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Jeon Jungkook was assistant matchmaker at ABO Cupid incorporated. As a fairly young alpha of just twenty four years old, this was no mean feat. His manager and head matchmaker of the company was a fifty year old omega with large glasses, shrewd eyes, and five marriages under her belt. She shouted at Jungkook if he was over five minutes late, but she also mentored him thoroughly on the inner workings of the business and gave him all of her industry contacts. The matchmaking business was tough, and Jungkook was determined to climb his way to the top.
Their agency did things differently. Instead of providing mating services, they provided matchmaking services. Each individual client was rigorously researched, and intellectual and practical compatibility was valued over scent or chemistry. They were looking to set people up for life , not for a quick fuck.
And it worked, too. In its seventh year now, ABO Cupid boasted a 89% success rate, with 76% of all clients going on to mate or marry each other. Jungkook wasn't exactly sure what metrics had been used to determine the success of the 13%, but he trusted his superiors.
Whilst ABO Cupid had a modern ethos, they still abided by traditional alpha-omega pairings. Jungkook secretly agreed with this wholeheartedly. He had nothing against gays, necessarily, but there was no denying that there was something special about eternal bond between an alpha and an omega. Their bodies and temperaments were just made for each other. It wasn't like he was homophobic or anything. God, no! Some of his best friends were queers, and he saw how happy Jimin and Taehyung were together. The thing was, Jungkook had also calculated their compatibility as an alpha-alpha couple, and he was too scared to tell his friends that the rating was only 34%. They lived together now, and had done for three years, ever since university. Jungkook didn't want to ruin their fantasy. They were happy, that was what mattered. Even if they'd probably be far happier in the long run splitting up and dating omegas.
All the advice Jungkook gave to clients was well received, founded off the back of a considerable amount of research. He was only one year into the job, but he'd already attended seven weddings of couples so grateful to him that they'd wanted him there for their big day.
It was with a spring in his step then, that he entered the office early Monday morning and set about organising his day. At 9am was a meeting with a new client - Kim Namjoon, an alpha in his early thirties. He scanned the file confidently - Kim Namjoon was an academic, he'd been single for ten - ten?! - years. His mother had contacted the agency.
This wasn't unusual. Often they had clients referred by worried parents. Sometimes the alphas or omegas agreed to the consultations, sometimes not. It seemed that Kim Namjoon had agreed to an initial consultation. Good, Jungkook thought. He was sure he could talk him round.
He made a strong coffee and then stepped into the small meeting room at the back of their small office, awaiting the client.
Kim Namjoon was over five minutes late, but Jungkook did not shout at him. He smiled at the alpha warmly and stood up, bowing and offering him a chair.
"Welcome! Sir! Please sit!"
Kim Namjoon looked almost taken aback, and very tired. Jungkook suspected that he was not used to satisfactory customer service. Well, time that changed.
"Please sit," he smiled, and Kim Namjoon sat.
"Welcome to ABO Cupid. At ABO Cupid we want to help you find your match. We are all about compatibility, and we based all of our research on strict scientific data. Now, how about we run through a few questions?"
Kim Namjoon nodded despondently.
"When was your last long term relationship with an omega?" Jungkook asked, smiling encouragingly and typing away on his laptop.
"Er, ten years ago I guess."
Jungkook nodded. Just what he had on the file.
"Perfect. Now, I want you to give me three words that describe qualities you are looking for in a potential partner."
Kim Namjoon blinked, a little less despondent. "Ah, that's actually a pretty good question."
Jungkook frowned. What did he mean, that's actually a pretty good question??
"Kind, ambitious, funny," Kim Namjoon said, thoughtfully, biting his lower lip. The alpha had very nice lips, Jungkook thought. He was almost envious, of those lips.
"Good, good. And what is your ideal number of dates to go on per week?"
"One, I guess? I'm very busy working at the university."
Jungkook's frown deepened. "No offence, sir, but do you really think that you can find your soulmate going on the maximum of one date a week?"
Namjoon's lips twitched.
"Ah, I fear you may be right Jungkook-ssi. Should I try two?"
