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Jeongguk’s body wash smells of lavender, just like him.
For an alpha with such a sensitive nose, having unscented toiletries was preferable, but unfortunately, most brands on the market sold strongly perfumed products that didn’t sit well with his nostrils. In the end, he settled for a body wash that resembled his natural scent the most, taking advantage of the fact that lavender was a very popular fragrance. Truly a blessing in disguise, even though it still smelled a bit too artificial, but it was a necessary evil to endure to erase the smell of sweat caused by intense physical activities, like an evening of boxing at the gym.
Or sex.
Especially sex involving giving his best friend the first knot of his life, for which Jeongguk had to work hard to make the experience more than enjoyable.
And judging from Seokjin’s reaction, he’d say he succeeded.
By the time he exits the bathroom, he finds Seokjin already half-asleep under the covers of Jeongguk’s bed, wearing lent pyjamas that the beta himself bought for the alpha when he still didn’t know of Jeongguk’s penchant for sleeping in just a pair of sweats (or nothing at all, really; tonight he’s clothed, though, since he has already been naked for quite some time). The pyjamas in question were striped short ones in a pretty shade of navy with a touch of lilac, almost lavender, and in Jeongguk’s opinion, they suited Seokjin more, exposing his long shapely legs that were resting on Jeongguk’s shoulders not even an hour prior.
Ignoring the strange puff of pride swelling in his chest at the thought, he slips into bed by Seokjin’s side, who, despite floating towards a cloud of sleep, has the strength to turn and signal Jeongguk to spoon him.
The alpha does exactly that, scooting forward and putting an arm around Seokjin’s waist, purring quietly to lull the other to sleep. In the dark, Jeongguk aligns his legs with Seokjin’s, tucking his knees in the beta’s knee pits, pushing his nose into his nape and nuzzling it as he keeps purring.
Jeongguk senses a sort of tremor coming from Seokjin when his nose touches the dip where head and neck join, and a moment later, a fragrance fills the air, sweet and tart at the same time.
Lemon, Jeongguk’s nose recognises sluggishly as its owner wanders towards the border between sleep and wakefulness. Seokjin-hyung, it supplies next, since the feeling of satiety and happiness and the sense of security it carries can’t be artificially produced by a commercial fragrance.
It’s so good that Jeongguk pushes himself further into Seokjin, bringing their bodies flush against each other, tightening the grip around his waist, and taking a deep lungful of air.
“I love your scent,” he hums moments before surrendering to sleep.
In the dead of the night, a tickling sensation in the nose suddenly brings Jeongguk back from the realm of slumber.
A swift investigation made of sniffing (and almost sneezing, since the intruder got stuck deeper into his nose) reveals that the cause is a naughty tuft of hair belonging to Seokjin: the beta turned over in his sleep and is now facing Jeongguk, curling up against the alpha’s chest and burying his nose right in the younger’s clavicle.
Were you cold, hyung? Jeongguk wonders, shifting a little to move Seokjin’s hair away from his nostrils, but not enough to separate from him: they can sleep glued like this, and they will if the beta does feel cold. Jeongguk runs hot anyway, he can share his warmth since he has plenty to spare.
Slowly, careful not to make sudden movements that could wake Seokjin from his peaceful sleep, Jeongguk lets himself melt into the mattress and against the elder, going jelly-limbed as his mind struggles to keep focus, already teetering again on the brink of slumber.
A low, almost inaudible hum is blown against Jeongguk’s chest just as Seokjin burrows deeper in the crook of the alpha’s neck, his hair now tickling Jeongguk’s chin. It’s sweet and endearing, bringing a smile to the younger’s lips, who responds to Seokjin’s gesture by nuzzling his soft curls, messing them up a bit.
Then, in the spur of the moment, Jeongguk leans down and leaves a peck on the soft skin of Seokjin’s forehead.
His lips linger.
His nose, ever so sensitive, picks up notes of lemon still wafting from Seokjin’s body and hair, singing a siren song made of scents that calls to him.
Now, if Jeongguk were just a bit more awake, he would pull back, get out of bed, and take a trip to the kitchen to drink a glass of icy-cold water and clear his mind before going back to sleep.
But his mind isn’t fully awake. It’s already drifting in the limbo that precedes falling asleep, where every thought and action, however definite it is, ends up forgotten by the next morning.
And so, he chases.
His nose trails down, one centimetre at a time since every movement is like waddling in treacle, and gently rubs against Seokjin’s scent gland, basking in its fragrance as if he wanted to drown in it.
He wonders – just a small, innocent curiosity – if the taste would be just as good.
But his half-asleep mind doesn’t make him lick Seokjin’s neck to check. No, it focuses on the burgeoning idea that taste is exclusive to the mouth, and so that’s where he needs to go.
Jeongguk groans quietly as he makes a Herculean effort to move, hindered by sleep that tightens its shackles on him. Lifting his head just enough so that his forehead leans against Seokjin’s sucks all the energy out of him, and he flutters his eyes shut for a moment, to rest for just that little bit which will allow him to push forward, in the direction of the puff of breath that caresses his lips…
It’s a single moment of vulnerability which his mind takes advantage of to fall asleep and forget.
The memories of what he did in his sleep fade, and all that remains is Seokjin’s lemon scent on him.