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"of the three of us, i would've never expected mashu to get pregnant first," ricky says, leaning back into his boyfriend's arms as they're cuddled on the couch at the alphas' condo.

matthew had decided to head there after class with ricky and hanbin. it was much better than being cooped up in his own apartment all by himself, and he craved attention and comfort from his friends. hanbin rubs matthew's tummy, giggling as he sees the younger's face turn red.

"it'll be a cute little pup," matthew grumbles out, then swatting hanbin's hand away as he gets embarrassed at the older rubbing his growing tummy. his developing baby bump wasn't too noticeable considering how he wears hoodies that are oversized on him. the omega's aware that he had gained a bit of weight as well whenever he looks down at his stomach, feeling a tad bit insecure.

"it sure will," hanbin gives matthew one of his whisker smiles and his eyes seem to smile with him too.

"i thought hanbin hyung and hao hyung would be having a pup first," gyuvin pipes into the conversation, wrapping his arms around his omega's waist. he presses a kiss onto ricky's nape, right where the newly fresh bite mark he had created was.

matthew's eyes flicker at the mark. he'd seen it when him and ricky were going to class earlier, wondering when the boy had suddenly mated with the younger alpha. he assumed that it was recent considering how bright red the teeth marks were, and ricky seemed almost flustered and shy at the attention he got when everyone started to look at him. ricky was one of the few omegas that have gotten marked and mated before graduation. seeing that the school's most popular omega had gotten claimed by someone was a sight to see.

"w-what're you talking about?," hanbin asks bashfully, the tips of his ears turning red as he hugs his legs to his chest. "hao hyung and i haven't even talked about . . . having pups."

"so haven't matthew and jiwoong and they ended up having one."

matthew's gaze rises and he's met with ricky's smile. he looks down at his lap again, fiddling with his fingers. ever since him and jiwoong did talk about it, everything seemed to change. it wasn't exactly a bad change. matthew would consider it a good change— he's been taking care of himself more, especially because he's carrying their pup, and jiwoong's been extremely attentive to him as well.

"w-we did end up talking about it! it took a while but everything ended up going well."

gyuvin grins, nuzzling his nose into ricky's neck and earning a smack on the head as a result. "what about having pups, rwick—"

"don't even think about it," ricky mutters, glaring at the alpha who whines. ricky's strawberry scent evidently sweetens, juxtaposing his words. who wouldn't want pups? it was in their nature to carry their alpha's pups, but ricky would rather wait until after graduation or else he'll spend the rest of the semester getting looks for being mated and pregnant.

matthew rubs his shoulder, feeling an itch. he doesn't realize he's staring so much at the bond mark on the chinese's neck until hanbin points it out. the older omega's brows furrow, stroking the back of matthew's head softly.

"you okay?," hanbin asks softly, his hand landing on matthew's shoulder and he gives it a squeeze. matthew nods his head, his eyes averting elsewhere as he gives the older a reassuring smile. "you sure?"

"i'm fine, really," matthew giggles, grabbing hanbin's free hand and playing with it in his lap. "i was just thinking about how cute gyuvin and ricky's pups will be. they'll have ricky's face and gyuvin's height, don't you think?"

gyuvin's grip on ricky's waist tightens and he sways the omega back and forth with a big smile. "of course! and they'll be just as pretty as ricky."

"s-shut up, qubing."

matthew giggles along with hanbin. he brushed off the strange feeling— the thought of being claimed, the urge to be claimed, and the tingling sensation on the juncture of his neck whenever he thinks about it. matthew's never really one to follow the crowd in the first place. there were plenty of people that are mated and claimed by their alpha partners. ricky was just one of them that happened to the first of their friend group to have bonded with his alpha.

he blames it on his pregnancy hormones for feeling this way.

he doesn't exactly do a good job at hiding his emotions. he's ecstatic when he sees jiwoong arrive home after a day at the company. he's sitting on the couch in his pajamas, all curled up alone as he watches a show on the tv. the rest of his friends are in their own rooms, each couple ending the night in their warm, cozy bed. the sight ultimately makes jiwoong melt as he takes off his shoes, but also frown as he heads over to his omega.

"chu."