Jungkook couldn't help suspect that he was being made fun of. He smiled nonetheless, the consummate professional. "Yes, I think two is best. Two dates gives you more chances to meet a variety of omegas in a variety of settings."
"I think you may be right."
They continued through the questions, Jungkook satisfied as the alpha grew more and more at ease. God, he was good at his job.
"One final question. If I may ask. I know it might be sensitive. What are your reasons for avoiding dating for ten years?"
Namjoon definitely smirked this time, his lips curving sardonically.
"Ah, Jungkook-ssi. I regret to inform you that I am deeply, irrevocably gay."
Oh . Jungkook paused, speechless. His mouth formed a little 'o' shape, frozen.
"Surprised?" Namjoon smirked.
"I- I just - yes. How do you know you just haven't met the right omega yet?"
Namjoon's face visibly hardened, the smirk sliding off it. "My mother always asks that."
"She's the one who referred you."
"Yes."
Jungkook took a few deep breaths, recovering himself. "Well, don't worry. I'm going to find you omegas you have over 90% compatibility with."
Namjoon nodded, his eyes dull.
Weeks passed, and Kim Namjoon was swiftly becoming Jungkook's most difficult client. Every week, without fail, Jungkook would email Namjoon over two date plans, with an itinerary attached, and Namjoon would go on two dates. They would then review in a face to face meeting the following Monday morning, where Namjoon had an hour or so off work before student tutorials.
"What about Hana?"
"Great conversation. We like a lot of the same authors."
"How about Yunjin?"
"Gorgeous, loved her hair. We bonded over Drag Race."
"How did things go with Suri?"
"Really fun. The restaurant you recommended was fantastic. Delicious steak."
Namjoon was unfailingly polite about the omegas, and seemed to be having great times on the dates, which left Jungkook incredibly confused. What more did he need to do? Namjoon always reported positives about the first dates, but there was never a second date.
This did not curb Jungkook's determination however - he simply worked harder and harder on the date itineraries, taking note of all of Namjoon's and the omega's preferences. Rooftop garden? Perfect, Namjoon loved plants. Weekend guided bike ride along the Han? Ideal - Namjoon loved bike rides. He even contacted the omegas ahead of time and asked for a selection of their favourite books, analysing all of the themes and picking people whose interests aligned with Namjoon's politics.
It was getting him down, and his manager noted that his workload with other clients was slacking. He tried his best to focus on matchmaking other clients, and not to get drawn into the mess that was Kim Namjoon's dating life. He reminded himself that even though they had failed to find Kim Namjoon a partner - or even a second date - after six weeks, he was also paying them a large amount to continue to matchmake him.
The next Monday morning, Namjoon surprised Jungkook by asking him a question.
"Have you ever been in a relationship? You seem very young."
Jungkook jolted, in the middle of making notes about Namjoon's dates from the previous week.
"Excuse me?"
"I said, have you ever been in a relationship?"
"Oh, yes!" Jungkook said, a little sudden with the desire to prove himself. "I'm actually in one now. We go on dates once a week, normally every Thursday."
Namjoon smiled. It was a different thing from his smirk - soft and broad, full of warmth. Jungkook thought he liked this one the best.
"I thought you said two dates a week was the optimum dating arrangement?"
Jungkook tutted. "That's just for first dates. Me and Eunae have been dating for six months."
"Congrats," Namjoon said, still smiling. "How is it going?"
"Oh brilliant," Jungkook replied, trying not to appear too smug in front of the singleton in front of him. "We're over 98% compatible, and our families really get along."
"Are you attracted to her?"
God, what an insolent question! If Namjoon wasn't older than him and a client, Jungkook would give him a piece of his mind.
"Of course I'm attracted to her! She's a beautiful omega. We're extremely physically compatible."
"The sex that good?"
Jungkook almost choked on air. "I- um, I mean I'm sure it will be."
"You haven't had sex yet?" Namjoon asked, incredulous. "After six months?"
"No," Jungkook said proudly. "Eunae is very traditional. She wants to wait until marriage, and I respect that."
