Chapter Text
Duang grew up believing in soulmates. He clearly remembers all the stories his mum told him while he lay on her lap, her hands stroking his fluffy hair as she talked about how she met their soulmate, their father.
The boy grew up idolizing his parents' connection. They seemed like they were meant to be: an alpha and an omega, one quiet while the other was talkative. What could be better?
He saw his older brother find his soulmate, how it turned him gentle, loving, less mischievous, and more nurturing—a true omega.
So when they all said he'd eventually find his soulmate, he couldn't have been more excited. All kinds of expectations flooded him. What would his soulmate be like? An omega? A beta? Would they be tall or short? What would they smell like? Did they like cats or dogs? Duang hoped they liked dogs more.
With above-average height and outstanding visuals, Duang found himself the center of attention during his first few weeks as a university student. His easygoing personality attracted way too many people, much to the dismay of his two best friends.
Yet Duang stayed respectful and distant, smiling brightly but turning down every advance another student tried on him. After all, he was never the type to mess around, being fiercely loyal to his soulmate since childhood.
And he remembered his mum saying how she found her soulmate. She said their scent would stand out, that you'd immediately recognize them as your fated mate. So when Duang smiled apologetically and bowed to other students, he felt a little lonelier knowing he still hadn't found his one.
And to think that such a life-altering moment could come on such an unassuming day was beyond Duang's expectations.
His day started normally: an uneventful morning with his usual breakfast and favorite hoodie. He drove through medium traffic and parked in his usual spot, making it just in time to greet his friends before parting ways to attend a lecture they didn't share with him. All typical Tuesday events.
He walked in and sat in his usual seat, a location that helped him see the board and hide behind students when necessary. He never stood out in English class, and he didn't mind it.
"So for this part of your grades, you're going to work in pairs on a report about today's subject. And to make things quicker, I already paired you guys up. If you look at the board, you'll find your names. I expect no complaints."
Duang looked up, searching for his name—only to find it near the bottom. "Cheewin and... Charat?" the alpha mumbled to himself, tilting his head in confusion. He looked around, hoping his partner would recognize him first, but he only saw people pairing up.
Finally, he stood and headed toward the lecturer to ask.
"Ah yeah, Qin Charat. He's that student with the white headphones around his neck, see him? Last row."
Duang nodded, thanked the beta, and headed toward the boy.
When the distance between them became mere inches, Duang felt time partially slow down. He looked Qin in the eyes, and all he could comprehend was the insane presence of an omega, the overwhelming yet soft scent of lavender that engulfed him—and suddenly he could pick up on the tiniest pheromones this stranger was producing.
Their eyes met, and it seemed the overwhelming feeling was mutual, as the beautiful stranger's eyes widened in recognition. But it only lasted seconds before he looked away. Duang had thought about finding his soulmate almost every day, but now that he'd undoubtedly found him, he had absolutely no idea how to approach the omega.
Distrust. He could smell it clearly on the smaller boy. Curse their soul-level connection already, the one that gave him an unfiltered look into his soulmate's thoughts and feelings.
He finally gathered himself and did what he did best—he smiled.
"Hello, my name is Duang, and I'll be your partner for this assignment."
Qin looked up again, subtly checking Duang out before finally meeting his eyes. "Okay, I'm Qin," he replied, a bit coldly if you asked Duang, but it was okay. He didn't expect the omega to throw himself at him just because they were soulmates.
"We... would need to exchange contact information. I'm an art student, and I don't think you are one," Duang said casually. Maybe the omega would be less suspicious if Duang showed him he wasn't threatening.
Qin looked at him for a second too long before nodding. "Instagram is fine?"
And Duang smiled. "I'm fine with anything you choose."
Qin looked at him again, curious, but didn't say anything. He simply pulled his phone out to exchange accounts.
"I major in jazz, so I have practice three days a week. We can work on the days I'm free, okay?" Qin said, standing up.
"Jazz—yeah! I'm totally okay with that. Text me when you have time, I'll be there."
The alpha smiled brightly, picked up his bag, and left.
Qin stayed in his seat for another minute. That was... odd.
He was pretty sure he had just met his so-called soulmate, the person he was supposed to share his life with—the alpha, as he recognized by scent—who was supposed to worship and protect him.
Ever since he was young, his parents had warned him about alphas. They taught him how to be strong, to hold himself high and never crumble under anyone's gaze, not to be ashamed of being an omega, and yet to still be careful even around his fated mate.