"jiwoon hyung," matthew says back, giggling. he quickly grabs the remote before jiwoong could get to him, turning off the tv. before he could even stand up and throw himself onto the older, the taller was already two steps ahead and picking matthew up bridal style. "h-hyung!"

matthew's flustered but he throws his arms around his boyfriend's neck anyways, savoring the warmth he felt and the familiar brown sugar scent. it makes his inner omega satiated. its what he's been wanting all day— just to be in the arms of his alpha and seek the warmth and comfort that he needs. sending text messages can't compare to having the alpha in flesh, carrying him to their bedroom and tucking him in despite his exhaustion.

"i missed you," jiwoong says in a tired voice after he puts matthew down onto the corner of the bed. jiwoong lowers himself on his knees in between matthew's legs and it makes the omega's eyes widen for a second until the alpha shakes his head. he caresses the boy's cheek, even managing to smile at him.

"i missed you too," matthew says back, threading his fingers through the older's soft, yet frazzled locks of hair when he leans his head onto matthew's inner thigh. "you look exhausted, hyung."

jiwoong is exhausted. he didn't exactly have a good day when it consisted of arguing with business partners that think that they know his father's company better than him. he was barely even able to get a meal in, and before he knew it, it was already late and he needed to go home. he needed to see his omega.

"i'm tired." the alpha nuzzles his cheeks onto the soft material of matthew's pajama pants. his eyes are closed but he knows matthew's looking at him with immense worry. "it's late. why did you wait for me? you could've slept first."

"wanted to see you before i slept," matthew replies, smiling as he feels jiwoong's arms wrap around his waist. matthew was exhausted after having classes in the morning and spending the rest of the day either talking and having fun with his friends or studying for his upcoming exams.

it's also just an omega thing to want to wait for your alpha to come home, matthew thinks. ever since he's been staying at jiwoong's shared condo, he's been thinking about what it would be like to live together. he'd see jiwoong almost everyday, wake up in his arms, and sleep with him too. they'd have their meals together, cook together, and even do the laundry together— the thought alone makes matthew's inner omega feel giddy.

except, what he was expecting hasn't exactly come true yet.

jiwoong's been extremely busy at the company and he's barely home. the omega knows the older is putting in the effort to spend as much time as possible with him, but being around his friends who get to spend so much time with their alphas makes matthew feel a little lonely. he still blames it on the pregnancy hormones.

"did you eat?" jiwoong finally gains the energy to lift his head up. he feels recharged after the omega had released his comforting creme brûlée scent in their bedroom. his hands slide under matthew's shirt, making the younger flinch at the cold touch.

"i ate with hanbin-ie hyung and hao hyung earlier," matthew's breath hitches when he feels jiwoong's hand press softly against his stomach. he grabs the alpha's wrist, cheeks flushing red. "h-hyung."

"you should eat more, chu," jiwoong frowns, his fingers grazing across the soft, milky skin. "are you eating enough?"

matthew nods, darting his eyes away from the alpha's gaze on him. "i-i'm already gaining a lot of weight, hyung. my body's not the same anymore."

"it's cute," jiwoong smiles, pinching the skin. matthew yelps softly, shaking his head as he pushes jiwoong's hands away. "you're carrying our pup, chu. you have to make sure to eat all of your meals and eat enough. it's for you and the pup."

"i know, i know." matthew feels like he's getting nagged by his parents.

"and you're still pretty," jiwoong adds.

matthew locks eyes with the older, heart pounding against his chest at such a small comment. it was enough to reaffirm matthew that his alpha still wants him— that he was being insecure about his own body for no reason. his eyes follow the alpha that's rising to his feet, looking so, so hot with just a white button down and black slacks. matthew could never get tired at the sight.

the alpha chuckles, loving the reaction he gets from the omega who's drooling over him. he picks up the omega again, then sitting down onto the bed and placing the small boy down onto his lap. matthew's straddling him now, his arms on jiwoong's shoulders as the older's hands are on his hips, stabilizing him.

"i'll stay home with you tomorrow." jiwoong leans in to peck the younger on the cheek.

matthew looks at the alpha in confusion, cocking his head to the side. "w-what about your work? at the company?"

"that can wait."

"hyung," matthew's brows furrow. "you don't have to do that for me. i know how important it is for you to get your work done."

"but you're more important," jiwoong retorts, bottom lip jutting out as the omega rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest. "what? don't you want to spend time with me? your alpha?"

of course i do, was what matthew wanted to say.

