Work Text:
First time
That I saw your eyes
Boy, you looked right through me
•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•
Jaemin is trying his best to unobtrusively sneak his way back from the gym bathroom without disturbing any of the varsity teams currently practicing in the gym.
A freak lightning accident during a thunderstorm one night broke some of the windows and mirrors in the studios and practice rooms, including the one dedicated to the dance club, and while the university was taking care of that, they were lent a corner of one of the gyms used by the indoor sports teams.
As a Post Graduate student, Jaemin isn't required to join clubs, but he's grown fond of the people he met while taking up his bachelor's degree in Social Work, and now, taking up his MSW in his alma mater, he wants to keep connected even when he only has classes on weekends.
Just as he passes by the table tennis team, a bright orange ball whizzes right in front of his nose, bouncing off the wall next to him, which he catches with one hand out of pure reflex. Jaemin looks at the ball in his hand, dumbfounded.
"Sorry!" Someone says next to him, and he looks up from his hand to probably the most handsome guy he's ever seen in his life, and that's saying something now that Jaemin has begun his internship at an Omega Heat Service Agency, and he's surrounded by beautiful and handsome people five days a week.
"Uh, it's fine…?" He trails off, handing the ball over to the other's outstretched hand.
A faint scent reaches him, something that makes him think of sundry laundry, baby's breath flowers, and soft kitten paws; warm and soft, yet still undeniably…
Alpha .
Something in him clenches, but he takes a breath through his mouth to clear his head. It's unlike him to be so affected by an alpha, but Jaemin guesses there's a first time for everything.
And the man doesn’t seem like any regular alpha.
The other accepts the ball, smiling eyes never leaving Jaemin.
"Nice catch, by the way," he says, rolling the ball in his fingers.
"Reflex," Jaemin replies, uncharacteristically shy. He doesn't get why he's suddenly acting so coyly like this when he's usually so confident in meeting people. This isn't the first time he's interacting with an Alpha, and most definitely won't be the last, and yet…
"By the way, I've never seen you around here before," the other comments, tilting his head to the side.
Jaemin is reminded of his favorite dog breed, the Samoyed. Cute, he thinks.
"I'm from the dance club," Jaemin answers, pointing to the corner where the other senior members are holding tryouts for new members.
"Ah," the guy says, nodding with an understanding expression.
"Too bad about your practice rooms, but it's nice to see new faces around." He looks back at Jaemin and his smile returns, eyes crinkling to crescent moons. "Especially if they're as cute as you."
Jaemin freezes, a blush spreading across his cheeks.
The alpha laughs at his expression. "What's your name, by the way?"
"Jaemin…" He scratches behind his ear, looking down, smile wide.
"Nice name." The other offers his hand to shake. "I'm Jeno."
Jaemin accepts the handshake, and as their hands separate, they hear shouts behind the alpha.
"Hey, Lee! Until when are you gonna keep on flirting? Just because you're a postgrad doesn't mean you can slack off so long as you're a part of this team!"
The alpha - Jeno - winces, before turning back to Jaemin.
"Duty calls," he says, pointing at the players behind him with his thumb.
"I'll see you again soon. Bye!" And with that, Jeno turns around to jog back to the table tennis team.
"Bye…" Jaemin whispers, biting his lip, before walking back to the dance team's corner of the gym.
If he almost trips on his own two feet, trying to look back at the table tennis players for a final glimpse of the alpha, no one has to know.
Played it cool
But I know you knew
That Cupid hit me
•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•
After that, it's like Jaemin sees Jeno everywhere: He sees him passing by one of Jaemin's classes in the Higher Education building the MSW students share with the Education postgrads; in the library a few tables away as he looks for sources for his MSW research courses; across the Quad while he's eating lunch, and of course, in the gym when he has dance club practice.
Sometimes their eyes meet, and, even though Jaemin feels like his head will explode from how fast the blood flushes his face whenever Jeno offers a smile and a small wave, he acts like nothing is happening and returns with a wave of his own.
As is usual, Jaemin puts in his AirPods as he walks back to his parents' home after his weekend classes one afternoon.
He's about one whole song into his walk when someone slightly pulls at his sleeve from behind. He jumps, startled, dropping his black backpack, the small gym bag he uses for dance, and some folders and binders for his classes.
He whips around to see the culprit and ends up face-to-face with Lee Jeno. The Alpha's right hand is outstretched when he tapped Jaemin to get his attention.
He sees Jeno's mouth moving to speak, but he doesn't hear him.
"What?" Jaemin asks, confused. "I can't hear you…?"
The other smiles widely, before reaching for Jaemin's face.
Flustered, Jaemin closes his eyes in anticipation, before he feels something pulled out from his ears.
Oh. He still had his AirPods on.
"I said," Jeno says, his eye smile on full-power. "We should stop meeting like this."
