hongjoong as his ass clenched and he came, shooting cum all over their stomachs. Hongjoong’s hips kept bucking, pressing into Seonghwa’s prostate with every single thrust, and he came with a guttural moan.

They panted loudly, the only sound in the room. Seonghwa felt overheated, but he didn’t pull away, instead slumping into the alpha. It made them tip backward and they bounced against the bed, which made Seonghwa laugh softly. Hongjoong still gripped him tight. He tipped Seonghwa’s chin up with his fingers and kissed him.

They exchanged kisses and Seonghwa relaxed. He felt happy. Fulfilled. Full.

Except he realized that full feeling wasn’t even from the cum, but from the fact that Hongjoong was getting hard again. He gasped softly. The alpha wanted to go again?

Seonghwa had never gone so many rounds with a partner before, usually done after one, but he didn’t actually hate the idea. In fact, he could feel himself getting hard too, eager to get off once again with Hongjoong. He’d never felt so horny before. It was kind of fun.

Hongjoong kissed him again, holding his chin still. Seonghwa returned it eagerly. He tried to sit up, but his legs felt practically numb. Hongjoong lifted him off of his cock then. Seonghwa felt cum slip down his perineum, but he barely had time to react because Hongjoong switched places with him, getting the omega face down on the damp sheets. The omega pressed his sweaty bangs back from his face and looked over his shoulder at the alpha.

Hongjoong was stroking himself vigorously, one finger specifically toying with his frenum piercing. Seonghwa watched him in fascination and felt himself getting wet again, slick and cum dripping out of his ass eagerly. He drew himself up onto his knees and shook his ass at the alpha then. The tattoo artist smirked and scooted close. He slapped his cock against Seonghwa’s ass, then his rim. The sound made Seonghwa keen, a needy moan falling from his lips.

Hongjoong’s thumbs teased the omega’s rim then, easing in and spreading him apart with a gentle press. Seonghwa groaned, digging his face into the sheets, taking in how they smelled of Hongjoong’s scent. He was surrounded by the alpha in every way possible and it made him feel amazing. It was better than anything he had imagined about Hongjoong.

Seonghwa groaned as he felt Hongjoong pressing inside of him again. He was sure he would not last long this time, already painfully hard and wet, but he didn’t care if it meant he could have Hongjoong again. The alpha’s hand stroked his chin and Seonghwa turned his head the slightest bit to look up at him through his wet fringe. Hongjoong combed Seonghwa’s hair back and leaned down to kiss him intimately, his tongue slipping into his mouth easily. Seonghwa returned it best he could.

The alpha started to move then, thrusting slowly into Seonghwa. He focused on sliding in as deep as he could, the angle making it easy to press against the omega’s prostate. Seonghwa reached back and held Hongjoong by the back of his neck, kissing him eagerly. Their tongues tangled with one another as Hongjoong kept thrusting, Seonghwa pinned to the bed and unable to move.

Their orgasms crested over them at the same time, moans falling from their lips. Seonghwa’s vision turned white and his body felt like jelly. Hongjoong’s weight felt comforting as he laid on top of him in a tangle of limbs. Seonghwa took Hongjoong’s hand into his own and smiled, satisfied in a way he hadn’t even thought possible.

At some point in the night, Seonghwa and Hongjoong had enough energy to have sex again and they did. Seonghwa didn’t think he could get enough of the alpha. He lost track of how many times either of them came, how many times his eyes blurred as pleasure overwhelmed him entirely. But finally, they fell asleep, cuddled together with limbs entwined. Seonghwa knew he couldn’t stop smiling. He had never felt so fulfilled and satisfied by being with someone.

Seonghwa was awoken by his phone ringing. It took him a moment to scramble from the bed and find it. He was going to hang up, but saw it was Wooyoung and realized that it was time to open Eternal Sunshine. It was probably an emergency or at least something important if he was getting called so early. With a sleepy yawn, Seonghwa climbed back into bed and tugged the covers up before he answered.

He realized a little too late that Wooyoung was facetiming him.

“Hyung, I can’t find the cup sleeves,” Wooyoung whined immediately, but then he dropped the playful pout as his eyes grew wide. “Wait, where are you?”

