Chapter Text
Duang and Ghlaijai sat on the couch of their shared apartment. They were both tired from their long day, they both had tests that they wrote and all they wanted was to come home, take a little nap then go off to bother their respective mates but Jai called a brother emergency. Duang and Ghlai thought about ignoring it, it was never serious, but Jai sounded so frantic, Duang and Ghlai worried and immediately texted their mates telling them they will be late for dinner and stayed at home waiting for Jai to get home.
Jai was talking a mile a minute. He was practically sobbing on the floor, such a pathetic sight. Apparently, his new girlfriend met her soulmate, she met him right there in front of him, but that wasn’t why he was so distraught no. His best friend Pik didn’t answer the phone when he called.
He spent thirty minutes moaning and groaning because Pik didn’t answer when he called. Duang started thinking about how Qin must be waiting for him. They planned a dinner tonight at Qin’s place. It was going to be Duang and Qin, Punlee and Ghlaijai, and Pik. He as Qin and Punlee’s brother. The same person Jai was busy losing his mind over. If Jai read any of their text messages in the group chat, he would know about this dinner and he would know why Pik wasn’t answering.
“Seriously Jai THIS is what you called an emergency meeting for?!” Duang bursted out after listening to Jai for longer than he wanted to. Jai’s complaints stayed relentless.
“Duang calm down,” Ghlai said.
“At least one brother cares,” Jai said crawling over to where Ghlai sat and wrapped his arms around his legs seeking comfort in his turmoil.
“No, I share his sentiments. I just don’t like the noise that you are making right now,” Ghlaijai said and Jai fell back in betrayal. His brothers didn’t care; they didn’t love him.
“We are keeping our mates waiting,” Duang said getting up, walking towards his tote bag hanging on the hook next to the door. If Duang had a tail it would be wagging like crazy at the thought of seeing his mate.
“It’s always about your mates, isn’t it? Can’t even spend time with you brother!”
“Jai, you’ll understand once you get yours,” Ghlai said while following Duang to the door.
“And we allllll know who that is going to be,” Duang said teasingly.
Jai rolled his eyes; this wasn’t the first time they were teasing the fact that Pik might be his soulmate. No way, PookPik was his best friend, his rock, his everything. Soulmates and bonding will just ruin everything he thought to himself.
Amongst the triplets the first one to meet his mate was Ghlaijai, they were in their first year of university and because Ghlai was a good student he made sure to go way earlier than he was meant to, to go and learn the map of the university. He took tours of the campus through senior friends he made through his friend Teerak and one day Teerak invited Ghlai to get some coffee after an impromptu tour with Rak’s mate, so they went to a random coffee shop. It was fine, everything was okay until Ghlai was hit with the striking scent of hazelnut and freshlycut ginger. Ghlaijai could feel his body heat up immediately, his scent blocker was working overtime to try and contain the mess that was happening in his body until the source of his ruin stood in front of him, Punlee.
When their eyes met it was like magic, Teerak said that Ghlai turned bright pink and tried to hide his face, but he couldn’t. Punlee immediately pursued Ghlaijai, it was obvious that this omega was his mate and he was right. Ghlaijai felt it too, it was like they were handcrafted for each other.
About a month later when university officially opened Duang met Qin, or well, saw Qin. He came home that day talking about how he met the most beautiful omega and that he knows that that was his mate. Something Duang couldn’t get over was how identical Qin looked to Punlee and then they found out that Punlee is also part of a triplet just like them.
Qin made it hard for Duang of course. It wasn’t the seamless story of Ghlai and Lee, no, Qin had pretty bad experiences with pushy alphas, but when this alpha came around with his overexcited energy and pheromones smelling like gingerbread and freshly brewed coffee Qin couldn’t help himself. Duang was everything he wanted in an alpha, so it wasn’t long before he stopped being so stubborn and gave in to what his heart wanted. Duang was over the moon when Qin started accepting his advances. He was courting Qin for 6 months at that time so surely anyone would be overjoyed that their crush was reciprocating their feelings.
