Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Sorry, sir, but this is a coach exclusively for omegas,” The driver’s cheap uniform hung loosely over his gangly frame. Despite the chilly August winds, the man’s body still shone with sweat, his brown bangs clinging to his forehead. 

“I know,” Seokjin replied. The driver looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Whilst the cases had died down, it wasn’t uncommon for alpha to sneak their way into omega-exclusive spaces in order to take advantage of omegas who were potentially in heat. One of the most common places for this - besides cross-country coaches - were night trains or nest hotels. 

Apart from that, Jin didn’t really look like an omega; If he were to judge himself honestly, Jin’s most obvious indicator of his second gender would be his pink lips. Most alpha lips were on the thinner side, and a similar tone to their 

Everything else was off; Jin towered over the other passengers, his broad shoulders casting a shadow over the driver. His eyes were a dark brown, matching his eyebrows.  But no stereotype would change the nature of his heats. Instead, he glanced at the driver and presented his ID and coach ticket without a word.  The driver stared at the ID for a few moments, before sighing. He handed Jin back his ID and coach ticket, and then ushered him onto the coach.

The faint scent of omega pheromones drowned the small coach with the scent of sweet apples, cherries and lush grass.  Jin quickly squeezed into the nearest free chair pod, which was behind the driver. He appreciated paying extra for the privacy. He slipped his backpack under his chair and laid the blanket across his lap.

Once everyone was loaded up into the coach, the driver called out for everyone to put on their seatbelts.

Seoul to Anju. 8am to 11.30am.

The sun reflected off of the tinted coach as it pulled out of the station into the heavy traffic. Jin swallowed nervously; Ultimately, this may have been a very bad idea.  Perhaps it would improve once we reached the south , Jin thought.

The pheromones of the passengers only grew stronger as the coach slipped out of the city and onto the highway. Jin stared out longingly as the ocean came into view. Whilst the sun spread over the translucent waves, the ocean attacked the black rocks furiously.

Couldn’t he just jump in? Pushing the thought to the side, he rummaged in his bag and fished out his pocket notebook. He refreshed his mind on the details. On the Southside of town, would be the 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom beach house. It just so happened to sit next to the cemetery. 

“But the beach view makes up for it!” Jiyeon gigged over the phone.

“Yeah, I'm sure the ghosts who are haunting the house right out will love the view too,” Jin grimaced.

“You should plant some sunflowers, they would look beautiful,” Jiyeon rattled on. “The ghosts would like that, right? ”

“Ghosts don’t exist, Jiyeon!” Jin laughed. But Jiyeon carried on anyway. She had more ideas: A porch swing, a vegetable garden, even a pool. 

But Jiyeon will be busy on her honeymoon with Yuhan - her 6’5ft, trust fund husband who works in finance - for the next month or so. 

Jin shoved the notebook back in his backpack. He had seen enough pictures of the house to know what it looked like. Ignoring his bouncing leg, Jin leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes. Whilst the sound of the tires on the road echoes in his head, the plain darkness stared back at Jin without fear. 

The omega only got up once the coach reached its final stop. 

11.30am. 

They were now in Anju.

Jin quickly slugged his backpack on his shoulders and hopped off of the coach before he could mull over his thoughts even more. He kept his dead phone in his pocket and followed the few remaining passengers into town, dragging his suitcase behind him. It was easy to understand why Anju is one of the top romantic getaways on holiday websites: The scream of children and music from the market stalls filled the humid, salty air that wrapped around the large crowds and the ruby red and cookie brown buildings, topped with cream white roofs, like a thick blanket.  

Why did I even do this? Jin cringed as he watched the crowds - couples shopping at the fresh market stalls, children laughing. I should go back… Namjoon isn’t going to come back anyway 

The man slumped down on the smooth marble edge of the plaza fountain, his legs turning into jelly. He looked around for any street signs, but the large crowds blocked his vision. He looked down at his growing belly. Even though the baby was 3 months along, he wore loose clothes to hide any sense of a bump. Between his savings, the old Seoul apartment he decided to rent out and his ex-clients from the fashion world, he could slide back into the fashion world back in New York without a hitch. But he didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. Luckily, Jiyeon hadn’t asked too many questions once he agreed to house sit for her.

“Are you alright?”

No , Jin thought, this was a bad idea and I should’ve never come here . Only the grace of God could get me out of this mess. He looked up. A pair of bright almond eyes stared back at him. The man towered over him, wearing a cobalt blue shirt, black sliders and wide trousers and the colour of a seagull’s wings underneath a latte brown apron. In his toned arms, he held onto a basket of fresh bread and apples. Jin stared at his gentle features - his clear skin that looked soft to the touch, his slim lips and mouse brown bangs covered his forehead.

