𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 || 𝐉𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧

XII (M)

Joshua makes sure he keeps his promise of taking care of Jeonghan, and that’s not limited only to the heat itself.

In the week leading up to the first wave hitting full force, Jeonghan experiences nesting more intensively than he ever has; usually, a few of Joshua's clothes for him to sleep with and wear around the house is more than enough, but this time it gets so overwhelming he has to ask for time out of work. His omega is so hyper fixated it gets hard for him to leave his apartment, which he’s been cleaning non-stop, and working from home doesn’t happen unless he’s quite literally surrounded by Joshua's scent, be it in pieces of clothing or the alpha himself.

Nesting on this level is rare for unmated omegas, and Joshua finds himself practically moving to Jeonghan's place for a few days to help. He takes care of cooking most meals, doing shopping trips and making sure the apartament is heat safe, but most of all, he helps by providing comfort to Jeonghan's omega, which is now more restless than ever. They cuddle a lot these days, and having the older in his arms just basking in his pheromones becomes a sort of unspoken routine.

One evening, Jeonghan confesses to Joshua before they fall asleep that he feels safe whenever the younger is around. It’s the most precious compliment Joshua's ever gotten.

Unfortunately, work doesn’t stop, even if leaving Jeonghan's bed in the morning gets harder and harder the more the older clings to all of his limbs, whining about being left alone all day. It’s not like Joshua is doing much of any productive work at his job anyway, not when he’s distracted thinking of his best friend and how he’s doing, and even his co-workers notice his distraction, along with the fact that he’s very clearly being scented; Joshua dodges most of the well intentioned teasing that he has a boyfriend or girlfriend, too flustered by the idea to correct anyone.

Most days, Joshua feels like he’s just waiting for a call to drop everything and run home, which is why it’s so surprising that once it comes, he doesn’t notice what’s going on at first. The alpha is leaving his office, distracted by trying to fish out his car keys out of his pocket, so he picks up Jeonghan's call without giving it much thought. “Hey, need anything? I’m going by the grocery store.”

“Shua ,” Jeonghan calls into the phone, and Joshua visibly shivers at the cadence to his voice: high pitched, but restrained. “Get the fuck home, right now .”

“Oh, shit .” The alpha unfreezes, practically tearing his pocket apart in his rush to finally get the keys out. “I’m leaving the office, I’ll be there in 15, just— wait for me.”

Jeonghan laughs into the phone, but it trails off to a moan, and the frantic sound of rustling sheets. “Not like I have— fuck — any option right now, this is so much more" His words break out to another desperate sound. "I need you.”

Joshua is too impatient in his car to worry about how much he's speeding, because all that matters to him at the moment is getting to Jeonghan. He parks his car in Jeonghan's apartament building only ten minutes after the omega's call, and even as he waits for the elevator, his wolf won't stop restlessly pacing in his chest.

Once he finally opens the apartament door, Joshua is hit with the wave of thick heat pheromones, and he has to take a moment by the doorstep, calming himself down. He can hear the faint noises coming from Jeonghan's bedroom, and every inch of his body is urging him to move, but he remembers his promise to his friends — he spares a second, centers his mind and reminds himself that this is about Jeonghan, and that he has to look after him.

“Shua?” Jeonghan's voice calls, and then again a moment later. “ Oh my God , Shua, hurry up, I can smell you.”

He locks the door to the apartament behind him, and there's no more time to waste as he takes everything out of his pocket and removes his shoes and ties on the way to the bedroom, stumbling in his rush. The door to the room is wide open as he approaches, and his throat vibratws with a deep and possessive growl the  instant he sees Jeonghan, naked on the bed and humping a pile of Joshua's clothes.