"Do you now?" Namjoon was eyeing him closely, and he didn't like it.
"I do."
They stared at each other. For some weird reason Jungkook's palms were sweating. He wiped them hurriedly on his work trousers.
"You don't feel the urge to fuck her?" Namjoon asked, and prickles erupted all the way down Jungkook's spine.
"No. I respect her as my future mate. I'm going to have to draw a boundary there, Namjoon-ssi. Such questions are irrelevant to your search for a partner and make me uncomfortable."
Namjoon swallowed. "I'm sorry," he said, not sounding it.
"Our time is finished for today. I'll see you at the same time next week."
Jungkook saw the alpha earlier, in fact. It became apparent immediately after Namjoon left the agency that he had left his jacket behind. A large oversight, Jungkook thought, but one easily made. Upon finishing work at 7pm, he took the metro to the address of Namjoon's university. He knew the alpha worked late all the evenings of the week Jungkook was not sending him on dates, so he was pretty sure that the man would still be there.
What he hadn't counted on was the fact that the university was huge. He ended up in the department for music instead of literature, and a kind, bespectacled music teacher with cat-like eyes found him wandering around the corridors.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Kim Namjoon, sir. I'm returning his jacket."
The alpha winked at him, which Jungkook found a bit strange. It was a simple act of kindness, after all.
"I'll show you to his office."
They walked for about ten minutes, until they came to a door that the music professor banged on unceremoniously.
"Hello?" Namjoon said, cracking the door open. He looked tired, Jungkook thought, more so than usual.
"Hey," the music professor said, smirking. "This cutie wanted to give you back your jacket."
This cutie?? Jungkook thought. He wasn't an omega, why was the alpha describing him like that?
Namjoon seemed uncharacteristically flustered. "Thank you Professor Yoongi. You may go. Wow Jungkook-ssi, you really didn't need to -"
"Could I come in?" Jungkook asked, suddenly extremely curious as to where Namjoon worked. Namjoon saw where he worked all the time.
"Oh, I've just finished marking, ah, sure." Namjoon gestured him in and closed the door behind him. "Would you like a drink?"
A drink? Jungkook thought, surprised. It was a Monday.
"Just tea, please. Or milk, if you have it."
He turned from surveying the room to find Namjoon smiling at him in an amused sort of way.
"Milk?"
"Yeah. I'm working out a lot right now. It helps me recover."
Namjoon nodded. Jungkook might have been imagining it, but he was sure the alpha's eyes flitted briefly up and down his body.
Namjoon brewed them both tea from the kettle in the corner, and Jungkook sat at his desk when prompted, looking around in interest. So this was where Namjoon spent most of his time. There were books everywhere of course, piles of papers, posters of old bands.
"What kind of music do you like?"
"I think you know what music I like," Namjoon said, sitting opposite him. "You have my file, don't you? And last week you matched me and Chaewon because we have the same music taste."
Jungkook felt his face grow heated. Of course he had. He wasn't sure why he had asked that.
"I don't understand why you won't go for a second date with her," he said sadly.
Namjoon looked at him, critically. "I think you know that too, but I'm not going to say it."
The kettle boiled over, and he got to his feet, making them both herbal tea.
"Thank you," Jungkook replied, feeling strange. His insides were all jumbled up and squashed together.
"What are you doing with Eunae this week?" Namjoon asked.
"Ah," Jungkook said, perking up. "We're going ice skating."
He'd been looking forward to it for weeks - the idea of them skating together, surrounded by other couples, her smaller body clinging onto him.
"Ah yes, they just put the rink up, didn't they?"
Jungkook nodded, grinning.
"Do you ever kiss?"
There he went again, asking inappropriate questions.
"Of course. I always greet her and say goodbye with two pecks on the cheek."
Namjoon stared at him. "Are you serious?"
"Completely."
"Have you ever kissed anyone, properly?"
Dark memories rose up inside him, and he beat them down under the surface. "Of course. In university I did a lot, with people I wasn't compatible with. I regret it."
"Have you ever had sex?"
Jungkook breathed out, slowly. "Again, in university I did a lot, with people I wasn't compatible with. I regret that too."
