Archive of Our Own ^beta

The birds chirping outside Hyunjin’s window wake him up mere seconds before someone politely knocks on his door three times.

With a sigh so soft that the wind could carry it away, Hyunjin blinks the world into focus. It’s much too early to be awake, but Hyunjin’s fate hasn’t been in his hands for years, and his sleep schedule is no exception.

“Good morning, Your Majesty.”

There’s no need to be rude to someone who doesn’t deserve it, however. Hyunjin is sleepy, but not cruel.

“Good morning, Yeji. Did you sleep well?”

Yeji smiles softly, the lines of her face smoothing out. Hyunjin always thinks it’s silly how formal Yeji is considering Hyunjin’s told her many times she doesn’t have to be, but there’s no denying she is incredibly loyal and disciplined. “Yes, thank you. I hope Your Majesty has slept well, too.”

Pouting, Hyunjin fiddles with his fingers. “It would be nice if I could sleep a little longer.”

Yeji stifles a laugh into her palm, but her eyes give away her mirth tenfold. “My apologies, Your Majesty, but you have a meeting with His Majesty and his advisors in one hour. I’m afraid you must get up now if you are to make it for breakfast.”

“Okay,” Hyunjin sighs. It’s only because Yeji is someone Hyunjin can trust that he’s able to act so sullenly around her without worry - he would never act like this in front of anyone else other than his husband and friends for fear of rumors stirring over how improper he is. Chan shouldn’t have to deal with that, not when he’s already done so much for Hyunjin to begin with. “I suppose I’m ready, then.”

Stretching, the chains of his Link clashing against one another, Hyunjin throws the covers off his legs and gets ready for yet another day.

Having grown up on the edge of poverty, Hyunjin is aware of more than a few things about life.

The only son of a beta farmer for a father and an omega seamstress for a mother, Hyunjin learned early on that life would not be easy. Every single month was a fight from beginning to end, and there were a lot of times where Hyunjin didn’t think they would be able to get by. Crops were fickle things, and his mother only got work when work was needed; stability, much less of the financial kind, was not something Hyunjin grew up with.

His parents, however, were adamant on giving Hyunjin the best life possible despite all of the obstacles blocking their path. Whatever tickled Hyunjin’s fancy, they supported it. Anything from dancing to cooking to sewing, his parents encouraged him and helped him grow. Although Hyunjin was not the best at some and flitted from hobby to hobby like the hummingbirds that visited in the spring, his parents always looked at him with a warm type of fondness that Hyunjin held very close to his chest. In fact, Hyunjin’s convinced that he will never forget that special type of love until the day he closes his eyes for the last time.

Hyunjin’s greatest, most long-lasting love, though, was painting.

Proper pigments and brushes were even harder to come by than rain in the summer, but Hyunjin made due with what he had. Rotten berries made for great paint and his fingers for the perfect tools. None of his paintings were of good enough quality to bring to market or even hope to sell, but Hyunjin was never happier than he was when he was sitting in the field out back and painting the night sky. His parents, too, cooed over his work like they were made by the Goddess herself, and kept every single one to display around the house.

At home, Hyunjin learned to be grateful for what he had. He learned that money was not the answer to happiness, not when he felt nothing but joy since coming into the world despite funds being less than forthcoming. He learned that alphas were to lead and betas and omegas were to follow. He learned that people were cruel to those who did not have the picture perfect alpha-omega household. He learned that he was not like other omegas in that he didn’t believe in the idea of relationships being one-sided, but instead one of equal give and take.

The most important lesson Hyunjin ever learned, however, was that love was to be trusted and earned, not assumed.

Hyunjin was beyond content with living the rest of his days the way he had spent them thus far - surrounded by so much love he could consume it and be full for an entire year, with a simple life ahead of him. There was no shortage of alphas interested in Hyunjin, and it was only a matter of time until he found the one he would be willing to spend the rest of his life with.

As fate would have it, every single fantasy Hyunjin ever built up in his head came crumbling down the day the Royal Guard showed up at their doorstep proclaiming Hyunjin was to be wed to Crown Prince Chan as a long-forgotten promise their great-great-great grandfathers made.

Within an hour, Hyunjin was forced to pack up his entire life and leave his sobbing parents behind for a life he never wanted.

Within eight hours, Hyunjin was relegated to a lavish bedroom on the East wing with nothing but his own thoughts for company.

Within a day, Hyunjin was required to sit in on so many lessons that his head spun like he was three pints in with all of the information he had to learn.

Within a week, Hyunjin was married to a stranger and dubbed Prince Consort Hyunjin, husband of Crown Prince Chan.

Ever since Hyunjin was a pup, he despised the mere thought of wearing a Link from someone he didn’t love. Since he didn’t have much in the way of physical possessions, his heart was the most cherished thing Hyunjin had to his name. Guarded to alphas who were rude and demanding, but open to his parents and the rest of the world, Hyunjin kept his heart close to him in the hope that one day, he would be able to give it to someone he loved. Out of the many stories his mother told him as a pup, Hyunjin’s favorites were always the ones with happy endings, the ones where the lovers kissed, fell in love, and exchanged Links because they wanted to.

The first time Chan’s Link touched his skin during their wedding ceremony, Hyunjin nearly cried tears of sorrow for his broken heart. Instead of something beautiful and everlasting, Hyunjin saw it for what it really was - a chain. A physical reminder that he would never marry for love and that the alpha who he must share a bed with from now on was nothing more than a stranger.

Chan may have been Crown Prince, but to Hyunjin, who had only seen the royal emblem from afar during one of his many bouts selling his parents’ wares at the market, he was nothing more than an image. Despite ruling over the land, the Royal Family had no ties to a commoner like Hyunjin.

That is, except for a deal both of their ancestors made before Hyunjin was even a speck in the universe.

Hyunjin and his family may not have had a lot, but they were happy, and that was all that mattered. Coming to the Capitol, going from a hand-me-down blanket that had long since frayed at the edges to such opulence on display, made Hyunjin sick to his stomach. He didn’t belong here and he knew it. Everyone knew it.

For the first week of Hyunjin’s stay, he was subjected to more cruel looks and upturned noses than he received in his entire twenty years of life. It was to be expected, as Hyunjin didn’t look or sound like royalty, but it still left a deep, painful scar. No matter how many fancy clothes they dressed him in and no matter how many etiquette lessons he sat in on, Hyunjin was still the son of a farmer and a seamstress.

A duck pretending to be a crane was still a duck.

He was an outsider through and through, married to a man he didn’t know and a stranger in his own home. The staff treated him well because they had to, but without anyone to talk to other than his tutors, Hyunjin was the loneliest man on the planet.

The most puzzling thing about their marriage and subsequent life, however, was that Chan was nothing but polite from the start. Hyunjin may bear his Link for the world to see, but Hyunjin will never forget the genuine way Chan whispered, “I’m sorry,” when he transferred his Link from his neck to Hyunjin’s.

To say that Chan was cruel would be incorrect, but to say that he was attentive would be an exaggeration. For weeks, they ate meals together in near silence. Hyunjin had no idea what he could even begin to talk about, as he knew nothing about palace life or any of the meetings Chan attended on a daily basis. One day, Hyunjin was told, he would have to sit in on those meetings as well, but that would only be when Chan was crowned King. Hyunjin couldn’t even write properly yet, so he was doubtful that would be a pleasant experience when the time came.

Despite Hyunjin’s ever-growing solitude and loneliness, it was a welcome reprieve to return to his own empty chambers at the end of the day. Here, in a still-foreign room, at least Hyunjin no longer had to pretend to be the perfect omega everyone expected him to be. No appearances needed to be kept, and Hyunjin could allow himself to look out the window with tears streaking down his soft cheeks and wonder if he would ever be good enough. Night after night, the stars twinkled down at him, almost as if in encouragement, and Hyunjin ached to depict the beautiful sight on canvas. Alas, he was not given materials to paint, and he didn’t know who he could even ask to help assist him in such an endeavor. However, it was not his place to paint. He had more important things to do, like learn how to be the perfect omega to stand by Chan’s side.

Two months into Hyunjin’s stay, a parcel was delivered to his room. The messenger, a man who looked no older than Hyunjin with soft brown hair and round eyes not unlike a puppy, was not someone Hyunjin had ever seen before.

“From His Highness,” he said with a deep bow.

Confused yet intrigued, Hyunjin took the parcel with a bow of his own. “Thank you. You are excused.”

If there was one thing Hyunjin hated the most about being royalty, it was that he had to act as if he was better than everyone. Many times, he was scolded during lessons for not properly excusing the staff, the words clumsy and foreign on his tongue.

Even then, the words came out clunky, but the messenger didn’t seem bothered and left with one last bow.

After getting settled on his bed, Hyunjin placed the parcel in front of him and plucked the card out from underneath the string tying the package together.

Dearest Hyunjin,

It is with my sincerest apologies that I am not able to deliver this myself. Enclosed you will find things I am hoping you will enjoy, but if you do not, please call for my personal messenger, Seungmin, and he will return to retrieve the package immediately. I know this will not make up for my misdoings in the past two months, but I am hopeful this could become the start of my path to earning your forgiveness. I hope you are able to allow me to make this entire situation up to you, and that you are able to open your heart and see my sorrow for neglecting you so. I am aware it was not easy to uproot your entire life in one day, so if you would allow it, I would like to attempt to make living here as comfortable for you as possible. If you need anything else, even if to reject this gift, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,
Chan

When Hyunjin carefully untied the knot holding the package together, tears blurred his vision so quickly that he had to hurriedly wipe them away so they wouldn’t fall. All sorts of paints and brushes were neatly placed on top of a single, small canvas. There was no conceivable way that Chan could know about his love for painting, but the undeniable proof was staring him straight in the face.

One thing that stood out to Hyunjin, beyond the gifts and the heartfelt note, was Chan’s constant use of the word ‘hope’ in the letter. He didn’t demand Hyunjin’s affection, nor did he need it. He merely wanted it, but appeared okay if he didn’t receive it.

That night, Hyunjin painted the night sky like he always dreamed of.

That night, for the first time in two months, Hyunjin allowed himself to hope.

From that moment on, Hyunjin truly felt alive. Their meals were no longer spent in silence, and Hyunjin was allowed to wander the palace grounds with two guards trailing a safe distance behind him. Hyunjin got to know his husband not as Crown Prince Chan, but as Chan, his silly alpha whose ears burned red under Hyunjin’s attention and whose beating heart was placed in Hyunjin’s delicate palms.

The walls were no longer caving in and the days were immensely brighter. Hyunjin’s smile bloomed along with the flowers in Spring, and Hyunjin’s heart warmed up alongside the harsh rays of Summer.

By Fall, Hyunjin himself had fallen like the orange and red leaves littering the garden, and Winter brought with it snow in the shape of hearts that melted from the warmth of knowing his husband, his alpha, his lover, loved him back just as much, if not more.

All of the stories Hyunjin heard growing up about how cruel and selfish alphas were didn’t prepare him in the slightest for the gentle soul he found in Chan.

And, when the day of Chan’s coronation ceremony arrived, Hyunjin was right by his side, where he belonged not because he had to be, but because he wanted to be.

“...so I believe it is in our best interest to corral the rogue omegas. They need to be taught better. Perhaps increased schooling would suffice.”

Hyunjin has to try very, very hard not to let his carefully constructed mask fall and bare his teeth at the absolute dunce of an alpha who just spoke. Here, he is no more than the omega of the King. He is not to think or speak, but merely look pretty at the side of their monarch. In reality, Hyunjin is keeping sharp eyes and ears open for absolutely ridiculous remarks like the one just made. He’s sure Chan will have something offensive to say about the alpha later, but for now, he’s a picture-perfect statue of control and poise.

“Thank you for your opinion, Senior Rank Kim,” Chan responds pleasantly. “We will put it on the agenda for the next meeting.”

Satisfied, the portly, balding alpha leans back with a smile that makes Hyunjin want to vomit. No matter how many meetings he’s attended, he’s still not used to the callous way alphas talk, especially about those lower in status and rank than them.

Thankfully, talk transitions to military strategy and how to better protect the western borders from the raids that have been plaguing them. It isn’t the most engaging topic, but it is one Hyunjin’s interested in.

“Let’s just put more betas there,” Senior Rank Lee says with a scoff. “Why waste alpha potential when betas are so expendable?”

Even though he has come to expect such comments, Hyunjin grits his teeth. An alpha himself, Senior Rank Lee has never cared about betas and thinks them to be nothing more than bodies to use in times of trouble. It’s reprehensible to Hyunjin that lives can be talked about so carelessly, but it isn’t his place to say anything, so he doesn’t.

“If you remember correctly,” Chan starts, “we voted on your suggestion last week, and the results came back eighteen to three in a resounding no. Please refrain from mentioning it again. If anyone else has a proper solution, speak now.”

Goddess above, if Chan isn’t the most attractive person in the land when he puts an alpha in their place. Hyunjin’s heart flutters about his chest in fierce pride for the man he married.

Several propositions are brought forth, but none of them are sufficient or pleasing. Hyunjin can tell Chan’s becoming more frustrated as each absurd motion is brought forward, and Hyunjin wants nothing more than to soothe his husband with his scent. The problem is that he can’t, not in front of so many people, so he has to settle for curling his fingers around Chan’s knee. Hidden by the table, the advisors are none the wiser as Hyunjin gently squeezes. It isn’t much, but a portion of the tension in Chan’s shoulders dissipates, and that’s good enough for Hyunjin.

“How about we ask the King’s pretty omega husband what he thinks?”

