Archive of Our Own

Two Weeks

He was shaking. 

He placed the second stick down on the counter, praying that the first one was fucked up, broken, or something. 

He took a deep breath as he waited. 

How come three minutes felt so fucking long? 

He had to start pacing, or he was going to start tearing his hair out. He had never had to do something like this before. He had always been so incredibly careful. He and his ex-boyfriend, Sungjae, had taken extra precautions, so they never even had a scare. They used condoms, and he was on birth control.

But since they broke up, he had no reason to take them. He was planning on getting back on them soon, since he had been meeting up with a new guy recently. They had been seeing each other for a few weeks, and Jisung really liked him. He asked him out, and Jisung said yes.

Which was why he made an appointment to get re-prescribed. That appointment was supposed to be on Tuesday, but it was too late now—because the second stick also came back with a pink plus sign. 

Positive.

He let out a heavy breath of disbelief. His chest felt incredibly tight, and he hadn’t even realized when he had sunk to the ground. He placed a hand over his mouth, trying to hold in his voice because his roommate, Seungmin, was right outside the door in the living room.

At first, he didn’t believe it. They had to be wrong. Home pregnancy tests weren’t always accurate—at least, that was what he’d read online. 

Then, as he stared at the positive reading for about ten minutes, he felt his heart squeeze so tightly that tears started to flow down his cheeks. 

He was scared. 

He was alone. It wasn’t like he had a boyfriend to call and talk it through with. They barely even knew each other. He was a friend of a friend of a friend, and he wasn’t even sure he knew his last name. 

And he had to call him and tell him that their accident was now a serious issue. 

Day One

He had left work early. It seemed like every month his heat was getting worse and worse. His body was on fire, his brain was fuzzy, and everything ached so badly that he could barely move. On the bright side, Seungmin was visiting his parents up north for the weekend, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone being home.

It was Friday, and he was supposed to go out with a few of his friends to hit some bars, but unfortunately, his heat had hit early. He texted Jeongin and told him there was no way he would make it.

His new plan was to take some medicine, crawl into bed, and try not to cry too much. His method was to sleep his way through it if he could, even though he usually got so hot that it would wake him up, and he’d have to relieve himself with his knotting dildo until he fell asleep again. 

Normally, his heat only lasted a few days. He was lucky—unlike him, Seungmin’s would last for a week or longer. It was always so brutal for him, but at least he had a long-term boyfriend to fuck him over and over until he was satisfied.

Jisung’s boyfriend, Sungjae, had broken up with him about eight months ago. He had expressed his desire to settle down and have kids, and Jisung dodged that conversation over and over—until he couldn’t anymore. He was only twenty-one. He was too young for that. He hadn’t even finished college yet.

To be fair, Sungjae was about seven years older, so he couldn’t blame him for leaving to find someone whose interests aligned more with his own—but it did make him wonder if their two-year relationship had meant anything at all to him.

Which was why he decided to try and find someone his own age for once. He met Doyun on a dating app, and he was nice enough. He paid for him on the first date, even though Jisung told him he didn’t have to, and kissed him only after the second one. He seemed like a gentleman and worked at the bank right next to the music production company Jisung was interning at downtown.

It worked out well—grabbing lunch on breaks and even driving home together after work some days. They had been seeing each other for about four weeks, and Jisung probably could have asked him to help with his heat, but they hadn’t slept together yet. He didn’t want their first time to be him begging to be impregnated over and over—because his brain definitely disconnected a little during it.

He knew he was needy during his heat. He couldn’t help it—but he also knew he was a lot to handle. Even his boyfriend had barely been able to keep up, calling him insatiable as he cried in heaps on the bed, ass in the air, after just being filled to the brim.

For some reason, it was never enough. 

When he practically crawled through the front door, his legs were ready to give out. He didn’t even make it to his bedroom, deciding the couch would suffice. He knew he’d have to get up sooner or later, but he was exhausted—and he just needed to lie down.

He woke up rutting against the couch, his body coated in a sheen of sweat, slick leaking down his thighs. He winced at how wet he was, his clothes sticking uncomfortably to his skin since he hadn’t taken them off.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been whimpering on the couch, his body begging to be touched by something that wasn’t there. He hated this part—the inability to push down those desperate thoughts of needing someone to hold him down and fuck him.

He noticed his phone on the floor where it had fallen, the screen lit up, indicating multiple text messages from Seungmin. He blinked blearily at it, reading the texts from about an hour ago.

Seungminnie: 7:17 P.M.

Hey, you’re not home, right? 

One of Chan’s friends left something at the house last weekend and wants to pick it up

Remember Minho? I think you’ve met him

I told Changbin that Chan could give him the key so he can grab it since we’re not home

I know you said you were going out, but he’s stopping over around 8 just in case you’re home still

Jisung’s heart dropped in his chest. 

Minho. 

He definitely remembered him. He was Seungmin’s boyfriend’s friend’s friend from college. He had only met him twice before. He was a nice enough guy—sweet, polite, made casual conversation.

The only problem was that he was an alpha. An incredibly attractive alpha, with a scent Jisung remembered being dangerously addicting. 

And Jisung was already way too deep into his heat. The house had to reek of his pheromones, and he could barely move his legs.

It was also well past eight, and before he could text Seungmin back to tell Changbin to tell Chan to tell Minho not to come over—it was too late.

It was embarrassing how loud of a whine came out of his mouth as the front door opened. His mind instantly swirled, overwhelmed by the scent of the alpha stepping into the house. It was a wintry smell—like frozen pine on a chilly day—and Jisung had never felt more comforted by something in his entire life.

He knew it was pointless to cover his face to try and block it out, since the scent had already infiltrated his senses.

It was too late.

“Oh—holy fuck,” he heard someone say.

Another desperate whimper left his lips. Before his mind could get any worse, he needed to get out of there. Although, the only thing he could do was shamelessly roll to the floor with a loud thud. 

Minho’s head whipped over to see him breathing heavily on the ground.

Jisung’s entire body jolted as their eyes connected. 

“Shit. Jisung,” the soft way his name rolled off his tongue had him shivering. 

Minho’s fists were clenched, and his jaw was locked as his eyes raked over him. He wanted to cry when Minho started walking towards him. He hadn’t even bothered to turn on the lights. The only glow in the room came from the moonlight, shining through the window and illuminating his sparkling, hungry eyes.

Jisung found it harder to catch his breath with every step Minho took. His scent was overwhelming, and the only thing he could think about. It was addicting, and his cheek was plastered to the cool ground as he drooled against the wooden floor. He panted, knowing he looked incredibly pathetic.

He was impressed that Minho seemed to have control, though he wished he would use it to leave the house—because his scent was about to make Jisung’s heat ten times worse.

Jisung wailed when Minho reached out to touch him. 

“D–Don’t. Don’t,” he begged, his body aching. Minho’s hand on his arm made him feel as though he’d been electrocuted. Minho twitched, and his grip tightened on his bicep. Jisung moaned at the feeling, starting to get dizzy as he breathed in Minho’s scent.

“Jisung, let me—I can put you in your room,” he offered, his voice shaking. He may have looked like he had control, but it was obvious he was fighting to hold himself back.

“Can’t—no—it hurts,” he whined, already losing his ability to speak properly. 

“I know, but I can make it more comfortable for you,” he told him, his voice gentle. 

Jisung shook his head desperately. He was about to lose all of his sanity. He could feel it slipping as Minho brushed his hair back and out of his eyes. He moaned, just from his slight touch, and he could see Minho twitch.

“Fuck…if I’m going to move you, I need to move you right now,” he growled, and that was what tipped Jisung over the edge. 

Jisung reached out to grab the front of his shirt, and before he could stop himself, he was rubbing his face into Minho’s thigh. The scratch of the fabric felt good against his skin, and his smell was even stronger now. He was warm, and Jisung felt so drunk off his scent that he needed more.

“Need….Need it…” he whined, looking up to see Minho’s wide eyes on him. 

What came out of his throat was practically a scream as Minho slipped an arm underneath his back while the other grabbed his legs. Jisung knew he was soaked, from head to toe in slick and sweat, but Minho didn’t seem to mind as he lifted him bridal style.

Minho held his breath, trying to tilt away when Jisung shoved his face into his neck, breathing in as deeply as possible. He rubbed his face all over his scent glands, and Jisung thought it was the best smell he’d ever experienced in his entire life.

“Stop that,” Minho demanded, and Jisung whimpered. 

The walk from the living room to the bedroom felt like it took an eternity. Jisung was shaking uncontrollably as Minho dug his fingers into his thigh and the side of his arm. 

He kicked the door open, and Jisung could barely see. His vision was clouded, his mind fuzzy. He felt Minho placing him down gently, but for some reason, he couldn’t detach himself.

“Jisung, let go.” 

His voice was dark, firm—and that only made Jisung cling tighter.

“No—No—Don’t leave. Please don’t leave.” 

He was already begging, the words falling past his lips, controlled by his heated mind.

“I said let go.” 

Jisung started crying, but his fingers slowly released his wrist and his shirt at the sound of Minho’s demanding voice. He was on fire. He desperately needed his shirt off his body. He needed Minho’s hands on him again. He wanted someone to touch him. He needed it.

Minho finally breathed in, like he couldn’t hold it anymore. Jisung was writhing on his bed as Minho looked down at him, an intense look on his face. His brain had finally slipped.

“Minho—Minho, fuck me—please—fuck me.” 

He saw the way he twitched, lurching forward slightly as his thighs hit the mattress. Jisung whined louder, knowing he was inching closer again.

“Stop. Stop.” 

He wasn’t talking to him—he was talking to himself.

“It…hurts. Please—make it go away.” 

It didn’t matter if it was Minho or any other alpha right now, it had been so long since he’d been taken care of, and his body was begging for it—desperately. 

“Please.” 

Minho’s restraint had already been stronger than most alphas he had met. Some of them were pathetic, losing their heads immediately at just one whiff of an omega in heat. He didn’t blame Minho at all for getting on all fours above him and slamming their lips together after he had begged him—desperately, over and over.

And he continued to beg as Minho ripped his shirt off and licked over every inch of his chest. He left little bruises on his skin, sucking and biting at his nipple, marking it with his teeth.

Jisung dug his fingernails into Minho’s arms, dragging harsh red streaks down them as he teased his tongue around his abdomen.

“You smell…so fucking incredible.” 

Minho’s mind was just as broken as his. Jisung had been told he had a strawberry scent, laced with sugar. His partners always said he even tasted sweet, sucking on him until he was covered in marks.

Jisung whined when Minho reached a hand down his pants, grasping his soaked cock in his fist. Jisung yelped, immediately cumming into his fist. His entire body shook, and Minho watched his face as he whimpered from his touch. 

“Did that feel good?” he asked, and Jisung could hear the hesitation in his voice. He was completely lost in his instincts, consumed by the need to breed an omega in heat, but Jisung could tell that his consciousness was still there, yelling at him to stop.

“So good, so good. More—please more.” 

That stream of thought would remain silenced as Jisung begged for the alpha within him.

He tore the rest of his clothes off, leaving him bare, covered in slick, sweat, and cum as he shook on his bedsheets. Minho’s eyes glazed over as Jisung spread his thighs as far as they could go. 

“Touch. Touch.” 

He needed him to touch him where he was aching. He needed to feel something inside him. Jisung groaned when Minho leaned in to press a kiss to his thigh, once again marking his skin.

“You’re so wet,” Minho said, mesmerized. Jisung’s eyes rolled back at the little growl in his tone.

He spread his legs impossibly wider, lifting his hips and whining impatiently. 

“So pretty.” 

Jisung moaned and suddenly came again. Minho looked surprised, staring at his pathetic cock, pulsing just from his words and the gentle touch of his rim. 

“Oh…wow,” Minho whispered.

“Inside—I need you, please—”

Minho didn’t waste any time, shoving two fingers deep into Jisung’s body. If he hadn’t just cum, he would have again, just from having Minho’s strong fingers buried to the knuckle inside him.

Jisung whimpered and whined loudly. He could hear the wet squelch of Minho’s fingers fucking into his body, and he couldn’t stop squeezing down on them, needing something bigger. 

“Holy fuck, you’re so open too. You want a knot that bad, huh?”

Jisung keened. 

“Knot, yes, knot me please.”

He was crying again, and Minho let out a deep moan himself. 

“Fuck…you’re…I want to fill you up so bad,” he whispered.

Jisung was hanging on for dear life, trying not to pass out before he could feel Minho inside him. He was pawing at his cock that was straining behind his jeans. He needed to see it. He needed it inside him. He wanted to be filled—pumped full of every last drop Minho had to give.

“Fuck me….fuck me…fuck me…” he pleaded over and over, until Minho gently grabbed his face. He squished his cheeks to shut him up, and Jisung obediently went still. 

“Get on all fours. Show me where you want me to fuck you.” 

It was amazing how Jisung’s body felt completely numb, yet he still managed to obey the alpha’s demands. He pressed his face into the mattress and reached behind himself, gripping his cheeks with both hands and spreading wide. He could feel his slick leaking, and he was clenching around air, waiting for Minho to shove his cock inside him.

He let out a whine as Minho’s fingers pressed into his hole again—just for a split second. When he looked back, he saw Minho had slipped off his pants and was stroking himself with Jisung’s slick.

His mind short-circuited at the sight of him. He was so big—his knot already looked like it was about to burst. Jisung felt ridiculously excited, knowing it was about to fill him to the brim. 

He felt Minho’s hand come down to caress his skin, giving it a tiny slap. He was about to start begging again, but he gasped when he felt something soft and wet pressing against his dripping hole. 

“Ungh…” 

He pressed his open mouth into the mattress, biting down harshly. Minho’s tongue lapped at him, eating him, sucking fiercely at his rim.

“You’re so fucking sweet tasting. I’ve never tasted anyone like this before. I could eat you out all day.” 

Jisung was cumming again. It would have been embarrassing, but Minho was the one with his face pressed into his ass, trying to devour him. 

“Cock—need your—knotted—want to be—”

“You’re very needy, aren’t you? Begging so much,” he interrupted him, and Jisung didn’t even try to deny it. He hissed as Minho bit his left cheek, marking his skin again. Minho seemed to love leaving marks all over his body.

He jumped when he felt his cock slapping against his hole. He could feel how big he was, and his heart leapt into his throat, knowing it would stretch him so perfectly. 

“Not sure how your little hole is gonna handle me, but I’ll make it fit for you.” 

Jisung shuddered, and he cried out when he felt the head of his cock enter him. He was thick and long, and Jisung knew it was going to hurt a little. But that tug inside him didn’t care in the slightest.

“Ah— ah!” 

He could feel him pushing in deeper and deeper, and Jisung’s rim was giving in so easily. 

“Holy fuck, it’s— fuck, like a perfect fucking fit.” 

Minho’s entire cock was pressed inside him, and Jisung couldn’t catch his breath. It felt so good. 

“More, more.” 

He wasn’t even sure what he wanted—he just knew he needed Minho to do more for him.

“So demanding, pretty boy.” 

Jisung started bouncing, hating that he wasn’t moving. Minho stayed still as Jisung fucked himself on it. He moaned, desperate for more. His body was already exhausted, and it wasn’t enough. 

“Do something.” 