Namjoon frowned, a look of concern passing over his face. "I'm sorry."
Jungkook shrugged. "I enjoyed it, at the time. But it was incredibly misguided, and that kind of behaviour prevented me from finding omegas I'm compatible with. The fleeting pleasure wasn't worth it."
Namjoon watched him drink his tea, inscrutable.
Things with Namjoon were coming up to the twelve week mark, and Jungkook was worried. He'd never once had a client take this long to find a match, or even to have a second date. His superiors were starting to talk, and his manager spoke to him bluntly of her concerns in their weekly catch up.
"It looks bad, Jungkook-ssi. Kim Namjoon's singledom is a reflection on you as a matchmaker."
Jungkook hung his head shamefully, knowing that she was speaking the truth.
"I know, I'll do better."
"If he hasn't found someone by next week we'll have to withdraw our services, understand? No matter how much his mother is paying us on top of his own fee."
Jungkook murmured an assent.
What could he do? He had no choice but to talk to Namjoon about it himself. In the office wouldn't work, in the university wouldn't work either. He'd have to catch Namjoon on one of his dates and interrogate him. Not the nicest approach, he knew, but things were getting desperate. If he kept going like this he wouldn't get his monthly bonus.
And so, he swung by Namjoon's date he'd organised with Jisoo, a good two and a half hours after it had began. He'd sent them to a high end Japanese sushi bar, which had a notable cocktail bar next door. They must be in the cocktail bar by now - he hovered outside the door, peeking in.
And just in time - two figures were hugging, an alpha and an omega. As he watched, Jisoo detached and grinned at Namjoon, turning and walking away, waving at him cheerfully. Jungkook ducked down and scurried away around the corner of the building, hearing her exit and then walk away down the street.
He'd have to act fast. He ran to the door and jogged quickly inside, sliding into the high stool Jisoo had just vacated.
Namjoon stared at him, just about to pull his jacket on. It was the same one Jungkook had brought with him to the university.
"Oh. Hello. What's this, checking up on how compatible we were?"
There was no point beating around the bush. "I can't keep having you reject people, it makes me look bad at work."
Namjoon blinked, then nodded calmly. "That's understandable. You need to have a good success rate, don't you."
"Yes, and you're ruining it."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Namjoon took a deep breath, swilling the remains of his cocktail around the shallow glass. He leaned forward across the table, his bare forearms flexing. Jungkook closed his eyes, inhaling his cologne, and beneath that, his scent. Deep, complex, woody. The same scent that had clung to the jacket.
"You realise I'm only using your service because it makes my mother happy? And she pays you extra to ensure I keep going every week?"
Jungkook nodded, something thick filling his throat, like the beginnings of acid reflux.
"And you realise that I'm gay?" He spoke the words slowly, deliberately. Jungkook glanced around quickly at the other clientele, but nobody seemed to have noticed.
"I fuck other alphas, and I love fucking them," Namjoon said, louder this time.
Jungkook's lips were very dry. He darted his tongue out and wetted them, deeply uncomfortable at how plainly Namjoon spoke, at his emphasis.
"O-OK."
"I don't need an omega, and I've never needed one. It is a disservice to the omegas you've sent me on dates with."
"OK," he repeated, quietly.
"I've gained a lot of friends of course, which I'm grateful to you for," Namjoon smiled ruefully. "Me and Chaewon are going to a gig together next week."
"A second date?" Jungkook asked, weakly, and Namjoon laughed, shaking his head.
"I'm going to have to discontinue your services, Jungkook-ssi. I'm very sorry."
Oh. Even though he was expecting it, he still swallowed, trying to wrestle with the sudden sadness that flushed through him.
"Ah, I'll miss you Namjoon-ssi. It was really nice seeing you every week. I liked organising dates for you."
Namjoon smiled, a different kind of smile Jungkook had never seen before.
"It's almost like we were dating, don't you think?"
Jungkook swallowed, staring at him. He didn't answer.
When they left the cocktail bar it had started to rain. They walked together down the street, unconsciously in step. The scent of wet tarmac was fresh and heady in Jungkook's nostrils.