“Mmm, nowhere,” Seonghwa hummed, eyes barely open, “The cup sleeves are in the back on the left side, second shelf. Sorry I forgot to put them out.”

He felt Hongjoong’s arm slither over his side under the blankets and he pressed into Seonghwa’s back, his morning wood pressed between the cleft of Seonghwa’s ass cheeks. Seonghwa felt arousal stir in him, surprised he could be horny once again, but feeling happy that Hongjoong seemed so eager to have him. The alpha kissed the back of his neck.

“Oh my god, you hooked up!” Wooyoung cried.

“Did you need anything else?” Seonghwa said.

“I can’t believe you did it! Holy shit, hyung, you need to—”

Seonghwa hung up and tossed his phone further down the bed, then rolled over to look at Hongjoong. The alpha’s eyes were barely open but he smiled and kissed Seonghwa immediately. The omega hummed and put his arms around Hongjoong.

“Good morning,” he cooed.

“Morning.”

Hongjoong scooted close to him and tossed his leg over Seonghwa’s hip. Seonghwa giggled softly and pressed kisses to Hongjoong’s face. Even though he was tired, he could tell the alpha was barely awake. Despite that, he apparently had the energy to rut into him. Their cocks brushed one another and Seonghwa could tell Hongjoong was fully hard.

Seonghwa reached down and teased the alpha’s tip, rubbing his piercing vigorously. Hongjoong groaned, his face looking extra pretty as it tipped back, eyes pinched closed and mouth open. It didn’t take much to push the alpha over the edge and he came into Seonghwa’s hand with a grunt. He then snuggled close to Seonghwa, apparently ready to go right back to sleep.

Seonghwa had become acutely aware of how messy they were, though, and he was no longer turned on enough to ignore it. He kissed Hongjoong’s sleepy face all over.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he whispered.

“’kay,” Hongjoong said, barely audible.

“Can I borrow some clothes?”

Hongjoong waved his hand and rolled over. Seonghwa saw the vine and flower tattoo covered his back as well. If the omega didn’t feel disgusting, he would have laid there and traced the lines, but he knew he could do that later. He gave Hongjoong a kiss on the back of his neck and slid out of the bed.

It took him a little bit to figure out what clothes were clean—he had to ignore the desire to clean Hongjoong’s room—and got into the shower. After he’d showered, Seonghwa took a moment to admire himself in the mirror. His collarbones were practically purple from all the love bites Hongjoong had left on them, which made him giggle like a giddy school girl. He felt a bit naughty as he got dressed in one of Hongjoong’s oversized t-shirts from Good Lil Boy and a pair of oversized cotton shorts. They barely reached just above Seonghwa’s knees, since he was taller than Hongjoong, but he felt rather cute in them.

He headed into the kitchen and opened up the alpha’s fridge. It wasn’t well stocked, but there was enough in there that Seonghwa could fix them something to eat. He was starving and could only imagine the alpha would be too when he woke up.

After he’d fixed them a little something, Seonghwa went back into the room and climbed over Hongjoong.

“Wake up,” he cooed and pressed kisses on Hongjoong’s face.

Hongjoong groaned and grumbled, trying to ignore him, but eventually gave up and opened his eyes. Seonghwa smiled and laughed softly, cuddling into the alpha.

“I made you breakfast.”

Hongjoong’s eyes narrowed slightly, barely open. “You did not.”

“I did.” Seonghwa got up then. “Better get up or I’m going to eat it all!”

He went to the doorway and leaned in it, watching as Hongjoong pushed himself up. He rubbed at his face, then pushed his hand through his hair and looked at Seonghwa.

“Holy shit, how do you look so hot in the morning?”

Seonghwa laughed.

He thought Hongjoong was exceptionally cute that morning. He obviously was not a morning person, which made the fact that he’d been coming to Eternal Sunshine early for months rather special. He know Hongjoong had told him before, but he hadn’t believed him at first.

The alpha got up and pulled a robe on, too lazy to get dressed. He followed Seonghwa into the kitchen and circled his arms around him while the omega served him. Seonghwa was loving the clinginess. He hoped Hongjoong would be more like that from now on.

“You’re so amazing,” Hongjoong said, “Also, how are you walking?”

“I don’t know. My ass feels fine. I guess I’m made for you or something.”

