The aftermath of their passionate coupling left a profound, satisfied stillness in the room, broken only by the slowing rhythm of their hearts. Do-hyun's knot had long since gone down, and he had gently untangled them, only to gather Jaemin back into his arms. Jaemin's head rested on the alpha's shoulder, his body curved perfectly into the protective cradle of the larger man.
Their silence was the deepest kind of intimacy, one that allowed old hurts to surface.
"I'm sorry," Jaemin murmured into the alpha's chest. "I really shouldn't have chased you away like that the other night. I should have asked you to stay, given you a proper introduction to my family."
Do-hyun rested his cheek against Jaemin's soft, damp hair. "It's alright. You were caught by surprise as well."
"It wasn't just that," Jaemin confessed, his voice small. "I couldn't stand it when I heard my father lumping you together with… with Choi Seungcheol. And seeing your reaction... I panicked. I didn't know how to handle the situation. I was afraid that if they found out about you, they would think I was just doing it all over again."
Do-hyun listened, letting the weight of the confession settle. "This isn't about me, is it? It's about you being ashamed of your past, of what happened in Vienna."
"It is about my past," Jaemin confirmed, his fingers tracing the edge of Do-hyun's shoulder. He swallowed, the movement visible beneath the surface of his pale skin. "But it goes back further than Vienna."
Jaemin began to talk, his voice low, recounting a life lived under the shadow of a single, monumental emotion: disappointment. He spoke of his father, a practical man of stoic reserve, whose quiet disapproval had always felt heavier than any shout.
"I never had the predisposition towards the things he felt were what made for success in this world. Not from the subjects I excelled in, the course of study I chose… When I decided to pursue music, he sat me down with my mother for a long lecture on how it was too uncertain, there were too many others out there already trying to do the same thing… There was no way there was any space for someone like me to succeed."
Do-hyun gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment. Personally, he saw the wisdom in Jaemin's father's advice. The music world was small and merciless. Do-hyun's own standards and preconceptions of what the industry required had made him reject Jaemin on sight once, not too long ago.
But he also suspected that Jaemin's father didn't really understand music, and, more importantly, had perhaps never seen Jaemin perform. In truth, there was no way that anyone who had seen Jaemin at work could ever doubt the fact: this man belonged to music, as much as music belonged to him.
"Despite his opposition, I chose to do music anyway," Jaemin continued, voice soft. "He didn't lecture me about it again after I made my decision, but I could feel his disapproval every time the topic came up.
"And then… then I fell sick one day. I had a migraine that wouldn't go away, every light was too bright, and every little smell would make me throw up. My parents were worried, especially since I was going to fly to Vienna soon, so they brought me to a doctor."
Do-hyun hummed again, recognizing the symptoms. "You were presenting."
"Exactly. But not as an alpha… an omega." Jaemin sighed. "I have no idea where it came from. All my family are betas. My parents didn't know what to do with me.
"When we got the diagnosis from the doctor, my mother was anxious and asked loads of questions, but my father… He listened for a bit, then just stood up and left the room to wait outside, but I saw his face.
"I didn't hear anything the doctor said after that. When we went home, he shut himself in the room. When my mother opened the door to check on him, I heard—"
He broke off, the memory replaying behind the amber eyes before adding softly, "He was crying."
Do-hyun tightened his arm around him, fingers gently stroking comforting circles into Jaemin's back. Although secondary designations were not uncommon, he could imagine how a parental reaction like that would sting. It was no wonder there was so much about being an omega that Jaemin couldn't seem to come to terms with.
He waited silently until the man in his arms took a deep breath to continue. "That's the only time I've ever seen him cry. He's only ever shown delight at JIna and Junho's achievements. But for me, his first son…" his voice wobbled slightly, "I guess my nature was a fundamental flaw, a mark of failure on top of choosing something as frivolous as music. The ultimate proof that his eldest son was soft, vulnerable, and a disgrace.
"The good thing was, after I stabilised, things didn't really change after that. I didn't experience any heats until Vienna, and our lives carried on as usual. I didn't talk about it at all, didn't let my mom or siblings bring it up in front of him… did my best to show him I could still be the perfect eldest son—took care of my mom, my siblings, everything—and he got better. He even took time off work to send me off at the airport, even though he didn't really say much. But at least he was there.
"And then Vienna happened."
Do-hyun rubbed a slow, steady circle on Jaemin's waist, grounding him. He knew from what Jaemin's father had said the other day that he knew at least some of what had happened with Choi Seungcheol, even if Jaemin had probably spared them the details. "How did he react?"