"jiwoon-ie hyung," matthew sighs out, cupping the older's cheeks with his hands. "you're taking over one of the biggest companies in korea soon. you'll be busy, and i understand that. you'll only be held back even more if you refuse to show up to meetings and give instructions to the employees," matthew pauses, his hands slipping down from jiwoong's face. one hand goes on his tummy, "and besides, me and our little pup will be okay."

jiwoong looks at the omega with so much love and adoration, his lips curving into a smile as he chuckles. the alpha never knew such words could hurt him and reassure him at the same time. he wanted to spend time with his omega, care for him as he promised and make sure the pregnancy goes well, but he's been bombarded with so many things to do that it makes it impossible. he knows taking over the company and getting handed the position of ceo is no easy feat. he just needs to keep pushing— for himself, for matthew and their pup, for yujin's future, for their future.

"you're the best," jiwoong mumbles, sliding his hand behind matthew's nape and pulling him in for a kiss. it's their first kiss today and it feels so soft, so gentle, and full of so much love. matthew grips at jiwoong's dress shirt, his scent making it evident that he likes it.

their lips move against each others expertly. jiwoong can feel the younger's lips part, inviting him inside his hot cavern and jiwoong does so with ease. his tongue clashes with the omega's, so hot and heated, and he explores the boy's warm cavern. the younger tastes like fresh, minty mouthwash, evidence that matthew was ready to go to sleep but stayed up just to wait for jiwoong to come home.

"did you eat?," matthew asks when he pulls away, worry lacing his features. all he really did taste from jiwoong was a bitter taste, one that belonged to dark coffee. his fingers thread through jiwoong's hair, softly massaging his scalp.

jiwoong nods his head tiredly, "i ate lunch."

"hyung!," matthew exclaims, frowning at the alpha who was busy grabbing his wrist and pressing kisses onto his forearm. jiwoong looks up innocently, kind of like a cat and matthew shakes his arm out of the alpha's grasp. "don't tell me you drank coffee and energy drinks the rest of day."

the alpha turns silent, turning his head away with pursed lips when matthew inhales deeply. matthew can't believe the older doesn't even have enough time to even eat properly. the sound of the alpha's stomach rumbling makes matthew release the breath he was holding and he gets off of jiwoong's lap.

jiwoong tries to grab the omega's waist, craving the warmth that was slowly slipping away, but the younger lets out a huff, shaking his head and swatting his hands away. jiwoong starts to whine, "chu!—"

"i can't believe you're going to be a father," matthew mumbles, letting jiwoong have his hands at the very least. he pulls the alpha up to his feet, and the older groans as he towers over the omega, his arms pulling the younger in for a hug. "come on, i'll cook you something."

"but you're bad at cooking," jiwoong snorts, digging his nose into matthew's scent glands. he inhales deeply, feeling full from just the sweet scent of creme brûlée. "just let me eat you— ouch!" matthew smacks the older on the chest.

"y-you don't even have enough energy to stand!," matthew tries to avert the conversation somewhere else as his whole body flushes at the mention of being eaten. "w-whatever i'll just reheat some of the food hanbin hyung made."

"mmm."

matthew sighs, having to personally drag the alpha out of the room and into the kitchen with him since the alpha refuses to let go. he heats some of the food he had earlier up, making sure that its nice and warm for the alpha and he even cools it down a bit before serving it. jiwoong is hugging him from behind the whole time, his head dug into matthew's shoulder. the omega doesn't want to admit that he actually likes it. he's been thinking about this all day.

he ends up spoon-feeding the alpha while on sitting on his lap (jiwoong insisted). he giggles at the older's cute demeanor. there's something about the alpha being extremely tired and worn out that makes him act like a complete baby.

"open," matthew brings a spoon of the rice up to the alpha who chomps down onto the spoon and it slides out of his mouth after he's taken in every grain. "you're such a baby, hyung. people would think you're an omega right now, or maybe a beta by the way you're acting."

jiwoong's eyebrows knot together, "but i'm an alpha, and i want my omega to feed me."

"yes, hyung," matthew playfully rolls his eyes, bringing up another spoon to the older to which he takes enthusiastically. "and you're going to be a father. you can't have me feeding both you and the pup."

"why not?"