“Are you lost?” the man asked.

 “Just a little.” Jin eventually spoke up “I’m looking for the Sunflower graveyard. There should be a house near there.”

“The house?” The man scratched the back of his neck. “Umm, I’m sorry to tell you this, but the house is still under construction.”

“Seriously?” Jin exclaimed. 

“The house has been under construction for a while now,” the man continued “No one really knows where things will be done.”

Jin signed, burying his head in his hands. He can’t even call Jiyeon.

“Do you need to call someone,” Hoseok asked.

“Yeah, but my phone is dead right now,” Jin answered, eyes pointed to the ground.

“Well, you can borrow my phone.” Hoseok offered. ”But I left it back at my café” 

Jin looked surprised. He didn’t expect to meet such a nice stranger at random.

“Okay,” Jin managed to say, voice filled with uncertainty. Hoseok even offered to help with his suitcase, but he declined - the man already had his hands full. Together they weaved through the crowds and up the wider street.

“So you just came to house sit?” Hoseok asked after a few moments of silence.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Jin answered.

“You must be doing pretty well for yourself if you can own a property by the sea.”

“Well, the place belongs to my sister,” Jin explained, “She got it as a wedding gift from his husband, since she loves the sea.” He clamped his mouth shut; He shouldn’t be giving up this information so easily. But he couldn’t help himself. Somehow his anxiousness and fear melted away under the man’s gentle gaze.

“Lucky her,” Hoseok smiled, turning right into a narrow alleyway, “Well, you should probably tell her about the house. She probably thinks that you were able to find the house by now.”

“Yeah, thank you for letting me borrow your phone.” Jin replied.

“It’s not a problem” Hoseok gave the omega a wiry grin, before slowing down in front of a small café. Two pairs of seats and tables sat under the stripy brown-white awning and in front of the floor to ceiling windows. A small chalkboard sat next to the door. ‘The Sunflower Café’ was written in cursive, and the week’s specials were listed below.

“The place looks gorgeous,” Jin complemented Hoseok.

“Oh, thank you” Hoseok held the crate of food on his hip and opened the door. “Take any seat that’s available, and I’ll get you the phone.” he beckoned Jin inside, “Do you want me to get you anything?” 

“I’m okay with a hot chocolate.” Jin smiled as he picked the first available chair he saw, grateful that he could sit in a proper chair.

Hoseok nodded, placed the crate of food on the counter and went upstairs. 

Jin took a chance to look around. The oak plank floods and black tables were completely clean, as were the overhead lights, the counter and the display. Neat, but a little cold. Like the place was uninhabited. He looked back outside onto the street. The place was a little isolated from the plaza, but it had the potential to be a top running spot in Anju. 

Why isn’t it? 

Meow…

Jin looked down to meet a pair of feline eyes. A small tabby white cat padded over towards him. 

What a cute baby , Jin thought. Whilst he generally liked animals on the whole, he adored cats. He would have considered having a cat, but he was too busy in New York to properly take care of one like he wanted to. Having a pet with such a busy schedule would be irresponsible. He hoped that, once he had moved in with his boyfriend, and took on more housework, having a furry friend of his own would be in the cards.

But it didn’t work out that way.

 He reached down and gave the cat a few gentle strokes across its back.

“Kingston?”

Jin looked up. Hoseok returned with was back, with a phone in his hand 

“I’m sorry.” Jin gasped, retching his hand of the cat “I didn’t ask permission or anything.”

“Oh, no it’s fine” the man grinned, handing Jimin his phone  “Kingston has always been a fan of customers. You can keep petting him if you want., I’ll just get you your hot chocolate.”

Jin nodded. ”Thank you so much”  

Hoseok nodded, and headed behind the counter and went to the back of the kitchen. Jin looked down and kept petting Kingston. A cat café… Pretty interesting concept, but the place is too plain for it; If he walked past the café on any other day, he wouldn’t have known. He thought of his parents' restaurant. They got the property for cheap in a hidden corner in the middle of the concrete jungle that made up Seoul, but they made the more of the space with a bold, royal purple colours and the strong scents of sizzling meats and the scents of smokey garlic and coal seducing people from every corner.

“Here’s your hot chocolate,” Hoseok walked back, alongside another feline - a slick black cat - and left the steaming cup on the table - the mug shaped in the form of a grey cat with its thick tail acting as a handle.