"It's a shame I won't see you anymore," Jungkook said, unsure of how to voice all the confusing emotions inside him.
Namjoon hummed, walking a little slower. "I live near here. Want to see my apartment?"
Jungkook nodded. It was, after all, one of the only things he didn't really know about the alpha.
Namjoon lived at the top of a modern apartment block, in a small and cosy open plan apartment. It suited the alpha well, Jungkook thought. There were books everywhere, like his office, and LPs lining the walls. The only thing that was surprising was the large oil painting of an alpha hanging in the hallway. The man was naked, the colours abstract. He was leaning back with his hands behind his head, his cock and belly displayed proudly.
As soon as Jungkook entered the apartment, he couldn't stop looking at it. "Where did you get this?" he asked, unsure of what to ask, but wanting to acknowledge the painting's presence.
"My ex painted it," Namjoons smiled, fetching them both beers from the fridge as Jungkook made himself comfortable on the sofa. "Of me."
Oh, Jungkook thought, blushing all the way down to his feet.
"Your ex ten years ago?"
"No," Namjoon laughed, bitterly. "We broke up two years ago. We were together for six."
"I'm sorry," Jungkook said automatically, before realising that this person must be an alpha. An alpha who had painted Namjoon. He felt a sudden, inexplicable swell of bitterness.
"It's OK. We're friends now. You met him actually, at the university."
"The music professor?" Oh .
"Yes," Namjoon grinned. He hesitated, then handed Jungkook a beer and cracked his own open, saying, "He thought you were a hook up, you know? Thought that's why you were giving back the jacket."
Oh fuck, Jungkook thought, the mess of emotions whirling faster inside him.
He must have looked panicked, because Namjoon said, "I corrected him of course. Don't worry. He only thought that because you're my type."
"Your type?"
"Fresh faced. Cute. A bit bossy."
Jungkook's mouth fell open.
"B-but we would never be compatible. We're both alphas."
There was a small silence, in which Namjoon surveyed him, his face yet again inscrutable.
"You must know there are many ways in which to have sex, Jungkook-ssi," he said quietly.
"I-I know," And then, because there was no use holding back anymore, and Namjoon was staring at him so searingly - "I've had sex with alphas before."
It was worth it just to see the look of surprise startle across Namjoon's face.
"But that was a mistake," Jungkook said quickly, before Namjoon could ask any questions. "I did it was because I was horny and it felt good. Not because it was the right thing to do."
Namjoon took a deep breath and another swig of his beer. Then he placed the condensation-slicked can down on the coffee table.
"Relationships require both compatibility and chemistry, am I right?"
"Yes, but compatibility is more important. It can be scientifically calculated and leads to long term satisfaction."
Namjoon turned to the side and leaned closer to him. Just a little bit, but Jungkook felt the shift of his body as if it was his own.
"And what about short term pleasure?"
The breath was caught in Jungkook's throat. Namjoon's lips were so, so pretty. Eunae's thin pecks against his cheek didn't come close.
"That's not important to a long lasting relationship."
"No?"
"Sex isn't that important. People learn to make do."
"I thoroughly disagree."
And when Namjoon had him bent over the arm of the sofa, whimpering into his own sweaty palm, Jungkook couldn't help but disagree too.
He felt no sense of guilt, as Namjoon guided him down to the floor on all fours, his head bowed and his tongue loose with pleasure, all the smartness fucked out of him. Everything was vivid - the burn of his bare knees on the carpet as Namjoon slid back inside, breathing roughly, the pressure of the alpha's palm pressing into his abdomen until he keened .
He sobbed, head bowed to the floor as Namjoon began to fuck him brutally, neither of them speaking. It had been so long since he'd let go like this. He'd forgotten how good it felt to be fucked , to have all the thoughts knocked out of him by someone bigger and stronger than he was, by an alpha -
The guilt would come later, he knew that. But for now he watched through half-closed eyes as a string of viscous drool bobbed down to the floor from his lolling tongue, high noises punched out of him by the weight of Namjoon's cock pummelling his tight little hole.