"because you're a grown adult!," the omega exclaims. jiwoong jumps in his seat, succumbing into a fit of giggles as he looks at the boy on his lap thats all red faced.

jiwoong presses a kiss onto matthew's nape and he finds the younger tensing when he does so. the alpha brushes it off, throwing his arm around matthew's shoulder to grab his chin so that they're facing one another.

"i just want to enjoy our time together before our pup comes out. won't you let me?"

matthew stays silent, eyes locked on jiwoong's tired ones. he nods hesitantly before darting his eyes away. he feels warm when jiwoong mentions their pup. it makes him remember that he is in fact carrying their pup.

"i missed this— when it was just the two of us and there was nothing to worry about." his hand softly caresses matthew's tummy softly, his lips curving him into a smile. "but we have a little one coming, you're graduating next year, and i'm taking over the company. even if its just late night talks that leave us waking up tired, i want it all, chu."

"i love you jiwoon-ie hyung." matthew says it out of the blue and it has the alpha's eyes dilating as his smile grows bigger. he leans in to kiss the alpha, jolts of electricity flowing through each others body at how affectionate and intimate this moment was.

jiwoong pulls away first, pressing his forehead against the younger as he locks eyes with the younger. the kitchen smells like a bakery now, sweet pheromones mixing together to make the perfect scent that it'll probably gross anyone out if they entered the space now.

"i love you too, chu."

matthew misses jiwoong.

the omega really thought he'd be fine. he thought he convinced himself enough that he would be fine on his own, even reassuring the alpha enough that jiwoong is doing his work without worrying too much about his omega at home. jiwoong still spares some time to call matthew or send a quick message to check up on him, but he relies on the boy's omega friends to take care of him while he's busy with his never-ending work.

matthew's baby bump had developed and its more prominent now. he'd gone to his regular, mostly checkups and found out that everything was fine. from the ultrasound pictures, matthew slowly watched as their little pup grew from a small, tiny bundle of cells, to suddenly developing a head and tiny limbs. he made sure to send a picture to the alpha who had unfortunately missed the check-up again.

thankfully, he was grateful to have hanbin and ricky by his side. gyuvin was great as well since he was the youngest and was able to spend the most time with them. there's just no denying the tiny void that matthew feels though when he's around the other couples. he feels almost like a fifth wheel at times, caressing his small baby bump and giggling to himself when he feels a small kick. he quickly picks up his phone to shoot jiwoong a text message about it.

whenever matthew isn't in school and working on his schoolwork, he's moping around in jiwoong's bed. it's the closest thing the omega can get to the alpha other than having the alpha physically there with him. he rolls around on the bed, digging his nose into the pillows while the blanket they share is wrapped around him. he even digs through jiwoong's closet to find clothes that he can put over his small frame that reeks of the alpha's scent, though he usually goes for jiwoong's sleep t-shirts from the dirty laundry hamper.

he's in one of the older's oversized t-shirts now, back pressed against the headboard as he rubs his tummy softly. the shirt makes his bump just a tiny bit visible since it was so big. he smiles, glancing away from his phone to look down at what he'd been caressing.

"you like it too, huh? jiwoon hyung's scent really smells good."

matthew feels like he's going insane when he says jiwoong's brown sugar reeked shirt made him feel calmer. he was getting restless before when he was digging around for anything that would remind him of the alpha. now that he's more calm and collected, pulling the collar of the shirt towards his nose and inhaling deeply, he could feel his inner omega calm down.

"that's your father." matthew grins, feeling a little kick against his stomach. its as if his little pup is trying to communicate with him and it all makes matthew feel less lonely. "don't be mad at him for not being around. hyung is working hard for the both of us. he'll buy us lots of yummy food and presents." another kick makes matthew giggle, giving his bump a little rub. "i'll take that as you forgive jiwoon hyung. you miss him too, don't you?"

the omega sighs, glancing down at the phone that he had set down beside him. he wonders what jiwoong is up to. he wonders if jiwoong misses him just as much. he saw the older in the morning very briefly, feeling the older plant a kiss onto his forehead and onto his stomach before getting up. he knew he fell asleep on the couch when he woke up in their bedroom. he was waiting for the alpha to come home late, last night but before he knew it, he was curled up onto the couch and off to dream land.

the alpha had told him numerous times that he shouldn't wait for him anymore, but the omega wants to see the older before he sleeps. he wants to sleep knowing that his boyfriend is by his side. jiwoong ends up finding the omega in the same spot on the couch every time, carefully picking up the boy and tucking him into bed. he doesn't forget to kiss the omega. but, matthew obviously whines when he feels the presence of his alpha leaving in the early morning.

