Chapter Text
May 2021, Amazing Saturday
Key sighed to himself as he debated on whether or not to answer the question posed to him and the other Amazing Saturday cast mates. Chocolate croissants were on the line, a snack that he would like to eat, but the performance opportunity…was lacking. There had been plenty of chances for him to answer given that he was an ace and knew practically all the songs, but he quietly passed to wait on a song worthy of his dance skills. If he was going to eat he was going to earn it. His friends were here to have fun, so they could get by with more halfhearted or goofy dances, but Key…a glint of fire burned in his eyes…Key was here to put on a show.
Everyone who knew Key would tell you that Key was the weirdest Alpha they had ever met. Most presumed he was a beta because of the way his personality worked. Alphas were known to be temperamental, protective, more expressive with their emotions, and in a conflict were more likely to revert to physical means to win or in an argument of words were more prone to insults or slurs.
Now, alphas did have some control over themselves and their tendencies. Otherwise every alpha would come off as a possessive, domineering jerk. Most were on the low spectrum of the characteristics listed, able to reign themselves in when necessary but also turn their alpha side up to max when the situation called for it. Even though their instincts as alphas got them into trouble sometimes, most alphas were proud of their status and used their strong traits to become bosses, CEOs, high performance athletes, business entrepreneurs, and other positions of power where their alpha side could flourish. Most were great bosses and were well liked by others while a small few took advantage. But hey, every caste had its bad apples. That was how life worked…it’s too bad Key had to experience that fact quite early in life.
Key had grown up in a family of alphas, and although his family was very caring, their attitude toward other castes was dismissive. One day, while walking home from high school, he witnessed a scene he would never forget. An alley. A scream. Eyes that begged him to save her. Two boys, one pinning her down, the other shredding her clothes like paper.
He had felt frozen, in fear and shock and disgust, until the boys turned to look at him, sniffed the air, and then laughed, “Hey! Alpha! Found this pretty omega and figured we could give her some company, show her the touch of a real alpha! Wanna join?!” Key heard the girl sob, tears rolling down her face and falling to the pavement below. All he could remember was how his blood seemed to turn to ice before exploding throughout his body in hot rage, his fists aiming at the two alphas that stood before him.
When the anger faded, the first thing he saw were two bodies crumpled on the concrete, alive but covered in blood and bruises. The second thing he saw was the omega, her eyes wide and staring at Key in fear. He reached out to see if she was okay, but was met with a violent flinch and the girl screaming, “DON’T TOUCH ME!” She trembled and shook, and even though Key wanted to scream at her, “I’m not like them!” He knew it wouldn’t take away her fear. So he called the police, gave them his contact info, and explained what had happened. After seeing her being escorted into the police cruiser, he walked away, his head hanging low, and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Key entered his house, covered in blood and sweat, and was greeted by a flurry of commotion. His mother cupped his face and looked at him in concern, while his father loudly exclaimed, “What happened to you??!!” After explaining things, Key sat on the couch with his head in his hands, not knowing what to feel, mostly numb. Until his parents began to talk about their own opinions regarding the matter.
“I know omegas are more…fragile…but I wish they would stick up for themselves more”
“That girl should have known better than to travel alone…”
“I wonder if she was enticing them….you know how untaken omega’s can be with alphas.”
“And you know how hard it is for alphas to control those urges…”
A loud bang was heard and two heads whipped around to see their son glaring daggers at them, his fist embedded in the wooden coffee table. “Those boys were nothing but sick, disgusting monsters!” Key seethed, his breaths coming out in angry spurts. “They have no excuses for what they did and for you to defend them….you’re…you’re just as bad as them! You didn’t see how scared she was…how her body shook and her eyes begged for escape. They treated her like an animal!” He stood, walked right up to his parents, and looked them straight in the eyes before saying, “And I can promise you one thing…alpha or not…I will never be like them.”
From that day on, Key’s relationship with his parents had been strained and few words were exchanged between them until he left at 18 to pursue a singing career. That experience had completely changed how Key saw alphas and how he saw himself. He vowed to not let his alpha desires and emotions control him and became a new version of himself, the Key that his members, the entertainment world, and the general public became used to. Master Key. A man who was always calm, never let his emotions control his actions, exuded confidence by always being collected and prepared, and instead of being a boss in one area like most alphas are, he became good at everything he did. Instead of winning arguments and defeating people with force, he won by using his clever and witty tongue to coolly talk his way out of things. This is why people always assumed he was a beta, because he had all the drive and superiority of an alpha without the temperament of one.
