Kiss Me if You Can

Josh froze in place, stunned.

The acrid scent of cigarette smoke reached him belatedly. Chase had probably stepped out to smoke. Isaac and Henry were likely somewhere nearby. Josh glanced quickly around, thinking that—but Chase was the only person visible.
Are they hiding?
Knowing Chase, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had snapped at them not to follow him. In that case, they were probably guarding from concealment.

Either way, it was a bad time to show himself. If he tried to sneak behind Chase, he’d probably get caught. But if he tried to pass by him directly, the image of Henry getting smacked in the head with a phone under similar circumstances flashed through his mind.
The only option left was to retreat. He would have to take the long way around. Josh made his decision and began to quietly step back.
But luck wasn’t on his side.

Chase suddenly turned his head—and their eyes met. Josh immediately froze in place.
He’d done well to avoid him all this time, but now that they were face-to-face, there was no way out. Josh looked at him, feeling at a loss.
The silence of the garden felt unusually heavy. The noise from the mansion, alive with the party, and the faint cheering from outside all seemed distant. The rustling of the wind through the leaves between them sounded louder than anything else.

Ah.
Suddenly, a sweet scent crept into his nose. Chase’s pheromone. Once he realized that, his heart began to race—and at the same time, a strange calm settled over him.
Chase, surprisingly, said nothing. He didn’t throw anything, didn’t curse, didn’t even scowl. Josh suddenly felt like the man looked… exhausted.

Could he have run away from the crowd?
The streetlamp cast a pale light over Chase’s face, making it seem even more forlorn. The moment Josh saw it, his heart thundered in his chest. Why now, of all times, did the wind have to blow like this, tossing Chase’s hair, casting shadows from his lowered lashes?
His face grew hot. Josh instinctively covered his mouth with one hand. As he barely managed to stifle his ragged breathing, Chase turned his head, as if hearing it.

Their eyes met again.
Chase brought the cigarette to his lips. A red ember flared as he drew in deeply. He exhaled smoke slowly, then swept his long fingers through his tousled hair. Josh noticed those fingers trembling faintly.
Ah, Josh sighed. He should have pretended not to notice and backed away. It was too late for regret—he’d seen that face. Now he couldn’t walk away.

He knew what kind of bastard Chase was. Knew he swung punches at the slightest provocation, knew he’d spew curses the moment he opened his mouth, poisoning the air with his temperament.
And yet, Josh couldn’t leave.
Then Chase gave a faint smile. Instantly, Josh’s heart began to pound wildly. Chase’s lips parted, and the voice that followed tickled his ears like a whisper.
"Why the fuck are you still standing there? You little piece of shit."

The fluttering in Josh’s chest died instantly, replaced by a surge of anger he had to quickly suppress. There probably wasn’t a single person in the world who hadn’t been treated like shit by this man. Josh answered coolly.
"Because it’s my job to protect you."
He echoed the very words he’d once used to justify himself. Unexpectedly, Chase gave a short laugh.

"Feels like you’re some kind of dog."
It sounded like a muttered thought, but Josh knew it was meant for him. Without thinking, he responded.
"Well, since you don’t like dogs, how about a cat?"

Chase immediately frowned and glared at him. Josh quickly smiled.
"Kidding."
"……"

Of course, it didn’t land. Faced with that cold stare, Josh looked away as if he hadn’t noticed.
"……"
"……"

The muted buzz of the party and distant cheering mixed in the background, but it wasn’t nearly enough to break the silence between them.
Hoo.
Chase drew in smoke one more time, then dropped the spent cigarette on the ground. Josh quietly watched as he crushed it under his shoe. Chase pulled out his cigarette case and, with practiced ease, took another and placed it between his lips. When he held out the case toward Josh, Josh shook his head.

"No, I’m good."
Chase pulled the case back and lit his cigarette.
"Why? You used to smoke."

He asked as the flame sparked. Josh replied without thinking.
"Yeah, I did. But I quit…"
Then he stopped, startled.

