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Yukhei is completely unable to concentrate. He’s supposed to be helping Ten work on their presentation for class, but all he can think about is how Ten’s scent is filling up every corner of his bedroom.
Usually Yukhei’s room smells like nothing. Right now it smells like a tropical rainstorm.
Most omegas’ scents have a cloying sweetness to them, and Yukhei thinks that might be why he likes Ten so much more than any other omega he ever met. Yukhei had never really cared for sweet things. Ten’s scent, on the other hand, makes him go crazy. Trying to focus in class with that scent all up in his head is impossible, and it’s even worse now that Ten is on his bed, sitting right next to Yukhei. Yukhei can’t take his eyes off him.
“Maybe we should put this stuff on a separate slide,” Ten says, frowning at his computer screen. “It looks cluttered.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. Go for it.” Yukhei has no idea what Ten is talking about. They’re sitting so close, Yukhei could just lean over and press his face against Ten’s neck and inhale.
Not that he would, of course. That would be weird.
After fixing the slide Ten saves the file and puts his laptop to the side. He stretches with a groan, and his hoodie lifts up enough to show just a sliver of his flat stomach. Yukhei nearly chokes.
“Let’s take a break before I go blind staring at that presentation,” Ten says.
“Yukhei is quick to agree. He may be a little whipped for Ten, but he really doesn’t think that anyone can blame him for it.
“So how’s practice going?” Ten asks and Yukhei blinks in response, confused. Ten laughs at his reaction and jostles him with a shoulder. “Basketball, didn’t you say that you have a big match next week?”
“Oh, right! Wow, I didn’t think you’d remember.”
Yukhei has a tendency to ramble a lot – about school, life, funny things he saw on the internet – and it’s especially bad when he’s nervous. Which is all the time, when he’s around Ten. Most people just tune him out, but Ten must have actually been listening. A warm feeling spreads in Yukhei’s chest.
“Of course I remember, dummy. I’m not worried though, I know you’re going to kick ass. You always do.”
Yukhei grins, suddenly shy. “Thanks, man.” It means a lot to hear that from Ten.
Ten smiles back, and Yukhei swears his heart beats loud enough that his neighbors might hear it.
“Hey, do you mind if I open your window a bit?” Ten asks. “It’s so hot in here.”
“Go ahead.” You’re hot, Yukhei's mind helpfully supplies as Ten gets up from the bed and cracks open Yukhei’s window. At first it’s a relief, the fresh air making Ten’s scent a little less intense, but then Ten shrugs out of his hoodie and Yukhei’s mind goes blank.
Ten is only wearing a thin t-shirt underneath, and the breeze from outside makes his scent hit Yukhei like a brick to the face.
Ten drops his hoodie on the edge of Yukhei’s bed and goes to sit down next to him again, but this time he’s much closer. Yukhei is hyperaware of every point of contact between them, the way their shoulders and thighs press together. Ten’s scent was distracting before, but now it’s overwhelming.
“Yukhei, look at me.”
Yukhei swallows hard before turning his head towards Ten. Ten’s eyes only meets Yukhei’s for a second, before his gaze drops to Yukhei’s lips.
Yukhei feels like he’s going to pass out. Is this really happening? He has imagined this exact scenario too many times to count, but he didn’t even dare to think that it might ever actually happen.
Ten presses their lips together and Yukhei’s brain short-circuits.
It’s a slow thing at first. Ten’s lips move softly against Yukhei’s and Yukhei lifts a hand to cup his jaw. Ten’s skin is heated beneath his fingers.
The kiss soon deepens, Ten parting his lips and letting Yukhei lick into his mouth. He tastes even better than he smells, and Ten’s scent is probably Yukhei’s favorite scent in the world so that’s really saying something. Yukhei doesn’t think he could ever get tired of this, of having Ten pressed up against him while they kiss until they can’t breathe.
“Yukhei,” Ten sighs when they part for air, and the name rolls off his tongue like nothing Yukhei has ever heard before. He’s melting at the sound of it. He wants to hear Ten say his name like that again and again and again.