"He was livid. Livid and silent," Jaemin recalled, closing his eyes against the memory. "He wouldn't speak to me for days. He couldn't even look me in the eye. It made me feel once again like there was something just fundamentally wrong with me, or that I wasn't capable of doing anything except make foolish mistakes: choosing music, going to Vienna, letting an alpha take advantage of me… all the things his other children would never have done. I had gone away for years to follow a dream, only to come home in disgrace, wearing a mark from a thief."
Shame. Do-hyun could sense it radiating from the slim body curled against him, from all the points where their skin met. His heart ached at the realization that this man had held all this hurt, these scars, inside of him, and still soldiered on to return to the music, even taking steps to hide his true self under a flimsy shield of sandalwood to keep himself safe.
And then Do-hyun had come along. Discovered his secret, called him a fake. Memories of the things he had said, all the terrible, cutting accusations, reared in Do-hyun's mind, making him gather the omega tightly into his arms and press his face into the soft hair.
"I'm sorry," he rasped. "I'm so sorry, Jaemin."
"Huh?" Startled out of his recollections, Jaemin looked up at him. "What do you have to be sorry about? It wasn't you that did those things."
"No, but I called you a coward before," Do-hyun muttered remorsefully. "And I accused you of using me for convenience."
Jaemin laughed softly, looking away. "Well, maybe I am. Not—Not using you, I mean," he quickly clarified, "I would never do that. But I'm not brave enough to try anything else, even after all this."
"No." Tipping his face up to meet his gaze, Do-hyun continued fiercely, "You're anything but a coward, nowhere close. You had all these obstacles, all the people standing in your way, and you kept picking yourself up to move forward." He pressed a soft kiss to the white forehead. "You're the bravest person I know, Seo Jaemin. And you will always have me to support you in every way I can."
Jaemin stared at him with misty eyes, then burrowed back in close. "Not brave enough to acknowledge you to my family."
"That's alright. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here for it." Do-hyun pressed another tender kiss to the crown of Jaemin's head. "And how have things been with the folks these few days, back at your place?"
Jaemin gave a small, humorless laugh before telling Do-hyun about the heated exchange with his father and the subsequent, surprising conversation with his younger brother, Junho, choking up slightly as he recalled his younger brother's words:
'We just… didn't know how. We didn't know anything.'
Do-hyun held him tight, gently rubbing the nape of his neck. His cedar scent, deep and immoveable like an ancient tree, wrapped around Jaemin, instantly soothing the ragged edges of his pain and pulling him back from the precipice of the memory.
He had a strong suspicion, even as Jaemin was sharing his story, that in truth, Jaemin's father, a man who didn't understand secondary genders or music, probably knew only one thing: that his precious son had been hurt and betrayed outside the family's protection, and he, as a father, was helpless to fight it.
But this was only conjecture, and even if it were true, this wasn't the time to say it to Jaemin. Nor was it his truth to tell. They would just have to wait for the right moment.
Jaemin looked up at him, amber eyes clear and sincere. "I really am sorry, though. I'm not ashamed of you. I was ashamed of myself, of everything that happened. I'm sorry for hurting you like that, Do-hyun."
Do-hyun nodded, his expression softening as he realized the depth of the apology, lifting his chin to hug Jaemin close. Then he paused and gave a thoughtful hum.
"So what will you say the next time your father tells you that I'm just a 'volatile, unreliable' musician like Choi What's-His-Face?"
Jaemin's answer, slightly muffled against Do-hyun's bare chest, was immediate. "That you're nothing like him. You were a bit mean to me at first, but you're honest, and loyal. You properly earned your place as a concertmaster, and the orchestra wouldn't sound half as good without you, and you're—" He broke off halfway as Do-hyun began to chuckle. "Why are you laughing?"
He looked up, bewildered, only to understand the moment he saw Do-hyun's satisfied smile. "You scoundrel," he said, pushing against the alpha's chest. "You tricked me into praising you!"
The grin on Do-hyun's widened, and the sound of his laughter made Jaemin's heart skip a beat. "A scoundrel who needs clarification. I need proof that you'll actually defend me next time, instead of telling me to run for the hills!"
Jaemin's heart swelled with affection. "I won't!"
"You won't defend me?"
"I won't tell you to go home and hide!" He swatted at Do-hyun and repeated, "You scoundrel!"
"Why am I being scolded? I thought you were the one apologizing."