In his wide-open view, Chase’s face came into focus. That sly smile and half-lidded eyes were fixed on him.
"……"
"……"

Josh stared at his face, speechless. His mind went completely blank for the first time.
He remembers me? This man… remembers?
Josh didn’t know how to process the disbelief. Chase brought the cigarette to his lips slowly. Even as he exhaled, his eyes remained locked on Josh.

"…Since when, how?"
"Who knows."
Josh barely managed to ask, but Chase just looked at him with an amused smile. Seeing the clear confusion in Josh’s expression, Chase felt a deep satisfaction. He couldn’t remember the last time something had felt so satisfying. Leisurely, he asked,

"Does it matter?"
"……"
Josh closed his mouth. He was right. It didn’t matter how or when. He was just curious.

Why did this man remember him?
As he recalled Chase moving violently above him, the scent of smoke mixed with something off—another scent buried inside the familiar one. Another Omega’s pheromones, mingling with Chase’s.
Suddenly, part of Josh’s chest went cold.

Had he messed around with someone at the party?
Considering the promiscuous lives of Extreme Alphas, it wasn’t hard to believe.
Chase Miller wouldn’t be any exception. I saw him head to the party myself.

Josh told himself it was just a reasonable deduction. And yet, his brows furrowed—not out of jealousy, but simply because Chase was so pathetic. That was all.
Josh tried to ignore him and walk away. But, of course, luck wasn’t on his side. Chase’s eyes, which had stayed fixed on him, lost focus. He furrowed his brows and let out a groan. Josh blinked in alarm.
"Mr. Miller?"

He called out quickly, but there was no answer. Chase had hunched over, clutching his head in both hands. He stomped the ground several times before falling still again—but stayed doubled over.
Is he sick?
The lit cigarette had fallen to the ground. Chase had definitely dropped it. Josh rushed toward him.

"Mr. Miller, are you alright?"
Haa, haa.
Chase’s harsh breathing shattered the quiet of the garden, louder than anything else. The party noise from the mansion and the faint cheers in the distance all seemed far away.

Between them stretched a silence whose depth couldn’t be measured. The wind passed through, rustling the leaves, louder than before.
The light from the lamp revealed Chase’s pale face—eerily reminiscent of that night when he clung to Josh, lit by moonlight. But he wasn’t defenseless like then. Tonight, he just looked… drained. Like the strength had left his body entirely.
Josh’s heart kept pounding. The dyed black hair falling over Chase’s face cast shadows. But he didn’t even try to brush it aside. Josh, without realizing it, raised his hand—then snapped out of it.

He had to get out of here. Isaac and Henry were probably watching nearby. What would they think, seeing him standing here like this, looking at Chase like that?
But before he could think of an excuse, Chase moved first. He turned away suddenly. Josh felt relief—and then a strange emptiness. But there was no time to dwell on meaningless feelings.
…Huh?

Chase staggered. He quickly caught his balance, but something was wrong. Alarmed, Josh approached him.
"Mr. Miller, are you alright?"
Shit—too late. Josh quickly looked around. No sign of anyone. Don’t tell me both Isaac and Henry left their posts.

"Mr. Miller."
He called again, a sinking feeling in his gut. Still no reply. Chase’s ragged breathing made Josh’s expression go pale.
"Mr. Miller."

Haa, haa.
Again, Josh called his name—but to Chase, the voice seemed impossibly distant. Though in reality, it was right beside him. His temples pounded, his mouth dried up, and his heartbeat rang in his ears. With dizziness and headache crashing down, he couldn’t open his eyes anymore. With a faint groan, Chase let them fall shut.
"Mr. Miller!"

Josh called again. When Chase finally opened his eyes, he saw Josh’s worried face looking down at him. The change in perspective made him realize—he had collapsed.
"Get off."
He violently shook off Josh’s hand, which had reached out to help. Josh immediately stepped back.

Chase glared at him with bloodshot eyes, then forced himself to stand—but it wasn’t a good move. Darkness fell over his vision and a heavy dizziness swept through him. He collapsed forward.
"Mr. Miller!"
His face was going to hit the ground. Even in the middle of the vertigo, Chase wondered if he should shield it—but quickly realized it didn’t matter. When he opened his eyes, Josh was holding him, supporting his head.