Several guffaws echo around the room after Senior Rank Park’s comment, a raucous cacophony of sound that pierces Hyunjin’s eardrums. But he’s nothing if not the perfect omega husband the advisors want to see, so he gives them what they want.

Like he was taught all of those years ago, Hyunjin blinks up at Chan demurely like there isn’t a single thought in his head. As nothing more than “the King’s pretty omega husband,” Hyunjin can’t speak or show the anger bubbling up within him, but Chan knows him better than he knows himself.

Surprisingly, it isn’t Chan who speaks up, but Changbin.

“I don’t think it would be a stretch to say his opinion would be more beneficial than yours. What have you offered in the past two hours that is worth mentioning, Senior Rank Park?”

The room becomes so silent that Hyunjin could hear a pin drop across the palace. Surprise causes his scent to flare out, but Hyunjin reigns it in before it can get too far. As Chan’s closest friend and greatest ally, Changbin is one of the rare few aware of the profound extent of Chan’s affections for Hyunjin. Even rarer is the fact that he’s one of the youngest on the panel of advisors and an alpha who actually cares about their people rather than his ego.

“My apologies, but I think I must be mistaken, Junior Rank Seo.” Senior Rank Park’s smile looks like something out of a nightmare, and Hyunjin has to politely look away before bile rises in his throat. “It sounds as if you’re insinuating that an omega should be held in higher regard than me.”

The shift in the air from neutral to heavy and oppressive is so fast that not even Hyunjin is able to prevent his nose from scrunching.

“Gentlemen.” When Chan smiles, Hyunjin catches a glimpse of the strain around the edges. Not for the first time, Hyunjin wishes Chan wouldn’t have to deal with such useless, idiotic men on a weekly basis. “Senior Rank Park, it would be wise of you not to speak ill about your King’s husband in such a manner. You may be advisors, but I am still your King and he is still my husband. Unless you would like your lineage, current and future, to face repercussions, then by all means, continue to speak.”

Goddess Chan is such a perfect man. The way he commands attention when necessary is so arousing. Hyunjin knows he shouldn’t be thinking of the way Chan sometimes playfully growls at him when they’re in bed, but he simply can’t help himself. Shifting around in an attempt to get comfortable and ignore the slow trail of slick starting to stain his garments, Hyunjin takes a deep breath and prays his scent isn’t too noticeable.

It seems that Senior Rank Park at least has the wit to understand when he’s being threatened, and he mercifully backs down.

The remainder of the meeting passes by quick as a summer storm, and when there are no more topics left to cover, Chan claps his hands.

“If there are no more pressing concerns, then I am formally announcing the meeting as over. I will be staying behind to go over a few things, but you are all free to go.”

All at once, the council members stand up and bow. Low chatter fills the room, and Hyunjin barely resists rolling his eyes heavenward when he sees Senior Rank Kim, Senior Rank Lee, and Senior Rank Park huddled together like rats. No doubt they are whispering about how unhappy they are with this meeting, but that is to be expected with egos as delicate as theirs.

The last one to leave is Changbin, and he does so with a pointed look over his shoulder.

Chan merely waves him off with a smile, Changbin grinning as he goes.

The second the door closes behind Changbin, Hyunjin immediately stands up and gracefully settles onto his husband’s lap, wrapping his arms around Chan’s shoulders. Strong, sturdy arms curl around his waist, but with an air of delicacy, as if Hyunjin is made of the finest porcelain. Pleased, Hyunjin brushes his lips over Chan’s forehead, cheek, and the corner of his mouth. The kisses earns him a sigh and a brief spike of oakwood that Hyunjin greedily breathes in.

“Husband,” Hyunjin murmurs soothingly. Slowly, he loosens the tight control he has on his scent so they’re both enveloped by a faint hint of vanilla. “You seem tense.”

“I’m always tense around these buffoons,” Chan replies gruffly. He nuzzles closer to Hyunjin’s neck, inhaling deeply with a soft sigh. “They are no better than tyrants with how they treat you and disregard your worth.”

Hyunjin’s heart soars like a caged bird in his chest. He never thought he would love Chan with the ferocity he does, but Chan has flourished under Hyunjin’s tender, loving touch for the past few years and now proudly shows off his petals for Hyunjin to see.

“It’s alright,” Hyunjin placates. “As long as I have you, I’m not bothered.”

Chan growls. “Still, I hate that I have to refer to you not with your name, but as if you’re an extension of me. It’s-”

“Shh,” Hyunjin hushes him softly with a finger to his lips. If anyone else saw the way Chan melted under his touch, they would balk and screech in contempt that no alpha should ever bow to the wills of their omega. Not for the first time, Hyunjin ponders over how many wonderful things he must have done in his past life to have the chance to be loved by someone like Chan in this one. “I assure you it’s fine, dear husband. If they want to see me as a pretty, brainless doll, then that is their loss. I have enough people surrounding me who know who I really am.”

“You’re too good,” Chan sighs. “I can’t even begin to fathom how you do it.”

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Hyunjin giggles and bats his eyes up at his husband. His dear alpha. His King. “Am I not pretty as well, Your Majesty?”

“You are the most beautiful flower in all of the land,” Chan answers promptly. Coming from anyone else, Hyunjin would’ve accepted the compliment with a fake smile plastered on his face. Coming from his alpha, his husband, Hyunjin preens, his own petals unfurling. They’re like two flowers, side by side, growing in the garden of eternity. “No one can compare to your beauty, my love.”

“What about Minho?” Hyunjin teases, his voice dropping so low no one except Chan could ever hope to hear him. “Is he not to your liking?”

At the mention of the other alpha, Chan stiffens underneath him. Most alphas would be threatened by the mention of another from their mate, but Chan - lovely, sweet, needy Chan - blushes bright red. Perhaps from his embarrassment or from his overwhelming depravity, whatever the reason it is, Hyunjin smirks.

Leaning over until his lips are brushing the delicate cartilage of Chan’s equally as crimson ear, Hyunjin whispers, “Earlier this morning, I requested he meet us in your chambers after your meeting.”

It had been a bit of a swift run-in. As luck would have it, the second Hyunjin was leaving his chambers to head down for breakfast, Hyunjin caught wind of an all too familiar scent.

“Please excuse me for one minute, Yeji,” Hyunjin had said hurriedly before quickly heading after the alpha. Thankfully, Yeji and his personal guard Jisung were more than used to his antics, and let him go without a fuss.

Minho had been delighted by the offer as always, and Hyunjin returned back to Yeji and Jisung with a bounce in his step, wholly ready to conquer the day.

“Really?” Chan asks, clearing his throat when his voice comes out scratchy.

Hyunjin’s lower lip juts out with the force of his pout. “Do you believe I would lie to you, dear husband?”

Chan’s eyes widen, as if he’s just realized his mistake. It makes Hyunjin want to kiss him until they’re both breathless, but he refrains in favor of keeping up his act. “Never, darling. My sincerest apologies.”

Hyunjin isn’t finished, though. His husband, smart as he may be, is a complete and utter fool around him. Constantly falling into Hyunjin’s traps, Chan is so endearing that Hyunjin can’t help but fall further in love with him everyday.

With a sigh that could travel across the lands and blow the sails of the ships stationed on the western border, Hyunjin fiddles with the hair at the back of Chan’s neck. A shudder passes through Chan, prominent enough that Hyunjin can feel it from where he’s perched on his lap. “After everything I’ve done, you repay me with such a hurtful statement.”

A rouch, calloused palm cups Hyunjin’s cheek. Instinctively, Hyunjin leans into it with fluttering lashes, completely forgetting he’s supposed to be acting upset.

“My love,” Chan says softly, his warm breath passing over Hyunjin’s lips like a fleeting kiss. Hyunjin shivers. “I didn’t mean to upset you so. However I can make it up to you, let me know and I’ll do it. If you want a star, I’ll find a way to pluck it from the sky.”

Hyunjin’s lips curl up. His foolish, foolish alpha. If Hyunjin’s past self could see him now - with the most powerful alpha in all of the land underneath him and begging him for forgiveness - he would surely laugh.

Leaning forward, Hyunjin pauses right before their lips are to meet. No more than a hair’s breadth away, Hyunjin’s able to see the soft pink dusting Chan’s cheeks like fine sugar. Chan’s eyes are locked on him, and when he gulps, the gentle scent of oakwood intensifies, Hyunjin’s own vanilla matching it in intensity as slick trickles down his thigh.

“I want to watch Minho fuck you.”

Chan inhales sharply, his eyes falling shut as he groans under his breath. “You are going to be the death of me, little flower.”

Giggling, Hyunjin leaves a quick kiss on his husband’s plush lips. Chan follows him for more, but Hyunjin turns his face to the side so Chan’s lips land on his cheek instead. Another laugh bubbles up within Hyunjin when Chan sighs and rests his forehead against his collarbone in defeat.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, alpha.”

“You’re very aware, little flower,” Chan retorts. “No silent poison or swift arrow could strike a blow more damaging than you.”

“Good,” Hyunjin replies, a deadly combination of arousal and happiness rushing through his veins, “because you’re mine and I refuse to let anyone else harm you. I don’t mind sharing you, but no one else is allowed to have you except us.”

This time, Chan’s groan is much louder. If anyone happened to be walking by right now, there would be no doubt over what’s happening, but Hyunjin finds he isn’t too bothered. Let them hear. What does it matter to Hyunjin who hears when he knows where his husband’s affections lie? He wasn’t wrong when he said no one else was allowed to have Chan, and that isn’t just because of the Link and bite Hyunjin wears with pride. Chan’s heart is his, just as his heart is Chan’s. They may indulge in the easy way Minho’s able to take Chan apart with his hands and his cock, and they may have a small soft spot for Minho that grows by the day, but Chan is still his mate.

“Can we…” Chan’s voice is small, but there’s a hint of poorly-hidden desire that makes Hyunjin smile. “Can we go now? Please?”

“I thought you would never ask.”

With one last kiss to Chan’s temple, Hyunjin untangles himself from Chan’s embrace and holds a hand out. A warm palm presses against his, followed by knobby fingers sliding in between the empty spaces of Hyunjin’s long ones. Most of the older generations and advisors frown upon holding hands, but neither Chan nor Hyunjin care. As Chan once said, this palace is theirs, and they are to do what they wish as long as they aren’t harming anyone. If the pleasant, fluttery feeling that arises underneath Hyunjin’s rib cage whenever they hold hands is a crime, then he will no sooner be locked up for life than deny himself such a touch.

“Come, dear husband,” Hyunjin says. “Your alpha awaits.”

Chan makes a sound like a dying bird in the back of his throat, high-pitched and pained, and Hyunjin laughs.

“Don’t tell me you’re shy now,” he teases. “This is far from the first time we’ve done this.”

“I’m aware, I just…” The same sound returns, albeit with a whiny edge to it. It’s so cute, seeing his husband shift from one foot to another with scarlet ears and shifty eyes.

“Just what, Your Majesty?” Hyunjin wonders. Chan’s ears darken further at the formal title, and Hyunjin has to resist the urge to coo. “If you’re embarrassed, you don’t have to be. I find you very cute when you’re needy.”

Like an omega, he almost says, but that’s more of Minho’s brand of vulgarity. There are many things Minho’s said over the course of their arrangement that even Hyunjin blushes at, but both he and Chan like it, as evident by the fact that they’re always left panting and satisfied.

Seeing as Chan doesn’t appear to have a response, Hyunjin continues speaking. “Don’t you know how much I enjoy seeing you fall apart, darling? You should, seeing as I’ve come to the sight of you full of cock every single time it’s happened.”

Teasing Chan is so easy that Hyunjin simply can’t help himself. Their current ease with each other is such a far cry from the beginning of their marriage that, somewhat subconsciously, Hyunjin’s trying to make up for lost time. He never jokes with his husband out of malice, but out of a love so great that Hyunjin sometimes fears his body won’t be able to contain it all.

“Hyunjin,” Chan warns, but Hyunjin knows him far too well by now. His husband is aroused, terribly so, and the proof is currently digging into his hip.

They need to leave before their scents stink up the entire room. A week is enough time to air the room out if they leave the door open, but the longer they stay, the higher the chance they’ll get caught. Although all of the staff know to stay away from the royal chambers when either of them smell this strong, there’s still the problem of getting there first. As impatient as they’re becoming - Hyunjin can literally smell the shift in Chan’s scent - there are standards to uphold. Running through the halls like pups excited for a trip to the town isn’t going to work in their favor no matter how much Hyunjin wants to do just that.

Breathing deeply, his head nearly spinning from the intensity of oakwood in the air, Hyunjin takes one large step away. Chan whines at the distance, then flushes when Hyunjin smiles at him knowingly. It’s so endearing how much Chan loves him.

“You the one who asked if we could leave,” Hyunjin points out. It’s improbable Chan’s already forgotten, but there’s no harm in poking a little more fun at him. “Do you not want to go anymore?”

“I do!” Chan blurts, his cheeks and ears turning an even darker shade of red.

Hyunjin laughs and gently squeezes Chan’s hand. “Do you think you can manage the minute it will take us to get to your chambers, then? Is that something you can do, dear husband?”

“For you?” Bathed in the sunlight streaming through the windows, Chan’s eyes sparkle like the stars Hyunjin still admires every night. “Anything.”

Bashful from facing the sheer intensity of Chan’s love for him, Hyunjin glances away with warm cheeks. No matter how many times he’s seen that particular look, his heart still skips several beats. The arousal simmering in his blood is secondary to the affection carved in his bones.

