Archive of Our Own

Everything hurts.

Gunwook is sweaty and cramping and so fucking sensitive. His clothes scratch against his skin and stick to his slick back as he stumbles his way up to his apartment, earning some strange, concerned looks on the way. He waves off the people who try to help him as he all but falls into the elevator and slumps against the wall, gripping the handrail for dear life with clammy hands.

He fumbles his phone out of his pocket and shakily swipes to Gyuvin’s contact to press the call button. He only waits for half a ring before Gyuvin picks up.

“Hey, man, what’s up?”

“Gyuvin,” Gunwook pants, “I need you to come over, now.”

“Is everything okay?” Gyuvin asks, voice quickly filling with concern.

“Yeah, it’s just–” the elevator dings when the door opens to Gunwook’s floor and he shakily pulls himself to his feet– “I think I’m presenting.”

Gyuvin is silent for a moment. “You’re what?”

“Presenting, dumbass, and I don’t know what the hell to do, so I need you here.”

There’s a collection of noises from Gyuvin’s side of the line as he jostles around. “Are you fucking with me right now? Seriously, Gunwook, if you’re fucking with me right now–”

“I’m not fucking with you, Gyuvin, I swear. I’m crampy and sweaty and my whole body hurts, and I’m—look, this is exactly how people describe a presentation, so what else could it be?” Gunwook fishes his key out of his pocket and fails to fit it into the keyhole three times before cramming it in and twisting. “So please, I need your help. You’re the closest alpha to me, and I don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to handle my first rut.”

“Are you sure you’re presenting? Like, absolutely, totally, one hundred percent sure?”

“Absolutely, totally, one hundred percent sure,” Gunwook affirms, pushing his door open and staggering inside. 

“Sure sure? Remember that one time a month after your nineteenth birthday when you had a nasty fever and were convinced you were experiencing a late presentation?” Gyuvin cautions, but Gunwook can still hear the door slam shut behind him as Gyuvin leaves his own apartment.

Gunwook looks down at the growing problem in his pants. “Yeah, I remember. This is different, though.”

“Different? Different like that time you–”

“It’s different, okay! I’m being serious, this checks all the boxes for a presentation, and it fucking hurts, so I need you with me right now. I was with you when you presented,” he reminds Gyuvin while he drags himself to his room.

The sound of Gyuvin’s engine starting rumbles through Gunwook’s speaker. “If you’re really presenting—and I believe you, trust me, it’s just stupid late—you should be able to smell your own scent. Do you smell anything out of the ordinary?”

Gunwook raises his nose in the air and inhales as deep as he can, but his senses are all turned up to their maximum and the influx of scents just makes him dizzy. He sniffs at his shirt, but just smells sweat.

“I don’t– I can’t tell. There’s too much going on. My head hurts,” he whines and collapses onto his bed. 

“When an alpha presents, one of the first signs is the appearance of a scent. It’s how you figured out when I was presenting and got me home safely,” Gyuvin recalls, speaking over the low hum of his engine.

“Yeah, I know, I was there,” Gunwook groans, tossing his phone to the side and peeling his shirt off his chest. It’s drenched in sweat. Gross. He tosses it into his laundry hamper and misses, but he can’t be bothered to get up and fix it. “I literally can’t focus on anything right now. You come over and tell me if I smell like anything other than sweat and despair.”

“I’m on my way right now! Just… try to eat something before it gets too bad,” Gyuvin advises.

Gunwook doesn’t think he can make it to his kitchen with his wobbly legs. He opts instead to dig into the backpack resting against his bed and pull out a slightly squashed protein bar. He’s got no appetite, but unwraps the snack and sinks his teeth into it anyway. “Any other advice?”

“Um, well,” Gyuvin clears his throat, “obviously there’s the, ah… yknow.”

“My hard-on?”

“That’s crass.”

“You’re crass.”

“Shut up,” Gyuvin responds, which is a great way to tell Gunwook that he’s won. “But yeah, there’s that part. Do you have… supplies? To deal with it?”

Gunwook holds his head with his finger and thumb. “Yeah, dude, I’m a single guy. I’ve got everything I need to masturbate.”

“If you’re presenting, you’re gonna have to prepare to beat the shit out of your dick over the next couple days. Like, seriously, mine was practically purple,” Gyuvin warns him.

Gunwook wrinkles his nose. “I think I liked it better when you were being prudish about it.”

“Do you want my advice or not?” Gyuvin’s exasperated voice retorts.

“Yeah, yeah, I can’t live without you. How far away are you?”

“Like, three minutes, give or take,” Gyuvin replies. “So please don’t start jerking off yet. That’s not something I wanna walk in on.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Gunwook agrees, although his dick is begging for attention. “But I’m taking my pants off. I’m fucking hot.”

“Noted,” Gyuvin says as Gunwook shimmies out of his shorts. He winces at the sight of a dark wet patch in the back. Even his ass is sweaty as hell. “I’ll mentally prepare for the sight of you in your underwear.”

“Try not to get turned on while you drive,” Gunwook teases. “I know it’s a tempting image.”

Gyuvin snorts. “You naked? That’s the stuff of my nightmares, bro.”

“Yowch.” Gunwook takes another bite of his protein bar. The taste is both overpowering and completely bland, like his body can’t tell what parts of the world to process.

“I’m gonna hang up until I arrive, okay? So you can catch your breath instead of talking to me. You sound like you just ran a marathon,” Gyuvin tells him.

Gunwook hadn’t realized how hard he’s been breathing. “Yeah, okay. Sounds like a plan.”

“Is the door unlocked, or should I call for you to let me in?”

“I think it’s unlocked, I’ll check,” Gunwook answers. He tries to stand and the whole world spins, making him feel queasy as half of the protein bar threatens to leave his stomach. He sits back down. “It’s unlocked.”

“Okay, I’ll be there soon. I’m hanging up now.”

“See you soon.”

Gunwook drops his phone on his comforter and falls back, hitting the mattress with a thump. It takes him every ounce of energy he has to maneuver himself until he’s lying with his head on the pillows, groaning with exertion. He pushes his pillows and blankets into a more comfortable circle around him and tries to relax into them.

He lies as still as he can and attempts to take control of his breathing. He can’t fill his lungs, no matter how hard he breathes. He shuts his eyes and wonders how he even got to this point.

Park Gunwook is a beta.

At least, he’s supposed to be.

He grew up hearing how much of a natural alpha he was, so he always expected he’d present as one. But when his nineteenth birthday came and went with no presentation, he resigned himself to living as a beta.

It’s not like he’s had any issue living as a beta. There’s no annoying things like ruts or having his own scent to keep in mind. Plus, he’s found he prefers bottoming anyway, which would be harder to find a partner for as an alpha. So, Park Gunwook is a beta. And he’s accepted that.

So why is he presenting now?

Now, over a year after he was supposed to present, twenty years old and wholly unprepared. He tries to think back to everything he’d researched ahead of his presentation age, but his mind is foggy and turns up blank. He needs Gyuvin.

Gyuvin.

Kim Gyuvin is an alpha. He and Gunwook met in high school and got into the same university. Like Gunwook, he grew up hearing from everyone that he was clearly shaping up to be an alpha.

Unlike Gunwook, he actually turned out to be one.

Five months before Gunwook came of age, Gyuvin turned nineteen and presented in the middle of his and Gunwook’s freshman orientation. Gunwook caught a whiff of Gyuvin’s new, herbal scent before quickly putting two and two together and rushing them back to their dorm. He stocked Gyuvin up with food and water and periodically checked in on him after getting a hotel on his parents’ dime. After he recovered, Gyuvin swore he’d take care of Gunwook when he presented, too.

And, as promised, Gyuvin’s on his way.

Gunwook takes another bite of his protein bar. His jaw is starting to ache, teeth itching to bite into something more substantial. That’s another sign of a presentation, he recalls. The urge to bite. To mark. To claim. He directs that urge into taking one more bite of the bar, chewing down on it as if it would satisfy the primal desire bubbling deep in his stomach. He hears the door open as Gyuvin finally arrives and shoves the rest of the protein bar in his mouth.

“Can you get me a glass of water?” Gunwook croaks as loudly as he can. It feels like all the moisture has been sucked out of his mouth.