This cool, sometimes cold, demeanor made Key seem unapproachable to many, but after seeing his sheer talent and will to be the best he could be all the time he gained a lot of respect from his peers. Key could seem like all he cared about was coming across as the best, but the truth was he cared a lot about others around him, preferring to show it in more subtle ways like teasing, sticking up for their ideas, and silent pats on the back. He didn’t show affection for others all the time, but when he did, it made his friends feel special because they knew how hard it was for Key to express his care. This all changed when a certain omega had been cast on Amazing Saturday a couple months ago.
Kim Taeyeon. His longtime friend and sunbae. Best female vocalist. OST queen. Leader of the nations girl group SNSD. She had a lot of major titles and huge accomplishments, which is why it made Key laugh inside everytime he saw his friend in person. Because Kim Taeyeon was tiny. A tiny firecracker, Key liked to think, small but when ignited, she lit up the world with her voice. He remembers when he first saw her enter the Amazing Saturday set, her eyes wide in wonder and a smile on her face so big it made her chin dimple show. He remembers the feeling of warmth and comfort that came over him knowing he would be able to have fun with his friend every week.
Now several months into having Taeyeon as a cast member, Key had managed to come up with the nickname Bonnie and Clyde to be used when he and Taeyeon came together for a dance or a boss moment. Their cast mates teased Key about them being a couple to which Key scoffed and coolly replied with something like, “It’s a shame when people project just to deflect from their own insecurities,” or “We can’t help that our talent attracts us to each other.”
Calculated replies like this were Key’s specialty and usually led to boss music being played or the cast mates turning the teasing onto the one who had started with Key. It made the game more fun to have little moments like this, but Key knows that there is a hint of truth in their comments. It was obvious that even though he teased the omega and treated her with the same aloofness that he does the others, he had a tiny soft spot for her. Sometimes he would catch himself opening the door for her (with others it was “Well you have hands too right?”) or helping her with a particular dance (with others it was “You’re an idol, you should know these things.”). He figured it was because she had been his colleague and friend since his early SHINEE days and he felt indebted to her. He realized today he may be wrong and he doesn’t know if he’s happy or mad about it.
Last question. One performance left. One snack, two people. Just as luck would have it the Amazing Saturday team saved the best performance for last, but unfortunately the last two standing were Key and Taeyeon. The rest of the cast already started saying “Ah sorry Taengoo maybe next time” because they knew Key would get this question. Taeyeon rubbed her stomach and sighed “I really wanted this! Yah Key! Did you wait this long so you could take my choco croissant??!” She teased.
Key had only ever lost the snack game once, in over 100 episodes. He knew as soon as the picture of BTS popped up which song of theirs it was. He knew the dance. He even knew the performance outfits they wore on their music show stages. But he also knew that Taeyeon hadn’t touched her food the first round, spicy tteokbokki soup. Taeyeon didn’t like spicy food. He knew that the next round’s menu item was also a spicy dish. Taeyeon would not eat today. He frowned to himself, wondering if he should pick his untouched snack game status or kindness. During this loss of focus, Taeyeon actually managed to shout her name first.
“Taeyeon! BTS…Dynamite!” The omega declared with hope burning in her eyes.
Boom, the MC paused for a moment before saying, “Wrong!”
“Key!” His yell echoed across the room and everyone looked at him expectantly, knowing they were about to get a great show. Taeyeon bowed her head and tried to ignore the growling coming from her stomach. I knew I should have eaten something before I came… she thought. She looked over at Key and was surprised to see his eyes boring into her with quiet intensity. It made her shiver, wondering what he was thinking. Then he spoke and everyone was shocked.
“Key. Butter…BTS” he exclaimed, leading to a collective gasp. He was supposed to say the artist name before the song title. Dongyup, the king of stealing other people’s answers when they made this mistake, nudged Taeyeon. She stood shocked, and after Boom shouted out “Wrong!” She looked at Key, perplexed, before saying her name again.
“Taeyeon! BTS, Butter!”