A hand cupping his cheek causes Hyunjin to look back up into star-studded eyes. “I love you, little flower.”

Tears spring to Hyunjin’s eyes before he can stop them. There are numerous emotions warring within him right now, but the most prominent is love for his foolish, lovely husband.

A lone tear makes a valiant escape and trails down his cheek, but Chan quickly wipes it away with his thumb, his touch light as the kiss of a butterfly’s wings. Nuzzling against Chan’s hand, Hyunjin places a quick kiss to his wrist, right over Chan’s pulse. It’s racing just as wildly as Hyunjin’s own.

“I love you, too, little wolf. More than you can imagine,” Hyunjin replies, sure that his own gaze is a reflection of Chan’s.

Chan cracks a small smile. “I doubt that. We can argue about it later, though. It would be rude to keep our guest waiting any longer.”

Hyunjin snorts, the most undignified sound he’s possibly ever made in his life, but Chan looks all the more endeared for it. “I don’t know how anyone could possibly think you’re stoic or scary. Not when you’re really just…how does Minho put it?” Chan’s eyes widen, clearly knowing where he’s going with this, and Hyunjin’s lips quirk. “A needy little pup.”

“Hyunjin,” Chan whines. It only further proves his point - or, well, Minho’s point - but nothing is more incriminating than the sudden spike of oakwood in the air. Despite his best efforts to keep distance between the two of them, Hyunjin’s lured in by the intoxicating scent. Inhaling deeply once he’s close enough, Hyunjin shivers, his cock filling out in interest. There’s nothing more potent in this world to Hyunjin than Chan’s scent; if he could use it as a perfume, he would. No amount of scenting is ever enough for him, wanting nothing more than to be near his husband at all times. It’s such a far cry from the beginning of their relationship that Hyunjin would laugh if he wasn’t preoccupied with nuzzling against Chan’s neck for more, more, more.

“Hyunjin.” This time, Chan sounds more forceful, a glimpse of King Chan, but through his haze, Hyunjin is still able to pick up the shakiness that lies underneath. “We have to go.”

“Kiss?” Hyunjin pleads. He doesn’t even remember why this is a bad idea, not when he’s so thoroughly enveloped in Chan’s perfect scent and Chan’s perfect arms.

His head is tilted up by a finger underneath his chin, and Hyunjin only has a few seconds to appreciate the look in Chan’s eyes - soft yet fiery - before he’s being kissed. Sighing, Hyunjin parts his lips and groans softly when Chan snakes his tongue into his mouth without preamble. As Chan explores, Hyunjin curls his fingers in the fabric of Chan’s shirt and reminds himself to breathe. They’ve kissed thousands of times, but each one never fails to leave Hyunjin feeling like he’s going to float away any second. The only things tethering him to the ground are Chan’s arm around him and Chan’s lips melding against his. This is perhaps Hyunjin’s favorite song and dance he’s learned since entering the palace - real dancing simply can’t compare to the way they move together, mouths becoming slicker by the second.

When Chan finally ends their kiss, his lips are even redder than his ears and brighter than any color Hyunjin’s ever had the luxury of painting with. If he could, Hyunjin would immortalize this sight on canvas, but even he knows it’s a terrible idea. He’ll just have to settle for taking in everything - Chan’s soft brown curls, his ruddy cheeks, and his well-kissed mouth - and praying the image doesn’t get lost to the unforgiving hands of time.

Besides, Hyunjin thinks as something white hot and dangerous flares in his chest, no one is allowed to see Chan like this except him.

No one except for Minho, that is.

Minho, who is the second son of one of the highest ranking generals in the army. Minho, who gives Chan exactly what he wants and more. Minho, who fucks Chan so well and in ways that Hyunjin can’t even begin to fathom.

Minho, who is an alpha - their King’s alpha.

Because Chan may be King, but behind ornate, closed doors, he has an alpha he bows to and worships. An alpha who takes him apart so thoroughly and so beautifully that Hyunjin considers himself the lucky one, to be able to watch.

They don’t run to Chan’s chambers, but it’s close.

Hand in hand - at Chan’s insistence - they travel down the hallway on quick feet. Jisung follows them dutifully until the last corner, where Hyunjin sends him a small smile and says, “You’re excused, thank you. Last I heard, Felix is trying out a new recipe if you want to accompany him for the afternoon?”

Jisung’s cheeks, already a soft pink from the jog, darken further at the mention of the head baker. Hyunjin giggles while Chan chuckles, but it doesn’t take much more convincing for Jisung to bow and excuse himself with a soft, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Once Jisung is a safe distance away, Hyunjin turns towards Chan and kisses him. Chan returns the kiss easily, his lips insistent as they move against Hyunjin’s, leaving Hyunjin nearly boneless in his husband’s arms. Now that they’re close, Hyunjin can easily smell Chan’s arousal. It was muted earlier, but now that they’re a few steps away from Chan’s chambers that reek of oakwood and a slightly prominent dark cacao, Hyunjin’s having difficulty ignoring it. His own scent spikes in return, and Chan lets out a sound that reminds Hyunjin of the wild animals he would hear when he was a pup. A hand comes up and winds around Hyunjin’s Link, a gasp falling from his lips when Chan tugs. It isn’t strong enough to hurt, but there’s enough force behind the pull that Hyunjin has no choice but to follow. His neck is bared in this position, which is seemingly what Chan wanted, as he noses along the column of Hyunjin’s throat with a rumble from deep within his chest.

“So sweet,” Chan whispers. Hyunjin shivers, both from Chan’s warm breath against such a sensitive part of his body and from the way Chan’s nose is dragging along his skin. A rush of slick drips down Hyunjin’s thighs when Chan mouths at the mating bite he left years ago, and Hyunjin whines. Curling his fingers around the fabric of Chan’s shirt as an anchor, Hyunjin tilts his head to the side. With a pleased hum, Chan noses closer and scrapes his teeth right below Hyunjin’s mark. Hyunjin’s barely given any time to breathe before Chan’s fitting his teeth over the imprint and lightly biting down.

“Chan,” Hyunjin gasps, his arousal skyrocketing at the intimacy. The prick of Chan’s teeth stings, but quickly soothed by a warm tongue.

It doesn’t register that they’re in the middle of the hallway where anyone could see them until a gruff voice calls out, “Excuse me, Your Majesties.”

Startled, Hyunjin jumps away with his heart pounding in his ears and an apology on the tip of his tongue.

Thankfully, it’s only Minho, who is currently poking his head out of Chan’s chambers with a raised eyebrow.

“I can smell you two from inside,” Minho comments. Feeling like a chastened pup, Hyunjin lowers his head with burning cheeks. “You should come in before someone else notices, too.”

Chan’s hand falls from Hyunjin’s neck as he steps away with a matching blush of his own. Hyunjin’s Link rattles as it settles back in place, and something inside of Hyunjin settles as well when he feels the metal against his skin once more, back where it belongs. What Hyunjin once believed to be a chain weighing him down is now one of his most prized possessions - invaluable, as it is the only one in existence, and priceless with the love it symbolizes.

“Sorry,” Chan says, sounding thoroughly abashed.

Minho waves them off as he steps back into the room, both Hyunjin and Chan following him like pups. Hyunjin closes and locks the door behind them as Minho makes his way around the room, perusing the canvases he must have seen easily a million times by now. The ease with which he walks around suggests it’s his room instead, but with how often they all find themselves here, that wouldn’t be much of a stretch. The only difference is that Chan, and sometimes Hyunjin, actually sleeps here, whereas Minho hasn’t once stayed the night. It would be improper, for one - although that hasn’t stopped their arrangement from blossoming - and it’s too dangerous. If the wrong person caught all three of them in the same bed, there’s no telling what kind of uprising would follow.

“It isn’t my problem if you get caught.” Gracefully, Minho twirls around. Keeping eye contact with Chan, who is standing frozen next to the bed, Minho shrugs. “If you want to act like that for everyone to see, be my guest. Then they’ll know their King is nothing more than a horny pup who wants to get his knot wet.”

Tension settles around the room like one of the thick blankets Hyunjin uses in the winter to keep warm. He bites his lip as he watches the two of them stare each other down, Minho with nonchalance and Chan with indignation. The alpha in Chan is surely roaring and rising up to the blatant challenge, but Hyunjin knows his posturing won’t last long.

The truth of the matter is that his husband has been far more stressed than usual lately. His rut is right around the corner and his advisors are a bunch of incompetent imbeciles who never have anything productive to say. Hyunjin, attentive as he is, can only do so much, which is where Minho comes in. They don’t do this often, and they don’t always do it when Chan’s stressed, but Hyunjin knows Chan needs to shed his title for the night. When Chan’s rut hits, they’ll have four days together without any outside contact, but that also means they won’t be able to see Minho. This meeting is as much for Chan as it is for Hyunjin, who loves watching his husband get pushed down face-first and ruined.

Chan steps forward with bared teeth. Minho barely blinks at the sudden show of aggression, which seems to annoy Chan even further.

“Do not speak to me that way,” Chan growls lowly. Hyunjin shivers, his arousal flaring at the danger lurking in Chan’s voice. They all know how the night is going to end, but Chan’s still an alpha and Hyunjin is still in love with him. There are many things that turn Hyunjin on when it comes to Chan, and him going alpha is definitely near the top of the list.

“Or what, alpha?” Minho taunts with a smirk. “Are you going to shove me to my knees? Show me who is in charge?”

Chan’s eyes narrow into dangerous slits - a predator in the face of another predator. He can’t see very well from this position, but Hyunjin just knows Chan’s back muscles are taut with tension right now.

“Maybe I should,” Chan huffs. “That would teach you to show respect for your King.”

Oh, Chan must be more in his head than Hyunjin thought if he’s referring to himself by his title. If there’s one thing Chan despises the most, it’s using his status to sway outcomes or win arguments. His alpha must be closer to the surface than Hyunjin thought, then.

Thankfully, Minho is well-versed in dealing with a moody Chan and doesn’t back down. Even Hyunjin is quivering slightly at the display of dominance, but whether it’s from fear or arousal is unknown.

“My King,” Minho emphasizes, which only serves to cause Hyunjin to shift in place because he knows what’s coming, “needs to be taken care of, and I can’t do that if he’s being a spoiled, bratty little pup. Now sit.”

It’s as if everything shatters all at once. Clearly caught off guard by the command, Chan stumbles, which in turn causes him to land on the bed in an ungraceful heap. The annoyance in Chan’s eyes fizzles out, and his entire body sags now that his muscles are no longer straining. If Hyunjin wasn’t so busy trying to take deep breaths in order to not come on the spot, he would find it amusing how clumsy Chan looks despite all of the formal training he’s received since he was a pup. As it is, Hyunjin’s cock is straining against his trousers, and his arousal is so potent that he can smell himself.

Minho’s resultant smirk is pleased as much as it is knowing. “Good puppy. Stay.”

The entire room seems to hold its breath as Minho starts walking, and it takes a few seconds for Hyunjin’s muddled brain to realize Minho is coming towards him.

“Hi,” Minho greets with a pretty smile once he’s close enough.

“H-hi,” Hyunjin replies, stunned. Most interactions they’ve had are fleeting at best, since their arrangement is about Chan more than Hyunjin, but Minho is still unfalteringly polite. He’s a bit of a flirt, but still polite. There are many lines they’ve crossed during their arrangement, but Minho has never, not once, attempted to kiss or touch Hyunjin more than a quick brush of his knuckles. Sometimes, Hyunjin desperately wants to reach out and touch Minho. He wants to see if Minho’s hair is as silky as he thinks or if his lips are as soft as they look, but he can’t. Despite multiple chances, Hyunjin’s never brought the idea up to Chan, apprehension holding his tongue from slipping up and spilling his desires. The last thing Hyunjin wants to do is ruin their arrangement because of his own selfish desires - his husband needs the release more than Hyunjin needs to sate his curiosity. It’s a fact Hyunjin has come to terms with, although that doesn’t stop it from showing up again from time to time like a pesky weed.

Hyunjin’s eyes flutter shut on their own accord when Minho gently runs his knuckles over his cheek. Sighing softly, Hyunjin leans into it, sparks igniting where they’re touching. For all of the posturing Minho does with Chan, he’s nothing but sweet with Hyunjin. Maybe it’s because Hyunjin’s an omega, or maybe it’s because Minho has no reason to treat him with anything other than delicacy. Whatever it is, Hyunjin melts and slowly releases the hold he has on his scent.

Minho inhales deeply, no doubt able to smell how pleased Hyunjin is. From the bed, Chan grumbles, his own scent wafting over and mixing with the light trace of dark cacao already swirling around Hyunjin. It’s a heady mixture, one that causes Hyunjin’s head to spin and release more of his own vanilla in response.

One of the main reasons they need to do this in Chan’s room is due to his pheromones. Hyunjin’s vanilla scent lingering in the room is easy to write off, but it’s also simpler to use the excuse that Chan and Minho are talking war strategy if anyone catches oakwood clinging to Minho. If they did this in Hyunjin’s room, it would be immensely difficult to cover the scent of a second alpha who by all means shouldn’t be there. No one other than Chan, Yeji, or Jisung would be idiotic enough to enter Hyunjin’s chambers without immediate punishment being bestowed upon them, but it’s still risky. Add that to the fact that Minho would smell like vanilla far more than would be expected, and it could bring serious repercussions. Meeting in Chan’s chambers is the best solution, not that Hyunjin minds. Getting to roll around in his husband’s sheets is a luxury that Hyunjin will take with greedy hands.

