Strawberries & Cream

Comfort In Funeral Processions

"You're so beautiful."

San rocked into him, sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Are you trying to sweet talk me now?"

Seonghwa rolled his hips with a moan on his lips.

"It's not sweet talk if it's true."

They'd been tangled in each other all day, drifting back and forth between soft sex and long overdue conversation. The things they needed to talk about weren't easy, especially when they were occurring between waves with San still knotted up inside of Seonghwa, but they both felt better the longer they stayed holed up in the spare room. It was the first time since Wooyoung that Seonghwa stayed the whole rut- excluding Yeosang, since he was riding out his own heat as well- continuing to keep San company even after the sexual need had been ridden out. Actually, it was the first time Seonghwa had slept with any of them outside of the hormonal demand.

"Don't let Wooyoung hear you talking to me like that." Seonghwa sighed, smiling lightheartedly. "He'll get jealous."

San raised his head from Seonghwa's chest, his face sweaty and flushed. "No he won't. He says the same things."

Seonghwa cocked his head, the smile fading slightly. "Oh, he does?"

San pulled Seonghwa onto his side so they laid face to face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just..." Seonghwa paused, not having thought about how to word it until now. "I don't know, it just feels sort of weird... hearing you all say that... I know things are different between us all now but it still just sort of comes off like..."

"Like... what?" San frowned, squeezing his arm a little.

"Like... you guys see me as just an omega now." He grimaced. "-Or, I don't know, maybe you all always saw me that way."

"Hyung. That's not-" San laughed in disbelief. "You really think that? What, are omegas the only ones capable of being beautiful?"

"Well, no, but... I mean, you guys only started saying it when we started..." Seonghwa's grimace deepened, frustrated at himself for still feeling weird talking about something he'd done so many times. "You guys only say it after fucking me."

San flinched at the crudeness of Seonghwa's wording. "I can't speak for everyone but... for me... I guess it was just easier to say when I knew..."

This was one of those conversations Seonghwa probably shouldn't have brought up while they were knotted together. He was getting irritated and didn't really want to keep touching San if he was going to get weird like this.

"...you wouldn't feel weirded out by it?" San finished finally, though he didn't look fully satisfied with that explanation. "I mean, I know this doesn't mean we're going to date, but it's easier to not worry you'll reject me if I call you beautiful when we're already in bed together."

Seonghwa blinked, thrown off by the clarification. "San, what... what are you trying to say? You want to date me?"

A deep red blush spread across San's face, ears, and neck. His eyes avoided Seonghwa's and he somehow looked smaller now, his shoulders giving a small shrug. What was Seonghwa supposed to say to that? And what did that mean in regards to everyone else telling him he was beautiful, that they wanted to date him too? Was everyone in the group just holding back a secret desire to claim him?

"You realize that doesn't really help your case that you don't just call me that because I'm an omega." Seonghwa's jaw clenched. "Right?"

"Hyung, you being an omega has nothing to do with the way I feel about you." San stated firmly. "You know I'm with Wooyoung, I clearly don't care what gender you are."