At twenty-four years old, Yeonjun celebrates his second wedding anniversary. Three days later, he meets Soobin.
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Yeonjun keeps sitting at the same table in the same cafe at the same time everyday. He tells himself it's not for Soobin, but he knows it's a lie. When it's a slow day, Beomgyu sits down at Yeonjuin's table and chatters about nothing. He must want to keep Yeonjun company, with the way Yeonjun radiates loneliness.
"Soobin says you don't work," Beomgyu blurts out, one day.
"Soobin talks about me?"
"Why don't you work?" Beomgyu asks.
"Why do you work?" Yeonjun counters.
"For money."
"Exactly. I have a husband who makes money."
Beomgyu nods. "I keep forgetting you're married. You're so young."
Yeonjun smirks. "I thought I was born in a different century."
"That explains it. Old world values." He closes his eyes as he laughs.
Yeonjun takes a sip of his latte. He should really stick to americanos — he doesn't need extra calories, big as he is.
"Sorry," Beomgyu says, opening his eyes and seeing that Yeonjun isn't laughing along.
"It's fine."
The bell on the door jingles as a customer walks in.
"Ugh, what the fuck do they want?" Beomgyu mumbles as he stands up. "I hate working."
"Then get married," Yeonjun offers.
Beomgyu laughs — a clamorous thing that erupts out of him every few minutes. He's so improper, so doomed. So fun.
Yeonjun's waiting pays off — Soobin returns eventually. He approaches Yeonjun, just as sheepish and overly-polite as the first time. Yeonjun's father would mock an alpha who behaved in such a way, but he's not in Seoul to see it. his time, there are other tables available, and Soobin still sits at his.
"Is it okay?" Soobin asks.
It might be okay, if not for the feelings stirring in Yeonjun's stomach. He wants it so bad that he needs to say no. Of course he says yes.
"I read your work," Soobin says. "I really liked it. Especially, um, Frost. It was so good."
Yeonjun blushes. "Thank you."
"Are you working on anything right now?"
Yeonjun needs to at least make something up to pretend he's writing, but he lacks the creativity for even that. "Not at the moment. I've been... I don't know."
"People get in slumps sometimes."
Yeonjun nods. He's not used to talking about himself so much. "How is school going?"
Soobin grimaces. "Shitty, actually. I got a D on my last exam."
"Oh, fuck," Yeonjun says. "Sorry, that was rude."
Soobin laughs. "That was my reaction, too."
"What happened?"
"I need a better study space, honestly. I live too far from campus to go to the library all the time, and it's so noisy at my house. There are three other alphas in my family. You can imagine how loud it gets."
Yeonjun raises his eyebrows. "What about here? It's pretty quiet."
Soobin tilts his head towards Beomgyu. "Yeah, when he's not working. He never leaves me alone."
Yeonjun laughs. "I think I'm his next victim."
"Oh, good luck. He never shuts up."
"He's a bad omega," Yeonjun laughs. "He acts like an alpha."
Soobin smiles freezes on his face. "Beomgyu's my friend."
"Oh. I'm sorry," Yeonjun says. "Sorry, I didn't — Sorry."
He doesn't understand. Most alphas like to talk badly about omegas. Especially with another omega -- it makes them feel like they're not being prejudiced. Yeonjun and Juwon mock other omegas together all the time. Yeonjun even does it with his father sometimes, both of them chuckling about how his mother is so irrational at times, so emotional. It makes alphas feel good to talk about how weak and stupid omegas are, because it reminds them of how strong and smart they are. Alphas don't care about being good — they care about being better. Yeonjun knows, he used to be one.
If he builds a pedestal for an alpha to feel tall on, maybe the alpha can pull Yeonjun up there, too.
But Soobin isn't reacting correctly.
"I'm really sorry," Yeonjun says. "I like Beomgyu."
"It's okay," Soobin says.
"He's not a bad omega." A lie. "He's super pretty." Not a lie.
"It's fine."
Yeonjun's pretty sure he's made things worse by bringing up Beomgyu's looks. He forgets that not everyone lives in the same world as him — world of the small-town, traditional family, of investment banker husbands and their trophy-omegas. That this history and politics major with bleached hair and piercings is probably more progressive than what he's used to.
He wants to go home. He feels so stupid in Seoul.
"Anyway," Soobin says. "I guess I'll go to a study cafe or something."
Yeonjun knows he should drop it, but desire reaches out towards him and pulls the words from his throat. "You could study at my apartment, if you want. It's pretty quiet."
Jesus fucking Christ. Even if he wasn't married, even if he wasn't a mated omega inviting an unmated alpha to be alone with him in his house, even if you ignore all of the issues of propriety — that was just fucking weird. They've met twice, Soobin barely knows him, why on Earth would he come to his apartment? How strange, how ill-footed and borderline creepy — but God, he's so lonely.
Soobin blinks. "Really?"
And Yeonjun's nodding, or watching himself nod. What is wrong with him?
"If it's not too much trouble. I'm kind of desperate."
"Just let me check with my alpha, first," Yeonjun says, returning to himself. "I need to ask my husband, to make sure it's okay."
"Oh," Soobin says, his face faltering. "Right, of course. I don't want to impose."
"You wouldn't be. I offered. It's just that — you know, you're an alpha."
Soobin nods slowly. "... Right."
"I can text you when I know, if you give me your number," Yeonjun says. He really needs to curb his boldness; it's becoming ridiculous and irksome.
Soobin doesn't tell Yeonjun his number; he just holds out his hand. Yeonjun unlocks his phone and hands it over.