“Gorgeous,” Minho breathes.

Hyunjin opens his eyes just in time to see Minho’s fond smile before Minho’s carefully lifting his hand and letting it fall to his side without touching Hyunjin any further. Barely suppressing the urge to whine in protest, Hyunjin bites his lip and watches as Minho makes his way over to the bed, where Chan’s watching them with blown pupils.

For all they have snuck around and all the rules they’ve broken, there is one that none of them would ever dare cross. More sacred than the rituals to the Goddess herself, the Link between a mated alpha and omega must never be touched by anyone other than the mated pair themselves. Absolutely no exceptions are made, and any attempt at such, especially on someone in the Royal Family, is an act of treason only punishable by the highest penalty imaginable. Minho has never once tried to touch his Link, but Hyunjin doubts he would even without the very real threat on his life. Hyunjin knows lesser alphas in Minho’s position would attempt, but there’s a reason Minho is here and not them.

Minho’s own Link sits heavily against his chest underneath his shirt, the metal glinting in the soft candlelight as he walks towards Chan. It’s only by a miracle that Minho’s not only agreed to their little arrangement, but hasn’t yet found a suitable mate. Any and all attempts at questioning him on Hyunjin’s part have fallen flat, Minho more often than not sending Hyunjin a polite smile and saying he simply hasn’t found the right one yet. According to Chan, he’s been equally as unsuccessful in his own questioning, which begs the question of why?

Hyunjin’s brought out of his thoughts by a quiet chuckle. Chan’s still on the bed, and he’s now looking at Minho with an unwavering expression. The fight in his eyes is mostly gone now, but Chan’s shoulders are taught and slowly creeping up towards his ears.

“Oh, Chan,” Minho says, amused. He must have been the one to laugh, then. “Are you going to be a good puppy for me now or are you going to continue to fight me?”

Chan gulps, his eyes lingering on Minho’s chest where his Link sits in all of its silver glory.

“I’ll be good, alpha,” Chan replies, his voice soft and sweet, an exact replica of the way Hyunjin was taught to speak. Hyunjin digs his nails into his palms as his body releases a burst of slick, a whimper clawing at his throat. No matter how many times he’s heard his husband relinquish control and give himself over to Minho, Hyunjin will never get over how warm it makes him feel. It’s as if there’s a candle lighting him up from the inside, the ever-growing flames threatening to overtake him entirely.

“Excellent,” Minho purrs in delight. “Get naked for me, then we’ll see what you deserve.”

Hyunjin’s helpless as he stands there and watches Chan hastily take his clothes off - first his shirt, then his trousers and undergarments until Chan’s as bare as the day he was born. Everything lands in a heap on the floor, something Hyunjin’s sure Ryujin, Chan’s own handmaiden, will yell at him for if she ever finds out.

When he’s done, he climbs back onto the bed and sits back on his calves, a look of anticipation in his eyes as he observes Minho.

Whereas Chan moved like there was a fire lit underneath him, Minho is completely unhurried. By the time Chan’s done and waiting, Minho’s only managed to unbutton half of his shirt. His Link is more visible now, gleaming a bright silver where it’s looped around his neck and trailing down his chest past his shirt. Want of an entirely different kind claws at Hyunjin, but he pushes it down and shoves it into a box, which he then locks. He’ll have time for introspection later, when he isn’t enraptured by the way Minho’s hands effortlessly handle the buttons of his shirt.

To the best of Hyunjin’s knowledge, Minho grew up in the palace with his father and older brother, which means he had to sit in on etiquette lessons as well. It would certainly explain the grace with which Minho moves and the diplomacy he exudes regarding topics that aren’t related to their bedroom activities, but it could also just be who Minho is.

Surely he can feel the two sets of eyes on him like beacons, but Minho appears nonplussed. If Hyunjin didn’t know better, he would assume Minho to be King instead. The way Minho slowly, button by button, makes his way through his shirt is absolutely maddening, but what really gets underneath Hyunjin’s skin is the way he takes the time to fold the garment and neatly place it to the side. Patience has never been one of Hyunjin’s strongest suits, and despite his tutors’ best efforts, they were never able to rectify his eagerness.

Chan appears to be faring better, but his cock gives him away, a tempting bead of white pearling at the red tip. He knows better than to touch himself, unlike Hyunjin who would already be two fingers deep and entirely unapologetic about it. Waiting is excruciating, though, especially when what Hyunjin wants is right in front of him for the taking. He has no clue how Chan can stand to be that close to Minho and not reach out and touch, but that’s perhaps due to the pseudo “training” Minho’s put him through ever since they started this arrangement. Minho isn’t cruel, but he knows what he wants, both for himself and from Chan.

By the time all of Minho’s clothes are folded and the only thing remaining on his body is his Link, Hyunjin’s cock is feeling painfully constricted and there’s a formidable wet spot staining the seat of his trousers.

Sometimes, if Hyunjin’s lucky, Minho will let him join, but sometimes he’s only allowed to touch himself while he watches. He gets to cum either way, so Hyunjin isn’t incredibly bothered, but being able to participate would be nicer than having to resort to his own hands.

Cooing, Minho reaches out and cups Chan’s face with an indulgent smile. “You’ve been so good for me by waiting. Do you want your reward now or later?”

A pretty shade of red colors Chan’s cheeks, and he nuzzles against Minho’s palms with a small smile. “Now please?”

Minho’s smile widens. “As you wish.”

Chan wiggles his hips as he waits, something that is so reminiscent of a dog that Hyunjin has to stifle his endeared laugh. Thankfully, the sound never came to fruition, because any amusement Hyunjin does feel leaves his body in a flash when Minho reaches up towards his own neck. A heady mixture of emotions swirls in Hyunjin’s stomach as he watches the two of them move together like the tide crashing against the sand on their western borders.

In a move reminiscent of Chan and Hyunjin’s wedding ceremony and every instance the three of them have met in secret since the first time, Minho takes his Link off and, with nimble fingers, fastens it around Chan’s neck.

All of the remaining tension in Chan’s shoulders drops the second the Link is properly situated, and he sighs in what sounds like relief.

The skin underneath Hyunjin’s own Link burns at the sight of his alpha with another Link around his neck, but it’s pleasant instead of painful. Seeing the way the longer part of the chain hangs down from Chan’s collarbones to his waist is mesmerizing, but what attracts Hyunjin’s attention the most is the way the silver loops around Chan’s neck. Connected to one end of the chain is a clasp that Minho clips onto one of the metal rings, leaving behind a collar-esque circle around Chan’s throat that looks like it belongs there.

All Hyunjin can think of is Mine. Ours. with a ferocity that would scare him if it was the first time he’s thought it. As it is, it’s far from the first time, and Hyunjin knows it won’t be the last. As long as they continue this arrangement, Hyunjin will shamefully wish for things he can’t have.

Arousal licks familiar flames up Hyunjin’s spine as he watches Minho tilt Chan’s chin up, and he nearly yields to the all-consuming fire when Chan closes the remaining distance for a kiss. They’re breathtaking together. Separately, Chan is the most attractive person, let alone alpha, Hyunjin’s ever met, and Minho is more gorgeous than most of the omegas in his hometown.

Together? Together they are a portrait that Hyunjin desperately wants to preserve on canvas for the rest of eternity. The way Chan and Minho come together is stunning, as is the way they kiss like they have all of the time in the world. Neither of them are attempting to outdo one another. Instead, they’re kissing like they’re the air each other needs, and all Hyunjin feels is contentment. There isn’t a jealous bone in his body as he watches the two of them kiss over and over again, the clinking of Chan’s temporary Link sending a trail of gooseflesh down Hyunjin’s arms.

More than anything, Hyunjin wants with a ferocity he’s only experienced a few times before - the first being when he craved to go home his first few months here, the second when he prayed he could paint the stars, the third when he wanted to confess to his fool of an alpha who didn’t think Hyunjin loved him back, and the fourth when he saw Chan and Minho fall into bed for the first time. Dare Hyunjin say it, this fifth instance might be the most intense yet.

“Hyunjin.”

Perking up at the call of his name, Hyunjin focuses on Minho, whose lips are redder and slicker than a few minutes ago. A blush creeps its way onto Hyunjin’s cheeks once he realizes he wants to know what Minho’s lips taste like, but he pushes the thought away like always.

“Yes?” he manages to ask. Years of training on how to speak properly could’ve never prepared him for this moment, burning alive underneath the gaze of an audience of one.

Minho smiles, a slow, pretty thing that reminds Hyunjin of budding flowers during the first rays of Spring. “Can you bring the oil over, please?”

The implications aren’t lost on Hyunjin.

With a whimper, he scurries over to the bedside table and extracts the vial of oil they’re stored away for this exact occasion. There’s only a little more than a quarter left; the vial will likely need to be refilled after tonight with how much Minho’s going to use.

It would only take one slip up before there are rumors running along the walls of the palace regarding why they use so much oil when Hyunjin, as an omega, doesn’t require it, but they’ve been extremely careful. While Jisung and Yeji might know the basics of their arrangement, no one other than Jeongin, their personal attendant, is privy to the oil. Jeongin’s family has had a relationship with the crown dating back at least eight generations; he would never say anything, nor do they believe he would. Most likely, he has wondered once or twice, but neither Hyunjin nor Chan are concerned. What goes on behind closed doors is frankly no one else’s business.

When Hyunjin hands the vial over, he’s rewarded with another brush of Minho’s knuckles against his cheek and a soft, “Thank you. Won’t you join us on the bed?”

Hyunjin might not have grown up around nobility, but he’s learned how to decipher their speech patterns over the years. From Minho asking Hyunjin to bring the oil when he could’ve done it himself to phrasing his intention as a question, Hyunjin’s quite aware of what Minho’s saying.

With a smile, Hyunjin climbs onto the bed and settles against the ornate headboard. He’s close enough that Chan could reach out and touch if he so wished, but far enough that he is more in the background than foreground. This is, after all, for Chan, not him.

The Link looks even more devastating around Chan’s neck at this short of a distance. Hyunjin’s seen Chan wear it many times before, but each glimpse is more striking than the last. Instead of growing complacent to seeing his husband don such a permanent mark of possession, Hyunjin craves to see it more. Perhaps this is what Chan thinks when he sees his Link around Hyunjin’s neck - if so, Hyunjin doesn’t have a clue how Chan stops himself from reaching out and touching him with a pleased growl. Hyunjin isn’t even an alpha, but he feels like one with how he can’t stop staring, arousal simmering underneath his skin.

“You might want to get comfortable,” Minho says. There’s a smirk on his face as he looks down at Chan, who is still kneeling in front of him. “We’re going to be here for a while.”

Gulping, Hyunjin shakily starts unbuttoning his shirt as he watches Minho stare Chan down with such a heady look of desire that Hyunjin’s body reacts as if he’s on the receiving end of it instead. Hyunjin sends a quick apology to Yeji for the state of his trousers and the terror of a time she’s going to have getting the slick stain out, before emptying his mind of anything other than the two gorgeous alphas in front of him.

Chan’s back is still to Hyunjin, his muscles flexing distractingly as he trembles in place. Minho’s quick to rectify that, smirking before he grabs hold of Chan’s shoulders and bodily turns him around. Hyunjin gasps, his cock pulsing at the easy display of strength and the dazed look in his husband’s eyes as he’s pressed into the bed. Chan’s knees are underneath him, but his chest is flat against the bedding, leaving Chan in the most vulnerable position he could ever be in. If Minho was another alpha, one who wanted to take over the throne or make a grand statement, Chan would be in an immense amount of trouble right now. Although Minho leans down towards Chan’s neck, he kisses the unmarked skin rather than biting it and asserting dominance.

Chan sighs, his body sagging even further underneath the gentle touch. His hips unintentionally raise with the movement, and Minho’s eyes visibly darken as he takes in the sight in front of him.

“Would you look at that,” Minho murmurs. “Did you get into the perfect mount position on purpose or did you not even realize how greedy you are for my cock and simply do it regardless?”

Both Hyunjin and Chan whine, a thick layer of vanilla and oakwood generously coating the room. Minho’s eyes flash with something heady and pleased, his own dark cocoa joining the mix seconds later. Hyunjin inhales greedily, his eyes fluttering shut in bliss at such a beautiful harmony of scents.

“I’m still waiting for an answer.”

Goddess, is it warm in the room or is it Hyunjin? Surely the temperature isn’t normally this extreme so close to winter?

Chan blinks several times in quick succession with the cutest scrunched nose - his typical thinking face when he’s caught off guard. Hyunjin understands; if he was in Chan’s position right now, his brain would be made of soup as well.

“It…wasn’t on purpose,” Chan responds slowly.

Absolute silence meets his statement as Minho stares down at Chan’s back, almost as if he’s waiting for something.

“Alpha,” Chan adds on hastily.

Minho smiles. “Good boy.”

Hyunjin shivers. Minho’s words weren’t for him, but praise has always gotten to his head no matter the recipient. Whereas Chan receives it from a more widespread amount of people, Hyunjin receives it in higher quality courtesy of his husband. His lovely, foolish husband who tells him he’s beautiful, who compliments his paintings, and who whispers how gorgeous he looks taking his cock.

Whimpering, Hyunjin throws his shirt off and wrestles with his bottoms. Desperation weighs his limbs down like a physical weight, leaving his movements sloppy and uncoordinated in his haste. Hyunjin’s never abhorred his stiff, stuffy clothing more than he does when he’s attempting to sit on Chan’s knot, but watching Minho prepare his husband to sit on his knot is a close second.