Jisung knew that might get him in trouble, knowing some alphas didn’t like a bratty omega. But he didn’t like being teased. He kept grinding his hips back, wanting to cry when Minho chuckled. 

“I’m not one of your dildos, sweetheart. Let me fuck you.” 

Jisung whined as Minho slammed in deep, leaning over him and pressing his chest to his back. 

“Beautiful. You really are—my god.”

Jisung felt a strange sensation in his heart. A swelling of sorts, making his body feel warm. He grabbed Minho’s hand, squeezing tightly. 

But now his body felt even more sensitive. 

Jisung wanted to scream, feeling his swollen knot touch his rim. 

“I’ll fill you up,” Minho growled, fucking him deeper. “Cum so deep inside you. Breed this tight little hole of yours.”

Jisung was desperate for it.

“Cum. Yes. Need it. Deep, I—I want it.” 

He was running on instinct. His head was gone. But there was something inside him, screaming at him. They couldn’t. He wasn’t on the pill. If Minho knotted him, he could get pregnant.

“You smell so fucking good. Taking it so well. I’m gonna knot you, fuck you full of my cum, yeah? Gonna get that little tummy nice and swollen with it.”

And Jisung wanted it. He wanted it so badly. 

He ignored whatever it was that was yelling at him.

“Please— please,” he begged, his voice cracking.

Minho’s knot made him cry as it slipped inside him, stretching him impossibly wide. 

“Oh fuck, I’m gonna breed you, pretty boy. Give it all to you. Milk my cock for me, take it all.” 

Jisung came, and Minho didn’t even need to touch him. 

He could feel his stomach bloating, and Minho’s teeth were sunk into his own hand. Blood leaked down onto Jisung’s back, and the dizziness in his head intensified.

Holy fuck—thank god he didn’t mark him. 

They were stuck together, Minho gasping for air, and Jisung whimpering every so often as he was filled to the brim.

He wouldn’t lie that he had felt so incredibly satisfied that he felt like he could fall asleep.

He felt Minho moving him, laying them down on their sides. He whined, feeling Minho’s hand cup his stomach, knowing he was still pumping cum deep into his body. 

“Oh my…fucking god.” 

Well, Minho’s mind was already back. 

“Shit. Shit.” 

Jisung was too tired. 

It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t either of their faults. It was just the way it went down, an unfortunate accident.

Jisung passed out, Minho still connected to him, filling his soft, tiny tummy until he couldn’t anymore. 

Three Weeks

It had been a week since he found out he was pregnant. He went to the doctor just to confirm, and all the tests came back positive.

The good news? The baby was healthy, and so was he. 

The bad news? He still hadn’t told Minho. 

Seungmin did think it was weird that he asked Changbin to invite Chan to invite Minho over to watch a movie with them. They had a few friends coming over for a small get-together, and he decided that it was probably the only way he could get in front of Minho without scaring him with a “we need to talk” text. Seungmin raised an eyebrow at him, but he was thankful he didn’t ask any more questions after claiming that it would be more fun with more people.

They hadn’t talked since that night. When he woke up, his heat was practically gone, and Minho was nowhere in sight. He took an incredibly long shower, winced at all the marks and hickeys on his body, and drowned himself in ice cream while he watched his comfort shows for the rest of the evening.

He was almost asleep when he received a text message from an unknown number.

Hey, it’s Minho

I am so sorry about yesterday

Jisung felt his heart skip a beat, and he blinked his sleepy eyes open. 

He responded quickly. 

It’s totally fine

And I’m sorry too

He bit his lip, seeing the dots pop up on the screen, indicating he was typing. It disappeared multiple times, and Jisung grew anxious waiting for his reply.

If you’re cool to just forget about it, then I am too

Jisung wasn’t sure why that stung his heart a little bit. It was probably because he was still in heat, and getting rejected by an alpha felt a bit more painful when his body was desperate for one.

He responded with a thumbs up anyway.

Sounds good to me

We don’t ever have to talk about it again

And he was cool with it. They barely knew each other, and they could easily forget it ever happened. It wasn’t like they were close. He was a friend of a friend of a friend. It was an accident. They didn’t like each other romantically—hell, they weren’t even really friends, maybe just acquaintances. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Sometimes, things just happen like that.

Unfortunately, just forgetting about it wasn’t going to happen. 

Jisung was stupidly nervous when Minho showed up at their apartment. His scent immediately dragged him into a flashback of that night, and his heart slammed against his ribs when Minho smiled at him with a soft nod. He didn’t come over to say hi, and Jisung didn’t blame him—especially since Jisung just stayed on the couch, chatting with Chan and Changbin like everything was normal.

He tried to keep his cool—the doctor had told him that high blood pressure wasn’t good for the baby. Still, he winced every time the thought crossed his mind.

Baby. He was having a fucking baby.

He glanced over at Minho, who was fully immersed in the movie with Changbin. Usually, Jisung would be just as into it, but tonight he was way too preoccupied.

Seungmin paused the movie to make more popcorn, and Jisung knew he couldn’t keep waiting any longer. He needed to just get it off his chest.

When Minho got up to use the bathroom, Jisung followed. He knew Minho could tell he was behind him, but he definitely wasn’t expecting to be pushed into the bathroom and have the door shut behind them. Minho turned to face him, clearly waiting for an explanation as to why he had just been followed in there.

“Hey…” Jisung said, because that was the only thing he could get out at the moment. He twisted his fingers nervously, eyes darting to the floor.

“Hi.” he responded, looking at him with curious eyes.

Jisung took a breath. He just had to rip the bandage off.

“So, you know how we said…that we would never talk about it?” 

Minho blinked at him, over and over—because yeah, that was the plan. They were going to leave it as an accident, tell no one, and pretend it never happened. 

“Yeah…” he trailed off, and Jisung wondered if he could hear the loud beat of his heart.

“Well…um, I kind of…have to tell you something.”

Jisung's heart dropped when Minho’s terrified eyes flicked to where his hands were now caressing his stomach. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it. 

“No…” he sounded desperate for him to tell him that he wasn’t serious, that it was just a joke, but Jisung bit his lip with a small nod. 

“I’m pregnant.” 

Minho looked like his entire world shut down in that moment. Jisung’s stomach clenched.

“Fuck…you’re kidding me. Fuck.”

Jisung’s heart snapped at his devastated tone. 

“You’re—you’re not on birth control? Why didn’t you say something?” 

That made Jisung wince.

“I–I don’t know. I was in heat and I wasn’t exactly thinking about it, and you just showed up and—” he tried to explain, but Minho cut him off.

“Fuck, this can’t be happening right now.” 

Jisung’s throat felt tight. 

“I’m so sorry…” he whispered.

Minho ran a frustrated hand through his hair. 

“Fuck…don’t—you don’t have to apologize, Jisung, it’s not your fault,” he swore, and Jisung felt like crying. 

That was definitely a normal reaction. They barely knew each other. They had probably talked a total ten times, if that. And now Jisung was telling him he was pregnant. It was more than warranted that he was upset—but something deep inside him was aching, seeing those desolate eyes. 

“I know—I just…sorry.” Jisung shrugged, not sure what to say now. 

Minho paced back and forth for a bit in their tiny apartment bathroom. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, and Jisung felt incredibly awkward. 

“Okay—so, now what?” Minho finally asked, and Jisung looked up at him with confusion in his eyes. 

“Now what?” he repeated. 

“Yeah, like are you…you know, do you need me to take you somewhere, are you thinking adoption or…” 

Honestly, he had been so nervous about his reaction that he hadn’t even really thought past that part. 

“How are we handling this?”

That made Jisung’s eyes go wide. He forgot that they had to make a decision. He had completely overlooked the fact that this was a serious conversation and maybe not one to be had in the bathroom while all his friends were in the living room waiting to watch the rest of a movie.

“I don’t know—I don’t…” 

There were tears in his eyes. He wasn’t sure why, but the mention of terminating the pregnancy made his heart ache. He didn’t want to be pregnant, but why was he so upset hearing Minho discuss ways to get rid of the baby inside him?

He didn’t know what to do. He was scared. 

“Jisung, I’m…not ready to be a parent yet.”

Jisung wanted to chuckle in disbelief hearing those words, remembering the thousands of times he had repeated that same sentence to his ex-boyfriend. Now, here he was, carrying a child inside him at twenty-one years old, when that was everything he was trying to avoid. 

“I’m keeping it,” he blurted out, and that made Minho sigh again. 

“Jisung, you need to think about this. We…We don’t even know each other that well, and you want to have a baby together? We can give the child up for adoption, to a family who wants a child. I’ll take you to the clinic, I’ll even pay for it if you can’t. I’m—I’m still getting my degree, I’m so busy at work, I—I can’t—” 

Minho was getting all worked up, and Jisung could sense his pheromones leaking out. He winced, hating the way it made him want to wrap his arms around him and nuzzle into his neck.

Jisung started crying. 

Minho looked defeated. 

“Look, just—please think about it for a few days, and I will too. We don’t have to decide right this second, okay?” He reached out, brushing his hand across Jisung’s red cheek. “Don’t cry, it’ll be fine.” 

Minho smiled at him, and Jisung cried even harder. It took him a few minutes to calm down, with Minho patting a tissue to his eyes a few times and rubbing a hand over his shoulder. 

“Are you feeling better?” Minho asked, as they had definitely been in the bathroom for way too long. Jisung just nodded, even if it was a lie. He knew Minho could sense that he was still incredibly stressed, but he didn’t mention it. 

“Come on, let’s go watch the rest of the movie.”

Jisung tried to put on his best fake smile, and everyone definitely gave them a questioning look, but no one said anything as they started the movie back up. 

Minho sat next to him, and Jisung could feel him giving him little side glances, like he was making sure he was alright. Minho kept his smile on all night, likely not wanting to worry him. 

It would be okay. 

Even if their lives were about to change drastically. 

Four Weeks

He thought about it, like Minho had asked. He wasn’t sure what had changed, but the thought of giving up his baby made him sick to his stomach. It could have also just been morning sickness, but he was pretty sure morning sickness didn’t make your heart feel like it was shattering inside your chest.

“I want to keep it.” 

Minho nodded, and Jisung could tell he was holding his feelings back. They were standing in the middle of Jisung’s bedroom, where just a few weeks ago Minho had him fucked into the mattress and knocked him up. 

He blushed, thinking about it. 

“Okay,” he answered simply, but Jisung knew he wasn’t saying everything on his mind. “If you want to have it, then…I’ll support you.”

Jisung blinked back at him, feeling a little guilty. 

“If you…don’t want to, I would totally understand.” Jisung had to say it, even if the thought of Minho not being around was hard to fathom. It wasn’t fair to expect him to stick around if he wasn’t ready. It would just break his heart, seeing him look so devastated every single day. He rubbed his stomach again, knowing the stress he was feeling lately probably wasn’t healthy for him.

“No—I want to, Jisung. I’m not going to let you go through this by yourself. I’m…responsible for this too.” 

Jisung felt his heart jump when he reached out to grab his hand. He brushed his fingers over his knuckles, and Jisung had to hold back his tears again. He was definitely a little emotional lately, but his entire life just turned on its axis. 

“Thank you, and…I’m sorry.” 

He wasn’t sure why he was thanking him and apologizing, but he could have easily just bailed on him if he wanted to. He didn’t have to stay. 

But Minho just shook his head with a smile. 

He didn’t know much about him, but he knew that he was actually incredibly kind. 

“What’s your last name?” Jisung asked then, and that made Minho chuckle. 

“Lee. Yours is Han, right?” 

Jisung nodded.

They spent the evening talking to each other, learning everything there was to know—from their childhood pets to their favorite ice cream to their most hated day of the week.

Jisung was falling asleep, leaning into Minho’s shoulder as the television played a movie they both liked. Minho had carried him to bed and tucked him in. He didn’t say anything as he left the room, and Jisung wasn’t sure why there was an ache deep in his chest as he heard the bedroom door shut.

All he knew was that he was exhausted from the stress, and he desperately needed to get some sleep before class tomorrow.

Two Months 

They decided not to tell anyone yet. 

Minho asked if Jisung really thought it was a good idea to keep it from their friends, since once he started showing, they would find out anyway.

But honestly, he was still trying to come to terms with it himself. It almost didn’t feel real. He also didn’t feel pregnant—if one could even feel pregnant.

Besides, he had a few things to get in order before he started telling friends and family.

The first being his boyfriend, Doyun. 

Jisung knew he owed him an explanation. He had been avoiding him for almost two weeks, but he couldn’t help it. He felt so guilty and a little depressed because he knew he had to break up with him. 

There was no way he’d want to stick around knowing Jisung had cheated on him and was having another alpha pup. 

Currently, he was lying on the floor in the bathroom, his body white hot as he tried not to throw up. The morning sickness had been kicking his ass for the last week, and like clockwork, he was up at 6 A.M., trying to not hurl. 

He almost threw up on the spot when Seungmin was cooking eggs in the kitchen yesterday morning. The entire room filled with a scent that made him feel dizzy and nauseous. It was strange—since he usually loved eggs.

Seungmin thought he was just sick, hearing him throw up in the bathroom three days in a row this week. He had confined himself to his room when Jisung told him he probably had the flu.

Unfortunately, Jisung still had to go to school. But there was no way he was dropping out, and no way he would give up his internship at the music production company. That internship was extremely competitive, and he was incredibly lucky to have scored it in the first place. He couldn’t give up the opportunity.

He sighed, starting to feel a little better after resting his cheek on the cool floor, texting Minho that he threw up again.

Maybe he shouldn’t have, because he probably didn’t care, but he needed to talk to someone. 

He felt bad that Minho didn’t really want to keep the baby, but Jisung’s heart instinctively ached when Minho mentioned not going through with the pregnancy. The thought of giving his baby up made an indescribable feeling claw inside his chest.

It was early, but Minho answered anyway. No matter when Jisung texted him, he would instantly reply. 

Again? 

I’m so sorry. 

Do you need me to bring you anything?

Minho was really kind. He didn’t have to be, but he was. It was six in the morning, and if Jisung said he needed something, Minho would rush over and bring it.

He just told him that he would be okay, that it usually went away after a little while, but still thanked him for being thoughtful.

Okay. I hope you feel better. I’ll see you at noon.

Minho also offered to take him to his monthly appointments, saying he should be there too so he would know how Jisung and the baby’s health were. He was going to tell him that he didn’t need to do that, but Minho had a car, and he didn’t—and the walk to the doctor's office wasn’t close.

He had a few classes this morning, and then Minho was picking him up from the apartment to take him.

Jisung accidentally fell back asleep, waking up in a panic when he saw he had fifteen minutes before class started. Thankfully, his nausea went away, but his heart dropped when he saw a text from Doyun. He said he was coming to his apartment when his morning class was over because he wanted to talk.

He wanted to tell him that he didn’t have time to talk today, but he knew continuing to avoid him would only make things worse. He had about thirty minutes between the end of his class and when he needed to leave for his appointment—so hopefully, that would be enough time to explain that things between them weren’t going to work out. 

All throughout class, he tried to think of what to say. He was so worried about it that he couldn’t focus. The anxiety he’d been feeling lately probably wasn’t healthy, but he couldn’t help it. Everything was so overwhelming, and he wasn’t sure how to handle the emotions. 