“Yeah, one sec,” Gyuvin calls back. Gunwook faintly hears the sound of his cabinet and fridge opening as Gyuvin grabs a glass and Gunwook’s water pitcher. “You holding up alright?”

“I think I’m dying,” Gunwook groans.

“Yeah, I remember that,” Gyuvin laughs from the kitchen. “Alright, I’m coming in. Put your dick away.”

“It’s not even out,” Gunwook whines, affronted by the accusation, but he still throws the corner of his blanket over his crotch to hide his erection. He and Gyuvin are close, but you don’t just show your massive hard-on to your best friend. It’s bro code.

Gyuvin walks in with his eyes squeezed shut, one hand holding a half-filled cup of water and the other pinching his nose. He looks ridiculously attractive, as usual. “Are you decent?”

“Open your eyes before you spill that all over my floor,” Gunwook says. “And gimme that, I’m thirsty as hell.”

Gyuvin opens his eyes and takes in the scene before him. “Woah. You look like shit.”

“Thanks,” Gunwook replies, pushing himself up until he’s seated against the headboard. He reaches out for the glass, which Gyuvin gives him. “Quit pinching your nose, I can’t smell that bad.”

Gyuvin watches him gulp down the water. “Newly presented scents are strong, and I have a very sensitive nose.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t smell anything right now without my brain breaking. You said you wanted to be sure that I’m presenting, right? Smell me, dude.”

Gyuvin tries to snort, but his nose is still blocked, so a sound awkwardly escapes his mouth instead. “‘Smell me, dude’. That’s so funny.”

“Quit stalling,” Gunwook grumbles. “I wanna know what my scent is.”

“Alright, alright,” Gyuvin relents. He dramatically lets go of his nose. “You smell like...” he takes a deep breath. Gunwook watches expectantly as he coughs. “Holy fuck, I just smell your air freshener. You sure you’re presenting?”

Gunwook groans and slumps down. “Well, I don’t use an air freshener, so I’m pretty fucking sure, yeah.”

Gyuvin furrows his eyebrows. “Then why does it smell like–” he sniffs the air again, but doesn’t seem to get the answer he’s looking for.

He continues breathing in short sniffs as he advances towards Gunwook. He sinks down onto the mattress and crawls closer and closer, climbing over the circle of blankets around him until he’s on top of Gunwook and dipping his nose to his neck. His soft brown hair brushes Gunwook’s cheek as he inhales. Gunwook shivers at his closeness to the sensitive gland.

“You’re close,” he tells Gyuvin.

“I know that,” Gyuvin replies, but he doesn’t pull back. “I’m checking something.”

“You should be able to tell if the scent is coming from me or not by now,” Gunwook complains. With how much he’s sweating, he must smell strong.

“It’s definitely coming from you,” Gyuvin affirms, “but it’s weird.”

“What’s weird?” Gunwook asks. The tip of Gyuvin’s nose brushes against his scent gland and he jerks at the sudden, charged sensation that rocks through his body.

“Sorry,” Gyuvin mutters, but he still doesn’t move. “It’s your scent, it’s odd. Are you sure you’re not wearing, like, perfume, or something? Or maybe you changed your soap? Or maybe your fabric softener, or–”

“I haven’t changed anything I use for the past several years because you have a sensitive nose, you know that,” Gunwook complains. “Whatever you’re smelling is coming from me. Now tell me, what is it?”

Gyuvin takes another deep breath, as if he’s trying to take in nothing but Gunwook’s mysterious scent. “It’s… sweet.”

“Sweet?”

“Yeah. Fruity. I think it’s grapefruit,” Gyuvin concludes. “Wait, did you eat any–”

“No, Gyuvin, I haven’t eaten any grapefruit today,” Gunwook groans. “But that can’t be right. Alphas don’t have scents like that. Try smelling me again.”

Gyuvin rolls his eyes.

“I’m telling you, man, it’s grapefruit,” he repeats, but he gives Gunwook’s neck another deep sniff. “Yeah, that’s definitely it. It’s fucking strong, dude. You smell like– like–”

Suddenly, Gyuvin pushes himself away, face paling. He scrambles to get off of Gunwook and stumbles off the bed until he’s pressed against the wall, creating as much distance between himself and the other as possible. His eyes are as wide as coins and he’s ready to bolt, like a spooked wild animal.

“Gyuvin, what the hell? What’s wrong?” Gunwook asks, propping himself up and trying to follow him.

“Don’t!” Gyuvin warns, and Gunwook freezes. “Don’t come any closer.”

“Why, Gyuvin? What’s going on?” Gunwook urges. “You’re being weird.”

Gyuvin stares at him like he’d rather be anywhere else. “Gunwook, you’re presenting as an omega right now.”

Silence.

Then,

“What?”

Gyuvin groans. “Gunwook, you literally smell like an omega in heat right now. Because you’re an omega. In heat. And you just called an alpha into your bedroom.”

“I didn’t call an alpha into my bedroom, I called my best friend to help me out. And I’m not an omega.”

“Gunwook, you’re literally sitting in a nest right now,” Gyuvin points out.

Gunwook looks down at the little circle of pillows and blankets around him. “It’s just comfortable.”

“It’s a nest, Gunwook,” Gyuvin admonishes. Then his eyes get impossibly wider. “Oh my god, I just let myself into your nest, holy shit, Gunwook, I’m so sorry.”

Gunwook sighs. “It’s not a big deal,” he assures him.

“Dude, I know you’ve been living as a beta for a while, but even you know that me letting myself into your nest, especially as an alpha, is totally crossing the line.” Gyuvin shakes his head. “I shouldn’t’ve gotten so close, you must feel so violated, I–”

“Gyuvin, listen to me. It didn’t bother me, okay? It’s fine. You didn’t, like, hurt me, or anything,” Gunwook reasserts. He catches himself adjusting the blankets Gyuvin had rumpled and withdraws his hand. “Can you please sit back down?”

Gyuvin quickly shakes his head again. “I think I should leave.” 

“The hell you are,” Gunwook objects. “I just found out I’m presenting as a fucking omega. You’re my best friend, you can’t just leave me like this. You promised.”

“I shouldn’t– I can’t– It’s not right,” Gyuvin continues, sinking down against the wall and curling in on himself.

Gunwook’s nose stings as his eyes grow teary. “Does it really mean that much to you?”

Gyuvin refuses to look at him. “I mean it definitely… changes things.”

“What, does me presenting as an omega make it so we can’t be friends anymore?” Gunwook asks, hurt. Gyuvin’s change in behavior triggers a deep, emotional reaction, something raw beneath his skin. It’s beyond just his friend acting weird–it’s the change in the air that he can only sense after his presentation, it’s the way he’s reaching out for an alpha that’s staunchly refusing him. Gunwook hates rejection from anyone, but Gyuvin denying him makes it so much worse.

“What? No! That’s not what I– that’s not what I meant,” Gyuvin denies quickly. “It’s just… it’s different. Especially now. You’re in heat, fuck, I really shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s not different,” Gunwook protests. “It’s just my biology that’s a little different. I’m the same Gunwook, and you’re the same Gyuvin.”

Gyuvin’s face twists, like he wants to cry. “The biology is sort of the problem right now, Gunwook,” he clarifies, shifting uncomfortably on the ground.

Gunwook blinks at him. “Wait, are you hard right now?”

Gyuvin groans. “It’s not my fault! You’re hard too!”

“Yeah, because I’m in heat, apparently. Why are you hard?”

“Because you’re in heat! And I’m an alpha! It’s a very normal reaction to have!”

“Damn, Gyub, you got hard just smelling me. That’s gotta be a new low.”

Gyuvin’s hands splay on the floor of Gunwook’s bedroom, his fingers scratching at the hardwood as if searching for a hidden trapdoor that could swallow him whole. “It’s not my fault you smell so good. You know your body is literally pumping out sex pheromones right now, right? Pheromones that my body naturally reacts to?”

Gunwook ignores him. “You got hard,” he teases, drawing out the last word.

Gyuvin buries his face in his knees. “Shut up. Aren’t you supposed to be, like, super weak right now? Focus your energy on yourself instead of making fun of me.”