Jai met Pik and immediately decided that Pik was his best friend and from then on, they were always together. In all fairness they were in each other’s presence anyway because their brothers were mates, but they wanted to be around each other and their brothers being mates just made it easier.
Very soon Pik’s feeling for Jai flipped on its head. He was madly in love with the brother, and everyone could see that, everyone but Jai.
Pik hoped every day that Jai would be his mate, but two years already went by, and nothing happened, the hope Pik had stubbornly stayed.
Jai always believed he was special. Granted it’s not his fault; he always got what he wanted. He got the girl, he got the guy and he got the public praise. The Nimitparkpoon triplets were extraordinary so what else was Jai supposed to believe? He even believed that he was so special that he wasn’t going to be a cliche like his brothers. He wasn’t going to form part of the triplets mating with another set of triplet’s agenda, so when he felt it, that undeniable pull towards Pik, he pretended not to.
The night it happened he was helping Pik through his heat. Helping each other like that wasn’t supposed to be anything serious, he was just helping a friend. But then it happened, Pik’s familiar scent of eucalyptus and petrichor consumed him and he went into a frenzy, his alpha completely took control.
That night he was insatiable, every cry, whimper and moan was fuel for him to keep going. They were signs to him that Pik wanted him, what he could give and that the intensity wasn’t one sided. That night was the most intense sex they have ever had, and it took everything in Jai not to mark Pik right then and there. He stopped those thoughts immediately when they sprung into his mind, how could he possibly defile his best friend in that way.
His heart was calling out, screaming for Pik. The moonlight illuminated the bedroom, Pik looked so beautiful with his teary eyes fixed on Jai and before Jai could stop himself, he kissed Pik like an alpha would kiss his omega. The kiss was soft, tender and sweet. He whispered sweet nothings into Pik’s ears and thrusted into him harder. That caused the tears to run down Pik’s face and Jai remembered kissing them away, if Jai closed his eyes, he could still see it. Pik with his eyes locked onto Jai’s, his fingers digging into the flesh of Jai’s back clawing desperately to get him closer, deeper. The ‘I love you’ that slipped from Pik’s mouth when he came that triggered Jai’s orgasm, he can recall the way he said ‘I love you’ back while buried deep inside of Pik’s heat.
The next morning there was a shift. Neither of them acknowledged the change, neither of them gave any indication that they were aware that they were each other’s mates. Jai wasn’t even sure if Pik felt it and he wasn’t man enough to ask.
Jai was still convinced that he was different. He wasn’t like his brothers who became suckers under the ruling thumb of love, he was stronger. He wasn’t going to lose the only good thing because of this.
Pik didn’t feel it that night, but he knew Jai did. He felt it in the way Jai’s body rose in temperature, he felt it in the way Jai held him closer, the way he fucked him deeper, and kissed him like Pik was oxygen and he needed to breathe. Over the two years that they’ve helped each other out (yes, they have been sleeping together the entire duration of their friendship) it was never like that, it was never so intimate, they made sure to never get too lost in it. But something changed in Jai and Pik knew it immediately. The next day nothing changed, no one spoke about the looming elephant in the room and Pik refused to bring it up. He refused to beg the man he knows is his mate to acknowledge what was obvious.
Months went by and nothing changed.
Jai was still calling him his best friend like he’s been doing for two years and called him when it was time for his rut or showed up exactly when Pik was going into heat. Jai didn’t stop dating around, but he did stop having sex though, he tried to be discreet about it, but Pik also noticed.
The rumor spread quick. THE Jai Nimitparkpoon wasn’t having sex with anyone he dated, which was strange because Jai was a slut. Everyone knew that. No one knew that Jai crawled into Pik’s bed almost every night, thank you Qin for suggesting all the rooms get sound proofed so no one knew about Jai sneaking in and out of the house, but they had a pretty good idea what was happening. Pik was never very good at being discreet.