But Duang looked... soft.
His scent—god, his scent—vanilla, mixing with his lavender intoxicatingly well. It was soft and light, and it felt like it was trying to hug him.
No matter how harmless Duang looked and sounded, Qin couldn't abandon everything he'd learned over the years just for an unknown alpha, even if he was supposedly the person the universe thought suited him best. So he kept his walls up, staying distant in his mannerisms as always.
It was four days later when they met again, and it wasn't planned.
Qin was walking out of his department building after a long day of practice. His throat was sore, and his legs ached from standing too long. Even his scent blockers had worn off, leaving his lavender scent trailing behind him.
He was more than ready to go back to his condo and curl up in bed for the rest of the night, but an alpha he recognized from some classes stopped him—quite rudely, too—and tried hitting on him.
"I'm not interested. Please step out of the way," Qin said in a monotone voice, too exhausted to deal with this type of behavior.
"Hey, come on. We could have some fun."
The alpha took another step closer to Qin, invading his personal bubble. The omega's fists clenched, doing his absolute best to remain calm and not let all his frustration out on this random person.
"I said—"
"He said he's not interested. Fuck off."
The growl tore through the silent night.
Qin looked up and saw broad shoulders blocking his view. Before long, the agitating scent of the unknown alpha disappeared, replaced by vanilla invading his nostrils.
He should've been worried, or at least displeased by the display of aggression from Duang, but it somehow put him at ease.
Duang stared the other alpha down, easily standing taller and bigger than him. A few seconds later, the shorter alpha shrugged and decided to leave, Duang watching his retreating figure until he couldn't anymore.
And Qin realized something.
Duang was guarding him.
The omega heard Duang curse under his breath before turning around. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, sounding nothing like the threatening growl he had just let out.
Qin blinked up at him, taken aback. He nodded.
"Thanks," he said quietly, and Duang let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"It's late, and it's a bit dangerous for an omega to be walking alone, yeah?"
Duang picked up on the relief Qin was feeling, along with the exhaustion and a little bit of gratitude.
"I can handle myself just fine. I know martial arts. In fact, I was holding back from kicking him in the face," Qin mumbled, looking to the side, resembling a scolded child.
Duang took a deep breath, letting the lavender scent calm his senses. The overwhelming instinct to protect took over his actions before he could even realize what was happening.
"Can I walk you home?" the alpha asked. "Sorry, but I can't shake off the unease. I know I'm equally a stranger to you, but my alpha is growling at me to do something."
Qin looked at him. Actually looked. At the tender eyes, the soft expression that made him look terribly safe—which was weird because Duang was indeed a stranger. A stranger who was supposed to be his other half.
He took a deep breath, letting some of his frustration out, then nodded and started walking.
Duang kept a small distance between them, falling a few steps behind Qin. He didn't want to come off as too controlling or provocative, so the safe distance felt necessary.
Qin suddenly stopped and looked Duang in the eyes, annoyed.
"I won't bite your head off or something. Why are you walking behind me like a creep?"
Duang tilted his head in confusion. "I thought you wouldn't want me walking beside you. And my purpose is to keep you safe, so it's better to keep you in my view."
"What are you? A dog?" Qin scoffed.
And Duang giggled. "Maybe. My mum calls me a puppy sometimes. I hope you like dogs, though. They're my favorite."
The omega stood stunned. What's with this alpha? Why was he acting so... different?
He looked soft. His light brown hair looked impossibly fluffy, and all his mannerisms really did remind him of a puppy.
Duang took a few steps closer, now allowing both of them to smell each other more clearly.
"I know you know that we're soulmates. And I know you can tell my emotions just as much as I can tell yours. So I wholeheartedly hope you'll allow me to take care of you. Because that's all I want."
He smiled—a genuine and gentle smile that Qin hadn't been on the receiving end of in what felt like forever.
He felt alarm bells ringing in his ears. This wasn't what he expected. This was soft. This was loving. He felt weird, and he wanted to go home.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care," the omega mumbled and continued walking.
This time, Duang walked beside him, seemingly pleased with the outcome.
Qin let out a sigh when he stood by the entrance of his building.
"Are you satisfied now? We're here."
And once again, Duang shocked him by smiling brightly and waving.
"Yes, very. Have a good night."
Qin stood in silence for a second before turning around and entering the building, leaving behind a very pleased, puppy-looking alpha.
