Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Minho had always been a very independent omega. The whole "pick an alpha, mate for life" thing never appealed to him. He even tended to spend most of his heats alone, and unlike what his parents and colleagues thought, it wasn’t a sad thing at all to him.

He had a good routine you know, when his clockwork-like heat rolled about, he was always ready: days off planned in advance starting from the first signs of pre-heat, fridge stocked with the yummiest most comforting foods, apartment cleaned with nice-smelling products, toys washed and stocked up on batteries, painkillers lined up, hot-water bottle ready to be filled. He even kept some “alpha-scented candles” just in case. Then, once it hit, he’d lock himself up in his apartment, take care of himself until it was over, and then clean everything again and slide back to his normal day-to-day life.

It was a really good routine. It always worked.

Sure, some alphas had tried courting him. Some dumbass from work even once suggested syncing his days off with Minho's to “help him.” Minho promptly reported him, and the guy was fired within a week. No one else from work ever tried to make a move on Minho again after that, thank goodness.

Yes. His system was solid.

Until it wasn't.

The store he always went to for his heat grocery shopping was out of ice favourite ice cream.

One would say that it’s a minor detail; so what if he had to get vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips instead of vanilla custard with caramel drizzle? It wouldn't be the end of the world, right? But one would be very wrong, as the lack of vanilla custard with caramel drizzle in the store’s freezer in front of Minho’s eyes felt like a brick had just fallen in his stomach.

Blame it on his fuzzy pre-heat brain, but he felt tears coming to his eyes.

Sure, it was just ice cream, except it wasn't. Without it, his heat would be ruined, he'd be miserable for days, he'd have to drag himself back to work cranky, and the rest of the month would spiral from there, if not his life.

OK, maybe it was the PHS (pre-heat syndrome) talking. Maybe. But still.

In this moment, he couldn't help but remember the talk he had had with one of his coworkers, who had been gushing about how his boyfriend had searched frantically through the entire city to find his favourite berry juice. At the time, Minho had smiled and praised their relationship, but had mentally rolled his eyes. He’d never understood why people would be so happy to rely on someone else like that. Except now, faced with an empty freezer, he’d be more than happy to get that kind help, too. Just once.

Tears prickled at his eyes.

No.

Absolutely not.

He was a strong, independent omega. There was no reason whatsoever he couldn't walk to the next store himself—why the hell would he need someone else to do that for him?

Wiping those silly, embarrassing tears away, he picked the basket he hadn't realised he had dropped back up, shoved the tissues box that had flown out of it back in, and headed to the cash register.

When he stepped out of the store with his incomplete grocery loot, he checked his phone. The next store was a twenty-minute walk away. He could then ride a bus back to his place, saving him the walk back.

OK, that was fine, he could do that! Easy!

But it wasn’t easy.

Not in pre-heat. Not in the middle of summer.

The heavy AC that hit his sweaty face and sent a shiver down his soaked back as he entered the next store was an absolute blessing. He marched to the freezer section, scanning for the ice cream.

For fuck’s sake.

Nothing.

Still no vanilla custard with caramel drizzle.

What the fuck was this? A national shortage? A personal curse? Was someone playing a prank on him?!

The young cashier confirmed it: no vanilla custard ice cream.

She looked sorry as she said, “I’m sorry sir, we ran out. We should get it back in stock with tomorrow morning’s delivery.”

Too late.

“OK, thanks,” replied Minho, swallowing back the tears menacing to spill again. He really was cursed, wasn’t he? Tomorrow? Really?

“I’m really sorry, sir.” The young girl seemed alarmed, and of course she would be, having a customer on the verge of tears over ice cream. “We have other choices, maybe you can find another one to your taste?”

“No... But thank you.”

A wall of wet summer heat washed over him as he exited the fresh store. He was welcomed back outside by the deafening chirping of cicadas. ‘The louder the cicadas, the warmer the summer’ they said. Well, that seemed about right.

His body begged him to give up on the ice cream and go back home, but he was in too deep at this point. He checked the next nearest store on his phone. He’d already walked this far, what was another fifteen minutes? He bet he could even do it in ten—he was a fast walker, after all.

Twenty minutes later, out of breath, face burning and dripping in sweat, he stumbled into the third store, a small shop on the corner of a one-way street. He immediately found the ice cream freezer that a worker was currently restocking.

He approached it and felt like his knees were going to give up as he once again didn’t see the ice cream.

“Hello, welcome!” the worker greeted him, far too enthusiastically given the obvious disaster of the situation. Minho looked back up from the freezer, ready to send the guy the death glare he deserved, when he saw it.

In the worker’s hand.

Salvation in a tub. Vanilla custard ice cream with caramel drizzle.

Tears again. Tears of joy, this time, that fell like waterfalls down his cheeks before he could even attempt to hold them back.

“H-hi” Minho replied.

“O-oh sh—...!” The stupid smile on the worker’s face dropped at the sight of his tears. “Are you OK? Do you need help?”

Minho must have been looking pathetic, but he giggled through his tears. “I’m fine. Can I have that ice cream please?”

The worker looked down at his hand, then back up at Minho with a softened smile. “This one? Of course! Did you need something else?”

“No, this is perfect, thank you.” Minho wiped away the tears and smiled back at the guy in front of him.

“I’ll check you out right away, then!”

As he passed by Minho to head back to the cash register, something struck the omega.

In his haste, he hadn’t noticed yet, but the store’s AC blasted a whiff of the worker’s scent towards Minho. That short, stupid-smiled man was an alpha. He smelled of pineapple and amber vanilla, an interesting combo for an alpha, but there was no doubt about it, he was one indeed.

Bad. Very, very bad.

Minho tried to avoid being near any alphas around his heats. His body tended to betray him in… embarrassing ways. Luckily, he was already dripping in sweat at this point, so he most likely had already been clocked as an omega in pre-heat sweating his pheromones away, therefore the sudden river of slick cascading into his pants was probably to go unnoticed.

If the alpha noticed anything, he was very professional about it. No sign of amusement or anything transpired through his warm customer service worker smile.

Minho still cursed his body. Why did it have to be so… reactive? It was terribly embarrassing; it felt animalistic to react this way to just sniffing an alpha.

After he paid, the worker still smiled at him as he walked out.

“Thank you, come again!”

Never.

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That heat was a nightmare unlike any heat he’d had for a long while. None of his toys felt right. Sure he came, he came many times. He knew his body extremely well, thank you very much, so much so that the bedsheets would have to be burned after this. There was simply no way to clean them back to life.

But no matter how many times he made himself come, no matter how soaked in slick his hands, toys, and nest were, this time it didn’t feel like enough. He needed more.

His arms were trembling in exhaustion, his legs were shaking, his hole was gaping and pulsing in waves from the last orgasm that was still going, and yet it still didn’t feel like enough. And that damn weather too… Warmth made omegas' heats worse… right? It was a thing, for sure it was.

Groaning in frustration, still shaken by the echos from the last orgasm, Minho’s trembling hands rummaged through the box of toys next to his nest, seeking the firm silicone of his joker-card toy. It was perfect for when he really needed a break. It was a pretty, red, rather inconspicuous toy. However, it had a feature that Minho loved it for: it had a big inflating knot. Its bulbous base grew larger than you'd think just by looking at it, providing a satisfying, secure lock and allowing for a soothing nap even in the most tumultuous heats.

He reached for his hole, dipping his fingers in to collect enough slick to lubricate the toy, then pushed the toy in in one swift move, nestling the base flush against his skin.

He reached for the pump to inflate the bulbous knot. It needed six pumps to be fully inflated. He wouldn’t go that far though, not yet—that was his finishing move.

On the last night of his three-day-long heats, he would inflate it to the maximum and fall asleep content with his hole knotted, so he’d wake up satisfied and energized before going back to work. That was not the plan at the moment because he couldn’t pull his special move right now when he still had more than twenty-four hours of heat left to go through. He needed to keep that card for last.

Right now, though, his legs and arms were weak from the exhaustion of fucking himself on all of his toys for the first thirty-six or so hours of his heat with little to no breaks. He needed rest, and his other toys felt unsatisfying. The frustration kept him awake and alert, although he was too drained to keep going without sleep.

So yeah, he did need that toy right now. But not fully inflated. Maybe… halfway? Three pumps, halfway inflated, that should be enough for the knot to stay nestled and stay there through a—hopefully long—nap. Yeah. Three pumps, no more.

He pressed the pump once, twice… That wasn’t enough… It also didn’t feel like how two pumps of inflation usually felt. Weird... He should have started to feel a stretch, at least a little bit, but his hole had adjusted around it with no issue at all. It was there for sure, but… if his body slicked up a little too much it’d just pop out… Well, he still had one pump ahead of himself, for sure it’d make the difference.