The only thing Pik couldn’t understand was why his alpha did not want to be his. Jai was so obviously acting like his mate in every way. He was also meeting every sexual need that Pik had but when the first light shines through the curtains the next morning Jai goes back to the distant him, he always is.
Pik felt it today. The feeling that he has been waiting for, for two years.
That pull, that undeniable sign that Jai was his mate. It wasn’t dramatic, probably cause the feeling was always there, but he felt it and at that moment his phone buzzed.
my Jai: Piiiik!!! Answer the phone!
my Jai: Pik I need you! Can we meet up please!
His phone started ringing after that and he just ignored it. He couldn’t deal with Jai right now, couldn’t talk to Jai because if he had to speak to him things wouldn’t be pretty. It was easier when he didn’t feel this pull towards the alpha. Now all he could feel was a suffocating and never-ending ache in his body that only Jai could soothe. Was this what he has been feeling? How could he be feeling all this pain and agony and still ignored it? People who have rejected their bond don’t always make it out okay, but maybe that was a risk Pik should take, it was either that or fighting for someone who didn’t want him at all.
Duang and Ghlaijai left with Jai following them like a sad puppy. By the time they got into the car Jai was talking again. The same story, the real reason still being the silence from Pik.
Always Pik.
They dropped Jai off at his friend Matt’s house that was on the way to their mates’ house anyway, so they weren’t taking some detour. When stepping into Punlee and his brother’s place Ghlaijai could feel the energy was off. Ghlai could also tell that Qin and Punlee were busy releasing their calming pheromones into the air, it made the new comers a bit dizzy.
Duang could feel it too, so he went straight to Qin greeted him with a kiss. That caused the air to stiffen more, Punlee kept a safe distance from Ghlaijai and held his hand rather and they all sat down. Pik came into the living room with the food, Pik looked like an absolute mess.
He was dressed fine, not a hair out of place but his demeanour and scent were distressing.
He’s been like that since they got back from school. His usual calming scent of eucalyptus and petrichor was a full-on storm. It was clear to everyone at the table that the omega was in distress. When Pik looked up and saw Duang and Ghlaijai the scent worsened, the storm became more distressing laced with a scent of concrete rubble and burnt wood.
“Pik...” Ghlaijai said softly when he finally sat down. Pik was looking down the entire time, his eyes were locked on the plates of food in front of him. He couldn’t look up, he couldn’t face Ghlaijai and Duang. He thought he would be okay because they weren’t Jai, but he wasn’t. They had his face. He was a mess.
“Pik please tell us what’s going on,” Duang said, Qin sighed and walked over to his brother.
He slowly wrapped his arms around Pik from behind and that was enough to shatter what was left of Pik’s composure.
“Jai is my mate,” Pik sobbed out. The rest held their breathes for a moment, they predicted this would happen but seeing Pik so devastated broke their hearts. Qin doesn’t blame his brother for his reaction one bit. Jai had a new date every day.
“It’s gonna be okay you can just talk to Jai ab-”
“Jai knows Ghlai,” Pik sobbed out.
The rest of the couples looked at each other confused. What does Pik mean Jai knows?
“If Jai knows then why the fuck is he parading around a new omega every week?” Punlee said getting increasingly agitated. Everyone had a bit of a soft spot for Pik, but especially Punlee since they were a bit closer.
“I don’t know! But he knows and I know he does, he presented before me. I could see it in his eyes and the way he’s treating me… he knows we’re mates,” Pik whimpered. “He didn’t say anything, he didn’t talk to me or acknowledge it he just ignored it. I finally presented today and dear god it hurts to not be with him, how could he ignore this for so long?”
Duang felt tears form in his eyes. Something about Pik’s raw pain and agony broke his heart. Then Pik went on, “I guess he didn’t ignore it completely because he’s been fucking me every night almost since it happened,” Pik chuckled bitterly. “In the dark under the blankets is the only time he looks at me like I am more than his stupid best friend.”
