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“Come on, you can't just sulk in the corner all night.” Felix's sunny smile and charming accent do little to persuade Jisung away from his chosen spot near the end of the bar closest to the glowing red exit sign. He throws a look of disgust over Felix’s shoulder at the loud and jostling crowd on the floor of the club. Not one muscle moves to join them. Not to be discouraged, the younger persists, tugging impatiently at the wallflower's sleeve, earning a protesting squawk when it causes Jisung's drink to slosh over his hand. “It took me weeks to get you out of the apartment. You're not wasting tonight by being emo.” Jisung switches his drink to the hand not currently being violently shaken by his persistent friend, scowling. His scent quickly descends into a very irritated burned plastic odor, making Felix wrinkle his freckled nose. An angry alpha’s pheromones are unpleasant for everyone. Jisung shakes the wet fingers in his direction. “My hand is going to be sticky now. I should probably just head home and hop in the showe-” A sharp flick to the forehead cuts him off mid-sentence, and Jisung levels a glare at the smug Australian, rubbing at a now-red spot on his forehead. This fails to cow Felix, who turns his eyes away, surveying the dark room. “Look over there! That brunette girl has been playing with her hair and giggling in this direction for the past ten minutes. She's cute. You should buy her a drink!” He punctuates the sentence with a playful fist jab, which Jisung dodges neatly. Jisung leans against the wall and sips pointedly at the half-empty glass in his hand, ignoring his friend. Frustrated, and still much too enthusiastic, Felix smacks the wall next to Jisung's head with an open hand, making Jisung jump. The sharp smell of brine accompanies his next words. “If you don't go talk to a pretty girl right this second, I'm posting that picture to all of my social medias.” Jisung blanches. Felix smirks. He knows he's won. The photo in question is nothing criminal or indecent. It's just a picture of Jisung and Felix together as teens, back when they went to the same school. Felix looks fine in the picture, great actually. Handsome, dripping in gold from his wealthy parents, big confident smile… Jisung on the other hand, well… he looks like a dork in the picture, to put it mildly. Oversized clothes, backwards baseball cap, nerdy little merp face, his hands thrown up in the most cringey peace sign ever. After graduation, Jisung had worked out hard, gained confidence, and his full presentation as an Alpha had transformed him into an almost entirely new man, but that photo still stands as the evidence of his embarrassing teenhood. So what? Why does it matter if Felix posts it to social media? It's not like it'll go viral… except that it definitely certainly would, and in record time too. See, Felix is not just “Felix, Jisung's best friend and roommate.” Felix is “Felix, world-famous model, Most Handsome Alpha 2024, owner of luxury fashion brand Foonbok which has taken the world by storm.” Anything he touches turns to gold, and anything he posts to Instagram spreads like wildfire to the most remote reaches of the planet within an hour. If Felix posts that photo, it'll forever be tied to his name, his dignity, his legacy… Jisung exits his overly-dramatic thought spiral, reluctantly eyeing the girl Felix had pointed out previously. “Fine. I'll say hi. She's probably just looking at you anyway.” He knocks back the rest of the drink, wincing as it burns its way down his throat, and clacks the emptied glass onto the lacquered bar. “And one of these days I'm going to find where you've hidden that photo and burn it.” He grumbles, rolling his plaid sleeves up to his elbows. Felix bounces on the balls of his feet cheerily. “I have copies and backups. Besides I only use it as leverage when it's for your own good.” “Blackmail is a crime, you know.” Stalling. An eyeroll. “The real crime is you, looking like that and still being single. You're prime real estate. If you weren't so antisocial, you might be mated by now, like Chris and Changbin.” Jisung looks away quickly. He doesn't want to think about finding a mate right now. “I said I'll talk to her. Happy?” His voice is laced with venom and bitterness, but the waver at the end of his sentence is too vulnerable to sound properly angry. Felix's face softens, his low voice gentling. His pheromones soften as well, his prevailing scent of seagrass and sunshine taking on gentle linen notes. “I just don't want you to be lonely, squirrel boy. I worry about you sometimes. Especially when I'm out of the country.” He bumps their shoulders together playfully. “Someone needs to make sure you don't forget to eat and help you make appointments on the phone.” Jisung shoves him off, but a small smile slips through his annoyed mask. “Fine fine. I get it, okay? I'll go say hi this once, and you stop dragging me out to loud places with sweaty people, deal?” Felix gestures in the direction of the girl, grinning widely. “And fix your pheromones. You're stinking up the place.” Jisung rolls his eyes and sneers teasingly Felix's way before shoving his hands in his pockets and sauntering across the room, eyes locked on his target. He takes the time to get his emotions under control, so he doesn't smell like danger when he tries to talk to her. The woman looks to be probably about his age, with big brown eyes and soft chestnut hair that falls in soft waves around her shoulders. She stops talking and elbows her friend in the ribs, hard, noticing his approach. When he finally comes to a halt in front of her, he hesitates, not knowing what to do next. The club lights strobe and flicker, the music thumping on, regardless of his awkwardness. He rubs absently at the back of his neck. “Hi, I'm Jisung.” The omega looks slowly down his entire body and then back up again to his face. Something flickers in her expression, and her eyes shift, finding Felix against the wall where he'd left him. Her scent pours out, sticky and thick with cherries and syrup. Bingo. “That's Felix Lee, isn't it?” Her friend giggles, and Miss Brunette steps on her toe. “He's like, really famous, isn't he?” She bites her lip, casting another glance at the far wall. Cherries assault his nose again. Jisung sighs. He's not disappointed that she isn't interested in him. Just that she only seems to care about Felix because of his fame. “Yes, that's him. But honestly he's just a cool guy. All that celebrity stuff isn't really who he