Heat Waves

Promises

Chapter Seven - 

Silence stretched heavy between the three friends. Minho was seated, arms crossed against his chest, head turned towards the window and jaw clenched. The coffee Chan had bought him sitting untouched ice long melted. He didn't have to look to know Changbin and Chan were exchanging worried glances.

"Minho," Changbin began leaning closer as he spoke. "I thought you were on suppressants?"

"Bin!" Chan exclaimed.

"What?"

"You don't just...ask someone that outright."

"Why not? It's not a bad thing. It's not even a secret. Minho's been taking them since he's been a teacher's aide. It's a requirement."

"It's fine, hyung." Minho replied, finally relenting in his efforts to not speak. "Yes, I am on suppressants."

"Is the dosage high enough?" Chan sighed head falling to the table at Changbin's lack of tact.

"I...I'm not sure, I thought it was." He frowned lifting a hand to his coffee spinning the cup in slow circles.

"Your pheromones were strong, Min. You were definitely going into a rut."

"You don't think I didn't know that?!" he snapped nostrils flaring and eyes narrowed at Changbin's words. His friend crossed his own arms leaning back a scowl on his face.

"I'm not trying to fight you, I'm worried. I know you, and you losing control over your alpha instinct, in public no less, that just isn't you."

"I didn't do it on purpose."

"What Bin is trying to say is that we are just as surprised as you and concerned. Is there something going on? Or, is it..." Chan looked at Changbin debating whether bringing him up was a good idea so soon after the incident.

"That Han kid." Changbin finished. "Is he the reason?" Minho's eyes snapped to Changbin's face, a low growl escaping his lips.

"He didn't do anything."

"Min," Chan was speaking quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "We aren't accusing him. What we saw when we walked up, it was-"

"What is it you thought you saw?" he interrupted pushing Chan's hand off him.

"Minho," Changbin groaned becoming frustrated. "He was trying to scent you. Frankly, he looked like he had no control over himself. We are college students and his behavior was incredibly immature. Not to mention dangerous. I thought the time of omega's throwing themselves at you was over in high school." Minho slammed his hand on the table chair scraping back loudly as he stood.

"What the fuck do you know about him Changbin?! Huh? Maybe you should worry more about your own relationship than my business. Where is Hyunjin anyway? You talk about omega's throwing themselves at me, but what about you? Weren't you doing exactly that to Felix the other day?"

"Yah!" Changbin was also standing rounding the table in a matter of seconds. Quickly Chan took his place between his friends pressing his hands against them.

"Enough!" he growled low, pouring any ounce of authority he had into it. Minho bristled against him but relented while Changbin immediately stepped back, unable to defy an alpha by nature. "Minho, we care about you. That's all. We don't know Han, and he released no pheromones of his own, meaning we don't know what secondary gender he is. If he is an omega you already know the risks if you can't control yourself, and if he isn't, then that is its own host of problems. We don't want you to get hurt."