"How was last night?" Taehyung blurts the second Jeongguk's boot hits the entryway of his apartment.
Jeongguk freezes, raising his eyebrows. He doesn't even have both feet inside yet, his hand still holding the bag he was about to drop into Taehyung's entryway.
"Hey, hyung, nice to see you too, I had a great day, how about you?" he replies sarcastically, slipping the rest of the way inside and dropping his bag on the floor before kicking off his boots.
Taehyung winces, not realizing how eager he'd sounded. "Hi Jeongguk, how was your day?" he grumbles reluctantly, following him with his eyes as he dips into the kitchen and out of his line of sight.
"Good, thanks for being genuinely interested in my life," Jeongguk calls back, making Taehyung huff. He's such a brat. "And last night was... fine. Same as usual."
"Oh yeah?" Taehyung says, trying to hold back the giddiness in his voice. Same as usual is never a good thing. "That's too bad."
"Where's Seokjin?" Jeongguk's voice is muffled by the telltale sounds of Taehyung's cabinets opening and slamming shut followed by the refrigerator and the shuffle of his leftover containers. Taehyung sometimes thinks that the only reason they're friends is so Jeongguk can get free food out of him. "He's not home?"
"He didn't come home last night." Taehyung shrugs. "Seems like I'm the only one who left the bar alone."
He tries to hide the bitterness in his tone, he really does. But after years of watching Jeongguk parade his omega conquests past him he's sort of at the end of his rope and to be honest at this point he could probably wear a flashing neon sign that says Jeongguk, I want you to fuck me and Jeongguk still wouldn't have any idea.
Jeongguk appears in the doorway, one of the plastic containers filled with leftovers from Taehyung's breakfast balanced in one hand and a pair of chopsticks already loaded up with meat in the other. "You could have had any alpha in that bar," Jeongguk says. "I don't know why you never even try to talk to anyone."
Because of you, Taehyung wants to say. Because I just want to go home with you.
Last night had been particularly difficult for him; Taehyung is right on the precipice of his pre-heat, looking forward (read: dreading) spending his cycle alone for the umpteenth time. And, yeah, Taehyung knows he's a catch, knows he could easily find an alpha to bring him home and fuck him stupid, could easily get him to spend his heat with him if he really wanted to.
He decides changing the subject is a good idea before he says something really stupid. "You know, you could always order food instead of eating my leftovers."
"Are you paying?"
Taehyung scoffs. "Why would I pay for your food?"
"Because you're my hyung," Jeongguk says simply, shoveling another chopstickful of beef into his mouth as he crosses the room to where Taehyung is sitting on the couch, fingers wrapped around a long-stemmed wine glass filled with sparkling white. If he's going to be around Jeongguk when he's this close to pre-heat he's going to need to be good and tipsy. He flops down right in the middle of the couch, close enough that his thigh presses hot against Taehyung's own, making him immediately bring the glass back to his lips to take a deep drink. "Plus, I like your cooking. It reminds me of home."
Taehyung scoffs when Jeongguk turns that wide-eyed look onto him, the one he knows gets whatever he wants. "Fine," he huffs, rolling his eyes. "But only because you're giving me that wounded puppy look. It's not gonna work forever, you know."
Taehyung isn't looking anymore but he can feel Jeongguk's smug smile radiating off of him. "Are you sure? It's been working for seven years, I don't see it stopping anytime soon."
"You're still cute. It won't last."
"Oh?" Jeongguk's tone is smug. Taehyung wants to punch himself. "I'm cute?"
"Don't flatter yourself." Taehyung leans forward, mostly as an excuse to not have to look at Jeongguk, and pours himself another glass of wine before filling the empty one beside it that he'd set out for his dumb alpha best friend. "I said like a wounded puppy. As in, I'll pick you up off the side of the road and make sure you're okay, but having a pet doesn't really fit my lifestyle so I'll re-home it before it gets too attached."
Jeongguk curls a hand into his shirt just above his heart, leaning further into his space. The smell of fresh rainwater and laundry immediately washes over him and Taehyung ignores the way his heart starts beating a little faster right away, hoping Jeongguk isn't close enough to hear it. "I didn't know you were cruel enough to give away a puppy, hyung. That's cold-hearted."
"I don't have time to take care of another puppy," Taehyung laments, voice echoed inside his glass. "I already have a full-grown golden retriever who thinks he's a tiny lap dog."
"Hyung, you're always bullying me," Jeongguk says, shoveling another bite of food into his mouth before loading up the chopsticks again and bringing them up to Taehyung's lips instead, raising his eyebrows expectantly. "Here, we can share."
Taehyung isn't really hungry but Jeongguk is giving him that look, like he's so pleased with himself for offering some of Taehyung's own food to him, and he kinda hates how well it still works on him after all these years. He leans forward, parting his lips just enough that Jeongguk can push the food inside, closing his lips around the chopsticks.
Jeongguk is watching him, eyes trained on his lips, not pulling the chopsticks away— an awkward beat passes before Taehyung finally just pulls back, averting his gaze to the blank television screen. He can still feel Jeongguk's eyes on him after he pulls away and he tries to ignore the way that settles something heavy in his chest.
Jeongguk is your best friend, he tells himself. It's a mantra he has to repeat all too often these days.
"Try the wine," Taehyung says, wincing at how cracked his voice sounds. He needs to get it together. Maybe inviting Jeongguk over when he's so close to his heat was a bad idea. "I think you'll like this one. Jimin recommended it to me."
"Is it sweet?" Jeongguk asks. If he can tell Taehyung's distress based off his scent or his expression he pretends not to notice, which Taehyung is thankful for. "Let me try."
"Yeah," Taehyung says. "Tastes kinda like apple juice." He watches as Jeongguk plucks his glass off the table to taste it but he hasn't even brought it to his lips yet before Taehyung is done downing his third glass and is already reaching for the bottle to pour another.
"Is everything okay?" Jeongguk asks. When Taehyung glances over to meet Jeongguk's eyes he's searching his face, looking concerned. He feels bad for possibly worrying him but it's not exactly something he can talk to him about, so he simply shakes his head, plastering on his best fake smile.
"I'm fine," he says, though it sounds fake even to his own ears.
The thing is, things were fine. Things have always been 'fine' between them, even if they weren't, because Taehyung's secret had always been something small, safe, closely guarded. But something has changed recently, like the air between them is thicker, like their dynamic has shifted in a way that they can't go back from. Taehyung doesn't know exactly what caused it but he has a feeling it's because his secret is getting way too big, way too central for him to hide much longer.
Jeongguk opens his mouth and shuts it again like he wants to keep questioning but decides against it, probably because he knows Taehyung won't share anything that he doesn't put forward himself. "What movie do you wanna watch tonight?" he asks, his way of dropping the subject.
They settle on watching bad reality tv, which is pretty typical of them; they have an ongoing drinking game where they have to chug their glass every time one of the contestants cries and it's always guaranteed to get them good and drunk no matter what they're watching. Before long they're cracking another bottle of wine and giggling, the awkwardness and tension in the air fizzling out to something crackling under the surface that's much easier for them to ignore.
"I think the producers are keeping this guy on for drama," Taehyung says three episodes in, pointing his mostly-empty wine glass at the television. "He literally doesn't do anything but talk shit about all the other contestants and cry when they call him out on it. I hate that I kinda like him."
"He's not that bad," Jeongguk says. "He's hot."
Taehyung's mood almost instantly sours but he reigns it in as best he can, not wanting Jeongguk to detect any change in his scent. "Is that all you care about? You're too weak for pretty omegas."
Jeongguk shrugs, draining his glass. "Maybe."
"Speaking of omegas," Taehyung starts, though he regrets the words before they even leave his lips. Maybe he's had too much to drink. He's not sure why he insists on torturing himself in the name of morbid curiosity. "You never told me what happened with your most recent conquest."
Jeongguk shifts awkwardly, casting his eyes downward. "Uh," he says. "It was— fine? I wouldn't really call him a conquest. We didn't do anything crazy. Like I said, same as usual."
"Let me guess, you told him you have a monster cock and he claimed to be cool with it but the second your pants came off he dipped?"
Jeongguk chokes on his own saliva, eyes flashing wildly when he whips his head around to look at Taehyung's face. "Woah, okay. Wasn't expecting you to say all that."