The alpha laughed. He took his food and sat down. Seonghwa sat beside him and started to eat. Hongjoong was picking at it, his shoulders drawn up. Before the omega could ask what was wrong, though, he started talking.

“Despite the crazy amazing sex, I wanted to apologize for the way I was acting last night. I just got…I was really jealous of the way you were interacting with that guy when I came to pick you up.”

Seonghwa’s expression softened. Hongjoong was so cute.

“That was Do Hanse of the Eye of Hongdae Examiner. He came to talk to me about setting up an interview. Eternal Sunshine is getting a lot of press now. And he did hit on me,” Seonghwa said.

He saw how Hongjoong tensed up.

“But I don’t plan to give him a call or anything. I haven’t seen anyone else but you since we started dating. I hadn’t gone out with anyone for a long time before that too. I could tell you were jealous last night and used that to my advantage. To be honest, I had been worried that you didn’t like me in that way, so when you got all feral, I kind of ran with it.”

Hongjoong’s face looked confused. “Why did you think that?”

“You didn’t ever ask to come up to my apartment or express interest in having sex…I thought maybe you just wanted to be casual or something.”

“No! No,” Hongjoong said quickly, “I want you. I’ve been super into you for months. I even got up early everyday so I could see you as soon as I could.”

“Not so you could talk to your friend?”

The alpha flushed. “I used him as an excuse. I mean, last night, I was planning to watch Star Wars with you in hope that would get you in the mood…”

Seonghwa got up and sat himself in Hongjoong’s lap. He put his arms over the alpha’s shoulders and laced his fingers behind his neck.

“You were going to watch Star Wars with me?”

“Well, you said it was your favorite,” Hongjoong said with a blush.

Seonghwa grinned at him.

“So, does this mean you’ll be my boyfriend?” he asked cutely.

Hongjoong blushed harder and looked away, but he nodded. He pulled Seonghwa close to him despite that as well. Seonghwa giggled and kissed his cheek and neck.

“And I’ll let you ravish me whenever you want,” he whispered.

Hongjoong stiffened, his ears and neck turning bright red, which made Seonghwa giggle and cuddle into him. He felt happier than ever, finally having gotten everything he wanted.

“By the way, Hanse was an omega.”

“O-Oh…”

Hongjoong’s whole body might as well have been red, obviously embarrassed over the way he reacted, but Seonghwa only smiled and gave him another kiss.

After they’d finished eating, Hongjoong took a shower. Seonghwa wanted to climb back in bed, but the sheets were still disgusting, so he instead stripped the bed and tossed them into Hongjoong’s laundry.

“Hongjoong,” he called.

“Yeah?” Hongjoong called back after a moment.

“Where are your sheets?”

“Cabinet by the bathroom!”

Seonghwa found the cabinet door easily and threw it open. Hongjoong only seemed to have one other set of sheets and a blanket, which the omega judged him harshly for. He would be getting Hongjoong more linens. He remade the bed and happily laid on it just as the alpha got out of the shower.

He vigorously towel dried his half and half hair, only in his underwear as he dug through his pile of clothes. Seonghwa was going to chide him about his mess, but his eyes instead focused on the flowers all over Hongjoong’s body. The alpha pulled a t-shirt on and deemed that enough. He hung up his towel and then flopped down beside Seonghwa.

“I didn’t know you were fully tattooed,” Seonghwa said then.

“Oh, yeah. I specifically had it done so that you can’t tell when I’m wearing clothes. Just in case I needed to get a normal job.”

“You didn’t think it’d work out?”

“I wasn’t positive,” Hongjoong said, “Better safe than sorry.”

Seonghwa nodded and ran his hand up Hongjoong’s stomach, then pulled his shirt up to look at the tattooed skin. Hongjoong didn’t put up a fight.

“Why flowers?”

“They’re pretty,” the alpha said with a laugh, “There’s roses, because I liked the thorn motif, but I also included marigolds, which are my birth flowers.”

“Your birth flower, hm? Mine’s a daffodil,” Seonghwa said. “Who did your tattoo?”

“My friend I’ve told you about. Maddox. He was my fellow apprentice under Eden. I really liked the idea when he pitched it to me and the way he tattoos flowers in grayscale is just gorgeous.”