is.” “Uh… yeah. Anyways, so could you introduce me?” She twirls her hair around her index finger coquettishly, batting her long dark eyelashes. Jisung frowns at her, unimpressed. She doesn't seem to notice, greedy eyes still trained on his famous friend. “I'm sure you can manage without my help.” Her cherry scent turns sour, and she huffs, pouting prettily before turning to her friend, who at least has the decency to look ashamed. “Come on. It was stupid thinking this knothead would do anything for someone besides himself.” She grabs her elbow and drags her away toward a now confused-seeming Felix. Jisung watches her march over and confidently say something to him while her friend looks increasingly like she'd like to melt into the floor and become one with the floorboards. Felix throws an incredulous look at him. Jisung spreads his arms in an exaggerated shrug, then sends a sarcastic salute and wanders off toward the bathroom, chuckling to himself. Serves him right for trying to blackmail him into finding a date. He winds his way through the crowded bodies until he can reach the narrow hallway that leads to the bathrooms. The line leading from the undersized restroom is long and slow-moving, so Jisung pulls out his phone to watch a new anime episode while he waits. The main character is having an argument with their parents. They want her to accept an alpha they've arranged as a mate and have pups so they can have grandchildren. They're threatening to disown her if she keeps refusing. She insists she wants to focus on her career and doesn't have time for romance. Flashbacks to previous episodes show her meetings in secret with another omega, how they fell in love, vowing to forsake all others. The two omegas embrace, a pink chroma key background the backdrop for the forbidden lovers- Jisung stops the episode, chest tight with emotions that he's struggling to prevent overflowing from his eyes. He shoves the phone roughly into his pocket, sniffing harshly and blinking rapidly a few times. Stupid show. The truth is, there are bigger reasons that Jisung is single. Felix thinks it's because he doesn't get out often enough. Chris says he needs to be more confident. Changbin insists he just needs to learn how to talk to girls. Jeongin has it in his head that Jisung just has too high of standards, and Seungmin likes to joke that he must have a weird kink that's scaring off the omegas. Hyunjin got the closest though, one night with an off hand comment after some good-natured ribbing from the others about how Jisung has never had a serious girlfriend. “Hey, maybe he's gay, guys. We shouldn't just assume-” The comment hadn't been heard by anyone else, with all the loud teasing and laughing going on. But Jisung heard. He and Hyunjin had made eye contact, then looked away and never discussed it again. The truth is far far worse. Being gay isn't frowned upon in most societies these days. After all, male omegas can give pups to an alpha just as well as female omegas, carrying on the family line, and for most people and governments, that's all that matters. The next generation. Progeny. Legacy. Jisung isn't simply gay, however. Nothing was ever that simple. Jisung is an alpha who likes dominant guys. He is also a bottom. Technically speaking, almost every guy he's ever found attractive at any point in his life has been another alpha, which is not only almost unheard of in polite society, it's downright scandalous. Like a career-ending, family-disowning, life-ruining taboo. You just aren't supposed to be in homo-subgender relationships. On top of that, normal alphas don't typically find other alphas attractive at all. Their scent, their build, their biology just screams ‘can't make pups’ and the thought just never occurs to them. Not to mention an alpha in rut sets off every alarm bell to send other alphas running for the hills or ready to fight. Jisung doesn't understand why he's different. He did take a little longer than some alphas to present, sure, but so did Chris, and he was happily mated to an omega. Jisung does have some of the typical omega traits, like soft eyes, a pretty face, and a narrow waist, but he also has an alpha's deep voice and strong build. Nothing seems like it is amiss from the outside, but on the inside, Jisung has always been conflicted with thoughts of being taken care of by a dominant alpha. Sometimes he just wants a strong man to bend him over and- “Line's moving.” A soft voice from behind jolts Jisung out of his tantalizing thoughts. He quickly mumbles an apology, closing the gap that had formed in front of him. His ears burn and he tries to calm his scent again. Instead of angry alpha musk, he's created a veritable cloud of horny pheromones tied up in a nice little orange zest bow. He feels too warm. Is it hot in here, or is it just- “I haven't watched the new episode yet. Is it good?” The voice comes from behind him again, interrupting his line of thought again. Jisung's head swivels around to look for the source, and his heart skips three beats. Standing there is the most beautiful man Jisung has ever seen in his life. His body is thick and strong, a nice alpha build with strong muscles and incredible thighs. His face is pretty, his jaw sculpted, his nose sharp and straight. His eyes are big and shaded in the richest burgundy, sparkling with the promise of mischief. The guy says something else, and Jisung's eyes drop to his mouth. His upper lip is just a little too full to match the lower, opening into a soft rounded triangle to reveal two cute little bunny teeth as he speaks. Aaaand he's still talking. Jisung should probably try to pay attention. “-really loved this season so far, but the cat episode made me sad for a week.” The most gorgeous man on the planet finishes his sentence with an unmatched sureness, offers a polite smile, and waits patiently for Jisung to respond. Words. Words. What are words again? Um… “Yeah, haha. Cats are um… that one made me also- uh I too sad- I mean it made me sad too!” His face is hot. His neck is hot. “I like cats.” At this rate he's going to embarrass himself into spontaneous combustion. He stands there writing in the agony of his own cringe as the cute guy blinks at him a few times. “Really? I have three cats. Soonie, Doongie and Dori.” He brandishes his phone suddenly, unlocking it at the speed of light, and before Jisung knows what's happening, he is looking through photo after photo of three cats, sometimes with the guy Jisung is talking to. All the while, the guy is bragging about them like they're his actual children, telling