Ten shifts beside him and for a moment Yukhei worries that he’s going to move away, but then Ten is straddling him and pulling him back into a kiss. There’s not a single thing on Yukhei’s mind that isn’t Ten.
Ten is running his hands down Yukhei’s chest, and when they get to the hem of his shirt he slips them up beneath the fabric. Yukhei feels them pressing against his abs, palms burning against his skin. His own hands are on Ten’s hips, holding him steady as they kiss.
Yukhei is already getting hard, and the way Ten is moaning softly into his mouth really isn’t helping. Ten’s scent is more intense than ever and Yukhei pulls back from the kiss to press his face against Ten’s neck. He smells unbelievably good, and Yukhei mouths at the soft skin beneath Ten’s jaw.
“Yukhei,” Ten says softly, baring his neck. Then he suddenly tenses up, his hands coming up to push against Yukhei’s shoulders. “Yukhei, stop!” He sounds distressed, and Yukhei pulls back immediately.
“What’s wrong?”
Ten is climbing off his lap and Yukhei tries not to whine at the loss. “I have to go.”
“Did I do something wrong?” Yukhei asks, unable to keep the insecurity out of his voice. Ten’s sudden change is freaking him out a little bit. He stands up, but Ten is backing away from him and Yukhei notices that he seems to be shaking slightly.
“No, you— I’m going into heat.”
Oh. Oh. That would explain why he smells even more irresistible than usual.
Yukhei looks at Ten and suddenly it’s like every alpha instinct in his body kicks in at once. He needs to take care of Ten, make sure that he's safe. “I’ll drive you,” he says, already picking up his keys. Ten lives off campus, and there’s no way Yukhei is letting him take the bus with the kind of pheromones he’s emitting right now.
Ten doesn’t protest. He follows Yukhei out to his car, walking several steps away from him one moment and pressing up against Yukhei’s side the next. Both are equally hard for Yukhei to deal with. Whenever Ten is too far away Yukhei wants to pull him close, but as soon as Ten’s arm brushes against Yukhei’s his mind gets all fogged up and he has to fight the urge to lean down and kiss him again.
Yukhei’s fingers are tight around the steering wheel as he drives. Ten’s scent fills up the car even with the windows cracked and the air-con on blast. Ten is squirming in the passenger seat, a light sheen of sweat on his skin and his breath coming out in short, shallow pants. Yukhei hopes that he isn’t in pain. He doesn’t know much about heats.
Yukhei tries to keep a respectful distance while making sure that Ten gets into his apartment, ignoring the way his fingers are twitching with the need to reach out and touch the omega. Ten’s scent follows him on the way back, lingering in his car and on his clothes.
The moment Yukhei comes home he sinks down on his bed, which also smells like Ten. The hoodie Ten had taken off earlier is lying by Yukhei’s knees, and his face burns with shame when he grabs it and inhales deeply.
Yukhei doesn’t hear from Ten for a few days, but Ten’s roommate comes by to pick up the backpack and laptop that Ten had left behind when they made their hasty exit.
“How’s he doing?” Yukhei asks as Taeyong stuffs the computer into Ten’s backpack and zips it shut. Taeyong smells like strawberry candy, and it doesn’t do a thing for Yukhei.
“He’s doing alright,” Taeyong says. “I’m glad it was you he was with. Not all alphas have that kind of restraint, you know?”
“Yeah,” Yukhei mumbles in reply, fidgeting with his fingers. There’s something he’s curious about, but he hasn’t been sure who to ask. He figures that Taeyong might be able to help, being an omega and all that. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
Taeyong looks up at him with a hint of surprise. “Sure, go ahead.”
“When you guys, you know. Go into heat.” For a question that’s been on Yukhei’s mind constantly during the last days, it’s surprisingly hard to get out. He doesn’t often talk about stuff like this. “Do you ever do things that you wouldn’t do if you weren’t in heat? Like, uh…kiss an alpha that you wouldn’t normally want to kiss?”
“Yeah, a lot of omegas do that,” Taeyong replies. “It can be really hard to resist the urge to mate when you’re around an alpha while in heat, regardless of how you feel about that alpha.”