"I am, I am." Jaemin sobered. "I am sorry, Do-hyun. For making you feel like you were unimportant. You aren't unimportant to me, not at all." For good measure, he stretched up to plant a small kiss on Do-hyun's nose. Then, in a small, barely audible whisper: "You're my mate."
Do-hyun froze. His dark eyes, which had been dancing with mischief, went still as he stared at the omega lying in his arms. The scent of rich, grounding cedar surged in the small space—a raw, instinctual reaction to the omega's claim as he studied Jaemin's face, searching for any hint of hesitation or humour. There was none—just a trembling sincerity.
"Did you… Did you just call me your mate?" Do-hyun's voice was rough with disbelief.
Under the intensity of Do-hyun's reaction, Jaemin blushed, but didn't retract his words, only gave a single nod.
Do-hyun inhaled sharply, processing the moment, then bent towards Jaemin.
His mouth found Jaemin's with gentle certainty, not with heat or urgency, but of protective acceptance—slow, tender, and deeply reverent. In the press of their lips, Do-hyun poured all his promises, sealing the quiet, terrifyingly beautiful truth of the title that now bound them together.
Jaemin had given him so much tonight, more than he would have dared to ask for just hours ago. All he had wanted then was the simple acknowledgement that they were a couple, that Do-hyun wasn't just another co-worker at the orchestra. But maybe he really was a scoundrel, because all of this was satisfying… but he was still greedy for more.
"Very pretty apology." Do-hyun broke away, pretending to think. "But I still need a token for insurance… What will you do to prove it?"
Still flushed from the moment before, Jaemin gave a disbelieving laugh. "Was all that just now not enough?"
"Mmm, you mean sex?" Before Jaemin could sputter in embarrassment and correct him, he continued, "Tempting, but nope. What if you just want to keep me around for my body?"
"Your bod—" Jaemin laughed again, then sighed. Clearly calling Do-hyun his mate hadn't been enough for the rascal. "Okay, fine. What do you want?"
"I get to choose?"
"Yeah. Whatever you want."
Do-hyun pulled back slightly to look at him, dark eyes glittering. "Whatever? You'll do anything to reassure my poor, fragile little heart?"
Jaemin swallowed, already anticipating a ridiculous request. "Anything," he confirmed with a sigh of soft resignation, but couldn't help adding, "you ridiculous alpha."
Do-hyun kissed him once, fiercely. "Then call me jagi*." (Translation: honey)
Jaemin's eyes widened, his face immediately turning a furious shade of crimson at the cheesy, intimate Korean pet name. "Absolutely not," he protested, pushing against the alpha's chest and attempting to sit up. "I am NOT calling you jagi. Pick something else."
"You already said it," Do-hyun countered, his voice full of pure, possessive joy as he reeled Jaemin back into his arms. "You can call me jagi, yeobo*, nae sarang*... I'm really not picky." (Translation: darling, my love)
Jaemin buried his face in the alpha's shoulder, groaning in embarrassment. "Fine," he surrendered. "But absolutely, under NO circumstances, in front of the orchestra. God, imagine their hysteria…"
Do-hyun chuckled, then kissed him again. "Maybe you can practice with your family. I'm assuming you're staying here tonight?"
Jaemin hesitated. "Is that okay? I don't want to be a burden."
"You are not a burden, Jaemin." Suddenly serious, his voice was low and firm. "You could never be, not to me. And I will not let anyone, not even your father, make you feel that you are." He shifted, stretching his limbs with contentment. "I imagine the sleeping situation is a bit tight at your place anyway, with all your guests. What's the arrangement been like?"
"All over the place. I let my parents have the bed, Jina's taken the sofa, and Junho and I have been relegated to sleeping bags on the floor."
Do-hyun paused, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. "Did you... change the bedsheets?"
"The sheets?" Jaemin twisted his head to look at him, confused. "Of course I—OH." His eyes widened, comprehension dawning on his face. "OH. The… the dirty sheets…"
Do-hyun nodded seriously. "The sheets we dirtied. And the sofa," he added.
Jaemin pulled a face. "I changed the bedsheets, of course, but I didn't even think about the sofa."
Do-hyun sighed dramatically. "Poor Jina. That concentration of pheromones is a hell of a combination for an unmated beta in a confined space. Oh, well." He stretched up to switch off the bedside lamp, then pulled Jaemin in close to settle in for sleep. "My car's at your disposal. If she gets hives or anything, we can just rush her to a doctor and save her life… but only if your father also acknowledges me as your mate and gives us his eternal gratitude."