But maybe that was just another pregnancy symptom, because he found himself feeling strangely moody and crying when he felt stressed.

He figured out what he was going to say on his walk home, repeating it to himself over and over. He knew Doyun probably wouldn’t be happy, but he had to do this. He paced his kitchen, his hand on his stomach, unsure why he felt nervous.

He jumped when the doorbell rang, taking a deep breath before opening it to see Doyun standing there with a deep scowl on his face.

“Hey—”

“Thanks for finally making some time for me,” he hissed, and Jisung shuddered at his agitated tone. 

Doyun pushed past him, and Jisung couldn’t help but notice how his pheromones burned his nostrils. 

“I—I actually don’t have too much time,” he said, unsure why he sounded so timid. But the alpha’s frustrated body language made him nervous. His hand gripped tighter to his stomach. 

“Why have you been ignoring me?” Doyun asked, getting straight to the point. But honestly, Jisung felt relieved they weren’t tiptoeing around it. 

“I’ve been busy,” he explained, vague but honest enough. He had been busy—trying to mentally prepare himself for the fact that his life was completely changing, and that he would have to give birth in just a few months. But he wasn’t going to tell him that. Doyun’s anger was increasing, and Jisung’s anxiety was getting worse.worse. 

“You’re gonna have to explain a little better than that,” he demanded, and Jisung flinched. 

“Doyun, I’m really sorry. But things have been difficult for me lately with school and my internship, and I just don’t think I have time for a relationship right now.” 

His voice wavered when he said that, because Doyun had been nice and sweet to him, but now he was looking at him with rage and terrifying eyes. 

“Are you dumping me?” 

Jisung bit his lip but nodded slowly. 

Doyun scoffed, a twisted smirk curling at his lips. “You’re not breaking up with me. An omega isn’t fucking breaking up with me.”

Jisung winced, hearing his furious tone. He was pissed, and Jisung instinctively covered his stomach with both arms.

“How dare you waste my fucking time?” he spat, stepping closer, forcing Jisung to take a few large steps back. “I was nice to you, gave you whatever you wanted, and this is how you act?!”

Jisung’s back hit the wall, panic making his chest heave. Usually, he would fight back, never taking shit from an alpha who thought they could use their power over him. But his body screamed that he was in danger, that he needed to protect himself. He cowered as the alpha towered over him.

“What kind of omega are you? You’re an ungrateful, disrespectful fucking brat. I should’ve known a pretty omega like you wouldn’t know his place. Maybe I should teach you how to properly behave,” he threatened, seething.

Jisung clenched his eyes shut, but Doyun didn’t like that. He grabbed his face, his grip tight. He whimpered as Doyun squished his cheeks, forcing his gaze upward.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” 

Jisung gasped as the front door slammed open, and a deep growl echoed through the room, sending a wave of relief through his body.

“Let go of him. Now.” 

Minho. 

Doyun’s grip immediately loosened, and as soon as he released Jisung, Minho grabbed his arm, tugging him behind his body. The sense of safety that washed over him was so overwhelming it brought tears to his eyes. 

His eyes went wide when Minho’s hand wrapped around Doyun’s neck, gripping so tightly that Jisung could hear his choked breaths. 

“Touch him again and I will kill you. Do you understand me?” 

It that moment that Jisung realized that Minho wasn’t just an alpha—but a dominant alpha. He shivered, his pheromones filling the room as Minho threatened Doyun, his teeth bared, growling fiercely.

It made Jisung a little dizzy, but he had to stop him. Minho looked like he might actually kill him—even though something inside Jisung was telling him to let him, to let Minho eliminate the threat.

He reached out gently, one hand clutching Minho’s shirt, the other still wrapped protectively around his stomach.

“Minho—don’t. I’m okay,” he said softly.

The moment the words left his mouth, Minho’s grip released.

Doyun coughed, gasping for air, and Jisung instinctively cowered behind Minho as that sharp, hateful glare landed on him.

“Worthless omega whore,” he spat, his voice rough as he spoke. 

Minho breathed in deeply, letting out a sharp warning breath as Doyun moved around them towards the door. Jisung was sure Minho would have attacked him again if he wasn’t holding onto him. 

As soon as Doyun left, Minho turned and cupped his cheek, his touch much softer than Doyun’s.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice strained. His eyes glanced to where Jisung’s arm was wrapped around his stomach, then flicked back to his gaze, filled with worry.

Jisung shook his head quickly. 

“We’re okay,” he answered, not even realizing he’d used the word we until it was already out. He flushed, but Minho let out a breath of relief.

“Good,” he whispered, gently letting go of his cheek. Jisung wasn’t sure why he felt disappointed by the loss of his touch.

Minho sighed softly. “I’m sorry I barged in, but I could smell your pheromones from the street,” he said.

Jisung blinked at him, surprised, not realizing he’d even released any. 

“Really?” 

Minho nodded. “It was weird…but I knew something was wrong,” he said, seeming like he was pondering how he knew that. 

He shook his head, glaring at the door. “Who was that?” 

Oh, yeah. He forgot to mention to Minho that he had a boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend. 

Jisung’s arm slowly let go of his abdomen, and when he did, a sob left his throat. His head fell back, and the tears slid down his cheeks, the overwhelming feeling catching up to him now that the threatening alpha he had thought was kind was gone.

“Jisung? What’s wrong?” 

Minho’s hands were back on his face in an instant, wiping away the tears that flowed steadily. 

“He—was my—boyfriend,” he admitted through broken sobs. 

Minho’s eyes widened, his thumbs going still on his skin. 

“I broke up—with him. He—wasn’t happy about it. I—I was…scared,” he cried, unsure why he said the last part, but it was true. 

He cried harder when Minho pulled him into a hug, fingers gently carding through his hair.

“I’m so sorry, Jisung,” he whispered, holding him close. 

Jisung was frustrated when he couldn’t stop his tears. His stress had returned, and these days, the only thing that seemed to relieve it was crying his eyes out.

But with Minho’s hands gently caressing him, it made him feel a little better.

He was frustrated, realizing that Doyun had been nothing more than a raging alpha asshole. But on the bright side, at least he’d dodged a bullet.

Minho pulled him back after a few minutes, when Jisung’s cries had turned to little sniffles. He rubbed the heel of his palm over Jisung’s cheeks once more, offering him a soft smile.

“Do you have anything else to do after your appointment?” he asked, and Jisung slowly shook his head. 

“Would you want to get ice cream and watch movies all night?” 

Jisung blinked his wet eyes at him, sniffling one last time before nodding repeatedly.

He decided he liked Minho’s sweet smile, especially when it was directed at him. He was kind, and Jisung knew he probably had a million other things to do, but he was offering to be a shoulder to cry on about his breakup. If Jisung could find any positive in this entire situation, it was that he was glad the person who knocked him up was Minho.

Minho helped him into the car, let him play whatever music he wanted, and walked close beside him as they made their way into the clinic.

Jisung kicked his legs nervously in the waiting room, grateful he wasn’t alone. Minho’s soft pheromones were comforting, making him feel safe.

It was strange, all these emotions inside his chest. He wasn’t even sure how to handle them. He hadn’t been lying when he told Doyun he had a lot going on right now. It was overwhelming, and he would have cried again if it wasn’t for Minho’s pine scent keeping him calm.

When the doctor called them, Jisung jumped up anxiously. Minho pressed a soft hand to his back, pushing him along. 

The good thing? The baby was still healthy. 

The bad thing? His blood pressure was a little high. 

Jisung explained that he was feeling a little stressed, and the doctor suggested he try some exercises to help relax when he was anxious.

She went over the exercises with both of them, saying it would be helpful if Minho did them with him before bed. Jisung blushed, realizing they hadn’t explained their situation—that they were just friends, not lovers.

But Minho learned the exercises anyway, focused and listening as the doctor demonstrated.

He was due back in a month, and he was happy that Minho walked close to him on the way out. 

He sighed when they got back in the car, unsure why he felt guilty. But he couldn’t help feeling like it was his fault. He needed to take better care of himself and do those exercises like the doctor had instructed. The last thing he wanted was to hurt their baby.

He softly placed a hand over his flat stomach, wondering when he would start to show. The doctor had said he might show sooner than most, since he was so small.

“Ice cream?” Minho suggested, and Jisung smiled with a quick nod. 

Minho took Jisung to the store and let him buy anything he wanted. Jisung asked if it was really okay, and Minho just told him to pick his favorite flavors. Jisung chose two of his favorites, then made Minho pick his own, curious about his choice and not wanting to force him to eat something he didn’t like.

Jisung chose chocolate and mint, and Minho chose strawberry.

When they got back to Jisung’s apartment, he mixed all the flavors together in a bowl.

Minho laughed. “You’re crazy.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” he said, scooping up all three flavors and shoving them into his mouth.

Minho shrugged, doing the same, looking surprised by how well the flavors blended together.

“Good, right?” 

Jisung chuckled when Minho simply nodded, quickly shoving another bite into his mouth.

Minho picked the first movie, and Jisung picked the second. Minho had chosen an anime, so Jisung picked Howl’s Moving Castle next, glancing over at Minho, wondering what he thought. 

“I like this one,” he said, snuggling into the couch. 

Jisung cuddled into his pillow, a small smile on his face. 

They watched movies all night, and when Minho picked one where the main character was terminally ill and passed away at the end, suddenly, Jisung’s tears wouldn’t stop.

He sobbed, and Minho quickly grabbed his cheeks, apologizing for picking such a sad movie. 

“But it was beautiful,” Jisung cried as Minho wiped his damp face with his sleeve. But the tears kept coming. His emotions were a mess today.

“Don’t cry. I’m sorry. You’re all stressed again.” 

Jisung sobbed, and maybe he should have been embarrassed by how much of a crybaby he was being, but he couldn’t stop.

Minho turned towards him, pulling his feet up on the couch, and gently taking Jisung’s hands. 

“Deep breaths,” he said, just like the doctor had instructed earlier. 

Jisung nodded, breathing as deeply as he could without sniffling. Minho breathed with him, and it was interesting how quickly he calmed down with Minho holding onto him, releasing his pheromones softly, just like the doctor had said. 

Jisung blushed, realizing Minho’s scent was incredibly comforting. It almost made him feel like he could fall asleep instantly.

“There you go,” Minho whispered, and Jisung couldn’t help but feel happy with the tone, like he was being praised.

He leaned back against the couch, and Minho put on another movie. He missed the warmth of Minho’s hands but knew he couldn’t just reach for them. That would definitely be weird.

Minho chose a happier movie this time, but Jisung was so tired he couldn’t even remember the name of it. He was exhausted, his stressful day completely sucking the energy out of him. His belly was also full of ice cream, and with Minho’s scent surrounding him, he was drifting off to sleep.

He wasn’t sure what time it was when Minho picked him up and carried him to bed. But he felt disappointed again when his warmth was gone. 

He wanted to reach out for him, but he knew he couldn’t, and he was too tired anyway. 

When he heard the door close, he listened to faint footsteps, suddenly stuttering to a halt.

“Minho? What are you doing here?” 

Seungmin was home. Jisung thought he was staying the night at Changbin’s. Suddenly, he felt wide awake, wondering what Minho was going to say. He couldn’t help but panic. He didn’t want to say anything yet.

“Oh, hey,” he greeted, completely calm. “I left my bag here again, and Jisung said I could come grab it,” he lied. 

“Sew it to your back, then you’ll never forget it,” Seungmin joked, and Minho’s soft chuckles sent warmth running through Jisung’s chest.

He heard them say a quick goodbye, and Jisung wasn’t sure why a feeling of sadness started to kick in. But he found it only worsened as Minho’s scent faded.

Three Months

Seungmin felt bad that Jisung had broken up with his boyfriend. He suggested they go out for drinks and find him a hot alpha to hook up with, but of course, Jisung kept declining. He had to tell him he wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone—or to drink alcohol.

Jisung felt pretty good—other than the ongoing morning sickness that was kicking his ass and his nipples starting to feel a little weird. But other than that, his stomach wasn’t showing, and no one knew he was pregnant.

He knew he had to tell them soon—but once he did, it would all start to feel so real. He wondered what they would say when they found out Minho was the father. He was worried Seungmin might get mad at him for keeping it a secret for so long. 

He also knew they would start treating him differently. He’d never really paid much attention in his health classes, but now that he was expected to give birth in a few months, he was anxiously scavenging the internet for any information he could find.

He read that the close alphas in an omega's life would start getting territorial, instinctively making sure the omega was safe. It said close omegas would comfort him, scenting him and keeping him secure and happy. It was interesting that even friends and family would undergo instinctive and hormonal changes when there was a pregnant omega around.

Not that he didn’t like attention or being doted on—but he hadn’t wanted to be pregnant in the first place. It was easy to forget about it for a while when he was in class or working, but he was afraid that if everyone knew, it would be all they’d think of and talk about.

He also told Minho that he shouldn’t come over often since Seungmin might get suspicious. Of course, Minho agreed without argument, and Jisung wondered if he felt that was a relief. He didn’t want to bother him, especially since Minho had expressed he didn’t want a child. He insisted it was his responsibility too, but Jisung knew he’d basically forced him into saying that. Minho was a nice guy—probably the nicest alpha he had ever met—and he felt a little guilty every time he saw his smiling face.

Minho texted him every day, making sure he was healthy and asking if he needed anything. He would meet him on campus sometimes, driving from the town over from his own college to bring him vitamins the doctor prescribed or food Jisung had asked for.

Sometimes his cravings were really annoying, and it was difficult to say no when Minho offered to bring him lunch.

Today, they sat outside since the sun was out, Jisung eating a chocolate cheesecake smoothie from his favorite cafe and taking down some pills Minho had told him to take with it.

Honestly, having Minho at the appointments was a godsend. He felt so anxious every time he walked into the clinic. He’d see other pregnant omegas, much farther along than him, and completely freak out. It was still hard to come to terms with it, and in those moments, reality would set in. When they finally talked to the doctor, everything went in one ear and right out the other. But Minho was right there, listening and making sure they did everything the doctor said.

“Here, take these too—they’re the prenatal vitamins we were told to get.” 

He slid more pills over the table, and Jisung groaned. He hated taking pills, and Minho knew that now, which was probably why he bought him the smoothie to make it a little more bearable.

He sighed, grabbing them and forcing them down his throat with a delicious sip. 

“How much do I owe you?” Jisung asked, knowing he had to pay Minho for the smoothie and the over-the-counter vitamins.

“Nothing,” he replied, putting the cap on the bottle and sliding it over to him. “Keep these with you, take them daily, okay?” 

“Seriously, you don’t have to pay for this shit,” Jisung said. 

“It’s not shit, and don’t worry about it,” Minho said, glancing at him with serious eyes. 

Jisung pouted a little, not liking the way he was looking at him. “Well, I already bothered you to bring me stuff, I’m not gonna be annoying and make you pay for it too.”

Minho sighed. “You’re not a bother, you’re not annoying, and I don’t mind.”

Jisung couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. He was pretty sure that even if he was annoyed, he wouldn’t tell him—he was too nice.

“Do you need a ride home after class?” Minho asked. He really was too nice. 

Jisung shook his head. “No, it’s not far. I usually walk.” 