“It is really pretty. I was stunned when I saw it last night.”

“You learned a lot about me last night,” Hongjoong joked.

“I did. And I hope you learned something about me too.”

“I did.”

Hongjoong kissed him, happily cuddling him. Seonghwa liked this Hongjoong best. He didn’t want to let him go just yet.

“Do you have to go to work?” Seonghwa asked.

“Not until five. I only have one appointment tonight. San and Yeosang can hold down the fort until then.”

“Good. I get to keep you to myself.”

Seonghwa threw his leg over Hongjoong’s hip and pulled him closer while the alpha laughed. He loved that sound so much.

“What about you?”

“It’s Monday, so I’m off,” the omega said.

“So I get to keep you to myself? Exactly what I wanted.”

Seonghwa laughed, grinning from ear to ear. Hongjoong kissed him more.

“But first…let’s take a nap.”

The omega laughed incredulously, but didn’t argue as Hongjoong snuggled into him and closed his eyes. Seonghwa traced the marigold he could see on Hongjoong’s exposed shoulder. He wasn’t the type to laze about all day, but it was hard to argue when he had the pretty little alpha of his dreams laying on top of him.

Inevitably, though, Seonghwa got up and looked around Hongjoong’s apartment. He hoped the alpha wouldn’t see him as nosy, but he couldn’t help himself. He looked at the books Hongjoong had on his shelves—he was surprisingly well read—and his collection of music was very impressive. He had a decent amount of movies too. They weren’t organized in any fashion, which made Seonghwa feel compelled to fix it, so he instead washed the dishes from breakfast and put them away.

Hongjoong came out then and laughed a bit.

“You’re really into cleaning, aren’t you?”

Seonghwa’s cheeks flushed a little. “Yeah…”

“I’m kind of a slob…as you can see,” the alpha said with a nervous laugh.

“It’s okay. It just means I can clean up after you, which I kind of like…”

Hongjoong chuckled. He grabbed a pen and napkin from nearby and leaned against the counter as he started to draw.

“What’re you doing?” Seonghwa asked.

“Just got an idea.”

Seonghwa watched him free hand draw, and five minutes later, he had a small sketch of a bouquet of daffodils tied together with a ribbon. It made the omega blush, thinking about their conversation from earlier.

“That’s so cute.”

“It’s for you.”

Hongjoong gave him the napkin. Seonghwa held it close, feeling his heart pound faster. His first piece of art from his boyfriend.

“Since you’re off, do you want to come to the shop with me? Watch me do my job?”

“Okay, Jagiya,” Seonghwa said, trying out the pet name boldly.

Hongjoong flushed bright red, but he smiled cutely. Seonghwa gave him a kiss. He was excited to spend a whole day with his boyfriend and see him really go about his day. The omega had never gotten to see him tattoo, so it was going to be an experience.

San perked up when Hongjoong and Seonghwa came through the front door.

“Seonghwa-hyung,” he called with a grin.

His eyes were practically sparkling and Seonghwa felt a little bad saying what he did.

“I didn’t bring any drinks, San, sorry.”

The tattoo apprentice’s face fell and he looked like the saddest little cat ever. Seonghwa wanted to coo over him and pet his hair.

“I can have some brought over,” he said right after.

San’s face lit up again and Seonghwa couldn’t resist hugging him.

“Stop spoiling him,” Hongjoong said.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Seonghwa fired back and petted San’s hair.

Yeosang chuckled from his station. “I take it you two finally boned?”

Hongjoong bristled, which made San and Yeosang both laugh. Seonghwa felt himself flush a little bit. He let go of San then.

“Did my five o’clock confirm?” Hongjoong asked then.

“Yes. I already prepared everything,” San said.

“I suppose I’ll keep you around then.”

Seonghwa laughed softly. He got out his phone to text the shop and tell them to bring over some drinks.

“What does everyone want to drink?” he asked.

“Soy, no foam, two pump vanilla, quad shot latte, please,” Yeosang called.

“So complicated,” Seonghwa teased as he typed it in. “How about you, San?”

“Will you pick for me, hyung? You know how I am,” San said cutely.

“Okay, okay. And for Hongjoong?”

“You know what I want.”