Finally free of the offending fabric, Hyunjin can finally give Chan and Minho his undivided attention. And oh if it isn’t the world’s most beautiful show playing out in front of him right now.

They’re still where Hyunjin left them, except now one of Minho’s hands has disappeared underneath Chan’s body as he mouths at Chan’s neck. Based on Chan’s soft, breathy whimpers and the steady back and forth motion of Minho’s arm, it would seem like Minho has Chan’s cock in his hand.

“How long will it take to warm you up today?” Minho wonders almost absentmindedly. “You were so mean earlier than I thought it would take a while, but now you’re so pretty and pliant for me.”

Chan rocks his hips back with a cut-off whine. A sharp smack sounds out, followed by Chan keening as he arches his back. Hyunjin’s breath hitches as he watches it all, and he’s mere seconds from drowning in the displeasure in Minho’s eyes.

“This is the second time I’ve asked you a question and you’ve ignored it.” There is absolutely no emotion in Minho’s voice, which perhaps makes the annoyance on his face all the more ruinous. Chan can’t see it in his position, but Hyunjin certainly can. “Maybe I was wrong, then.”

“I’m sorry,” Chan gasps. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Minho growls, a low, dangerous sound that goes straight to Hyunjin’s cock. The instinctual need to bare his neck flares, but Hyunjin digs his nails into his palms and resists.

“Since you want to be such a bad puppy today,” Minho drawls as he sits back on his haunches, both of his arms by his sides, “I can keep spanking you. You seem to want it.”

If only Hyunjin could see Chan’s face right now - as it is, Chan’s head is lowered so all Hyunjin can see is the top of his head as he trembles in place. He imagines there’s either a pinch to Chan’s eyebrows to indicate he’s upset over being so unruly or a glaze to his eyes that means he would very much like to be spanked. Truthfully, it could also be a mixture of both.

“Please,” Chan whispers, his voice trembling as much as his arms.

“Please what?” Minho grits out. He isn’t typically this mean, but Minho must know how much Chan needs this as well. Hyunjin didn’t have much time this morning to give that many details, but perhaps all of their time together has allowed Minho to pick up on Chan’s moods and habits.

And oh, if that isn’t a nice thought.

Ears flaring a pretty red, Chan lifts his head up and turns to face Minho head-on. “Please spank me, alpha.”

Minho smirks, his irritation melting away to give way to delight. It’s a subtle change despite the polarizing emotions, but one Hyunjin’s familiar with. In the beginning, it was difficult for Hyunjin to understand and categorize Minho’s reactions, but time seems to have been kind to him as well, for now he can read Minho like a book.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Minho coos. His left hand comes up to slowly rub over Chan’s left asscheek, and Chan pushes back against the touch immediately. Chan may start out bratty during some of these sessions, but it doesn’t take long for Minho to put him in his place. “I’m thinking five for today.”

Chan slumps even further until his shoulders are nearly touching the sheets. It certainly doesn’t look like a comfortable position, but Chan doesn’t even make a noise of complaint. He merely settles his cheek against his folded arms, the Link clacking with the movement, and breathes out a shaky, “Yes, alpha.”

“Good puppy,” Minho praises with such a pretty smile that Hyunjin has to avert his gaze. “I’m going to start right away so we can move on to more fun things, okay?”

“Yes, alpha.”

Minho places a chaste kiss to the base of Chan’s spine that causes Chan’s breath to hitch before he pulls away. Sitting up on his knees, Minho shuffles until he’s situated slightly to the left of Chan in a more perpendicular position. Hyunjin bites his lip as he watches. Minho already slaps hard enough to leave marks that last for days, but his power is increased tenfold when he spanks Chan at an angle instead of straight down. It’s a stupid, foolish thought, but maybe Minho wants Chan - and Hyunjin by proxy - to have something to remember him by during Chan’s rut.

A crack breaks Hyunjin out of his thoughts, and he blinks the world back into focus just in time to see Chan’s lips part to let out the most sinful of moans. Minho smiles down at Chan as he rubs at the spot he presumably just hit, but then his eyes harden and he brings his hand down once again with an even louder smack.

“Alpha,” Chan groans.

Oh how Hyunjin wishes he had a better view of Chan’s backside, but this will have to do. He’s sure he’ll be able to see the damage later; he’ll just have to be patient.

Minho tsks underneath his breath. “Did you misbehave on purpose? There are easier ways to get my attention, such as asking politely.”

“N-no,” Chan replies shakily. “I didn’t, I promise.”

The third spank is delivered without fanfare, the piercing sound of it combined with Chan’s moan causing Hyunjin to shiver. The urge to touch himself is becoming more prevalent by the second, and although Hyunjin wanted to wait a bit longer, he doesn’t know if he can.

“Minho,” Hyunjin whimpers. At once, Minho turns to him with a gaze so intense he nearly begs for them to forget about the arrangement so he can get on his knees instead. “Please, may I…?”

Understanding colors Minho’s face despite Hyunjin’s inability to finish his question. “Yes, you may touch yourself.”

“Thank you,” Hyunjin breathes, immediately wrapping a hand around his length. It pulses in his palm, his touch feeling like a soothing balm after a hot summer day, and Hyunjin sighs. Slowly, he moves his fist up and down, not fast enough to get him off, but enough to take away a bit of the edge.

“See,” Minho says pointedly. “That’s how you ask politely. You could learn a thing or two from your pretty husband.”

Somehow, being referred to as an extension of Chan instead of his name doesn’t sound as awful coming from Minho. The compliment causes blood to rush up to Hyunjin’s face as well, leaving him a blushing mess and with a heart that skips a worrying amount of beats.

The familiar heat of Chan’s gaze on his body causes Hyunjin to look up, and he’s met with darkness that rivals the night sky. Chan licks his lips as he looks from Hyunjin’s cheeks to his chest where his Link sits, a pleased grumble leaving his throat. The heat emanating from Hyunjin’s face increases so quickly Hyunjin fears he’s going to have heart issues, but his inner omega preens at the alpha’s attention nonetheless.

“Alphas are so ridiculous,” Minho mutters, as if he isn’t one himself. Not only that, but Hyunjin isn’t the only one affected by what’s happened thus far - Minho’s cock stands nice and tall, flushed a pretty red as it bobs between his legs. Alphas are so ridiculous, indeed.

Chan jolts when the fourth slap comes, his eyes widening before his entire face goes slack with pleasure. It’s a look Hyunjin’s seen many times whenever his husband comes inside him, and it’s also one that will never get old. Hyunjin clenches as a reflex, only to pout when he realizes he’s painfully empty. Surely his fingers won’t be an ample comparison to his husband’s cock, but at least they’re something.

Slipping his free hand down his body, Hyunjin bites his lip when he feels just how soaked the inside of his thighs are. He could probably take Chan’s cock without any preparation with how much slick he’s produced.

Hyunjin circles the tip of his index finger against his rim, exhaling heavily as the muscle flutters under his touch. He’s met with little to no resistance when he gently starts pressing his finger in, only an embarrassingly loud squelching noise that makes Hyunjin want to hide. One finger isn’t enough, but it’s a start, and Hyunjin can already feel himself relaxing.

“Pretty.”

The word comes out gruffly, and Hyunjin only finds out why when he catches Chan’s gaze. If Hyunjin didn’t know Chan’s rut was incoming before, he would know now - Chan only allows himself these small bouts of possession in the week leading up to his rut, and Hyunjin loves it. He loves knowing that Chan wants him as much as Hyunjin wants him, but Hyunjin also recognizes that such practices aren’t very acceptable in public. Behind closed doors, royal mated pairs are allowed to do whatever they want - although Hyunjin doubts this is something the original council anticipated when creating the guidelines - but they must be nothing more than polite in front of others.

“Pretty indeed,” Minho agrees with eyes as dark as the ocean at night.

Flushing under their combined gazes, it takes all of Hyunjin’s strength not to put on a show for them. This isn’t for him, he can’t allow himself to selfishly steal his husband’s time.

“I believe you still have one more spank to go,” Hyunjin reminds them gently. If he doesn’t shift their focus quickly, he’s likely to start begging for things he can’t have.

Sensing Hyunjin’s intentions, Minho focuses back on Chan and rubs a thoughtful hand over his asscheeks. Surely they must be sore from the harsh touch of Minho’s palm, but Chan rocks back regardless.

“He’s right,” Minho agrees easily. “My apologies for getting distracted.”

Chan shakes his head, his curls bouncing with the movement. “Please don’t apologize.”

Minho’s eyes twinkle with something dangerous. “Don’t worry, Your Majesty, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Wh-” Chan starts to ask, but Minho chooses that exact moment to wind his hand back and bring it down hard on Chan’s ass. Hyunjin’s eyes widen as Chan’s legs completely give out from underneath him, causing him to land flat on the bed in a writhing heap with a moan so loud the entire palace surely heard it. Red splotches cover the entirety of Chan’s left cheek like a watercolor painting. Hyunjin can’t tear his eyes away from the sight, and arousal pumps through his body so quickly that he feels lightheaded. His husband is so beautiful like this, spread out and panting against the sheets.

Minho coos as he rubs over the tender spot. “You did so well for me. You’re such a good puppy.”

“Thank you,” Chan mumbles. His hips are subtly rocking against the bed, but Minho seems to be in a more forgiving mood because he doesn’t comment on it.

Slowly, Hyunjin pulls his finger out before sliding it back in, biting on his bottom lip as he watches Minho continue to touch Chan gently. Now that the spanking is over, Minho’s most likely going to move on to the “fun things” he mentioned earlier, which only really means one activity. It’s going to be a struggle to keep himself in check, but Hyunjin’s determined to hold out for as long as possible.

Leaving one last gentle pat on Chan’s ass, Minho says, “On your hands and knees for me.”

It’s clear to see that a majority of Chan’s stress has faded like smoke. His eyes are brighter and his movements are less stiff as he gets into the requested position that is conveniently right in front of Hyunjin. Chan’s cock is also hard and heavy between his legs. Hyunjin licks his lips when he catches a glimpse of the beginnings of a knot forming at the base. Slick coats Hyunjin’s finger and drips past his knuckles the longer he stares, but Hyunjin’s loath to look away. They don’t get to do this very often; Hyunjin wants to take everything in while he can.

Minho huffs out a laugh once he sees the position Chan’s in. “You can’t help but show off for your omega, can you?”

If anyone else had spoken that way, Chan would’ve personally removed them from the premises by the neck before Hyunjin could utter a single upset word. As it is, all three of them know Minho has no malicious intent, his sharp words tempered by the soft glint in his eye.

“Isn’t it a bit odd,” Minho wonders, uncaring of Chan’s silence, “that you choose to show off this way? By showing him how well another alpha can ruin you?”

Now that they’re face to face, Hyunjin is able to better see the physical way Chan reacts to Minho’s words. His eyes darken, and his ears flare a red brighter than any of the pigments Hyunjin has in his painting kit. Undoubtedly, his husband is turned on, which only further fans the flames in Hyunjn’s own belly.

“You like it, too,” Chan retorts, but even though he’s talking to Minho, he keeps his eyes locked on Hyunjin. The double-meaning isn’t lost on Hyunjin, and he nods even though he knows Chan wasn’t looking for any type of clarification. They’ve discussed their arrangement during so many hushed late night talks that they know exactly where the other stands. Even if they hadn’t, the amount of slick and pheromones Hyunjin’s producing would be answer enough.

“That may be true,” Minho condeeds, now kneeling behind Chan, “but no one likes it more than you, puppy.”

Before Chan can attempt to defend himself, the popping of a cork distracts him. Chan perks up, while Hyunjin clenches around his finger, his heart skipping an excited beat. The events leading up to this moment were fun, but Hyunjin’s much more interested in what’s coming up next.

Hyunjin pumps his cock almost distractedly as he watches Minho painstakingly slather four - four, oh Goddess, Hyunjin might faint - of his fingers with the scentless oil. There’s no doubt in Hyunjin’s mind that Minho knows exactly what he’s doing by keeping both him and Chan tethered on a string like puppets for his enjoyment. It’s clear that Minho gets off on staring at them with a fiendish little smirk as he makes them wait.

It feels like an eternity passes while Minho wets every tiny crevice and bone with precise strokes. Hyunjin’s own hands are becoming sticky from a more natural source, the glide becoming smoother with each torturous stroke and push-and-pull. The heat of two alpha’s stares certainly isn’t helping matters, either.

Finally, Minho reaches out and grabs hold of Chan’s butt, a pained hiss slipping past his husband’s teeth at the touch. It’s exactly like Minho to go for that smarting skin of Chan’s left cheek and pull it to gain access to Chan’s hole that Hyunjin nearly laughs.

“So pink,” Minho marvels as if he hasn’t been in this exact position before. “Almost like a rose in full bloom, don’t you think, Hyunjin?”

Hyunjin plays along and hums. It isn’t often that Hyunjin is the one who gets the honor of fucking his husband, but he does remember everything with perfect clarity from the two times he’s done it. “I think a carnation would better suit my husband.”

As someone who spends part of his free time in the palace gardens, Hyunjin knows a thing or two about flowers. Most of his favorite paintings are of flowers, and he always smiles when he passes by one of his canvases hung up in his or Chan’s rooms. Chan, the lovely, lovely husband that he is, has not only encouraged Hyunjin to continue his passion for painting, but is also the one who never fails to bring him back opulent colors from his trips to other lands.

“Can you please stop talking about my asshole like I’m not here?”

Hyunjin giggles. His husband is definitely back to being himself, alright.