Duang was surprisingly at home, something that rarely seemed to happen ever since he started university. He was having breakfast with his family when his phone buzzed.
I don't have practice today. Want to work on the project?
He smiled softly, his face melting and shoulders dropping. He really couldn't describe it well—but something about his soulmate made his heart melt every time they interacted. His cold front and distant personality were always betrayed by his soft scent and curious eyes. He acted like a stray kitten that had learned hissing at strangers was safer than letting the wrong ones touch him.
So Duang decided to do what he did best: be patient and gentle. Handle the omega the same way he'd handle a stray kitten.
Sounds good. When should I pick you up?
He could already imagine Qin's response to that.
Pick me up? What are you, my bodyguard?
Duang giggled. So predictable.
Yes. I might be. Now what time?
He shouldn't have this much fun teasing his soulmate, but he couldn't help it.
Five.
Noted.
"Uhm. Someone is breaking the no-phone-while-eating rule, Mum," he heard his older brother say beside him, "and he's smiling like a fool too."
"Hey!" Duang whined. "Mum, he's being mean!"
Their mother looked at both of them with exhaustion. "Quit it, you two. Duang, put your phone down and eat," she said, and Funan gave him a smirk.
"Does my precious little brother have something to share with us?" he added.
"Hia! Shut up."
"Duang. Do you?" his mum asked.
He looked up to see even his dad staring at him. He sighed in defeat.
"You guys are so nosy. Yeah, okay, I've met my soulmate. Happy now?"
And for the next two minutes, he couldn't register anything anyone said because they all spoke at the same time, voices loud and overlapping.
"Okay! One at a time, please. I only have two ears," he said loudly, effectively shutting the room up.
"Is he or she an omega?"
"Yes, he is."
"Is he another student?"
"Yes, he majors in jazz."
"Is he cute?"
"Terribly so."
"Are you guys going out together?"
Duang sighed. "We only met twice, how the hell would we be going out already?"
And his brother smiled at him. "But you want to, no?"
Duang stayed silent for a minute before nodding. Of course he did. He had practically spent his whole life waiting for Qin, working to become the best version of himself for him.
"Why don't you look so happy about that, son?" his mother asked.
The alpha smiled a tiny, sad smile. "Because he doesn't seem too thrilled about us being soulmates. He's so wary, so distant. I'm afraid I'll be too much."
"Oh, baby." His mother stood up and hugged him. "You're never too much, dear."
She patted his soft hair gently.
"He's your fated mate. You two are going nowhere, and you have the rest of forever to warm up to each other and build trust. It's never easy for an omega to trust an alpha right off the bat. Okay, baby? Remember what I always told you—patience."
He breathed in his mother's comforting scent, calming down all his worries, and nodded.
He could do this.
Duang was good at being patient.
"Qin, want to have an early dinner with us?" Kim asked. For once, all of their hands and shoulders were free of their usual instruments since they didn't have practice today.
"Can't. I have a project to work on with an art student," he replied casually.
Kim and Tong both stopped walking and looked back at him.
"What art student? You never told us about this," Tong wondered.
Qin shrugged. "It's for our shared English class. He'll be here to pick me up any minute now."
"Pick you up? What is he, your husband?" Tong teased lightly, and Qin rolled his eyes.
"More like a guard dog."
He took another step and saw Duang walk into the department building. Eyes immediately fell on him. He was undoubtedly attractive—tall, handsome, and very approachable—to which an unfamiliar feeling settled in Qin's stomach.
"Speaking of the dog," he mumbled.
"You can't be serious..." Kim whispered as he watched Duang stop near Qin.
"Are you ready to go?" the alpha asked gently.
Qin tried hard not to show how his shoulders sagged, and his whole body relaxed at the presence of the vanilla scent.
"Yeah. Let's go."
He nodded at his friends before walking away with Duang.
"Did you fucking see that?" Tong whispered.
Kim nodded immediately. "He totally melted."
"And he bagged a damn baddie. He looks good."
"Want me to carry your bag for you?" Duang asked as they stepped out of the university grounds.
"No. I can carry it just fine," Qin replied shortly.
"I know. I'm not saying you can't. I'm saying I want to do it for you."
Qin felt his ears burn. How could this guy just say stuff like that?
"Still no," he mumbled, his face bright pink. Why was this alpha so nice to him again?