“I feel better now,” Gunwook shrugs. “Maybe it’s your big, strong, alpha presence soothing me.”

He’s being a dick, but something really has changed. It’s as if Gyuvin’s closeness to him works to clear his mind. The pain in his stomach feels relieved, if only slightly. Gunwook’ senses have begun to return to him, particularly his sense of smell. For the first time, he catches a whiff of his own scent, undeniably sweet and citrusy. It intermingles in the air with Gyuvin’s light basil scent. 

Their scents make for a good match. Tart and fresh.

Gyuvin tips his head back until it touches the wall. “That might actually be it. I don’t really know how omega presentations work. I’ve never witnessed an omega in heat, either.”

Gunwook flops onto his back. “I guess we’re both completely out of our depth here,” he sighs.

“Alright, that’s it, I’m getting Ricky,” Gyuvin announces, climbing to his feet. The bulge in his pants is… noticeable.

“Ricky?” Gunwook cocks his head at the mention of their other friend. “Why?”

Gyuvin digs his phone out of his pocket. “Because Ricky is an omega, dude. He’ll know what’s best for you right now. And it’s more… yknow, appropriate for him to be with you right now than me.”

Gunwook nods. “Because you’re hard.”

“I hope your heat sucks, dude.”

Gunwook cackles and tries to ignore the wetness between his legs. Belatedly, he realizes that the dampness of his shorts probably wasn’t just sweat. He really has to get out of his underwear before he ruins it with what he’s beginning to realize is his slick. Now that he’s accepted that he’s presenting as an omega, a lot of things are starting to make a lot more sense. The cramping, the need, the empty feeling inside of him. Those were omega sensations, not alpha ones.

Gyuvin makes for the door, and Gunwook’s breath catches as he realizes he’s leaving . Quickly, he climbs across the bed and reaches out to grab Gyuvin’s wrist before he can leave.

“Where are you going?”

Gyuvin gently tries to free himself from Gunwook’s hold. “I’m gonna go get Ricky.”

“But I don’t want Ricky here,” Gunwook insists. “I want you here.”

“Ricky’s an omega, Gunwook, he’ll know what to do to make your presentation easier for you,” Gyuvin reminds him.

Gunwook stands his ground. “Technically, as an alpha, you’re the most equipped to make this easier for me.”

Gyuvin stares at him, processing what Gunwook just said. His wrist is still held tightly in Gunwook’s grasp. 

Then, it clicks.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Gunwook, are you serious? No, no way. That’s too far. I can’t do that.”

“You promised you’d take care of me when I presented,” Gunwook reminds him.

“Yeah, like, bring you water and stuff. Not fuck you, Gunwook, are you crazy?”

“Gyuvin, please , I don’t want to handle this alone.”

“You won’t be. That’s why I’m getting Ricky,” Gyuvin says again.

“Is Ricky supposed to fuck me?”

Gyuvin looks unenthused. Gunwook can smell him better now, can smell how his scent sours. His basil scent takes on an unpleasant note that curls into Gunwook’s sensitive nose. “No.”

“Then that’s not very helpful.”

“It’s more appropriate,” Gyuvin repeats.

“Oh, fuck what’s appropriate, Gyuvin, I need you,” Gunwook begs.

Gyuvin’s mouth opens and closes helplessly as his eyes dart around the room, fingers twitching like he’s fighting an internal battle with himself and losing badly. “Gunwook, I– I want to help, but I can’t just– that’s a massive boundary to cross.”

Gunwook pulls Gyuvin closer by the hand, and Gyuvin allows himself to be drawn in. “I swear, Gyuvin, this won’t change anything between us. We’re still best friends, always will be. I just need you right now.”

Gyuvin shakes his head. “You can’t just say it doesn’t change anything, Gunwook.”

“Things only change if we let them,” Gunwook presses. “I promise, I won’t let it change anything for me.”

He can’t lie and say he’s never entertained the thought of sleeping with Gyuvin before. In passing, of course. Anyone who knows the alpha would surely think about it at least once or twice. He’s attractive, attentive, and kind. He’s the ideal partner in the most unattainable way.

When you think about fucking your best friend, you laugh it off, shove the thought deep down in a mental lockbox, and pretend it never occurred to you. You play-flirt like you’ve never searched for truth in the jokes, you wrestle like you’ve never imagined it in another context, and you hug like you’ve never wished it could go beyond platonic affection. You think about it once, and then you resolve to never think about it again. That’s the bro code.

But if the opportunity presents itself, and you’re both ready and so close to willing, well. The bro code can go fuck itself.

“Gunwook, I'm serious, okay? Listen to me, this isn’t right,” Gyuvin continues, voice strained. “There’s, like, a thousand things wrong about us doing this.”

Gunwook takes Gyuvin’s other hand in his. “I don’t really give a shit about what’s right or wrong right now, Gyuvin,” he says. “I just want you.”

Gunwook doesn’t know why he’s acting the way he is. He chalks it up to his presentation, like the omega within him has stolen his filter. Every thought he has tumbles from his lips without warning, raw and exposed in front of Gyuvin, an alpha to whom he’s offering everything but just won’t take.

Gyuvin chews on his lip, resolve crumbling with every passing second. “Gunwook, I can’t…”

Tears prickle at the corners of Gunwook’s eyes. “Is it because it’s me, then?”

“What?”

Gunwook’s bottom lip, stupidly, begins to tremble. “Do you– I mean, is it you who doesn’t want to, or is it your alpha? Or is it both?” The words fall out before he can contain them, embarrassingly desperate. “Is it because I presented late? Is it rejecting my omega, or–”

“Gunwook, no,” Gyuvin cuts him off. “That’s not– that’s not it at all.”

Gunwook sniffles, wet and pathetic. “If you don’t want me, you don’t have to lie.”

Gyuvin frees himself from Gunwook’s hold to grip him by the shoulders. “Gunwook, listen to me. It’s not that I don’t want you, of course I want you. I want you so bad that I can feel it in my bones. I’m just– I’m just scared.”

Gunwook relaxes into Gyuvin’s touch, firm and warm against his bare skin. “What are you scared of?”

Gyuvin meets his eyes. “I just don’t want anything to be different between us,” he says, voice barely reaching above a whisper.

“It won’t,” Gunwook promises, matching the softness of Gyuvin’s voice. “It’s just helping me through my presentation. It doesn’t have to mean anything or change anything.”

He looks up at Gyuvin and tries to project the feelings brought on by his presentation, hoping they can be sensed through his scent. He has no idea how the whole scent thing is even supposed to work, but hopefully Gyuvin can smell an enticing, fuckable scent rolling off of him. Something to encourage him to listen to the omega beneath him.

From the glazed look in Gyuvin’s eyes, it seems to be working. His tongue darts out to wet his lips.

“Gunwook, I’m not sure you even know what you’re doing right now,” he murmurs, his thumb drawing firm circles into Gunwook’s bicep.

Gunwook raises his hand from his lap to cover Gyuvin’s. “I might have an idea.”

Gyuvin’s free hand traces up Gunwook’s shoulder to cup at his neck. His eyes are deep and dark, but his expression stays cautiously warm. “You don’t have to if you don’t… I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this.”

“I want to, Gyuvin,” Gunwook reaffirms. “Do you?”

The hand on Gunwook’s arm tightens. “I– I do.”

Gunwook smiles up at him. He squeezes Gyuvin’s hand. “Then help me, Gyuvin.”

Without waiting a fraction of a second longer, Gyuvin swoops down to capture Gunwook’s lips with his. Gunwook welcomes the kiss, grabbing Gyuvin’s shirt and tugging him forward onto the bed. Gyuvin tumbles down to meet him, haphazardly keeping their lips connected as he regains his balance on the mattress.

Gunwook thought it would feel weird to kiss Gyuvin, but it feels more natural than anything in the world. Maybe it’s because of his heat that electricity sparks between their lips, or maybe it’s just because it’s Gyuvin, and maybe it’s always been Gyuvin, and kissing Gyuvin is easier than breathing.

Whichever it is, Gunwook likes it. A lot. So he deepens the kiss, hungrily licking into Gyuvin’s mouth and pawing at his shirt until Gyuvin pulls it over his head, momentarily breaking the kiss before chucking the garment to the floor and chasing after Gunwook’s lips. His hands find Gunwook’s waist and squeeze, making Gunwook gasp into his mouth.