"Sorry," Taehyung says, but he really isn't. And, okay, maybe he's being kind of a dick, because he knows Jeongguk is sensitive about the whole cock size thing, but to be honest he's getting really tired of watching this over and over again. Watching Jeongguk take home omega after omega when none of them are good enough for them, when not a single one of them has been able to take him in the way Taehyung knows he can. "What happened, then?"
"He thought it was hot." Jeongguk wets his lips. "We couldn't have sex but he got me off with his mouth. It was fine."
A surge of jealousy floods into Taehyung's veins and he has to physically stop himself from snapping the stem of his wine glass at the thought of some other omega touching Jeongguk like that— his omega is just about ready to claw its way out of his skin.
He has no idea why he's doing this to himself. He should stop.
"I see," he says, curt. "That sucks."
Jeongguk laughs awkwardly. "Yeah. I mean... to be honest, I was thinking this morning that I'm just gonna give up. There's no point in trying to do the casual hookup thing when it never goes well in the end. Saves me and everyone else a lot of time if I just don't bother."
That catches Taehyung's interest. "What do you mean?"
"I mean— I don't know. I've only been able to properly have sex with an omega like, once? Twice, I think? And even then I couldn't even bottom out. Even those who have been sort of comfortable with my size haven't been able to take my knot." Jeongguk must be tipsy because he never talks as openly about this as he is now.
And Taehyung is trying really hard to focus on what Jeongguk is saying, he is. But his blood is boiling, sweat starting to bead around his temples. He actually has to set his glass down on the table so he can curl his hands into his sweats, attempting to ground himself. He doesn't know if it's the jealousy, the wine, the fact that his preheat is seconds or minutes or hours away, or maybe just the idea of Jeongguk's knot that's doing it but he's suddenly so overwhelmed that he feels like he might be sick. Saliva pools under his tongue and he takes a deep breath in an attempt to quell the nausea swirling in his gut but all he tastes is his own candy-sweet scent when he does.
He should really ask Jeongguk to leave.
But Jeongguk is still talking: "And it's not just the random hookups, you know? Remember that guy I met on that dating app a while back? I was upfront about my... size issue even then, but then after we hooked up one time he ghosted me. I really liked him, too, and he was a—" he makes air quotes with his fingers "—size queen."
"They all say that," Taehyung mumbles.
"I think I'm just destined to never be able to enjoy sex as long as I live." Jeongguk laughs but it sounds a little bitter. "It's so annoying because everyone acts like size is so important, like I'm bragging by talking about how I have a huge dick. But they don't know how much it's actually more like a curse. I'll probably never know what it's like to pop a knot inside of someone and it fucking sucks."
"You can knot me," Taehyung blurts out. "I can take it."
A thick, heavy silence covers the room like a weighted blanket. Even Taehyung isn't aware of what he actually said until several seconds after it exits his mouth, and the second he realizes he has the uncontrollable urge to go stick his head in the oven.
Jeongguk doesn't speak for an excruciatingly long time. Taehyung is kind of hoping they'll both just ignore that he said anything and pretend like it never happened.
Unfortunately he could never be that lucky.
"What?" Jeongguk turns to Taehyung, eyes wild. "Hyung, what? How much did you have to drink before I came over?"
"Spend my next heat with me." What the fuck, why is he still talking ? Maybe if he just doubles down Jeongguk will think he lost his mind and won't take anything he takes seriously.
Jeongguk is, quite literally, at a loss for words. He opens his mouth and closes it again, looking something like a beached fish. At some point he'd actually let the hand holding his wine drop to his side and the liquid is dripping all over the floor, a big splash of it soaking the side of Jeongguk's sweats. He appears to have not noticed at all.
There's another silence. It's excruciating. Taehyung realizes that he's crossed a boundary that their friendship can probably never recover from, which is the very reason he's never brought it up until now to begin with. How much he values their friendship is the only reason he's kept his dirty little secret for the past three years ever since Jeongguk presented as an alpha: that he spends every single one of his heats riding his biggest, thickest knotting dildos with one of Jeongguk's hoodies pressed to his nose.
"I should go." Jeongguk stands, startling when his steps in the puddle of wine with his socked foot. It's testament to how shocked he is that he doesn't even bother offering to help clean it up when Jeongguk is normally the most polite human who exists on planet earth. "I need to leave. Right now."
"Jeongguk, wait." Taehyung scrambles to his feet, curling a hand in Jeongguk's shirt sleeve. "We should talk. I shouldn't have said all of that, I'm really drunk, and—"
"You're not that drunk." Jeongguk shakes his head. "You're not. Don't lie. I know you, Taehyung." He shrinks back, forcing Taehyung to let go of his sleeve.
If Jeongguk wants to go he can't stop him from going. As much as Taehyung feels terrible for forcing this on him, the thing that bothers him the most is Jeongguk's expression— his best friend has always been an open book for as long as they've known each other. It's rare that Taehyung can't tell what he's thinking at basically any moment of any day. But there's something unreadable in Jeongguk's eyes, something Taehyung has never seen there before.
"No, it's— I'm sorry. I'm not mad, I... this is a lot." His scent is souring more by the second and Taehyung's omega is practically clawing its way out of his skin, wanting nothing more than to curl into Jeongguk's lap and apologize for upsetting his alpha. But he doesn't try to stop him, just watches as Jeongguk gathers his coat and tugs the door open, not even sparing one last glance at Taehyung before he leaves.
The second the door slams shut Taehyung feels the tears start to form behind his eyes. He's never been much of a crier but he's always really sensitive when he's close to his heat, and even though he knows it's stupid he can't help but feel abandoned knowing that Jeongguk turned him down. Jeongguk doesn't want to spend his heat with him. The rational part of Taehyung's brain reminds him that he didn't go about it the right way, that if he'd just brought it up like a normal person Jeongguk would have been much more understanding, but he can't help the way he feels when his instincts are controlling his emotions right now.
Taehyung: can u please come home
Taehyung: please
Jin: is this a vodka or ice cream kind of distress call
Taehyung: both
Jin: shit
Jin: be there as soon as i can
~
Jeongguk ends up at Namjoon's.
"So. Taehyung told you he wants to have sex with you."
Jeongguk nods.
"Taehyung."
He nods again.
"As in, Kim Taehyung, your best friend, wants to have sex with you. And he told you he does. Explicitly."
Jeongguk nods one more time. He stares down at the glass of water in his hand, swirling it around and watching the way the little ice cubes clink against each other.
"Let me get this straight—"
"Namjoon hyung," Jeongguk interjects. "Yes. Taehyung, my best friend Taehyung, the one I've been in love with for literally half of my life, just told me he wants to have sex with me. Asked me to spend his next heat with him. All of the above."
Namjoon pauses, deliberating. A few seconds pass where he stares off into space, thinking quietly, and then he sets down the book in his hand and stands, walking across the room to where Jeongguk is sitting in his favorite armchair over by the window and hits him across the back of the head.
"Ouch, what the fuck," Jeongguk cries out, hand flying to rub at his scalp. "What was that for?"
"And instead of talking to him about it you ran away? After you've done nothing but spend the past three years lamenting the fact that you can never confess your feelings to Taehyung as long as you live because you don't want to make your friendship awkward and you're afraid Taehyung would be miserable with you because the sex wouldn't be any good for him, you run away when he tells you he wants to try it?"
"It's Taehyung!" Jeongguk whines, kicking out his legs. "I panicked. There's way too much for us to talk about, it's not something we can just decide in the heat of the moment because he's drunk and going into pre-heat. I was already going crazy because his smell was getting sweeter every second I was there and fuck, I want him so bad it physically hurts me sometimes, and then he just sits there and says knot me ? How am I supposed to react to that? How? How. Tell me. How."
"Well, clearly you're taking this well." Namjoon settles on the arm of the chair. "But you two can figure this out. Listen to me."
"Listening."
"You know Taehyung better than I do, but I don't think he's really the type to blurt something like that out without thinking about it first. He's probably been mulling it over for a long time and he just now got the courage to tell you. He's been listening to you talk about how frustrating sex is for years— have you ever thought that maybe he feels the same way about you that you do about him?"
Jeongguk barks out a laugh. "Taehyung? Liking me? Don't be ridiculous."
"Clearly this is going to be more difficult than I thought." Namjoon rubs his temples. "Why is Taehyung having feelings for you such a difficult concept for you to grasp?"
Jeongguk blinks at him. "Because it's Taehyung."
"Yes, and?"
"He's... perfect."
"No one is perfect," Namjoon says.
