Chapter Text
Felix groaned as he walked down the street, his body aching from another exhausting shift at the restaurant. The cool night air did little to help with the heat swirling in his stomach, a reminder that his suppressants were barely holding up. His phone was pressed against his ear, Jisung's familiar voice rambling on the other end.
"You should've just called in sick, Lix," Jisung huffed. "You're literally in heat. What kind of boss forces their employee to work like that?"
Felix let out a chuckle, rubbing his head. "Yeah, well, welcome to capitalism. Besides, the suppressants work fine. I just need to survive a few more days."
"Fine? You sound half-dead babe," Jisung muttered. "If I were an alpha, I swear I'd marry you just to keep you from overworking yourself."
Felix rolled his eyes but smiled. Jisung always said things like that—half-joking, half-serious. If either of them had been born an alpha, they probably would have ended up together, but fate clearly had other plans.
"You're just saying that because you wanna see me quit and become your house-husband," Felix teased, adjusting the strap of his bag.
"Damn right I do."
They both laughed, their voices filling the quiet street. Felix was just about to reply when something moved in the corner of his eye. He slowed down, turning his head towards a shadowy alleyway. At first, he thought it was just his exhausted brain playing tricks on him–until he saw it again. A faint rustle. A small movement.
"Hold on, Ji," Felix murmured, lowering his phone as he stepped closer.
There, nestled in the alley, was a cardboard box. It had a few small holes punched into the sides, and though it looked abandoned, it shifted slightly–something inside was moving.
His heart thumped in his chest.
"What the hell...?"
Felix hesitated, staring at the box as another faint shuffle came from inside. A chill ran down his spine. It was late, he was exhausted, and this whole situation screamed mind your business and go home—but curiosity won.
"Babe? What's going on?" Jisung's voice said through the phone, which was still clutched in Felix's hand.
"There's, uh... a box in the alley. It moved."
"What do you mean it moved?" Jisung asked, now sounding more curious than concerned.
"I mean it literally just–wait." Felix crouched down, reaching out carefully. He tapped the side of the box. No response. He waited a second, then gently lifted the top flap.
Inside, curled up in a pathetic little ball, was a ferret.
Felix blinked. What the hell?
The small creature had pearl white fur, mudded and dirty, and its tiny chest rose and fell in weak, shallow breaths. One of its legs was bent at an odd angle, and there were faint scratches along its body. Someone had clearly dumped it here, injured and helpless.
"Ji, it's a ferret," Felix whispered, frowning as he looked around. No one else was in sight.
"A ferret?!" Jisung practically screeched. "bro, why are you in a horror movie right now? Leave it alone before it turns into a demon or something.,"
Felix ignored him, his heart squeezing at the sight of the poor thing. It looked so tiny, so vulnerable. His omega instincts kicked in hard. He couldn't just leave it here to die.
"I'm taking it home."
"Felix, no."
"Felix, yes."
Before Jisung could argue, Felix carefully lifted the ferret out of the box. It barely reacted, just let out a weak little sigh against his chest. Yeah, there was no way he was leaving it behind.
"You're actually insane," Jisung groaned.
Felix just smiled, adjusting his grip on the small creature as he rose on his feet. The creature let out a soft whimper as Felix cradled it, wrapping it in his arms to make sure it stayed warm. "Maybe. But I think I just made a new friend."
Felix hurried home, keeping his steps steady while holding the ferret against his chest, ensuring it stayed warm. The little creature barely stirred, its tiny body limp with exhaustion.
"I can't believe someone just threw him away like this," Felix muttered into his phone.
"Lix, if you end up with rabies, I'm divorcing you," Jisung said blankly.
Felix huffed a laugh. "Relax, Ji. I'm not your wife in labor or something."
On the other end, Jisung let out a loud, exaggerated sob. "My poor, overworked wife! He takes in stray children, his evil boss makes him work hell, he's forced to serve every karen in existence, and worst of all—he never even gets to see his beloved husband, aka me! What did he do to deserve such suffering?!"
Felix rolled his eyes, biting back a smile. "And that is my cue to hang up. Goodbye, dear husband."
"My poor, poor wifey—"
Felix ended the call before jisung could keep going, shaking his head as he tightened his hold on the fragile little ferret.
*-*
Felix finally reached his apartment, nudging the door open with his shoulder as he carefully stepped inside. The warmth of his home wrapped around him as he set his bag down by the door and made his way to the bathroom, flicking on the light as he gently placed the ferret onto a folded towel on the counter.
"Alright, little guy, let's get you cleaned up," Felix murmured, rolling up his sleeves.
The ferret barely reacted, its tiny chest rising and falling weakly. Up close, its fur was even more knotted than he had realized, and its injured leg was bent in and red. Felix frowned, grabbing a damp washcloth to carefully wipe away the dirt clinging to its soft white fur. The creature let out a faint whimper, but it didn't fight back.
"Poor thing... whoever dumped you here is a real piece of shit," he muttered, carefully dabbing at the scratches along its body.
As he worked, his eyes landed on something small—just beneath the ferret's right eye, hidden beneath a smudge of dirt, was a tiny, faint mole. Felix paused for a second, tilting his head.
"Huh. Cute," he mumbled, brushing his thumb over it before shaking the thought away.
It was just a small mole. Nothing special.
Felix sighed, turning his focus back to bandaging up the ferret's injured leg. once he was done, he gently scooped the small creature back up, holding it close as he carried it to his bedroom.
He set up a makeshift bed in a spare shoebox, putting in a soft towel before placing the ferret inside.
"There. ur safe now," he whispered.
The ferret let out a barely audible sigh, its tiny body curling up in the warmth.
Felix smiled, exhaustion finally catching up to him.
He let out a deep sigh as he stripped off his uniform, tossing the fabric carelessly onto his chair. His entire body ached from everything that had happened today, but what was worse was the burning heat in his stomach. His suppressants were barely holding up.
He pulled on a loose shirt and a pair of boxers, running a hand through his hair as he exhaled. The small ferret remained curled up in its small bed.
"At least someone's sleeping peacefully," Felix muttered, rubbing his face before climbing into bed.
His blankets wrapped around him, but instead of soothing the heat in him, it only made him more aware of how sensitive he felt. He groaned, burying his face into his pil\low, wanting sleep to take him before his instincts made things worse.
Eventually he drifted off.
–
The Next Morning:
Felix slowly woke, his body feeling unbearably hot. His skin was sensitive, every brush of the fabric against him sending arousal through him. His heat... had it gotten worse overnight?
A warm breath ghosted against his neck.
"Mmh...?" he murmured sleepily, shifting slightly. Strong hands were wrapped around his waist, holding him firmly in place.
Wait.
His hazy mind struggled to process the feeling. Slowly, as his vision sharpened, he glanced down—only to see two pale, veiny, muscular arms wrapped around his waist.
What the hell?
His half-asleep brain lagged behind, trying to make sense of the situation, but then—panic.
What the actual hell?!
Felix jolted upright with a sharp inhale, his heart slamming against his ribs. His movement caused the arms around him to slip away, but that was the least of his concerns. Because right there, lying beside him, completely naked, was a man.
A man with long, silky black hair. Smooth skin. Faint scratches littering his flawless body. A slightly swollen ankle. And just beneath his right eye—a small, familiar mole.
Felix's stomach dropped.
No. No, no, no.
His wide eyes darted toward the shoebox near his bed.
Empty.
His mouth went dry.
"...Oh, fuck."