“I don’t think you should be walking by yourself.” 

Jisung raised an eyebrow, setting his smoothie on the table. 

This was what he meant when he said that people would start treating him differently. He could walk down the street without a bodyguard. He was just pregnant—not ill or dying.

“It’s fine,” he assured him, trying not to sound irritated. 

“It’s not fine,” he responded immediately, his tone made Jisung shiver. “I’ll pick you up after class.”

“Don’t you have your own classes? I don’t need you to drive me around everywhere. I just need you to take me to my appointments because they’re too far,” he told him, and Minho looked at him with piercing eyes. 

“I’ll pick you up after class,” he repeated, and Jisung couldn’t believe his head nodded in agreement. His body had moved on its own, and sometimes he forgot that Minho was a dominant alpha.

“Okay?” Minho added, but his tone was soft. 

“Okay.”

Jisung shivered, Minho’s wintry pine scent making his body go numb. 

“Good,” he said, and Jisung couldn’t believe he almost fucking whimpered. “Meet me here.” 

Jisung nodded again, obediently. He wanted to roll his eyes, but instead, he just took another sip of his smoothie. 

Arguing was pointless, and he didn’t want to seem disrespectful after Minho had been kind to him. Also, he could hear deep down something screaming at him not to disappoint this dominant alpha. It was a little annoying, so he flicked his gaze away when Minho smiled at him. He also tried to ignore the feeling in his chest when Minho’s scent disappeared.

But he met him at the spot he told him to, and Minho drove him home. Every day he had class, work, or an appointment, Minho would be right there to drive him.

It also helped when he wanted ice cream, because whenever he texted Minho, he would answer immediately. 

He had strawberry, chocolate, and mint chocolate ice cream on a cone, sitting in the front seat of Minho’s car with his feet up on the dash.

“You always answer my texts like right away,” he said, his cheeks freezing as he bit into the first scoop—chocolate, his favorite. 

“I have your number as an emergency alert. So every time I get a text from you I hear it.” 

Jisung just blinked at him for a moment, surprised by that. He didn’t have Minho’s number saved like that. 

“Why?” 

“In case you need something, or if something is wrong and you need me.”

Jisung blushed, unsure why that made him feel so happy. 

“Well—you should have told me that. I wouldn’t text you at six in the morning about how I’m throwing up,” he chuckled, and Minho shook his head. 

“I don’t mind.” 

It was strange—whatever that feeling was in his heart, and when he bit into the strawberry flavor, Minho glanced at him with a soft smile. 

Minho took him to the pier, a place they often visited since Jisung didn’t want to hang out at the apartment knowing Seungmin and Changbin were there. He sighed, knowing they couldn’t avoid them forever.

“What’s wrong?” Minho asked when he softly sighed, leaning into his car seat. 

“We should probably tell them soon,” he mumbled. “But…I’m kind of scared.” 

Minho gave him a gentle look, turning in his seat. 

“Scared?” 

Jisung nodded. “I’m afraid Seungmin will be mad that I didn’t tell him—and what if they’re weird about it? What if they treat me differently? And once I start telling everyone…then it becomes, like, real. Not that I don’t want the baby, but I know you don’t really want the baby, and I just know life is going to be so different. I don’t know how to handle it, and I—”

“Hey,” Minho said softly, quickly grabbing his hand. He rubbed his thumb over his knuckles, and Jisung blushed. “Deep breaths.”

Jisung immediately listened, breathing in and out, Minho doing the same. He knew he was getting himself worked up—but he couldn’t help it. 

“I’m sorry if I worried you by saying I wasn’t ready to have a kid,” he began, his voice soft with regret. “I was panicking back then because I didn’t know you, and we’re both still in school, so I was anxious about it. It’s not that I don’t want the baby, I just...thought I wasn’t ready.” He paused, biting his lip. “But I talked to a friend of mine who has a kid, and he told me something that kind of made me change my mind. He said, ‘You’re never really ready, you just learn along the way.’” 

Jisung bit his lip, and a small smile came to Minho’s lips. 

“And I think we get along pretty well—going from complete strangers to learning we’re having a baby together in such a short time. Even if we’re not together romantically, I think we can be pretty good friends and take care of the baby well, and I think our friends will be nothing but supportive. But we can tell them when you’re ready, so if you’re not yet, I completely understand.” 

Jisung blinked at him, and he had no idea why tears started falling down his face. 

“Fuck—I don’t know why I keep fucking crying like this,” he groaned, rubbing at his eyes. 

Minho chuckled softly, brushing a tear from his face. 

“You stressed yourself out, and the doctor said that you’re going through a lot of hormonal changes—so it probably doesn’t help.” 

Jisung hiccuped, wiping his eyes, but Minho didn’t try to shush him. He let him cry softly as they watched the sunset, Jisung slowly finishing the rest of his ice cream. 

Minho played Jisung’s favorite playlist as they talked, sharing deeper, more personal things with each other—life goals, aspirations, and everything from their smallest to biggest fears.

“When I was five, my mom took me to the beach, and I ran into the water without her,” Minho began. “It looked fun, you know? The waves crashing on the shore. But I almost got swept away, and now I’m terrified to even go near the ocean.” He glanced at Jisung. “What about you?”

Jisung sighed, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Not being enough,” he mumbled. 

Minho’s soft eyes slowly drifted over to him, waiting for Jisung to explain more.

“I feel like I’ve never been enough,” he continued. “My parents are disappointed in me—since they don’t like my career choice. My ex broke up with me because I couldn’t give him what he wanted. Funny enough, here I am, pregnant, after I told him I didn’t want a family yet. And…what if I’m not a good parent? What if the baby hates me?” 

Maybe that was another reason why he’d been feeling so stressed lately. 

“You will be a good parent,” Minho said gently. “And our baby won’t hate you. I’m sure of it.”

Jisung’s heart fluttered a little at Minho’s soft, comforting tone.

“Thanks, Minho,” he whispered, hoping he understood he was thanking him for more than just the reassurance.

They stayed on the pier later than they’d planned, but Jisung liked being with Minho. His presence was comforting, and his scent calmed him whenever anxiety crept in. His voice was soft when he spoke, and Jisung felt like he could fall asleep just listening to it.

Minho drove him home, but Jisung wished they would never reach their destination. He didn’t want to be alone tonight, but there was no way he could ask him to come inside. They were just friends, they both had classes in the morning, and Seungmin and Changbin would definitely have some questions.

Before he jumped out of the car, Minho grabbed his attention. 

“Hey. Don’t forget to take your vitamins, and get some good rest, okay? I’ll pick you up for class in the morning.” 

Jisung nodded, giving him a soft smile before waving goodbye, his chest tightening again as Minho drove away.

Four Months

It was slight, but he was starting to show. He was sure he was the only one who could notice, since his shirt had to be off, and he had to be standing completely to the side. 

His morning sickness was completely gone now, but his nipples still felt weird. They were definitely tender, and it was uncomfortable when his shirt brushed against them, but he tried to ignore it. 

Minho had been spending a lot of time with him lately, and he wondered if he was starting to get irritated by his constant requests for food, water, or whatever else he desired that day. But Minho never complained. In fact, he almost looked happy whenever Jisung asked him to do something. 

They were planning to tell their friends tonight, since Jisung’s pheromones were starting to become more noticeable, and with Minho around so often, Seungmin was starting to get suspicious of something. He’d asked last week if he and Minho were seeing each other, after Jisung came home from a stressful day at work and Minho offered to scent him to help calm him down.

It was crazy how well it worked, too. But it wasn’t romantic in the slightest. Minho was just worried about the baby, and Jisung knew that.

Minho had picked him up from his late class, and he knew his stress levels were off the charts. But he was so anxious. Minho’s soft hand on his shoulder helped a little, and the familiar scent of his car had him feeling comfortable in just seconds.

When they got out, Minho held his hands and had him take a few deep breaths. He smiled when Jisung started to relax, and only once he was calm did he lead him towards the apartment.

Minho had invited everyone over, and when they walked in, all eyes looked to them. His hand rested on Jisung’s back, gently guiding him inside—just like he always did when Jisung was nervous at his appointments.

“Hey, guys,” Changbin said first.

Jisung could feel himself starting to sweat. He couldn’t find his voice, but he was glad Minho spoke for him.

“Hey.” 

He was shaking—just like he had when he took the pregnancy test. But at least he wasn’t alone this time. 

Jisung stood in the middle of the room, and Minho could probably tell just how stressed he was. He stepped closer, leaning in to whisper softly against his ear.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, low enough that no one else could hear. Jisung could smell him, his wintry pine scent helping him settle. He nodded, knowing they had to tell them. 

“Do you want me to tell them?” Minho asked sweetly, and Jisung nodded again. He couldn’t help but grab onto Minho’s hand, thankful when he didn’t pull away. 

Minho took a deep breath, and when Jisung looked up, everyone was staring at them, with confusion in their eyes.

“We have something to tell you,” Minho said calmly, and Jisung couldn’t understand how his voice wasn’t shaking.

Maybe he was overreacting—maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal. But even after twelve weeks, he still couldn’t believe he was pregnant.

“Is it that you two are dating? Because if it is, I’m about to win a bet,” Seungmin said with a smirk.

Jisung winced, biting his lip. 

“No, we aren’t together,” Minho told him, and Jisung had no idea why his heart clenched when he said that. “But Jisung is pregnant—with my pup.” 

Jisung blushed, gripping Minho’s hand tighter. Seungmin’s eyes were wide, his jaw almost hitting the floor. Chan and Changbin looked completely stunned. 

“You’re—you’re pregnant?” Seungmin asked, and Jisung wished he could say something, but nothing would come out of his throat. 

“How did this happen? When did this happen?” he asked again, looking between the two of them.

“When I came to grab my bag from the apartment a few months ago. Jisung was in heat—it was an accident.”

“Months?” Seungmin said, shock laced in his voice. “You’ve been pregnant for like four months? And you’re just telling us now? What the hell?” 

Jisung clenched his fists. He knew Seungmin would get angry, but he just didn’t understand. All of this was so overwhelming, and he didn’t know how to tell them. 

“Don’t get mad at him,” Minho’s sharp voice and serious eyes made Seungmin’s breath hitch. Even Changbin sat up straighter. “If you want to be mad at someone, you can be mad at me. But leave him alone—he’s stressed enough as it is.” 

He must have been worried about the baby again. Jisung knew Minho could sense his stress. The doctor had explained that Minho would become hyper-aware of his emotions during the pregnancy—maybe a little less since they weren’t bonded—but he would still be able to tell.

“I’m—I’m not mad. I’m just…surprised,” Seungmin said, and Jisung could see the protective arm Changbin slung around his shoulders. 

“Calm down, Minho,” Chan added. 

Jisung hadn’t even realized that Minho had his teeth bared. Minho probably hadn’t noticed either, because as soon as he spoke, he quickly stood down and took a deep breath.

“Sorry,” he whispered, and Jisung felt him squeeze his hand. 

“So, you two aren’t together?” Seungmin asked, and Minho shook his head. 

“No. But Jisung decided he wanted to keep the baby, and I’m supporting him through it. So I hope you guys can understand and do the same,” he said softly.

Seungmin quickly jumped up from the couch. 

Minho stepped in front of him, blocking his path to Jisung.

Seungmin rolled his eyes. “Seriously? I just want to hug him.” 

Jisung felt tears welling up in his eyes as Minho reluctantly stepped aside, allowing Seungmin to wrap his arms around him.

“Holy shit, you’re so warm,” Seungmin said, and Jisung squeezed him tighter. “I thought you smelled like Minho all the time because you two were dating—but little did I know you have little Minho inside of you.” 

Jisung let out a soft laugh, and when Seungmin scented him, not even caring that there were three alphas standing there watching them, he calmed down immediately. 

“Don’t be stressed,” Seungmin told him. “I’m not mad. I’m sorry I sounded angry, I was just really surprised.”

Jisung snuggled into his neck, and he couldn’t help but let out a soft sob. 

Fuck the fucking hormones. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, but Seungmin just held him tighter. 

He jumped when he felt three pairs of hands rubbing his back, and he hadn’t even noticed that Chan, Changbin, and Minho were all surrounding him. 

“Don’t cry, Jisung,” Changbin said, giving him a soft smile. 

“Everything’s okay,” Chan added. 

Minho looked at him with a soft smile, and suddenly, everything felt like it was going to be okay.

Maybe he’d been worried all this time for nothing.

Seungmin cuddled with him on the couch, and he felt so comforted, especially with Minho on his other side, his pine scent and gentle touch calming him. 

He’d fallen asleep on the couch, and Minho carried him to his bed. 

“Is he really okay?” he heard Seungmin ask. “He seems really stressed.”

Minho squeezed him in his arms. 

“He’ll be alright. He was just nervous to tell you guys. He’s…trying to get used to everything.” 

Jisung snuggled into his chest, not wanting to say anything. He just wanted Minho to take him to bed.

“Well, I’m glad you’re taking care of him.”

Jisung wished he could see Minho’s expression, but he stayed quiet.

“I’m gonna take him to bed,” he said softly, rubbing his fingers over Jisung’s back. 

Jisung cuddled against him, and he was glad that Minho didn’t leave right away. He must have known Jisung was awake, gently running his fingers through his hair, waiting for him to fall back asleep first.

Five Months

Things were beginning to hurt, and he was starting to get incredibly bitchy. 

But Minho was an expert at handling his mood swings. He would never get angry, not even when Jisung threw a pillow at his head, yelling for him to leave and get out of his room.

Sometimes Minho was a little overbearing, constantly asking him if he was okay, and continuously coming over to the apartment to check on him. And he was thankful—he really was—but this time, he had been in the middle of trying to relieve himself from some serious sexual frustration, considering he hadn’t had sex in over five months.

Minho’s eyes widened when he burst into the room without knocking to find Jisung on all fours, his slightly swollen belly sticking out, with three fingers inside him. He blushed, completely mortified, and screamed incredibly loud for him to get out.

Now, he could sense Minho sitting at the foot of his door with a giant pout on his face. 

But he was pissed. He couldn’t believe he’d just barged in like that. Minho tried to explain, saying he thought something was wrong since he could smell his pheromones, but Jisung didn’t want to hear it. He was so embarrassed, especially since that was the first time he’d seen his baby bump without any clothes on.

It was definitely noticeable now, but without his shirt on, it was obvious he was pregnant. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt shy showing him. He’d casually asked once, but Jisung had denied him. Maybe he was just a little self-conscious, especially since he’d started getting stretch marks. He’d been lathering his skin with special lotion every night, hoping it wouldn’t happen, but the doctor assured him it definitely would.

After about an hour, Minho left the apartment. Jisung was still incredibly pissed, but with Minho’s scent suddenly gone, he felt extremely upset. He cried into his pillow, and didn’t even finish getting himself off. His lower back ached, his feet hurt a little, and his emotions were running wild as he sobbed. 

It was frustrating, not being able to control the emotions inside him. 

He perked up when Minho’s scent was back, and he completely forgot that the only thing he had on were some loose shorts. He slammed open his bedroom door, and Minho looked shocked when he saw his tear-stained face, red and puffy from crying.

But in Minho’s hands was an ice cream to-go container with chocolate, strawberry, and mint chocolate. 