Seonghwa smiled and nodded, typing out the rest of his message and sending it off.

“Are you going to watch Hongjoong-hyung work?” Yeosang asked.

Seonghwa nodded. “Today’s my day off, so I thought, why not?”

San said, “It’s really fun to watch him work. Just you wait! Maybe you’ll get a tattoo then.”

The omega felt himself blush. He’d almost forgotten about that whole thing. But he just laughed it off and settled into a spot in the corner where he could see Hongjoong working.

Wooyoung brought the coffee over some ten minutes later, but he didn’t bat an eyelash at Seonghwa, instead talking to San and Yeosang like usual. Seonghwa had half a mind to yell at him just to get his attention, but he held back and grabbed the coffee he’d ordered for himself and Hongjoong.

“Here you go,” he said and gave Hongjoong a kiss.

Hongjoong took the coffee from him and took a drink, then made a face. “Definitely not made by you.”

“Okay, picky.”

Hongjoong frowned, but then put his coffee down. He looked a bit jittery.

“You okay?” Seonghwa asked.

“I always get a bit nervous before a client comes in.”

“I learn something new about you every minute.”

“Every minute?” Hongjoong said in mock horror.

“Well, just for today. I’ve learned so much about you.”

The alpha pulled his shirt up over his face. “Please, stop.”

Seonghwa laughed. He just hoped it was helping Hongjoong take his mind off his client.

The front doors opened and Seonghwa thought maybe Wooyoung was leaving, but instead, someone had come inside. Two people, actually. A young man with his hood up and sunglasses over his eyes and a portly man who looked like a square, a phone in his hands and Bluetooth earbuds in.

“Hongjoong-ssi, hey!” called the young man then, waving a bit.

He walked toward them and took off his sunglasses.

Seonghwa felt himself freeze.

“Is that…?”

It was none other than current top celebrity star, Bang Chan. He was well known for, well, everything. Even Seonghwa, who wasn’t very good about keeping up with the entertainment industry or following social trends, knew who he was.

“Discretion, please,” Hongjoong said softly.

Seonghwa nodded and stepped aside as Chan came over to talk to Hongjoong. The two went over to the station San had set up. The omega looked around and noticed Wooyoung was gone already. He’d never even said hi to him.

“Where did Wooyoung go?” he asked San.

“Yeosang walked him back to the coffee shop,” San said, “I knew Bang Chan-ssi was coming and Wooyoung would not leave otherwise, so…”

“You know him so well.”

“I would hope so. We’ve only been drinking buddies for the last three months.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widened. “You are?”

“Yeah! Me, Wooyoung, and Yeosang have drinks all the time. You didn’t know?” San said.

“I had no idea. No wonder he’s so friendly with you guys.”

“Well, Wooyoung is a flirt, that’s for sure. But, yeah, we get drinks a couple nights a week. You know, at first, we were plotting on how to get you and hyung together!”

“R-Really?” Seonghwa said in shock.

San nodded. “At least that’s what we said, but we barely ever talked about it. We’re so full of shit.” He laughed, but covered his mouth when Chan’s manager shot them a look. He caught his breath. “I just hope you know that hyung really likes you and he’s not sweet on very many people, so I really hope it works out. Also, it would suck if we couldn’t go across the street for great drinks.” The younger man pouted cutely at that.

Seonghwa laughed and shook his head. “I think Hongjoong’s sweet on a lot of people. He just doesn’t show it well.”

San’s face lit up, like he’d realized something. “You’re amazing, Seonghwa-hyung!”

He hugged Seonghwa tight, which made the omega laugh. San already felt like another baby chick that he would have to take care of and protect.

Hongjoong motioned to Seonghwa then and the omega let go of the beta and went over. He felt a little nervous to be near a celebrity. Chan was sitting in an upright chair, stencil applied to his right arm. He smiled and waved at Seonghwa.

“Bang Chan-ssi gave permission for you guys to watch him get tattooed,” Hongjoong said, “So, grab a seat.”

Seonghwa nodded and sat down. He felt a bit nervous, but then Chan started talking to him. He was so friendly, it was kind of strange; he didn’t seem like a celebrity at all. A few times, Hongjoong had to quiet Chan down so he would stop moving his arm so he could work.