Jeongguk is genuinely offended. "How can you say that when you've met Taehyung? You know what, I should have gone to Taehyung to have this conversation. At least he can tell a prince from a frog."
"Yeah, go ahead and tell Taehyung. He'll be texting Taehyung under the table in 2 seconds flat the second he finds out about your feelings. Good luck."
Jeongguk pokes his tongue in his cheek. Namjoon has a very good point. "So... I should talk to Taehyung?"
"I think so."
"But... how do I do that?"
"Well." Namjoon taps his ring finger against his chin. "I think if the reason you never confessed to him to begin with is because you were afraid you wouldn't be able to satisfy him sexually, and now that might be a non-issue, you should probably start with your romantic feelings."
"Yeah, I'm definitely not going to to do that."
"Why not?"
"There are so many complications." Jeongguk closes his eyes, sinking deeper into the armchair and pulling his knees up to his chest. "Imagine this: I agree to knot him and it turns out he can't take it and I hurt him. I could never forgive myself."
"Okay, then use his heat as a trial run. It's not abnormal for best friends to help each other through rut and heat cycles. If you aren't sexually compatible then you can move on with your friendship knowing that it would never work out between you two. And then you'll have material to jerk off to for the rest of your life."
"Yeah, as if I need more reasons to jerk off to the thought of Taehyung every night."
"Alright, I'm really trying to help you out here but you're gonna have to stop saying things like that."
"Sorry, hyung," Jeongguk sighs. He's not really all that sorry, though. "But imagine the other way around. Maybe we are sexually compatible but he doesn't feel anything for me outside of sexual attraction and then after we spend his heat together it turns out Taehyung is the only omega who actually wants to fuck me? And then I have to live with the fact that Taehyung is even more perfect than I already know he is but I can't have him. That sounds like an actual torture form. No thanks."
"That's fair," Namjoon says. "But do you really, really think there's no chance Taehyung feels the same way about you? Really think about it, don't just answer right away."
Jeongguk does think about it. He really does. And as much as he'd love to live in a world where Taehyung, the Taehyung, Kim Taehyung himself, feels the same way about him he can't imagine it. He's spent too many years pining from afar, always being the stoic shadow hovering around while Taehyung's natural charm and bubbly personality steals the show. Taehyung can have anyone he wants, and Jeongguk is just the one Taehyung curses exes to and watches reality tv with. Jeongguk has always been okay with it because it means he gets to be a central part of Taehyung's world, knowing him in a way that most people could never dream of.
"I just don't see it being possible," Jeongguk answers honestly. "I guess figuring out what to do is just a matter of how much I want to torture myself."
Namjoon hums. "I guess so, then."
Jeongguk is already starting to feel guilty for running out on Taehyung like that. Even if Taehyung had just been asking him for no-strings-attached help with his heat, running off like he'd been burned without bothering to talk to him about something so personal was a dick move. His omega is probably feeling wounded and abandoned, and Jeongguk is kicking himself for making Taehyung feel like that.
Maybe it's time for him to come clean about his feelings. If Taehyung knew then he'd probably understand why Jeongguk reacted the way he did and retract his offer immediately. It's the most sensible option, even though it has the potential to damage their friendship forever.
Or... or, Jeongguk can just not tell him anything, agree to help Taehyung through his heat, learn what it's like to have him both in body and soul for three days and then lock it all up in the same box he stores his feelings in and suppress it until the end of time.
He really hates how much he's leaning toward the second option.
~
It takes Jeongguk three days to finally muster the courage to talk to Taehyung, which is probably the longest stretch of time they've gone without talking to each other since Jeongguk got grounded one time when they were in high school. As much as he really wants to head over to Taehyung's place and talk to him face to face, Taehyung is probably in full-blown pre-heat now and smelling him like that probably wouldn't be doing any favors as far as keeping his head clear for a rational discussion. So he does the next best thing: he facetimes him.
It takes so long for Taehyung to answer that he thinks he might actually be ignoring his call. But finally, just as he's about to give up, the call fizzles to life and Jeongguk is faced with the wavy image of Taehyung's bedroom ceiling.
"Taehyung?" Jeongguk asks. The phone moves and a faint rustling that Jeongguk assumes is Taehyung's bedsheets sounds over the line.
"Sorry, one sec." Taehyung sounds a little bit breathless. "Wait."
Jeongguk takes a sip of water while he waits in an attempt to push down his nerves. What he's about to tell Taehyung is a really big deal and he needs to be able to show that he's serious about it.
When Taehyung's head finally appears in the frame he looks so pretty that Jeongguk's heart actually seizes up for a second. It's more than clear how close he is to his heat: his pale blonde hair is sweat-damp and pushed off his forehead and there's a pretty pink flush high up on his cheekbones. His eyes, which are normally focused (and often mischievous) are soft and hazy instead. He's in his bed dressed in a big white t-shirt that Jeongguk is pretty sure used to belong to him at one point. Around the edges of the frame Jeongguk can barely make out the piles of clothes around the bed. He must already be nesting.
Jeongguk has to bite back the urge to tell Taehyung he's coming over immediately. His alpha is going crazy with seeing Taehyung like that and Jeongguk has to force himself to keep his composure so they can have a real conversation. The idea of Taehyung, of who he wishes was his omega, spending his heat alone— biting a pillow and humping the mattress instead of coming apart on Jeongguk's knot— makes him feel so sick he nearly wants to throw up.
Taehyung smiles lazily. "Hi, puppy," he says, voice a little bit croaky. "Long time no see."
"Yeah," Jeongguk says, anxiously running a hand through his hair. "Sorry about that."
"It's alright." Taehyung waves his hand in the frame. "I dropped a bomb. I was drunk and horny. Heat of the moment thing. I would have freaked out if I were you, too."
Jeongguk swallows around his thick throat. "Yeah, I— I think maybe we should talk about that. It's why I called, actually."
Taehyung blinks, clearly surprised. "I think you leaving that day said all that needed to be said, to be honest," he says. "We don't need to bring it up again. It was stupid of me to even ask."
"No," Jeongguk says quickly. "It wasn't stupid. Not at all. I was just... blindsided."
Taehyung looks so pretty. So, so pretty. Jeongguk can't stop staring at him, dragging his eyes down to trace the soft puff of his cheeks that tapers into his chiseled jawline. His tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip and Jeongguk's eyes get stuck there. They look swollen, bitten and red; Taehyung is probably already feeling the brunt of his heat coming on. He wonders if Taehyung had been getting himself off right before he'd called. He wonders how his room smells, like Taehyung's crisp honey and pear scent turned sickeningly sweet like candied apples.
Embarrassingly, he feels his cock plumping up in his jeans just from the thought.
"Ah," Taehyung muses, leaning onto his side and bringing a finger up to his lips to trace the bottom edge with his fingernail. His eyes are focused on something off-camera like he's lost in thought. "Well, don't worry about it. Seokjin called off work for a few days so he can help me with my heat if I need it. I have food, and water, and—"
"I'll do it."
Taehyung freezes.
"Let me come over. I—" Jeongguk wets his lips. "I want to help you through it."
Taehyung blinks at him through the screen, cocking his head. His eyes have gained a little bit more clarity, widening just slightly in surprise. "Jeongguk. I don't want you to feel pressured, so please just think about it. It's something that could really change our friendship and I would feel awful knowing I forced you into doing something you don't want to do."
It must be hard for Taehyung to fight against his pre-heat instincts enough to be able to tell an alpha to not come help him with his heat. Jeongguk thinks if Taehyung offered to spend his rut with him he would be saying yes before the sentence even finished leaving his lips. But Taehyung has always been the rational one between the two of them.
"I've thought about it a lot ever since you asked me." He doesn't add the part where he's actually thought about it a lot over the past three years. That's his little secret. "If I can be there for you and make you feel more comfortable I want to."
"Jeongguk..."
"Wait, let me finish." Jeongguk takes a deep breath. They haven't talked about the most important part yet. "There's one thing I'm really concerned about if we're going to do this."
"Yeah, of course," Taehyung says. Jeongguk can practically see the heat haze setting in with every passing second. He'll probably be in full blown heat by this evening at the latest.
"I mean, you know already, I just don't know how to bring it up..." Jeongguk trails off.
"Ah." Taehyung darts his tongue out to wet his lips. "You're afraid you won't be able to properly fuck me through my heat because I won't be able to take your cock."
Jeongguk shouldn't be shocked by Taehyung's boldness at this point in their friendship but the ease at which he delivers that sentence still has him reeling for a few seconds. He must be particularly shameless with his heat coming up soon. "...Yeah."