“Is that for me?” Jisung asked, his tears completely subsiding as he noticed the delicious treat.

“Uh—yeah. I thought you’d want some. And I’m really sorry, Jisung. I shouldn’t have done that. I smelled your scent—and I was just worried,” he said, holding out the ice cream for him to take. 

Jisung ignored his words and immediately grabbed the ice cream from his hands. 

“It’s okay,” he mumbled, feeling a little bad when Minho gave him those sad puppy-dog eyes. 

He also couldn’t help but notice Minho’s gaze briefly flick down to his stomach before quickly flicking back up. Jisung blushed, and since he had the ice cream in his hands, he couldn’t hide from him.

“Do you want me to grab your shirt?” he asked, and Jisung nodded quickly. 

“And a pillow. And a blanket. And bring my heat pack. Oh, and my socks,” he told him, moving around him to head to the living room. 

Minho immediately did as he was told, gathering all the items Jisung requested before following him to the couch where he was huddled up. Jisung had placed the ice cream down, his knees covering his stomach as he tried to shield himself from Minho’s eyes.

He helped Jisung put on his shirt, and once he was safe from his stare, he felt a little more relaxed. Minho handed him his ice cream and even slipped his socks on over his feet. He turned on the TV and tucked him in with his blanket, plugging in his heat pad and making him feel comfortable. 

“Thank you,” Jisung mumbled, and Minho just gave him a soft smile. 

“Of course.” 

Jisung panicked again when Minho started making his way to the door, like he was about to leave. 

“Where are you going?” he asked, flinching at the desperation in his voice. 

“I thought you might not want me around right now,” he said with a slight pout. 

Jisung frowned, shrugging his shoulders. 

“You can stay.” 

Minho’s thrilled, tiny smile and little skip over to the couch made Jisung’s heart flutter. 

They watched movie after movie, and Minho didn’t complain when Jisung put on Howl’s Moving Castle , or even when he hit replay. He also happily rubbed Jisung's feet when he placed them in his lap, not even needing to ask.

“Do you need more of that lotion for your skin?” Minho asked suddenly, and Jisung’s eyes widened. 

“Why? Did you notice stretch marks? Are they really that bad?” he asked anxiously. 

Minho quickly shook his head. “No—no, I didn’t. I was just wondering since I had to pick up more of your vitamins tomorrow.” 

Jisung blushed, pulling his feet from his lap. He didn’t mean to get angry and puff out his cheeks, but it was definitely something he did lately whenever something ticked him off. But Minho was definitely lying. 

“Hey, don’t be mad.” 

He tried to reach out for him, but Jisung shrugged away. 

“Then be honest with me. You saw them, didn’t you? You think they’re ugly. You think I’m ugly.”

He knew he was being dramatic, but he couldn’t help it. This pregnancy had him feeling incredibly insecure. He wasn’t ready for his body to change.

Minho was also incredibly attractive, and Jisung often wondered what was stopping him from having a drop-dead gorgeous omega on his arm. He was surprised he wasn’t mated already—anyone that hot and a dominant alpha was usually snatched up by now.

So, he felt even more insecure as he stared at him. 

“I don’t think that at all,” he tried to assure him, but Jisung wasn’t having it. 

“Liar,” he mumbled, and Minho let out a soft sigh.

“Fine, you want me to be honest?” he asked, and Jisung panicked. Maybe he didn’t want him to be honest. If he said something mean, he’d definitely burst into tears.

“I think you’re really pretty, especially now that you’re pregnant with my pup,” he admitted, and Jisung’s eyes flicked over to him, wide and shocked by his words. 

“I always thought you were pretty. I think I even referred to you as ‘Seungmin’s pretty roommate.’ Not lying, you can ask Chan,” he added with a small smile.

Jisung blushed hard. “You really think I’m pretty?” he mumbled, his desperate need for affirmation almost embarrassing.

“Very, very pretty.” 

Jisung had to hide his face in his blanket, but he gasped when Minho gently lifted his chin, their gazes locking. His heart raced when he saw Minho had a soft blush on his cheeks too. 

“And I know you don’t want me to see your stomach, but…I hope you feel comfortable around me, and know that I think you’re beautiful. I don’t want to make you feel anything but beautiful. So if you decide to share that with me, I’d feel really honored. But if you don’t, please know that’s okay too.”

He was saying all these things that made Jisung’s head whirl. He was such a nice guy—he should’ve known he would never say anything mean. 

Jisung knew that maybe it was a little unfair, hiding his baby from him. He could tell he wanted to see, desperate to touch his little bump. 

Jisung sighed and carefully kicked the blanket off.

“You can see if you really want to,” he mumbled, and Minho’s face perked up—but only for a second before he bit his lip, hesitating.

“If you don’t want me to—”

“Just…don’t say anything mean,” Jisung said nervously, reaching for the bottom of his shirt.

“I would never.” 

Jisung took a deep breath, and when he lifted his shirt, he could see the swell of his skin. He couldn’t believe that he had a baby growing inside him. It still felt so surreal. 

He flinched when Minho reached out, his gentle fingertips brushing against his abdomen. He must’ve realized what he was doing because he quickly retracted his hand. 

“Sorry.” 

“It’s fine…you can touch me,” he said instantly, and honestly, those words had just slipped out. But something deep inside him, an intense pull, was telling him that he wanted him to. 

Minho nodded, and when his warm hand pressed over the bulge of his belly, he felt extremely comforted.

It was strange—these feelings inside him. Sometimes they didn’t even feel like his own. 

“Hi,” Minho whispered, and Jisung’s heart melted. The softest tone he’d ever heard fall from Minho’s lips sent goosebumps running all over his skin.

He was gentle with the way he caressed him, and Jisung wasn’t sure why, but he felt like he wanted to cuddle into his arms. He thought of Minho placing both hands on his stomach, touching him carefully as he fell asleep, surrounded by his scent.

“Are you purring…?” Minho asked, a soft smile on his face. 

Jisung jumped, flushing so deeply that he could feel the embarrassment in his core. 

“What? No,” he lied. 

Minho whined when Jisung smacked his hands away, pulling down his shirt. 

But he couldn’t believe that he was just purring. He’d never done that in his life. Not during heat, not ever. 

“It’s okay. It just means you feel safe with me,” Minho said, and Jisung blushed even harder at how happy he sounded when he said that. 

“I wasn’t purring,” he said again. 

“Okay.” Minho’s smug smile made him smack his arm. 

“Shut up!” Jisung complained, grabbing a pillow and smacking him with it. But he couldn’t help his slight laughter. 

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You didn’t have to! You’re making fun of me!” 

He hit him again. 

“I’m not! I swear!” 

This time, Jisung hit him on the head.

“Liar!” 

Minho was laughing uncontrollably as Jisung assaulted him with his pillow. He let him smack him with it for a while, but when Minho had enough, he grabbed him by the wrists and pinned him to the couch. 

Jisung had momentarily forgotten that Minho was an alpha—a dominant alpha—who could hold him down and do whatever he wanted.

Jisung’s eyes widened when he felt the arousal stir in his stomach. He almost died when he accidentally whimpered. 

Minho froze. “Sorry, was I too rough? Did I hurt you?” he asked, and Jisung panicked. 

“No, I’m fine. Get off,” he grumbled, feeling a little guilty for his rude tone when he saw the frown on Minho’s face.

“Your scent—it’s really strong. Are you sure—”

“I’m fine. I already told you. Sometimes—sometimes my pheromones leak out. It’s probably because I’m pregnant. Quit worrying so much.”

He lied again. For the slightest moment, Jisung had the thought that he wanted Minho to take him, right there on that couch. He wanted him to fuck him as he held him down, kiss his stomach, and tell him he was beautiful.

He blushed, trying to get those thoughts to go away. He also could feel the slick leaking from his body. Maybe he was still desperate and horny from earlier, and that’s why those thoughts occurred. 

He and Minho didn’t have feelings for each other like that. Minho definitely didn’t see him in a romantic way. He took care of him because he was pregnant with his baby, not because he liked him. 

But Jisung couldn’t help but wonder what those feelings were deep in his heart when Minho smiled at him like that, or when he completed every single task Jisung ever asked of him without complaint. 

He wondered why Minho was so quick to give him everything he wanted and take care of him without so much as an annoyed grumble. It almost seemed like he wanted to do it.

But right now, he needed some space because he felt suffocated with Minho’s scent all over him, his confined erection, and his slick dampening his shorts.

“I’m tired. I’m gonna go lay down,” Jisung said, quickly grabbing his blanket and wrapping it around himself. 

“Do you want me to—”

“You can go home.”

He knew that was harsh, and he could see Minho’s happiness deflate from his face, but he had no choice. He needed to finish what he’d started earlier, and if Minho was here, he wasn’t sure if he could stop himself from asking him for help.

It was strange that his entire body felt like it was begging for him. They weren’t mated, but it had to be the fact that he was carrying Minho’s DNA inside him, his body pleading for more.

“Okay,” Minho said, his voice clearly disappointed. “If you need anything, just text me.” 

Jisung could see him sulking on the way out, clearly upset that he was being kicked out. 

“Thanks for the ice cream,” Jisung called out to him before he left. 

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Minho apologized. 

Jisung had to bite his lip hard, sinking his tiny fangs into his skin to stop himself from asking him to make it up to him.

Could he even have sex while pregnant? 

He shook his head because it didn’t matter. There was no way he could ask him that. They were just friends, and even though he said he would do anything he wanted, even he knew that was taking it too far. 

“Call me if you need me. For anything, okay?”

Jisung desperately needed him to leave. 

“Okay,” he responded, knowing he was waiting for an answer before he closed the door. 

Jisung let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He immediately dropped his blanket, feeling like his entire body was on fire from the heat he had wrapped around him.

He ran to his room and stripped himself, feeling incredibly hot and needy for Minho’s touch. 

Minho’s touch. 

He whined, knowing he shouldn’t be thinking like that, but it was probably just his stupid pregnancy hormones again. 

He grabbed his knotting dildo but didn't press deep, just in case it wasn’t good for the baby. He pressed his hand to his stomach, feeling the ghost of Minho’s touch, his tender voice, and the way he smiled at him.

“Minho…”  

He came quickly, gasping for air and panting against the sheets. He immediately blushed, realizing he’d just moaned his name, thinking it was him buried deep inside. He felt totally embarrassed, even though he was by himself.

He cleaned himself up and snuggled into bed, feeling a little empty but trying to ignore it. 

Six Months

Jisung was cuddled up on the couch with Seungmin, watching movies and eating brownies that Seungmin had whipped up. He had found a recipe online and was pretty proud of how they turned out.

Changbin was out tonight for an ‘alpha’s’ night with Minho, Chan, and a few of their other friends. So, Seungmin and Jisung decided to have a movie night with juice instead of wine.

Jisung wasn’t sure why he felt so anxious, especially since Minho wasn’t his alpha. But he didn’t really like the fact that he was going to bars and drinking. Of course, they were just having fun, and he was with Changbin, who was a respectable boyfriend and would never cheat on Seungmin. But the fact remained that they weren’t together, and Jisung knew he had no right to ask him to stay home.

Seungmin must have noticed his anxiety because he snuggled into his side, letting out his lemony citrus scent. He smelled like warm lemon tea, and Jisung loved it so much.

“Minho will be home soon,” he said, and Jisung’s eyes widened. 

“Huh?”

Seungmin smiled at him, nuzzling in closer. “I feel like whenever Minho isn’t here, you get all stressed. Is that why you’re upset?” 

Jisung blushed, quickly shaking his head. 

“No. Why would I care where he goes or what he does?” 

Seungmin rolled his eyes. “Is now a good time to tell you that you get extremely defensive when you’re lying?” 

Jisung bit his lip, and he would have pushed him off in frustration if his scent wasn’t so addicting and didn’t help calm his anxiety.

“If he wants to go out, then he can. I don’t care what he does,” he mumbled, trying to convince himself more than Seungmin. 

Seungmin groaned, leaning into him even more. 

“Why are you like this? You obviously care, Jisung. You’ve been pouty all night.” 

Jisung huffed, but leaned into him, even if he was annoying him with his words. 

Seungmin suddenly moved, placing both hands on Jisung’s belly. His breath hitched at the touch, but he didn’t move away.

“What do you think, baby boy? Do you miss Dad?” 

They found out it was a boy last week. Jisung didn’t want to wait anymore. Minho cried at the doctor’s appointment, and again in the car when Jisung showed him the pictures. It was sweet, and Minho held his hand on the way home.

Jisung let out a yelp when his stomach suddenly moved, more startled by the way his skin stretched under his shirt than the soft jabbing feeling in his abdomen.

“Oh my god, Jisung. Did you see that?” Seungmin asked, extremely mesmerized. 

“See? I felt it,” he said, and Seungmin rubbed his thumbs over his stomach. 

“Did you like me talking about your dad? You want Dad to come home?” 

Jisung gasped when his baby started moving again. 

“Stop that! It feels really weird!” he said, pushing Seungmin away. But Seungmin laughed, sitting up with his arms crossed.

“You can’t lie—your baby is tattling on you.” 

Jisung blushed, and he couldn’t believe he’d been ratted out. It was strange, but he definitely felt like he was being influenced by his baby’s emotions. He wasn’t even sure if it was possible, and maybe they were just his own, but he swore he felt extra anxious. 

“Okay—maybe I’m a little bothered that he’s out at the bar. But it’s probably just the pregnancy hormone shit,” he said, waving it off. 

But Seungmin eyed him carefully. 

“You’re sure?” 

Jisung narrowed his eyes at him. “Yes, I’m sure. My body has been so weird with all this. If he’s not around…I think the little acorn gets upset,” he admitted.

He blushed, realizing he’d just said that out loud. Seungmin smiled at him, but Jisung quickly flicked his eyes away.

Minho had come up with the nickname for their baby, and Jisung guessed it kind of stuck. 

At first, Minho called him his little seed, but Jisung thought that was weird, smacking him in the shoulder. Then, he saw a squirrel hop onto their porch, shoving an entire acorn into its mouth. Minho laughed, saying it was perfect. Jisung was his squirrel, with his angry puffy cheeks, and their baby was his acorn.

Jisung’s heart fluttered the rest of the night as Minho brushed his fingers over his stomach while they watched Howl’s Moving Castle together.

“Just the baby? Because I think you get anxious too. It’s okay to miss him,” Seungmin said.

Jisung shrugged. “I don’t think it’s him. I think it’s just his scent. It makes me feel comfortable—especially with all this fucking back pain.” 

Minho had given him a large pile of his clothes the other night—after Jisung painfully tried to find a way to tell him that, whenever he left, he had trouble sleeping. The anxiety pit in his chest would open up, and he swore the baby got upset too.

He had Minho’s clothes all over his bed now, and he was getting the best sleep he’d had since the start of his pregnancy. But he still woke up feeling a little empty.

“Whatever you say,” he mumbled. Jisung would have argued with him if he thought he could actually convince him it was just Minho’s scent he missed. But maybe there was a part of him that knew it was more than that. 

He snuggled back into Seungmin’s side, unable to resist his sweet warmth. When Seungmin pressed his cheek to his head and started the next movie, Jisung smiled.

