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“Tell me the story of how you and papa met,” Chaeyoung yawned, looking up at Jongin with eyes so wide they put the cutest puppy to shame.
Jongin sighed and pretended to think for a few moments.
“But you already know that story. What about an adventure story? Or a princess one?” The little girl whined and shook her head vehemently.
“No, I want to hear it again,” for extra measure, the statement was accompanied by a poked out lower lip.
Equal parts devastating and adorable, Jongin couldn’t deny her any longer and let out another sigh, this one more resigned than the previous one.
“I guess I could tell it again, but I don’t understand why you like it so much,” Jongin admitted, smiling as he settled against the plush pink headboard.
He hoped Chaeyoung would go to sleep early, but of course nothing about the little girl ever went according to plan.
“Where should I start?” It was a rhetorical question but Chaeyoung sat up and excitedly clutched Jongin’s arm.
“The fight! The fight!”
She’d definitely heard the story too many times.
“Fine, I guess I’ll start there then.”
Jongin glared at the boy lying on the ground in front of him and he crouched down, gripping the dirtied front of his school button-up.
“Don’t let me fucking catch you around here again.” The other boy could barely open his eyes due to swelling and blood trickled from both sides of his nose. Instead of a verbal response, there was a stiff nod, then a pained intake of breath.
Jongin let go of the shirt and the boy’s face landed back in the dust where he made no attempts to raise it again.
Jongin stood up and dusted his hands on his pants before retrieving his backpack from beneath a wooden pallet.
Not sparing another glance, Jongin walked away from the boy and climbed up some rickety cement stairs until he was street level.
A few passerbys eyed him but Jongin didn’t pay them any mind as he slipped his AirPods into his ears and began his walk home.
Just as he turned onto his street, he saw some kids milling around the entrance of his apartment complex and slowed his walk.
He’d already beat the shit out of one kid from Norangangjin High, what were a few more?
If they were looking for a fight, Jongin was never one to back down.
“You piece of shit! Who do you think you are?” A tall boy shouted the moment he caught sight of Jongin.
His face was red and he looked pissed, but again, it didn’t faze Jongin. So, when he came over to Jongin, closing the distance between them in a few strides, Jongin didn’t even flinch when he was grabbed by his collar
All bark and no bite, when he finally moved to hit him, Jongin quickly jostled himself loose and dodged the blow.
“You think you’re hot shit just because you haven’t lost a fight yet? I’ll show you,” the boy rambled, attempting and repeatedly failing to land punches.
The boy had blatant tells and his fighting style was sloppy.
After what had to be the tenth failed attempt at hitting Jongin, the boy got tired and just stood in place, looking even angrier than before.
“He didn’t hit him at all.” The comment came from one of the boy’s friends and that seemed to add further fuel to his anger.
Within a few seconds, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a black piece of plastic. It didn’t register to Jongin what it was until he heard the tell-tale click and saw the glint of a sharp metal blade.
A box cutter.
“Bringing a weapon to a fist fight?” Even as Jongin spoke, keeping his voice level, his pulse quickened.
The boy had the nerve to grin and twirl the tool in his hand before he charged forward.
Jongin kept his eye on the blade and did his best to stay arms’ length away.
Four shoves in, Jongin moved forward and grabbed the boy’s wrist, then twisted until he heard him wheeze.
The box cutter clattered on the ground and the boy hissed, his smug expression immediately falling. Jongin was in the process of reeling back his fist to crack him in the face, but a hand stopped him.
“Get the fuck out of here.” The demand came in the form of a deep growl and then the air around Jongin thickened with angry alpha pheromones. They were so strong, Jongin’s nose wrinkled and he immediately snatched his hand back to retreat.
When he turned around, he saw his neighbor, Park Chanyeol, standing behind him with a furious expression on his face.
The other kids, including the tall guy, scrambled away, all of them wearing matching looks of terror.
“Fucking pathetic betas,” Chanyeol spat, still looking in the direction they ran.
First, relief washed over Jongin, then annoyance and disgust because he started to feel dizzy.
“You could’ve left me alone. I can defend myself.” Jongin spoke, his eyebrows furrowing as he struggled to put distance between himself and Chanyeol so he could breathe again.
Chanyeol finally turned toward Jongin and somehow his expression morphed into one of remorse and wide-eyed concern.
