Unlike the Others

Chapter 11

"So," Yein starts, hand reaching to slap Wooseok's away from the takeout box sitting between them on the living room couch, "Ok you're binge eating at this point, stop that!"

The redhead grumbles and leans further back into the couch, eyes glancing at the chicken wing he has tried to grab. "I just had a mental breakdown, excuse me for being hungry afterward, that was very taxing you know?"

"Yes I know, I was there," Yein gives him a look but still pulls the takeout closer to himself. "Anyways that's not what I was going to say,"

Wooseok had figured as much, so he just hums while staring at his friend, a sign for him to go on. The other omega places down the chicken bone before grabbing the chicken wing the redhead still craved for, hot sauce shiny on his fingertips.

"When are you confessing to Jinhyuk?" Yein asks so carelessly as if the mere idea of doing so didn't make Wooseok's ears buzz and heartbeat pick up.

He sits back up, hands moving to fidget with the ends of his shirt without him noticing and he's too busy staring at the spot beside his friend's head that he misses his eyes glancing at his anxious gesture.

"It's very hard for an omega to hide their feelings for an alpha, you're aware of this yes?" Yein prodded, the look in Wooseok's darkening before he gives a slight nod.

Omegas had a very difficult time hiding their attraction, even in modern times. Their scent glands release more scent and mixed it with pheromones when in the presence of the partner they desired, they also tend to offer their neck more frequently without noticing themselves.

Those signs would be sent even if the omega was attracted to another omega or beta, the reason why it was more difficult to hide them from an alpha is that alphas could pick up these changes more easily than the others.

But alphas also are unable to control their bodies when interested in someone, their signs much more unnoticeable. Standing to their full height, wider smiles to show their sharp canines and, sometimes, if others -especially other alphas- were close by and did as much as look at the recipient of the alpha's attraction, they would make sure to be in physical contact with them.

Wooseok can still remember when Sooil and Minsoo didn't yet confess to each other, all the 'platonic' clinging he had to witness and one time Sooil even growled at him for having been hugged by Minsoo.

Needless to say, after that instance Sooil apologized and Wooseok escaped the suddenly tense room, next time he saw them they were officially dating.

Wooseok had never needed to worry about his body betraying him that way, his plate was full already by not allowing himself to submit to the alphas or betas that have tried to pressure him to fit into his 'role'.

He remembers Jinhyuk's words that night they strolled the busy street, the alpha's anger when the omega had told him about his reputation, how he had stopped him from unknowingly submitting to him.

Now he wonders if he had tried to offer his neck to placate the angry alpha or it was something even more unconscious, his omega self offering his unmarked neck to Jinhyuk specifically.

"Do you trust him?" Yein asks forcing Wooseok to snap out of his thoughts. He looks into his friend's eyes before nodding his head, feeling his cheeks heat up but not allowing a sign of doubt to be shown because he felt none and he wanted his friend to know it.

Yein offers him a soft smile. "Then you'll be ok."

Realizing you harbor feelings for an alpha in winter has its benefits, Wooseok realizes as he walks out of one of the bathrooms in the university.