Gunwook runs his fingers down Gyuvin’s chest until they hook into his jeans. “These too,” he pants against his lips.

Gyuvin grunts into the kiss, unwilling to disconnect their lips, and meets Gunwook where his hands are to hastily undo the button and zipper of his jeans. Gunwook impatiently helps him push the denim down his thighs until Gyuvin trips out of them and kicks them away. Gunwook pulls him closer until their bodies are flush against each other, groaning when their dicks rub together through the fabric of their underwear. 

“Gunwook, holy fuck,” Gyuvin groans at the friction. “You’re so– fuck .”

Gunwook’s body responds immediately to Gyuvin’s voice, leaking more slick that spreads uncomfortably through his briefs. He whines at the wet, restrained feeling.

“Gyuvin, I need to– I need to take my underwear off,” he gasps into the kiss. It feels like Gyuvin is kissing the very breath out of his lungs.

“Mmh, already?” Gyuvin mumbles, rutting against him. “I like kissing.”

“Me too, Gyub, I just– ah–” his breath hitches when Gyuvin nips at his bottom lip then quickly laves his tongue over it in apology, “Gyuvin, I’m fucking wet right now, dude.”

“Oh, shit,” Gyuvin realizes, halting his movements. “Sorry.”

Gunwook waves him off. “It’s okay, it’s just the heat, or whatever. I’m gonna have to buy new sheets.”

Gunwook regretfully pushes Gyuvin away for a moment so he can peel his embarrassingly soaked underwear—how the hell did he think that was sweat?—down his legs while Gyuvin eyes over his skin. His handsome features highlight the hunger in his eyes as his gaze rakes over the omega’s body.

Suddenly, Gunwook feels very exposed. He’s bare in front of his best friend, rock-hard and leaking. Said best friend—who’d just been kissing his lips raw and is also rock-hard—is eying him with a look he’s never seen before. His breath shallows. The reality of what he’s proposed they do crashes down on him. Is he really about to do this?

Gyuvin seems to sense that something is amiss, cogs working behind his eyes as his nose twitches. There’s something Gunwook can’t quite place in the furrow of his brow, some alpha instinct responding to Gunwook’s sudden panic. He lays a hand on Gunwook’s shoulder. 

“Hey, man, you okay? We can stop if you don’t want to do this anymore,” he tells Gunwook, sweet and comforting. Something deep inside Gunwook cries out for him to never let go.

“No!” Gunwook objects immediately. “I’m fine. You’re just… you’re looking at me like you wanna eat me.”

At that, Gyuvin grins. “Who wouldn’t, with such a tasty-looking omega underneath them?” He teases, exaggeratedly running a hand over Gunwook’s leg and leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.

“Shut up,” Gunwook complains, but his hole stubbornly leaks more slick at the notion of an alpha wanting him. Another cramp hits him, reminding him that he has yet to satisfy any of the cravings of his heat. Yeah, he’s doing this. “Fuck, get back here.”

Gyuvin doesn’t need him to say anything more. He pushes Gunwook gently until he’s lying on his back with Gyuvin kneeling above him, one leg on either side of his hips. He tangles one hand in Gunwook’s hair and plants the other beside him for balance as he brings their hips back together for another slow grind. Gunwook’s head tilts back in response to the friction, and Gyuvin takes the opening to press kisses against his exposed throat.

The area around Gunwook’s scent gland is a thousand times more sensitive than it usually is. His hole gushes as Gyuvin drags his teeth across it, a whine escaping him as his hands fly to Gyuvin’s hair and he grinds back against Gyuvin’s erection. 

“Sound so pretty…” Gyuvin murmurs against his skin, nuzzling against his neck and inhaling deeply, as if Gunwook’s scent alone could sate him for days.

“Gyuvin, please,” Gunwook whimpers, “I need more.”

“More what, baby?” Gyuvin asks, and oh, that was new. Gyuvin doesn’t even seem to realize the slip of the pet name, continuing to busy himself with sucking a mark a couple inches above Gunwook’s clavicle.

Gunwook swallows a moan that threatens to escape him. “I need you in me, Gyub, please, it hurts.”

Gyuvin’s lips leave Gunwook’s skin as he presses his forehead against his chest. “Fuck, Gunwook, you don’t even know how you sound right now,” he pants. Gunwook can feel the warmth of his breath on his skin.

“Well, I hope I sound pretty fucking fuckable right now, because I need your stupid dick inside of me ,” Gunwook grumbles, rolling his hips upwards in encouraging little motions.

Gyuvin grinds back against him. “That’s not very nice,” he chides, but he takes mercy on Gunwook and pulls away to strip himself of the last barrier of fabric between Gunwook and his dick. Gunwook watches his erection spring free of his boxers, and shit.

Gunwook has seen Gyuvin naked before. Probably taken a peek more times than he’d like to admit. But he’s never taken the time to consider just how fucking big he is.

“That’s not fitting inside of me,” he deadpans.

Gyuvin frowns. “You’re exaggerating.”

“Gyuvin, you’re fucking hung, dude.”

“Thanks.”

“No, don’t thank me! How the hell is that supposed to fit in me?”

Gyuvin leans forward and presses a kiss to his forehead. “With a lot of prep and some help from your new omega biology,” he tells him, then pauses. “Unless you seriously don’t want to continue.”

“Oh hell no, we’re not stopping,” Gunwook says immediately. He’s not letting this go. “The bigger the better, right? To quell the heat.”

“I’m, uh, not sure if size has anything to do with easing an omega’s heat,” Gyuvin responds, a bit dumbly.

Gunwook kisses him. “Shut up.”

“Okay.”

“Finger me.”

“Okay.”

Gyuvin doesn’t need to be asked twice. Gunwook begins to roll over so he has better access to his hole, but Gyuvin stops him with a firm hand on his hip.

“I wanna see your face,” he mumbles.

Gunwook’s face burns. “Yeah, o-okay.”

He settles back down on his back as Gyuvin reaches to the top of the bed to grab a firm pillow to slot underneath his hips. He props himself up on his elbows to watch as Gyuvin studies his hole. He looks ridiculous, holding his chin with his hand as if he’s a philosopher and Gunwook’s ass will reveal to him the meaning of life. He taps a long finger against his cheek. His fingers are about as thick as Gunwook’s, but longer and more defined around the bone of his knuckle. Gunwook can picture how they’ll feel inside him, and suddenly he’s a lot less patient.

“Any day now,” Gunwook complains.

“Dude, you’ve been my best friend since high school. And I’m about to put my fingers inside you,” Gyuvin mutters. “Let me process this for a moment.”

Gunwook tips his head back and sighs. “Gyuvin, if you don’t put your stupid, bony fingers in me right now, I’m doing it myself.”

“Alright, alright, I’m doing it!” Gyuvin says. He coats his fingers easily with Gunwook’s slick before pushing his index finger in with little give.

Gunwook gasps at the intrusion. His hole is sensitive, far more sensitive than usual. As expected, he can feel the curve of Gyuvin’s knuckle as it passes through his rim, can feel the depth he reaches as he crooks his finger. Fuck, maybe being an omega isn’t so bad. Gyuvin doesn’t even have to work him up that much to give him pleasure.

“Feel good, Gunwookie?” Gyuvin murmurs, slowly pumping his finger in and out.

Gunwook whines. “Y-yeah. Feels really good. You can add another.”

“Already?” Gyuvin sounds surprised.

“I’m in fucking heat, dude, yes, you can add another finger already.”

Gyuvin obeys, slipping another finger into Gunwook’s impossibly slick hole and beginning to stretch him out. Gunwook rocks into his hand.

“Like my fingers that much?” Gyuvin teases.

Gunwook refuses to meet his eyes. “They’re just big.”

“Bet you couldn’t wait to get them inside you,” Gyuvin jokes.

“Absolutely not,” Gunwook lies. Gyuvin hums.

Without warning, Gyuvin adds a third finger, easily sliding it in next to the others. “Jesus Christ, you’re so fucking loose. I barely need to stretch you out.”

“I’m in heat, Gyuvin, my body is literally making it as easy as possible for you to fit your knot in me.”