“I let out pheromones, didn't I? I’m sorry.” Chanyeol mumbled, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.
With a furrowed brow and scowl, Jongin gave the alpha a wide berth and hoisted his backpack onto his shoulder before he went home.
Park Chanyeol was a constant nuisance and had been since Jongin presented early at the ripe age of thirteen.
A year older than himself, Chanyeol presented as an alpha and effectively made it everyone’s problem.
Including Jongin’s.
They weren’t close but whenever he saw someone picking with Jongin, both pre-presentation and after, he did whatever it took to stop them.
Oftentimes, Chanyeol would beat up the offending people so badly, they usually never bothered Jongin again.
While somewhat positive, it also painted Jongin as someone who needed protection and attracted even more assholes. So he had to learn to fight for himself.
And he got good at it. So good that whenever someone approached him, seeking a fight, it was only a matter of time before he emerged the victor.
As soon as he got in his bedroom, Jongin choked down some suppressants and sprawled out on his bed. He let out a frustrated groan and rolled to shove his face into his pillows in an attempt to rid his nose of Chanyeol’s singed woodsy scent.
“Tough day at school?” His mother asked from a distance.
Jongin sat up slowly and nodded silently. He was unwilling to explain his scent problem to his beta mother. She only knew so much, but always tried her best to help anyway.
Right now, he really wasn’t in the mood and waved away her concerned questions.
She lingered in the doorway of his bedroom for several moments too long, then she closed his door, giving up.
Jongin stared at the door, immediately feeling the regret ache in his chest. She really did mean well.
He just couldn’t and wouldn’t explain why he found himself returning to his original position, then slipped a hand down into his pants.
Angrily, he stroked himself until he came into his hand, Chanyeol’s scent still fresh in his mind.
What the fuck was wrong with him?
Over the years, he’d slowly accumulated junk to fully furnish his home away from home beneath the bridge in a forgotten maintenance shed. There was running water, a decent mattress on a wooden pallet, a ratty but comfortable couch, a TV, and a shabby coffee table. He’d also acquired a portable camping stove and working mini fridge.
The hide-out became his de-facto heat hideout. Since the first one hit him the winter he turned thirteen, Jongin had taken to hiding whenever he felt one coming on.
At first, his mom and sisters had been worried, but after explaining that he preferred to be alone, they let him be.
In fact, she knew about the so-called hideout. It was an open secret between the two of them that she kept the small cabinets stocked with ramen and Jongin’s favorite snacks.
Now, as Jongin curled up in the corner of the couch, he shivered and huddled beneath his electric blanket.
He could feel this particular heat being a cold one and he pictured himself helplessly jacking off beneath his blanket pile.
Before he could do so, there was a knock on the door, then it was kicked off its hinges.
The tin door lay on the floor and three boys rushed in, surrounding Jongin on the couch. His brain was hazy and he could barely process what was happening before one of them grabbed him.
Weakly, he thrashed and attempted to free himself, but failed.
“Ha, this is the notorious Mapo High badass? No way, he’s just some omega bitch,” the person holding him sneered, sniffing at him before he laughed. “He reeks like peaches. He must be in heat. Perfect, looks like we won’t have to fight after all. We might even be able to have a little fun with him.”
(This part was left out of Chaeyoung’s version, of course.)
Jongin pushed at the man’s chest as he pulled him closer, but felt his energy drain from the effort.
The other two men nodded in agreement to who Jongin assumed was their leader, then also started to move closer, pulling to undo their belts.
Once again, Jongin’s heart slammed in his chest. How the fuck did these degenerates know about this place? Also, who the hell did they think they were?
“He’s not really putting up much of a fight, just like a horny omega. Always pliant for alphas,” one of the lackeys quipped, reaching to pull at Jongin’s pants.
It was then that Jongin found a reserve of energy and slammed his head back, head butting the leader in the face.
In surprise, he let go of Jongin with a shout and Jongin was able to get into a defensive position. He didn’t feel stable on his feet and his entire body resisted the urge to shiver or curl into itself.
“Hwanhee, fuck, are you good?” The shorter of the two lackeys rushed to the leader while the other held up his fist, preparing to fight Jongin.
“Junseo, fuck this omega bitch up! He broke my nose!” At the command, the other man lunged forward and tried to hit Jongin, but he moved out of the way at the last moment. When Junseo tried for him again, Jongin gathered him into a chokehold and refused to let him go until the unnamed man pleaded with him.