It didn’t make a difference. Was his toy broken? Was the air chamber pierced? That would explain a lot! He did ride the toy with maybe a little too much fervour last time, maybe he'd damaged it…

Well, if the dildo was pierced, then a fourth pump wouldn’t be a problem. So he pumped a fourth time. And a fifth. Okay now he was starting to feel some stretch, he felt a little resistance in the soft tissue of his hole. Good. So the inflating knot was definitely pierced. He’d assess it later—right now he just needed sleep. He gave it one last sixth pump for good measure: if it was pierced, it’d deflate throughout his nap, so he might as well give it a fighting chance.

He tried a seventh pump, out of curiosity. It couldn’t inflate a seventh pump’s worth of air. Well… maybe the piercing wasn’t that large? Whatever, that was a problem for future Minho. Right now, he was finally satisfyingly knotted.

Minho sighed. Finally.

Lying on his stomach, he let the pump fall from his hand to his mattress and pushed his hands through the soft pile of pillows and blankets that composed his nest, inhaling the delicious comfort of what could only be described as home and safety.

Somewhere during these thoughts, he fell into a coma-like sleep, a soft smile on his lips.

When he woke up, his bed was soaking wet from sweat. The knot was still nestled in him, and as he turned around and the shaft shifted inside of him, it punched a loud, coarse moan from his very dry throat.

It didn’t feel like it had deflated that much, if at all…?

Reaching for the pump, he pinched the valve to deflate the knot and slipped the toy out with a sigh. After uselessly wiping away some slick that kept gushing out of his hole, he got up on wobbly legs to get himself some water.

Why was this heat so hard? It made no sense. None of his heats had been this intense since.. Well, since his presentation, basically. An omega's first heats tended to be more chaotic until their body adjusted to the sub-gender hormones, but they also tended to become more manageable as years passed.

As he downed an entire glass of ice-cold water and filled his mouth with a few big spoonfuls of ice cream, his eyes drifted to his counter. He had left the alpha-pheromone-scented candle he had bought a while ago there.

Maybe he should use it this time? He hadn’t used one in a while, but they could sometimes help… With a sigh, he reached for it and inhaled the scent. This wasn’t a really satisfying scent to him, just a very artificial, typical woody scent. It didn't smell that bad, just… so plain and boring… but maybe it’d still help somehow. It did contain artificial alpha pheromones, which were known to soothe heat symptoms.

He walked back to his room, lit the candle, and set it on his bedside table.

His gaze fell on the crate holding his toys. They were all good toys and he loved them, but for some reason, especially after just having used his inflating toy, none of them felt even remotely tempting to use.

Rummaging through them, he considered the biggest toy he had, a green and purple masterpiece with a pearlescent finish, designed by an independent fantasy toy maker he had found online. This was probably his best bet at this point. He had only used it once and never tended to reach for it; as beautiful as it was, it was also a challenge to take it in, and Minho was more about efficiency than insertion record breakings. Well… usually he was, but right now, his body was only begging for one thing: more.

He took out the water-based slick lube that the toy maker recommended using with it. While in his heat, he probably didn't need it, but there was no such thing as too much lube, especially with something this big.

He placed the heavy toy on his bed on top of a towel and dripped a generous amount of lube on its length before positioning himself above it, then sinking down on it slowly. It rubbed deliciously against his walls, pulling a long, satisfied sigh from the depths of Minho’s throat. This toy was brilliant. He let his body adjust to the challenging girth before lowering himself a bit more.

When he finally bottomed out and his ass touched the flared base, he shifted his position so the firm silicone pressed against his sweet spot. He felt so full. Unlike the plug from before, this one was thick through its entire length, and he could feel it pushing open every centimetre of his insides.

Raising his hips back about halfway up, he sank back down on the toy, making sure to angle the movement so the toy rubbed heavily on all the right spots. It did feel so good, it did feel satisfying, but somehow, it… wasn't enough? Surely he just needed to keep going. There was no way this toy wasn't enough.

He kept bouncing slowly on the dildo, feeling slick gushing out of him, mixing with the lube, soaking the towel under him. He felt the telltale tingles of an orgasm building up. Reaching for his cock, he started pumping it in rhythm with his quickening bounces, gasping for air, the room filling with the squelching sounds of lube and slick on plastic, waves of artificial alpha pheromones surrounding him as finally, a new orgasm hit him, and he let himself fall on the bed, toy still halfway in his hole.

Minho's eyes looked into the void, vaguely hypnotised by the candle's dancing flame.

He had just come, and yet, he felt unsatisfied. He needed more.

But he'd just used his biggest toy. There wasn't much more he could do if this wasn't enough.

He sighed, and the flame before him swayed. A new wave of artificial pheromones flowed over him, making Minho wince. It was sickening; it smelled so fake, unnatural, nauseating, and almost medical.

He blew out the candle and stared at the lingering smoke rising from the burnt wick. Maybe he needed another big toy. Bigger, maybe big and inflating? Surely the shop had other good options.

Suddenly, the image of the alpha from the store appeared in his mind.

'Did you need something else?'

… Or maybe what was missing didn't have anything to do with size…

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Going back to work after such a strange heat wasn't ideal. He was tired, sulky, and definitely snappy—his colleagues probably didn't deserve to be told to book a one-way trip to Do-It-Yourselfville. Minho wasn't usually the office's little ray of sunshine anyway, but after that week, his title of sassiest employee of the accounting department was cemented. At least it earned him comfortable personal space that few dared to invade.

The quiet was nice. Too nice. He hated to admit it, but it did make him feel uncomfortably lonely. Stranger, even: he found himself looking forward to his next heat and the days off that came with it. He spent time mentally preparing for it, imagining himself going back to that little corner convenience store, seeing that ridiculously sculpted and sweet-scented alpha… This time, he'd be prepared: he’d go earlier in his preheat. The weather would probably be better too, given that autumn was slowly coming. He’d be more like himself.

Wait a minute, why would he even go back there? It was so far away from his place, stripping the whole “convenient” part out of the convenience store. Surely, his mind wandering over there had nothing to do with the employee. It wasn’t Minho’s type at all to be swayed by such things. A random alpha he didn’t even really speak to? Please. Ridiculous.

That being said… They were the only reliable store last month…

And then his preheat day arrived.

Before he even realised what he was doing, Minho was stepping off the bus at the stop near that same store. Why he came, he couldn't say. But now that he was here…

Minho entered the store and was welcomed by a bright voice ringing from the back: “Welcome! Please tell me if you need anything!” He immediately recognised that voice. Maybe it had haunted him more than he’d ever care to admit for an entire month. What was up with that guy anyway, so cheery… The cheeriest convenience store employee ever, probably.

Minho grabbed a basket and started on his list.

As he reached the back of the store, he spotted the alpha crouched by the fridges, restocking soda bottles. He didn't seem to notice Minho, too focused on his restocking.

Sodas weren't on Minho's list, but for some reason he found himself heading for the fridge next to the alpha, who didn't seem to notice him, still too focused on his task.

He pretended to study the rows of brightly coloured drinks, but what really caught his attention was the scent he'd been daydreaming about all month. It was light, muffled by a soapy scent blocker, but it was there: that sweet pineapple and amber vanilla scent, sweeter than any alpha's he knew.

He risked a glance—hopefully discreetly—at the man beside him.

That was a mistake.

The alpha stretched to stock the top shelf, his uniform shirt riding up to reveal smooth skin and stupidly sculpted abs. He then bent for another box, muscles flexing, uniform straining...

Nope. Dangerous. This was bad. He should never have come back. Minho shut the fridge's door and walked away, ignoring the perfectly round ass that nearly ruined his sanity.

Why did this alpha have to be so unfairly fine?

Forget that, why did Minho have to come back here of all places? And why oh why did his body have to be so fucking reactive?! He felt slick dripping in his briefs. Damn it. It was so early in his pre-heat, too!

Focus. He just needed to pick up the items on his list and leave. Easy. The store was small but well stocked, something he appreciated a lot.

Tissues? Check.

Hot and cold pouches? Check.

All his favourite ramyeon flavours? Check.

Lotion, vitamins, electrolytes, eggs? Check, check, check, and check.

When he reached the freezers, the alpha appeared from the back, arms full of boxes. Perfect looking arms: muscles straining against his uniform sleeves, perfectly smooth skin, thick veins shifting as he moved… This time he noticed Minho.

“Oh, it’s you again! How have you been doing?”

Snapping out of his staring, Minho blinked at the alpha. “Uh... Fine.” Then, unable to stop himself: “You remember all your one-time customers like that?”

Why did he care if the employee had a good memory of his customers or not?

“Not all, but our shop is pretty small! We usually only get visited by the regulars who live in the neighbourhood, so new faces do stand out!” A beat later, he added with a smile, “And you’re not a one-time customer now, are you?”

“I guess not.”

“We have the vanilla custard with caramel drizzle ice cream you like!” he said, crouching down to open a box and revealing the tubs piled inside.