“We’re just having a little fun,” Hyunjin promises. Unable to stop himself and knowing his husband is looking, Hyunjin nudges a second finger in alongside the first.

Chan’s nostrils flare as he zeroes in on where Hyunjin’s fingers disappear, but he still has enough wit about him to retort with, “I’m happy you’re having fun, darling, but I would like to have some, too.”

Tsking, Minho shakes his head. His hair swishes with the movement, the brown strands looking soft enough to touch in comparison to Chan’s unruly curls. “You’re not being very nice again. Shall we revisit the spanking?”

Chan visibly pauses, and Hyunjin can see the wheels turning in his head. On one hand, the spanking is fun, but on the other, Hyunjin knows what Chan really wants - what they all want.

Hyunjin already knows what Chan’s answer is, so he isn’t surprised in the slightest when Chan says, “No.”

“Then may I touch you now, Your Majesty?” Minho asks with a hint of sarcasm.

Yet Chan still shivers, clearly affected by the title despite Minho’s clear line of teasing.

“Please,” Chan rasps before growling, his fingers curling in the sheets and the muscles of his shoulders tensing up.

“There, there,” Minho soothes. Leaning down, Minho scatters kisses along Chan’s shoulder blades, his lips skimming over Chan’s skin like he was born to do it. Hyunjin’s breath hitches as he picks up the pace, the wet squelching of his fingers providing an erotic backdrop to Minho’s own ministrations. “You’re doing well. I know the first one is always uncomfortable.”

Hyunjin can’t see from this angle, which is quite a shame, really, but that just allows him to watch Chan instead. It’s difficult to focus on much more than the drag of Chan’s cock against his walls and Chan’s calloused hands dragging over his skin when they’re in bed together, so Hyunjin takes the opportunity to watch his husband with greediness that is unbecoming of a Royal. He isn’t a Royal or even an omega right now, though - he’s simply a lucky man.

Another growl slips past Chan’s lips, causing Hyunjin’s inner omega to scratch at the walls in distress.

Go to alpha, help alpha.

Hyunjin pushes the urge down; he won’t be of any help to his husband right now. None of them can help, not when Chan’s only growling because his inner alpha is upset that he’s in such a vulnerable position.

With a light snarl, Minho nips at the back of Chan’s neck and exudes so many pheromones that Hyunjin nearly chokes on his next inhale. Hyunjin’s cock hardens further in his hold, throbbing as more precum collects along the tip. Try as he might, Hyunjin’s never been able to prevent himself from showing, even unintentionally, just how much he loves seeing the two alphas try and assert dominance over each other. It’s alluring in a taboo sort of way, knowing that they’re doing something they aren’t supposed to, yet purposely choosing to do it anyways.

“Relax,” Minho says gruffly, his words partially muffled by Chan’s skin. “If you keep clenching like this, I won’t be able to open you up.”

“I’m trying,” Chan grits back. His inner alpha is likely throwing a fit, as always, so Hyunjin does what he can and releases more of his own scent in an effort to soothe Chan’s alpha. Thankfully, it seems to work. Chan inhales deeply, his eyelashes fluttering against the supple skin of his cheeks as the tension slowly bleeds out of him.

“That’s it,” Minho murmurs softly. “I’m going to make you so wet that you’ll be begging in no time.”

Chan’s eyes widen before fluttering shut, a soft groan slipping past his lips. Oakwood flares and settles around Hyunjin like a warm blanket, along with the pure, unfiltered scent of Chan’s arousal.

“Shall I keep complimenting you? Perhaps tell you how good you are? Is that what my precious puppy desires?”

His words seem to work exactly as Minho intended - Chan’s growl gradually putters out, like a dandelion riding along the breeze, and he slowly begins to shift his hips back.

Minho’s smile is downright wicked once he notices. “There we go. Do you like being my puppy? Do you like it when alpha takes care of you like this?”

Hyunjin certainly likes it when Chan takes care of him as if he’s something precious. Ever since Chan gifted him his first canvas, Hyunjin’s never once been left wanting in any way.

“Yes,” Chan says, a moan following shortly thereafter. A lovely pink coats his cheeks, less intense than the usual red, but still the perfect shade to embody the carnations Hyunjin was thinking of earlier. Chan’s muscles shift as he rocks back, his biceps bulging from exertion, and Hyunjin suddenly feels the wild desire to sink his teeth in and leave his own mark. Nothing will ever be comparable to the imprint of Chan’s teeth sitting at the base of Hyunjin’s neck, but he aches to claim his alpha back in any way he can. Hyunjin doesn’t have a Link to give and his teeth won’t leave an everlasting mark like Chan’s, so all Hyunjin can do is walk around with his head held high. They might have been forced into this marriage, but Chan still chose him. They both chose each other.

The council was furious with Chan when they learned of how he refused to give Hyunjin his mating bite the night of their marriage ceremony - as if the Link around Hyunjin’s neck and the official documents weren’t enough. Chan was firm in his decision, however, even when smaller riots started breaking out along the borders and in cities, discontent rising within the land over their “unclaimed” monarchs. Hyunjin hadn’t thought much of it at the time, too busy with his lessons and his loneliness to put much care or worry into the matter. He understands now, though. His silly husband held a candle for him long before Hyunjin came around and began to open his heart, and it’s that knowledge, among a lengthy list of others, that reminds Hyunjin he made the right choice in entrusting Chan with his heart.

“Minho.”

Blinking at the depraved call, Hyunjin focuses back in on the present, and nearly comes on the spot. In the time he was reminiscing, Minho has apparently decided to fully drape himself over Chan’s back and is now whispering something in his ear. There’s a glassiness to Chan’s eyes that wasn’t there before, and his arms are trembling so much that it’s a wonder he hasn’t collapsed yet. The most important part, however, is the pretty, mouthwatering curve of Chan’s cock pressed up against his belly by Minho’s own length pushed between his thighs. They’re both rocking together now, with soft moans leaving Chan’s parted, puffy lips like birdsong.

Minho’s eyes flicker up towards Hyunjin, and he smirks. “Is three still not enough for you, Your Majesty? Do you perhaps want something bigger?”

Three? Oh Goddess have mercy.

Shakily, Hyunjin adds in his ring finger to the mess between his thighs. Moaning, Hyunjin spreads his fingers out and bucks up from the sting of the stretch as a rush of slick coats all three of his fingers in a thin layer. Some of it slips past his knuckles and lands on the duvet, sure to leave a stain; Hyunjin’s too busy free falling into an ocean of ecstasy to pay much mind.

“Minho,” Chan whines.

Growling, this time in what sounds like warning, Minho says, “That isn’t what you are to call me.”

Minho’s hips smack against the back of Chan’s thighs with a sound so loud that Hyunjin clenches around his fingers in desperation. He can feel the phantom sting on the back his own legs from when Chan fucks him in the exact same way.

Curling his finger into the bedding, the skin of Chan’s knuckles appearing far more pale against the deep violet, Chan cries out, “Alpha!”

“Good puppy,” Minho praises with a smile that causes Hyunjin’s blood to simmer. “Do you want alpha’s cock?” When Chan chokes out a yes, Minho merely hums in thought. “You aren’t loose enough, though. We do this so often, yet your body still isn’t used to it. Maybe we should fix that.”

Hyunjin shudders at the mere thought. Meeting more often might actually kill him, but it would be the best possible way to go. What would be so bad about exhaling his last breath with his husband and Minho by his side?

Chan gasps and squeezes his eyes shut. His cock bobs with the movement of his and Minho’s hips and leaks onto the bedding, but he doesn’t try and reach down for his length. Hyunjin, on the contrary, doesn’t have to abide by any rules, and rubs his thumb over the tip of his cock. White smears all over and clings to his thumb when he pulls it away to pop into his mouth with a moan. He’s more acclimated to his husband’s slightly bitter taste than his own, but this will have to suffice.

“No!” Chan suddenly cries out.

Minho shushes him quickly. “I need more oil, puppy. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Please,” he whimpers. Hyunjin bites his lip as he curls his fingers inside of himself. His legs are beginning to shake from all of the stimulation, but Hyunjin doesn’t stop. “Please I- I want four.”

Humming, Minho coats his fingers with more oil. There’s still a bit left in the vial when Hyunjin catches a glimpse, most likely for Minho’s cock. Minho’s hand glistens in the candlelight as he brings it back down to Chan’s hole. “Why would that be?”

“Please,” Chan repeats, and he sounds like he’s on the edge of tears. “Want your knot, alpha, please.”

Both Minho and Hyunjin freeze in place, although Hyunjin assumes for very different reasons. He didn’t think Chan would give in so soon, but Minho clearly wasn’t expecting such a request at all based on the way he’s blinking rapidly. More often than not, Chan has far too much to do as King to hinder himself with the limp that would result from being knotted. Hyunjin had an inkling Chan would ask considering how long it’s been since the last time and with his upcoming rut, but he’s still pleasantly surprised with this turn of events.

“You’re quite greedy today,” Minho notes once he’s composed himself. He doesn’t sound upset, though, merely curious.

“I- I just- I want-”

In all of the years Hyunjin’s known Chan, he doesn’t think he’s ever heard Chan struggle this much to speak. Normally calm and collected like the King he is, it’s a rare occurrence when Chan has trouble expressing his thoughts. Chan wasn’t like this at all during their wedding night - although, that would imply they exchanged more than a few sentences - but this development is arousing more than it is disheartening. Truly, Hyunjin couldn’t have asked for a more perfect husband.

“What do you want?”

Goddess, Minho is so cruel in his teasing, but what does it say about him and Chan that they both like it? Hyunjin doesn’t want to finish quite yet, however, so he forces himself to slow down and breathe.

“Your knot, alpha.” Chan’s never sounded more pitiful, but it sends an odd thrill of excitement down Hyunjin’s spine. Now he’s starting to understand why Chan enjoys making a mess of him so much.

The force of Minho’s smile is belied by how wicked it looks. “Did you hear that, Hyunjin? Your alpha is asking to be knotted.”

Honestly speaking, Hyunjin wants to be as well, but he isn’t going to say that. Instead, Hyunjin bites his lip and twists his wrist hard enough that more slick leaks out of him. Chan’s pupils dilate immediately, and his breathing becomes more labored, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he stares at Hyunjin like he hasn’t eaten in days.

“He looks pretty like that,” Hyunjin murmurs. Another twist of his wrist causes his breath to hitch, but Hyunjin forges on. “I would like to see it.”

“Who would I be to deny such a request?”

Chan’s eyes flutter shut with a moan from deep within his chest, and stars burst behind Hyunjin’s eyes when he puts the pieces together. Goddess, he loves his husband. His perfect, gorgeous husband who lets another alpha knot him for Hyunjin’s viewing pleasure.

The slick sounds seem to double after that, but it might just be Hyunjin’s overactive imagination. He certainly hears every squelch of Minho’s four fingers, every moan from Chan’s lips, and every wet glide from his own hands. The temperature has to be scorching by now, but that might also very well be Hyunjin’s body burning up from his arousal.

“You’re almost there,” Minho coos soothingly. “Soon, you’ll be stretched out around my knot instead of my fingers. Then alpha will fill you up, won’t he, puppy?”

Chan moans. “Yes,” he says breathlessly. “I’ll be full of alpha.”

Hyunjin’s brain goes down an incredibly dangerous path, but he distracts himself by curling his fingers once more. His fingertips brush against that one spot inside of him that causes him to arch up, and he whines loud enough for both alphas to look at him.

Minho smirks. “I think our spectator is becoming impatient.”

Heat rushes up to Hyunjin’s face, but he doesn’t regret his actions in the slightest; his plan of waiting is rapidly becoming unachievable. If he has to wait much longer, he won’t be held accountable for what he does.

“I can take a hint, don’t worry.”

Minho’s fingers slip out of Chan with the most blush-inducing sound yet, but Minho looks nonplussed as he uncorks the vial once more and pours the remaining oil onto his palms. He coats his length with a hiss, and Hyunjin’s eyes glaze over slightly at the sight of the knot already forming at the base. It isn’t the first time he’s seen Minho’s cock or his knot, but Hyunjin instinctively clamps down around his fingers at the sight.

Chan tenses up when Minho curls tiny fingers around his waist, and Minho coos at him. One of his hands lets go of Chan, but Hyunjin can’t see where it goes. Chan groans in pleasure, though, so it must not be anything bad.

“You’re already clenching and I haven’t even pushed in yet.” Mirth sprinkles Minho’s tone like early morning dew on the grass in the garden. “Do you like the feeling of my precum coating your skin that much?”

Marking you as mine, Minho doesn’t say, but with the way Chan shudders, he heard it loud and clear.

“Is the Link not enough, puppy?”

Reaching around Chan’s side, Minho tugs on the part of the chain that’s hanging down. Chan’s pulled down by the motion, a choked noise escaping his throat as he’s forced to bow even further. A rumble starts up in Minho’s chest at the new development as he slides appreciative eyes over the sight in front of him.

Hyunjin feels like he’s going to burst into small particles of bliss.

“It- it is,” Chan manages to say after what feels like a small eternity. “I like-”

Chan inhales sharply before he can finish, a small moan and a burst of oakwood following. Hyunjin’s head spins when Chan’s scent reaches him, and a rush of slick leaks out past his fingers and onto the bedding.

Minho’s eyelashes kiss his cheeks as he inches his hips forward with a soft, “Good puppy, you’re taking me so well.”