“You’ll kill him, please. He can’t breathe.” Jongin eyed how blood continued to flow from Hwanhee’s nose as the man tried to uselessly stop it with only his hand. Hwanhee shoved away the hand and attempted to stand straight up, staring at Jongin with an expression of fear.
His lips remained pressed closed, probably to prevent blood from trickling inside and his eyes were questioning him.
“Leave me the fuck alone. Tell everyone you know to leave me alone.” Like the fight in the parking lot of his apartment, Hwanhee pulled out a box cutter.
“You think I’d let an omega bitch like you get so full of yourself?” He growled, gripping the knife as his hand shook.
His pheromones flooded the small space with a sharp minty scent and Jongin’s nose twitched. Hwanhee was using his scent as an attempt to intimidate or subdue him, but failed miserably.
“I thought when I kicked your ass two weeks ago, you’d give up but it looks like I should’ve fucking killed you,” a familiar voice boomed as heavy feet stamped on the tin door.
Jongin, Hwanhee and his lackeys all turned and watched as Park Chanyeol stepped into the room, a metal bat perched on his shoulder.
“Since I’m tired after practice, I’ll give you two choices. Run and I won’t chase you or…” Chanyeol paused with a tilt of his head, “I beat the dog shit out of you and make you unrecognizable?” Hwanhee’s bulged eyes widened and his trembling hands shook even harder.
“It’s not worth it. We can find someone else, plus your nose is broken. Your dad’s gonna be pissed,” one of the unnamed betas complained.
As much as Jongin hated Chanyeol involving himself in his business again, he was glad for the help. His legs felt like they were made of jelly and his head felt foggy.
Jongin was only standing by sheer willpower and defiance.
Another long moment passed then Hwanhee retracted the box cutter and tucked it into his pocket. His face remained scrunched in anger and his bitter scent continued to filter into the room.
“Just proves you’re another weak omega bitch that needs to be saved by an Alpha,” Hwanhee sneered, rudely smashing his shoulder into Chanyeol as he and his friends retreated.
The betas made a wide berth of Chanyeol and followed after, casting worried glances back at Chanyeol and the bat gripped in his hand.
Inwardly cursing, Jongin hated that once Hwanhee left, Chanyeol’s scent overtook the overwhelming mint and his body finally started to relax. Immediately, Jongin dropped to his knees, his energy completely gone.
Chanyeol immediately rushed forward, dropping the bat as he moved to help Jongin up and onto the bed.
Too tired to refuse, Jongin accepted the help and began to curl into himself, giving into the pre-heat exhaustion.
Without needing to be asked, Chanyeol took the blanket from the couch and draped it over Jongin, then went to work on putting the door back on its hinges.
From the comfort of Jongin's makeshift nest, he watched Chanyeol move around and remained silent.
“You hungry? I got some kimbap and chicken skewers from the convenience store.” Jongin nodded and Chanyeol opened the door, retrieving a bag from outside. He handed over the contents and watched with a soft smile as Jongin ate slowly, repeatedly zoning out between mouthfuls of food.
“Do you need suppressants or do you just want me to leave?” Chanyeol asked when he saw Jongin was finished eating.
“You can stay if you want.” The sparkle in Chanyeol’s eyes could’ve lit the entire room had it not been daytime.
“And you and daddy started dating then” Jongin nodded, confirming Chaeyoung’s outburst.
“Yes, we started dating then.”
In truth, Chanyeol stayed until Jongin’s heat hit and helped him through it. From then on, they began weirdly courting each other until Jongin finally agreed to a date.
“Skip to the part where you and daddy had me!” Jongin laughed and tickled the little girl, gently teasing her for being impatient.
“You don’t want to hear about when I took care of daddy when he was sick?” Chaeyoung vehemently shook her head, sending her hair into disarray.
“I already know that part. Daddy always says you’re good at taking care of people and and…” Chaeyoung paused to yawn and wipe at her eyes.
Jongin knew she was tired, but he didn’t press and instead settled back against the headboard, opening his arms. Chaeyoung leaned back and snuggled into his chest.
It was only a matter of time until the little girl fell asleep, but Jongin continued to humor her and tell his story.