“Correct! Taeyeon gets the snack, and for the first time in 150 episodes Key’s stomach will be left empty!” Boom announced, raising an eyebrow at the alpha in confusion, knowing full well how smart and calculated Key always is. He wondered if it had anything to do with the pretty omega sitting two seats down from him that the crew seemed to always tease him about. Boom gave Key a small smirk to which Key returned a scoff and shake of his head. Boom chuckled. You may be smart, young alpha, but not smart enough to figure out that a certain omega has you wrapped around her finger…and you don’t even know it . He glanced over at Taeyeon and saw her giving Key a soft, fond look before heading out to the dance floor. I think someone is starting to figure it out though.
As Taeyeon attempted to freestyle to Butter, the rest of the cast made small talk with Key. They were all flabbergasted at how Key could have gotten that particular, EASY, question wrong.
“Key you had that one in your pocket!”
“What happened? You haven’t lost in forever…”
“Ah it must be because he’s getting older, memory issues,” one teased
“Yah! So I forgot the order…even diamonds have rough edges…Taengoo just got extremely lucky today,” Key shot back, his words lacking their usual bite.
“Aish, comparing himself to a diamond, this guy!” Seyoon exclaimed. “There’s our Key, he’s back!”
“That’s too bad Keyro” Taeyeon chided as she bit into her croissant, “because this snack is Key-licious!” She laughed at her own joke while Key groaned at the horrible pun and lay his head down on the table, partly from shame, partly to hide the small smile on his face at Taeyeon’s happiness. Taeyeon threw a knowing look in his direction before saying, “No cheeky comeback, Clyde?” Key’s head shot up as he glared at her while exclaiming “I hate you.” It was said with such a monotone voice that everyone burst out in laughter, including Taeyeon, and although he was mildly irritated on the outside, on the inside he felt full.
In perfect Key fashion, after a little more teasing, he finally sighed out loud and said, “Ah, I’m bored. Let’s move on, quickly, before the viewership declines.” After a couple more chuckles, the show continued to the second round, and it seemed like the snack game mishap was forgotten. That’s what Key told himself, but he couldn’t help noticing Taeyeon looking at him with her head tilted to the side, like she was trying to figure something out.
This happened a couple of times during the rest of the games and it made Key feel…something…he wasn’t sure if her stares made him uncomfortable, vulnerable, or both. He also wasn’t sure if he wanted her to stop. He wanted to hide, but at the same time he could look into her deep brown eyes forever if she let him. He shook his head, telling himself, Get it together Key. This is Taeyeon…she’s probably just worried that I’m off my game, that’s it. No need to falter just because of her staring. And just like that Key was back on track, focusing on the game, and earning the team a first try win with his dictation skills. He willed himself to forget about the omega’s soft eyes and he did…until it came time to wrap up.
After everyone had finished eating, helped clean up, and said their goodbyes, Key went to his dressing room to change out of his costume. It went by pretty quickly, as he had on a simple shirt and pants for the episode’s theme. Just as he was buttoning the last button on his shirt, he heard a knock at the door, and a very familiar voice calling out, “Key…it’s Taeyeon…can I come in?” Key hesitated for a second before replying, “Yeah, Taengoo, I suppose you’re worthy of entering.” A laugh bubbled up from behind the door before it opened and in walked Kim Taeyeon, still in costume.
If Key wasn’t a very controlled person he might have let his jaw drop because his friend was stunning. He was always so focused on the game that he usually paid little attention to his cast mates’ costumes. It was fantasy theme today, and the omega had decided to wear a sparkling green and yellow fairy costume, complete with wings. Everyone always teased her about being a house fairy so she decided to make it her outfit for today.
Her hair, a soft shade of pink, rolled down in waves behind a shining tiara. Long, slender legs stemmed down from a low cut, frilly skirt that led down to sparkling ivy colored heels. Even with them she was still almost a head shorter than Key. What drew him in the most was the way the makeup drew attention to her big brown eyes and her small but full lips. She stood in the doorway, head tilted to the floor shyly, waiting for him to say something. Key wasn’t used to her acting shy around him, but he also wasn’t used to ogling at his sunbae like this. He wondered if he was going crazy.