Gyuvin makes a strangled little noise at Gunwook’s words and pulls his fingers out. Gunwook whimpers at the loss of the feeling, but feels himself leak more in anticipation for the alpha’s cock.

He watches Gyuvin bring his slick-coated fingers to his nose and inhale deeply. Then Gyuvin curiously sticks a finger in his mouth and gives it a taste. His eyes go comically large.

“Woah, dude, you literally taste like grapefruit, that’s crazy,” he reports excitedly before moving on to lick Gunwook’s slick from the rest of his fingers.

Gunwook takes in the alpha, his best friend, happily slurping his slick off of his fingers, a strange, embarrassed desire squirming in his gut. The noises Gyuvin lets out are wet and lewd in a way that makes his face burn. His heart jumps into his throat when Gyuvin dazedly scoops a fingerful more off of Gunwook’s thigh.

Drool drips down Gyuvin’s wrist as he savors the flavor, intoxicated by Gunwook’s taste. His eyes shut as he groans appreciatively around his fingers. It’s downright pornographic. When he opens his eyes, they’re glazed over with desire. Unhelpfully, Gunwook’s hole produces more slick.

Gyuvin smacks his lips when he finishes, wiping his sticky hand on Gunwook’s sheets. “Wow. Can I eat you out? Please?”

Not ten minutes ago, Gyuvin had been adamantly against him and Gunwook having sex. Now here he is, hazy-eyed and slick-drunk, suggesting that Gunwook let him eat him out. Gunwook considers indulging him for a moment before a sharp pain shoots up from deep within him, reminding him how empty he is. 

“Maybe– maybe later,” he gasps. “Right now I just really need you to fuck me.”

Gyuvin doesn’t seem too upset with Gunwook’s rejection.

“Not arguing with that. Do you have condoms?”

Gunwook groans. The idea of a barrier between him and the alpha repulses him. “I feel like it would be better without condoms.”

“It usually is,” Gyuvin agrees, and Gunwook’s stomach twists at the reminder that Gyuvin has had sex with other people, even though he has, too. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry. So. Condoms?”

Gunwook slumps back into the pillows. “Top drawer of the nightstand,” he sighs.

Gyuvin smacks a kiss against his cheek and reaches over him to dig through his nightstand. Gunwook tries not to pay too much attention to his dick, rock-hard and neglected, then remembers that it’s about to be in him and studies it. Gyuvin is longer than him, maybe a little less girthy. He’ll definitely be the longest Gunwook’s ever taken. He already knows that when Gyuvin fucks him, he’ll be fucking him deep.

“Bro,” Gyuvin says.

Gunwook pulls his eyes away from Gyuvin’s dick to look at what he’s holding in his hand, which is a decidedly empty box that used to be full of condoms.

“Oh. Oops.”

“Don’t oops me, dude, how am I supposed to fuck you without a condom?”

“Raw?”

Gyuvin’s dick twitches in interest. “Hell no,” he says, in contrast to his dick.

“Please?”

“Gunwook, that’s so unsafe. What happened to my nice, level-headed best friend who knows the dangers of unprotected sex?”

“He’s in heat right now. And he’s clean. So he wants to be fucked raw. Please?”

Gyuvin still looks unsure, so Gunwook takes matters into his own hands. He knocks the box out of Gyuvin’s hand and wraps a hand around his neck to pull him into a kiss, his other hand snaking down to finally give Gyuvin’s poor cock some attention. Gyuvin immediately moans into his mouth.

“That– that’s not fair,” he complains breathily as Gunwook teases his thumb over the head of his cock. “You’re playing dirty.”

Gunwook’s body delights in the alpha’s pleasure and helpfully dribbles more slick onto Gunwook’s ruined sheets. Gunwook has a nasty idea and dips his palm into the growing puddle before it can soak into the bedding to wrap his slickened hand back around Gyuvin’s throbbing dick.

“This too dirty for you, Gyub?” he questions lightly, pumping his hand up and down over Gyuvin’s erection while maintaining an innocent sparkle in his eye.

Gyuvin buries his head in the pillow next to Gunwook. “You’re so fucking– God, Gunwook, you don’t even know what you’re doing to me,” he groans, rutting into Gunwook’s wet fist.

“Tell me,” Gunwook prods, his omega hunting for a glimpse of praise from the alpha. He watches how Gyuvin’s whole body seizes in response to a feather-light touch along the side of his cock.

“Gunwook– fuck– I’m serious, you’re crazy, you’re fucking crazy–”

Gunwook marvels at the sight of his friend desperately humping his hand. “Does my hand feel that good, Gyub?”

Gyuvin groans. “What has gotten into you, man?”

“Not you.”

“I am not fucking my best friend raw,” Gyuvin pants, but he doesn’t let up on Gunwook’s hand.

“That’s not a very best friend thing for you to say,” Gunwook responds petulantly. 

Gyuvin’s head finds its way back to the curve of Gunwook’s neck. “This has got to be a violation of some sort of bro code,” he gasps, inhaling Gunwook’s scent directly from the gland.

“And me jerking you off isn’t?”

“That– that’s different.”

“Different how?”

Gyuvin can’t seem to come up with a good answer, opting instead to moan loudly, mouthing messily around Gunwook’s scent gland.

Gunwook continues jacking him off, growing more and more impatient by the second. “You never answered me.”

“Answered– hah– what?” Gyuvin strains. 

“Does my hand feel good?”

Gyuvin groans. “Of course it feels good, you fucking tease.”

“Calling me a tease when you’re refusing to fuck me is a choice.”

“Not my fault you don’t have condoms!”

“Sorry, I wasn’t planning to present as an omega today!” Gunwook retorts.

“Fuck, you smell insane,” Gyuvin responds, completely distracted. He breathes hotly over his neck, inhaling with an open mouth as if he could taste Gunwook’s scent if he tries hard enough.

Gunwook takes a hold of Gyuvin’s hair and yanks him away from his scent gland. “Imagine how much better I’ll smell when I’m being fucked,” he suggests.

Gyuvin whines, fucking into his grip. “Gunwook, please, I’m trying to be– to be responsible here.”

“And I’m telling you not to be,” Gunwook insists, stubborn. “My hand feels good, right? Covered in my slick?”

Gyuvin moans in lieu of an answer, his eyes flashing down at Gunwook like he’s dying of thirst but won’t allow himself to drink.

Gunwook takes this as a sign to continue. He pulls Gyuvin’s willing head down until his mouth is directly against Gyuvin’s ear, allowing him to nip at the soft cartilage.

“Think about how good it’ll feel to fuck me for real.”

Gyuvin growls and reaches down to yank Gunwook’s hand away from his dick and slam it down to the pillow over his head. Gunwook’s other hand quickly follows until both of his hands are pinned above his head. Gunwook could easily wrestle free if he wanted to, but he stays there, lying still while Gyuvin gazes down at him, fire brewing in his eyes.

After a moment, Gyuvin comes back to himself, registering their position and loosening his grip. “Ah, sorry,” he apologizes, letting go of Gunwook’s wrists. Gunwook grabs one of his hands and maneuvers it back to restraining his own.

“No, this is good. Let your instincts do the talking,” he murmurs, hooking his legs around Gyuvin and drawing him in to rub their cocks together. “Do what your body is telling you to do. It’ll be fine.”

Gyuvin takes a breath to speak, but the words don’t come. Instead, he kisses Gunwook deeply, plunging his tongue in and licking inside until Gunwook can taste his own citrusy sweet flavor. His free hand snakes down to take a hold of his cock and finally, finally line it up with Gunwook’s hole.

Gunwook’s body welcomes Gyuvin with a new waterfall of slick as he pulls away from Gunwook’s mouth to position his erection directly against Gunwook’s hole. Gunwook feels how easily the head slowly slips into his tight warmth, Gyuvin’s cock igniting every nerve ending in his heat-sensitive body. 

Gyuvin leans back down to kiss him again, only to gasp against his mouth as he slips in further. “Oh my god, bro, you’re so wet.”

Gunwook struggles to speak evenly as Gyuvin pushes in deeper, meeting more resistance the more Gunwook’s hole swallows him in. “Don’t– ngh, fuck– don’t call me bro when you’re inside me,” he protests.