Ghlaijai reached over to hold Punlee’s hand, the protectiveness oozing out of him with every word Pik sobbed out of his mouth. Punlee’s alpha was aggressive and they didn’t need that right now.
Duang was also trying to calm Qin down. Qin was no ordinary omega, Qin was fiercely protective and highly aggressive as well, which is why no one ever dared to approach him, he was beautiful in a deadly way.
“Fucking hell Pik, Jai has been sleeping over?” Punlee said.
“As if they haven’t been sleeping together since our first year, keep up,” Qin said rolling his eyes. Duang held Qin’s hand while his other arm was still wrapped tightly around Pik.
“What are we going to do?” Punlee said.
“Nothing,” Ghlai said calmly.
“We can’t just watch this go on,” Duang said softly.
“Ghlai is right. Pik, you must open your mouth once and for all, get Jai to get his shit together and become the alpha you deserve or cut this tie,” Qin said and another wave of sobs slipped past Pik’s lips. After a while Pik went up to his room and fell asleep. Duang and Qin helped to clear the table while Punlee paced up and down the room.
“We need to get involved,” Punlee said when he finally stopped pacing.
“We cannot get involve Lee,” Ghlai sighed from where he was still seated at the dining table. He was sipping some juice.
“Pik is not gonna do it!” Punlee said frustrated.
“You don’t know that, Lee. Have some faith in Pik, he’ll do it when he’s ready,” Ghlai said calmly.
“Yes, I do! I mean when has he ever stood up against your brother? He’s always available, always okay with everything Jai wants and that’s not fair!”
“Lee, I know, but this is between Jai and Pik,” Ghlaijai said, he could feel himself losing his cool a bit. He could smell the hatred coming from his mate, he didn’t like it because this hatred was towards his brother.
“We need to at least keep watch at his door. Who’s to say Jai won’t sneak in and they’ll end up doing... stuff and Pik’s self-control will be even more fragile.”
“Sex Lee, say it, sex. People have sex Lee. We do it and Duang and Qin fuck like bunnies. So, what if they do it? Sex is a temporary distraction they will have to speak eventually but we can’t force that Punlee,” Ghlai said sternly. He was starting to get angry.
Duang and Qin were frozen in their place. They walked back from the kitchen just in time for them to hear Lee raise his voice the first time. Duang could see the tell signs of Ghlaijai losing his cool and he didn’t know what to do. Ghlai never loses his cool unless it’s about something that he cares a lot about and usually his reactions are valid.
“Yes, bet my brother has learned a lot from the biggest slut on campus. Crazy how he’s good enough to sleep with but not enough for your man whore brother to commit to,” before Punlee could say another word his face was soaked in juice. Ghlaijai was standing there, chest heaving, eyes wild and glaring. The glass in his hand was shattered. The Nimitparkpoon brothers were not aggressive in the slightest so to see Ghlaijai like this was new and a little terrifying.
“Duang take me home,” Ghlai said softly then walked towards the door leaving Punlee in a puddle of juice and regrets.
Pik woke up in a dark room, he must have fallen asleep at some point. He checked his phone and saw messages from Qin telling him that he took Punlee and they’re sleeping over at Teerak and P’Fah’s place. He skimmed through multiple messages from Punlee then his eyes landed on Ghlaijai’s text notification.
HeartBaby: Pik, you’re not hopeless or unworthy of good things. Sometimes you have to take what you want.
HeartBaby: Fuck the shit out of him when he shows up.
Pik was completely taken aback by the messages. He double checked to see if it was Ghlaijai’s texts and it was. Pik was a softie, he didn’t like drama or negative feelings which meant that he was a bit of a people pleaser. Especially when it came to Jai. Pik was never good at confronting Jai, never good at being assertive and stern so a lot of his feelings sometimes went unnoticed.
