“Feeling better?” Sunwoo asks.

They’ve been outside the club for almost five minutes now. The air is cool, the night quiet and still. Taehyung, leaning against the brick wall, shifts his gaze to meet Sunwoo’s. He had sworn to himself that he’d stay away from any alpha who got too close after what happened with Miguk, yet here he is—standing outside with a complete stranger mere seconds after meeting him.

He should feel scared, trembling like he does whenever he tries to leave Jungkook’s apartment alone, and yet… he doesn’t. For some reason that defies logic, his trauma isn’t clawing at his chest right now, not even with the awareness that this exact kind of recklessness was what got him into trouble last time.

“A little,” Taehyung replies. His eyes follow the glowing tip of Sunwoo’s cigarette. The alpha’s lips press lazily against the filter as he takes a slow drag.

“So, who is he?” Sunwoo asks bluntly.

“Hm?”

Sunwoo smirks before exhaling a stream of smoke. “I lived in the U.S. for a couple of years, near Portland. I was doing my master’s in robotics, and I happened to have an omega roommate. He used to feel sick around certain alphas too—especially his ex.”

Taehyung pulls up the collar of his leather jacket and lowers his gaze. “It’s not my ex, actually. He’s just letting me stay at his place for now. I don’t know why it hit me like that—this doesn’t happen at home.”

Sunwoo shrugs. “At home, you’re surrounded by his scent, right? You’re probably used to it. Like a drug. You stepped outside, got some distance, and then boom—suddenly, there it was again. That’s why you felt sick.”

Taehyung looks at him, genuinely surprised. “You know a lot about omegas.”

“Like I said, my roommate was one.”

“I’m an omega too, and even I didn’t know… this could happen. Like this.”

Sunwoo stays silent for a moment, then holds out his cigarette to Taehyung.

“Want a drag?”

Taehyung hesitates. Then, finally, he takes it.

Their fingers brush for the briefest moment as Sunwoo passes him the cigarette, and Taehyung shivers. Sunwoo pulls his hand back almost instantly, as if he’s been shocked.

“You got an explanation for that too?” Taehyung asks, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. No point in pretending, he thinks.

He takes a drag while Sunwoo pushes himself off the wall. “You’re an omega, I’m an alpha. You’re attractive, and I think you feel the same about me. If we get too close, our hormones…”

Since Sunwoo trails off, Taehyung presses him for more. He knows exactly how that sentence ends, but suddenly, the idea of making him say it aloud amuses him. For a split second, he thinks it’s pure insanity. Then, he decides he doesn’t care. He refuses to live in fear of nothing.

“Our hormones… what?”

Sunwoo exhales a small laugh. “They react. But you knew that, didn’t you?”

“Maybe. Who knows.”

“I don’t stand a chance, anyway,” Sunwoo says, shaking his head in mock defeat.

“What do you mean?”

“How am I supposed to win you over when you nearly pass out from another alpha’s scent?”

Taehyung feels his cheeks burn at that remark. He takes one last drag of the cigarette before handing it back, coughing a little as he exhales the smoke.

“There’s nothing between us.”

“You wouldn’t react like that if it were true.”

“I mean it. He has an omega now. We don’t sleep together or anything like that.”

“The way you say it, it almost sounds like you’re giving me the green light.”

Taehyung realizes he is. His words sound exactly like that. He bites his lower lip before meeting Sunwoo’s gaze head-on.

“If you want to try with me, I won’t stop you.”

“Oh, really?” Sunwoo chuckles before reaching a hand toward him. Taehyung isn’t sure what he expected, but whatever it was, he’s left disappointed.

Sunwoo simply rests his hand on Taehyung’s head and ruffles his hair gently.

“I’m not that kind of alpha. I can’t sleep with an omega unless there’s an emotional connection.”

“Huh?”

“I know,” Sunwoo says, rolling his eyes. “Ridiculous. But that’s just how I am. Something must’ve gone wrong with my ABO mutation, I guess. Anyway, that doesn’t mean I won’t try with you. But let’s get one thing straight—I don’t sleep with anyone before the third date.”

It comes naturally—Taehyung bursts out laughing, pressing both hands to his face to calm himself. It’s the funniest, most absurd, and utterly insane thing he’s ever heard from an alpha. And yet, at the same time, it’s also the sweetest.

“That’s kind of rude,” Sunwoo comments.

“I’m sorry—I’m sorry. You’re right. I swear—ahh. I didn’t mean to make fun of you, really. It’s just that I’ve never heard of an alpha who wants to wait three dates before having sex. Never. Are you even real?”

“Unfortunately,” Sunwoo says, feigning exasperation, though he’s clearly amused. “I guess I’m demisexual or something.”

“That’s actually great,” Taehyung says, avoiding the part where he doesn’t even know if he could sleep with someone at all. The fact that he’s managing to talk to an unfamiliar alpha without freaking out is already shocking enough. He doesn’t know how far he can push his luck before he breaks—probably best not to find out too soon.

“Good, then. No sex,” Sunwoo says, stubbing out his cigarette and tossing it into a nearby trash bin. “Shall we head back in? Think you can handle it?”

“Ugh. Will the scent hit me all over again?”

“Stick close to me,” Sunwoo says, offering his arm so Taehyung can take it. “Maybe my scent will cover up your alpha’s.”

Taehyung stares at Sunwoo’s arm for a few moments before taking it. Again, he can’t help but notice how warm he is. It’s comforting. A ridiculous part of him wants to pull this guy into a full embrace—press every inch of himself against him just to soak up the warmth—but he knows that would be strange, if not downright insane.