Jin chuckled “The cup’s lovely,” He wrapped his hands around the warm mug, letting the heat chase away the lingering cold.

“Drink up,” Hoseok encouraged him, “It’ll help warm you up.”

Jin lifted the mug to his lips and took a careful sip. The hot chocolate was thick and velvety. For a moment, they sat in silence, the rain tapping softly against the windows. 

“How much do you normally charge for this?” Jin asked.

“About… 1,500 won.” Hoseok answered.

“That cheap?,” Jin exclaimed. In a touristy town like Anju, Hoseok could easily double that and still have customers waiting in line around the block with the proper marketing. “Well, do you at least have an Instagram, for advertising?”he answered.

“Instagram?” Hoseok questioned cocking his head “My mother set the prices. She wanted to cater to the people of the town, not tourists.”

“Sure, but aren’t you struggling financially?”

“A little,” Hoseok responded “But I respect my mother’s decision.”

Seokjin sighed. The place was empty, and yet the owner was too bull headed to consider raising the prices. He sipped his hot chocolate.

“Well,” Seokjin said “I can at least make an Instagram for you”

“Instagram?”

“A social media sight, to show your website.”

“That would be great, but, don’t you have somewhere to go?” Hoseok asked.

Jin signed. He did “Let me call my sister first and figure out what’s going on with the house”

“Sure,” Hoseok nodded, and he went to tend to the cats. Meanwhile, Seokjin swiftly called his sister.

“Hey Jinnie!” his sister cooed, “What’s up?”

“Hey sis, I just got to Anju,” Seokjin said.

“Oh, that’s so nice, I was talking to Yuhan about the house, and apparently it’s under construction or something.”

“WHAT!” Jin yelped so loud that the cats peaked up to look at him. “You’re telling me this now.”

“Sorry Jinnie, I must have got confused. You’ll be okay right? You need help or anything.”

Seokjin could only sign. If he heard about how she got confused with another house, he might just scream.

“Forget about it, I’ll just take an impromptu vacation for now. See you later.”

“Alright, call me if you need anything”

Seokjin hummed in reply and hung up the phone. He slumped into his chair. He was so tired.

“Is everything alright?” Seokjin opened his eyes to find Hoseok by the door once again. “The cats got spooked.”

“Yeah, it’s just that the house is not actually built yet,” Seokjin explained, “I’ve already rented out my apartment in Seoul, and I’m just… tired. Exhausted.”

Hoseok looked at him before walking closer.

“Why don’t you rest upstairs for a while before making a choice,” he said, “You will feel a little better after a cat nap.”

“I shouldn’t…” Seokjin started.

“I don’t mind at all,” Hoseok smiled “You’re new to this town right? It’s better for you to rest here, and then I can take you to a bed and breakfast where you can stay if you don’t want to stay here.”

Seokjin pursed his lips. It felt odd to accept help from a stranger so easily

“Alright,” he answered after a few moments, “I’ll take a rest for a little while.”

Chapter Text

The sounds of lapping waves coaxed Jin’s eyes open. The bright sun streamed through the translucent white curtain and spread across the beige blanket, hardwood floors and Seokjin’s own backpack and suitcase, neatly placed beside the bed for easy access. The bedroom door was painted a light red, with the rest of the room painted a light brown. The strong scent of lavender from the pillow and salty ocean air filled the omega’s nose.

But there was another strong smell that was enough to coax Jin out of bed.

Pancakes. 

His stomach growled at the warm buttery smell. 

The fluffy carpet met Jin’s feet with open arms as he slipped out of bed. He looked down at his clothes - he didn’t feel the need to change before the nap, but now his jeans began to tighten around his waist.

Once I get bigger, I’ll have to get new trousers…

Jin sighed and pulled a cardigan out of his suitcase - a thick pink wrapped cardigan that he crocheted in his first year of fashion school - and put it on, wrapping the surrounding sides around his slightly puffy stomach. He pulled out his small slippers, shuffled out of the room and followed the scent into the small kitchenette down the narrow corridor. On a baby blue plate, sat a stack of thick pancakes, with a small jug of clear pink strawberry syrup, a bowl of blackberries and some cutlery. Jin’s mouth watered at the sight. 

He slipped into the small stool next to the table and prepared to eat, but a small note stuck onto the jug of syrup caught his eye. He hesitated at the sight but, nonetheless, he gave it a quick read.

Dear stranger,

If you are reading this, then you have most likely woken up and collected your bearings a little. 

I normally live on the first floor, which is where you are. Since I own this place, you’ll be safe here. 