“How do you even remember that?” Minho asked, looking back up at the employee.

The alpha shrugged, ears reddening slightly “Oh erm, I don’t really know, I just… do, I guess!”

What was the deal with his guy, really…

“There you go!” The alpha beamed, handing a tub of ice cream up towards Minho. “Anything else you need?”

“No, thank you, I’m fine.”

“Perfect! Then I'll ring you up right away!”

Following him up to the cash register, Minho’s eyes drifted over the employee’s body.

He wasn’t taller than Minho, maybe even slightly shorter. The rhythm of his steps was steady, confident, his shoulders broad, his lingering sweet scent enticing. As Minho followed his steps, pineapples and amber vanilla surrounded him, like an invisible pull towards the alpha before him.

Minho’s gaze was fixated on the man’s hands bagging his items up. He couldn’t focus on the small talk the alpha was cheerfully spilling, something about the weather finally cooling down, the colours of the leaves starting to change… nothing interesting enough to distract Minho from his fascination towards the alpha’s fingers grabbing the items, swiftly scanning them, and putting them in the bag without missing a beat. The muscles of his forearms moving, the thick veins of his arms and hands shifting as he moved, the–

“Do you like this coffee?”

Minho jerked his gaze up, dragged out of thoughts he had no business having. Pre-heat or not, he needed to get himself under control.

“What?”

“This coffee,” the alpha repeated with a smile, holding the bottle of dark liquid up, “do you like it?”

“Oh, I didn’t pick any.”

“I know! It’s a service, on the house! To show appreciation to a new loyal customer!”

“...Thanks. Yeah, I like this one.”

This was such a strange thing. It would have made Minho uncomfortable usually, but something about the employee’s genuine-looking enthusiasm made him appreciate it. Or maybe Minho’s state just made him more receptive to a hot alpha being nice.

“Great!” Then the employee added as he put the bottle in the bag, “And it’ll help, right?”

“Help?”

“W-well… I mean… You’re looking at some rough days ahead, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

Obviously, Minho knew exactly what he meant. D-1, his pheromones clung to him, and an alpha would never miss that. Normally, he'd be offended, maybe even remind the guy of how inappropriate it was to mention that to a virtual stranger. But the sight of the flustered alpha tripping over his words, made him want to tease instead.

"Nothing, nothing!" The alpha panicked. "Just… Yeah, whatever is, you know, coming your way, erm… coffee might help! Right?"

The guy's cheeks turned pinker. Oh, this was fun.

"Whatever is coming my way? You mean my heat? Aww, does Alpha want to take care of me?"

"Yes!"

"… What?"

"Nothing !"

The alpha froze, smile dropping, face turning a deep crimson, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of the water.

"I— N-no! I'm sorry I— I didn't mean—"

Poor thing. His eyes darted everywhere, too mortified to even look at Minho anymore.

"Forget I said anything, I shouldn't have—"

"You're right. It'll help."

"…W-what?"

Their eyes met. He looked so sweet like that: face flushed red, sorry eyebrows, plush lips in a confused pout—Minho almost felt bad for teasing him. Almost.

"The coffee," Minho clarified, the corner of his mouth quirking into a slight smirk. "It'll help. Thank you."

"You're… welcome."

Why couldn't Minho look away from this guy's eyes? Why did he feel a smile tugging at his own lips? And why did the alpha's own hesitant smile, twitching back to life, make him the flustered one now?

After a moment—or maybe a hundred— Minho cleared his throat.

"So… how much is it?"

"Sorry?"

"For the groceries," Minho chuckled. Why did he fucking chuckle?

"Right!" In a hurry, the alpha fumbled with the register. "It'll be 49,700₩!"

Minho tapped his phone against the reader. The receipt was slipped into the bag, and the alpha pushed it across the counter towards Minho, a light pink flush still sitting on his cheeks.

"Thank you! Come again!"

"I will," Minho smiled, taking the bag.

When the automatic doors opened in front of Minho, he couldn't help glancing back. The alpha was watching him, too.

"Thanks for the coffee," Minho said before stepping back into a nice September night's warmth.

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When he punched the code on his apartment lock's keypad, Minho's heat was already in full swing.

So much for going to the store earlier in his pre-heat.

He dropped the grocery bag on the floor and bee-lined to his water dispenser, gulping an entire glass of cold water down. Brushing his hair off his forehead, he forced his mind to be clear enough to put the fresh groceries away in his fridge. With eyes lingering on the tub of ice cream, thoughts of the alpha kneeling down and handing the tub up to him popped in his mind. Echoes of his voice rang in his head.

"It'll help, right?"

Fuck.

He slammed the freezer closed and slid to the floor, his back against the door. Palming his cock through his pants, the obvious dawned on him: he'd struggle to walk to his bed in this state. He hadn't even prepared a nest yet. This was such a mess. Normally he'd have come home early enough in his pre-heat to do that…

Raising his hips, he shuffled his pants and underwear off. He was so wet, so hard.

As soon as he dipped two fingers in his wet, hot hole, he let out a moan.

“Do you like it?” the voice of the alpha echoed in his mind.

He did.

He grabbed his cock and started pumping it at a merciless pace.

Memories flashed before his eyes as the tingles of an orgasm blossomed all over his body. Plush lips, sculpted veiny arms, the faint glance he stole of a thick, perfectly round ass he'd want nothing more than to slap. He imagined how it'd jiggle from the impact, and just like that, the first of many orgasms crashed upon him, translucent cum reaching the shirt he hadn't thought of removing yet.

He looked at his slick-covered fingers, the intense scent of dark caramel from his own pheromones filling the air of his apartment.

Pineapple and vanilla would work wonderfully with a dark caramel.

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Two days later, Minho felt like he was floating. His whole heat had been filled with memories of the alpha from the store.

The coffee did help during the heat.

Unfortunately, the intrusive thoughts about the alpha did, too.

As he headed back to work, and for the entire following month, he kept going back and forth between never wanting to go to that store again, and the all-consuming urge to only ever go there.

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As the sun was setting on the day of his preheat, Minho got off the bus that led to the corner convenience store.

It was routine at this point, honestly.

As he stepped inside the store, he heard a cheerful "Welcome! Please tell me if you need anything!" coming from behind the cash register, followed by "Oh, it's you! Give me a second!"

Minho turned around towards the register on his right only to see the alpha, round butt tight in his uniform, rushing away towards the back of the store. What was happening? Was the alpha scared of Minho or something? Maybe he had teased him too hard last time…

He came back, a huge smile plastered on his face, all the way to his eyes, carrying a grocery bag.

"There you go!" The alpha laid the bag on the counter and opened it before pushing it towards Minho as if to present it to him for inspection. "Was there anything else you needed?"

Puzzled, Minho looked down at the bag.

It was… exactly what Minho had bought the past two times.

"I didn't add the ice cream yet of course, I couldn't take it out of the freezer beforehand, but I made sure we had it in stock!"

"That's…. How do you… Why…."

"I just thought, you always seem in a rush when you come, so I thought I'd prepare everything, you know. That way you can save some time!"

But… Minho actually liked spending time in that store… Still, his heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn't stop a smile from forming on his lips. Was this what it felt like when an alpha cared for you?

No.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

This was not an alpha caring for him, this was a store employee wanting to cement a customer's loyalty! It was almost laughable that he, Lee Minho, the "always happily celibate and overly independent omega", would be that desperate to think a random worker would care like that, hot alpha or not? Of course the employee didn't care about him like that.

He felt his smile drop, and for some reason, saw the employee's radiant one falter too.

"Well, thank you, yeah that's all I need."

"That, and the ice cream, right? Be right back!"

"Right—"

The employee walked back from behind the counter, towards the freezer, and came back with the ice cream. Was he a little less joyful?

"There you go, vanilla custard with caramel drizzle!"

"…Thanks..?"

"Did you like the coffee last time?"

"I— yeah, I did. And you were right, it did help."

"Great!" The employee beamed again, turning around and grabbing a bottle from behind him, then adding it to the grocery bag. "It's free again! For a loyal customer!"

"Are you even allowed to do that?"

"Erm… Yeaaaaah, don't worry about it, it's all good!"

Minho chuckled and heard his voice come out a little softer. "Well then, my lips are sealed, thank you."

"You're very welcome! And there's a discount on the ramyeon you like today, so this time the total is 48.700₩!"

Minho tapped his phone on the card reader, then grabbed the bag and headed towards the exit, thanking the employee again.

Before stepping out of the store, something held Minho back. He turned around, finding the employee looking at him with a strange expression. Was the pineapple scent a little more sour? Minho gave him a half smile that the employee mirrored.

A century-long second later, the alpha broke the excruciatingly heavy silence.

"Thank you, come again?"

"I will," Minho replied, stepping out of the store.