"i miss him," matthew mutters, his voice cracking as he feels tears swell up in his eyes. he tries to compose himself, reminding himself that everything will be okay and that him and their pup will be fine. but he's just not fine.

he hugs the miffy plushie that jiwoong had gotten him on one of their very first dates to his chest. it was when jiwoong had asked him for forgiveness and matthew decided to give him a second chance. hot tears stream down his cheeks and he doesn't care that its wetting the plushie he's crying over. he blames it on his pregnancy hormones for making him so emotional.

hanbin and hao are the first one to find him. the older couple had came to the room with the intention of inviting the younger omega on a walk with them since the pregnant omega had been cooped up in the room the whole day. to their surprise, they were met with a sobbing boy and were quick to scoop him into their arms and comfort him.

"i-i'm fine, hyung," matthew tried to reassure when hanbin started to scent him. the older's vanilla scent was starting to overwhelm the omega, but the younger knew that hanbin was just trying to help. he just really want jiwoong.

hanbin frowns, pulling the boy closer to him by the shoulders so that his head is on his shoulder. "you're crying, matthew-ah. clearly everything is not fine. you shouldn't be crying like this. tell hyung what's wrong?"

"nothing's wrong," matthew mutters. he still refuses to admit that he's weak and unable to go through his pregnancy without having his alpha by his side every waking and sleeping moment.

they're not even mated. its pathetic. he picks his head up and wipes his stray tears with the back of his hand. when he does that, something catches his eye. he's sitting on hanbin's left and he sees the fresh, bitten mark on the older's nape. his eyes avert to the alpha who's standing beside the bed. zhang hao has the same mark on the juncture of his neck. that must've explained why hanbin and hao had spent the past week in hanbin's place instead of the condo. they're mated.

spite starts to slowly bubble up inside him. first it was ricky and now hanbin's also mated? it wasn't a surprise to matthew at all, but he feels god awful for wanting to yell and scream at the older couple for flashing their mating mark in front of him. he knows its not even intentional and the point of it being on the nape was for everyone to see. he wants one too.

"you need to tell jiwoong how you feel," hanbin frowns, tucking a strand of the hair behind the younger's ear before passing him another tissue. "i'm sure he can make time for you. he'll understand that you need him."

"he's busy," the omega responds, his words coming out shaky. the last thing he wants to do is burden jiwoong because he's suddenly so clingy and attached. "he won't like it if i suddenly decided that i need him after telling him not to worry."

"but he's your alpha," hanbin protests, squeezing matthew's hand. he feels the younger's scent waver, his eyes dilating when the younger pushes his hand away. "m-matthew—"

"we're not even mated!"

matthew's sudden outburst along with tears spilling out of his eyes makes the older couple tense. hao puts his hand on his omega's shoulders, squeezing it softly when the younger's hand instinctively goes up to hide the fresh mark on his neck. hanbin suddenly feels guilty, but he finally understands where his best friend's anger is coming from. matthew must've been bothered by the fact that him and ricky were always around their alpha, and the fact that they're visibly mated must've made matthew feel a lot of envy. on top of that, his pregnancy hormones must've made the younger erupt in a bunch of emotions.

matthew finally realizes how he had raised his voice and scared the omega next to him. he quickly wipes his tears with the back of his hand, then looking at hanbin. "i-i'm sorry, hyung. i didn't mean to raise my voice," he looks up at zhang hao who is rubbing the back of hanbin's head softly, comforting the younger boy. "h-hao hyung . . ."

being the oldest one in the room, hao decides to be the one to mediate the tension between the two omegas. he knows hanbin is a bit upset by the way he refuses to look at the younger omega. he's just as angered over the fact that his omega is upset, and he can feel hanbin's emotions more strongly after bonding with him. still, he understands where the canadian is coming from because hanbin is kind of like that too. hanbin's clingy and obsessed over him, and its what an omega should be around their alpha.