The pancakes are for you. I’m unsure if you like pancakes, but they are vegan and gluten-free in case that is something you worry about. Please feel free to use as much syrup and fruit as you like. 

Jung Hoseok.

Jin felt his ears get warm. The note was written in neat pencil, with precise punctuation. 

He considered immediately going downstairs to thank the man for his help, but the pancakes were calling his name evermore. So, naturally, Jin felt free to tuck into his delicious breakfast.

Each pancake felt as soft as a pillow on his tongue, the warm syrup stuck to his teeth and sticky and the freshly picked juicy plump blackberries burst in his mouth with every bite. 

Once he finished, Jin quickly cleaned up his plate and walked down the corridor. On the other side of the bedroom door, there was a small latch that led downstairs and a single door that Jin presumed to be the bathroom. 

Did Hoseok have a child, he wondered. 

But that idea quickly slipped from his mind once he heard a small mew.

Jin looked down to find a different starting back at him with its wide blue eyes. A little chunkier than Kingston, the friendly feline had a bright tan fur coat with white dots around its pink nose and feet.

 Jin couldn’t help but smile at the chubby cat. Whilst he generally liked animals on the whole, he adored cats. He would have considered having a cat, but he was always rather busy as a tailor. Having a pet with such a busy schedule would be irresponsible. So, once he had moved in with Namjoon and took worked a little less, he hoped that he could have a cat to accompany him whilst he worked at home.

But Namjoon despised cats. He said it was ‘an alpha thing’ that he could never understand. But even cat themed items seemed to annoy him, whether it was a brochure for a cat shelter Jin used to volunteer for, or cat shaped buns that Jin would bake at home.

But, he was no longer with Namjoon any more and Jin happily stroked the cat over the gate. At first the cat shrank away from him, but quickly warmed up to the omega’s touch, raising their head to reach Jin’s hand.

“Muffin?-” the cat froze at the sound of his name, “You know you’re not supposed to be up there.”

Slightly spooked, the cat bounded back down the stairs to the source of the sound, forgetting about Jin entirely. There was a small rustle down the stairs, and eventually Hoseok came back into view at the bottom of the stairs.

“Would you prefer decaf?”

“Decaf..? Oh, sure” Jin paused. He had always drank caffeinated coffee, since he was a sleep-deprived fashion student in New York. But now that he was pregnant, he stayed away from coffee and caffeinated drinks in general/

“So, did you sleep well? I hope nothing was uncomfortable for you.” Hoseok quickly brewed the coffee behind the counter and served it in a pair of mugs. His soft brown hair was brushed back into a low bun, the fluttering strands pulled back by a white headband. The headband matched his white linen shirt that was beneath his navy blue apron.

“No, not at all.” Jin replied “I didn't really expect this to happen, so my apologies.” He froze at the feeling of soft fur brushing against his leg and looked down to meet the yellow gaze of a cat. Unlike Muffin, the cat was much smaller, with a sleek ginger coat. The only white on its body were on its paws and face. Jin gave a friendly smile and the cat returned a scowl, quickly slipping away.

“How many cats do you even have?” Jin wondered,

“Oh, just 5.” Hoseok replied 

Just..? Jin thought in shock. Hoseok brought over a pair of mugs. They were both shaped like cats, with a white and black tail curled up to form a handle and a cute cat face moulded on the side. Jin took another look around the café.

The whole place was cat themed, from the cat feet chair socks to the cat themed salt and pepper shakers on each table in the café. The strong smell of freshly brewed coffee became increasingly more tempting the longer Jin held the mug on the table. 

“For a cat cafe, that is quite a low number,” Hoesok laughed, “The oldest, Perry and Kingston, are still asleep. They both belonged to my mother. I adopted Muffin, Kingston, Johnny.  Muffin is the second oldest and Johnny is the youngest.”

“Oh, I see.” Jin looked down at the ginger cat, “So this is Johnny? And Muffin was just upstairs, and I saw Kingston before I took a nap…”

“Ye-p,” Hoseok replied, with extra emphasis on the ‘p’, which made Seokjin chuckle.

“But you said you have 5 cats, so where’s the last one?” Seokjin asked.

Hoseok got quiet, slipping on his coffee.

“Dana is missing,” he managed to say, “I adopted her a few months ago and I… she struggled to adjust and would often escape, but I always found her again. Until she… a storm came, and she escaped and I …couldn’t find her.”

Seokjin’s heart sank. Storm season can get rough for people in rural areas, let alone animals.

“I’m so sorry…” Seokjin said, “I’m sure that she’s still out there.”