Something was off. Minho was frustrated. Happy and frustrated at the same time. It was… too quick? But the alpha was right, it saved him a lot of time, and today, unlike last time, he'd definitely have time to prepare a good nest before his heat actually hit.

And make a good nest he did. A perfect nest, if he said so himself. His apartment was perfectly neat, clean, and well stocked, and his routine hadn't run so smoothly in months! In… two months, actually…

He was lying on his bed, comfortably set in his comfy nest, lazily scrolling on his phone when the first signs of his heat arrived. A cramp, followed by a gush of slick dripping from his hole.

He reached for his pretty red silicone vibrating rabbit toy and pushed it in, settling the hook on his taint and turning it on.

A satisfied sigh.

He angled the toy to vibrate against his sweet spot, while his other hand reached his cock and pumped it softly, his fingers lingering on the underside. Again, memories of the alpha filled his mind. Leisurely, he played with his tip. Surely the alpha's touch would be soft, excruciatingly so, just like Minho's. Surely, he'd have Minho arch his back like he did right now, chasing the friction he was denying himself, and his hot pineapple breath would fill Minho's gaping mouth.

Eyes scrunched closed, with a strained moan, head spinning, full of the ghosts of fantasized hands, Minho came for the first time of his heat.

Letting his body fall on the mattress, shaking, he stared into the void.

He was fucked, wasn't he? Well… he wasn't, and maybe that was the whole problem, but he was fucked.

His last few heats had been haunted by thoughts of that alpha whose name he didn't even know, someone he never really spoke to, but who somehow seemed so caring, so sweet, so unlike any alpha he had ever met.

He rolled to his side.

This wouldn't do. He was independent. He'd never need an alpha. Or anyone.

What he needed was just… to satisfy a craving. Simple as that.

He'd just fuck himself silly, letting his mind wander to that alpha, indulge in fantasies of the guy, and then go on with his life as normal.

Except… nothing about these last few months had been normal, even outside of his heats. The mere idea of that employee was all consuming. He was always in the corner of his mind, living in his daydreams.

Ugh…!

Honestly…

He just really wanted pineapple right now. Nothing more. A good dildo and pineapple. He hadn't bought any, so he'd just have some fruit delivered. Slick gushed out of his hole as a cramp started building up in his stomach. Maybe his heat asked more for the dildo right now, but if he didn't order pineapple now, he never would…

As he unlocked his phone, he was met with the last page he'd checked. A store page? Why was he checking that, earlier? His mind was a blur, fuzzy from the lust of his heat. What was he doing earlier…

Anyway, this was what he needed, and he couldn't be bothered to look further and compare values or whatever when he wanted nothing more than to order some pineapple for delivery and go back to take care of his heat. His hand mindlessly reached for his hole, but he caught himself. He wanted to place an order now so he could stop caring about stupid pineapples!

He pressed the phone number on the page.

Just one ring and a cheerful voice answered the phone.

"Hello, Day and Night Mart, Bang Chan speaking, how may I help you?"

"Hi," replied Minho in a croaky voice, "I need some pineapple delivered please."

"Oh, hmmm, I'm sorry, we don't offer any delivery service here."

A frustrated sigh escaped Minho's lips. One might call it a whine, but one would be wrong—it was a very dignified sigh.

"Is it really not possible? I'll pay extra."

Silence on the line.

"Well… I'll see what I can do… May I have an address for the delivery?"

Minho gavee him his address, along with the PIN code for the digital lock of the building.

"Oh… that's pretty far… I'll do my best! I'll be there soon. I'll come during my lunch break if it's alright with you!"

"Perfect, thank you." Minho replied urgently before hanging up.

It was good that the call wasn't a second longer, as a new cramp made him turn around and roll into a ball. He reached for the closest toy and sloppily shoved it in his waiting hole.

He sighed, frustrated at his body for how needy it was—it had been what, five minutes tops since he came? And his body was already asking for more? He massaged his prostate with the toy set on a slow but powerful vibration.

'I'll be there soon' echoed in Minho's mind. Was he crazy, or did that voice sound familiar?

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

When the doorbell rang, Minho barely registered it. And then he remembered: the pineapple.

Checking his phone, he noticed it was a little bit after noon. He had ordered it about two hours ago, and thought he may have dreamed the whole thing, as he'd slipped in and out of sleep in between making himself cum ever since.

His wobbly legs led him to the apartment's door and he opened it, and maybe he was still in dreamland because the man standing in front of him, at his door, was none other than the alpha from the store.

Was the store he called that store?

Apparently it was, but… Oh yeah, he remembered now… The page of the store had been open on his phone because he had wanted to check their stock before going yesterday.

And so there the sexy alpha was, his uniform concealed under a black sweatshirt, a black beanie covering his brown curls. Seeing him out of the context of the store, in semi-casual clothes, and—worst of all—in front of his apartment while Minho was right in the middle of his heat, a heat that was fuelled by his image… For a second, Minho imagined grabbing him by the collar, dragging him inside, and going through his heat with the real deal instead of fuzzy fantasies.

But of course, he would never.

Minho focused back on the alpha in front of him. The man's mouth was agape, eyes wide.

Of course… Minho was in bad shape… Well, it was just his heat; it wasn't like he was sick, but it must be pretty obvious that he was in a fever-like state, his hot cheeks must be red, and he must be glistening with sweat, not to mention the fact that he was only wearing his black silk robe. Oh, and the pheromones of course! They must be radiating from him and flowing out of the open door! The alpha must be so uncomfortable right now… What if he thought this was a trap?

The alpha broke the silence.

"P-pineapple delivery…?"

The guy was so red. A strong pineapple scent filled the air.

Minho was right—pineapple and dark caramel did go mouth-wateringly well together. The alpha's eyes darted everywhere, stopping on Minho's neck, then his legs, then immediately searching for something other than the omega to look at. He swallowed with difficulty, seemed uneasy. His scent was very different—much sweeter—than most alphas', but still it was obvious: the guy was very aroused, and that manifested heavily in the pheromones he was letting out, and the worn-out, soapy scent blocker he most likely had worn all morning was doing a poor job at trying to conceal that. Minho's own heat pheromones may have triggered it, but right now… some of Minho's principles seemed to disintegrate as, without realising what he was doing, he took a step back into his apartment and opened the way, inviting the alpha in.

The alpha gulped, visibly struggling not to take the offer.

"I-I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm… You're… I'm still working, and you're…"

A particularly bad cramp took over Minho's attention, the stabbing sensation spreading up his stomach and down his legs. He curled in on himself and swore under his breath.

"Are you OK?"

"No, I'm not," Minho replied, more harshly than he intended. "Fuck…"

He reached for his phone and tapped his bank app, a coarse voice leaving his throat: "How much is it?"

"What?"

Was the alpha stupid or something? Why did his face and ears suddenly sport a deep crimson shade?

"For the pineapple, how much do I owe you?"

"O—OH! Right, of course, yeah! It was 10.000₩."

He entered the amount and showed the QR code on his screen to the alpha, who remained clueless, motionless, staring at the phone. Now it was obvious: the guy was stupid.

"Well?" Minho inquired, getting impatient. For how much the man in front of him was driving him insane, every second he spent there not taking care of the cramp made it ten times worse.

Finally it seemed to click in the alpha's mind.

"Oh, right! Sorry!" He fumbled for his phone and finally scanned the QR. Minho's screen turned green, and a notification popped up, confirming that Mr. Bang Chan had received the payment. "OK! All good! …Wait… I'm sorry, I may have misspoken, it was 10.000₩, not 20—…"

"Delivery fee," Minho stated coldly as he took the bag of sliced pineapple from the alpha's hands, stepped back in his apartment, and shut the door, not bothering to add anything.

That morning, the guy—Bang Chan, apparently—had stated on the phone that they didn't offer delivery, yet he had come all this way to personally deliver it, only for Minho to make him so uncomfortable and even try to come on to him? Yeah, doubling the price seemed about right for his trouble and to soothe Minho's guilt.

Alone again in his home, he looked down at the bag in his hands and sighed. It would have done the trick, had the delivery guy not been that one. But now? Compared to the split second his body had foolishly believed that maybe, just maybe, the alpha might come in? It couldn't compare. He just left it on the counter and went back to his nest.

More toys it was, then.

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

He took a deep breath as soon as he stepped outside the building.

That had been a close one, and Chan was afraid his cheeks might just have become permanently red.

Chan would never have guessed that the desperate-sounding client who had called that morning would have been the hot omega, the one who'd been living rent-free in his mind for the last two months.

Honestly, he'd only made the delivery because the caller sounded panicked—desperate for pineapples, of all things. Weird, sure, but he wasn't about to let someone spiral over fruit.

Except now, now he'd seen him—the hot omega—again, and it all felt like a mistake.