But Seonghwa’s favorite part was watching Hongjoong work. He was quiet, eyes attentive and hands steady. It reminded him of when he’d watched the alpha sketch out tattoo ideas for him, how his hand had moved with such surety. The tattoo artist was in the zone and Seonghwa loved being able to see that.

The hours that he tattooed Chan’s arm flew by and before Seonghwa knew it, the celebrity was saying goodbye and giving a promise to be back.

“That was so cool,” Seonghwa said.

“Yeah, it was good,” Hongjoong said, “And it got me thinking about something.”

“Hm?”

Hongjoong held up the daffodil bouquet he had doodled that morning.

“Me. You. The chair. Right now.”

Seonghwa flushed. “Wait, what? I-I don’t know.”

“I knew you would say that, so I’m offering you a trade,” Hongjoong said with a smirk.

“A trade?”

“If you get this tattoo, I will get a piercing wherever you want on my body, since I can tell you are very fond of mine.”

There was a teasing glint in the alpha’s eyes and Seonghwa’s face went a bit pink as he momentarily thought about Hongjoong’s dick piercing. It was a very tempting option.

“I don’t know,” Seonghwa said despite that.

“Why don’t you look at everything Yeosang has to offer first?”

Hongjoong seemed very determined on this, but Seonghwa couldn’t argue that he wasn’t intrigued. He gave a nod and Hongjoong took him over to Yeosang’s station.

“How can I help you?” he asked with a playful smile.

“Can you show Seonghwa your piercing maps, models, whatever you have?”

“Of course, I can.”

Yeosang got out diagrams and also moved over models, ranging from face piercings to one of a penis.

“I can do them all,” Yeosang said proudly.

Seonghwa tried not to get embarrassed as he looked—they were just piercings after all—but he looked at Hongjoong.

“You’re serious?”

“Very. Any piercing you want in exchange for a little tattoo,” Hongjoong said with a smile.

“This is peer pressure, Hongjoong. Low blow from my brand new boyfriend.”

Hongjoong chuckled. “You can say no.”

“Yeah, but…”

Seonghwa bit his lip.

What was one tattoo? He liked the design. It was simple and cute, had a significance to him. Even if something happened and he broke up with Hongjoong, it would still mean something to him. It wasn’t the worst thing he could put on his body. Besides, maybe he would like it. He’d been warming to the idea just a few months before. Even a few minutes before. Watching Hongjoong tattoo Chan made it look fun and easy.

He looked at Yeosang’s things and wondered what he should pick, when his eyes found the one he knew he should select. Because, if it worked out, he would win in both departments.

“Okay,” he said.

“Okay?” Hongjoong echoed.

“If I let you tattoo me, you have to get your tongue pierced.”

Hongjoong’s face paled, his eyes getting a little wide, but he didn’t say anything. Yeosang’s mouth crooked up, a little sound coming from behind his closed lips. Seonghwa smirked. The alpha dragged his tongue over his teeth and popped out his cheek for a moment as he considered.

“Deal,” he said then, “But you have to go first.”

This was the weirdest game of chicken Seonghwa had ever played. He took a breath and nodded.

“Okay.”

He followed Hongjoong back over to the tattoo station.

“San, while I make the stencil, will you clean and reset everything?”

“You got it, hyung,” San agreed.

“Is right above your ankle okay?” Hongjoong asked.

“Why my ankle?”

“You have cute ankles. Also, easy to hide with pants or socks.”

Seonghwa smiled. “Sure.”

He climbed up onto the bed and laid down on his left side.

This part was familiar. The laying down, San shaving the hair off quickly and wiping down his skin. The stencil was applied not long after, Hongjoong quick in making it. Seonghwa would have to ask him sometime how hard it was, because he and San made it seem so easy. He heard Hongjoong get into position and his gloved fingers stroked the omega’s ankle with gentle reverence. It made Seonghwa smile.

He wasn’t scared.

The first poke really hurt and Seonghwa had to steel himself not to jump, but his hand curled around the edge of the table. But after that, it only kind of felt like getting a dull scratch. Hongjoong’s touch was light and fast. If he was doing the exact same technique he’d been doing while tattooing Chan’s arm, he knew that Hongjoong was creating something beautiful.