"If that's all you're worried about, I think I have a way of making that a nonissue," Taehyung says. He makes eye contact with Jeongguk through the phone for the first time and the look in his eyes sends a chill up and down Jeongguk's spine; where his gaze had been hazy just a moment ago they're now smoldering, angled; something predatory lurks behind them. Like a challenge.
Jeongguk shivers. "Yeah?" he breathes.
"Yeah," Taehyung parrots. "I'll go ahead and let Seokjin know to let you in tonight."
The line goes dead before Jeongguk can say anything else.
The second Taehyung hangs up Jeongguk sucks in a long, deep breath with so much force it actually burns his chest. His heart is hammering so hard he feels like it might crack the bone— he hadn't realized how tense he'd been during that entire conversation until it was over.
His moment to relax doesn't last long, though, because within a few minutes his phone rings out into the quiet apartment and he startles, reaching out with a shaky hand.
Taehyung: i think this might make you feel a little better
The second Jeongguk presses play on the video, the sound of Taehyung whimpering and whining instantly floods into his apartment at full volume.
"So big, alpha," Taehyung is whining brokenly, sweat-slicked back arching as he fucks himself down on a dildo placed between his knees. When Jeongguk takes in the size of the dildo he has to do a double take and it sends him fucking reeling because of how big it is— he doesn't think he's ever seen a dildo that big, even with all of the size kink omega porn he's watched over the years— it's thick, probably almost as thick as his own cock, with a big fat knot swollen right at the base, shiny and wet with Taehyung's slick.
Jeongguk's cock pulses in his jeans and he presses the heel of his hand against it, hissing at the contact.
"S-still not big enough," Taehyung moans. "A-alpha, want it bigger— want your knot," he's babbling, rolling his hips down until his rim starts to stretch around the width of the knot. Jeongguk is fucking mesmerized, still not positive he's not in the middle of a very realistic dream. "Nothing's ever— fuck, yes, fuck— big enough for me. P-please."
He falls forward, hair falling over his eyes when he plants his palms into the mattress, rounding his back into a perfect, pretty curve; and then with trembling thighs he sinks all the way down, his puffy pink rim stretching beautifully over the thick, swollen knot at the base of the dildo, swallowing it up so perfectly like he was made to take it, chanting brokenly, sobbing, whining about how good it feels, how full he is, how fucking big it is.
The video cuts off. As soon as the video ends another text dings in.
Taehyung: see you tonight?
Jeongguk blinks at his phone. He thinks he must be in the middle of some very elaborate wet dream. Like, with a plot line and everything.
Jeongguk: yeah. see you tonight
The urge to touch himself is almost overwhelming but he knows if he comes now that's one less time he can fuck Taehyung later, and Jeongguk wants to make sure he can take care of him as well as he possibly can.
It hits him, then, dick pressed suffocatingly hard against his jeans and brain still filled to bursting with thoughts of Taehyung's hole stretching over the knotted dildo, that he actually has no idea how to take care of an omega in heat. He's seen it in porn; heat/rut streams are fairly common, but that only shows the messy marathon sex part and not the other important parts in between like making sure the omega feels safe and stays comfortable, which is honestly the most important part of the whole thing.
He chooses to clear his head by taking an icy shower and then he settles on the end of his bed with an overnight bag preparing to pack before unlocking his phone and googling how to take care of an omega in heat.
THE ALPHA PERSPECTIVE: How to make a heat more comfortable for your omega partner
Heats can be a very difficult and painful experience for the omega. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways that this experience can be made much easier and more pleasurable for both the omega and their heat partner.
NESTING
Although not all omegas nest for their heats it's a very important part of the process for many. The purpose of the nest is to create a comfortable space for the omega to feel safe, surrounded by either their own scent or the scent of their mate/heat partner(s). If spending a heat with an omega, providing some unwashed articles of clothing to incorporate into their nest can help the omega feel more comfortable, especially if you need to leave for any reason during their heat.
STAYING HYDRATED/NOURISHED
Because heats are a very exhausting and vigorous process, omegas tend to sweat a lot and are prone to becoming extremely dehydrated if not given water regularly. Doctors recommend having an omega drink at least one bottle between each heat haze. Many omegas lose their appetite completely during their heat— as long as they stay hydrated it's not dangerous for them to go without food for this period, but just in case it's important to keep calorie-dense and easy to eat snacks nearby for a quick pick me up in case your omega starts feeling weak.
UNDERSTANDING THE HEAT CYCLE
When spending a heat alone they can last anywhere from five to nine days (in extreme cases). However, when spent with an alpha it can lower this time frame down to a very manageable two to four days, with most omegas experiencing a three-day heat that tapers off by the third day. If an omega is knotted during their heat they'll experience some clarity from the "heat haze" that will give them time to bathe, eat, and rest, something a solo omega has a hard time managing to do on their own. It's recommended that you help and encourage your omega partner to take care of themselves during these periods of heat haze clarity, and make sure to communicate when their minds are clear and they can voice what they're feeling.
Jeongguk finishes his research feeling much more confident. He packs some clean clothes for himself (light things to throw on to walk around the apartment in case Seokjin sticks around, but it's likely he'll find somewhere else to stay for the time being. It's never comfortable being in the house with a couple sharing a heat cycle). He also digs through his laundry basket and pulls out a few of his hoodies and gym t-shirts that he thinks smell the most of his scent, hoping they'll bring Taehyung some comfort.
By the time he's done packing the sun is barely starting to set which means he has just enough time to stop by the market to pick up a few things Taehyung might need before heading over to his place.
As Jeongguk drives to the market and walks the shelves with a shopping basket tucked into his elbow he thinks.
A lot.
He mostly thinks about how much of an idiotic idea this is, because no matter what the outcome is he has a feeling all it will do is just make him fall in love with Taehyung even more than he's already managed to do on his own. But he also wonders if he'll even be able to take care of Taehyung the way he needs to, as an alpha— he's so inexperienced simply because he hasn't been able to get much experience despite taking home quite a few omegas in his time. The dildo that Taehyung had been taking in the video was almost as big as him, but that's the thing. Almost. It's still possible that Taehyung will be completely turned off by his size and Jeongguk will end up leaving without being able to help him at all, which would not only be disappointing for both of them but also completely humiliating.
He's halfway through his shopping, standing in the middle of the aisle debating on whether or not he should buy protein bars even though the smell of them makes Taehyung sick, when he gets a text from Seokjin.
Jin: Taehyung's in heat. i left to give you two some privacy but the spare key is under the flower pot on the left side of the door
Jin: please take good care of him
~
Taehyung's blood is so hot it feels like it's going to burn straight through his veins.
He whimpers, wincing at how it hurts a little bit, his throat already dry and cracked from panting against his pillow as he ruts his hips down into the mattress, trying to quell the low burning in his belly that feels like it's seconds away from swallowing him whole. Everything aches, everything is sore— all he wants is his alpha, all he wants is Jeongguk.
He gathers a fistful of his sheets and pulls himself to the edge of his bed where his nest is arranged, burying his nose into a shirt Jeongguk had left at his house a couple of weeks ago. It still smells like him, just barely, like laundry soap and rainwater. It's enough to send Taehyung over the edge, thighs shaking as he comes messily inside the little track shorts hugging his hips.
It's not enough. it's not even close to being enough. He reaches behind himself, pushing his hand down the back of his shorts, shoving his fingers between his cheeks. He's soaking wet already, slick pooling around his hole and sliding down his thighs— he pushes two fingers in, already stretched out from when he'd ridden his toys when he was still in preheat. He can hardly even feel it— his heart sinks down into the pit of his stomach when he scissors his fingers and all it does is make him crave more and doesn't do a single thing to smother the fire roaring under his skin.
"Jeongguk," he whimpers pathetically, turning his cheek down to the sheets and arching his back so he can push his fingers in deeper. His toys are in a box under the bed and he could easily grab them and push something inside of him, something bigger that will make him feel full like he craves. But he doesn't want that, hates the idea of being fucked full of silicone when he can feel Jeongguk's cock instead, when he would rather have the bite of Jeongguk's nails on his skin and the taste of his scent on his tongue.
But even when Taehyung fingers himself through his second orgasm, coming weakly with a dry sob, Jeongguk still isn't there. He starts to wonder if maybe he isn't coming, if maybe his alpha doesn't want to come help him after all. Even though the rational part of Taehyung knows that Jeongguk doesn't have any obligation to take care of him there isn't any kind of rationality to be reasoned with right now.