He had already been cursing himself for preparing his groceries in advance yesterday. Not only had it seemed to displease the omega, who probably thought he was creepy as fuck, but it also meant that Chan got less time with him, obviously, less time to try and have a real conversation, less time to try and maybe make him smile. And then, if the omega hadn't found him weird enough, he had to show up to his door?! Yeah, if he'd had the slightest chance with him before, it was over now for sure.

And when the omega had asked how much it was and he'd thought… Ugh, if anyone was able to know what he had thought in that moment, he might need to delete himself from the surface of the planet.

Every single step he'd taken through the months had felt like good ideas at the time. Or if not good, at least natural. Instinctive.

Because the truth was, in the lamest possible way, that Chan had tried to court the omega from the very moment he had first walked into the store.

There was just something about him. The confident way he walked, like he didn't need anyone even when he seemed on the verge of falling, the dry smirk that never reached his big eyes, the scent of dark caramel that clung to his skin and seemed to make Chan's pulse jump. He wasn't flashy or overly sweet. He was quiet, careful, always in his own head. Intriguing. Enticing.

Every time the omega—Lee Minho, he had found out today—had shown up at the store, Chan had found himself straightening his posture, trying not to look like he had been desperately waiting for him, checking the dates, checking the hour, taking note of everything the omega picked up from the store, trying to quietly impress him, to show him he was paying attention to every detail the omega had allowed him to see about himself.

And when he didn't come again for weeks? The store felt dull, like the air was stale, bland, and seriously lacking in the caramel department.

As he climbed on his bike to ride back to the store, he cursed again under his breath. He had less than thirty minutes to be back at the store now or else the owner would seriously reprimand him, so he'd have to pedal very quickly—it was a good thing he totally never skipped leg day. Seeing Lee Minho in preheat had always been hard, obviously—Minho being exactly his type, his pheromones in preheat could cause certain urges. Nothing he'd have ever acted upon, of course, but his body did react to it. He had said some distasteful words before, yes, which may or may not have kept him up at night, but it was never like he'd ever had to fight the urge to jump him or something crazy like that.

Today, though…

Lee Minho was in full blown heat, and Chan should have guessed that if he smelled so delicious in preheat, he'd be irresistible in heat. When the omega had opened the door, Chan was hit by a wall of pure sex pheromones, flowing right into his face. He could have dropped the freaking pineapple and devoured the omega right then and there. Lee Minho had looked scrumptious, haphazardly covered with a loose black silky robe, face flushed, heavy lidded eyes, and—Chan couldn't help but notice—slick running down his exposed thigh.

It had stirred something in Chan's stomach, and maybe also below his belt.

And when Lee Minho had basically invited Chan into his apartment, obviously not to have a nice conversation about flowers and butterflies, well… What do they say about the toughest battles and the strongest soldiers? Yeah, it definitely felt like that. It had taken every bit of concentration and self-control Chan could muster not to take the offer.

He had been daydreaming about something like this for months, sure, but it couldn't happen like that. It couldn't be when the omega was delirious from his heat. He needed Lee Minho to be entirely there and fully aware. He wanted Lee Minho's complete, enthusiastic, and clear consent, not to jump him when he was desperate for a knot.

Oh boy.

Lee Minho, the hot omega, had been desperate for a knot—his knot, just right then and there. He had ordered pineapple, and Chan, the good, providing alpha he was, had brought it to him even though it wasn't part of his job (and even though he hadn't known before the omega had opened the door that it was him he was delivering to, but that's beside the point).

Wait a minute.

Lee Minho, the hot omega, had been craving pineapple? He'd been craving pineapple, Chan's strongest scent note, during his heat? Could it be…? Could it be that Chan had been in the omega's mind as much as the omega had been in hi—

The loud honk of a scooter took him out of the reverie he hadn't realised he'd been in, and he straightened his path.

There was no way the omega thought of him that way. Chan was a convenience store worker, and Lee Minho was a hot omega who wore fancy clothes, and who, as he had found out today, lived in a freaking fancy neighbourhood. No way he'd think of Chan like that.

By some sort of miracle, Chan made it back to the store right in time. The owner was sitting at the register, sound asleep. Great. Chan had pedalled like his life depended on it, arriving at the store sweaty and gross, and the guy wouldn't even have noticed had he been late. Oh well, today was the day of foolish efforts, Chan guessed.

The whole afternoon, the omega—no, Lee Minho—lived in his mind, more so than ever before. Did he have no one to help him through his heats? Why had he come to this store specifically when he would've seen a hundred other convenience stores on the way to and from his apartment? The first time, yeah, apparently he'd been looking everywhere for that ice cream he liked, but the other times? That would've been so inconvenient… And also… Chan tried not to think too much of this, but, the pineapple thing…

He tried not to be too delusional, but things were starting to add up. Coming to Chan's store specifically, before every heat, even though it was so inconvenient, craving pineapple… OK, it was just two things, but it was still something! Right..? And, he did invite him in…

Yeah, no, he was being delusional for sure. Minho was way too hot to care about someone who looked as average as Chan did.

When the end of his shift finally arrived, Lee Minho was still in Chan's mind.

Maybe it was stupid, but he was wondering how he was doing. He could bring him more supplies, just, you know, to check on him, make sure he's fine.

Of course he usually handled his heats without Chan's help, but earlier, when he had asked him if he was okay, he did say no…

Showing up at his door uninvited though… That was worse than anything he'd done before, wasn't it? But also, he was already this far deep into the absolute embarrassment that had been his attempts at courting, so what more damage could it do to just be nice like that?

He picked up the vanilla custard ice cream with caramel drizzle that Minho liked, some additional hot and cold patches, some tissues, that cooling cream he seemed to like… Chan's eyes drifted to the fruit section. Pineapple? It would be overdoing it, right?

Who was he kidding, he was already largely overdoing it. He picked the pineapple up, and if when he arrived at Lee Minho's he changed his mind about it, well… He'd just keep it to himself and bask in his fruity loneliness at home.

He rode his bike back to Minho's neighbourhood as the sun set behind its fancy buildings.

As he was about to punch in the PIN code to the building, he stopped in his tracks.

What the heck was he doing…

Did he think he was in an old romantic movie? He looked down at the groceries in his hand. Should he just give up on this silly plan, and go back home with these?

But… these were useless for an alpha. OK, not the food, obviously, but the rest was. Obviously he was being ridiculous, but now that he was here, he wasn't going to waste all of this, was he? He couldn't even give it to anyone else he knew, anyway; his coworker was an alpha, the owner was an old omega who didn't get heats anymore (and would laugh in his face if he gave this to him anyway), his roommate was also an alpha, his sister was a beta… There was only one omega he could give this to.

He entered the building. He'd just… drop the stuff on Lee Minho's doormat, ring the bell, and run away, like a teenager doing a prank or something.

But after he rang, as he was about to leave, Lee Minho opened the door.

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

A new cramp woke Minho up.

His mouth was so dry and he was craving something sweet, so a little break was definitely necessary before he took care of the cramp. He deflated the knot of the toy he had fallen asleep with, slipped it out, and begrudgingly pushed himself up and out of his bed.

He walked to his kitchen and took the tub of ice cream from the freezer, taking a big spoonful directly from it. Turning around, his eyes fell on the container of sliced pineapple he had left on the counter earlier.

With a sigh, he walked up to it and opened the container, biting into a round slice. The flavours of the caramel drizzle, the vanilla custard, and the pineapple mixing together in his mouth made him smile. Why did it also make him feel some sort of sadness? He couldn't really dwell on that too much though, as the stabbing sensation of the cramp reminded him he had a heat to take care of, as if he could ever forget about it. He pushed the rest of the pineapple slice in his mouth, followed by some more ice cream, and put everything back in the fridge and freezer.

He was about to go back to his nest when something caught his attention. There was shuffling outside his door. Was the neighbour coming back home? No, something had definitely bumped against his door.

A spike of stress gripped Minho's throat. His neighbour was an alpha. It was an irrational fear, of course, he knew logically; his door kept both noise and pheromones locked in, and he had locked his door after bringing his order in earlier. And also, his neighbour was a very sweet alpha. Minho had met her a couple times, and she was completely harmless, but you know… The fear stays.

The doorbell rang, and Minho froze. He wasn't waiting for anyone or anything. He ran through his memory, and no, for sure, he hadn't placed any order other than the pineapple earlier. No one was supposed to come now.

He tiptoed to his door and switched the doorbell camera on.

His adrenaline doubled when he realised that it wasn't his neighbour. It was the store's sexy alpha, Bang Chan.

And he was leaving.

He shouldn't have, but Minho rushed to open the door. The alpha turned around, and he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"What are you doing here?" Minho asked.

"I…" A faint blush bloomed on the man's cheeks. "I just thought, you know, maybe you might need more…" He looked down at Minho's feet, and Minho followed his gaze. There was a grocery bag on his doormat. "You know… stuff."

"Stuff?"