“Sorry, sorry,” Gyuvin murmurs, pressing another kiss to his lips. “You okay for me to keep going?”

“Gyuvin, if you don’t fuck me right this second, I’m flipping us over and fucking myself,” Gunwook snaps.

“Omega Gunwook is so demanding,” Gyuvin teases, but he continues pushing inside, filling Gunwook beyond belief. Gunwook looks down and sees there are still a couple more inches to go. Gyuvin is going to break him. Something inside him purrs.

The pain of his heat is still there, but it dulls more and more as Gyuvin keeps filling him, slowly sinking in until he’s finally flush against him. Gunwook swears he can feel his dick twitch inside him. He feels impossibly full.

“Does it feel okay?” Gyuvin asks, brushing Gunwook’s bangs out of his face. 

Gunwook does his best to ignore the affectionate gesture, despite his entire being screaming at him to lean into Gyuvin’s touch. “I think I can feel you in my throat,” he chokes.

“I’m taking that as a compliment,” Gyuvin decides. “You okay to keep going?”

Gunwook squeezes his legs around Gyuvin. “Fuck this damn heat out of me, Gyub.”

Gyuvin gives him one more peck before pulling out and thrusting back in. Gunwook’s composure fractures as he tips his head back and moans at the feeling, his hole drenching Gyuvin’s cock with more slick to ease his motions. Gyuvin continues with a steady, slow pace, getting Gunwook accustomed to the size of his cock and the reactions from his own body. His basil scent grows stronger, heavier, permeating the air around them and dousing Gunwook’s body. 

“Fuck, baby, so tight,” Gyuvin groans, gazing obscenely down at the way Gunwook’s hole greedily coaxes him back in. There it is again. Baby. The word causes a flutter in Gunwook’s chest that he blames on the heat.

After a while, he picks up the pace, rutting into Gunwook faster and harder. Gunwook’s punched-out moans only serve to spur him on, adjusting his angle to graze against his prostate and oh.

Gunwook had thought, stupidly, that the pleasure he felt from the alpha’s touch alone was as intense as it could get. But the pressure against his sweet spot is a thousand times stronger than mere touch, and it overwhelms him. 

He comes with a rough moan, convulsing around Gyuvin as his cock spurts between their stomachs and his hole gushes. He cries out, reaching up to wrap his arms around Gyuvin’s neck and anchor himself. Gyuvin allows himself to be squeezed and mouthed at by the omega, slowly continuing with shallow thrusts until Gunwook stops trembling.

“You doing okay?” He murmurs into Gunwook’s ear. Gunwook takes a moment to respond, still coming back down into his body.

“That… might’ve been the best orgasm of my life,” Gunwook pants.

“Hey, that’s good!” Gyuvin grins. Gunwook hits him, but his muscles are still halfway limp. He shuts his eyes and tries to steady his breathing. He feels simultaneously hungry and satisfied, oversensitive and touch-starved. He’s all the more aware of the alpha’s presence inside him, obediently still. Waiting to continue.

“I think I could get used to having sex as an omega,” he muses. “Self lubrication, hypersensitivity, mind-blowing orgasms… not a bad deal.”

“I’d like to take partial credit for the mind-blowing orgasm,” Gyuvin volunteers.

Gunwook snorts. “Oh, please, you barely did anything.”

Gyuvin pointedly grinds in deep, making Gunwook yelp, oversensitive. “I did something,” he teases.

Gunwook snorts. “Do it again, then, if you’re so cocky.”

Gyuvin raises his eyebrows. “That fast?”

“I’m still hard, and you haven’t even come yet. Keep fucking me. I can take it,” Gunwook insists.

“Aren’t you sensitive right now?” Gyuvin cautions.

Gunwook pinches him. “That makes it better.”

“Freak,” Gyuvin accuses.

“You’re the one balls-deep inside of me,” Gunwook reminds him. He pulls the alpha closer, tightening the hold of his legs around Gyuvin’s hips. He leans forward to nip at Gyuvin’s shoulder as he rolls down onto his dick, encouraging him to start back up.

Gyuvin hisses against his neck. “You’re gonna wreck me.”

Gunwook pushes a hand into Gyuvin’s hair. “Not if you wreck me first.”

Gyuvin groans and plants his hands on either side of Gunwook’s head, snapping his hips forward into Gunwook’s oversensitive body. His hair is plastered to his forehead, his face reddened with the flush of sex. His hazy eyes rake over Gunwook’s body before dragging back up to study his face, watching his mouth open with little gasps Gyuvin’s cock punches out of him.

Gyuvin grins rakishly before leaning down to suck a harsh mark between Gunwook’s collarbones. Gunwook whines as Gyuvin continues to leave a mess of reddening marks across his chest. Gunwook clutches at the sheets below him with a loud moan, eyes squeezing shut when Gyuvin’s mouth finds its way to a perky nipple and kisses it. Gunwook squeezes around him and tightens his hold on Gyuvin’s hair, making Gyuvin exhale sharply, warm air enveloping the bud. 

“Gunwook,” he pants, “if you do that again, I’m gonna bust.”

Gunwook brings a hand to his chest to roll over his other nipple. “That’s– mmm– that’s the plan,” he gasps, grinding back against him.

Gyuvin keeps his pace steady, fucking into Gunwook’s wet hole and sucking over the bud until it’s puffy and pink. His teeth drag from one nipple to the other, grabbing Gunwook’s hand and pushing it back onto his pillow to attack the other side of his chest. Gunwook arches into his mouth as Gyuvin laves over the soft, heated skin.

Gunwook tightens encouragingly around his cock, whimpering as Gyuvin grunts and speeds up, fucking sloppily into him as he loses control of his tempo. That sharp, insatiable craving deep in Gunwook’s gut rises back up, eager, ready to be satiated as the alpha’s knot begins to swell, slapping against his rim with every thrust.

“Please,” Gunwook whimpers, urging Gyuvin closer, “please, please, please, please, please.”

Just before Gyuvin comes, he pulls out. Gunwook tries to keep him locked inside with his legs around Gyuvin’s waist, but they’re nothing compared to Gyuvin’s alpha strength. Gunwook whines when Gyuvin comes all over his stomach, pumping his slick-covered cock and squeezing his knot.

Gunwook glares at the knot, his hole pathetically fluttering around nothing. The empty feeling deep inside Gunwook’s stomach flares back up, curling around his guts with an insatiably needy sensation. To his credit, Gyuvin quickly redirects his attention to stroking Gunwook to completion. Stubbornly, Gunwook refuses to let out any noises as he comes, biting his lip and glaring at Gyuvin instead. 

Gyuvin notices the burning eyes on him. “What?”

Gunwook wiggles underneath him. “It didn’t work,” he complains.

Gyuvin gapes at him. “I just fucked the shit out of you, the hell you mean ‘it didn’t work’?”

“I don’t know what to tell you, man, it didn’t work!” Gunwook groans, running a hand through his gross, sweaty hair. 

“So we just sacrificed our dedication to the bro code and fucked for nothing?” Gyuvin asks, appalled. He flops down onto the bed next to Gunwook.

Gunwook sighs. “I don’t know, dude. It was getting better while we were doing it, but then you pulled out and suddenly, boom! It’s like there’s a fucking supernova in my stomach again.”

Gyuvin awkwardly wipes at Gunwook’s tummy to get rid of some of his come, but only succeeds at smearing it around his soft skin. Gunwook, sensitive as ever, tenses at the touch.

“Fuck, sex without a condom is so fucking messy,” Gyuvin mutters. “So, what, am I just supposed to fuck you constantly until your heat ends? I’ve got killer stamina, but I’m not that good. I’m gonna be out of commission for, like, half an hour.”

Gunwook groans at the notion of being empty for that long. “At least have some decency and wipe your stupid come off me, then. There’s extra washcloths under the sink.”

Gyuvin pouts. “I just knotted, dude.”

“And I’m still actively in heat. Guess who wins.”

Gyuvin grumbles, but awkwardly sits up. “You suck.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m the worst. Now go be a good alpha and wipe me down,” Gunwook sticks his tongue out and lightly pushes Gyuvin forward with his foot. Gyuvin’s face reddens when Gunwook calls him alpha. Gunwook files that information away for later. 