"It's cute that you're shy. But I'm being genuine. I'd rather carry our bags for you," Duang pressed gently. It was better to establish his habits early on, and spoiling his soulmate was totally necessary.
Qin stopped in his tracks, took off his bag, and threw it at Duang.
"Here, damn. Just shut up."
Duang caught both the bag and Qin's frustrated, shy scent. He chuckled once again, put the bag over his shoulder, and walked beside the omega.
"Thank you for allowing me to help," he said softly, enjoying the calming lavender scent surrounding him.
Qin didn't reply, but the knot between his eyebrows slowly disappeared, and his steps matched Duang's.
"What would you like to drink? I'll order for us," Duang said as they settled into a cozy café and gave Qin a few minutes with the menu.
"I can order for myself," the omega said, and Duang simply gave him a look that made him roll his eyes.
"Iced Americano and two slices of strawberry cheesecake."
"Yes, sir."
Duang smiled and stood up, satisfied that Qin was slowly becoming more comfortable relying on him.
"Excuse me, I'd like to order, please."
When the alpha returned to their table, Qin already had his book and laptop open in front of him. A delicate pair of glasses rested carefully on the bridge of his nose, giving him an impossibly soft look.
And all Duang could do was stare.
Because the omega was beautiful. Breathtakingly so.
His lips were pink and pillowy, his cheeks healthily flushed, and his skin was fair without a single discoloration. The hand resting beneath his chin was equally pale, fingertips pink like he was a handmade doll.
"Are you done staring? We need to decide on the subject," Qin said without looking up.
Duang smiled, not even a little ashamed of himself, and nodded.
"What do you have in mind?" he asked gently.
Qin turned the laptop toward him, showing him a list of topics he was interested in, becoming more comfortable using his voice around the alpha. The scent of vanilla seeped into his system unnoticed and helped him relax, tension slowly leaving his shoulders.
When their order arrived, Duang closed the laptop and pushed it aside, making space for the slices of cake to sit closer to Qin as he sipped his own Americano and watched the smaller male enjoy his dessert.
For once, Qin didn't notice Duang staring. Didn't remember he existed at all as he ate his beloved cake.
One thing many people didn't know about him was that he had a huge sweet tooth, and every bad day could be fixed with the right cake at the end of it.
He hummed around a spoonful of cake, feeling the strawberry melt on his tongue. He didn't even realize it, but his scent hadn't smelled this happy in a very long time.
And Duang was having the time of his life, satisfied that his omega was enjoying himself so much. He quietly pocketed the information that Qin seemed to love sweet things for later while openly staring at the adorable sight in front of him.
"Here." Duang handed him a napkin, a slice and a half later. "You have some frosting on your lips."
Only then did Qin seem to snap back to reality. He looked at Duang like he'd personally offended him and pouted while taking the napkin and wiping his mouth sulkily.
"What? Why are you sulking? Wanted me to clean it off myself?" Duang teased.
Qin glared at him. "Don't you dare. I'll kick you in the face."
The alpha chuckled.
A hissing kitten indeed.
"Let me get you some water so we can get back to work."
He stood up before the omega could protest.
Qin looked down at his hands and pouted slightly.
Maybe being taken care of wasn't that horrible.
"You don't have to do this. Again, I'm capable of protecting myself," Qin mumbled as they made their way to his condo.
"I know. I don't think you're incapable. I just do it for my own selfish reasons, and I'm thankful you're allowing me to," Duang replied easily.
He looked up, his eyes scanning the omega walking a step ahead of him, and smiled while shaking his head. He shrugged the two bags off his shoulder and took off his hoodie before putting the bags back on again.
"If you're ever in need of something, you can always let me know, yeah?" Duang said gently as he laid his hoodie on top of Qin's shoulders. He had noticed the smaller male subtly rubbing his arms for a while now, even though he insisted he was fine in the night breeze.
"You! Who the hell do you even think you are?!" Qin hissed at him, although his hands immediately reached up to clutch the hoodie tighter around himself.
"Your soulmate," Duang replied softly, stunning Qin into silence.
"Whatever. I don't care about that. I'm only taking it because I'm cold."
Qin finally turned away and walked a little faster. Duang could clearly smell the shyness and hint of happiness coming from the omega.
He smiled to himself, his hand tightening around the bags' straps.
Duang never saw that hoodie again.
Not that he was complaining.