He fell asleep halfway through, but the soft click of the front door closing and the dull ache in his lower back stirred him awake.

He heard Changbin’s voice first, and the moment Minho’s soft tone drifted into the living room, Jisung stood up without thinking, sending Seungmin toppling over onto the cushions.

He waddled into the kitchen with his swollen tummy barely covered by one of Minho’s oversized t-shirts. 

Minho’s sweet smile found him instantly, and Jisung finally felt at ease.

“Hey,” Minho greeted, his gentle voice making Jisung want to nuzzle into his neck just to feel the vibrations.

“What’s up, Jisung?” Changbin added, but Jisung didn’t answer. He reached for Minho, but the moment he stepped closer, his eyes widened.

On Minho’s skin, there was another scent. A sweet scent—something like vanilla. A scent he wasn’t familiar with. An omega’s scent. 

“Were you with someone else?” he asked, horrified.

Minho’s mouth dropped open, but if he was going to explain, Jisung didn’t give him the chance. 

“You were with another omega, weren’t you?!” he yelled, his voice cracking with the volume. 

His emotions were running wild. Tears burned in his eyes, his heart ached, and his baby kicked painfully.

“No, Jisung, I wasn’t. I—”

“Then why do I smell another omega on you?!” 

He heard Seungmin scramble off the couch and enter the room. 

He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. 

“Jisung—” Minho reached out, but Jisung flinched away before he could touch him.

He felt so fucking betrayed. 

“I—I waited for you to come home! We waited all night!” he screamed, clutching his stomach. “But you would rather be with someone else?! Fuck you!” 

He turned and pushed past Seungmin, who tried to stop him, but he couldn’t be in that room anymore. Not with that vanilla scent destroying his heart. 

He would’ve moved faster if his belly wasn’t in the way. Minho ran after him, grabbing his arm in the hallway. Maybe he could’ve shaken him off if he wasn’t so pregnant.

“I wasn’t with another omega, Jisung. I swear I wasn’t,” Minho pleaded.

But how could he explain the scent on his skin? He knew he couldn’t. 

“Let go! You’re a liar! I can smell them on you!” he screamed. He knew this stress wasn’t good for him, but his alpha had cheated on him, and his heart was shattering.

Wait a minute. 

Minho wasn’t his alpha. 

“I was at the bar, and an omega tried to hit on me. I turned them down, but they brushed up against me when I wasn’t looking. You can ask Changbin or Chan. I swear to you, Jisung, I wasn’t with another omega,” he explained, and he could see Changbin, Chan, and Seungmin watching them from the kitchen. 

Jisung had no idea what he was doing. He and Minho weren’t together. He had no right to yell at him. He wasn’t cheating. They weren’t even dating. 

But that didn’t make Jisung feel any better. 

He sobbed, collapsing to the ground, his knees hitting the floor. He felt so disgusting, so unwanted, so unloved. The feelings running through him were driving him crazy. 

“Oh, Jisung. Shh, please, don’t cry,” Minho whispered, his tone just as stressed. He pulled him to his chest, and Jisung instinctively scented him, needing to eliminate that vanilla smell. He fucking hated it. 

He cried on Minho’s shoulder, sobbing his eyes out as he clutched him tighter. Minho’s hand rubbed his back soothingly, the other carding through his hair, trying to calm him down.

In the background, Jisung heard the slapping of skin and Seungmin’s angry voice yelling at Changbin.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Baby, I didn’t do anything!” 

“You should’ve made sure there wasn’t another omega’s scent on your friend when you know he has a six-month pregnant omega at home waiting for him!” Seungmin scolded.

“I’m drunk! I can’t even smell it! It’s so faint, how was I supposed to know?” Changbin argued.

Jisung sobbed louder, clinging to Minho so tightly that he was probably hurting him, his fingers digging into his skin.

Minho picked him up easily, one arm under his legs, and the other supporting his back. Jisung held onto him, but Minho lifted him effortlessly, like he wasn’t carrying any extra weight at all.

“We’re going to bed,” Minho said, his stern voice making him shiver in his arms. 

Jisung wanted to tell him to let him down, to scream at him to just let him go. But the only thing he could do was bury his face in his neck and cry.

Minho gently set him down on the bed, kneeling in front of him as Jisung struggled to breathe. He heaved when he cried like this, and he knew he needed to calm down, but he couldn’t. 

“Hey,” Minho whispered, gently taking both of Jisung’s hands. “Deep breaths.”

Jisung nodded, knowing he needed to relax. He could feel his baby going crazy in his stomach. He was so stressed it couldn’t be healthy, and he felt incredibly guilty. 

It took him a while to calm down, but it helped when Minho breathed with him, kissing his knuckles each time he took a deep breath.

He finally reduced his sobs to sniffles, and Minho laid his head in Jisung’s lap. His heart fluttered, watching Minho submit to him. 

“I promise I would never be with another omega when I have such a beautiful one, pregnant with my little acorn, waiting at home for me,” he said, and Jisung felt the tears welling up again. 

Minho lifted his face, giving him a soft, reassuring smile. 

“I’m sorry I made you worry. I’m sorry I upset you both,” Minho whispered, and Jisung felt his stomach move again. 

“I’m sorry too,” Jisung cried, his voice rough from sobbing so hard. 

“No, Jisung. You have nothing to be sorry for,” Minho assured him, but Jisung shook his head. 

“I overreacted. We’re not…together. If you want another omega…that’s none of my business,” he told him through his tiny sniffles.

Minho sighed, reaching up to cup his wet cheek. 

“Jisung, I don’t want another omega,” he said softly, brushing the tears off his cheek with his thumb. “You’re the one I want.” 

Jisung’s eyes widened, and Minho had a soft blush on his cheeks. 

“You…want me?” he asked, unsure why Minho chuckled.

“Yeah, I want you. For months now,” he confessed. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to overwhelm you. With the pregnancy, and everything else, I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable by telling you I started having feelings for you. Especially since I knew you didn’t feel the same.”

Jisung quickly shook his head. “I—I do feel the same,” he blurted out, and Minho looked surprised. 

“What?” Minho asked, like that wasn’t what he wanted to say, but it was the only thing that came out. 

“I hate when you’re not here. I hated that all night I thought you were with someone else. I missed you. I wanted you to hold me and watch TV with me,” he admitted, not caring how pathetic he sounded.

“Then I thought you were with another omega. And we hated it,” he cried, placing a hand on his stomach, his words slipping out. “I hated that you didn’t want me. I felt worthless, like—I wasn’t a good omega—even though—I’m having your—pup and—”

“Honey, settle down. You’re getting all worked up again.” 

Minho hushed him softly, and that sweet term of endearment had his heart fluttering like crazy. 

Jisung nodded, wiping his tears, and Minho quickly grabbed his hand. 

“You are a perfect and beautiful, omega, Jisung,” he said, kissing his fingers one by one. “I’ve never met such a pretty and sweet omega before in my life. It’s why I couldn’t hold back that night. I’ve never…lost my head around an omega. But your strawberry scent was so addicting to me,” he told him, and Jisung’s heart was beating so quickly hearing all of this. 

“But I felt so guilty, and I thought it was best to just forget. But then you told me you were pregnant…” he said, trailing off like he was remembering the moment. 

“I’m sorry,” Jisung whispered, and Minho looked at him with serious eyes. 

“No, honey. It’s not your fault. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me,” he said leaning up to get closer to him. “I should have left when you told me to. I thought I was strong enough. But I wasn’t. I was so weak around you—and I still am,” he whispered, their lips just a breath apart. 

“But…I’m glad you didn’t leave,” Jisung said. “Or else I wouldn’t be with you, or having our little acorn.” 

Minho let out a soft breath, smiling at him.

Jisung quickly wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a soft hug. Minho pressed his face to his neck, breathing deeply and making Jisung shiver.

The vanilla scent was completely gone, replaced entirely by his strawberry scent, making Jisung hum contently.

Minho gently pulled back, pressing a soft hand to his face again. 

“Jisung, can I kiss you?” Minho asked, his voice soft and sweet. Usually, alphas wouldn’t ask, they would just take what they wanted. But Minho wasn’t like that. He was kind, considerate, and so gentle with him that Jisung felt like he might cry again.

“Yeah,” he whispered, and Minho leaned up to tenderly press their lips together. 

It was soft and sweet, and Jisung pulled him closer as Minho slipped his tongue into his mouth. His hand came up to caress Jisung’s cheek, and he felt so calm, safe, and loved. Everything felt right as Minho kissed him, laying him down on the bed. 

Minho crawled over him, and Jisung’s belly was definitely in the way, but Minho didn’t seem to mind. He made him feel perfect, kissing him, touching him, holding him. This dominant alpha wanted him, and it made him feel so stupidly happy.

It was a bit desperate, but not rushed. Every kiss felt savored, and Minho released his pheromones so much that Jisung’s entire room was filled with them. The wintry pine scent made him feel sleepy, and as Minho kissed his tired lips, Jisung smiled at him.

“You’re exhausted, aren’t you, honey?” 

Jisung nodded, shivering when Minho nipped at his neck before kissing the center of his throat. He grazed his teeth over his skin, right where Jisung ached for his bite. He wasn’t even in heat, but he could feel the desperate desire for him to latch on and never let go. 

But Minho kissed down to his belly, and Jisung flushed when he pressed his lips to his protruding stomach. 

“Can I see my little acorn?” he asked softly, and Jisung nodded. Minho had seen him naked from the top up multiple times now. He liked talking to his stomach, and he wondered if maybe his baby would move like earlier. 

“He’s been moving,” he told him, and Minho’s eyes sparkled at him. 

“Really?” 

Jisung nodded. “Earlier, when Seungmin was talking to him. And…earlier, when we were upset, because I thought you were with another omega.”

Minho cooed at him, quickly shaking his head. “My sweet baby. Were you mad at me too?” he asked. 

Jisung slowly lifted his shirt for him so he could see better. He was sure it looked even more incredible on his skin. 

“I’d never leave you, or your daddy either. You’re both so important to me.” 

Jisung felt the baby kick again, this time going crazy. He chuckled, unsure how to handle the feeling in his tummy. But he was happy, because he could tell his baby was happy too.

“He moved. He moved, Jisung,” he said, and Jisung laughed softly. 

“I know. I can feel him. He’s…happy you’re here. We missed you,” he mumbled. Minho immediately crawled up and kissed his lips, harder and a little deeper this time. 

“I missed you too. Your sweet strawberry scent. It’s my favorite. I missed it so much,” he whispered against his lips, and Jisung whimpered. 

“I want to scent you,” Jisung whined, and Minho bit Jisung’s bottom lip. He was sure he didn’t need permission, but he couldn’t help but ask. 

“You can scent me,” Minho told him. 

Jisung immediately nuzzled his face against his scent glands before rubbing his own against his. He liked the way their scents mingled, and Jisung was relieved that there was only pine and strawberry in the air. 

“Good boy,” Minho praised. “Such a perfect scent. Thank you.” 

Jisung melted. Hearing his sweet voice telling him he was good was enough to drive him crazy.

He yawned, feeling extremely exhausted. It had been a long day full of stress and missing his alpha. Jisung didn’t care that they weren’t mated—Minho was his, and no other omega could have him.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” he asked anxiously. If Minho stayed, he would always put Jisung to bed and then sleep on the couch. But tonight, Jisung couldn’t let him leave his room.

“Of course,” Minho told him, and Jisung felt relief fill him as his arms wrapped around him. 

He tugged him close to his chest, spooning him from behind as Minho’s soft fingers traced gently over his stomach. 

Jisung hadn’t felt so calm since before he found out he was pregnant. He felt safe, like if he was in Minho’s arms, nothing could go wrong.

Minho kissed his cheek, and Jisung knew he was purring. But this time, he would admit it. 

Seven Months

If Jisung thought Minho was clingy before, he was extremely clingy now. He barely let Jisung out of his sight, sticking by him every second he possibly could. 

They’d agreed to be together after that night Minho came home from the bar. Seungmin was so happy the next morning when he saw Minho kiss Jisung’s lips after they emerged from their room. He made an entire breakfast for them, and Jisung happily ate all of it. 

He had felt so full of love and food—and he’d gotten the best night’s sleep of his entire pregnancy with Minho’s arms wrapped around his belly. 

Things were perfect, and Jisung was finally starting to feel happy about being pregnant.

It was summer break from college, and he’d just finished his internship. Minho had graduated, and they held a small celebration with close friends and family. It was supposed to be all about Minho, but the only thing his aunts and uncles could talk about was how adorable Jisung looked—glowing with pregnancy.

But Minho looked so damn proud that it made him blush. 

He was a little embarrassed, and extremely nervous. He was seven months pregnant, looking like he was ready to pop, and it was his first time meeting his parents. But they were extremely happy that Minho was happy, and they were just as sweet as him. 

Minho had been offered a full-time position as the artistic director at a well-known dance company, and Jisung couldn’t have been prouder. He knew Minho was going to thrive there.

As for school, Jisung decided to go part-time next semester. There was no way he’d give it up completely, but he knew it would be difficult with a newborn on his hip. 

Minho supported him fully, even saying he’d look into renting an apartment near campus so Jisung wouldn’t need a car to get there.

Their plan was to rent a two-bedroom when their boy was born. Jisung had already picked out a crib, and he made Minho scroll through the internet with him, picking out themes for the nursery. They eventually settled on a soft green room, with paintings of animals carrying pink balloons on the walls. It was adorable, and Jisung loved the pink crib that matched perfectly.

But for now, Jisung still lived with Seungmin, and Minho was practically camped out in his room, refusing to leave his side unless absolutely necessary.

He was also on high alert any time Jisung so much as sighed—which he just had, and Minho’s head snapped in his direction. 

“What’s wrong? Do you need something? Are you in pain?” 

Jisung shook his head, accidentally kicking him as he sprawled out on the couch. It was too hot, and he was incredibly uncomfortable—but if he said that out loud, Minho would immediately start to overreact.

“I told you, I’m always slightly in pain,” he laughed. But it was true. His back and feet had this constant ache, and sometimes those strange little contractions would hit out of nowhere.

It was way too early to give birth, so he usually brushed them off, but that didn’t mean something couldn’t go wrong—which was exactly why Minho was so high strung.

According to his doctor, he was an extremely healthy omega with a very happy and healthy baby. Minho had nuzzled against his neck in front of her when she told him that, having to push him away when she cooed at them. 

When they got home, Minho kissed him over and over, scenting him excessively and talking to his belly all night. Jisung loved it. He’d never felt so happy in his life. He’d always struggled to feel like he was worth something, but having Minho smile at him, looking at him like he was so precious, was so fulfilling. 

“I’ll grab you some ice water,” he said, jumping up from the couch and heading to the kitchen. 

Jisung sat up and let out a loud groan, feeling a sharp pain in his stomach. 

“Babe?” Minho called out from the kitchen, and Jisung almost laughed when he heard Minho drop something, followed by the sound of Minho stumbling over his feet as he rushed back into the living room.

“I’m okay. The little acorn’s just moving—actually, he’s not so little anymore. Look at me,” he said, gesturing to his stomach, which was jutting out from beneath Minho’s shirt.

He couldn’t wear his own clothes anymore, and the only thing that fit were Minho’s extra-large shirts that he wore to bed.