"jiwoong won't be upset if you told him that you need him," hao continues to gently stroke hanbin's soft locks of now baby pink hair. hao had helped the omega dye his hair since he wanted to try something new. "he'll be more upset over the fact that you didn't tell him and start blaming himself. jiwoong isn't the same alpha as before. he's different when he's in love . . . and he loves you."

matthew can't help but think that hao is right. jiwoong was the first one who insisted to be with him since his pregnancy but he was the one stopping the alpha from doing so. he's just afraid of what the alpha would think. would he think that matthew was a liar? he was so sure he'd be fine by himself and now he's just— pathetically weak. he's really an omega. he can't live without jiwoong around him.

"hanbin's just like this too," hao continues to speak, chuckling when the tips of the younger's ears turn as pink as his hair. hanbin looks up at him with a small pout. "omegas need their alphas. it's normal to feel this way. hanbin sometimes thinks he's tough and doesn't need me, but he secretly craves the attention. isn't that right, hanbin-ah?"

hanbin shakes his head in embarrassment, leaning against the alpha's body and he whines. "hyunggg."

matthew can't help but giggle. he realizes the only reason he's scared is because he's never felt this way before. he hugs his knees as close as he can to his chest, feeling a soft kick against his stomach. it's as if his little pup is cheering him on as well, and he places a hand over the round belly.

"is it kicking?," hanbin asks, finally deciding to push his feelings aside. matthew nods in response, grabbing hanbin's hand to guide it over his stomach. he grins when he sees the way hanbin's mouth open and his expression is filled with excitement. "jiwoong hyung would love to feel this for himself."

hanbin then turns to his own alpha, looking up at the boy who has his arms crossed in front of his chest. hao simply chuckles, enjoying the fascinated expression the younger boy has on his face. it's clear that hanbin had forgiven matthew when the two omegas are giggling amongst themselves and talking to the pup as if it could understand them. he finds it cute when hanbin turns to look at him after he says something to the pup, and he assumes the pink haired boy gets a kick in response.

"we'll have our own pup, soon." he decides to whisper to hanbin, getting the omega all flustered as he hits the alpha's chest.

"hyung." hanbin whines again. his bottom lip juts out into a pout but hao quickly kisses it off. matthew grins at the couple in front of him. he wonders if him and jiwoong were just like this when they were together.

after hao and hanbin's encouragement to tell jiwoong, he quickly shoots the older alpha a text message. its really just a simple text message but the older couple approved of it after they saw the younger's thumb fiddling over the send button after reading what he had typed out over and over again. he practically threw his phone onto the bed, refusing to look at it as his whole body flushed from head to toe. it was like texting his crush all over again.

he ended up tagging along with hanbin and hao's walk around the neighborhood. matthew needed it anyways— to get some fresh air and some exercise in instead of moping around in bed and stressing both him and the baby out. he would say he had a lot of fun other than the fact that he got tired so easily. the older couple encouraged him to sit down and take breaks at time, but matthew really just felt like he was burdening the older couple by tagging along.

"sorry, hyung," matthew said quietly, tugging at hanbin's sleeve. they're walking to the convenience store to get the omega snacks and a drink, calling it a day after walking around for an hour. hanbin takes the younger's hand in his own, following the older alpha who was browsing through the aisles.

"the reason why we wanted to walk outside was for you, matthew. you don't have to be sorry. we just wanted to help you take your mind off of jiwoong hyung even if its for a little bit."

matthew's lips curve up into a smile, feeling reassured that he hadn't ruined the older couple's plans or else he really would beat himself up about it. the walk sort of did help him get his mind off of jiwoong. he was busy looking around the neighborhood, even finding himself unconsciously rubbing his tummy that was carefully hidden in one of jiwoong's big hoodies when he saw the little pups play at the playground behind jiwoong's complex.

he's even distracted now, browsing through the snack section and grabbing whatever he likes and putting the selection of sweet and salty delicacies in one of his arms, hugging them to his chest. he even thought of the alpha briefly, picking up a bag of barbecue potato chips off the shelf. he's about to take a round to meet the older couple who were looking at the selection of drinks, until he sees a familiar figure hunched over the counter, catching his breath.

"jiwoon hyung?"

there was without a doubt that the figure that was harassing the beta, asking if he had seen a pregnant omega with chestnut brown hair and was the cutest boy in the world, was jiwoong. the wrinkled white dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and black slacks that refined the curve of jiwoong's long legs and his ass was something that matthew could not mistake. on top of that, the burning scent of brown sugar was telling the omega that the alpha was stressed.