about their personalities, their favorite foods, where they like to be scratched the most… He's so strong. I wonder what he does to get all that muscle? I wonder what kind of work he does? Usually alphas with that kind of build do physical labor or something similar. It's hard to imagine him as a construction worker though… Wow he's pretty. His eyelashes are really long- “You're staring.” The guy doesn't look up from his phone, simply scrolling to the next photo of the pair of orange cats sitting in front of a television. He doesn't sound annoyed or creeped out. It's a statement, like a matter-of-fact observation. Jisung's ears are actually going to burst into flames. “Sorry… I just…” He teeters, warring with himself internally about the risks. What if he becomes violent, or makes a scene? It's not exactly like Jisung has shot his shot with many alphas in the past. He doesn't know the protocol for doing something this stupid. All his previous experiences have involved blackout drinking and dark rooms, a strong contrast to his current state, standing much too sober in a well-lit public area. He takes half a step back, deciding against it. It's too dangerous. The movement catches Cat Guy's attention, those red-brown eyes glancing up curiously, freezing Jisung on the spot. He feels a moment of some sensation halfway between terror and elation, like falling from a great height, then his mouth opens unbidden. “You're really hot.” Cat Guy blinks. Jisung dies actually in that moment from humiliation. He melts into a puddle of green mystery goo right there in the public restroom of the shitty club. He is quickly scooped off the ground by garbage collectors and buried deep in the nearest landfill where he can never again- “You're sexy too.” Jisung is revived suddenly from his untimely death. His entire body experiences a hard reset, wherein his recent memory is cleared. “I- what?” Cat Guy flicks through a few more photos of the cats, which Jisung cannot see because his eyes are too busy searching for the secrets of the universe in the man's side profile. A small twitch at the corner of that soft upper lip is all the warning Jisung gets before, “Do you want to meet my cats?” Those devastating eyes settle into his soul once more, expectant. “Your… cats?” Jisung repeats, as if the words will make more sense if he says them instead. Cat Man nods, wiggling his phone, a cute brown tabby still displayed on it's screen. Jisung looks at it, then back at the guy's face. It's very serious. No sign of joking or teasing or some kind of setup. Just genuine open hope. Jisung feels his heart squeeze, and finds himself willing to agree to anything in the world. “I'd… love to meet your cats?” Cat Man smiles at the photo on his phone before turning off the screen to tuck it in his pocket. “Ok. Let's go.” He slips his hand into Jisung's, sending a jolt of hot electricity up his fingertips. Jisung follows obediently, easily falling into step behind the man's confident leadership. A few people glance at them curiously as they pass before their attention diverts. Jisung allows himself to be led through the club in an almost dreamlike state. How is this happening? Is this actually happening? He pinches himself, then rubs at the sore spot it leaves behind. It's definitely real then. As they duck out of the front doors, Jisung makes eye contact with Felix at the bar, who's eyebrows disappear into his hair, mouth popping open into a little surprised “o.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cat Man, who Jisung has learned is actually named Minho, really does have three cats They're all incredibly cute, and luckily for Jisung, they seem to take an immediate liking to him, gathering around to check out the new guest in their home. Within ten minutes of entering the apartment, he's sitting in the middle of the living room floor, one cat in his lap, another sniffing his discarded shoes, fingers busy under the chin of the third. The apartment is simple and functional, without a lot of decorations or details. Most non-essential items seem to belong to the cats, who clearly rule the place. The lighting is soft and warm, and the air smells of denim and tangerines. In fact the citrusy smell seems to be getting stronger, juicy and sweet. It makes Jisung's mouth water, and he has to swallow his saliva a few times. Did he eat lunch? He can't remember. His tongue wets his lips nervously, and he wonders if it would be rude to ask for a snack or not. He glances up from the purring tabby. “Minho-” Minho is staring at him with a look so intense it sents a tiny thrill of fear through Jisung's body. His heart flutters and somewhere deep in his lower belly, a white hot ember sparks a hot desire. His pupils dilate, breath quickening. The scent of citrus deepens, sweetening farther, like marmalade flavored air dancing across his tongue with every breath. Suddenly, something clicks into place. “You're an omega.” Jisung realizes aloud, every sense currently filled with Minho's deliciously sweet tangerine omega pheromones. The scent of the turned-on omega is strong enough to set off a chain reaction in his own orange zest scent, mingling into the brightest, most perfect combination. The cat in Jisung's lap hops off with a grumble about the rude level of pheromones in the air, and all three of the animals excuse themselves to another, less smelly room. “I am.” Minho replies to Jisung's very late observation. Both his stance and his eyes are almost predatory. He looks like he's going to eat Jisung alive. And Jisung would let him. Wait, he's getting ahead of himself. He doesn't… if Minho is an omega, then- “I don't think we can… I don't think this will work.” Each word is a regret clawing it's way off of his traitorous tongue. Here he is, with the hottest guy that ever lived probably, but because his own biology is too messed up to work right, he can't even- “I um…” How to phrase this? “I don't um… I don't… with omegas. I can't-” A flood of shame and more regret pours over him, his scent taking a bad turn as he buries his head in his hands. He shouldn't have come here. If he hadn't assumed- “That's fine.” Minho's soft voice cuts like a lighthouse through the fog in his mind. Jisung raises his head. “Huh?” Minho is unbuttoning his shirt. Jisung's mind glitches about seven times. “I can top for you.” His shirt slips off one defined shoulder, sending Jisung's already frazzled mind careening. “You… what?” Gods Jisung has never felt more slow than he does right this. “I can top for you, if that's what you prefer. I don't