 “Of course she is…”Hoseok nodded, and sipped on the coffee again, before peering back up again.”But no need to worry too much about that, what about you. Do you have anywhere to stay?”

“Well, no,...” Jin got out, slightly ashamed. “I’m supposed to be house sitting for my sister, but it turns out the house is still being renovated,” He took a quick sip of the coffee and put the cat mug on the table, “But the town seems really nice, so I might stick around for the summer at least. I’ve travelled around before-”

 “Where have you gone too?” Hoseok interrupted excitedly, almost knocking over his own steaming mug of coffee as he rose out of his seat.

“New York.” Seokjin answered, “I studied fashion as a student.”

“Really! That sounds so fun!” Hoseok exclaimed,  “I’ve barely even left this town...”

“Somewhat,” Seokjin smiled. No one in his life asked about his time in New York. His parents never cared for his fashion career, and preferred for him to study business and work at their restaurant. Once his sister got married , she mainly called for birthdays and holidays, but would send him care packages if he could squirrel away some nice items for her. He didn't talk about his past to friends in the industry, because everyone found it tough. 

The fashion industry is ugly. Yet everyone is ravenous for a piece of the pie, to be the next fashion king or queen. 

So was he. 

Once he came back to Korea, that unyielding appetite for success never really left, but it dampened a little after he got pregnant.

“It’s more hectic than you think. But this place is lovely; It’s well decorated,”

Hoseok nodded, “My mother ran the café, and she decorated most of the place. She raised me on her own and used this café to make ends meet. She accrued a lot of debt and… raising an alpha on your own can be tough. Not only that, but she also adopted a bunch of cats at the time. But, once I got into high school, she got sick.” 

Jin’s heart sank again. He never imagined that someone so sweet and kind would have such a tragic past. Nor that Hoseok was an alpha. Though he was tall and muscular, he has thicker lips and large brown eyes that brimmed with emotion. Namjoon’s eyes were much smaller and narrower, and Seokjin couldn’t tell what he thought just by looking in his eyes. But with Hoseok, Seokjin, could easily see the sadness in his eyes.

“After my mother passed away, the debt collectors took back the café stayed, and the cats couldn’t stay.” Hoseok said “None of my relatives wanted anything to do with the café, so I stayed in town and saved money from some odd jobs to get the place back, and I have worked here ever since. It’s only been a couple of years now, and I still have some debt, so I’m not sure how great I am at business, but I think my mother would like the cats to still have a home here.”

“I’m sure she would be really proud of you,” Seokjin replied, “Learning business takes practice, so I’m sure you will do well after a bit of time.”

“Thanks,” Hoseok smiled and finished off the rest of his coffee, “The café will open at noon, so If you feel free to stick around if you want.”

“Of course I’ll stay,” Jin replied, with Johnny curling up on his lap “I have to help set up the café’s Instagram.”

Chapter Text

“How do you know so much about… this stuff?” Hoseok asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I have my own Instagram and I set up the Instagram for my parent’s restaurant back in Seoul.” Seokjin looked up from his laptop that he got from upstairs, “Don’t you use Instagram?”

“Not really…” Hoseok squinted at the laptop in an attempt to make sense of the café’s new profile.

“Well, it's a great way to advertise new specials at the café, as well as talk about the cats,” Seokjin stood up and looked around for the cats.

“Don’t you want the cats to be sitting in front of a certain backdrop or something?” Hoseok asked.

“Nope,” Seokjin crouched in front of Perry and Kingston - both half asleep - with his camera out “It’s better to show the cats personalities,” He photographed Muffin in the middle of eating his kibble, and photographed Kingston and Johnny in the middle of a play fight and posted everything onto Instagram.

“I can give you the Instagram so you can manage everything on your own?” Seokjin went back to Hoseok. 

“I can try it…” Hoseok responded. But before he could elaborate, the chime of the doorbell rang. A man - dressed in an untucked cream white shirt, navy blue slacks and black leather sandals - walked in. His black sunglasses hung off his golden chain and his glossy brown hair stayed firmly in place thanks to the hair gel. A woman in a baby blue sundress and brown sandals followed behind him. Her silver sunglasses hung off her brown shoulder bag.  

“Are you guys open?” the man asked.

“Yes, sir, we are,” Seokjin answered without a hitch. The café is open - technically, “Choose any table you like.”

The woman looked around and put her bag on one of the chairs by the window. She looked back at the counter.

“What’s that?” She pointed at the pastry display to the croissant rolled into a flat circle.