"Meeting like how?"
"With our things flying everywhere."
"Wow. Yeah, I see what you mean."
Speaking of .
Jaemin stoops down to pick up the stuff he dropped, the alpha bending down to help him.
Jeno beats him to his backpack and gym bag, which the table tennis player hooks both over his own shoulder.
Jeno gestures for them to continue walking, returning Jaemin's Airpods as they go.
"How come I've never seen you on the way home before?" Jeno asks, starting a conversation. "We seem to both go home the same way?"
Jaemin drops his Airpods to their holder before pocketing the pink cube, the keyring his favorite neighbor, Jisung, gave to him clinking with his every move.
"I usually don't go home this early," Jaemin explains, taking a peek at the varsity member next to him. When he sees him looking, he immediately whips his head back to the front.
"Most of the time I stay in the library and read for my research courses until dark, then I just run home."
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Jeno asks, tone curious. "I've heard there's a recent uptick on mugging and armed robberies against students coming home alone; especially weekend postgrads."
Somehow, the comment has Jaemin's metaphorical feathers ruffled.
"Just because I'm an omega, doesn't mean I can't protect myself," he huffs, pouting.
"The concern is less because you're an omega and more that the targets seem to be people walking all by themselves in the dark at late hours," the other explains, chuckling.
"I never said it was about orientations."
Jaemin pouts even more, making Jeno laugh out loud.
"How about this," the alpha offers. "You walk with me every weekend from now on so I don't worry about you randomly getting mugged one night."
"Why should I?" Jaemin counters, playing cool. "What do I get from it?"
"Aside from your safety?" The other asks, amused. "Well, you'll be doing me a favor, sparing me a lonely walk home, even if it was just twice every week."
Jaemin hums, pretending to think about it.
"Fine," Jaemin accepts, tone haughty. "Just so you're not lonely and bored walking home."
Jaemin ends up reaching his apartment block first, two street corners away from the complex the alpha's family resides in, according to him.
Jaemin takes back his bags, noting the electric sensations whenever their hands touch.
"See you tomorrow, Jaemin," Jeno says, waving goodbye as he continues down the block.
Jaemin replies with a wave, waiting at the gate of his apartment building for the table tennis player to turn the corner before deciding to enter the building.
Just as the elevator door closes, his mom steps into the coach. Her smile tells something devious. Jaemin has learned to never trust this particular smile of his mom's.
"So, who's the boy that walked you home?" She asks, no preamble.
Jaemin looks at the other people sharing the elevator with them. No one seems to be paying them any attention, but it still isn't the type of conversation to be had with their neighbors around
"At least wait until we're home before interrogating me, Mom."
Can't breathe
When you touch my sleeve
Butterflies so crazy
•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•
So, they walk home together from their university during weekends after their clubs, a freshly-showered Jeno waiting at the bleachers near the dance club’s corner as he watches Jaemin and the older members cram some last-minute practices before calling it a day, and using the showers that the athletes have already vacated. Jeno always takes Jaemin's backpack even though he says he can carry his things by himself.
When the alpha says it “helps with weight training”, the omega huffs and just let it slide.
One weekday afternoon, when Jeno is on his way home from the elementary school he works at, he catches Jaemin stepping out of the heat agency he works at, and since then, the young teacher waits at the nearest intersection to walk him home a few nights a week.
"Seriously, you don't have to walk me home from the Agency some days," Jaemin insists, eyes down to look where he's going.
It's the middle of the rainy season, and the winds and rain are making walking difficult and a bit dangerous. Jeno's hand shoots from under his own umbrella, pulling Jaemin by the sleeve of his sweatshirt to herd him further from the side of the road.
The touch flusters Jaemin, and makes him lose his concentration. He slips, and would have fallen face down on the wet concrete if Jeno hadn't managed to catch him in time.
"Thanks for proving my point that I should definitely walk you home every day," Jeno says as they straighten themselves up and return to the shelter of their umbrellas.
Jaemin notes that Jeno has kept his hand around Jaemin's elbow.
Jaemin gasps, protesting. "Walking me home from university on weekend nights is one thing since we're going the same direction, but walking me home from work is out of your way, Jeno!
"You have to go back a couple of blocks for your street intersection. Really, you don't have to."
"Yeah, I don't have to," the alpha agrees, smile ever-present. "But I want to, Nana."
"Yah, I haven't given you permission to call me that, yet," the social worker says, but he's got his own smile on his lips.
Jeno hums, considering. "How about this: you let me call you Nana, and I'll let you call me Nono; deal?"
"Nobody calls you that, though?" Jaemin asks, confused. "I've never heard it from anyone before?"
"Yeah, because it'll only be you," Jeno agrees. "So? Are we going to be Nono and Nana from now on."
Jaemin's hand tightens around the handle of his foldable umbrella.
He can feel the heat of Jeno's hand through his sweatshirt.