Gunwook watches him waddle over to the bathroom to find and wet a towel. The ache inside him pulses watching his friend. He wants Gyuvin back inside him. His awkward, gangly, too-loud best friend who’s distressingly hot and smells like heaven. He needs him in ways he’s never imagined, the rogue thoughts driven by his heat begging him to claim Gyuvin for himself, to latch onto him and never let go.

Gyuvin returns to his side and busies himself carefully wiping him down, humming a song Gunwook’s heard on the radio. He treats Gunwook gently, far more gently than he’s ever treated him before, like Gunwook may break if he so much as touches him the wrong way. That carnal emotion zaps back into his brain, screaming at him to take Gyuvin as his own, to not let this caring, providing alpha leave him. He swore that nothing would change between them, but every newly-awakened omega part of Gunwook seems determined to break that promise.

He wonders if the alpha in Gyuvin feels the same.

Gunwook stays quiet while Gyuvin cleans his stomach, quiet when he walks over to his laundry basket and drops the cloth inside. He stays quiet when Gyuvin climbs back on the bed and leans down to kiss him sweetly, affectionate and heartbreakingly domestic even though they aren’t having sex anymore. He stays quiet when he kisses Gyuvin back, holding onto the moment and the solace he provides him.

He breaks his silence when Gyuvin takes his bottom lip between his teeth and pulls, whimpering at the pinch. He paws at Gyuvin’s chest until he breaks the kiss, allowing Gunwook to sit up, ignoring the discomfort in his abdomen, and kiss him on equal ground. 

Gyuvin lets himself be guided into the center of Gunwook’s makeshift nest until he’s sitting with Gunwook on his lap. Gunwook kisses him deep, hungry. Gunwook kisses him hard, so he’ll never kiss anyone without remembering the omega in his lap, leaking ever more slick over his thighs as his body calls for more.

Gyuvin disconnects their lips to instead mouth along his jaw, nipping over the bone while Gunwook’s hand threads back into his hair. Gyuvin’s grip finds his waist, squeezing lightly as Gunwook arches, his chest curving closer to Gyuvin, who obligingly sucks down his neck. He massages Gunwook’s pec as he mouths over his collarbone, allowing Gunwook to pull him where he wants by the hair.

It’s good, but it’s not enough. The ache within him only worsens the longer he stays empty, making Gunwook whimper in frustration and pain. Gyuvin either doesn’t hear his noises or misinterprets them entirely, scattering more marks over Gunwook’s chest and up his neck, ghosting over his scent gland. As they kiss, Gyuvin’s knot deflates, but his dick stubbornly begins to harden as Gunwook grinds down on his lap.

“We should go again,” Gunwook suggests. “Like, now.”

Gyuvin hums through a mouthful of Gunwook’s skin. “So bossy when you’re in heat.”

Gunwook squirms in his hold. “Imagine if I was helping you through your rut and kept kissing you instead of letting you stick it in, asshole.”

“You’re kind of like Ricky when you’re in heat,” Gyuvin comments. “Maybe it’s an omega thing.”

Something lodges in Gunwook’s throat. Something lodges in Gunwook’s throat. The mention of the other omega from the alpha inside him punches him in the gut with an ugly, possessive feeling. “What the– don’t talk about Ricky when we’re naked together, what the hell is wrong with you?”

Gyuvin bites his shoulder, drawing out a moan. “Sorry,” he murmurs. “Any way I can make it up to you?” he asks, looking up at Gunwook with a glint in his eye.

Gunwook grinds down pointedly. “I can think of a pretty big way to take my mind off of it.”

Gyuvin breathes out a laugh, hot on Gunwook’s skin. “I thought it didn’t help much the first time,” he teases.

“It helped plenty,” Gunwook retorts. “I think you should knot me this time.”

“What?”

“It’ll relieve the pain better,” he insists. At least, he thinks it will. Remembering the size of the knot, he hopes it will.

“I can’t knot you without a condom,” Gyuvin points out, annoyingly.

“You already fucked me without a condom.”

“That was different! I pulled out!” Gyuvin protests. “I can’t pull out if I’m knotting!”

“That’s fine,” Gunwook shrugs. His focus is just on getting Gyuvin’s cock inside of him and keeping it there for as long as possible, so not pulling out sounds like a wonderful plan.

“Gunwook,” Gyuvin explains patiently, “you’re an omega. You could literally get pregnant.”

Gunwook’s stomach does backflips at that, his animal brain chanting yes yes yes yes good good good good. He keeps his face carefully composed and hopes Gyuvin doesn’t notice the copious amounts of slick dripping over his thighs.

“That’s what Plan B is for,” he says easily. 

Gyuvin shakes his head, but Gunwook can feel his dick getting harder. “It’s not– it’s just not– we shouldn’t…”

His resolve is breaking. Gunwook nuzzles into the top of Gyuvin’s head. He strokes his back, trailing his fingers up his spine and watching him shiver. Then, he pulls out his trump card.

“Alpha,” he murmurs into Gyuvin’s hair. Gyuvin freezes. “I asked you for your help because you’re an alpha, Gyub. So fuck me like one.”

Gyuvin groans, pulling Gunwook flush against him. “Gunwook, fuck, I…”

Gunwook directs Gyuvin’s head to face him, trying to take amateur control of his pheromones to make himself sweeter, more desirable. He lets his hunger spill into his scent to trigger Gyuvin’s own. He wraps his arms around Gyuvin’s neck and lets his big, sparkling eyes meet Gyuvin’s gaze. 

“Knot me, alpha?”

The sound that escapes Gyuvin is low and guttural when he pushes Gunwook back, letting his head bounce against the mattress. He keeps Gunwook’s spine arched with a firm hand on his lower back and leans down to drag his teeth along Gunwook’s navel, sucking a harsh mark just above his belly button before journeying upward to recapture Gunwook’s lips in a wet, hungry kiss.

“You,” he exhales into Gunwook’s mouth, “are going to be the death of me.”

Gunwook grins as Gyuvin pulls away and spreads his thighs, his grip bruising in his determination. He wastes no time angling his dick against Gunwook’s leaking hole and pushing in as far as he can.

Gunwook’s mouth falls open in a silent cry as his body welcomes the sudden fullness. Gyuvin’s arms flex as he hoists Gunwook’s legs over his shoulders and moves down as he fucks forward, folding Gunwook into a mating press. Gyuvin presses him down until they’re close enough for him to latch onto Gunwook’s neck and suck a large mark on the opposite side of his scent gland. 

Gyuvin drives his hips forward with a punishing pace. Gunwook feels fuller than last time. He’s not sure if it’s the new position, or Gyuvin’s newfound vigor, or just his desperation for his knot, but Gunwook feels fucking full. Gyuvin’s eyes are wild and dark, peering into Gunwook’s very soul as he breaks into the deepest parts of his body. 

“I’m gonna– fuck– I’m gonna fuck you full, baby,” Gyuvin pants, slamming his hips against Gunwook’s.

“Please,” Gunwook moans. He wants to reach out and touch the alpha, wants to fuck back onto his cock, wants to do something, but Gyuvin has him trapped underneath him, unable to do anything but take it.

“‘m gonna fill you up and knot you until it– until it–” Gyuvin cuts himself off with a groan, pushing Gunwook’s legs further down.

Gunwook keens at the thought of finally being knotted. “Until it– ah, ah– until it what?” he prods. 

Gyuvin leans down and kisses him sloppily. “I’m gonna fuck you until it takes,” he grits out against his mouth, hips slapping forward.

Gunwook’s hole invitingly leaks more slick at the alpha’s promise to breed. Somewhere, distantly, in the back of Gunwook’s brain, he tries to remind himself that Gyuvin is his best friend. Not his lover, not his alpha, not his mate. His best friend, ramming into Gunwook and swearing to give him pups.

A much louder part of Gunwook’s brain, however, is wrapped snugly in Gyuvin’s basil scent, soothed by the presence of the alpha and excited by the prospect of being bred. That part of his brain doesn’t care much for titles outside of alpha and, potentially, mate. That dull ache within him has been replaced with a white-hot, throbbing need that sears through his very bones.