While Jongin’s reputation preceded him, once the challenges stopped coming, Jongin had no reason to continue fighting. At first, his classmates were afraid of him, but after another male omega who was widely liked befriended him, it became easier to make other friends.
“Uncle Taeyong?” Chaeyoung asked, looking up at Jongin with sleepy eyes.
“Yeah. He had so many friends because he’s so nice and he helped me make friends too.” The little girl patted her father’s leg.
“Good. You’re such a good daddy and strong too. I would be your friend.” Jongin had understood everyone’s reservations about being his friend, but his daughter's sentiments warmed his heart regardless.
Once he graduated from high school, he didn’t have much interest in going to university, but was inspired by how much he loved to take care of his sister’s children. So, he majored in Early Childhood Education at the same university as Chanyeol.
In their final year, they officially mated and three months before they graduated, Jongin found out he was having their first child.
The news was a shock to his system and as Jongin watched Chanyeol run around, submitting his resume and going on three and four-staged interviews, he debated if it was the right time for a baby.
He had, thankfully, secured a job at a nearby kindergarten courtesy of his sister’s good words about him. It’d felt wrong to just begin a job and have to take maternity leave six months in. Also, there was barely enough room in their shared studio apartment for the two of them, much less a baby.
As Jongin looked down at the sleeping child in his arms, he was thankful for the choice he’d made and for the help that his and Chanyeol’s families had given him and continued to give him.
Like one of the corny type-novels his sister used to read when he was younger, the day he planned to tell Chanyeol about his pregnancy was the same day Chanyeol planned–and did–propose to him.
It’d started as any normal date night, they’d gone to dinner and then Chanyeol took him to a new, bear-themed café. Jongin had been so nervous about the news he was going to give, he missed all the tells and signs of the proposal and didn’t enjoy the café as much as he would’ve.
During dinner, Chanyeol had been jittery and unsettled, bouncing from topic to topic as they spoke over pasta. They’d been offered wine and for totally separate reasons, they both refused.
After dinner, the walk to the café had been plagued with random bouts of silence that was unusual for either of them. Chanyeol also continued to be suspiciously nervous, repeatedly shooting glances at Jongin and letting go of his hand to wipe his palm on his pants.
They found a table at the café right in front of the bear-shaped window and Chanyeol went to order the usual for them, an iced americano for him and a chocolate latte for Jongin.
When he came back with their drinks, as well as a cheesecake that resembled a sleeping bear, Jongin had been fighting nerves of his own.
The pasta from dinner got tossed around as his stomach flipped and he wrung his hands beneath the table, just out of Chanyeol’s view.
He watched as Chanyeol carefully sat the drinks in ceramic bear cups and cake on the table, pausing for a few moments after. It took a few beats for Jongin to realize it was because he was waiting for Jongin to take his usual café pictures.
“Ah, it’s okay today. We can just drink,” Jongin mumbled and had he been paying attention and not been lost in his own head, he would’ve seen the look of disappointment that flashed across Chanyeol’s face before he schooled it to a more neutral one.
“So Jongin,” Chanyeol started, then paused to lick his dry lips, “I wanted to ask you something. Honestly, something I’ve been wanting to ask for a while.”
His words made Jongin’s already unsettled stomach drop straight into his feet and his heart raced in his ears.
Did Chanyeol know about the pregnancy? Was he going to confront him about waiting to tell him? Would he criticize how Jongin was still debating if he would go through with the pregnancy?
Out of habit, he nodded and without his brain having the time to lay out a logical way to break the news, he started talking.
The problem was, so did Chanyeol.
“I’m should’ve told you earlier that I was-”
“Would you like-”
When they both registered that the other was speaking, they simultaneously urged each other to finish their sentence.
Again, they spoke at the same time.
“Pregnant.” Jongin ended his sentence by pulling out a plastic bag with a positive pregnancy test inside.
“To get married?” Chanyeol ended his own sentence by sitting a velvet box on the table and opening it.
Jongin abruptly stopped talking and the bag fell from his hand onto the table as he gawked at the beautiful silver ring in the box. Chanyeol did the same when he took in the bag and the bold pink circle on the display of the test.
“Marriage?” Jongin whispered, holding his hand in front of his mouth as tears formed in his eyes.
“Pregnant,” Chanyeol repeated back, his voice also barely above a whisper.