mind either.” The shirt falls to the floor, revealing Minho's thick, strong core and impressive chest. Jisung's mouth waters again. Somehow, he'd never considered the possibility of finding an omega to top him. He's never been attracted to the stereotypical omegas, preferring the dominant personality and strong bodies of other alphas. Most omegas never top either, outside of rare niche porn. So it just… never occurred to him. Now, looking at Minho's version of the omega softness, shaped by whatever on earth the man does to bulk up all that muscle, his body feels flushed. The confident smirk and head tilt Minho does while undoing his belt is what finally tips him over the edge. Jisung clambers to his feet with all the grace of a baby deer, then takes a hesitant step toward the other before stopping, unsure. Minho rolls his eyes with a small amused huff of air, closing the distance between them quickly. He grabs Jisung by the hips and turns them both, backing him up until he is trapped against the hard wall. Minho's hands roam, testing different places, eyes carefully observing every miniscule reaction from Jisung's overwhelmed body. One hand scoops a generous handful of Jisung's ass, kneading it firmly, while the other trails up to his face, the thumb brushing tenderly across his cheek. “Is it ok if I kiss you?” Minho's voice is soft and citrusy, and when Jisung nods his assent, the kiss they share is tangerine flavored. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's been three months since the best and worst night of Jisung's life. That night with Minho had been magical. He had been so gentle and patient and so giving, always taking care to make sure Jisung was feeling relaxed and enjoying things every step of the way. He attentively reacted to every movement, every tremble, every breath, and it made for an almost spiritual journey, unmatched in every way from Jisung's past experiences. It had also been the worst night because later that evening, Jisung had woken in a panicked sweat beside a still sleeping Minho and two of his three cats. The mixed emotions flooded back into his mind, piling onto him until he couldn't take it anymore. In the dumbest move he had ever made, Jisung had snuck out of bed, shimmied into his jeans, and tiptoed to the front door. Dori watched knowingly as he quietly slipped on his shoes and clicked the door shut behind him. He never even asked for Minho's number. Not that he could call him after doing something so knotheaded. What was he going to say? “Oh hey, it's me, the guy did a drive by in your bed a few weeks ago before breaking out in the dead of night like a criminal. What's hanging?” Stupid. Idiot. Almost worse is Felix. He had immediately pounced on an unsuspecting Jisung the moment he walked in the door, grilling him for hours, finally dragging the whole truth out of him. He hadn't hated Jisung, like he'd subconsciously worried, but had instead been disappointed. “I'm just hurt you thought you needed to hide something like this from me. Dont you know you're my ride or die? My sunshine twin? I'm in this shit come hell or high water, and you think whether or not you like to bounce on a knot was going to break our friendship?” He continued, ignoring Jisung's hard cringe at the crude phrasing. “Next time you think you have to keep an essential part of your life hidden from me… don't.” And now, Felix kept trying to not-so-subtly hook him up with various alphas. He'd bring home a friend from work, a model, and leave them alone in a room while he “ran back to the store real quick to get something.” Or he'd drag Jisung to a public place and they'd “happen to bump into” a cute alpha there. It was almost cute how optimistically supportive he was at first, but it just brought forth Jisung's worst realization yet. He couldn't make himself feel the same way about them as he did with Minho. He'd see their chiseled arms and sharp jaws and feel their deep voices in his chest when they spoke, but it just… didn't matter. He tried. Gods he tried. He flirted like he was being paid for it. One night, after about 6 bottles of soju and a cry session over a tv drama breakup, he had even leaned over and kissed Felix himself on their living room couch. It was fast, and though Jisung's heart thudded weakly at the taste of sunshine on Felix's lovely plump lips, he pulled back after a few seconds, feeling more lost and confused than ever. Felix, who looked like he might be having a revelation of his own, swiped his thumb across his bottom lip absently before tilting his head to the side. “You're still stuck on Minho aren't you?” The television had long ago turned off due to activity, and the only sound in the room was their still uneven breaths. Jisung felt the heavy weight of that truth click into place in his gut. He thought about it over and over again in the next few days. He knew that truth already, deep down. But what can you do when you've screwed up your only chance with your soulmate? He'd just have to settle for a peaceful single life. Throw himself into work. Maybe get a couple of cats- Ouch. That thought hurt. Strike that, maybe he'd get a dog. And then spend the rest of his life trying to pretend he was happy... Avoid everything that made him think of Minho. Hope he didnt see his mating announcement in the paper one day standing next to some mystery alpha. Ouch again. Maybe if he was convincing enough, his friends wouldn't suffer too much worrying about him. So he had begun the first week of the rest of his miserable life, one foot in front of the other. He worked longer hours, left less time for thinking or anything else, took up playing the guitar to drown out the noise in his head screaming everytime he remembered just how long “the rest of your life” really is for a healthy young person. He had already gained a little weight from new unhealthy eating habits. His sleep suffered badly, and his stomach seemed to hate him these days, between the cheap instant meals and the copious amounts of iced Americano he was ingesting to stay upright. It was fine, though. It's just forever, right? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He groans pitifully at his ghoulish appearance in the mirror before ducking to collect tap water in his mouth, rinsing out the sour taste still lingering in the lack of his throat. He then brushes his teeth, twice, and puts the toothbrush in a cup of rubbing alcohol before flicking off the light switch and exiting the bathroom. Felix is waiting to intercept him in the hallway outside, arms folded and foot tapping a head-pounding rhythm on the floorboards. Jisung scowls. “I already know what you're going to say.” Felix scowls back. “Good. That'll save us time. We can skip the lecture and go straight to me driving you to the doctor part then.” “No.” “Jisung-” “No I don't like doctors. Besides it's not that bad-” “You threw up four times before breakfast today.” “It'll pass.” “It's been over three weeks, off and on. You missed your rut because you've been so sick. You're not getting better. Jisung I'm worried about you. Chris and I were talking and-” “Oh so now Chris is involved.” “Jisung he said this could be bad. He had an uncle who missed his ruts and started throwing up all the time, and he-” “It's not that serious. I'm only three weeks late.” “Jisung HE DIED!” An uneasy silence falls over the space between them. In the other room, a clock ticking away is the only sound. It echoes in Jisung's head painfully. Tick tick tick. “I don't understand.” His voice sounds too small. Far away. Weaker than he remembers. He sways slightly on the spot. Felix steps forward, grabbing onto his shoulders as if to steady him. “Jisung. I think you have Star-Crossed Syndrome.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jisung and Felix are parked in the uncomfortable chairs of a doctor's waiting room. In the same lobby are also three people that have been coughing hastily, two small children and their exhausted parents who are making no moves to stop their screaming and running around, a middle-aged alpha with her pregnant mate, one man who won't stop moaning about his left foot, and a severe-looking receptionist. Jisung made the mistake of trying to ask about their estimated wait only once, and was told by the hawkish man behind the desk that his turn would come as late as next week if he asked again. Felix has arm wrestled one of the children, winning custody of the sole fashion magazine in the room, and is now contentedly reading an article on renewable textiles that Jisung thinks might melt his brain from proximity alone. Jisung has run out of wallpaper stripes to count, and begun pacing around the lobby. He is increasingly aware of how weak he's become over the last few weeks, his persistent headache, and the way the room spins suddenly when he turns too sharply. Could he really be dying? His eyes and fingers trace the rack of brightly colored pamphlets on the wall, reading the titles. Pheromones and You. Heat Suppressants: The Convenient Killer. So Your Child is an Omega Rut-Madness: Prevention and Treatment How Will the Pups Come Out? And Other Common Questions. Star-Crossed Syndrome: The Facts Jisung's fingers pause, wavering over that last title. The red, blocky letters look intimidating above the silhouette of two people back to back, their heads hung low. The paper is cold to the touch, and feels heavier than it should as he lifts it from its tray and walks back to his seat. Felix doesn't look up from his magazing, so Jisung settles in and opens up the pamphlet. True Mates: What Are They? True mates are something that to this day can only partially be explained by science. We know the physical processes that create true mates, but we still don't know why they evolved. Researchers are exhaustive in their pursuit of more data on the origin of the true mate bond. A true mate is someone who, by nature, is bonded to another genetically. Activating the GeneTrue mate bonds lie in the C-SDst gene, dormant from birth until first contact with the other subject of the bond. Upon meeting, the two halves of the bond “activate,” triggering a chain reaction of hormones and chemicals in the brain that may produce many effects, such as a sense of well-being, a strong attraction, increased healing and recovery speed, and a desire to remain in close proximity. Most true mates choose to mate and remain together as partners. Chemical DependencyIn some bonds, the shift in biological processes is so great after the gene’s activation that the subjects may become chemically dependant on the ongoing flow of hormones that come from proximity to the other bonded party. If two parties decide or are forced by circumstances to part (due to death or other reasons), withdrawal can occur when the gene becomes unstable and starts to break down into a mutated form, C-SCrsd. WithdrawalWithdrawal as related to true mate bonds is a chaotic process. It may produce such symptoms as: Extreme FatigueWeight FluctuationsNauseaVomitingMissed Ruts or HeatsVertigoFaintingSeizure“Broken-Heart Syndrome”Comaand in extreme cases, Death DiagnosisIf Star-Crossed Syndrome is suspected, prompt diagnosis and treatment is vital for a better prognosis. A simple blood hormone panel accompanied by a physical examination is all it takes to accurately diagnose a patient with SCS. TreatmentWhile there are cutting edge developments in RDNA solutions to the Star-Crossed Syndrome problem, the only known effective treatment is the restoration of the Bond's proximity. That is, the parties of the true mate bond remaining close to one another. If separated again for more than a few days, symptoms will likely relapse. Because of this, it is recommended by the Board of Subgender Relations to salvage the true mate bond if it is salvageable. For more information or questions, call:1-800-SCS-HELP Jisung stares at the last paragraph until the words blur together, the paper shaking in his hand. He could die? There's no cure? And the only treatment, the only real hope of survival…is if he finds the other half of the bond and restores it. The other half that would lie with Minho, if it really is SCS that he's sick with. A gentle hand covers both of his trembling ones, pushing them and the pamphlet downward. Jisung forces his eyes up to meet Felix's warm chocolate ones. The familiar accent and timbre of his voice are grounding, calming his risen heart rate. “Hey. I'm here. We're going to figure this out You'll be ok.” His words contain all the confidence Jisung lacks right now. Because the truth is he DOESN'T know if things will ever be ok again. “Han, Jisung?” The tiny, waifish nurse with a mushroomy beta scent calls out, cutting off whatever doomsday thought had been brewing between his ears. He and Felix stand together and follow the nurse inside. Almost an hour later, they've gotten him weighed, blood pressure checked, ears, eyes and throat checked. Once the doctor arrives, he asks preliminary questions. “Health issues outside of the reasons for your visit today?” “No, I usually don't even get colds often.” The doctor nods. “Is your alpha sire paternal