"matthew," the alpha turns around, still panting and breathless as he pulls the omega into a hug. matthew's a little confused, but that doesn't mean he's happy to be engulfed by the alpha he's been missing. by the looks of it, the alpha had probably been running around to look for him despite looking exhausted and sleep-deprived. "i came back and i didn't see you so—"

"i missed you."

the younger wraps his free arm around the older, holding him tighter. it makes the alpha pause, letting out a soft sigh as he strokes the back of the boy's head. the omega doesn't even care that the bags of snacks are crinkling in between them. he just wants to hold the alpha tighter and never let go. he's sniffling before he knows it, causing a big scene in the middle of the convenience store and in front of the poor beta who had to witness it all.

hanbin and hao find them at the front of the store by the register, smiling to each other at the sight. jiwoong's pressing kisses on top of the boy's head, wiping his tears with his thumb. he finally meets hao's eyes, taking the bags of snacks from his omega before tossing it into the alpha's basket along with his card. hao smirks, giving the older the green light that he should probably take the omega home first.

"i'm sorry i didn't look at my phone," matthew mumbles into jiwoong's ear. he's a little embarrassed from the position he's in— jiwoong is carrying him bridal style because his legs and back are sore, and his arms are thrown around the older's neck as his nose tickles jiwoong's scent gland.

"i thought something had happened," jiwoong reassures, kicking the door of the condo open after taking the elevator up to his floor. he shuts the door behind him before walking over to the living room to put the younger down. "thankfully, hao had responded to my call and told me that you were with them. when you texted me that you needed me i didn't know what to expect."

matthew's cheeks flush red as he unravels his arms from around the older's neck and sits down on the couch. the older crouches down to help him out of his shoes. "i-i didn't want to tell you that i needed you."

jiwoong places matthew's shoes to the side before looking up with a hurt expression. "i told you to tell me everything, chu. you're pregnant and you're my omega. it's my job to take care of you."

"but you've just been busy with work so much that i didn't want to bother you," matthew fiddles with his thumbs in his lap as he feels guilt eat at him with the way the older is looking at him. "i'm sorry."

jiwoong shakes his head, getting on both his knees with his hands on the omega's thighs. "it's my fault for focusing so much on work. its normal for you to need me, chu."

"it's not." matthew mutters under his breath. his gaze wavers and it meets jiwoong's confused expression and the older is frowning. "it's just that . . . that we're not even mated or anything."

"it still doesn't mean that you can't feel the need to want me," the alpha comments, but part of him knows that the topic is bothering the younger. he takes the younger's trembling hands into his own, getting up to sit beside the boy. "are you upset that we haven't mated?"

matthew stiffens beside him and the older knows he hit the hammer on the nail.

"o-of course not, it's not that important—"

jiwoong chuckles, ruffling the younger's head. "it is important, love. its normal to feel these emotions even if we're not mated, okay? and you're pregnant on top of that, chu, you're obviously going to be more sensitive to things."

matthew shakes his head, unwilling to admit that everything jiwoong is saying is true. he nuzzles his head against the older's shoulder, whining when he hears the older laugh.

"i'll be here if you need me. i'll spend this weekend with you."

matthew lifts his head up from the alpha's shoulder, shaking his head. the alpha only sighs, pinching his cheek.

"i don't want you to cry anymore. its not good for you and the baby if you're stressed all the time." jiwoong's hand grazes over the younger's stomach. he smiles when he sees that its one of his hoodies that the younger has stolen. as if asking for permission, the omega gladly grants it to the older, lifting his hoodie up so that the older can feel the growing bump. "and i've missed your checkup ultrasound appointments. seeing our little pup through pictures isn't the same."

"t-there's an appointment in a couple days," matthew speaks up, watching the older's hand rub his rounded belly.

"i'll go with you."

"hyung."

"matthew."

the omega sighs. matthew knows no matter how much he tries to stop the alpha now, the older definitely won't believe him when he says he'll be fine. he just smiles to himself, enjoying the quality time with his alpha, engulfed into the strong scent of brown sugar that still goes so well with his creme brûlée scent. maybe he really isn't missing out that much for not being mated— bonded to the alpha.

or is he?

ᰔᩚ 𝓼𝓮𝓾𝓷𝓺𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓼
𝓹𝓾𝓫𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭: 10/25/2024 ᰔᩚ