Jai never forced him into anything. Especially when it came to sex, Jai gets off on enthusiastic consent. Pik was always enthusiastic and always responsive and as much as he hates to admit it, they had an amazing sex life. Jai knew Pik like the palm of his hand, he knew exactly what to say, where to touch and where to kiss to turn Pik into a moaning mess. For the night Pik was like putty in Jai’s hands for him to mold and play with and Pik loves it. Pik lives for it and in those moments, it drives him, he gave up control in bed so easily because for just a moment Jai wants him with the same intense and fever that Pik always wanted him.
The text message comes thirty minutes later. He was outside, of course he was. Pik ran his fingers through his still wet hair as he had just come out of the shower.
Jai didn’t knock, he never did, around the second week of him coming over every night Pik left a key in a hiding place for him to use. Pik could smell his scent from where he was sitting in his bedroom along with something else, booze?
The door to Pik’s room eased open quietly, moonlight cut across the floor. Jai stepped inside, already delirious from the scent of Pik, the scent of his omega, the scent that never failed to pull him in.
Jai quickly shut the door and walked further into the room. The throbbing pain in his body subsided the closer he came to Pik.
Pik was sitting on the edge of the bed in nothing but a pair of shorts and an oversized T-shirt, Jai couldn’t see his face because he was sitting with his back turned but he could smell him.
That sweet intoxicating scent of Pik going into pre heat. Pik wasn’t due for another week, Jai wondered for a second what could have triggered this. Pik could smell him getting closer, it was driving him insane already and heat started to travel through his body and settled between his legs. He knew Jai could smell him, he knew Jai could tell that he was going into pre heat early. He knew for certain with Jai so close that Jai was his mate. Jai truly was his mate, and he had been his mate all along.
Jai knew that.
Pik didn’t turn around when the mattress dipped behind him. Jai’s hand settled on his hip the way it always did and if this was any other day Pik would’ve leaned his neck back and presented his neck for Jai to kiss, but those days were over. He kept thinking about the fact that Jai knew that they were mates this whole time.
“Take off your clothes,” Pik said, his voice coming out flat and cold.
“What? Pik-”
Jai started confused then Pik cut him off.
“I said take them off.” Pik turned his head just enough to meet Jai’s confused eyes. Jai froze a bit; there was nothing there but hurt. The usual cloud of lust, devotion, and adoration that always hid behind Pik’s eyes were gone and in its place was something hollow and sharp.
“You are going to do exactly what I tell you tonight or you can walk back out of that door and never come back.”
Jai froze; his alpha was taken aback but also felt awe for the power Pik was exuding. He stripped without a word. Shirt, pants and underwear thrown wherever on the floor. He was completely exposed hard and already leaking at the tip.
Pik stood and shoved his own pants down kicking it somewhere not even bothering with his T-shirt. Jai wanted nothing more than to touch Pik, he needed to touch Pik, but knew better than to mess with Pik right now.
“On your back,” Pik said.
Jai hesitated only a second before lying down. Pik swung his leg over Jai and settled, knees bracketing Jai’s hips. He didn’t ease down, no, he took everything in, in
one long relentless push. Pik’s breath punched out of him, it was exhilarating. He threw his head back, taking a moment to get used to the intrusion.
Pik felt Jai’s hands touch his thighs, and he quickly slapped them away.
“Don’t touch me,” he said. Every word he said cut like a blade. Then it all just came spilling out.
“You knew. You knew I was yours and you still treated me like a convenient hole. Like our bond meant nothing.” Pik lifted his hips and dropped back down hard. The sound of their panting filled the room. Pik was riding Jai with sharp, punishing strokes completely using the alpha like he belonged to him.
“Fuck, look at you,” Pik kept talking. “Lying here taking it because you can’t fucking stay away from me. You come crawling into my room every other night like a fucking bitch and in the daylight, you pretend that I’m nothing. You still won’t claim me.”
