Chapter Text
Jake was blushing.
He never blushed.
Not for any girl, or boy... let alone a group member.
But he was blushing, evidently, and due to a simple action from the alpha.
"Thank you," he hoped the other wouldn't notice how frail his voice sounded. "My shoelaces..."
"I see, be careful."
Sunghoon walked away, leaving Jake confused and still flustered.
Three minutes ago everything was normal.
Three minutes ago Sunghoon and Jake were only practicing on their own, with earphones and half of the practice room wordlessly designated for each.
Three minutes ago Sunghoon was only Jake's friend.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm just tired." Or so Jake told Sunghoon and himself to explain the heavy pumping of blood from his heart to his limbs.
There was nothing new or revealing on Sunghoon catching him as he was about to fall. It wasn't the first time after all.
Not that it was really common, but every now and then one of them would slip during dance practice. Thankfully, most of those times, another member would prevent them from falling down.
Which is what Sunghoon did. Simply helped his friend.
Simply placed his hands on Jake's waist to pull him towards his own body, stopping his momentum.
Then Sunghoon went back to dancing. Jake pretended to do so too as he panicked inside.
-
"Sunoo..."
"Yes?"
The sweet omega smiled at him, and Jake knew he could trust him.
"I think I have... a crush."
Sunoo's face illuminated with his surprised facial expressions. This was the first time one of them confessed such thing to him. Also, the first time he knew about Jake liking anyone.
"Do they make your heart race when you merely look at them?"
Jake thought that was cheesy, but truth. "Yes."
"Then you do have a crush. Do I know them?"
This time, he sighed. "Yes."
Sunoo didn't celebrate this time. He noticed the conflict on his friends expression, and decided to be careful with his words. "Do they know about this?"
"No."
They were eating snacks in the kitchen while everyone else played at the living room or their rooms. Nevertheless, Sunoo decided to keep it subtle. "Jake hyung... do you not like having this crush?"
Jake pouted, confused and struggling to make out any sense out of his feelings. "I don't know. It happen just... suddenly. I had never seen him as more than a friend and now, even in my sleep... I dream of him."
It was easy for Sunoo to know he meant one of their groupmates.
"When did it start?"
"Like... five days ago? We were dancing and he held me for a second when I stumbled... he just had to held my waist for a second and now I'm about to ruin the group's progress and-"
"Stop. Sorry, you are starting to spiral there... Jake hyung, that's not going to happen. Ever, okay?"
"But how can I act normal now?"
Sunoo looked at him with sorrow. "Hyung... you already did it once. You were depressed and still none of us noticed. I'm afraid you're good at hiding your real feelings."
The older closed his eyes. "But... how can I live with knowing he would never want me back?"
That was harder for Sunoo to answer. "Maybe... just holding to the thought that... maybe this is just a temporal crush."
Jake nodded. "You're right, maybe it's just a temporary thing."
-
It wasn't.
A whole month passed until Jake finally accepted his crush was not platonic. It was sincere love.
He had fallen in love with Sunghoon.
Every time Sunghoon laughed with him, sang with him, danced with him, Jake had to bite his own lip to stop himself from saying something bold. Something he would regret.
"Sunoo," Jake threw himself on the younger's bed without care. "This isn't temporary. He's driving me crazy."
The omega immediately left his book and turned towards his friend. "Can I get excited about it now?"
"No."
"Come on. This is so cute, I always shipped you guys together even if the fans didn't-"
"Wait- you know who it is?!"
Sunoo covered his mouth for a second before nodding. "Sorry, but it was a bit obvious to me. It couldn't be me because you came to me, and it can't be Niki because he's like your own child. Then Jungwon and Jay seem to have a thing and you don't look at any of them with loving eyes. And... you know I like Heeseung, so I want to believe you wouldn't confess to me about liking him too."
Jake nibbled at his lip for a moment, pondering on that thought.
"Is it obvious?"
Sunoo shook his head. "I just noticed because I knew you had a crush. But as I told you, you are good at hiding your feelings."
And Jake thought so too, until Sunghoon's pre-rut came around a week later.
Both of them were working out at the company's gym when Sunghoon threw a heavy barbell to the floor, cursing under his breath.
"Sunghoon?"
"The fucking pain..." he hissed, and it sent shivers to Jake's back.
"Is it your rut?"
The alpha sighed, annoyed. "Not yet, but it's making me sweat and the fucking air conditioning is not enough."