or maternal?” “My mother is an alpha and my father is an omega.” “Are you sexually active?” Jisung rubs his neck awkwardly. “Um… not really.” “Could you clarify?” “The last time was an omega about three months ago, and it was rare and sporadic before that. I've only had three partners total.” The doctor writes a note on the chart. “Thank you. We ask so that we can rule out possible sexually transmitted illnesses from the list of potential diagnoses. I'll add the tests to your order.” The doctor palpates his abdomen with a hard set frown, then orders blood tests along with hormone panels. Jisung is almost ready to start climbing the walls when the doctor finally comes back in with a clipboard. “Have a seat, please.” Under the smell of sanitizer, his scent is deep layers of anise. Alpha doctors used to be almost unheard of, but thankfully with some federal incentives after a doctor shortage. The sector had seen a huge boom in all subgenders, creating a medical system filled with competent people at all levels. Jisung complies, hopping a little to sit awkwardly on the crinkly paper covered platform. From the chair in the corner, Felix makes an exaggerated “calm down and breathe” gesture in his direction, which Jisung tries his best to obey. The doctor spends a couple of seconds verifying Jisung's identifying information at the tops of the pages before finally speaking. “Well the good news is that I can say with certainty that you do not have Star-Crossed Syndrome.” The invisible crowd in Jisung's head cheers defeaningly loudly. “...I don't?” The doctor shakes his head, and relief floods through him. He's not dying from an incurable disease. Well, maybe he's getting ahead of himself. “Then what do I have?” He tries to peek surreptitiously at the results on the clipboard in the doctors hands. The doctor smiles, amused, and turns the clipboard around so Jisung can see it properly. It's just a bunch of numbers and words he doesn't know. The doctor pulls out a pen, and points to a line on the chart. Flvl: 130000 ppm Jisung wonders if it should mean something to him. “So this hormone is directly related to the true mate gene, C-SDst. Typically, it rests somewhere between 100 and 250 ppm in a healthy, unmated alpha. If you had SCS, we'd expect to see rapidly declining levels here, hurtling toward zero, which is typically fatal if reached.” Jisung nods, trying to keep up with all the rapid information. “Freshly mated true mates can see small spikes here, up to 5000 ppm for omegas or 800 ppm in alphas. Typically, long-term mated pairs stabalize near 500/1000 in alpha and omega respectively. Some things can cause huge spikes of over 100000 ppm in omegas, but it almost certainly doesn't happen in alphas, like yourself.” Jisung scratches his head. “So then what's wrong with me?” “That's the thing, I'm not sure. We're dealing with new territory here, and I don't have enough information with this unusual level alone. So what I'm going to do is order some deeper panels, including a few we typically reserve for omegas and betas, just to see a more comprehensive picture of what we're dealing with.” Jisung groans in protest about the new labs. “We still have plenty of blood from the first draw, so no need to worry there. We aren't going to stick you again.” A relieved sigh. “I'm also going to order an abdominal ultrasound to see what's going on with this severe nausea. If that doesn't give us anything, we'll explore the need for Xray or other scans. Don't worry, I'm intrigued, and we'll solve this together.” The doctor gestures toward a thin outfit on the counter top. “Change into that, please. The technician will be in shortly for your abdominal ultrasound. If you want your friend here, that's fine, but if you aren't comfortable with that, he can wait in the lobby.” And with that, he leaves the room. Jisung quickly changes into the indicated gown, flipping Felix off when he whoops and whistles teasingly at Jisung's temporarily exposed body. After, he stands there in the oversized green clothes, striking a model pose. “Yeah? How do you like it now?” Felix nods in false endorsement. “Very chic. You should wear that to the grocery store sometime.” He claps approvingly. Jisung is about to send a jab back at the little twerp when the door to the room opens again, technician letting herself in, the machinery required for her job rolling behind her. “Hi there, are you…” She checks the clipboard in her hand. “Han, Jisung?” He nods, suddenly feeling nervous again. Would she hate him if he gets sick in the trash can? He eyes the distance there speculatively before being forced to turn his attention back to the technician as she begins flicking switches and pressing buttons to prepare the machinery. “Have you eaten today?” “Yes but I vomited it up.” “Ah sorry to hear that. Any major surgeries?” “None.” She checks off something on the clipboard. “Age of your presentation?” Jisung shifts uncomfortably. “16.” Her pen pauses. “Sorry I want to make sure I got that right. I asked for your presentation, as in the first signs of your presenting subgender. Did you give me the age of your first pre-rut mistakenly?” Embarrassed, he shakes his head. “No… I uh… my alpha scent didn't come in until I was 16. Same for my muscle cramps and shape changing. First pre-rut was 18.” She scribbles a few notes onto her pad. “And how frequent are your ruts, typically?” “Every 6 months like clockwork since 19 years old. Well,” he amends, “at least until I missed this rut.” She nods, pen scratching away. “And when was your rut due?” “Three weeks ago.” She frowns. “You should have come in after a week. A missed rut constitutes a medical emergency. It's not like omegas, who's heats can fluctuate up to a month or so from stress.” She's right, of course. Ruts are generally almost perfectly timed, with people in ancient times even using them to schedule the planting and harvesting of crops due to their relative stability. “I know. I think I was scared of learning if something was wrong, or in denial maybe.” Felix pipes up. “I had to stage an intervention to get him to come in today.” She smiles, unable to resist the charming Aussie. “Well it's a good thing he has such a wonderful friend.” Her attention diverts back to Jisung. “Alright. That's all the questions I needed answered before I could proceed with the scan. Are you ready?” she gestures for him to lay flat. He eyes the machine skeptically as he leans back on the table. “What are you looking for exactly?” She gently lifts the thin hospital top, exposing his bellybutton, then