“By the way, I really like your scent. It reminds me of Christmas. Does that make sense?”

Sunwoo chuckles. “That’s the first time someone’s told me that.”

“Really? It’s obvious to me.”

Sunwoo nods. Then he says, “To me, you smell like honey candy. More than a scent, it leaves this aftertaste in my mouth. I bet your omega slick tastes exactly the same.”

Taehyung flushes instantly, feeling something stir in places he’d rather not acknowledge. Thankfully, Sunwoo doesn’t seem to notice. After hitting him with that line—one that fills his head with all kinds of inappropriate thoughts—they step back inside the club.

The music is loud, people are dancing, silver confetti falls from the ceiling like rain. Jungkook’s scent immediately invades Taehyung’s senses, but he turns his head toward Sunwoo instead, breathing him in like suggested. He clings to him as if they’ve known each other forever, not just for a few seconds. It embarrasses him a little. And yet, this kind of warmth—this closeness—is something he desperately needs.

“Wanna dance?” Sunwoo asks out of nowhere.

Taehyung barely registers the question.

“Uh? No—I don’t know. There are too many people,” he stammers.

Sunwoo smiles like he finds the whole thing unbearably cute, and something twists deep in Taehyung’s gut.

“You sure?”

Taehyung glances around. Everyone is pressed up against each other; it’s probably scorching hot in the middle of that crowd.

“I’ll have to take off my leather jacket at least,” he says.

Sunwoo nods while Taehyung unzips it, folding it over his arm—just as a voice he’s come to hate in recent times reaches his ears.

“Isn’t that your friend?”

Yuta.

Taehyung turns around almost in slow motion. When he finds himself face to face with the omega, he’s wearing his usual smug little expression. His pale, delicate hand is clasped in Jungkook’s. It hurts more than he expected.

Taehyung suddenly wants to bolt out of the club again. Run. Sunwoo’s hand lands on his shoulder, grounding him. Taehyung looks up at him and notices that he’s staring directly into Jungkook’s eyes. A brief but heavy tension crackles in the air.

“Hey,” Jungkook says.

“Hi,” Taehyung replies, his mouth suddenly feeling a little drier. He quickly adds, “Did you already say hi to Jimin?”

“We ran into him a little while ago.”

“So you met Jay too.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Jungkook says. Meanwhile, Yuta clings to him, pressing himself against his chest as much as possible, practically draping himself over him.

“Tae! I didn’t know you had such a hot friend!”

Something snaps in Taehyung’s brain. Maybe the few neurons he has left just short-circuit. It’s one of those moments where he acts before thinking. All he knows is that he wants Yuta to shut up and wipe that smug little expression off his face.

“Friend? No. He’s the guy I’m seeing. His name is Sunwoo,” Taehyung says.

The music dips, the beat dropping out before the next song starts. In that brief silence, the tension somehow thickens. Jungkook lets out a sound—half irritated, half amused.

“What kind of bullshit is this?”

Sunwoo casually drapes an arm around Taehyung’s shoulders. They hadn’t planned this, but he seems to pick up on the hint immediately.

“This the guy you told me about? The one hosting you?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for helping Tae out. Once I get all the paperwork sorted for my new apartment, he’ll be moving in with me.”

What the fuck? Taehyung really hopes Jungkook doesn’t take this too seriously because the last thing he wants is to end up on the street.

Yuta, who had been all bright smiles and confidence a second ago, suddenly looks sick with jealousy—though he tries to keep up his cheerful act.

“Well, let’s hope that happens soon,” he says. “It’s not exactly easy having sex at your boyfriend’s place when his ‘friend’ is in the next room.”

Taehyung is about to spit something venomous back at Yuta, ready to call him out on never having any shame, but Jungkook speaks before anyone else can.

“I’m not your boyfriend,” he says immediately. Then, unceremoniously, he shrugs Yuta off and pushes his way through the crowd, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Yuta’s eyes widen in shock, clearly not expecting that reaction. He calls Jungkook’s name loudly and rushes after him.

Sunwoo and Taehyung remain still, silent, watching until they’ve disappeared. Then, Sunwoo suddenly bursts out laughing, while Taehyung feels a mixture of excitement and panic swirl inside him.

“Shit, your friend looked furious, and his not-boyfriend was absolutely desperate.”

“That guy’s an asshole. Seriously. No shame at all. He screams every time they fuck.”

“I think it’s because he’s jealous.”

“There’s nothing going on between me and Jungkook.”

Sunwoo meets Taehyung’s gaze directly. “I hope so. Even though I don’t believe it. He would’ve punched me if he could, you know that?”

“He’s like that with everyone…” Taehyung tries to argue, though he’s not entirely sure it’s true.

“I just hope he doesn’t get in the way.”

“In the way of what?”

“For starters, the dance you owe me,” Sunwoo says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Taehyung’s ear. “And then… who knows? I might even ask you out on one of those three famous dates.”

Oh, shit. Taehyung’s heart skips a couple of beats.

“How about we start with the dance and… see where it goes?” he asks, awkwardly, feeling his ears turn red.

Sunwoo lifts the corner of his mouth in an adorably sly smile.

And at that exact moment, Taehyung knows he’s screwed.

─── ⋆⋅☆·⋆ ──

Early Access available on my Patreon 

p a t r e o n . c o m / r a n s i e 

─── ⋆⋅☆·⋆ ──