“Oh.” Yukhei’s stomach drops. So it really was too good to be true. “Thanks, I was just curious.”
If Taeyong notices the change in Yukhei’s mood, he doesn’t say anything. Yukhei sees him out before going back to bed, where he lies down and hugs his pillow against his chest.
He stares at Ten’s hoodie, neatly folded on top of his dresser. Yukhei didn't tell Taeyong that he has it. He was planning on giving it to Ten himself when they see each other in class next week, but now he’s not nearly as excited for it.
Yukhei’s chest hurts at the thought that Ten wanted to kiss him only because of his heat, and not because he likes Yukhei back. He wonders if Ten regrets it, if he feels like Yukhei took advantage of him.
Did Yukhei take advantage of him? He didn’t know that Ten was in heat when they kissed, but maybe he should have been able to tell. Maybe he should have realized that there is no way Ten would just kiss him out of nowhere like that, no matter how much Yukhei wants him to.
He sighs into his pillow. Life sucks.
Whenever Yukhei is down he always feels better after shooting a few hoops. It’s a good thing that it’s just for fun and not regular practice though, because right now Yukhei can’t aim for shit.
“What’s up with you, man?” Johnny asks when Yukhei returns with the ball after another failed shot. “You better get your head in the game before Friday, or we’ll get our asses handed to us.”
“I know, I know. I’m just distracted.” Yukhei passes the ball to Jaehyun, who scores a perfect two-pointer.
“Is it about that omega in your world history class?” Jaehyun asks, and Yukhei stares at him.
“No?” he says, his voice cracking in a way that makes it a bit too obvious that he’s lying. “How do you know about him anyway?”
Johnny and Jaehyun share a look, and Johnny starts laughing. “Yukhei, you literally haven’t shut up about him this whole semester. Half the team has a bet going on when you will finally grow balls and ask him out.”
Yukhei sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “It’s not that easy.”
“Actually, it sort of is. You just go up to him and tell him you like him and ask him on a date. Don’t overthink it.” Johnny claps him on the shoulder, squeezing hard. “But don’t wait too long, I saw him at our last game and he’s pretty hot. If you’re not going for it then I might.”
“No, you can’t!” Yukhei exclaims. Then he catches the playful grin on Johnny’s face, and the panic recedes. “I’ll talk to him. But I don’t think he’s into me.”
“Only one way to find out,” Jaehyun says. His gaze is locked somewhere behind Yukhei, and when Yukhei turns around to see what he’s looking at he finds Ten there, lingering at the edge of the court.
Ten smiles and waves at him, and Yukhei waves back. Johnny hits him in the shoulder.
“Go talk to him, knucklehead. This is your chance.”
Yukhei makes his way over to Ten, and he doesn’t have to look to know that Johnny and Jaehyun are both shamelessly staring at them.
“Hey,” Yukhei says when he’s finally standing in front of Ten.
“You weren’t in class today. Is everything okay?” Ten doesn’t smell nearly as intense as he did the last time they met. All traces of his heat seem to be gone.
“Yeah, I just…I overslept,” Yukhei lies. He had skipped, not feeling emotionally prepared to sit next to Ten for a whole class. It was probably a good idea, because his chest is feeling tight just talking to Ten.
“Oh, okay.” Ten gives a little smile and Yukhei’s heart skips a beat. Then Ten’s face turns serious, and he says, “Actually, can we talk for a bit? Somewhere without an audience?”
Yukhei looks over his shoulder to where Johnny and Jaehyun are doing a piss-poor job of acting like they aren’t trying to see how things are going between Ten and Yukhei. “Yeah, of course,” Yukhei says, and as they start to walk he flips Johnny and Jaehyun off behind Ten’s back.
There is no doubt in Yukhei’s mind that Ten wants to talk about what happened between them, and guilt is already crawling in his stomach. He just hopes that Ten will forgive him for not realizing that he was in heat, and that the conversation about how Ten doesn’t like Yukhei in that way will be over quickly.