“It’s a popular cross between the donut and croissant,” Hoseok answered with a shy smile, “Would you guys like one each?”

The man opened his mouth to reject it, but the woman quickly grabbed his arm. 

“Just try one, Ethan.” The woman pleaded. The man shrugged.

“I’ll have a black coffee.” He said.

“Sure,” Seokjin smiled. 

“The coffee will be out in 10 minutes, would you guys like the pastries out now, or together?” Hoseok followed up afterwards. 

“Together would be great thanks,” The woman answered. Whilst Hoseok headed to the back, Ethan got on his phone. The woman frowned in disappointment, but a quiet meow caught the woman's attention.

“They have cats,” she squealed as Muffin padded over to her. The cat revelled in the black scratches. 

The man looked up for a moment, “Are you allowed to touch it, Evelyn?”

“They’re part of the café, sir,” Seokjin answered “So you can even pet the cats yourself,”

Almost on cue, Kingston padded up to the man. He looks at the cat, nervous.

“He won't bite,” the woman giggled, now with her phone out taking pictures of the cat nestled around her feet.

After a few moments, the man sighed - almost fed up with his own fear - put his phone down and gave Kingston a few gentle pats on the head.

“Oh, do you guys want to be tagged in the pictures?” the woman asked “Do you have an Instagram?”

“That would be wonderful,”Seokjin answered “We’re ‘The.SunflowerCafe’ on Instagram.”

The woman nodded.

“Have you guys just opened?” she asked, “You don’t have any followers. The account looks quite new...”

“We just started the account since we don’t have a lot of social media presence”, Jin explained “, but the café itself has been around for a bit. It will grow with time.”

“Of course it will!” the woman respond “This café is so adorable; You and your husband have done an amazing job,”

Jin’s stomach flipped as soon as the phrase your husband left her lips.

Namjoon had only left him a few days ago, so to feel somewhat positively about being with another man felt a little strange. 

The wound is still so tender. Just not tender enough for him to correct her.

“Right…” Jin managed to get out with a shaky smile. Before the woman could talk more, Hoseok brought out the coffee and cronuts, with sugar cubes on the sides.

“Here is your black coffee and cronuts” Hoseok said "The sugar is free, so use it as much as you wish. Feel free to let me know if you want anything else.” 

"Sure, thank you so much," the woman smiled.

Once the couple rucked into their meal Seokjin and Hoseok went back behind the counter to give them space.

"Hey," Hoseok said “If you want to head upstairs you can. You don't have to do this.“

"It's fine," Seokingin responded. "You welcomed me into your home, so this is the least I can do.”

"Are you sure?”

Seokjin nodded. Serving customers and taking pictures of the cats helped take his mind off things. The fact the woman thought he was married to Hoseok is a... small bonus. So just maybe he will play pretend for a few moments longer, whilst he has the chance.

The pair turned around once the couple came up to the desk. 

“So, how much will that be?” Ethan pulled out his wallet.

“31,600 Won.” 

Ethan scanned his card, and the couple went on their way, with Seokjin and Hoseok politely waving them goodbye.

“Now that they have posted the pictures and tagged the store, it would be best to post more of the food that we have,” Seokjin explained as he collected the plates and cups, “Since it’s a cat café, you should focus on posts about the cats themselves. Photos, videos…”

“Yeah, of course,” Hoseok managed to murmur. Seokjin brought the plates over to the counter.

“Do you think you can do it?” Jin asked.

“Well…” Hoseok said “I don’t really post on social media much… but I can try”

Seokjin smiled and tousled Hoseok's brown hair, “That’s good.” 

Now it was Hoseok's turn to blush. 

“You said that you planned to house sit right,” the words tumbled out of his mouth, “How about we find that house? I can even give you a bit of a town tour through the plaza.”

Now that it was mid-morning, Jin could fully understand why Anju had been on the top of the search results for tourists. The town was beautiful. The sky was a serene blue, only dotted with clouds that had the texture of candy floss. Vibrant fresh fruit and vegetables were stacked high on the market stalls, the sounds of clomping feet and overlapping voices filled the main plaza. Couples side by side leisurely picked out fresh produce from zealous street vendors whilst whispering in each other's ears. Young children, armed with paper windmills and planes, rush through the crowds, shrieking at one another. Elderly women chuckled amongst each other as they drink tea outside the sewing shop. 

Once they got through the crowd, Seokjin checked the house address on his phone, which finally had service. Following the directions, the two men found themselves at the beach. 

The house overlooked the beach on a nearby hill, grains of sand mixed in with the tufts of patchy grass. The docile ocean gently washed the warm, sparking sand that stretched along the shore. 