Still, he made a mental note to always bring an extra hoodie whenever they hung out, just in case the omega got cold again.
He was walking out of class when his phone buzzed. He reached into his pocket to check it, and a gentle smile immediately spread across his face.
Let's work at my place today. I'm too lazy to go out.
Duang chuckled.
Isn't it dangerous to invite an alpha to your place? Don't you live alone? What if I did something inappropriate to you?
He could clearly imagine Qin pouting while reading the text.
I'd kick you in the face if you dared!
Decide quickly, are you coming or not?
I wouldn't pass up the chance to hang out with you, Your Highness.
Usual time and place? I'll pick you up.
K.
He giggled softly and slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"Guys, gotta go. The love of my life is waiting for me."
He heard Jamie and Pae complain about him spending too much time with his crush, but he only laughed and walked away.
His omega was waiting for him.
"Are you hanging out with that hot alpha again?" Tong asked, and Qin rolled his eyes.
"He has a name, you know."
Something about other people calling Duang hot didn't sit right with him.
"Yeah, yeah, but like... everyone is all over him. Did you check his Instagram? He has tons of followers."
Qin looked up, slightly intrigued, and Tong quickly pulled up Duang's account for him. They texted on Instagram, sure, but Qin had never stalked his account before. He was too afraid he'd accidentally like something.
He scrolled through the pictures, and damn, the comments were full of thirsty people.
He didn't like that.
He didn't like that at all.
"Ohhh, someone's jealous," Tong teased.
"Hey, don't annoy him too much," Kim warned.
But Qin only rolled his eyes and handed the phone back as he spotted Duang approaching.
"I'm leaving."
He walked over to Duang, hips swaying and irritation bubbling in his chest.
"Hi, ter," Duang greeted softly, only to receive Qin's bag in response before the omega kept walking.
Duang looked back at Qin's friends, who appeared apologetic, before glancing back at the omega. Sighing quietly, he hurried after him before he lost sight of him.
"Ter, how about we take a taxi? You don't seem in the mood to walk," he tried gently. He could clearly smell the annoyance and jealousy radiating from the omega.
"No," Qin replied shortly and kept walking.
Duang hummed. He pulled out his phone, quickly did something on it, then caught up to Qin again, walking beside him in silence and giving him space to calm down.
And calm down he did.
By the time they reached his condo, Qin smelled much more at ease, although traces of jealousy still lingered in his scent.
"You can sit over there. I'll be back shortly," Qin said without looking back before disappearing into his bedroom.
The alpha stood in the middle of the living room. The entire place smelled like lavender heaven, like being hugged by Qin himself.
Not like he knew what that felt like.
He placed their bags on the floor and was about to sit down when he heard something shatter inside the bedroom.
He immediately became alert and rushed toward the room.
"Ter! Are you okay? I'm coming in!" he called before opening the door.
"Wait—"
Qin couldn't even finish his sentence before Duang was all over him. Broken glass littered the floor, and the omega stood dangerously close to it.
Duang's protectiveness surged through every inch of his body. He immediately stepped closer and secured Qin in his arms, lifting him up effortlessly.
"W-What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Qin stuttered, even while clutching Duang's shirt like his life depended on it.
"I'm getting you out of here," Duang replied in a serious tone—one Qin had almost never heard from him before.
Duang's alpha instincts screamed at him to get their omega away from danger, and he genuinely couldn't focus on anything else.
He quickly looked around the room, checking to make sure nothing else was broken and that there wasn't any blood.
Then his eyes landed on Qin's bed.
More specifically, on the pillows.
Something resting on the right pillow looked awfully familiar.
"Don't look!!" Qin whined loudly and in embarrassment, one hand immediately covering Duang's eyes.
The sweet sound of his voice and the shy scent coming from him calmed Duang almost instantly. He took a slow breath.
"Ter, I can't get us out if I can't see," he said gently.
Qin hesitated before slowly lowering his hand.
And Duang was right.
That was the hoodie that had disappeared weeks ago.
He chuckled softly, the last traces of anxiety leaving his body.
"You're cute," he murmured.
Then he stepped out of the room, sat Qin down on the couch, and knelt in front of him to inspect his legs and feet carefully, making sure he hadn't hurt himself.
Once he confirmed the omega was completely unharmed, he finally let out a relieved sigh.
"I'm glad you're okay, ter. Please be more careful. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."
Qin looked down at his fingers, suddenly unable to fight back anymore.