The heat haze gets worse with each passing second; he can hardly even see straight, chest aching with the need to be knotted, and so with the drag of his sweat-damp skin against his bed he finally goes for his box of toys, messing up his nest a little bit in the process. He hadn't brought them inside his nest with him this time, hoping he wouldn't need them.
He doesn't even know how much time has passed since he's started his heat, all the seconds blurring into each other, all he knows is that his alpha isn't here.
He goes for his favorite toy, the one he'd ridden to take the edge off earlier while recording himself to send to Jeongguk. He shoves his shorts down to his knees and doesn't waste any time pushing it into his hole with a shaky, broken moan, pushing his forehead down into the mattress.
Taehyung's bedroom door opening makes cool air rush over his feverish skin and he shivers, the toy slipping from his fingers and dropping on the bed below.
"Hyung," Jeongguk says, hardly a whisper. "Hyung, I'm here, I'm here, sorry it took me so long—"
"Jeongguk," Taehyung can already smell Jeongguk's scent, fresh and clean and dripping low with arousal— he crawls further up onto the bed and pushes his hips out, presenting himself, the heat haze making him not even care how desperate he must look. "Please, please. Please."
"Yeah. Yeah, I've got you," Jeongguk gasps, dropping his bag off his shoulder and surging across the room, climbing carefully over Taehyung's nest to not disturb it. "W-what do you need me to do? Sorry I wasn't here, I didn't know, I came as soon as I got the text—"
"Need to be full," Taehyung pants, arching his back and spreading his knees wider until the elastic shorts still stretched around his knees hold him in place. He cranes his neck over his shoulder to watch his alpha. Jeongguk's eyes are wide and wild, confused, lips parted— he's scanning Taehyung's body, scanning the bed, so far overwhelmed that Taehyung can smell the spike of distress in his scent. "I need to come, Jeongguk, do anything, just make me come."
Jeongguk nods, wetting his lips, and then he's going for the abandoned dildo at his knee, hesitating before rolling the silicone up the inside of Taehyung's thigh to lubricate it.
The first taste of Jeongguk's hands on him rips a high mewl from his chest, his touch like fire against his red-hot skin; it grounds him in a way, grants him a little bit of clarity from the heat haze, his body responding so naturally to having an alpha in bed with him, to having an alpha in his nest. His alpha. The name Taehyung moans around the pillow between his teeth when he spends his heats alone, fucking himself with his toys and wishing it was his knot filling him up instead.
"I'm gonna take care of you," Jeongguk is whispering, almost like he's saying it to reassure himself more than Taehyung. "I'm gonna take such good care of you." He pushes Taehyung's ass open with one hand and slides his clothed knee against his inner thigh to hold him up, and then he's pushing the toy inside him with a slick, wet drag.
"Fuck," Taehyung chokes out, fisting the sheets so hard he nearly rips them off the corners of the mattress. "Yeah— l-like that. Alpha."
Jeongguk hisses when Taehyung calls him alpha, digging his fingers harder into the flesh of his ass. Taehyung preens, so far pleased at how his alpha already wants him.
"Look how well you take this," Jeongguk whispers like awe, like reverence. "Such a tiny little thing and still able to take such a thick cock."
Taehyung moans, pushing his hips back against Jeongguk's hand, trying to take it deeper. "Not full enough," he gasps. "Want the knot, please. Need it."
"Whatever you want, baby. Anything you want," Jeongguk says. He pushes the toy deeper, eyes widening when he watches how well Taehyung's hole sucks it in— the outline of his cock in his jeans is already visible and Taehyung feels drool collecting under his tongue at the thought of finally being able to sit on Jeongguk's cock later, of the thing he's been fantasizing about for so long so close he can almost taste it. "Anything you want, just tell me."
"Harder," Taehyung moans brokenly. "Fuck me harder."
Jeongguk starts thrusting the toy in and out of Taehyung's hole at a bruising pace, pushing it deeper until he's fucking him with just the thick bulbous knot at the base— Taehyung is so fucking stretched open but it's still not enough. It's never enough, he could probably take this and another toy at once if he wanted to. He wonders if Jeongguk's cock is as thick as two of them.
Just the thought of Jeongguk's cock inside of him has Taehyung trembling, heat building in his belly—
"C-coming," Taehyung manages to gasp before his third orgasm of the evening is punched out of him, come splattering messily over the bedsheets and the shorts still wrapped around his knees. He collapses onto the bed, the knot still pushed deep into his ass and leaving him spread open, mimicking the feeling of actually being knotted. The heat haze lifts a little bit and clarity starts to seep in right away. He's not as focused as he would be if he'd taken Jeongguk's actual knot but simply having Jeongguk here with him is enough to make his omega simmer down for now, knowing it's only a matter of time before he gets what he's really craving.
Before Taehyung can even blink Jeongguk has already crawled up the bed, pressing his chest to Taehyung's back and wrapping himself around him, pulling him close in the way they would always do when they were teenagers sharing a bed at sleepovers, back before they'd both presented and things got more complicated.
"You sound so pretty when you come," Jeongguk mumbles into Taehyung's neck, pressing his nose to his scent gland. It instantly smells like a rainstorm has washed over them, dampening Taehyung's suffocating candy-apple scent and making it a little bit easier to breathe. "Never thought I'd be saying that but here we are."
Taehyung giggles, trying to make himself as small as he can, humming when Jeongguk gets the hint and responds by pulling him even closer. "You showed up."
"Of course I showed up," Jeongguk whispers into his skin, breath rolling hot over his neck. "I'll always show up when you need me."
"Mm," Taehyung hums. It's true— Jeongguk has always been there for him every time he's needed him. Jeongguk probably would have been helping Taehyung with his heats for years if he'd asked him to sooner, but Taehyung never felt like he could put him in that position, was always afraid their friendship would never recover from it.
It's something they're probably going to have to discuss after all this is over, but that can wait— Taehyung's omega is already getting restless at his alpha being so close but not giving him his knot, the heat haze bubbling under his skin even though it's only been minutes since he last came. The silicon isn't even close to a replacement for the real thing as much as he's tried to make himself think it is over the years.
"I'll probably need to go again soon," Taehyung warns him. "I— I need..."
He trails off, embarrassed. When he's not in the throes of a heat haze it's a little bit more embarrassing to be so bold about what he wants, especially because he and Jeongguk have never crossed this line before. And well. Because it's Jeongguk.
"I know," Jeongguk says, nodding against Taehyung's shoulder. "I uh— I think we should talk really quick, then, before we do that."
"We talked earlier," Taehyung points out, but he's not opposed to talking again. "I told you everything will be fine."
"I know, it's just." Jeongguk pauses and Taehyung hears the slide of him wetting his lips close to his ear. "I'm worried about hurting you. I've never knotted an omega before and my knot is— well. It's big. Really big."
Taehyung shivers, the thought of Jeongguk's knot inside of him making his heat burn through him just that much more.
"If you keep saying things like that we're not going to have much time to talk," Taehyung mumbles, making Jeongguk laugh.
"Sorry, that was a bad choice of words. I just don't want you to ask for things that might hurt you just because you're in heat. I want to make sure you're taken care of and comfortable the whole time, so you need to promise to be honest with me and tell me if you can't take it, or else we can't do this. I'd never be able to forgive myself if I hurt you."
Taehyung feels like a glowstick has just been cracked in his chest. Warmth floods through his veins, genuine warmth and not the red-hot lava of his heat, something comforting, something like contentment. His omega preens.
"I promise," Taehyung says. "I'll tell you if it's too much."
"Okay." Jeongguk takes a deep, rattled breath. "I guess I should—"
He starts to pull away from Taehyung's back and Taehyung immediately panics, wrapping his hand around Jeongguk's wrist and tugging it back around his waist to hold him in place.
"Don't leave," he gasps. "Where are you going?"
"Hey, hey," Jeongguk slides his hand to Taehyung's thigh, stroking the bare skin comfortingly. "I just need to unpack my stuff and get undressed, okay? I'm not leaving. I promise I'm not leaving."
Taehyung's heartbeat settles down and he nods, reluctantly letting go of Jeongguk's wrist and trying not to wince when he pulls away for real. He knows it's just his instincts from his heat but he has half a mind to be embarrassed of it— still, watching Jeongguk climb out of his nest has Taehyung shutting his eyes so he doesn't have to watch.