Minho crouched down to examine the bag. It had a few of the items he kept buying from the store Bang Chan worked at. He looked back up at the alpha, noticing his gaze was fixated on the pieces of skin Minho's robe was doing a poor job at covering.

"Why did you bring me these?"

"I thought maybe you'd appreciate them. I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother you, I thought I'd be gone by the time you got to your door."

"You're not bothering me, but…" Minho looked back down. There was a lot in that bag. "Why?"

"I…"

"Why do you care?" The alpha had rejected him earlier, so why now come back with these? Was it some sort of apology gift? Did the alpha pity Minho?

"I…"

Silence fell in the hallway.

"Nevermind. Thank you." He wasn't going to get any good answer from the alpha, was he? A groan left his throat as he stood back up, triggering a new spread of cramps through his abdomen, which made his leg wobble. His head felt a little light, his body heavy, as the stabbing sensation pulsed and burned while slick slid down his legs.

"Are you OK?"

Oh, for fuck's sake. How clueless was this alpha? Hot and dumb.

Minho sighed. "I'm in heat. It's cramps. I'm not OK, but I'll be alright."

"Can I do something to help?"

Minho's gaze locked on Bang Chan, and maybe his expression let out more of his annoyance than he probably should have shown, given how uneasy the alpha looked while staring back at him with worry in his eyes.

"I mean, yeah." Minho chuckled.

"What can I do?" Bang Chan asked, taking a step back towards him.

"Well, there's one way an alpha can help an omega in heat, but you clearly don't want to."

"Pardon?" The alpha stopped in his tracks.

"Don't worry," Minho sighed, instantly regretting having implied that. He had rejected him earlier, so there was no point. "I know you don't want to, just… go. Thank you for these." Minho said before lifting the bag, turning around, and heading back inside.

"It's not that I don't want to!" the alpha's voice rang being him. "I… I can't."

"Why?" Minho asked, turning back around. "Earlier you said you had to go back to work. You're not wearing your uniform now. Your shift is over, right?"

"It is, that's not the issue…"

"So then what is it? You've been staring a lot, so I have to assume you don't hate what you're seeing."

The alpha's cheeks turned crimson.

"I mean, you're… you're kind of out of it right now, aren't you?"

"What?" That took Minho by surprise.

"Well… You're in heat. You're not in your normal state."

"So?"

"I can't… take advantage of you like that. You'd ask that of any alpha, and maybe regret it later, right?"

That was rich.

"Believe me, I wouldn't ask just anyone. Besides, why would I regret it? I'm not asking for your commitment to anything, I'm just offering sex."

"But you're not in your right mind…"

"Excuse me?"

"No, I mean…!" The alpha's hand flew to his hair, brushing through his curls, grabbing at his beanie. "It's not you talking, it's hormones and pheromones and—"

"So what? And you're adding to the mix, anyway."

"What?"

"The pheromones in the air, you're adding to them. You're obviously aroused. Your scent is all over the place, I can tell."

"Sorry… I should go."

The alpha turned around and started leaving.

"Fuck…" Minho cursed under his breath, holding his abdomen as another cramp hit him. He needed to get back inside and take care of this…

But… Why was the hallway silent? Shouldn't he be hearing the footsteps of the alpha going down the stairs, the building door opening and closing? He looked back up. The alpha had stopped, and was looking over his shoulder.

"If you're not going to fuck me, just leave already," Minho said.

"I…"

"You don't want to, right?"

"I do, I told you I do, but… I can't…"

"Then why are you still here?"

"I don't know, you don't look like you're alright."

This Chan guy was seriously testing his patience.

"You're right, I'm not." Minho snapped. "I should be getting fucked silly, but instead I'm having a long ass discussion with a stupid alpha who can't pick up an opportunity that's being waved in his front of his nose… Fuck… Look, I really want to have sex with you. If you don't want to, then please just fucking leave. I'll call someone else who's up for it, but if you do, and…" Minho looked pointedly at the alpha's pants. "It looks like you do, then just hurry the fuck up and come in."

Chan looked unsure. "I don't know, are you sure that's okay?"

"Oh for fuck's sake, do you want a signed letter?!"

"No, but…"

"Well then, just come in."

Silence filled the hallway again. The alpha didn't move, staring at Minho, fighting something deep inside of him.

Minho let the grocery bag slip from his hand.

If this didn't work, nothing would. If this didn't work, he'd give up for good.

Eyes fixed on Bang Chan's, his fingers reached for his robe's belt.

And untied it.

The fabric parted, cool air kissing his bare skin. For a heartbeat, nothing happened, and Minho felt like a fool. And then the alpha's breath hitched and his gaze intensified as his lips parted. And just like that, everything was set in motion. The alpha closed the distance and he was in Minho's space, closer than he'd ever been, only a breath away from touching him. Pineapple, vanilla, and Minho's dark caramel tangled together. Heavy, sticky, and sweet.

"You're crazy," Bang Chan whispered, "What if someone sees you?"

"You're the only one here."

The alpha breathed heavily, eyes dark.

Time froze as their pheromones melted together, melted the distance between them, and their mouths crashed together.

The urgency of their hands, finally and tentatively exploring each other, mirrored the rush of their lips, as if neither of them could bear another second that wasn't filled with the other's touch.

Minho grabbed the alpha's hand and dragged him inside his apartment, barely remembering to bring the grocery bag inside too. He locked the door, and his mouth was back on Chan's, breathing in the warm and sweet scent of the alpha. His fingers gripped the soft curls on Bang Chan's head, tossing the beanie somewhere on the floor.

"You're driving me crazy…" the alpha muttered.

"Look who's talking."

Minho took Chan's hand again and led him to his nest. A warm feeling of pride spread in him in anticipation: this was the best nest he'd built in the past few months. He had prepared it so carefully, as if he knew this heat would be different.

When he pushed the curtains at the entrance of his room to the side, he heard a soft gasp behind him.

A smile crept its way onto Minho's lips.

Yeah, it was gasp-worthy, alright!

Minho had layered many soft mats he'd collected through the years, artfully scattering them across the floor, not leaving a centimetre of naked flooring. On top of that, he had placed a selection of the best pillows of all sizes, beanbags, and ottomans in little groups spread across the room, each with their own little crate holding a bottle of water and wipes. Several balls of colourful lights were laid out, slowly shifting from red to orange to pink to purple.

It was obvious Minho had spent the first few hours of his heat here already, from the strong caramel scent lingering in the air. But something else was obvious.

In the middle of the room was the main asset of his nest: his four-poster bed, hung with midnight blue curtains and string lights, covered with dark purple satin sheets, multiple furry blankets, and a collection of strategically placed pillows. And next to the bed was a side table holding three lit candles: a synthetic alpha pheromone one, an amber vanilla one, and a pineapple one.

Minho's cheeks warmed up. He should be over the embarrassment. By now, the alpha knew he was ridiculously into him. But having the candles next to his bed was one step further, and had he known Bang Chan was coming, he'd have blown out and hidden the candles, maybe even aired the room out so no clues would have been left and he could have acted cool. Maybe it wasn't too late, maybe he hadn't noticed yet.

Minho stepped towards the candles, but Bang Chan beat him to it. He stepped in and blew out the candles.

"We won't need these, right?" he asked with a cocky smile.

Minho rolled his eyes, trying to regain his composure and dropping himself down to sit on his bed, observing him carefully.

"This is an amazing nest," commented Chan.

"Oh?" Minho leaned back on his elbows. "Well, aren't you a gentleman? Did your mum teach you to always compliment an omega's nest?"

"No! I mean yes, of course, but it's actually a really nice nest."

"Thank you!" Minho sing-songed with a soft cheerfulness. He knew his nest was particularly good; not only was it pretty, well decorated, and full of his pheromones, but it was also very practical. "Then if you like it, you may join me in it."

Chan rushed to join Minho on the bed, kneeling next to him. He looked like an excited pup.

"How do you want me?" the alpha asked.

"With much less clothes, for starters." And, right on cue, Chan scrambled to take his clothes off. Minho caught the sweatshirt that the alpha was about to foolishly throw on the floor along with the rest and placed it among the blankets in his bed instead.

Satisfied with his placement, he looked back at Chan, who was observing his moves, and this time it was Minho who was taken aback. The glimpses he got from ogling him in his store paled in comparison to the sight before his eyes. He looked like he was sculpted from marble like a Greek god, every muscle perfect and defined. So people like that did exist…

"You're staring a lot, so I have to assume you don't hate what you're seeing," mused the alpha with a cocky smile.

Minho threw a pillow at him that the alpha grabbed before it hit him while Minho leaned in a lot closer, kneeling right in front of him.

"Yeah, you're alright, Mr. Bang Chan."

Their lips crashed together again, parting to make way for hungry tongues, testing each other, tasting each other.

Minho grabbed Chan's hands and slid them inside his open robe.

"You're burning hot..." Chan breathed between kisses.