"Mr. Miller, should I call an ambulance? Are you alright?"
Josh asked again. Chase blinked slowly. He realized he was practically lying in Josh’s lap, half-reclined and leaning against him. But he didn’t even feel like getting up. All he could do was move his lips.
No.

"What?"
Josh ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) leaned in to catch the fading voice. His soft golden-blond hair brushed Chase’s nose, tickling him. Gritting his teeth, Chase managed to speak.
"I said no."

Josh lifted his head at the quiet word. Chase found himself staring at his face. Unfocused eyes locked onto him, making Josh both uncomfortable and concerned.
He looked around in a panic—but still, no one. He tried to contact Isaac or Henry again, but neither responded. He couldn’t deny it anymore—both were gone.
Are they fucking insane?

For once, he cursed out loud and called Mark.
"Mark, can you hear me? It’s Josh. Mark!"
[…—ing… I think…—get…]

The signal was bad. Josh swallowed his frustration and left a message before turning his full attention back to Chase.
Haa, haa. Haa, haa.
His breathing was even rougher than before. The scent of pheromones spilling from his body had thickened. Josh had a sinking feeling—and he was probably right. Chase was going into heat. The faint blush on his cheeks, the cold sweat at his temples, the labored breaths—none of it could be hidden.

If you’re gonna screw around, at least finish the job properly.
The leftover pheromones from whoever he’d been with still clung to him. Josh once again found him pathetic. But there was no time to waste. Chase’s pheromones were getting stronger. At this rate, Josh would get dragged in too. That was the one thing he absolutely couldn’t allow.
Hesitating, Josh glanced down below Chase’s waist. Just as he expected—his pants were tented.

It must be painful like this.
Even while half-conscious, Chase tried to push Josh away. His hand slipped from Josh’s shoulder. Josh caught it, looking down at him.
"Mr. Miller."

He opened his mouth as calmly as possible, as if nothing had happened, trying to reassure Chase. But it didn’t work on Chase.
“Let go, you fucking bastard.”
Chase, seething with rage, grabbed Josh’s wrist and didn’t let go, even as Josh struggled in fear and disgust. Chase raised his other fist and punched him in the face. A sharp thud rang out, but the feeling of release was fleeting.

“Mr. Miller!”
Josh shouted and quickly pulled Chase toward him, wrapping his arm around his shoulder. Chase almost slipped and hit his head on the floor, but Josh managed to catch him just in time, and instead, Chase’s face slammed into Josh’s solid shoulder. There was no pain. His whole body was burning up, and the sensations weren’t registering properly.
There was only one sensation left for Chase. Every single cell in his body was screaming. He clenched his teeth against the maddening desire. The scent of pheromones lingered at the tip of his nose.

This shouldn’t be happening.
Through the dizziness that made him want to throw up, Chase’s thoughts came faintly.
There’s no way that scent should still be lingering. Why can I still smell it so strongly?

The culprit was obvious. His brain had completely short-circuited under the stimulation of the pheromones. That had to be it. Otherwise, it made no sense for the scent to still be there—there was only this man and himself here, and this man was clearly a Beta. Chase gritted his teeth with certainty.
It must be my crazed brain still perceiving the scent even though it’s not really there. Omegas always mess with an Alpha’s head like this.
That Omega—I’ll fucking kill him.

The sound of his teeth grinding was chilling. But Josh, with Chase trembling against his shoulder and gasping for breath, wasn’t afraid. He just felt pity. How often did Extreme Alphas ever show this kind of vulnerability? Feeling a bit sorry, he thought maybe it was because this man was Chase Miller.
“Mr. Miller.”
Josh shook his head hard, struggling to push back the fog of pheromones clouding his mind, and then spoke as calmly as he could.

“I think it’d be best to drain the pheromones. It seems we don’t have time to call someone else—may I help you?”
“Help… with what?”
Chase stammered between shallow breaths. Josh hesitated, then reached out his hand, having made up his mind.