"I um— I did a lot of research after we talked because I wasn't sure how to help and I wanted to do a good job," Jeongguk says. He stoops down to unzip his bag and starts pulling out all kinds of things, some bottles of water and packets of snacks in colorful wrappers that Taehyung recognizes as some of his favorites. He places gently on the floor near the door. "I brought this stuff in case you get hungry or thirsty."
"We have lots of food in the house," Taehyung giggles, but his heart squeezes at the idea of Jeongguk caring enough to do research on ways to help Taehyung. "You're the one always eating our leftovers, you should know."
"Yeah, but I read that you might get upset if I leave your room, so I didn't want to risk it." He smiles sheepishly down at his bag, hand curled around something inside of it. "And, uh, I brought— I don't know if this is overstepping, I just realized maybe it is—"
Taehyung giggles. "Since when are you so shy? It's just me, Jeongguk. Show me."
Jeongguk pokes his tongue in his cheek and hesitates for one more second before he nods, tugging a bundle of clothes out of the bag.
If Jeongguk's scent wasn't already strong enough in the room it sure is now, the smell of laundry and rainwater so thick in the air it's almost dizzying. "I know an omega's nest is personal, and I really don't want to intrude because it's yours, but I thought maybe having some of my things in it might make you feel more comfortable."
Taehyung blinks. He hadn't been expecting that.
In fact he sort of feels like he's going to cry, as embarrassing as it is. It's overwhelming, Jeongguk kneeling there, armful of his— clearly dirty— clothes in his arms, fingers curled nervously into the bundle and his eyes wide as he watches Taehyung, asking for permission to bring them over and add to his nest.
"You really are like a puppy, you know," Taehyung says, because he doesn't dare speak the words that say how he's really feeling right now.
Jeongguk's shoulders relax and he smiles, pulling the clothes to his chest and rising to his feet to bring them closer to Taehyung's nest. "You've been telling me that every day for seven years."
"My puppy," Taehyung coos. "Bring them here."
Jeongguk hovers at the edge of the bed and sets the clothes near where Taehyung is still laying. "You should be the one to... add them," Jeongguk says, wetting his lips. "I should probably..." he thumbs at the edge of his jacket nervously and then slides it off his shoulders.
It's cute how shy is he considering Taehyung is completely naked and he'd just been fucking a toy in and out of him not even ten minutes ago.
"Some of your stuff is already here, you know," Taehyung says. He pulls himself to his knees, wincing at how shifting his weight makes a spike of pain lick up his spine. His heat always makes him so achy. He leans forward onto one palm and plucks at the sleeve of Jeongguk's t-shirt, sticking out from underneath a sheet he'd stolen from Seokjin's bed last night. In fact, he's pretty sure Seokjin had slept on a bare mattress last night but he was too polite to say anything to Taehyung about it, knowing how strong his nesting habits are. "Look."
"Oh," Jeongguk breathes. He looks a little bit taken aback and Taehyung's omega is a little wounded, wondering if maybe Jeongguk doesn't like his clothes being there without permission. "I didn't notice before."
Taehyung pouts, dropping the sleeve onto the bed. "Oh."
"Wait. Wait! I didn't mean it like that." Jeongguk is shaking his head, panic clear in his voice. "It makes me happy that you have your stuff here. You built such a beautiful nest."
"Oh." Taehyung parrots, but this time there's pride in his voice rather than disappointment. His alpha approves of their nest. He'd called it beautiful. "Thank you."
God, he hates how emotional he gets during his heats.
He gets to work at weaving Jeongguk's clothes into his nest, keeping his eyes averted to give him some space and privacy while he undresses. He can feel the heat haze setting in again rapidly, his brain getting foggy and Jeongguk's scent sitting in the air making his cock grow heavy between his legs, more slick gushing from his hole and wetting his thighs and the bedsheets below.
Once Jeongguk's pants and underwear are off he kicks them aside and Taehyung whines out of instinct, hurt, but Jeongguk instantly realizes his mistake and scrambles to pick them up, setting them gently on top of Taehyung's nest.
"Sorry," he breathes. "I'm not very good at this yet."
"I think you're better than you think," Taehyung says shyly. He can hear his own voice getting airier, can feel his blood start boiling. He messes with the hems of the shirts until they're arranged just right and then bites his lip, looking up at Jeongguk with what he hopes is need in his eyes. "Listen, I..."
"Yeah." Jeongguk says. "I can smell you. I know."
Taehyung nods, keeping his eyes averted as Jeongguk steps onto the bed, making sure not to disturb the nest, and then finally, finally, Jeongguk's arms are around him again.
Taehyung gasps, a noise halfway between surprise and relief; alphas tend to run hot but with the way Taehyung's skin is burning he actually feels cool against him, like a breath of fresh air in the stifling warmth. He lets his hands slide over Jeongguk's shoulders, down his waist, feeling the dips of muscle and the divots between his ribs.
And then Jeongguk shifts and Taehyung feels it— feels the hard press of Jeongguk's cock against his thigh, thick and heavy and hard— Taehyung digs his nails into Jeongguk's waist, the slickness between his legs growing wetter and gushing over his thighs,
"Fuck me," Taehyung pants against Jeongguk's shoulder. "It's starting to hurt, Jeongguk, I need you inside me."
"Alright— okay." Jeongguk's voice shakes with nerves. He pulls back and sits on his haunches, sliding his hands under Taehyung's knees and pushing them up, spreading his legs wide. "I'm gonna take it slow, okay?"
At this angle Taehyung can see his cock clearly for the first time and it nearly makes something in his snap— it's so big. it's so fucking big, like nothing he's ever seen. He hadn't expected it to be that much bigger than his favorite toy but it is, not only longer but thicker, nearly double the width of the one Jeongguk had fucked him through his first orgasm with earlier.
The idea of taking it slow almost makes him want to cry now that he's really seen what Jeongguk is made of, his heat haze slamming back full-force. He wants Jeongguk to pin him down, to fuck him, to claim him; but he knows it's what Jeongguk needs so he just bites his lip to stop himself from begging and nods, trying his best to fight for clarity. He's never been a particularly patient omega but if this is what it takes for Jeongguk to feel comfortable he'll do it.
It's... a lot, really, the way Jeongguk handles Taehyung, the way he slides his hands over his body and cups his knees gently with his entire hand to move him into position. He touches Taehyung like he's spun from glass, like one wrong move is going to break him, and— well, Taehyung has always been the type to prefer being broken rather than worshipped but for some reason coming from Jeongguk he doesn't mind too much.
When Jeongguk seems happy with the way Taehyung is positioned, settled with his back against a pile of pillows and his legs spread wide, knees bent, he finally leans forward and then Jeongguk is fucking everywhere.
He cages Taehyung's body, skin pressed to skin. The anticipation is almost too much for Taehyung to handle, the idea of what he's been fantasizing about being so fucking close it's on the tip of his tongue— through his heat haze he's vaguely aware that he's whimpering, mewling, scrambling at Jeongguk's shoulders, digging his knees into Jeongguk's hips and helplessly rutting his hips upward to chase friction. He hasn't ever been knotted during his heat before and the idea of being filled up by Jeongguk for his first time is so overwhelming he doesn't know how to handle it.
The first press of Jeongguk's cockhead against his rim has Taehyung cry out so loud he slaps a hand over his mouth.
"You said you like being full, hyung," Jeongguk pants. "What'd you say in the video? Tell me."
"I- I said nothing is ever big enough for me," Taehyung pants. Jeongguk slides his cock in a little bit deeper, just an inch or two, but it has pleasure licking up Taehyung's spine in a way he's never felt before. He already feels full and Jeongguk has hardly even started pushing into him.
"Do you think my cock is big enough to satisfy you?" Jeongguk's voice is low, almost a growl; where he'd been nervous a second ago his eyes are dark, now, focusing on where the hand between them is guiding his cock into Taehyung's hole. "Look at how well you take it, the way your hole swallows me up. Like you were made for it."
Taehyung does as he's told, leaning up on his elbows so he can see the place where their bodies are connected; just the sight alone of Jeongguk, so big— god, so fucking big, has him seeing stars. Jeongguk is sliding in so, so slowly, stretching him out inch by inch, pushing him open so perfectly.
"So, so pretty. Do you know how beautiful you are, Taehyung?"
"I'll look even more beautiful stretched out on your cock," Taehyung gasps. "Want you deeper."