And then suddenly, Hongjoong pulled away and the area around him went silent.

“All done.”

“Already?” Seonghwa said in surprise.

He sat up and looked down at his ankle. The bouquet of daffodils was perfectly rendered, looking exactly like the sketch Hongjoong had rendered that morning, tiny and petite in a cute, delicate way. The skin around it was enflamed, red and already swelling, but it didn’t look terrible and it honestly didn’t hurt that bad.

“You only flinched once,” Hongjoong said in praise, “I knew you could do it.”

Seonghwa smiled fondly. The praise from Hongjoong really helped.

“If you ever want me to put color in it, just tell me. I didn’t want to push it today.”

“I love it, Hongjoong.”

Hongjoong smiled and ran his finger over Seonghwa’s ankle, careful to avoid the skin just above it. The omega leaned over and gave him a kiss. Hongjoong then grabbed something that looked like cling wrap (Seonghwa was sure it wasn’t) and cut it down to fit over his tattoo. He applied it with a gentle touch, his hands light and deft just like when he was working.

“Okay, while I clean up and psych myself up to get my tongue pierced, San will go over proper tattoo care with you,” Hongjoong said.

“Okay.”

Seonghwa got down from the table and went over to San, who gave him a little pamphlet and told him what to do once he could remove the cover, as well as what to expect it to look like. The omega listened intently.

He then joined Hongjoong at Yeosang’s station, where he was sitting down. Yeosang had his tools ready and gloves on.

“Just in time.” He smiled a bit. “I can’t believe hyung is really doing this.”

“What can I say? I’m easily persuaded by a pretty omega,” Hongjoong joked.

“Yeah, okay,” San said with a little “tch” sound.

Seonghwa smiled and took Hongjoong’s hand.

Yeosang chuckled, but then began. He was very fast and efficient, the same way he was when he pierced Wooyoung’s nose. Seonghwa had to turn his head away right before the needle went through the alpha’s tongue. Hongjoong practically yelped and squeezed Seonghwa’s hand tight. Yeosang then placed the needle into a container to dispose of contaminated things and made sure it was sealed.

“All done, hyung,” Yeosang said, “But, I do have some bad news.”

Hongjoong looked up at Yeosang, eyes conspiratorial.

“What?” he managed to ask, his speech already a bit slurred from the swelling.

“Until it’s finished healing, you can’t kiss anyone or drink coffee…”

The alpha looked like he was about to be killed in a horror movie. He looked up at Seonghwa with that same expression. The omega, having not known that, felt a bit guilty. He’d only thought about how good that piercing would feel on him when he and Hongjoong had sex, and also that Hongjoong would look very sexy with it.

But Hongjoong groaned and shook his hands, mumbling out a “fine” as best he could. Yeosang chuckled and finished cleaning up.

Seonghwa sat in Hongjoong’s lap and put his arms around the alpha’s neck.

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

He tried to put on his best, most apologetic expression. Hongjoong shrugged. Seonghwa could tell his tongue hurt.

“If it’s any consolation, I think I like getting tattooed.”

The alpha looked at him like “really?” and Seonghwa laughed.

“It’ll be hard not to kiss you while this heals, but I’m kind of happy we played this crazy game of chicken. I’m excited to be with you. I…I really think we’re a good match.”

Hongjoong’s expression softened and he nodded. “Me too,” he tried to say, but it only made Seonghwa laugh. The omega leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Well, maybe you can’t put your mouth on me for now, but I can certainly put my mouth on you. And since you can’t have coffee, I’ll just be your caffeine.”

Hongjoong flushed bright red, but his hands tightened on Seonghwa’s waist. The omega laughed softly and got up, offering his hand to Hongjoong, who took it. He playfully led him toward the back of the shop, where he knew the alpha had a private room, and Hongjoong motioned to Yeosang and San, who were quick to leave the parlor.

Seonghwa was excited about his relationship with Hongjoong. It had taken him a while to get there, but he was excited to see what the future could hold for them, how they could grow and change together. He wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. The beautiful coffee shop owning omega was finally off the market, but he still had so much to learn and discover in his new relationship with the pretty little tattoo artist alpha he’d been pining after for so long and that was what he was most looking forward to.