folds the waistband of the bottoms down to just under his hip bones. He resists the urge to suck in, disappointed to see how clearly his abs have suffered during this illness. As she swipes his belly with a cleaning pad, she answers his query. “I'll be checking for any abnormalities in your abdomen that could be contributing to your issues. Inflammation, foreign objects, growths, anything that shouldn't be in there, essentially.” He flinches at the feeling of the cold gel on his skin, then lays his head back and lets her start working. The wand on his tummy feels a little like a massage, and it's relaxing him so much he starts to drift off into the space between waking and dream- “What's that?” Felix's voice jolts Jisung awake quite suddenly. His eyes dart up to his friends pulled together brows, then down to the technician, who has stopped moving, eyes trained on the machine Jisung feels his heartrate pick up, the instinctive fear of the unknown intensified in this setting. It really doesn't help when the technician sets down the wand, wipes the lubricant off of his skin, and stands. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to retrieve the doctor…” She doesn't even make it all the way to the door before it opens, aforementioned doctor entering in a bustle, multiple clipboard and a thick book now in his hand. He looks overly excited and slightly disheveled. “Oh, are you done? Perfect, because I think I know what-” “Doctor,” the technician interjects. “I think you should take a look at the ultrasound.” She waves her hand in the direction of the machine as it it's a unicorn she's just discovered on the front lawn. The doctor nods. “I thought so too, after getting back those additional labs. Let me just wash up first.” He dumps all of his materials onto the counter, then washes and sanitizes his hands before picking up the lubricant. “Cold.” He warns, squirting it onto Jisung's lower abdomen, between his hips. The wand is taken in hand and pressed in the direct middle of the gel. The screen flurries with movement and static again, the doctor quickly finding what he's seeking. “Ok, Jisung I want you to see what I'm looking at here.” He turns the screen so Jisung can more clearly see the image there. When the pictures comes into better focus, Jisung squints confusedly. There's something there, but he can't quite place what it is. It looks familiar though. It would be easier to concentrate if his damn ears would stop ringing so loud. His scent is becoming distressed as well, like burnt plastic with orange oil used as an accellerant. The doctor changes the angle, turns up the brightness, and then looks at Jisung expectantly. “See? Right there?” Jisung stares dumbly at the blurred greyscale static on the tiny screen. The ringing sound in his ears has gotten louder, somehow, and he swallows the tightness in his throat again. Outside of the ringing there is a voice, annoying and incessant like the buzzing of a mosquito. It hums and undulates, and he struggles to focus on the words still coming from the lab coat beside him. “-unprecedented, really. It's incredibly rare. I've never personally seen it in my career, but my colleague-” His heart… it's either stopped entirely or it's beating too fast to distinguish individual beats, like the wings of a hummingbird. Ragged gasps are moving in and out of his lungs rapidly, the edges of his vision dimming as the panic settles on him like a dark cloud. On the screen, the alien being moves. His head swims. “-incredible odds for a presumed alpha to become pregnant, and the first case that is sired by an omega.” Jisung hears a crash and a scream before everything goes black. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subgender biology had been simple for Jisung in school. Alphas, either male or female, could impregnate but not become pregnant. Omegas, male or female, could carry pups but not impregnate others. Male betas could only impregnate while female betas could only become pregnant. Simple. Easy. What they don't teach in high school subgender biology are the fringe cases. It had hit the news a couple of times, a presented omega crying because they learned they have underdeveloped organs from both omega and alpha, and are infertile. A beta who learned they would have presented as another gender if the switch had simply been turned on in their DNA. These cases are rare, and so unusual that they're not usually included as their own demographic. Which meant Jisung… Jisung was a freak. He tried not to internalize it, he really did. The doctor took great care in explaining everything in detail, showing his middling levels of hormones that Alphas would have, as well as the unusually high ones that an Omega would usually sport. A diagram was drawn to illustrate the physical aspect of his situation, all the proper alpha parts, like musk glands and knot, visible and fully developed. Then the omegan uterus, well hidden and unusually shaped, but partially functional. His omega scent glands, so small that they had been mistaken for freckles. Finally, it had been given to him straight. He was what they called in the medical field, cross-presented. Where one person has sexual reproductive aspects of two or more genders. In almost every case, cross-presented people only have one functional set of organs, usually the one they “present” as at puberty. Their other set of organs is typically infertile and vestigial. In Jisung's case, both sets of organs were functional, though the heats from such an unusual heart-shaped uterus were miniscule in terms of symptoms. They amount to little more than a flushed feeling and slightly heightened libido. Jisung's mind flickers back to that night with Minho, how he had kept feeling heated, warm, hot, flushed, and the implications of that. And now he was three months pregnant. One of only three presented alpha dams in recorded medical history. To add to the un-likelihood of the entire situation, the sire was Minho, a presented omega, which means be must also be cross-presented like Jisung. That explained the mix of Alpha traits that had made Jisung originally assume he was that subgender. The probability of those two highly specific rarities finding one another on exactly the night Jisung was most fertile had to be shown in scientific notation. The doctor had said that the pregnancies existence itself disallowed the term impossible, and so the case was labeled with a new stamp made just for the occasion. Improbable to the Near-Point of Impossibility The odds didn't even stop there. It turns out that there was a reason for the insanely elevated numbers in Jisung's true-mate hormone. Levels only grow that high in an omega with constant exposure to the linked bonded gene. Like in an omega who is carrying their true mate's child. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's the right place. Jisung knows it's the right place. The cat-shaped welcome mat in front of the soft pink door are immediately recognizable as the ones he saw that night he followed a cute cat man home from the club. So why can't he just knock on the door? Shame. That's certainly part of it. Shame for sneaking out. For creating this situation and trapping this unsuspecting omega in it. Fear too. Fear of rejection, or the unknown. Fear of this entire crazy scenario. He lifts his hand for the third time, knuckles poised. He wavers, unable to force himself to just do it. Just knock. The hand falls back uselessly to his side once more. Maybe he should just try again some other day. He turns to walk away from the door and all the risks it holds. Behind him. It swings open almost violently, hinges screeching in protest under the sudden force. Jisung whirls about to face it, eyes wide with horror. Standing in the doorframe, or rather, leaning heavily on it, is Minho. Or at least Jisung thinks that's him, so hard to recognise is he. He is thinner, his skin sullen and sickly pale. His tangerine scent is moldy and dusty, expired. A thin layer of sweat has plastered his matted bangs to his forehead. His once proud shoulders sag with the effort of remaining on his feet. His tongue scrapes drily over his chapped and cracked lips. His eyes though, those Jisung knows. They may be sunken, but they still hold every bit of the fire and sparkling mischief he remembers. Minho's soft voice is barely a whispered rasp. “I thought I'd never see you again.” Oh gods. In all the drama and revelations, Jisung had failed to grasp the meaning of his true mate bond with Minho. Jisung himself is protected from Star-Crossed Syndrome as long as he's pregnant with the result of that bond. Minho has no such protection. Jisung doesn't give himself a moment to think. He throws himself over the threshold and wraps his arms around the omega tightly, helping to support his weight. Minho doesn't even protest, probably too weak to try. Jisung guides them deeper into the apartment, shutting the door behind them, and practically carries Minho to the living room. All three cats are in step behind them, meowing their concerns all the way. Jisung lowers himself and Minho to the couch, still holding him tightly. “I didn't have your number. Or your last name.” Minho's voice is still raspy, but with a little more strength now. Jisung holds him tighter, trying to force the bond into him faster. “I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize…” Jisung swallows a lump in his throat. He could have lost him. “I'm just glad I came back when I did. I'm surprised you're still able to walk at all.” “For the last two days, I haven't been able to.” It's in this moment that Jisung's eyes catch the scene in the corner of the room nearest to the cats’ bowls. Their huge bag of cat food, jaggedly slashed open up the middle with a letter opener that still lay beside it. The bag lay on it's side, contents spilling out onto the floor. Minho notices his line of sight. “I barely crawled over there today. I hoped it would give them enough time until… until someone noticed the smell.” Jisung's heart breaks into a million pieces, his soul crying in agony for the near-tragedy he had just narrowly avoided. Tears spill over his cheeks, hot and filled with regret. “I'm sorry. I'll never ever leave you again. Ever.” Minho lifts one arm to gingerly squeeze Jisung back with what little strength he can muster. “When you arrived, I felt it, like a pull toward the sun.” He leans his head against Jisung's. “I was still on the floor by the food then, so I started dragging myself. I was afraid you'd leave before I could get there.” Jisung remembers with horror how he almost did exactly that. “When I felt the pull moving away, I put everything I had into clawing my way up the wall and walking those last two steps to open the door.” Jisung grips him tighter. Probably too tight. “I'm here now, and I'll never abandon you again. “ Minho chuckles weakly. “Speaking of, not that I'm not happy to see you and not be dying anymore, but what made you come back? And how are you not sick?” Right. Jisung came to tell him something important. “Well. It all starts with something so improbable it could only have been fate...” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Oh that's such a pretty hors-” “It's Doongie!” “-cat. The best drawing of a cat I've ever seen.” Jisung holds the crayon graffiti farther from his face in hopes of a perspective that makes the scribbled horse magically turn into a cat. It doesn't work, so he shifts to praise mode. “Wow this should be in an art gallery! Uncle Hyunjin will be so proud! Let's hang it on the fridge.” Tiny feet patter along behind him as he moves across the kitchen, using a few of the alphabet magnets there to hang the toddler's masterpiece. “See? It just makes the whole kitchen classier.” “Doongie has a longer tail.” Minho observes playfully as he walks into the room, earning a glare and a spritz of citrus bitters into the air from Jisung. Minho ignores the glare, moving to squint at the drawing closer. His eyes twinkle as they scan past the jureumi-faced sun before landing on the two trees and bush on the right side of the picture “My hair isn't that messy.” Toddler giggles fill the room at Minho's mischievous teasing. They banter like this so often it's second nature. “It's messy at morning.” Minho concedes the point, tapping on the bush next to his illustrated self. “I love your eyes in this. You've really perfected your self-portraits. One question though, why is daddy Jisung so… round?” Jisung tosses a wadded up washcloth at Minho's head, which bounces off ineffectively, landing harmlessly on his shoulder instead. More bubbly laughter. “Cause there's a baby in his belly.” Jisung and Minho share a sad glance. The little red brown eyes watching them just sparkle, full of mischief. They had tried to have more kids, but their circumstances make it nearly positive to never happen again. Jisung's heats are rare and hard to catch. Minho's sperm count is negligible at best. Of course the odds of having another child are low… …but never zero. And the twins already growing in Jisung's unsuspecting belly don't care that they're improbable.