Once they are out of sight of the basket court Yukhei takes a deep breath and steels himself before saying, “I’m sorry.”
Ten looks up at him in surprise. “Sorry for what?”
“For kissing you when you were in heat.” Yukhei stares down at his sneakers. It’s a lot easier than meeting Ten’s gaze. His alpha instincts protest at his submissive stance, but Yukhei doesn’t care.
“But I kissed you,” Ten says. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”
“Oh,” Yukhei says quietly. He hesitates for a few seconds before saying, “I just don’t want you to feel like you did something you regret because of me.”
“Regret? Who’s talking about regret? Yukhei, look at me.”
Yukhei lifts his gaze, and realizes that Ten doesn’t look at all upset. “I thought— I asked Taeyong and he said that sometimes omegas do things with alphas when they’re in heat that they normally wouldn’t want to do.”
“Sure, that happens sometimes.” Ten is still smiling, and Yukhei really doesn’t get what’s so amusing. Ten continues, “That’s why I don’t hang out alone with alphas if I know I’m going into heat. And that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Yeah?” Yukhei shuffles his feet but keeps his eyes on Ten to show that he’s listening.
“My heat is usually really regular, and I can tell several days before when it’s about to start. But when I was with you…” Ten’s gaze flickers away for a moment, and when he starts to speak again his voice is a little quieter. “It just hit me out of nowhere, three weeks early. I think maybe you triggered it.”
“Oh.” Yukhei has no idea what that means. “Is that bad?”
Ten laughs at that, and some of the tension in his body seems to disappear. “It’s not bad. It just means that I’m very, very attracted to you.”
Yukhei swears that his heart completely stops beating. “You are?”
“Of course I am. That’s why I kissed you, dummy.” Ten smiles, and it’s the most beautiful sight Yukhei has ever seen.
“I thought it was just because of your heat.”
“Other way around, I guess. The heat was all because of you.”
It’s a lot to take in at once, especially with Ten right there, smelling and looking completely irresistible. Yukhei can’t stop staring at him, still in disbelief that an omega like Ten would be into him. ’I’m very, very attracted to you,’ Ten’s voice echoes in his head.
“I really wanted to stay with you,” Ten admits, and there’s a faint blush on his cheeks. “But I wasn’t sure if you were just into me because I was in heat. That’s why I left.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you,” Yukhei blurts out. He can feel his ears turn red the moment the words leave his mouth. So much for being smooth.
“Oh, really?” Ten’s smile is more of a grin at this point, and he steps closer to Yukhei. His earlier shyness is completely gone, replaced with a raw confidence that Yukhei always found so attractive. “So what’s stopping you, big boy?”
Yukhei loses his breath in an instant. Ten is looking up at him with his bottom lip between his teeth, gaze flickering between Yukhei’s eyes and mouth.
Yukhei pulls Ten closer by the waist, ignoring the fact that his hands may be shaking just a little bit. Ten fits perfectly against him, like he’s meant to be in Yukhei’s arms.
“I really like you,” Yukhei mumbles, before leaning down to press his lips against Ten’s. He can feel Ten smiling, but the expression disappears as soon as Yukhei begins to kiss him in earnest.
It feels amazing to be kissing Ten, even without the heat pheromones in the air. In fact Yukhei almost likes it better this way, with his head clear and ready to take in all the subtle ways that Ten’s lips move against his. Ten lifts his hands so that he can tangle his fingers in Yukhei’s hair and pull him even closer.
Yukhei loses all sense of time. By the time they pull away from each other he has no idea if they’ve been kissing for ten seconds or ten minutes. All he knows is that he wants to do it again.
“Your hoodie is still at my place.” His lips brush against Ten’s as he speaks.
“I better go home with you and get it then.” Ten kisses Yukhei one last time before starting to walk in the direction of where Yukhei lives. He looks over his shoulder, holding out his hand. “Coming?”
Yukhei grabs his hand and interlaces their fingers before giving Ten’s hand a soft squeeze. Ten smiles at him, squeezing back.
Yukhei can’t stop smiling the whole way home.