However, the house far from being in living condition. The serene blue paint on the walls began to peel, revealing patches of weathered wood beneath. The neglected flower beds, laid barren and devoid of life.

The wooden floor squealed under the pressure of Seokjin’s feet as he walked up to the door. He could hardly look through the dusty door window. He tentatively held his belly, as if something in the shadows would burst out of the 

Hoseok said it before Jin could, “You can’t live here, it could take weeks to get the house back into shape, maybe even months...”  

Seokjin bit his lip. There’s no way he could hide the baby for that long Hoseok without telling him the truth. Heoseok put his hand on the omega’s shoulder, “I can find someone who can fix the house. In the meantime, you can stay with me.”

“Wait, what !” Seokjin turned to Hoseok in shock, “I…I mean I can always go to a hotel. You still have your café to run.”

“Well… the business is slow, and I don’t mind helping you, so is that okay?” Hoseok gave Jin a gentle smile that made the man’s heart flutter.

“Sure,” he replied softly, “But I have one condition.” 

“What?”

Seokjin turned to look Hoseok in the eyes, “I’m going to help you run the café. You said that your mother had debt right, I’ll manage your social media so you have more customers, and you can pay off the debt faster. I have to earn my keep somehow,”

“Oh, no,” Hoseok replied, slightly surprised, “You really don’t need to! I just figured you would need help with something,” 

“You’ve already done so much for me!” Seokjin insisted “Just let me do this one thing,”

Hoseok stared at him for a moment.

“... Alright,” he said softly, “You can be the social media manager. But you will have a salary, and you can’t use it on the restaurant.”

Soekjin smirked and nodded. But the feeling of the baby shifting around in his stomach gave him pause.

“Should we head back now?” Hoseok turned to leave.

“Wait!” Seokjin reached out to grab Hoesoke’s wrist “There’s something important that I should tell you.”

Hoseok turned back, “Sure.”

Seokjin’s heart began to race. Would he get kicked out?

“I’m… pregnant,” Seokjin blurted out, “It’s…it’s been 6 weeks or so… so if you don’t want to take care of a baby for that long then I can-”

“Seokjin.” The omega stopped speaking once he felt the warmth of Hoseok’s hands. Seokjin looked up and met Hoseok’s brown eyes “The house will be fixed in 3 months. I made a promise to help you, so I’ll continue to do that as long as you let me.”

Tears welling in his eyes, Seokjin nodded thankfully. This was the second time that Hoseok comforted him in his time of need, and he couldn’t imagine what it would take to repay the alpha’s kindness.

Chapter Text

“Whilst I go to get a quote on the house, would you like to go to a clinic to check on the baby?” 

“Yeah, I think that would be good,” Seokjin replied. He laid a hand on his stomach. His last natal appointment was when he first got pregnant. Once Namjoon abandoned him, he forgot to check back at the hospital, so an opportunity.

Hoseok nodded in agreement. He led the omega down a small alleyway next to a watermelon stall.

Compared to the looming Seoul hospital that Jin wandered into for his first appointment, the clinic is much smaller and more inviting. The pale white paint on the outside of the building matched Hoseok’s café, with wide white windows on the front allowing Jin to see inside. On the right side, a pale woman with short, jet-black hair sat behind the recption desk, staring at a small laptop. On the left side, a few plastic chairs with matching white coffee tables made up the waiting room. A glass vase of sunflowers sat on top of the table along with a sloppy stack of magazines.

As Seokjin and Hoseok walked through the door, the woman at the front desk looked up.

“You’re here for an appointment?” she said with a smile.

“He’s here for a walk in appointment,” Hoseok explained. Seokjin nodded tightly in agreement, hand still on his belly. It felt awkward for him to admit that he was pregnant.

“Sure, the doctor will be here in 15 minutes. Feel free to look through the magazines.”

“I’ll wait with you until the doctor comes out,” Hoseok said.

“Sure, thank you,” Seokjin responded. 

The pair sat together in the chairs by the windows. The omega looked down at his belly with worry. The baby had been doing okay at his last appointment, but he hasn't notified his doctor back in Seoul of his sudden departure, and he’s left his medical documents behind. Anxious for a distraction, he picked up the nearest magazine. It was a cat photography magazine, with very few words apart from the title, ‘Cats’ Heaven Magazine’, on the front and the issue date being April of last year. The corners were worn and dull. Naturally, the pictures were rather floral, with numerous pictures of cats in luscious meadows, surrounded with flowers of every colour. The bright spring sun lit up the cats’ fur coats and the water droplets that hung off the edge of the flower petals. Throughout each of the photos, the air was abuzz with pollen, leaves and the faint spray of rain. 