"I'm in heat." Still holding the alpha's hands, he guided them down towards his ass. Soon he didn't need guidance anymore and curious fingers grabbed at the soft flesh, exploring between his cheeks, sliding through slick.

Both of their breaths hitched.

Unable to wait any longer, Minho's hands found the alpha's thighs and squeezed the muscles. He broke the kiss to look down at the alpha's body in front of him. He was fully erect too, chest flushed, lips panting, eyes dark.

"Come on," Minho invited, turning around to get on his hands and knees, and soon enough Chan's fingers were lifting the silk robe, spreading his cheeks, thumbs stroking his hole.

"Fuck… you're so wet…"

Minho sigh-laughed.

"Yes. Again, I'm in heat, I have been for a few hours. Please use that dick of yours no—"

He was cut off mid-sentence by something softer, wetter than what he had expected on his hole. A tongue.

Chan's face was flush against Minho's spread cheeks, breathing heavily, lapping at the slick that gushed out like it was the sweetest honey, punching an embarrassed whine out from deep inside Minho's throat. He knew this area was one where his dark caramel and musk scent was at its strongest.

"Fu— What are you doin— Hn!"

Chan's tongue breached his hole and an electrifying feeling spread through his groin, making pre-cum drip from his cock. The alpha's grip held his hips firmly in place. His thumb stroked his taint gently as Minho's arms gave up and his face crashed onto the pillows,  which were covered by Chan's sweatshirt. The tongue going in and out of his hole—avidly scooping as much slick as possible on the way—was hot, sometimes firm as it dipped into Minho's embarrassingly inviting hole, sometimes soft as it flattened over it, over his taint, over his balls. Plush lips peppered soft kisses between and over Minho's cheeks, thighs… Chan was everywhere, seemingly insatiable.

"Please," Minho whined, "I need your knot now…"

"But… I need to finger you open first, I don't want to hurt you!"

Minho half-groaned half-laughed, both turned on by how much Chan cared about his comfort and frustrated by his cluelessness. Had he not felt how ready he was when his tongue was in his hole?

He straightened up and pushed the alpha onto his back, straddling him, hands exploring the man's chest, tracing the outlines of his muscles.

"Mr. Bang, is this your first time?" he asked, letting his head tilt to the side.

"No!" The panicked pup was back.

"Really?" Minho asked, leaning down, leaving a soft kiss on the man's slick-covered lips, then murmuring in his neck, "It'd be okay, you know." Minho let his teeth graze the soft skin behind Chan's ear, breathing in right where scent and heartbeat met, making the alpha shiver as he shook he head 'no'. After a teasing lick, Minho straightened up and grasped the alpha's cock, aligning the tip to his waiting hole. He let it sit there, not pushing down on it, the ring of relaxed muscles barely kissing the very tip of his cock, slick cascading down its length, eliciting shaky breaths from Chan's parted lips. "Then… Have you never been with an omega before?"

Minho could tell that frustration was now building up in the alpha. His hips were trembling, struggling not to jerk up. Minho decided to have a little mercy and help him… holding his hips down, smirking down at him.

"I have! Just… not like this, not like… you."

"Oh?" Minho wiggled his hips a bit and a high-pitched whine escaped the alpha. Teasing him was so much fun, almost enough to make him forget his own frustration and the ghost of his cramps still menacing to flare up. "How so?"

The alpha's voice came out higher than before.

"W—women." Oh, the poor thing was struggling so much. Truthfully, he could most likely overpower Minho's hold on his body and have his way the way he clearly wanted, but he seemed to want to please Minho so much and be on his best behaviour that just Minho’s light hold on his hips was enough to keep him in check. "And never in heat."

"I see…" That explained why he didn't know just how ready and needy Minho was right now. "Well…" Minho started sinking down, but hands flew to his hips, holding him back. Confused, Minho stared at the alpha. His face was scrunched and he was biting his lip, struggling.

Chan swallowed, then with a strangled voice whined, "In my pants!"

"What?"

"Condom."

"Oh! Oh, right!" Minho moved away from Chan and leaned down to shuffle through the clothes on the floor. The alpha sat up and his hands stroked Minho's thighs; the omega felt some kisses peppered on his ass and the small of his back. Minho groaned, "You're not helping!", only getting the hot air of a soft chuckle against his skin and more kisses in response. Finally finding the discarded pants, he searched through the pockets and found a thin wallet that he showed quizzically to Chan, an eyebrow raised.

"Mhm!" the alpha merely answered, while teeth and tongue grazed the omega's hips. He gave the wallet to Chan, who begrudgingly took his hands off him, opening his wallet and handing a couple of black square packets to Minho.

The omega took one, stuffed the others in his robe's pocket, and pushed the alpha back down on the bed, getting back in position. He slid the rubber on, giving the alpha's cock a few pumps for good measure, and realigned his hole over it.

He sank down in one swift move, his head falling back. Finally. A satisfied groan vibrated in his throat. He felt so full, his insides hugging the alpha's shape perfectly. It felt so good just sitting there, basking in the feeling of having Chan inside of him.

Under him, he felt Chan's whole body tense up. Looking down, he took in the sight of the alpha, wide eyes fixated between Minho's legs, where Chan's cock had fully disappeared.

"See… I was ready…" Minho breathed.

"Fuck…" Chan whispered, locking eyes with the omega, hands stroking his thighs and hips. Minho took that as an invitation and was more than happy to oblige.

Slowly, he raised his hips, closing his eyes, savouring the friction, and, just as slowly, sank back down, letting a moan escape his lips as the alpha's cock dragged across his sweet spot.

He set a slow and steady rhythm, slick gushing out of his hole down his thighs, revelling in the feeling, in the sounds coming from the alpha and filling the room along with his own borderline obscene moans, in their scents growing stronger, becoming one, strong and intoxicating.

It was enough, just like that—sweet, sticky, electrifying.

Until it wasn't enough.

His hips started twitching and so did the cock inside of him. Chan's grip on his hips grew tighter. He met Minho's slow bounces, thrusting up. Soon, this wasn't enough for either of them, and Minho picked up his pace, his moves more chaotic, his thighs shaking from the effort. The eagerness of his moves made the bounces sloppy, and he kept missing his most sensitive area. He leaned back, correcting the angle, and that's when the omega started seeing stars.

A moan escaped his lungs as the alpha's cock rubbed over his sweet spot over and over again, Chan's thrusts fully meeting his movement, both of them chasing their highs. He heard the alpha's high-pitched whine as his body tensed, the cock inside of him twitching, pushing deeper as its base started growing. The alpha had just come, filling the room with delicious moans and whines as Minho kept bouncing on his newly oversensitive cock.

No, no, no, he couldn't stop, not yet, he was almost there!

"Don't stop, please don't stop!" he begged the alpha.

"I won't!"

Chan's hand flew to Minho's cock, pumping it, thumb rubbing the underside of it.

"Come on," the alpha panted, "come on, give it to me!"

"Almost, almost!"

He was so close. The alpha's thrusts grew shallower, his moves constricted by his growing knot. Minho leaned back just a little more as the alpha's thumb rubbed the slit of his cock. He felt so full, the pressure on his sensitive spot increasing.

"Come on Minho, just let it go."

And just like that, his orgasm crashed over him, a hoarse cry left his throat, hot cum spluttering from his dick and falling on the alpha's hand and torso, slick flooding the bed.

He fell, slack, on the alpha's body below him, panting, basking in the feeling of fullness from the fully grown knot inside of him. A heavy hand fell on his back.

Chan was panting too. Minho felt so warm, so full, so satisfied, lulled by the up and down rocking of the alpha's breathing.

Without realising it, he fell asleep.

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

A soft warmth surrounded Minho, accompanied by a sweet, fruity scent. He remembered he was in his nest, his perfect, comfortable nest. He was strangely content, appeased.

Then it hit him.

He wasn't alone in his nest. He opened his eyes and found himself in the same position he had fallen asleep in: on top of a still softly snoring Chan, the alpha's hand lying on his back, his knot still filling his hole. It had shrunk enough for Minho to wiggle himself off of him, gently lay his arm on the mattress, and shuffle quietly out of his bed before tiptoeing out of his room with his robe.

Once alone in the living room, he downed a cold glass of water in one go, then grabbed the tub of ice cream and took a spoonful out of it, letting his back slide against his fridge's door until he was sitting on the floor.

He had just fucked the alpha from the store. Not only that, but he had also napped all cuddled up with the guy, which was arguably worse!

The clock on his oven read 22:00, meaning he'd been sleeping soundly for around nine whole hours, which was unusual during his heats.

So, being knotted by a real alpha and sleeping with their pheromones filling your lungs really did help. He even woke up cramp-free…

Some shuffling in the next room and Chan stepped into the living room.

"Minho?"

"I'm here." He raised his hand so the alpha could see it behind the counter of the open kitchen.

"You OK?" Chan asked, leaning over the counter with a worried look on his face.