“Oh sorry, come in, come in,” Key started, “ I was just mesmerized by the fact that the heels somehow make you look shorter,” he teased hoping she didn’t notice his blatant staring. He laughed out loud when Taeyeon looked at him with her mouth wide open and shouted “Hey!”, before slapping him on the arm. “You’re just upset because these heels make me almost as tall as you!” She huffed, annoyed.
He couldn’t help himself as another loud, scream of a laugh escaped his mouth. “Really?? Because it seems like you still need to stand on at least 5 phone books to say that to my face,” he chuckled, enjoying the banter they were having.
“Aish, I don’t even know why I came here…this is abuse,” Taeyeon pouted, arms folded across her chest. Key smiled, and before he could stop himself he thought, Cute. Wait…what? He shook his head, as if that would shake the crazy thoughts from his brain. His alpha side, usually dormant, spoke for him then, saying Our omega is cute. Now that thought made Key’s heart stop and he stayed rooted in his spot in the middle of the dressing room until a concerned voice brought him back.
“Hey, earth to Key…Key! Yah are you having a stroke?! Kim Kibum!” Taeyeon grabbed him and shook, making Key jump back. “Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost!” Her hands were warm and her eyebrows were knit together in worry. He stood still before letting out an awkward cough and replying, “Yeah….yeah I’m okay…just remembered something…ahemmmm…well anyways why did you need to see me? Or did you just come for my amazing insults?” He stammered at first and then came back with a quick quip.
“Oh…yeah…” Taeyeon started, seeming a little nervous. Key watched as she looked down and worried her lip between her teeth. Finally she stepped up so that she was close to Key and looked up at him with her chocolate eyes. “I just wanted to come by to say….thank you. For what you did at the snack game.”
“You don’t have to thank me…you’re just lucky my memory was bad today,” Key immediately replied, flustered at the close contact and just wanted to retreat.
“No,” the omega responded, almost sounding angry, “I know you. And I know you didn’t just forget. You’re Kim Kibum…you never forget the order of the answer. I know better than that.” Her gaze burned into him and suddenly the room felt hot. He began to step back then, until a smooth hand grazed his arm, asking him to stay.
“So…I just wanted to tell you thank you for giving up your snack for me…” Taeyeon took another step closer to Key, and placed her hand on his cheek, chuckling when she felt him flinch under her hand. He backed out of her touch and looked at her once more before immediately locking his gaze to the floor. She had looked at him with an affection that made his stomach flip. “Look it was a one time thing…don’t flatter yourself. It’s not a good look… sooo 2020,” Key deflected, putting on a straight face in the hopes she would move away so that he could breathe again.
The omega in front of him only smiled and stepped closer, stopping about a foot away, and she placed her small hand in the middle of his chest. She was close enough that her scent filled his nostrils, threatening to suffocate him with the enticing aroma of vanilla and roses. Key watched with his heart in his throat as she raised herself up onto her toes and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. “I thought it was really sweet Kibum,” the omega spoke once she had pulled away. Key reflexively brought his hand to his cheek, and stared at his friend in shock, a small flicker of desire coming alive within him at her words and her gentle touch. Taeyeon giggled as she walked away, saying, “See you next week.”
Key stood there for a good five minutes before he came back to his senses. A million thoughts whirled through his mind at once. Did that happen? Was it just a friendship thank you? But why would she kiss me on the cheek? Why did I..like it? How did I not notice what she was wearing…wait….why does it matter, she’s my friend. But maybe…maybe she wants more? Key shook his head in frustration, a dull throbbing beginning to pound against his ears. He was annoyed at how much the omega had affected him, and he was irritated at himself at how much his body reacted to a simple touch from Taeyeon.
I don’t have time to worry about a kiss on the cheek that means no more than a thank you…let some other alpha worry over her…
As soon as the thought went through his mind, a small growl escaped through his teeth. Key slapped his hand onto his mouth, and his eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t growled in years, always telling himself and others that it was a childish display of aggression, that it was much more wise and mature to use words rather than resort to beastly behavior. No other alphas…that omega is OURS, His alpha declared, prompting another small growl to slip past gritted teeth, eventually turning into a whine of frustration as Key held his head in his hands.
What is happening to me??!!
If anyone had come into his room at that moment, they would have seen Key, the most put together alpha in the history of the world, banging his head on the wall.