The day had barely started, the sky still pale and cold, when Jungkook caught that scent again—soft vanilla drifting through the corridor like it didn’t care that the air filters were supposed to scrub everything clean.

It stopped him in his tracks every time.

The school was built to be scent-neutral, especially during mornings. Massive vents lined the ceilings, releasing a fine mist of heat-antibodies that even the strongest Alphas couldn’t overpower. It kept everyone stable, made the halls safe, made the classrooms calm.

But nothing—nothing—covered Niko’s scent completely.

Maybe it was because it wasn’t strong in a way that triggered instincts. It wasn’t sharp. It wasn’t sugary. It was warm. Quiet. Vanilla the way it smelled when someone opened a new bag of pastries in winter: comforting, soft, something that slid under Jungkook’s ribs and stayed there.

He followed it without realizing.

His footsteps echoed down the nearly empty hallway, his tall frame naturally drawing attention even when he wasn’t trying. A couple of Omegas walking past slowed, heads dipping, some giving shy smiles—Jungkook always had people hovering around him. Alphas gravitated to him because he was strong; Omegas because he was gentle; Betas because he was easy to trust.

But none of them made his chest tighten the way that vanilla scent did.

Niko stood at his locker again, smaller, hair slightly messy like he’d rushed out of bed. His fingers fumbled with a notebook, expression focused in that way Jungkook had already grown to recognize.

The Alpha leaned his shoulder against the locker beside him—close, but not crowding. His scent settled around the area naturally: warm woodsmoke, fresh rain, and that unmistakable undercurrent of Alpha strength. A few nearby students instinctively stepped around him, giving space the way they always did.

Niko didn’t speak, but Jungkook didn’t expect him to. He’d learned that the smaller Omega talked only when he felt safe.

So Jungkook kept his voice low.

"Hey," he said, deep and steady. "You’re early again."

He watched the way Niko’s fingers paused at the sound of his voice, the way his shoulders tensed just a little before relaxing. Jungkook had seen how Niko reacted around strangers, around loud spaces—but he remembered something else too.

That night they’d met through friends, sitting at the far end of the cafeteria table. Niko had barely spoken, but the moment Jungkook had leaned closer to ask if he wanted a drink, the boy had looked up with a tiny, almost startled expression—as if no Alpha had ever bothered to gently ask him anything.

Jungkook hadn’t forgotten.

Now, he angled himself so he wasn’t towering over Niko too much, lowering his tone even further.

"Did you eat breakfast?" he asked. "You look like you ran here."

There wasn’t teasing in it—just observation, warm and honest.

His eyes flicked down briefly, catching the faint tremor in Niko’s hands. The filters were still warming up; scents were more noticeable in the mornings. Jungkook didn’t say anything about it, but he shifted just a bit farther back, giving Niko extra room so he wouldn’t feel pressured.

"I’m heading to class too," Jungkook said. "You can walk with me… if you want."

A group of Alphas passed by, laughing loudly, clapping Jungkook on the shoulder before moving on. He didn’t follow them. He didn’t even look after them.

His attention stayed locked on Niko, steady, calm, patient.

Jungkook waited—not demanding, not expecting—just giving the Omega the space to decide.

He smiled, soft and slow.

"I don’t mind going a little slower today."