Jake couldn't help it. Sunghoon looked hot and Jake would appreciate a nice view... even if it meant he was staring at Sunghoon's biceps with way too much desire.
"Yeah... um, you smell."
"What?" Sunghoon snapped at him, upset about the comment.
"I mean... your scent. Your scent is stronger."
Then Sunghoon scoffed, breaking Jake's heart with his words. "How would you know, you're just a beta."
His steps were muted for Jake's ears as he left the room. Everything sounded as if Jake was underwater for a few minutes. None of his members had ever made a comment about him being just a beta.
And he knew Sunghoon didn't meant to say it in an offensive way. He only said that because his pre-rut was messsing with his hormones. Sunoo said so too.
And yet, it didn't stop Jake from tearing up at night as Sunoo held him in a hug to help him sleep.
-
Jungwon called everyone for a small meeting the next morning to let them know Sunghoon's rut started during the night and he was taken away to the clinic.
"So, he won't be here for around four days, his rut was a bit earlier than the it should have been so the physician expects it to be longer."
"Man, we still have to learn the new choreography." Ni-ki rolled his eyes. As an alpha himself, he should understand this would be harder for Sunghoon than for them. Jake ached to scold him, and he would have if he wasn't distracted trying to hide his puffy eyes from them.
"He'll join us later. Also, he requested things." Jungwon pulled his cellphone out to read a message, "food... food... a box that Jay has the key of, TMI... food, and Sunoo's scent."
"What?!"
Several of them though the same, but Jake had been the only one to say it aloud. He wished he had covered his mouth, or whispered instead of almost yelling.
"I mean..." he swallowed the lump on his throat when the rest looked at him. "That's new... no one had asked for that before."
"Jake... you may not know this but it helps. We have requested things like that before... we just don't share it." Even if Jay explained as sensitive as possible, it still hurt for Jake to know he was the only unaware of that.
Jake simply nodded, noticing that Sunoo was nervously looking at his hands.
-
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Sunshine. You smell good and I know it's not your fault... it's no one's fault. It is what it is."
"I still wish he had asked for yours... or even Jungwon's."
Jake huffed. "What can my dull scent do to help? Anyway... did you see Heeseung's expression when Jungwon read that?"
"What? No way...."
Sunoo went along with that. He didn't want to pressure Jake anymore.
-
"Welcome back," Jake was in the kitchen eating ramyeon when Sunghoon got to their dorm. "Everyone is out, you can use the shower."
"I already showered, thanks."
Sunghoon's voice was snappy, and even if Jungwon had warned him and Sunoo of this, it made Jake nervous.
The alpha left everything on the floor by the entrance, too tired to care. He then walked into the kitchen and, barely sparing a glance at Jake, he opened the fridge to take anything.
The beta didn't comment on how many food containers Sunghoon was palcing on the table. Jay had prepared most of them for him anyway.
"What's that smell?"
Sunghoon covered his nose, looking at the now open containers.
"Hmm? The kimchi?"
The alpha turned to him and, witouth warning, leaned close to Jake's face. "Have you been drinking?"
"What? No! Dude, it's two p.m."
"Is that your scent?"
"Sorry?" Jake was getting uncomfortable, so he got up to create some physical distance.
"You literally stink of bourbon... and strawberries."
Jake frowned. "Wait... you never smelt my scent before?"
When his so called best friend shook his head, Jake stepped further away. He knew it was hard to notice it compared to an omega's or alpha's... but it was his. His other members had commented on it before. Even Ni-ki had complimented the vanilla undertones once he persented.
Yes, it made him upset to know Sunghoon hadn't paid attention to it before.
"So you just thought I drank whiskey and ate berries daily?" Dick.
"What's with your tone? It's just a scent."
Jake's breathing picked up. He was angry, and hurting. "It's not just a scent... it's mine. Sorry it ruins your appetite."
He tried to leave the room but the alpha grabbed his wrist. It stinged.
"You know I didn't mean it like that..."
"A moment ago you covered your nose. It's not my fault your alpha sense of smell started to work just now."
Sunghoon scoffed, letting go of his hand and walking back to the food. "It has always worked fine, so maybe it was you."
Jake stood there for a moment. When had this turned for the worst? When did it start to matter to Jake if his friend liked his scent or not? When had Sunghoon started to speak like that to him?
And the worst part of it was that Jake's feelings for Sunghoon didn't falter despite his indifference. And his face still blushed at the memory of Sunghoon smelling his face earlier.
Maybe it was him.