Minho gave him a soft smile, bending down in front of him. Jisung didn’t mind anymore when he saw his belly. He found he liked it when Minho kissed and touched him there. He craved it, to the point where he felt empty when his scent wore off. 

“Can you scent us?” Jisung asked shyly. 

Minho’s happy and proud expression never failed to make him feel so loved.

“Of course, honey.” 

Jisung found that getting scented by Minho was one of his favorite feelings. It made all his pain subside, and the emotions inside him went crazy. He felt loved, protected, wanted—and he craved it so much. 

Minho cradled his belly, rubbing against him, and Jisung shivered for more. 

“My sweet omega,” Minho whispered, leaning up to kiss all over his neck, brushing up against him. 

Jisung hadn’t meant to let out a moan, but Minho smirked, seeming pleased that he extracted the sound from his lips. 

“My needy omega, aren’t you?” 

Jisung blushed, wanting to push him away, but his instinct was to pull him closer. 

“Your omega,” he mumbled so softly, he wasn’t sure if Minho heard.

“Yes, baby. My omega. Mine,” he growled into his ear, and Jisung’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. 

He clung to him, unable to stop himself from rubbing his face into Minho’s neck, whimpering happily at the sound of those words. The feeling of being wanted was so intense, it had him rutting against him.

He knew his hormones were crazy and out of control, and he couldn’t help the arousal he felt as Minho kissed him so deeply that he could taste his scent. 

“Minho,” he mewled, knowing it sounded desperate and pathetic, but he didn’t care. 

“What’s wrong, honey? You need something?” he asked, his voice turning teasing. Jisung whimpered, knowing Minho would only give it to him if he asked. 

They hadn’t had sex since Jisung had been worried about the baby. He was also too embarrassed to ask the doctor about it, so he decided they should just wait.

But that didn’t mean Minho didn’t make him feel good whenever Jisung wanted it. 

“I want my alpha,” he whimpered, knowing those words would send Minho over the edge. He was so possessive, and hearing Jisung beg for him made him go a little insane—in such a good way. 

“Anything, sweetheart. I’ll do anything for you,” he whispered, kissing him again. 

Jisung liked the way Minho stripped him, leaving his belly covered, not wanting the baby to see anything he shouldn’t. Maybe it was a little ridiculous, but it made him feel better knowing he was shielded. 

Minho slipped his sweatpants down his thighs, and Jisung couldn’t see anything anymore with his stomach in the way. But it made it feel even more intense, the surprise of Minho’s lips between his legs, scenting him everywhere as he pressed a finger to his rim.

“So wet already,” he said, running his tongue over him. Jisung gasped, spreading his legs wider.

“Minho, more, please,” he begged. The pull he felt for him was so intense. He’d never felt anything else like it. It was so much, it almost made him want to cry. 

“Settle baby—don’t get all worked up. You always work yourself up.” 

Jisung clenched his eyes shut, grasping the cushions as Minho helped press his feet up on the couch. He spread his thighs, angling him to the edge, his ass hanging off, leaking. But he didn’t care if he looked ridiculous.

“My sweet boy. So sweet—like strawberries,” he murmured, and Jisung whimpered loudly when he sucked between his cheeks. 

But the feeling didn’t last long, since the front door opened, and Minho’s dark growl scared him. 

“Oh, shit—what the fuck you guys—”

“Get out,” Minho hissed, crawling over Jisung immediately. His entire body covered him as he glared at Seungmin and Changbin, who they hadn’t known were coming home.

“Okay, alright. Relax,” Changbin said, and Jisung could see over Minho’s shoulder that Seungmin was in a total frozen panic. Changbin guarded him, while Seungmin clutched around his waist. 

Sometimes, they all forgot that Minho was an extremely dominant alpha, and with just one deep growl, he could have an entire pack of omegas cowering.

Even Jisung felt anxious hearing it. Minho hadn’t been this angry since he’d found Doyun pressing him against the wall, yelling at him.

“Then get out,” Minho threatened again. 

This time, Changbin grabbed Seungmin and pulled him out the front door, probably knowing it was dangerous to mess with him in this state. 

Minho continued to growl until Jisung heard the car pull out of the driveway. 

Jisung started shaking, not liking the stress Minho was under, and feeling embarrassed that his friends had walked in on them. 

When he let out a soft plea, Minho immediately snapped out of it. 

“Stop,” Jisung begged, grabbing him by the shirt. Minho’s fangs instantly retreated, his soft voice back, and the relief filled him instantly. 

“Oh—fuck, Jisung,” he said, quickly shuffling off of him. 

“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to—I’m so sorry. I scared you, didn’t I? Don’t be afraid,” he cooed, rubbing his cheeks. 

Jisung nodded, placing a hand over his stomach. He could feel the stress, the worry. His baby didn’t like it. 

Minho cradled him, ignoring the slick that was getting everywhere. But he was no longer in the mood, so it would dry eventually. He kissed him, running his soft fingers over his belly. 

“I’m sorry, my loves. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that to you both.” The regret in his tone was heavy. 

“It’s okay,” Jisung whispered, feeling calmer now that he wasn’t angry anymore. 

Minho was terrifying when he was angry. Jisung knew he would never hurt him, but he would definitely hurt anyone who threatened his and the baby’s safety.

“It’s not,” Minho murmured. “I shouldn’t have acted like that—but I couldn’t help it…I can’t…describe it, but I couldn’t—when you’re vulnerable like that…fuck, I don’t even know what I’m saying,” he said, nuzzling his face into Jisung’s hair.

“I think I know what you mean,” Jisung said. “Sometimes I feel these things that I can’t control. I think it’s our little acorn. I can feel his emotions, I swear.” 

Minho lifted his face, and when Jisung looked at him, he saw tears in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry. I scared him—I’m sorry,” he whispered. He looked so defeated, and Jisung quickly shook his head. 

“No,” he said, reaching up to cup his cheeks. “You were just trying to keep us safe, and we love you for that.” 

Jisung’s eyes went wide, and Minho mirrored his shocked expression. 

Love. He hadn’t said that before. But he meant it. He’d never felt this intense emotion before. If Minho left, he wasn’t sure he could survive. He needed him, more than anything else in the world.

“I love you. I love you so much. Both of you,” Minho whispered, tears falling down his face. 

Jisung couldn’t help but give a soft chuckle. They were both so emotional, with Jisung half-naked in his lap, even though it was so hot it was almost uncomfortable. But there was nowhere else he’d rather be than in his arms.

Jisung wiped the tears off Minho’s face. 

“Don’t cry,” Jisung told him, and Minho smiled, catching his wrist. He pressed kisses all over his hands, up his arm, on his neck, and all over his face. He scented him multiple times, nipped at his shoulder, and kissed his lips. He was gentle and soft, and the love that filled Jisung’s heart was almost too much. He wasn’t sure what to do with it all. 

“I love you,” Minho whispered again.  

“I love you too.” 

Eight Months 

Seungmin took him out to lunch. He usually spent the days with Jisung when Minho had to work. Seungmin was the only other person Minho trusted to be around him. 

It was difficult when Chan and Changbin came over, though, since Minho would walk around the apartment, spreading his pheromones like the territorial dominant alpha he was.

The doctor had said it might get more intense as Jisung got closer to delivering. 

Seungmin had been pissed at Minho after his little freak-out in the living room. To make it up to him, Minho had to let Seungmin take Jisung out at least once a week without him tagging along. Minho wasn’t happy about it at first, but Jisung tried to assure him it was fine and that he was severely overreacting.

But Jisung tried not to be a jerk about it. He knew it was the pull inside him. He felt the same way.

Jisung was ready to deliver within the next few weeks. The doctor said their baby boy was perfect. Jisung’s heart fluttered, and he couldn’t wait to meet him.

The thought of not being pregnant anymore was strange and a little unsettling. There was an intense nagging deep in his heart that made him feel anxious about it. He was afraid that these feelings would go away, and he knew depression was a common symptom after an omega delivered. At least, that’s what the doctor had told him.

She also said that since they weren’t mated, Jisung’s coping might be a little worse than normal.

Honestly, he was a little nervous. These emotions were euphoric, and he hoped he wouldn’t have any issues. 

“You okay?” Seungmin asked, and Jisung shrugged. 

“Yeah. It’s just hot—and now I’m full,” he told him. 

Seungmin smiled at him, finishing up his food. He kept staring at him, and when he refused to stop, Jisung raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Can I help you?” 

“No. You’re just so cute,” he said, and Jisung rolled his eyes. 

“Cute is probably the last thing I look,” he grumbled, rubbing his stomach. “My belly is so big, it looks like I’m one poke from falling forward.” 

Seungmin chuckled, shaking his head. 

“You are cute,” he assured him. “You’re so round.” 

Jisung blushed, trying to swat at him, but he was too far away. 

“I can’t wait until you’re pregnant. I’m gonna tease you just as much as you tease me.” 

Seungmin bit his lip, and Jisung was surprised to see him flush. 

“Can I tell you something?” 

Jisung’s jaw dropped. “Oh my god, are you pregnant?!” 

“No!” he exclaimed, chuckling a little. “No, I’m not. Sorry—bad timing. It did sound that way, huh?” 

Jisung gave him an impatient look, and Seungmin turned his head, moving the hair off his neck to reveal two circular bites and a small bruise.

The loud gasp that left Jisung’s mouth made Seungmin smile. 

“I know,” Seungmin said, blushing deeper as he covered it back up. “I went into heat last night, and…he asked me if I wanted to be his…and I said yes.” 

Jisung immediately grabbed his hand, and if they weren’t in a public place, he would have been even louder as he congratulated him. 

“Oh my god, Seungmin—I’m so happy for you guys!” he exclaimed, and Seungmin looked so happy, he was glowing. 

“Honestly, the best part is that my heat went away almost immediately after he did it—well, and did the rest of the stuff,” he said, sounding a little embarrassed.

Jisung smirked at him, eyeing him up and down. 

“You know, my heat went away immediately too after Minho knotted me. And I’m pretty sure it was because I got pregnant,” he told him, and Seungmin almost choked on the final bites of his lunch. 

“I’m—I’m on birth control—”

“Not always one hundred percent accurate,” he shrugged. 

Seungmin coughed for a minute, his face bright red. 

“Well, even if I am—which I’m not—I think Changbin will be a really great dad,” he murmured, smiling as he seemed to be thinking about it. 

“You’re the cute one here. Look at you, blushing like that,” Jisung said, reaching out to pinch Seungmin’s cheek. 

He wouldn’t lie that he was a little jealous, desperately wishing Minho would mate him as well. If they were bonded, maybe he would worry a little less. 

As they finished up their lunch, Jisung had to go to the bathroom before they left. Again. 

“I have to pee,” he said, and Seungmin nodded. 

“Need my help?” 

“I should be fine.” 

He did struggle to get off the bench, reluctantly taking Seungmin’s hand to help him stand. He really hated that everything was so difficult—even getting up from a stupid chair.

He thanked him as he stood, waddling to the bathroom. 

The restaurant was a little busy, but luckily when people saw him, they usually made way for him.

“Jisung?” 

He flinched, not having heard that voice or smelled that scent in a long time. 

“Holy shit—it is you.” 

“Sungjae,” he whispered. He hadn’t seen him for almost two years—but he still looked the same as ever. 

But Jisung couldn’t say the same for himself. 

The tall alpha stared at him through his round glasses, fixing them on his face as he looked Jisung up and down.

“Wow, look at you,” he said, and Jisung didn’t like his tone. But he knew exactly what he was thinking.

They had a huge fight right before they broke up, Jisung telling him he didn’t want to have a family yet. Sungjae said maybe they weren’t right for each other—but Jisung could see the desperation in his eyes for him to tell him that wasn’t true. Instead, Jisung agreed.

“You settled down?” he asked, bitterly. 

“Um…” 

Honestly, he wasn’t even sure what to say.

“Maybe it was just me then, huh?” Sungjae said, his voice tapering into a whisper. 

“No, I—got pregnant by accident,” he admitted, unsure why he was even telling him that. But he felt a little guilty. Sungjae had done a lot for him, and he could understand how seeing Jisung eight months pregnant after they’d been separated for less than two years would sting a little. 

“So—he’s not around?” 

Jisung shook his head again. 

“No, he is. We’re together now. Not at first—but…” he trailed, rubbing a hand over his stomach. Their little acorn brought them together, and Jisung had never been happier. 

He gasped when Sungjae gripped his chin, pulling his neck to the side. He shivered as he ran his fingertips over his nape. 

Jisung smacked his hand away, glaring at him when he saw the smirk on his lips. 

“What the—don’t touch me,” he snapped. 

“You’re not mated?” he asked, and Jisung was getting irritated. Whenever he was acting like a dick, that smug smile appeared on his lips. 

“No—I mean—not yet,” he mumbled. 

They hadn’t talked about it. But Jisung was hopeful that Minho would agree to being his during his next heat. 

“You know that alphas get attached during an omega’s pregnancy, but if you’re unmated, as soon as you’re not, he’s gonna find someone else,” Sungjae said, and Jisung felt his throat tighten.

“That’s not true,” he said, even though it sounded weak. “He…loves me.”  

Sungjae shrugged. “I’m just telling you for your own good, Jisung.” 

Jisung felt the panic in his heart. He tried to ignore it, but deep down, maybe a part of him had been wondering that as well. These feelings inside him—by now, he realized they weren’t his own.

“He’s instinctually making sure that you carry to term, and then as soon as that happens, the love you think he’s giving you will be gone.”

Jisung clenched his fingers. Maybe what he had said was true, and maybe he’d heard the rumblings from the doctors during his appointments about unbonded couples. 

But Minho loved him. He had to. Right?

“Well—it was nice seeing you. Take care of yourself.”

Jisung was frozen to his spot as Sungjae walked away from him. 

He used the bathroom like he needed to, and when he walked back to Seungmin, he noticed his confused expression. 

“Why do you smell like…” he trailed off, sniffing the familiar scent. 

“I ran into Sungjae,” he told him, and Seungmin’s eyes widened. He stepped closer, breathing in deeply near Jisung’s neck. 

“What the fuck—his smell is all over you,” he said.

Jisung hadn’t even noticed. 

“What a fucking asshole,” Seungmin growled. “Jealous bitch—he knows your alpha will be pissed if he—”

“Minho’s…not my alpha,” he said, feeling the anxiety pit in his stomach. 

Seungmin gave him a soft glare. 

“Why would you say that?”

“Because we’re not mated,” he explained. 

He knew he shouldn’t let Sungjae’s words get to him—but he couldn’t help it. 

“So? That doesn’t mean you’re not his.” 

Jisung didn’t want to talk about it. 

“I’m tired. I want to go home,” he said, changing the subject. He really was tired, but he felt stressed more than anything else.

Seungmin sighed but must have decided not to argue. He grabbed Jisung’s bag and threw it over his shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you home and showered before Minho comes home and throws a fit.” 

Jisung did as he was told, too in his head to really think about anything else. 

Seungmin started the shower for him, and he undressed and got in without argument. He could feel his baby kicking, softly, like he was trying to cheer him up.

It made him cry in the shower. 

He told Seungmin he wanted to be alone, cuddling up in his bed and turning on the air conditioning to make himself a little more comfortable.