Jeongguk's breath audibly hitches in his throat, the desire in his scent rolling off on him in waves.
"God, I can't believe you're real."
"I should be saying that a-about y—" Taehyung cuts himself off with a sharp yelp when Jeongguk pushes his hips forward particularly hard, sinking in a little too quickly— he curls his fist in the sheets, scrunching his eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths.
Jeongguk freezes, pausing instantly— one hand curls into Taehyung's hair and the other goes to his cheek, stroking his thumb across the apple, coaxing him to relax.
"Hyung, are you okay? I'm sorry, I went too fast, I'm so sorry. I can stop if you need me to, we don't have to keep going."
Taehyung's eyes fly open at that, pulse quickening. "No! No no, please don't stop— I can take it. I can."
"Taehyung..."
"Jeongguk, I want this," he says, their eyes locked. Jeongguk searches them, clearly looking for a sign of distress, a pinch in his brow or a change in his scent; but when he doesn't find one he just nods, wetting his lips, and pushes forward a little bit more.
It's so good. It's too fucking good, really. Taehyung had never imagined Jeongguk's cock was this big, would feel like this inside of him, or maybe he would have risked their friendship to get fucked by him a long time ago.
"Just relax. Deep breaths— I'm gonna push in a little more." Jeongguk's hand doesn't leave Taehyung's cheek, thumb brushing gently against it. "You're doing s-so, so good, hyung."
"More. I can take more." Taehyung collapses back onto his elbows again, rolling his hips down to push himself down on Jeongguk's cock, already adjusting to the girth. "I've thought about this so many times, fuck."
He knows he shouldn't be admitting it out loud but he's too deep in his heat and lost in pleasure to care right now, just wanting Jeongguk to know how much he wanted, needed, loves this.
"Yeah?" Jeongguk is panting, now, jaw tight and straining with the urge to not push his hips in all the way and impale Taehyung with his cock. "You thought about this?"
"Every time I've been i-in heat. Fuck," Taehyung hisses when Jeongguk loses control for a second and cants his hips forward, pushing in several more inches all at once. Jeongguk's hands find his hips and he holds him still, his long splayed fingers digging into his lower back. "Y-you were always taking all those other omegas home when I was here all along wanting your cock so bad I was dripping for it."
Jeongguk hisses, dropping his head down. He's almost bottomed out, now, and Taehyung is shaking with anticipation at how it'll feel for Jeongguk to properly fuck him. To knot him. "I didn't know, god Taehyung, if I knew I would have been here, it would have only been you—"
"Has anyone ever been able to take this much of your cock?" Taehyung stretches his hands above his head to brace them against the headboard, using the leverage to push himself further down onto Jeongguk's cock. He wants all of him inside and he wants it yesterday.
"No one." Jeongguk says, not a trace of lies or flattery in his tone. "Only you, Taehyung, only you."
Taehyung's omega preens. He's the only one who can please his alpha like this. Only him.
The second Jeongguk bottoms out Taehyung's vision goes white. He never thought it was possible to be this full, to be overstuffed until he feels like he's ripping open at the seams. Jeongguk is so big inside of him that he can't even move his hips back and forth.
"Move," Taehyung gasps. His blood is boiling now. "I need it. I need you."
Things heat up quickly after that— Jeongguk thrusts shallowly a few times, making sure Taehyung is adjusted to the stretch, punching little mewls out of him as he does. Taehyung loves it, sinking deeper into his heat haze with every second that Jeongguk is inside of him, his omega purring at the idea of finally being knotted during his heat for the first time— and not just by any alpha, by his alpha, the alpha he's wanted in his bed for as long as he can remember. Familiar, comfortable Jeongguk, who always takes care of him in any way he can.
"I've thought about this too," Jeongguk grits through his teeth. "Fuck— the amount of times I've knotted in my hand thinking about you spread out underneath me like this."
"Yeah?" Taehyung squirms, gasping when Jeongguk pushes forward again, pressing hard against his prostate. Jeongguk looks ruined, his forehead glistening with sweat and his entire body flushed pink. "What did you think about?"
"How pretty your rim would look stretched around my cock." Jeongguk slides out, pushes forward again, slowly starting to set a pace— Taehyung's so wet his slick coats Jeongguk's cock and gushes onto the bedsheets below. "The sweet noises you'd make as I fuck into you."
"And? What do you think?"
"The real thing doesn't even compare. God— Taehyung, can I move faster? Can I fuck you harder? I really need—"
"Yes. Fuck me— Jeongguk, I'm not gonna break, fuck me."
Jeongguk pulls all the way out until the tapered head of his cock catches on Taehyung's rim. There's a second where everything is still, like the moment at the top of a rollercoaster right before it tips over the edge.
And then Jeongguk slams back in.
Taehyung full-on screams, his entire body going rigid as he comes instantly, so hard his entire body shakes and as he paints his chest white. But Jeongguk doesn't let up on his pace for even a second— he fucks Taehyung through his orgasm, pounding into his prostate with every single thrust, so big inside of him it's almost too much. Almost.
Jeongguk growls as he fucks him, cursing under his breath mixed with messy chants of Taehyung's name. It's everything Taehyung has ever dreamed of, the pleasure peaking and crashing like a tide. Jeongguk fucks him hard, the room filled with the obscene squelch of slick and the sound of skin slapping on skin. The pace is brutal, bruising, relentless, so much that Taehyung can't seem to form any kind of coherent thought that extends past the feeling of how perfect Jeongguk feels inside of him.
Jeongguk suddenly pulls out without warning and Taehyung is close to whining in protest but he doesn't even have a chance before Jeongguk picks him up by the waist, as easily as if he's made from cotton, and then flips him over, forcing him down on his hands and knees. Taehyung can't get enough, likes this position even more because even if he can't see Jeongguk he loves the idea of presenting to his alpha: he arches his back and spreads his legs wide to show off his hole, the way it's so stretched open from Jeongguk's cock and the way his sticky-sweet slick has made a mess of his thighs.
"Perfect," Jeongguk says, pushing his cock inside without any hesitation this time. When he bottoms out it hits Taehyung like a truck again, the feeling from this angle so much different than before. "Do you know how perfect you are?"
"Show me," Taehyung gasps. "Show me how perfect I am."
Jeongguk picks up the pace, slamming into him with a force that has Taehyung sliding up the bed every time he does, his knees growing raw and burning from the slide of the sheets against them. Taehyung comes again, Jeongguk's name on his tongue and the feeling of his fingertips burned into his skin.
"Taehyung— Taehyung, Taehyung, wait," Jeongguk starts panting, slowing down his pace as Taehyung shudders around him from the aftershocks of his orgasm. "I'm close, I'm really close—"
"Are you gonna knot me, alpha?" Taehyung's heart rate spikes. This is what he's been waiting for, what he's been wanting for so long. "Gonna plug me up with your knot and flood me with your come until I'm so full I can't even move?"
Jeongguk shudders, nails biting into Taehyung's hip. He moves one hand to the base of Taehyung's spine, pushing the pads of his fingers into the divots in his lower back and forcing Taehyung to lay flat on the bed, collapsing into the pool of his own come and slick.
"Can you take it?" Jeongguk's cock is pulsing inside of him, preparing to come, preparing to knot him. He can tell Jeongguk is holding back, hesitating, wanting to make sure Taehyung is completely positive that he can take it. It makes him shiver in anticipation, knowing Jeongguk's knot is so thick that he's afraid of hurting him. "Hyung, Taehyungie, you need to t-tell me if you can take it. Hurry. I can't, i'm gonna—"
"Knot me." Taehyung squirms against the bed but Jeongguk's hand on his lower back is holding him down so hard he can't move. "Want you to fill me up so good you leave a mark that won't e-ever leave."
"Greedy, pretty little thing," Jeongguk punctuates each word with a snap of his hips. "Taking cock like you were made for it."
"Was made for your cock. Need your knot so bad, please alpha, breed me, breed your omega—"
Taehyung feels Jeongguk's entire body shake as he thrusts in one, two, three more times and then he's coming, spurting hot inside of Taehyung with a growl and a chant of Taehyung's name.
"Alpha," Taehyung mewls, scrambling against the sheets in his haste to fuck himself back on Jeongguk's cock and match his thrusts, desperate to feel his knot finally swell inside of him. "Alpha, your knot, fuck, I feel so full, oh my god—"
Jeongguk wraps his hands around the front of Taehyung's thighs and pulls him back until their bodies are flush together, and then his knot is swelling inside of him.