He nodded.
"Good. Now rest for a bit. I'll clean up the mess and come back. We can work on the project later. Today, you just rest."
While Duang cleaned up the broken glass, his phone buzzed.
"Oh, seems like he's here."
He smiled and headed toward the front door while Qin watched him curiously from the couch like a cat.
It was the delivery driver.
Duang took the bag into the kitchen, found a plate and fork, and carefully placed the slice of cake onto the plate before bringing it over to Qin.
"Here, ter. Eat up, okay?" Duang said cheerfully, smiling down at the omega.
"You—how did you know?" Qin whispered.
The alpha giggled.
"I have eyes, ter. I know how much you love sweets, and you were in a bad mood, so I thought this might cheer you up."
Qin felt something strange flutter in his stomach, and all the previous tension slowly melted away, replaced by an unfamiliar warmth.
He didn't say anything. He simply grabbed the fork and started eating, melting just like the cream in his mouth.
Duang returned to cleaning the broken glass, and once he finished, his eyes drifted toward the bed again. He hummed in satisfaction, clearly pleased that his omega liked his scent so much.
He walked over, picked up the old hoodie, wrapped it around his waist, then shrugged off the hoodie he was currently wearing and placed it neatly on the bed before leaving the room again.
Qin was eating the last few bites of cake, a satisfied smile crossing his lips.
Duang smiled too and sat beside him sideways so he could freely look at the precious omega.
"Feeling better?"
"Hmm."
"Would you mind telling me why you were so upset earlier?" Duang asked gently, careful not to overwhelm him.
Qin paused, setting his fork down with a sigh.
"It doesn't matter," he mumbled.
"It matters to me, ter," Duang replied, reaching over to take the plate from his hands.
"It's stupid. I don't even know why I reacted like that."
Qin looked away, smelling faintly of insecurity and worry.
Duang smiled softly, full of warmth, before moving a little closer—just enough to gently pat Qin's head.
"It's not stupid. You're allowed to feel what you feel. And I'd like to talk it out with you. Would you let me?"
The omega looked at him, voices in his head screaming at him to shut Duang out, to stop talking, to retreat into his room and lock the door.
But Duang's eyes...
The sincerity practically radiating from him made something crack in Qin's carefully built walls.
"I was... jealous," he admitted quietly, almost whispering.
Oh.
When Duang didn't interrupt him, Qin found the courage to continue.
"You're pretty popular... people are all over you. In real life, in Instagram comments... and I'm just me. We're soulmates, and I know that doesn't mean I own you or anything, but this ugly feeling just kept growing and—"
Duang hugged him.
Pulled him close against his chest as though he wanted to shield him from every ugly thought inside his mind.
He didn't say anything at first. His hand simply kept patting Qin's head slowly and steadily.
"It means something," Duang finally said in a tender voice. "Us being soulmates. It means everything to me."
"I've been waiting my whole life for you, ter. I've never liked anyone, never held anyone's hand, kissed anyone, or slept with anyone. Not even once. Because I knew having my soulmate would be better. And it is."
"You're perfect, Qin. So perfect for me. So why would I look at anyone else now that I have you, hmm?"
Qin felt that same unfamiliar warmth spread through his stomach again, his face heating dangerously.
But he couldn't stop himself from melting into the touch.
Never in his life had someone held him like he was something precious—not even his own parents.
"You do own me. Even before we knew each other. I just didn't want to voice my feelings too soon because I didn't want to overwhelm you. I know all of this is new to you, and that you've never really been loved properly."
"So I'm here to change that. And we can take everything at your pace. No need to rush. Duang is going nowhere."
Qin wondered how Duang always seemed to know exactly what to say, exactly how to handle him.
Was this what having a soulmate felt like?
Was this what he had been missing his whole life?
Maybe the universe really did know better when it placed Duang in his path.
He didn't say anything.
He only leaned deeper into Duang's embrace, hiding his burning face in the alpha's neck and breathing in the rich vanilla scent.
He could get used to this.
"Would you stay the night?" Qin whispered, clutching Duang's shirt tightly.
Duang adjusted his position, leaning back against the armrest and letting Qin settle comfortably onto his lap.
"Of course, ter. Anything for you."
And when Qin fell asleep, the vanilla scent stayed right beside him—warm, raw, and rich, unlike the hoodie he cuddled every night that had long since lost most of its scent.