He thought maybe some rest would make him feel better, but the anxiety bubbled up, even worse than before, making it difficult to stay asleep.

As soon as Minho walked through the door, his eyes fluttered open. The pull inside him wasn’t as welcoming this time, knowing it would disappear soon.

He hated the thought. 

Minho softly and quietly entered the room, but Jisung didn’t turn to greet him. He felt tears sting his eyes, but he held them back the best he could.

“Honey,” Minho whispered, a gentle touch on his back as the bed dipped. “I missed you.”

Jisung didn’t respond. His heart ached, wondering if this would all end. 

Minho never wanted a baby. He just thought he liked Jisung, when in reality, it was just instinctual behavior. Now that Jisung’s pregnancy was coming to a close, and he’d entirely fallen for him, it was painful to think about. 

But he held on anyway, feeling the kicking in his stomach intensify. 

“Do you love me?” Jisung asked, his voice cracking as he spoke. 

“Of course I do,” Minho murmured. “Why? What’s wrong? You seem upset today.” 

Jisung shrugged, turning to look at him. 

“Do you want to mate with me?” 

Minho blinked at him with wide eyes, not expecting the question. 

“Is that what you want?” 

“I asked you first,” he replied quickly, not liking that he didn’t answer. 

“Yes, I do. But we don’t have to think about it right now, since you can’t go into heat anyway. Let’s have our little acorn first, and then we can talk more about it.” 

Jisung felt his heart shrivel, unsure if he was okay with that answer. He turned away, cuddling a pillow and trying to make himself comfortable again.

“Jisung, what’s wrong?” Minho asked again, his voice desperate.

“I’m just tired. My back hurts and I want to sleep and be left alone.” 

Minho let out a soft sigh. 

“Are you sure?” 

Jisung hesitated for a moment, then nodded his head.

“Yes, I’m sure.” 

Minho didn’t argue, but Jisung knew he was pouting as he left the room. He always did whatever Jisung asked of him—even if he didn’t like it.

Nine Months 

Jisung was due to deliver any day now.

He was anxious, and honestly, it was crazy how he went from not wanting to be pregnant at all, to feeling upset that it would be over by the end of the month. He’d come to love his swollen belly, his stretch marks, the way his baby communicated with him in his womb. 

He didn’t want it to end. And he didn’t want Minho to abandon him. 

The more he worried about it, the more he found himself scrolling online. He came across threads from unmated omegas whose alphas left them just days to a couple of months after birth. It probably didn’t help that Jisung had been distant with Minho lately, but he was just trying to protect his heart in the end.

Minho even asked the doctor, in front of him, if it was normal for Jisung to start feeling depressed early. The doctor told him no and began questioning him like crazy.

They argued in the car on the way home, and Jisung locked himself in his room. 

Eventually, Minho pounded on the door, begging for him to let him in. 

It was so difficult to ignore him. Minho's pleading and hurt tone made Jisung’s heart ache painfully. He could feel his baby’s frustration, the emotions inside him conflicting with his own.

When he heard Minho’s deep whimper, he couldn’t take it anymore. 

He got up from the bed and opened the door, and as soon as he did, Minho wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly. 

“Jisungie, baby,” he whispered, his hand carding through his hair while the other caressed the small of his back. “Why are you so upset with me lately? Did I do something wrong?” 

He was desperate, Jisung could hear it. Minho nuzzled against him, marking him with his scent. Jisung couldn’t deny it felt so good to have him close, enveloped in his pheromones.

Jisung shook his head, allowing him to kiss his neck. It had been a while since he’d kept pushing Minho away.

“Then what’s going on? You’re ignoring me most days. You seem angry with me. You kick me out to the couch at night, but I can tell you want me with you.”

Jisung clenched his teeth. “It’ll…go away soon,” he said, pulling away and glancing at the ground. 

Minho tried to look at him, but Jisung refused to lift his head. 

“What are you talking about?” Minho asked, his voice gentle but confused. Jisung let out a frustrated sigh.

“When I’m not pregnant anymore, these feelings will go away. You won’t want me like this. You only feel this way because I’m pregnant,” he admitted, the words coming out after weeks of pain scratching at his chest. 

Minho stared at him incredulously, his gaze intense.

“What?” 

The tears pricked at Jisung’s eyes. 

“It’s true. Alphas get attached to pregnant omegas, and then they dip,” he said, his voice bitter. 

Minho tilted his chin up, and as he did, a few tears fell from Jisung’s eyes. 

“No, baby. That’s not true. Not for me. Not for us.” 

Jisung wished he could believe him. He flicked his gaze away, unable to take the look in Minho’s eyes. 

He looked hurt. 

“Is that why you’re upset? You think I’m going to abandon you?” 

Hearing those words hurt. 

Abandon. 

It made him cry even harder. 

“Tell me what to do, Jisung. Tell me how to make you believe I’m not gonna leave you.” 

Jisung sniffled, biting his lip. He knew it wouldn’t work, and he knew it wasn’t fair to ask, but he needed it—desperately.

“Mark me.” 

Minho blinked at him for a moment, then gently wiped the tears from his face.

“You know it won’t work if you’re not in heat.”

“I don’t care,” he whispered. “Try anyway.” 

Minho gave him a soft smile. 

“Okay. I’ll try,” he told him, and Jisung shuddered as his thumb brushed against his nape.

He knew the bond would be weak. But he just wanted to feel like he belonged to him—even if it was only for a moment. Even if it wasn’t strong enough to tether them together for eternity, the way he wished.

Minho kissed him, laying him down gently on his bed. He was soft and sweet, just like he always was. 

He could tell Minho was still upset, and he knew it was his fault. He’d been avoiding him for a while now, and he could see it weighing on him heavily. 

Minho lifted his shirt and pressed his lips to Jisung’s belly, making his heart flutter. He hadn’t let him touch him recently, and he could feel him shaking.

Even if it was instinct, maybe it was wrong to shut him out completely. 

“Minho,” Jisung whispered, and Minho looked at him with surprised eyes, hearing his name fall softly from his lips. “We love you.” 

It was true. Jisung loved him so much, and he couldn’t imagine going through this journey with anyone else. 

It didn’t happen the way they expected. They were complete strangers, but from the very beginning, everything with Minho just felt right.

Even that night, when he took care of him perfectly. 

“I love you both so much. I really hope you know that,” Minho murmured, nuzzling his face against Jisung’s belly, scenting him.

It made him feel so good, and Jisung whimpered when he moved lower, kissing his thighs. 

He stripped him from the waist down, leaving his shirt on, knowing that’s how Jisung preferred it.

“I’ll be gentle,” Minho whispered, and Jisung blushed. 

They had decided not to have sex before Jisung delivered, since he had been anxious about it. But now, he needed Minho desperately, and as long as they were careful, he didn’t mind.

Minho’s fingers were soft against his rim, and it was almost embarrassing how wet he was. But Minho’s pheromones were so strong, and when he knew Jisung was aroused, it was easy for him to make his body react like this.

Jisung reached for his hand, not liking that he couldn’t see him over his stomach. Minho grasped onto him, squeezing tightly as he carefully kissed between his thighs. 

He whined and whimpered, needing more, and when Minho slipped his finger inside, he gasped. 

“You’re so warm, fuck,” Minho said, twisting slowly in and out.

Jisung cried out as another finger entered him, throwing his head back while Minho caressed the back of his hand with his thumb.

He worked him open for what felt like forever, knowing that if he didn’t, it would hurt. Taking Minho outside of heat was borderline impossible, but he needed him so badly that he was willing to try. 

Minho praised him, making him leak an incredible amount of slick. Four fingers were deep inside, pressing past the knuckles, spreading gently and making Jisung gape. He could feel his rim relax, and Jisung couldn’t wait to feel him with his senses intact this time. 

“Jisung, honey,” Minho said, sitting up so Jisung could see him over his protruding belly. 

“I’m ready,” Jisung told him. 

Minho smiled gently at him. 

He loved that smile. 

Minho pulled him to the side, since missionary wasn’t going to work in his condition. Jisung didn’t even stop the purr that escaped his lips when Minho nuzzled against his neck. 

They didn’t need a condom—for obvious reasons—so Minho pushed in, and Jisung’s eyes shot open at how big he was, even after being stretched so well.

“Minho— ah—” he whimpered, gripping onto his thigh as he pushed deeper. His body felt heavy, but Minho easily moved him, hooking his leg under his knee to go even deeper. 

“Fuck, Jisung,” he groaned in his ear. “So tight still, baby.”

Jisung whimpered, his body shaking from the pleasure. Minho fucked him steadily, and Jisung could feel him holding back. It was nothing like the night he’d fucked his heat out of him. It was soft, sweet, and gentle, and Jisung didn’t miss the way he caressed his stomach as he fucked into him. 

Jisung was loud, mewling and moaning as Minho pressed his hips deeper. They both knew that if anyone was in the house, they’d know what they were doing. But Minho encouraged his sounds, asking if it felt good, telling him he was taking it so well, and whispering how much he loved his pretty whines.

Jisung turned his face, wanting to see him, and Minho kissed him deeply. He ate every moan, whine, and whimper, and Jisung felt himself getting close. 

“Turn your neck for me,” Minho whispered, his voice a soft command. Jisung obeyed immediately, letting out a soft bleat when Minho’s teeth grazed his nape before kissing him softly. 

“So beautiful,” Minho whispered. “I want to mark you so fucking bad, make you mine.” 

“Please,” Jisung begged, grabbing Minho’s hand where it rested on his stomach. “I want to be yours.”

The growl Minho let out, the deep press of his hips, and the harsh bite on his neck made Jisung cum. 

He yelped, feeling the burn from his bite, but it felt so good he almost passed out. Minho’s teeth sunk in, his tongue immediately licking over the puncture wounds even as he was still attached. 

Jisung felt him twitch, spilling into his body. Minho bit even harder, and Jisung whimpered from the pain and pleasure mixing. 

His heart squeezed, and when Minho finally pulled away, Jisung felt a slight dizziness take over. Minho kissed along his neck, his tongue lapping gently, his saliva soothing the mark that would fade in a few days.

But the feeling in his body was worth it. The love that filled his heart was so intense, it made him want to cry. 

“Pretty,” Minho whispered, pressing another kiss to his neck. “All mine.”

Jisung whined as Minho pulled out, suddenly craving a shower.

“I’ll get a bath ready,” Minho said, kissing his face, not even having to be asked. 

He turned on the water, and quickly ran back to the bed, easily lifting him and settling him in the tub. He washed his hair, massaged his back, and kissed the mark on his neck over and over. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Minho whispered, and Jisung’s heart fluttered as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

Jisung looked up at him, and Minho tilted his head back, kissing him softly. 

“How could I leave you? Why would I ever want anyone else? You mean everything to me.” 

Minho kissed him again, deeper this time. 

“I love you, Minho,” Jisung whispered against his lips, hoping those words would remain true, even after. 

Minho nuzzled against him, and something felt different this time, a deep sense of comfort washing over him. 

“I love you, my beautiful omega.” 

Minho dried him off and helped him get ready for bed. Jisung snuggled into his warmth, momentarily forgetting how safe he always felt in his embrace.

Minho kissed his forehead, and Jisung wasn’t sure how to describe it, but his arms felt like home. 

One week later, Jisung was relaxing when an intense pain shot through him.

The couch was soaked. 

He was having contractions. 

Seungmin screamed, and Minho tripped over the coffee table in a panic.

Jisung wasn’t sure why he was the calmest one as they rushed him to the hospital.

It was a late summer evening and the weather was perfect. Jisung held Minho’s hand tightly, not letting go until it was all over. Their baby boy was healthy and beautiful, and Minho sobbed more than Jisung did.

He was mesmerized by how squishy and soft he was, holding him gently in his arms. 

“Have you decided on a name?” the doctor asked, and Minho smiled sweetly as Jisung kissed their son’s head.

“Juwang.” 

The doctor scribbled something down, smiling warmly at them both.

“He’s absolutely beautiful. Congratulations.” 

Everyone left the room, and they were finally alone. 

Minho kissed Jisung over and over, then knelt down to do the same to Juwang’s tiny head.

“My little acorn,” Minho whispered, and Jisung’s heart swelled with love. 

“He looks like you,” Jisung said, poking his nose, making their sweet boy open his mouth and wiggle a little. 

“You think so?” Minho asked, his voice full of pride.

Jisung chuckled. “Yeah, I do.” 

Minho lifted Jisung’s chin, softly pressing their lips together. He blushed when he noticed Juwang staring at them, and Minho chuckled softly. 

There was a knock on the door, and Minho kissed Jisung’s head again with a soft sigh. 

“Everyone wants to see you. Seungmin’s going crazy.” 

Jisung smiled as Juwang grasped his pinky with his tiny hand. “He can come in.”

Seungmin rushed in and hugged him, and Minho watched with a small smile from the corner of the room.

And Jisung realized that the love he felt, those intense feelings inside his heart, hadn't faded. 

They were stronger than ever.

Forever

They went to the doctor for a checkup. Jisung was doing well postpartum, and their baby was extremely healthy. 

They also learned that they’d been bonded for months.

“You didn’t know?” the doctor asked, surprised. 

Jisung blinked over at Minho, who seemed just as shocked as he was.

They thought the mark Minho left that night would disappear, but it never did. 

“When—would it have been?” Minho asked, his voice filled with confusion. 

The doctor shrugged. “Probably during Jisung’s last heat.”

“But—I didn’t mark him. At least…I don’t think I did.”

The doctor gave them a soft smile. 

“While marking and bonding happen ninety percent of the time simultaneously for most mated couples, it isn’t the only way it can happen.”

Jisung was shocked. They’d been bonded this entire time, and they didn’t even know it. 

“Some say that those who bond without a mark are the epitome of soulmates—of course, that’s not professional medical advice—but you two must have bonded for the mark on Jisung’s neck to stay.”

Jisung touched his neck, feeling the bump. It made him shiver a little. 

“I’m sure you’ve felt it, especially throughout the pregnancy, where the bond tends to strengthen. Emotions are heightened, and the need to be together is undeniable.”

Jisung had felt it—many, many times. 

But he had no idea it was because they had already bonded.

When they got back in the car, Minho strapped Juwang in his seat, and Jisung couldn’t stop rubbing the mark on his neck. 

Minho slid into the driver’s seat with a soft sigh. “Soulmates,” he said, and Jisung’s heart swelled. “Do you think there’s some truth to it?” 

Jisung bit his lip, considering his words. “Like fate?” 

“The first time I saw you, I remember thinking you were the prettiest omega I’d ever seen. Your scent was unlike anything I’d ever smelled before. And at the time, there was another alpha’s scent on you—and for some reason, it pissed me off,” he admitted.

Jisung smiled softly, remembering the first time he saw Minho too. He was nice, attractive, and he never knew he liked the scent of pine so much.

“Do you think it was meant to be?” Minho asked. 

Jisung smiled, looking over his shoulder at Juwang’s bubbly face, giggling at him from the backseat in his green car seat, with his pink blanket draped over him. His beautiful baby, with Jisung’s eyes and Minho’s pretty smile.

He took Minho’s hand, squeezing tightly. 

“Yeah, I think so.”