"Mhm! Ice cream?" Minho presented his spoon, and the alpha joined him, crouching next to him with an open mouth. He rolled his eyes and fed the alpha, who hadn't bothered putting a single piece of clothing on.

"Hm! It'sh good!"

"Right? Enough to lose your mind over and wander off track to a new store, isn't it?" After a second of hesitation, Minho's cheeks heated up as he decided to continue. "Even if it meant risking developing a silly crush."

The alpha sat down on the floor too, facing Minho, face equally red. "If it's silly, then we're both fools, so... it was really worth the effort, I think." A heavy heartbeat later, he cleared his throat. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. You?"

Chan chuckled. "I'm perfectly fine, yeah!"

"Up for another round?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean… If you want!"

"Now?"

"Why not?"

"Aren't you tired?"

"I just slept nine hours. Are you tired?"

"NINE HOURS?!"

The alpha stood up and rushed to the entry door. Was he leaving? Butt naked like that? He returned promptly, a grocery bag in hand.

Oh.

He had completely forgotten about that… Chan took a tub out of the bag—it was dripping melted ice cream everywhere.

"Oh sh—!"

Minho jumped up and grabbed towels, and they wiped up the mess and put both the fine and the melted tubs into the freezer.

"It should refreeze alright, right?" Minho asked, heading towards the sink to wash his hands.

"Erm… I don't know, maybe…?"

"Is it even safe to consume anymore?"

Footsteps approached behind him. A whisper tingled his ear.

"I have no idea." Soft lips found their way to the pulse beneath Minho's ear, stopping him in his tracks, sending shivers down his spine as the alpha pressed himself against his back, hands joining his in the sink, then turning the water off.

What was he doing at the sink, again? He couldn't even remember as he felt Chan's bare arousal rub against his robe-clad ass, surrounding him with intoxicatingly sweet pineapple and vanilla, lust taking over his mind. Minho gasped for air, not bothering to hold back a moan when a hot tongue swiped across his scent spot. The alpha's cream-covered fingers pressed against Minho's tongue and he avidly sucked them in, slick trickling down his inner thighs, while Chan licked and nibbled at his neck. A hoarse groan vibrated against his nape, and the fingers were gone. He found them again between his thighs, swiping up the hot slick. Minho's head spun when Chan's hand came back in his sight, covered in his juices. His breath was short and shaky, and his eyes followed the wet hand, one finger dipping between Chan's lips, then the other, between Minho's.

His entire body was burning, his own dark caramel on his tongue, the warm, dripping wet heat between his legs, his cock so hard it was almost painful, and the pineapple in his lungs, the fingers sliding out of his mouth, grabbing his chin, leading his head towards the inexorable crash of hungry mouths.

Chan's tongue tasted like caramel, like Minho.

The omega turned around in Chan's embrace, shaky hands grabbing his jaw, leg wrapping around the alpha's, baring his cock and pressing it flush against the alpha's.

"I want you," Minho whined in Chan's mouth, rutting against the alpha, a mix of precum and slick easing the slide.

"Just take me then."

That was all Minho needed. He kissed his way down the alpha's jaw, neck, and chest, and placed a final soft kiss on the tip of his cock before reaching for the grocery bag.

"What are you doing?"

"Shush."

"But—"

"Shush!"

There he found it, the object of his mischief. He returned, kneeling in front of the alpha and smirked up at him, showing a pineapple ring.

"Are you gonna…"

"Mhm!"

"Fuck…"

"You don't want it?" Minho asked, trying to pretend he didn't see Chan's cock twitch and drip more precum at the thought.

"Do whatever you want."

"That's a lot of power to give me."

"I trust you."

"Bold."

And with that, he placed the fruit on the alpha's tip, along with his own lips. The taste of Chan's precum on his tongue sent a tingling feeling from his lips all the way down to his own cock, making him dizzy with arousal and making drip slick on the kitchen floor. Alpha pheromones were really that potent, huh? He focused back on his task, wanting to make the guy whimper.

As soon as he started pushing the fruit down the length, widening the slice's opening, his lips closely following as he licked the juice off the alpha, Chan's body folded over, hands grabbing Minho's head, and a surprised, high-pitched moan escaped his throat.

"F-fu—!"

Minho chuckled and slid back up, keeping the fruit flush against his lips before diving back down. Chan's grip on his hair tightened, and that was his cue to start bobbing his head up and down, punching moans and grunts out of the alpha. Before long, the fruit began disintegrating, leaving a mess of juice and pulp, mixed with the alpha's pheromone-infused precum, for Minho to lick clean.

The alpha's legs were shaking, and he grunted: "Minho, fuck, stop!"

Immediately, the omega stopped his licking and looked up at Chan. Why had he asked him to stop? He had seemed to enjoy it up to that point.

"You don't like that?"

"I do, but I'll cum if you keep going."

"Oh, but that's the point." Minho looked back down, ready to start again when soft fingers lifting his chin up stopped him.

"Unless you want to wait for my knot to deflate, it's better if you stop that for now."

Minho thought for a second. He did want that knot. His body was begging for it, actually.

"Okay," he whined, "But I want to finish that later!"

Chan crouched down and pecked his lips.

"Of course."

Minho deepened the kiss and they settled on the floor with Chan's back against the counter and the omega straddling his thighs. Minho wondered if the alpha could feel his own taste on Minho's lips, like Minho had earlier, but Chan was holding his warm cock against the omega's ass, cutting any coherent thought short. Except one: Minho dove his hand into his pocket and gave a black, square packet to Chan.

After some shuffling and the sounds of a condom being slid on, the alpha led Minho's hips to be above his cock and guided him down. Minho had only ever felt Chan's body inside him once, but somehow it already felt familiar, natural, homey. Chan's hands snuck under the robe, caressing his back, and his mouth found Minho's chest, peppering kisses and licks along the outline of his form.

The omega rocked his hips lazily, savouring the drag of Chan's cock along all the right spots, savouring the feeling of being so softly taken care of, savouring Chan. The alpha's lips explored Minho's neck, finding the hottest spot, his scent point, and nuzzled it.

And then it happened so fast. Chan grabbed the omega and shifted their position, laying Minho down with his back on the floor, and started ramming into him, cutting his breath short, as teeth grazed and nipped at Minho's scent spot, teasing a bite but not going for it. Minho's head was spinning. In this moment, his judgement fuzzy by the heat, his body filled by Chan, surrounded by his scent, so entirely exposed and open to the alpha, he wanted nothing more than the bite. Deep inside of him though, a little voice of reason stopped him from begging for it. He moaned the alpha's name.

"I know…!" Chan breathed on his neck, and Minho was sure they were on the same wavelength as the softness of vanilla took over the lustful sweetness of pineapple, and his teeth moved to Minho's lobe instead, biting it softly.

"I want it so bad!" Minho whined.

"I know, me too…"

"Bite me, please!"

Chan grunted. They both knew that it was their instincts talking, that both of them were high on pheromones and a mating bite mustn't be made so carelessly. In that moment though, the struggle of holding back their instincts felt insurmountable.

Instead, Chan bit down harder on Minho's ear, letting his teeth graze his scent spot. The omega slid his fingers through his curls, scratching and moaning in approval. For now, he'd have to be okay with just that.

He hooked his leg around Chan's back, and the alpha quickened his rocking into the omega.

Loud wet sounds filled the air, joining moans and grunts and calls of each other's names like chanted prayers, and Minho saw stars as an orgasm suddenly crashed over him.

He let his body go limp in Chan's arms, who laid him down and slid his cock out of the omega.

"N-no…! Knot… Please…"

"I'll give it to you, trust me. Be patient."

The alpha crawled up and Minho was facing his hard cock, right above his face. His own dark caramel scent mixed with Chan's pineapple one was dizzying, and the alpha dragged his tip on Minho's lips, who welcomed its weight back on his tongue, and started bobbing his head.

When the alpha's groans turned whinier, he slipped out of the omega's mouth, sliding the condom off and let hot splutters of thick cum fall on Minho's face, accompanied by high-pitched grunts.

"Chan… knot…"

And indeed, the base of his cock was quickly inflating.

"Sorry for this." Chan rushed his hand into Minho's robe's pocket, unpacked a fresh rubber, rolled it down on his cock with a wince as the edges stretched around the still-inflating knot, and pushed himself back into Minho.

The knot caught on the omega's rim and the push was uncomfortable, but after a few seconds of struggle it was back all the way in, and finished inflating to be safely nestled in the omega.

Chan caught his breath and looked at his work on Minho’s face.

"Worth it," he chuckled, swiping his cum off Minho's lip and licking his finger.

"You're a freak," Minho laughed.

"Look who's talking." And with that he kissed Minho's lips, and licked his cum off his face.

"So…"

"Hm?"

"Alpha did want to take care of me?"

Chan beamed.

"Yes, I did."