It took several moments for either of them to speak, but surprisingly, it was Jongin first. Tears dripped down his cheeks and cheek and he reached to grab the plastic bag with shaky hands.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I was just thinking we have so much we need to do and we’re both still young and you’re still looking for a job.” Chanyeol stayed quiet and he listened to Jongin. When he was finished, Chanyeol reached across the table and gathered both of Jongin’s hands, his gaze locked on him.
“You have nothing to apologize for, Ni. I-it’s your choice. If you’re ready, I’m ready or I’ll get ready. If you’re not ready, then we can-we can figure something else out, together,” Chanyeol stopped for a moment and used one of his hands to grab a napkin and wipe at the tears on Jongin’s face. “Whatever choice you make, I’ll follow it, no questions asked. Well, except one.”
Jongin’s eyebrow furrowed and he looked at Chanyeol in confusion.
“I know we’re already mated but I want it to be official. Kim Jongin, do you want to get married?” Again, Jongin’s brain buffered as it processed the words and he snatched his hands from Chanyeol’s grasp, shooting him an incredulous look.
“You still want to propose to me after this?” Chanyeol nodded and picked up the velvet box. He pulled the ring out and held it toward Jongin.
“And why wouldn’t I? I’ve been thinking about marrying you since we were kids. Nothing would make that change.” Again, more tears sprang from Jongin’s eyes and trickled down his cheeks as he nodded and held out his hand.
A huge grin overtook Chanyeol’s face and slipped the silver band onto Jongin’s ring finger.
The café hadn’t been that busy when they arrived, so thankfully there wasn’t an audience as Chanyeol shot up in excitement, making the chair scrape the floor and titter, but not topple over. Jongin also stood up, a bit confused and Chanyeol gathered him in a tight hug.
He didn’t care that Jongin’s tears seeped into the soft material of his shirt, leaving dark blue stains behind.
“I hope I didn’t ruin your proposal too much? You even took the time to find this café,” Jongin rambled, his words a bit muffled against Chanyeol’s chest.
“It’s okay. Everything was perfect,” Chanyeol sighed, still holding Jongin close to him.
Jongin’s story came to a stopping point and he looked down, taking in how Chaeyoung was sound asleep, softly snoring.
She’d definitely fallen asleep earlier on and Jongin chuckled, amused by his daughter’s stubbornness that mirrored his own.
“She really loves hearing that story, doesn’t she?” Chanyeol asked from the doorway. His eyes went soft as he took in the scene. Jongin hummed in agreement and carefully maneuvered out of the small bed. With practiced ease, he untangled Chaeyoung’s limbs from his body, settled her head on the pillow and tucked her beneath her blankets.
“It is a good story,” Jongin finally replied once they were both standing outside the cracked bedroom.
That earned him another smile and Chanyeol wrapped an arm around Jongin’s waist, leaning down to press a soft kiss on his lips, before nosing at Jongin’s neck and taking in his peachy scent.
“It is and I’m glad I’m a main character in it.” Jongin laughed and they stood in the hallway for a bit, both of them watching on as their daughter peacefully slept. “Though you know, I was thinking. What about adding another character?”
“Is this your way of telling me you want to have another baby?” Jongin asked, partially joking. Chanyeol picked up that Jongin thought he was joking and stayed quiet.
The silence made Jongin turn around in Chanyeol’s embrace and he stared up at him, his expression and tone less playful as he asked the question again.
“Chaeyoung mentioned how nice babysitting Jaemin and Jeno were and she loves babies so much…” Chanyeol continued, but lowered his voice, “and I keep remembering how sexy you were when you were pregnant.”
Jongin followed his first reaction and shoved Chanyeol’s chest lightly, scoffing, “as opposed to me not being sexy when I’m not pregnant?” Truthfully, he knew exactly what Chanyeol’s comment meant and it made heat twist in the pit of his stomach, but he wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t give Chanyeol some flack.
“I didn’t say that. You know what I mean,” Chanyeol whined, pouting as Jongin crossed his arms in front of his chest. He made a good show of shaking his head in disbelief and walked down the hall and into their bedroom.
Chanyeol followed closely behind, looking guilty until Jongin turned around and stepped toward him.
“My heat starts next week and if we want to make sure it takes, maybe we should practice?” Chanyeol’s eyes went comically wide and he blinked several times before he scrambled to close their bedroom door and remove both his and Jongin’s clothes.