Jai’s hips jerked up to meet him desperately, but Pik shoved him back, hard. Jai was completely pinned down by Pik’s hands firmly placed on his chest.
“Stay still. You don’t get to fuck me!”
He rolled his hips in a filthy grind, taking Jai in deeper, then lifted and slammed back down. The bed frame creaked and Pik was glad no one was home even though they wouldn’t have heard anything anyway.
Pik’s thighs burned but he didn’t slow down. He needed this. Every thrust was angry, the friction had him wrecked, Pik was relentless. He leaned forward; hands still settled on Jai’s chest and spoke against his mouth without kissing him. How he knows how much Jai loves getting kissed while having sex.
“You feel that? That’s me taking what’s mine even though you never gave it. You’re pathetic Jai… God you’re breaking my heart,” Pik’s voice cracked, the hurt in his chest threatening to bleed through but Pik refused to let Jai see him break. He placed his hand on Jai’s neck and started applying light pressure. Jai was moaning, his eyes were glossy and dark. He needed to touch Pik even if it was just a little bit.
“Jai touch me.”
When the words left Pik’s lips Jai almost screamed of joy. Jai lifted Pik’s T-shirt and wrapped his hand around Pik, pumping up and down in time with Pik’s thrusts. Pik’s breath shuttered, his hand moved from gripping Jai’s neck to digging his nails in his shoulder. He thrusted harder, chasing the feeling he was receiving from Jai being inside of him, it still wasn’t enough to fill the hollow place in his chest.
“Faster baby,” Pik demanded. Pik didn’t care that he slipped up and called Jai the nickname he always did when they were in bed together. When Jai heard him say that Jai’s other hand gripped Pik’s hip hard enough to bruise and he moaned. Pik didn’t stop him from touching because at this point he didn’t care. He used the extra support to slam down faster, taking every inch over and over again until his thighs shook. The room smelled of sex, the sweet scent of Pik’s heat and a storm.
“You love this. You love using your mate, using me, in the dark. You love the way I open for you. Say it, Jai. Say you know I’m yours!”
Jai’s eyes went impossibly darker. His breath was ragged, ears practically ringing from the pleasure.
“PookPik-” he tried to get the words out.
“Say it!”
“You’re mine.”
Pik laughed, it was short and bitter. After one particularly hard slam of his hips Pik came with a broken cry, loud and unashamed. Jai followed shortly after, his hips stuttering up spilling deep inside Pik while Pik kept riding him through it.
When it was over Pik stayed seated for a long moment. His hand was back on Jai’s chest, he could feel his rapid heartbeat, a feeling that used to help him drift to sleep at night now felt cruel. Pik’s head was hung low, he could feel Jai’s eyes searching for his, but he couldn’t look at him.
After another second of catching his breath Pik lifted off, slow enough that Jai’s spend immediately started leaking out of him, normally Jai would kiss down his body and eat him out but that was off the table tonight.
Pik didn’t clean up, he just moved to the far end of the bed with his back turned to Jai.
“Fuck Jai get out,” Pik said, his voice sounding rough and broken. Jai could see the movement of his shoulders the moment Pik started to sob. The sweet scent of heat got overpowered by Pik’s distressed pheromones, a storm, wet concrete and burnt wood. Jai wanted to reach out and comfort him immediately.
“PookPik-” Jai started softly, his mind still fuzzy from the sex. His alpha still confused by the change in dynamic, his heart aching to make things right and talk to Pik.
“I said get out! Just ignore me and forget everything that happened like you always do. Go get another fucking girlfriend like you always do! Just leave me alone Jai. You don’t love me, you don’t want this, I get it. Just go.”
Panic coursed through Jai’s veins. How could Pik think that he didn’t love him? How could he think that he doesn’t want him?
“Please Jai just go,” Pik begged again.
Reluctantly Jai got up. The door closed a minute later and Pik stayed where he was, sobbing, hollow and completely devastated.