It started with the scent. Hyunjin hated it.

At first it was faint, citrus mixed with vanilla, like a memory of summer wrapped in warmth, but soon it lingered in every corner of their apartment. The moment Felix missed even a single dose of his suppressants, the air shifted, heavy with something neither of them wanted to acknowledge.

Hyunjin was an Alpha. He had always been proud of his control, his discipline, the way he never let instinct drive his decisions. He was calm, reliable, the kind of Alpha who never slipped. But Felix was not just any Omega, and that was the problem.

Felix carried danger in softness. He wore oversized clothes that slid off his shoulders, moved with careless grace, and laughed in a way that made everything inside Hyunjin tilt. He was too close and yet always out of reach.

One evening Felix admitted what Hyunjin already suspected. Curled into the couch, voice small and tired, Felix said, “I forgot to refill them. I am not in heat, I just feel drained.” His hoodie swallowed him whole, his knees tucked tight against his chest.

Hyunjin felt his jaw clench. The apartment was heavy with the sweetness of Felix’s scent, clinging to every breath. Despite the cold outside, sweat ran down his spine. His voice cracked sharper than he intended. “You cannot just forget.” Felix’s eyes flicked to him, quiet and searching. “Forget for you?” he asked.

The week dragged into tension. By Friday Felix had locked himself in his room, flushed and trembling. The smell of early heat seeped out from beneath the door, impossible to ignore. Hyunjin stood with his palm pressed flat against the wood.

“Lix. Let me in.”

“No,” came the reply, unsteady and thin. “I will get through it. I always do.”

“You should not face this by yourself,” Hyunjin said, his knuckles turning white around the doorframe. Silence stretched between them, the kind that carried more weight than words.

Hyunjin’s breath came unsteady. He knew what he should do. Step back. Give space. Let Felix handle it as he claimed. But his heart rebelled against reason. Felix was hurting, afraid, and every part of him called out for comfort.

Then the lock clicked. The door opened. Felix stood there, skin damp, hair clinging to his forehead, pupils wide. His hoodie stuck to him like a second skin. His voice broke in a whisper that carried more than he could say.

“I did not want it to be anyone else but you.”