“Oh, fuck, Gyuvin– Gyu– alpha, please, please, I can take it, I’ll be good, I can– I can– hnn–” Gunwook whimpers as Gyuvin drills straight against his prostate.

“Take it, baby? You can– hah– take it?” Gyuvin gasps, pounding into him. “Take it until your stomach swells? Take it until you can feel our pup kick? Take it until you’re mine, inside and out?”

Fantasies spilling from his lips, Gyuvin places his hand flat against Gunwook’s stomach. “Fuck, baby, I can feel myself,” he groans.

He grabs Gunwook’s hand and presses it against his abdomen. Gunwook feels a slight bulge nudge against his palm every time Gyuvin slams forward, cock fucking Gunwook impossibly full. At the mind-breaking display of just how deep inside him the alpha reaches, Gunwook shudders, his orgasm splintering through his body. Gyuvin doesn’t let up, continuing to grope at Gunwook’s stomach and thrust wildly into him as the omega trembles around his cock.

“You’d look so pretty,” he slurs, fucking into Gunwook’s heat, still tight as he tries to ride out his high. “All round and perfect and fuck. You were born to be an omega, born to take my cock, born to bear my pups.”

Gunwook whines from overstimulation, but the pleasure-pain is too good to let go of, so close to finally dousing the raging flames inside of him. 

Gyuvin keeps talking, praising Gunwook over and over like it’s the only thing he knows how to do. “You’re perfect, baby, so perfect for me, the perfect omega, the perfect boy,” he groans, nosing against Gunwook’s scent gland to inhale his fruity sweetness straight from its source. “So good, doing so good, taking me so well, gonna take my knot so well, I lo– fuck, baby,” his pace becomes more and more erratic as he chases his high.

The feeling of Gyuvin pumping in and out of him is all he can think about and it’s so fucking much . “Gy– alpha, please, please knot me, please breed me, please, please, I can take it, I can–”

Gunwook is cut off by his own moan as Gyuvin bottoms out one final time, pumping his release into the omega as his knot pushes past his rim. Warmth blooms through Gunwook’s body as Gyuvin’s come fills him to the brim, making Gunwook purr with satisfaction. He shudders through his own orgasm, tightening around Gyuvin’s knot as his spent cock splatters a new mess over their stomachs. Gyuvin gasps, clutching at Gunwook’s legs for purchase as he spills deep inside him, his cock throbbing against Gunwook’s walls. Gunwook reaches up to pull Gyuvin down into a bruising kiss while Gyuvin’s stuttering hips calm.

They take a long moment to pant clumsily into each other’s mouths and come back down to earth. Gyuvin awkwardly moves Gunwooks legs to a more comfortable position, but can’t get them further down than his waist. Gunwook tries to adjust himself, but gets caught on the knot, both him and Gyuvin wincing at the discomfort that flares from their point of connection. Unable to move, they resign themselves to laying down, faces inches apart and limbs tangled, until Gyuvin’s knot deflates.

It’s silent for a bit while they get their bearings. Then, Gyuvin pokes Gunwook’s bicep.

“Did it work?”

Gunwook blinks. Then blinks again. He feels sluggish, and suddenly very, very tired, as if all the exertion is hitting him all at once. “Wha?”

Gyuvin smiles, patient and soft. “Knotting you. To help your heat. Did it work?”

Gunwook had been so focused on the feeling of Gyuvin inside him, he’d nearly forgotten about the heat pain. “Oh, uh, I think so. I can’t really feel it anymore. I think the knot really, um, did the trick,” he says lamely.

It’s true. Maybe it’s because Gyuvin just knotted him, or because he’s still buried deep inside him, but Gunwook can’t feel any more pain. The burning ache in his abdomen has been replaced with a warmer, more comfortable feeling. Which might also be Gyuvin’s come.

“Cool,” Gyuvin responds, a bit awkwardly.

Gunwook kind of wants to die. He’s locked together with his best friend that he’s kinda-sorta-maybe been harboring feelings for, his best friend who just fucked the living daylights out of him. After Gunwook begged him to. Fuck, what was he thinking? Maybe he hadn’t been as clear-headed as he thought. Regular Gunwook would never act like Heat Gunwook.

They’re so close together that Gunwook can’t really look anywhere without seeing Gyuvin’s face, so he shuts his eyes. He tries to pretend that he’s anywhere else, doing anything else, with anyone else. But no matter how hard he tries to distract himself, he’s still naked in his shoddy little nest—would it be weird to ask Gyuvin for some clothes to add to it? He smells really good—and knotted to his best friend.

Fuck, Gyuvin had dirty talked in his ear, calling him baby and promising to fuck pups into him. Gyuvin did that. To Gunwook. What the hell kind of alternate universe has he woken up in?

He cracks an eye open to peek at the other boy. Gyuvin, to his credit, doesn’t seem as bothered. Or if he is, he hides it well. He’s got his eyes closed too, dozing off while his knot slowly deflates inside Gunwook. His arms are wrapped around Gunwook’s torso to keep him as comfortable as possible in their awkward position. He’s drooling a bit onto Gunwook’s pillow, which is a little bit gross and a little bit endearing. His cheek is squished against the pillow, and one of his legs is thrown over Gunwook’s side. He looks alarmingly cute. Gunwook closes his eyes again and waits for the knot to keep going down.

When they can finally separate, Gyuvin murmurs a warning in his ear before slowly pulling out. His dick is covered in a mixture of slick and come, a mixture that Gunwook can definitely feel leaking out of his gaping, empty hole. Gyuvin quickly crawls off the bed to go get more spare washcloths to clean himself and Gunwook, then staggers out to the kitchen to grab water and a granola bar. 

Gyuvin gingerly offers Gunwook the food and water, which Gunwook accepts. He gulps down the water while Gyuvin works the washcloth over him, turning him over to carefully clean him out while Gunwook winces.

They’re quiet again. It feels wrong to interrupt the silence. Gunwook’s grapefruit scent lingers heavily in the air, accompanied by the herbal notes of Gyuvin’s scent. Gunwook would ask Gyuvin to open a window, but he rather likes the way their scents mix. Gyuvin gently runs the towel over the bruising marks scattered from his neck down to his torso, mindful of Gunwook’s increased sensitivity. It’s distressingly domestic, the way he handles him.

When he’s satisfied with his work, Gyuvin chucks the cloth into Gunwook’s laundry hamper and settles down next to him on the bed. In his nest.

“I’ll do your laundry for you,” he offers. Gunwook hums.

They’re laying next to each other, both staring at the ceiling and avoiding each other’s eyes. Gunwook wonders again if Gyuvin would be willing to leave some of his dirty clothes with him for his nest. For the sake of convenience, of course.

“Thanks,” he whispers, “for helping me with my heat, I mean. I’m sorry it was so… sudden.”

Gyuvin stretches by his side. “It’s no problem,” he says, like he’d come over to help Gunwook move a couch rather than fuck him brainless. “It’s not your fault. It was completely out of the blue. I’m always happy to help you out, dude.”

Ah, so Gunwook is back to dude. Maybe baby is reserved for when Gyuvin is inside him. It’s an odd thing to call a friend, anyway. Since that’s all they really are. Gunwook doesn’t know what else to say. Silence fills the air.

“Your, uh, dirty talk is pretty good,” he compliments.

Gyuvin shoves his shoulder. “Shut up.”

Gunwook laughs, low and breathy. Maybe nothing has to change between them.

He chews on his lip. “I can try to help you with your next rut, if you want,” he offers, hesitant. 

“Yes, please,” Gyuvin accepts, perhaps a bit too quickly. “I mean, only if you really want to. This doesn’t have to be an exchange, or anything,” he adds. Always so considerate.

“I want to,” Gunwook says. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

“Yeah,” Gyuvin agrees. “Always gotta show up for a friend in need. I can help you with your other heats, too.”

Gunwook pretends those words don’t spark a new, excited craving deep within him. “Thanks.”

“I guess this does align with the bro code, then,” Gyuvin muses. “Because we’re just helping each other out.”

“Yeah,” Gunwook murmurs after a moment of silence. “The bro code.”

Gyuvin turns to look at him with sparkling eyes, propping himself up on his elbow. “Can I eat you out next time?”

Gunwook pushes him off the bed.