"Yeah, okay, Nono, you can call me Nana."
Woah now
I think I'm going down
Friends don't know what hit me
•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•
Jaemin is deeply engrossed in filing the updated profile packets for their Agency’s field agents. He’s shaking his butt and singing along to SNSD’s I Got A Boy on his AirPods when he hears Siri announce that ‘Acorn’ is calling him.
He startles, almost dropping the packets in his hands. He decides to set them over the filing cabinet before he deals them any more damage.
Jaemin freezes, confused. The alpha has never called him before, usually preferring to shoot him a KaTalk whenever he tells Jaemin something, or pictures of his cats whenever they do something adorable.
Some of the more senior employees look over to him at the commotion, so Jaemin accepts the call with a soft and hesitant, “Hello? Nono?”
‘Nana, hi.’
Jaemin resumes his filing as he talks. “You don’t usually call…?”
‘Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that I can’t walk you home today. We’re having a general faculty meeting and it seems it’s gonna take a while.’
Jaemin chuckles, amused. “You didn’t have to call me; you could’ve just sent me a message on KaTalk or something.”
‘I just wanted to make sure you know as soon as you can!’
“Yah,” Jaemin nags, pausing from his work. “I’m not the one who collects notifications like they’re Gongcha stamps!”
‘Alright, so I’ll check my messages more often. But anyway, yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow?’
“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” Jaemin bids, smile fond. “Bye, Nono.”
“Bye, Nono,” a high-pitched voice repeats behind him, and Jaemin turns, throwing the culprit the stink-eye.
“Yah, Chanyeol-hyung, you want me to tell you how you sound when Baekhyun-hyung is around?”
“Why, Jaemin, nice to see how hard you’re working!” The alpha backtracks, hands raised in supplication
“Yeah, that’s better.”
“But seriously,” the elder says, leaning against another filing cabinet. “You’re so cute with your boyfriend.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Jaemin replies blankly.
“What?” Chanyeol-hyung asks, confused. “Who’s the guy walking you home every day?”
“He’s just a friend from uni!” Jaemin exclaims.
“I don’t know, not just any friend from uni waits for someone over an hour every day to walk home together.”
“Don’t you have any work to do?!”
“Bye, Nana, dream of your Nono!”
“Leave, hyung!”
You got me trippin', stumblin', flippin', fumblin'
Clumsy 'cause I'm fallin' in love (in love)
•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•
The next day is a Saturday, and Jaemin decides to forgo the extra practice to wait for Jeno instead.
“You’re not gonna stay, hyung?” Jaemin’s junior friend Jisung, the same neighbor Jisung who gave him the keyring on his AirPods case, asks.
“Nope,” Jaemin replies, walking towards the showers alongside him as he wipes at his face with a tiny towel.
“I’m feeling a bit rebellious and stray from the usual today.”
“Are you going somewhere with Jeno-hyung?” The younger omega asks, cocking his head to the side in curiosity.
Jisung’s met Jeno many times, not just while the alpha waits as dance practice ends, but sometimes when Jeno volunteers to walk Jaemin to the mall when he’s hanging out with his friends Mark and Donghyuck, who work at the same omega health clinic as a second-year resident and a nurse respectively. Sometimes, Jisung and his best friend (more like boyfriend) Chenle keep Jeno company while waiting for Jaemin to call it quits when the senior is done with basketball practice.
Jaemin hums. “Maybe? I haven’t decided yet.”
They take their showers, and Jaemin waves Jisung away, who’s going to the basketball gym to wait for Chenle’s practice to end.
The alpha looks at him in curiosity when he notices Jaemin waiting for Jeno’s corner of the bleachers during table tennis practice, a deviation from their usual.
The omega gestures with his hand, reminding the other to focus on his practice.
6 o’clock arrives and Jeno heads for him the moment their coach dismisses them for the day.
“Well, what do we have here?” Jeno asks, smile wide. “What are you doing here, and so early?”
Jaemin shrugs, returning the smile with his own.
“Nothing special,” he says, shrugging. “Just felt like eating out tonight. You want to come with?”
“Are you asking me out on a date, Na Jaemin?” The alpha asks, teasing.
“And what if I am?” The omega dares. “What are you gonna do about it?”
The other freezes, surprised, before starting to walk backward.
“Give me 10 minutes!” He shouts, starting to run, almost tripping as he tries to overtake his teammates to the gym showers.
Jaemin just laughs at the display as he shakes his head.
You got me slippin', tumblin', sinkin', fumblin'
Clumsy 'cause I'm fallin' in love (in love)
So in love with you
•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•◊•
That day, Jaemin walks home, not with his uni friend Jeno, but with his boyfriend Nono.
And if he trips as he runs away from the alpha after stealing a kiss in front of his apartment, no one but his laughing boyfriend has to know.