“Alpha,” Chan moans. He’s absolutely flushed, reminiscent of when he drinks a glass too many, and there’s sweat matting his curls to his forehead. Hyunjin thinks he’s absolutely breathtaking. “You feel so good, alpha.”

Hyunjin isn’t able to stop his whimper in time. Oh, how he wants to see the way Minho’s cock is splitting his husband open, but he’ll just have to rely on his memory.

They both groan simultaneously when Minho bottoms out, and Hyunjin can’t possibly take it any longer. Seeing his husband panting, the muscles of his biceps flexing as he attempts to adjust to Minho’s cock, and looking aroused beyond belief is too much for Hyunjin to handle silently. Gently, Hyunjin pulls his fingers out, the digits coated in so much slick that Hyunjin’s face heats up, and then pushes them back into his willing body. His fingers are sucked in with a wet squelch, and Hyunjin moans unabashedly as he starts working his fist over his length as well. A small part - the lesser part - of Hyunjin knows he’s releasing enough pheremones to smother everyone within the palace, but he’s too lost in pleasure to control himself. Partially to help Chan relax, but mostly because he can’t help it with how good he feels, Hyunjin continues to release his scent as he works himself over.

“Little flower.”

Hyunjin’s head whips up, and he instinctively whines in the back of his throat when he’s met with Chan’s half-aroused, half-loving gaze.

“You smell divine,” Chan mumbles, almost as if he hadn’t meant to say it. Hyunjin knows he did, though, even in his partially delirious state - Chan never says anything he doesn’t mean.

Any response Hyunjin might have had dies in his throat when Chan inhales greedily and says, “You too, Minho.”

In response, Minho leans down and nips at the side of Chan’s neck. Chan jolts, a drop of precum pearling at the tip of his cock. “As do you. Now.” Minho pulls back and places his hands on Chan’s hips, one corner of his lip curled up. “Watch your omega while alpha fucks you, puppy.”

Hyunjin’s completely paralyzed when Chan looks at him mere seconds before his face falls slack as Minho pulls out before thrusting back in. Chan’s shunted forward from the sheer power, and the sound of the Link tinkling barely drowns out Chan’s pleased moan.

Chest rising and falling, his own Link moving with each of his labored breaths, Hyunjin touches himself to the sight of his King, his alpha, his husband fall apart at the hands of another alpha.

Need buzzes underneath Hyunjin’s skin like the bees that frequent the gardens. Slick pours out of Hyunjin by what feels like buckets as he fucks himself with his fingers, completely enraptured by the sight in fron of him. Chan’s fingers are curling in the duvet tighter and tighter with each of Minho’s thrusts, a mix of pants and groans leaving his pretty mouth like prayers. A thin sheen of sweat coats Chan’s arms and his forehead, making him appear as if he’s glowing in the candlelight. Not for the first time, Hyunjin’s hands itch to reach for a canvas, but there isn’t a color in his kit that could compare to the gold outlining his husband right now. Such a pigment most likely doesn’t exist; it’s far too ethereal for anyone to be able to capture.

“Do you see that?” Minho asks with a smirk, the pace of his thrusts increasing with each second. He doesn’t even sound breathless, which is incredibly unfair. Hyunjin himself feels like he’s finished sprinting from one side of the palace to another without a single drop of water. “Hyunjin likes seeing you at another alpha’s mercy. He loves it when you’re my good puppy.”

The flush on Hyunjin’s cheeks darkens. He knows he’s being obvious, but being so blatantly called out for it is such a shock that he accidentally thrusts his fingers in too far and hits the same spot from earlier. Gasping, Hyunjin bucks up into his own touch as if he’s intoxicated, chasing the addictive pleasure as if he’s been possessed.

A low sound builds in the back of Chan’s throat, but this time it’s one of satisfaction instead of challenge. There’s no doubt Minho knows what he’s doing by playing into Chan’s protectiveness and willingness to provide for Hyunjin, and Hyunjin’s merely being brought along for the ride.

“You’re making him feel so good just by sitting here,” Minho grunts, the sound of skin slapping against skin echoing, “and being my good boy. It only took a while to remind you.”

Minho’s hand traces over the skin of Chan’s ass. Chan hisses, but he pushes back into it all the same. Hyunjin’s lips quirk. His husband has always been partial to pain when Minho is the one doling it out.

Humming, Minho grabs hold of Chan’s waist once more before delivering a punishing thrust that causes Chan to cry out. “That’s okay. You’ve been good, so I think another reward is in order.”

Both Chan and Hyunjin perk up at the mention of a reward. Minho’s always been incredibly generous with his past rewards - from knotting to one incredibly arousing instance of Minho letting Chan fuck him - so they have no reason to believe otherwise now.

Their interest doesn’t escape Minho’s attention, although Hyunjin wagers that not much bypasses Minho regardless. An amused curl to his lips, Minho asks, “Oh? Does that sound like a good idea?”

“Yes,” Hyunjin breathes out.

Minho’s amusement is now aimed towards him. Before Hyunjin can excuse himself from the property to go lick his embarrassed wounds, Chan quickly adds in, “Please, alpha, I want it.”

Minho turns back towards Chan, but not before throwing a quick wink (or perhaps it was a blink? Hyunjin is too fuzzy-headed to know) in Hyunjin’s direction.

The sounds of sex fill the air, so incredibly loud to Hyunjin’s ringing ears. His cock is so hard Hyunjin fears it might break off any second now, and the buzzing underneath his skin has increased to a swarm. Hyunjin’s close, and there isn’t anything he can do to stop it.

“You’re such a good boy for me,” Minho says, the words dripping from his mouth like honey. The dangerous tone of his voice, however, suggests that what he’s about to say next isn’t going to be nearly as sickly sweet. Minho’s exertion is clear now, evident by the flush to his cheeks and the sweat along his hairline, but he’s completely in control of himself. “It would be a shame to leave you bereft, would it not? I might just breed you for being so perfect.”

Arousal slams into Hyunjin swiftly and without mercy, like a wave crashing against the shore during a storm. Clenching around his fingers with a gasp, Hyunjin allows the tight coil of pleasure within him to snap. White splatters against his stomach and drips down his knuckles, a whine leaving Hyunjin’s lips as he curls in on himself from sensitivity. It feels like it’s been ages since he and Chan first left the meeting room, and it’s only now that Hyunjin’s able to finally let go. Pleasure courses through his veins and leaves Hyunjin trembling in place, his cock leaking and his hole clenching as he struggles to figure out what’s up or down.

Blinking the room back into focus, the first thing Hyunjin becomes aware of is the nearly overbearing scent of vanilla. The second is two very focused gazes trained right on him.

Chan appears more possessive, more focused, his nostrils flared and pupils dilated so widely that Hyunjin can barely see the pretty brown he loves so much. On the other hand, Minho seems more smug, with a tilt to his lips and a fire to his eyes. Pinned underneath their searing stares, Hyunjin feels like there’s a hand wrapped around his heart and his lungs, choking from the inside-out until his vision blurs.

The near-silence is broken by Minho chucking softly. He’s slowed down to a mere grind now, but the self-assured spark to his eyes remains. “Your omega wants to see you round with pups, alpha. Isn’t that sweet?”

Hyunjin’s toes curl, and his cock gives a weak, interested twitch against his stomach.

Chan growls, but even through his post-orgasm haze, Hyunjin sees the way a string of white drips from Chan’s cock onto his ornate bedding. No one in their right mind would dare refer to another alpha, much less their King, in such a derogatory manner. Yet Minho is not like most people, nor is he like most alphas. Just as they are not an ordinary couple.

When it becomes clear Chan isn’t going to offer much more in ways of a response, Minho laughs, high and amused. “Do you not want that?”

Other than the beating of Hyunjin’s heart in his ears, nothing but silence meets Minho’s question. Unlike earlier, however, he doesn’t seem to mind that Chan isn’t verbally responding.

Minho trails a tiny hand along Chan’s hip before dipping lower and tracing over Chan’s stomach. Surely, he can feel the divots and ridges of Chan’s perfectly sculpted abdomen in his exploration, and Hyunjin badly wishes he could touch, too.

“You can try and deny it,” and oh has Minho’s voice lowered into something sultry, “but the way you’re still clenching around me is proof enough.”

Chan whines - the first of his reservations collapsing as his arousal takes over. Oakwood and dark cacao isn’t a combination Hyunjin ever would’ve imagined by himself, but the way the two scents mix together is more intoxicating than their strongest reserves of rice wine. Add in a hint of vanilla and Hyunjin is nearly drunk.

“I’m going to ask you one time and one time only.” Slowly, teasingly, Minho shifts back with a slick sound. Chan groans. “Do you want alpha to breed you? Put a pup or two into you?”

Hyunjin watches as every single one of Chan’s defenses crumbles before his eyes. The dazed look from earlier is back, leaving Chan red-faced and gorgeous.

“Please,” Chan whimpers. They all know it’s impossible, that it can’t actually happen, but the thought? The thought that Minho could fuck Chan so well to achieve the impossible? It is arousal in its purest form.

Minho rewards Chan not with his words, but with a sharp thrust that causes all of them to moan. Satisfaction curls the corners of Minho’s lips up. He looks like such a cat at this moment that Hyunjin feels the all-encompassing urge to pet Minho.

It seems as if Minho’s done playing games - his next thrust is equally as harsh and deep judging by the way Chan arches with another moan. The Link around Chan’s neck jingles once more as Minho starts up a steady pace. All Hyunjin can do is stare, utterly transfixed, as Chan writhes and jolts in place.

A pleased grumble starts up in Minho’s chest, unmistakable in its depth and satisfaction. Hyunjin shivers, the desire to bare his neck becoming stronger with every breath. He doesn’t, because Minho isn’t his alpha, but the need clawing inside of Hyunjin roars to life and sinks in with the intention to stay.

“You’re such a pretty puppy. I bet you would look even prettier round.” Minho moans then, and Hyunjin realizes with a start that it’s the first one he’s let out thus far.

“Alpha,” Chan pants. Despite how his arms are visibly trembling from strain, Chan meets Minho thrust for thrust. The sounds are downright obscene - so obscene that Hyunjin feels the tell-tale warmth spreading along his cheeks and his lower body once more. “I want- I want you to breed me, alpha, please.”

Those are words Hyunjin’s voiced to Chan many times before, yet hearing Chan say them with such desperation is perhaps the most arousing thing Hyunjin’s ever had the pleasure of listening to.

Grunting, Minho speeds up even further. Chan lets out a soft noise as he’s shunted forward, but he reacts quickly and meets Minho’s thrusts with barely any pause. The rattling of the Link is now by far the loudest sound in the room, followed by the lewd sound of Chan and Minho’s bodies meeting, and Hyunjin absolutely revels in it all.

“I’ll breed you,” Minho promises, a growl to his voice. Hyunjin shivers. That’s the exact same low, throaty tone Chan uses on him when Hyunjin begs for the same thing. Maybe it’s an alpha thing, or maybe it’s just another way in which Chan and Minho are similar. “I’ll fill you up so well that you’ll be round by Spring.”

That isn’t very far away at all - a mere two months away according to those who study the moon and stars.

Despite the sheer impossibility of Chan carrying, he must be having the same thoughts as Hyunjin, for he shudders in place.

From what Hyunjin can see, Minho’s rhythm is starting to become irregular. What was once smooth movement is now the clunky, uneven slap of skin against skin interspersed with soft growls.

“Alpha, your knot,” Chan whimpers, and ah, now Minho’s change in tempo makes sense. The beginnings of tears are gathering in the corners of Chan’s eyes, but Hyunjin knows they are of pleasure and not discomfort.

Minho’s slowed down to a grind now, his knot most likely too big to do more. His eyebrows are furrowed, the tips of his hair are dark with sweat, and he’s looking down at where he and Chan are connected like he’s seeing the Goddess herself. All of that combined with the candlelight casting a soft orange over his face, and Hyunjin can’t help but spare a moment to simply admire how beautiful Minho looks.

“Gorgeous,” Minho breathes. “You’re taking me so well. It’s like you were made for me to fill you up and breed you.”

Chan’s back arches beautifully. The Link swings with the movement and glints in the candlelight. “I can be- I can be yours.”

In what is perhaps the most loss of control from Minho that Hyunjin’s ever witnessed, Minho growls and sinks his teeth into the back of Chan’s neck. Chan jerks in place, a growl of his own cutting off and turning into a moan within seconds when Minho’s hips still.

Chan’s eyes squeeze shut and his lips part on a silent moan. “Alpha!”

“Relax, puppy.” Minho’s voice is strained as he pants openly into the air. His eyes have fluttered closed, but Hyunjin doesn’t have to see his eyes to know there’s nothing but pure pleasure in them. “Take my knot and my cum like a good boy.”

Arousal surges up within Hyunjin between one breath and the next, almost bowling him over and knocking him to the ground from its intensity. The urge to scoot closer and see how well his husband is stretched around Minho’s knot is strong, but Hyunjin doesn’t want to get too close when their emotions are so volatile. Chan and Minho would never hurt him, but Hyunjin knows better than anyone not to get in between an alpha and whoever they’re knotting.

A hand suddenly wrapping around Hyunjin’s ankle and pulling him forward causes him to yelp, but he quiets down immediately when he’s met with the determination in his husband’s eyes. Before Hyunjin can ask what Chan’s doing, the same hand around his ankle moves and curls around his wrist. Chan tugs gently, and Hyunjin realizes with a start and flushed cheeks that his fingers were still buried inside of him this entire time. A shameful amount of slick leaks onto the duvet once Hyunjin’s fingers are no longer in the way, no doubt staining the fabric with his arousal.