Seokjin’s thoughts turned to the cafe. The cafe had already begun to pick up in popularity and it had only been a week. The customers were mainly couples who enjoyed pastries and coffee, perhaps a slice of cake. They would often eat in the afternoon and they would take many pictures of the food and cats. This type of floral aesthetic background would certainly be rather appealing for that type of customer. But then there is autumn, and then winter. Would the cafe become more interesting to families? They would probably have to have a more winter theme for that demographic-

Hoseok nudged his shoulder, pushing him out of his thought. Seokjin looked up to see a short man wearing a white shirt beneath a blue vest sweater and black slacks. The small name tag read ‘Dr Park, Jimin’  on the front of his doctor’s coat. The man’s eyes were hardly open, and he mainly turned his attention to his clipboard. 

“So,” the doctor's attention turned Jin, “I suppose you are pregnant, and you would like a checkup?”

“How..? How did you know that?” Jin spluttered.

“You keep a very keen eye on your belly and, whilst I am trained as a doctor, my speciality is in pregnancy care,” the doctor replied, “Now, would you like to get started?”

Jin quietly nodded and followed Dr. Park inside his office. The office had a similar style to the waiting room. The chairs that were in front of Dr Park’s desk were the same as the chairs in the waiting room. The main difference between the waiting room and the office were the small bouquet of red roses that sat on Dr Park’s desk. Dr Park started with general questions about him. His full name, age, how along he is. Nothing that Seokjin was uncomfortable with.

But then Dr Park just had to ask,

“Are you mated?” Dr. Park asked. 

Jin froze at the question. Being unmated and pregnant was a death sentence for an Omega. Most alpha’s would mate with their Omega’s before pregnancy - not as official as a marriage, but a symbolic sign of loyalty. Without that, it would be clear that Seokjin was abandoned . And that was something that would haunt him and his child for the rest of his life. 

“No.” Seokjin pursed his lips once he forced the word out and his gaze on the ceiling lights. He got a full examination back in Seoul, and his doctor’s cocked eyebrow and faux-concerned eyes was enough for his heart to sink. And, every time Seokjin went to an appointment, one of the first doctor’s questions would be about his mate status.

Have you been mated yet? 

Seokjin would always answer with a quick no, but would remind him that Namjoon had no knowledge of the baby and, once he did mating, would be sure to follow. That seemed to please the doctor well enough.

But, of course, that chance never came.

“Hey,” Seokjin felt a soft hand on his knee and he turned to face Dr. Park. His eyes were much softer, compared to a few minutes ago where they were sharp. His eyebrows were furrowed, but out of reassurance instead of ‘concern’. 

“As your doctor, I can assure you there are no complications involving unmated omegas,” he explained, waiting for Seokjin to nod in understanding before continuing, “All you have to do is stay safe and healthy, and you will be fine.”

Jin nodded, tears slipping down his face. That might have been one of the most reassuring things that he'd heard all week.

Seokjin and Jimin went through the rest of the appointment without a hitch.

" Okay, your next appointment will be in 2 weeks and then we can do your ultrasound." Jimin said whilst completing some doctor's notes on the computer on his desk. "You said that your first doctor is in Seoul right? If you tell me which the hospital you had your appointments at, I can get the files for you. "

" Sure, thank you "Seokjin said.

"Since your just moved down here, it's important or you to have a secure place to live," Jimin looked of the omega," Stress isn't good for you or the baby."

"Yes, I have a place to stay."

"Your living with the man that you were waiting in the lobby with?"

Seokjin nodded."Do you know him?" So far he hadn't got the chance to learn more about Hoseok and the cafe from others in town.

"We were classmates. "Jimin said coolly. " And in our final year, he lived with us."

"Once his mother passed away,"

"He told you that?" Jimin widened his eyes in shock.

Seokjin bristled for a moment. Perhaps he should have kept that to himself.

"Yeah, he did…" Seokjin said after a few moments.

"Ohh…" Jimin leaned back in his chair and grinned, "He must find it easy to open up to you."

The comment made Seokjin's heart flutter.

"Anyways," Jimin "It's good that you get along, but if he ever does clam up… just give him some grace, alright? He's had to go through alot in order to get where he is."

Seokjin nodded. Of course Hoseok's gone through alot, but he didn't fully understand the extent of it. Hopefully that won't be the case forever, a small voice in his head whispered.

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