"Oh," Taehyung gasps, fisting the sheets. The first spurt of Jeongguk's come floods into him and Taehyung is so overwhelmed he's coming again, too, a sticky mess flooding between his navel and the sheets.
Jeongguk is so far gone, the noises he's making are obscene— he shallowly fucks his knot in and out of Taehyung's hole as it swells, the press of his hand on Taehyung's lower back so hard it's bruising. The feeling of Jeongguk's knot fattening inside his rim is so intense that Taehyung feels like he's having an out of body experience, finally feeling the fullness that he's wanted for so long.
"T-Taehyung," Jeongguk is full-on whining, trembling, voice shaky with pleasure. "You're so perfect, so fucking perfect, god— never felt anything like this before, wanna do nothing but fuck you every second of every day for as long as I live."
"My alpha," Taehyung chokes. "My alpha breeds me so good; knot so big not a drop of your come will leak out." Jeongguk's cock pulses inside of him followed by another hot flood of come that has Taehyung gasping, curling into the sheets— he tries to pull his body further up the bed but he can't even move because he's completely stuck on Jeongguk's knot.
Once it's done swelling Jeongguk finally comes back to himself- he stops pressing so hard on Taehyung's back, gulping in deep lungfuls of air like he hasn't taken a breath in a week.
They both lay there for a few moments, panting, coming down from the intensity of it all. Taehyung's mind is so much sharper than it's ever been during his heat, the haze lifted enough that a million and one thoughts are rushing through his head.
"God, what the fuck wasthat," Taehyung says first to break the silence several moments after they'vefinished. He pulls up on his elbows and looks over his shoulder. Jeongguk looksso wrecked, his eyes glassy and focused on where he and Taehyung are stuck together by his knot, chest heaving with his deep, labored breaths. "Seems like my puppy really is a full-grown wolf, now."
Jeongguk nods shallowly to show he's listening but Taehyung finds it kind of funny how Jeongguk seems to be even more out of it than he is even though Taehyung is the one in heat.
"Hey, Jeongguk, come here," Taehyung says. "Hyung needs his alpha to give him cuddles after he gets knotted."
That seems to snap Jeongguk back to this plane of existence; he blinks, some of the fog in his eyes clearing up, and then he gently wraps his hands around Taehyung's waist to re-adjust their position so they're lying on their sides, Jeongguk's chest pressed to Taehyung's back.
"Sorry," Jeongguk whispers against Taehyung's neck, wrapping his arms around his middle. "I was a little bit overwhelmed."
Taehyung hums. He slides his hands to Jeongguk's forearms, dragging his ring finger through a mess of slick stuck to the back of his arm. He giggles— they're already this messy and they're still only on day one. They'll definitely be needing a shower sooner than later. "It was overwhelming. I'm still processing it too. How... amazing this is. How right this feels. You know?"
"Taehyung, I—" Jeongguk cuts himself off with a whine when his knot twitches inside of Taehyung again and floods him with more come. "Remember how I kept saying we need to talk?"
"Mm. I think your worries about me being unable to take your knot were already proven to be wrong," Taehyung says cheekily. "Isn't that enough to show you that you don't need to be afraid to tell me anything that's on your mind? We've been best friends for seven years now. No secrets."
Jeongguk actually snorts behind him, dissolving into a little fit of near-silent laughter. Taehyung has half a mind to be offended that he's laughing at Taehyung's super serious statement, but he likes the sound of Jeongguk's laughter enough to let it slide this time. Plus, he just knotted him with the thickest cock that probably exists on this planet. He can get away with a whole lot right now.
"What's so funny?" Taehyung says, feigning indignation. He twists his upper body to look Jeongguk in the eyes, which is a little bit of a feat considering how it's basically impossible to move from the waist down in this state. He can't help but bite back a little moan when he moves, Jeongguk's cock shifting from where it's still half-hard and pressed impossibly deep inside of him. "We were having a serious talk!"
"Nothing, hyung," Jeongguk says. He's still smiling, his eyes curled into little half-moons in the way they only do when he's really amused by something.
"Tell me what's so funny right now."
"Or what? You'll get up and walk away?" Jeongguk digs the pads of his fingers into Taehyung's hip and makes a point of pushing his hips forward, catching Taehyung's rim around his knot and making him shiver, already unbelievably sensitive. "Good luck."
"Or else I won't let you knot me ever again after this."
"Oh yeah?" You were already planning on letting me knot you again?"
Taehyung wets his lips. He's been caught.
"I mean—" he clears his throat. "If you wanted to," he says, voice trailing off into a whisper.
"Hey, Taehyung?" Jeongguk says, suddenly serious, the laughter all but melted from his voice. "Were all the things you said before... were they true? Or were you just saying them because of your heat?"
Taehyung thinks back to what they'd talked about; everything is a little bit blurry, dampened by heat haze and the overwhelming feeling of taking Jeongguk's cock for the first time— but when he focuses on the things he'd said he finds that all of them were true. That he'd fantasized about being with Jeongguk before even this, that'd he'd thought about him during his heats. Embarrassing to admit, but all true.
"I didn't lie about anything," Taehyung says confidently.
Jeongguk goes silent. Taehyung actually gets a little antsy, wondering if maybe that was a little bit too close to a confession for comfort. For the first time he has a trickle of doubt that maybe spending his heat with Jeongguk was too messy of an idea.
"I need to tell you something."
The sincerity in his voice has Taehyung turning back around to look him in the eyes again.
Jeongguk has always been an open book, which is why Taehyung had been so confused the other day at his apartment when Jeongguk had looked at him with that emotion he couldn't place. It's the same look he wears on his face right now, one Taehyung needed a little bit more context to recognize, but now— it hits him all at once.
Jeongguk is in love with him.
"Oh," Taehyung breathes.
Jeongguk raises his eyebrows, confused by Taehyung's sudden shift in mood; in his defense Taehyung has always been less easy to read than Jeongguk has, which is why he isn't surprised that Jeongguk never realized that he feels the same way.
It was easy for Taehyung to focus on how badly he wanted Jeongguk's knot, how intense his physical attraction was in order to explain away what he's felt ever since Jeongguk presented as an alpha three years ago. He thinks he probably loved Jeongguk even before that, too, but at that time he was young and didn't have enough context to know what love really was.
He had been pretending for too long that his big secret was that he would fuck himself on knotting toys while thinking about Jeongguk pounding into him instead, but the real secret was that after he'd come, when the heat haze was stretched thin enough to grant him clarity from his omega's urges, he'd think about what it would feel like to have Jeongguk slide his hands into his hair and ghost kisses into his skin, threaded with words of praise and i love you's.
"Jeongguk," Taehyung whispers. He brings his hand up to Jeongguk's face and slides it over his jaw to cup his cheek, thumbing at the little mole beneath his lip that Taehyung has thought about kissing far too many times for him to pretend his feelings are platonic. "Me too."
Taehyung had always thought kissing Jeongguk for the first time would be some big romantic gesture, like he'd jump into his arms and press their lips together feverishly, licking into each other's mouths with their hands tangled in each other's hair. But when he presses forward to brush their lips together, just barely, Taehyung's thumb still pressed to Jeongguk's lower lip, it feels just right for them, like the thing that's been missing from their relationship all along. Which is funny, really, considering all they just did and what they'll continue to do, what with Jeongguk's cock still buried in Taehyung's ass with the occasional spurt of come flooding hot inside of him.
Which is exactly what interrupts their kiss, the chaste press of lips— Jeongguk shivers when it happens and Taehyung can't help but giggle against his lips, at the contrast of the innocence of the kiss versus the current situation they're in.
"You kissed me," Jeongguk says. "You have no idea how many times I've thought about you doing that."
"I doubt you imagined it like this," Taehyung teases. He presses forward to slide their lips together again, tilting his head this time so he can slot them together but still keeping it chaste. Jeongguk tastes like mint which is so typical for him, everything about him always so scrubbed clean and fresh.
"I didn't," Jeongguk says in the small space between them when they pull apart. "But this feels perfect, still."
"It does." Taehyung nods, pulling back so he can look Jeongguk in the eyes. He looks tired. Taehyung is tired, too— they should both probably try to get some rest before Taehyung's omega gets restless and it's time for round two. They have plenty of time to explore what this means after his heat is over.
(And they do. Falling in love with Jeongguk is the easiest thing he's ever done— after all, he's been practicing for seven years).