“What- oh,” Hyunjin whispers, startled, like the word was pulled right out of his chest when Chan starts to lap at Hyunjin’s fingers.

He’s licking Hyunjin’s slick from his fingers.

Goddess, have mercy on Hyunjin’s soul and his rapidly beating heart. His cock, too, for Hyunjin’s already on the way to being fully hard.

Incredulous and feeling the buzzing once more, Hyunjin asks, “Are you trying to get me hard again?”

Chan releases Hyunjin’s fingers with a pleased sound that reminds Hyunjin of the pretty tabby he sometimes feeds when it comes around the gardens. “Is it working?”

Hyunjin purses his lips into a pout. “You know very well that it is, little wolf.”

“Good,” Chan replies before taking hold of Hyunjin’s thighs and spreading them apart. His pupils dilate almost immediately, no doubt seeing the mess of slick adorning Hyunjin’s thighs, and he growls. “Mine.”

Hyunjin’s head spins as Chan nips his inner thigh - leaving a mark. Staring down at where his husband is lapping over the temporary mark, Hyunjin’s promptly reminded that even though Chan’s giving up control right now, even though he has another alpha’s Link around his neck, he’s still an alpha. Just because he likes to indulge in so-called frivolous activities, as more conservative people would say, he’s still Chan, Hyunjin’s husband. His King. His alpha.

He could also be Mi-

Sudden, wet heat surrounding his cock pulls a gasp from deep within Hyunjin’s chest. “Alpha!”

Chan rumbles appreciatively as he sinks further down until his nose is pressed to Hyunjin’s hip. Groaning, Hyunjin digs his fingers into the bedding. A whine builds up in his chest as Chan slowly pulls off, his tongue flat along the underside of Hyunjin’s cock; the noise is set free from its cage when Chan laps over the slit.

“Oh, he liked that.”

Embarrassingly enough, Hyunjin had completely forgotten that Minho was still in the room. He adores Minho, he does, but sometimes it’s so incredibly difficult to focus on anything other than his husband.

Minho smirks as he rubs a finger over Chan’s red ear. “Tell him, puppy. Tell him about how you just clenched around my knot like a needy pup.”

Chan decidedly does not do that. Instead, he takes Hyunjin down his throat and then bobs back up as if Minho had never spoken.

Chuckling, Minho pulls at Chan’s ear before letting go. “Very well. Just because you don’t want to listen doesn’t mean Hyunjin feels the same way.”

Hyunjin currently feels like he’s about to enter another plane of existence. He doesn’t know if one other than their own even exists, but if it does, he’s there. Chan’s mouth is absolutely sinful as he works up and down Hyunjin’s length like it’s one of the sweet, iced treats that are made in summer. Spit clings to the corners of Chan’s lips and there’s slick clinging to his chin as he stares right at Hyunjin. Hyunjin’s cock twitches, and a broken moan fights its way past his lips when all Chan does in response is suck harder.

“He keeps tightening around me,” Minho narrates, with a gruff chuckle. “What a good alpha, using your pretty mouth to please your mate since you’re unable to use your useless dick.”

Chan groans, Hyunjin gasping as he squeezes his eyes shut from the vibrations. He knows what Minho is saying isn’t true - they all do - but the sheer meanness of his words is enough for Hyunjin to feel like he’s about to pass out.

Minho’s words do, however, remind Hyunjin that his poor husband is still hard. Hand shaking from all of the pleasure running through his body, Hyunjin reaches down and wraps his fingers around Chan’s cock. The angle is terrible and uncomfortable, but it’s worth the discomfort when Chan bucks up with the most beautiful, choked-off moan Hyunjin’s ever heard. Chan’s releasing so many pheromones that his scent will probably cling to Hyunjin’s skin for days; his inner omega preens at the thought.

Hyunjin’s definitely doing a terrible job in regards to helping Chan come, but his husband doesn’t seem too put out about it. In fact, it would be safe to say that Chan doesn’t care at all, since his sole focus seems to be making Hyunjin come. He hasn’t faltered once since he took Hyunjin’s cock into his mouth, and his gaze is still as unwavering as ever when Hyunjin takes a peek.

“Alpha,” Hyunjin whimpers. “Alpha, I’m-”

His cock falls from Chan’s pretty, puffy mouth. “It’s okay, little flower. Let go for me.”

The second Chan’s lips touch the tip of his cock and slide down, down, down, Hyunjin swears he’s been transported straight into the night sky, because all he sees right now is stars. The wet heat of Chan’s mouth as well as rough drag of Chan’s immoral tongue over the sensitive head of his cock is all it takes for Hyunjin to fall apart. He comes with a cry of Chan’s name that’s far too loud, but for once, Hyunjin doesn’t care at all. He’s too busy bathing in ecstasy and relishing in the way his entire body tingles as Chan continues to lap and lick over his length.

When there are no longer stars floating behind his eyelids, Hyunjin realizes that Chan’s still hard, and that just won’t do.

“Minho,” Hyunjin calls softly. When Minho tilts his head in question, Hyunjin smiles. “Will you help me by lifting my husband up?”

Even though he’s visibly confused, Minho does as asked and hefts Chan up by the armpits. They both hiss from the movement, but Chan settles with his back against Minho’s chest easily enough.

Slick is dripping down the insides of Hyunjin’s thighs in sticky, uncomfortable rivulets, but Hyunjin only has eyes for his husband.

“My husband,” Hyunjin says reverently. The dark, deep pools of brown and black that comprise Chan’s eyes soften marginally. “My selfless, foolish husband. Now it’s your turn to feel good. Minho?”

Understanding dawns on Minho’s pretty face, and he nods with a devious smile. As if they’ve practiced it before (when in fact they haven’t), both Hyunjin and Minho take hold of Chan’s cock and give him one nice, firm stroke.

Chan chokes as his eyes bulge. “You-”

“Shh,” Minho shushes him. He adjusts his hold slightly so that he and Hyunjin are now holding hands with Chan’s cock between their interlaced fingers. Despite it all, Hyunjin blushes. “Just relax for us, puppy. You’ve been absolutely perfect for us, and now we want to reward you properly.”

It only takes a second for Chan to breathe out and slump in Minho’s hold. Hyunjin beams and leans forward for a quick kiss.

With how long Chan’s held back, Hyunjin’s pretty confident he won’t last much longer; all that means is that he has to enjoy this experience while he can.

To make the glide smoother, Hyunjin smears the precum pooling at Chan’s slit, which in turn causes Chan to shudder. Minho catches on quickly, doing the same thing on the next pass. Their hands bump against Chan’s knot on the downward stroke, hard and red and angry looking, and Hyunjin laments the fact that he won’t be able to feel it today. There’s always a next time, though, and it’s that thought that fuels his motions.

“You’re so pretty,” Minho whispers, his voice light as the wind. Hyunjin can barely hear him over the slick sounds of their hands moving over Chan’s cock, but Chan seems to have heard him loud and clear based on the way he gasps. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

Hyunjin picks up where Minho left off. “He’s right. You’re perfect.”

“Please,” Chan croaks with wet eyes. The flush on his cheeks has spread down to his chest, which rises and falls with each harsh breath Chan takes. He squirms when they squeeze around his knot, and his voice is absolutely shot when he says, “Please, I can’t hold back anymore. I need to-”

“Then do it,” Minho murmurs. Their hands are a blur of motion around Chan’s slick length, hard and fast just the way Chan likes it. Chan’s noises continue to rise in pitch as he gets closer and closer, and Hyunjin knows instinctively what he needs to do.

Their Links crash together when Hyunjin leans forward, a harsh clang of metal on metal, but Hyunjin pays it no mind. Looking right into Chan’s eyes, Hyunjin whispers, “Let go, alpha. For Minho. For your omega.”

This close, Hyunjin can see and hear everything in perfect clarity. Chan spurts all over their hands, but Hyunjin’s more enthralled by the way Chan’s eyes roll to the back of his head and how his next breath stutters on a moan. There’s nothing in this world more beautiful to Hyunjin than seeing his husband in the throes of pleasure - not the stars, not the garden, nothing. The sight in front of him right now is priceless, and he knows how lucky he is to be one of the two people who get to see it.

All at once, the tension in Chan’s body seeps out, and he leans his head back against Minho’s shoulder as he takes greedy, labored breaths. His hair is even messier than before, his curls a wild bird’s nest on top of his head. There’s dried slick on his chin, the skin of his lips is flaking, and Hyunjin loves him to the moon and back. Right here, right now, it’s as if the three of them are suspended in time with nothing but only each other for company.

However, all good things must come to an end.

Minho’s the first to move despite the way both Chan and Hyunjin pout in complaint. Softly, Minho smiles and places a chaste kiss to Chan's cheek. “We need to clean up. I’ll get us a cloth.”

Chan whines when Minho gingerly pulls out, and Hyunjin soothes him as best he can with soft kisses scattered along his nose, his cheeks, and his lips. It gets Chan to calm down, but he still watches Minho leave with a look that’s become more and more frequent lately. It’s times like this where Hyunjin wonders if he’s merely seeing what he wants to see or if Chan, by some miracle, wants the same thing he does. There are very little things they aren’t in agreement about, but Hyunjin’s not idiotic enough to think this is the same caliber as dinner arrangements.

Minho comes back with a damp cloth before Hyunjin can voice a single word, but perhaps it’s for the better. What they have right now is perfect. There’s no need to let his foolish heart ruin it.

Once Minho climbs back onto the bed, his eyes flicker to Hyunjin’s and he moves to hand Hyunjin the cloth, but stops himself at the last second. Hyunjin can’t help but smile. Traditionally, omegas are supposed to take care of their alphas after intercourse. Seeing as Minho isn’t an omega, nor is Chan his alpha, he had assumed Hyunjin would do the honors after their first time. As with the rest of their arrangement, they don’t follow that particular unwritten rule either. Both Chan and Hyunjin had confided that they weren’t opposed to Minho doing it - not because they likened him to an omega, but because it was an act of trust. Even now, so many months later, Minho has a hard time remembering, but Hyunjin is happy to remind him for as long as he needs to.

Minho takes up the previous space he vacated with a look of concentration. Hyunjin can only imagine what he’s seeing right now - the red of Chan’s cheeks, the red of Chan’s hole, and the white trickling down Chan’s legs.

Minho starts with his Link, unclasping the chain and placing it to the side for later. Hyunjin’s sad to see it go, and it appears Chan is as well based on the way his lips turn down, but the longer it stays, the harder it will be for the both of them. Chan isn’t Minho’s, and Minho will never be able to claim him. A fantasy is a fantasy for a reason.

Next, Minho wipes over Chan’s inner thighs. Chan twitches, and when he reaches out to hold Hyunjin’s hand, Hyunjin slots their fingers together with a soft smile. Chan returns it with a smile of his own and a quick kiss that makes Hyunjin giggle.

Minho’s eyelashes flutter against his cheeks as he slowly and methodically works his way up Chan’s legs to his hole. At the first swipe of the cloth, Chan hisses, and Minho immediately pauses with a worried frown. “Was I too rough?”

Chan shakes his head. Hyunjin politely doesn’t mention how Chan’s nearly crushing his hand currently. “No, don’t worry. I liked it, I’m simply still a bit sensitive.”

Despite the reassurance, Minho’s frown doesn’t disappear. “I’ll be more gentle.”

Chan’s lips curl up as he shares a look with Hyunjin, and Hyunjin knows that they’re thinking the same thing. Minho is stubborn to a fault when he wants to be, so it would be pointless to argue with him over how gentle he does or doesn’t need to be.

Here, in the aftermath, Minho is so sweet that Hyunjin’s teeth ache. It’s such a stark contrast from the Minho who calls Chan a puppy and spits demeaning words at him that sometimes, Hyunjin wonders if he’s looking at the same person. Hyunjin knows he is, though, because Minho might be a walking contradiction, but his kindness and his tenderness bleed through in the way he never goes past Chan’s limits and never makes Hyunjin uncomfortable. Even the way Minho cleans Chan up afterwards, when he could very well leave once everything is said and done, speaks volumes.

Over time, Chan and Hyunjin have both learned exactly what to do to have the other writhing in pleasure. The addition of Minho has, if anything, made them more aware of each other. Even today, Hyunjin learned something new, and he has Minho to thank. There are a lot of things Hyunjin has Minho to thank for; helping him treat Chan as perfectly as his husband treats him is but one of them.

During the first two months Hyunjin lived at the palace, he never even dared to imagine Chan would take care of him as well as he has, especially when it comes to sex. Based on the stories he heard when he was a pup, he always thought his future alpha would breed him and take what they want without care for Hyunjin’s wishes.

Chan isn’t like that at all.

Chan is nothing like Hyunjin expected, yet more than he ever could’ve wished for.

He’s lovely, he’s sweet, he’s noble to a fault, and he’s Hyunjin’s. Minho’s, too, when they’re able to steal some time away.

Perhaps their arrangement is unbecoming of Hyunjin, or whatever similar words the advisors like to use when talking about him, but Hyunjin, honestly and truthfully, doesn’t care. He has the most perfect mate in all of the land, and they both have their own knight in shining armor who is more than willing to provide his husband what Hyunjin can’t give himself. For a life that was given to him instead of one he willingly chose himself, Hyunjin likes to think that it isn’t too bad.

Minho will have to depart soon before suspicions arise and Hyunjin will have to take a proper bath before he meets Chan for dinner, but right now, as he watches Chan nudge Minho in the side with a teasing smile and giggle when Minho playfully growls at him, Hyunjin is content.