“Here.”
He deliberately grabbed the front of his pants. Chase gasped sharply and threw a punch. Even in this state, his reflexes were terrifying. But this time, Josh barely managed to dodge it.
“Ah—”

Josh couldn’t save him from falling this time, but he did manage to keep his head from hitting the ground. He quickly reached out his other hand and caught it. His own hand hit the floor in the process, but that didn’t matter. The real problem came a second later, when Chase threw another punch. This time, Josh caught it easily.
Bloodshot eyes glared at him with ferocity. A shiver ran down his spine. Josh barely suppressed the sharp breath that threatened to escape.
“Are you alright?”

Chase’s body trembled slightly at Josh’s question. He opened his mouth, unable to suppress his rage.
“You fucking… bastard, how dare you…”
“Yes, I dared to touch the client’s dick. I apologize.”

Even to his own ears, his voice didn’t sound apologetic at all. The vulgar words made it worse. But that wasn’t the point. Josh focused instead on trying to calm Chase down.
Chase’s entire body was now trembling just as much as his voice. Panting uncontrollably, he twisted his body—and Josh lost his grip.
A raw, painful groan tore from deep in Chase’s throat. Josh reached out again, but Chase shoved his hand away.

“Don’t touch me, you fucking bastard. I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you!”
He could barely form words anymore, but he still ground his teeth in pure rage. Josh tried to soothe him, but Chase was out of control.
“Get lost, get the fuck away from me! Didn’t you hear me, you piece of shit? I’ll beat you to death!”

Yelling at the top of his lungs, veins bulging in his neck, Chase tried to get up. But his body refused to cooperate. He collapsed forward, scratching at his chest and gasping for air like he was about to die. At this rate, he really might. And yet he still wouldn’t let anyone lay a finger on him. Josh finally couldn’t hold back.
“What are you going to do if the pheromones keep building and you pass out?”
The reaction was immediate. Chase’s expression hardened in a way Josh had never seen before.

…No, maybe it was the second time?
Josh suddenly remembered. The face he made that night, groaning in his sleep, looked just like this. As Chase trembled with shallow breaths, Josh pushed down the bitter feeling in his chest and spoke again, cold and calm.
“I don’t know what happened, but if you stay like this, you won’t last long. If you don’t want my help, should I go find the person who was with you earlier? Though I’m not sure we’ll make it in time.”

That was all he could suggest. The Omega scent was still present, so someone had been with him earlier—it shouldn’t be hard to find them. And probably easy to convince.
It seemed simple enough, but Chase’s reaction was completely unexpected. He bit his lip, his face pale, unable to speak. His eyes remained fixed on Josh—not glaring anymore, but trembling, like he was scared of something. Josh was taken aback.
“Mr. Miller?”

At the gentle voice, Chase flinched like he’d suddenly returned to himself. Josh wanted to give him time to choose, but not too much. The thick pheromone scent enveloping the area had been threatening Josh’s rationality for a while now. If this kept up, he might really end up climbing on top of Chase. That absolutely couldn’t happen.
As he frowned unconsciously, Chase ground his teeth and covered his eyes with both hands.
“Fuck…!”

A curse slipped out between clenched teeth. Josh looked down at Chase, now lying in the grass, and confirmed once more.
“May I drain it for you?”
Chase didn’t answer. He just bit his exposed lip with all his strength. Josh wanted to press on his jaw and make him stop, but he held back. There was no room for other thoughts. After confirming once more that no one was nearby, Josh turned his gaze back.

He swallowed dryly and brought his hand to Chase’s lower half. He still had one hand supporting Chase’s head.
Chase lay there, lip bitten, unmoving. Was he just used to being serviced?
Probably.

A hard-to-describe feeling flickered through Josh’s chest. He deliberately ignored it and reached for Chase’s belt. The clinking metal was irritatingly loud. To force his mind elsewhere, he unfastened it a bit roughly.
Chase’s harsh breathing stopped. He was holding his breath, trembling. It was pathetic, and yet Josh felt a dangerous surge of arousal. Realizing his own hand was trembling for a different reason, Josh clenched and unclenched his fist in the air.
Get a grip. Get a grip!

He intended to unbutton and unzip quickly, but the swollen bulge in front got in the way. Josh paused briefly, then pulled the zipper down in one smooth motion, his face expressionless.
“…!”
A sharp breath came from above. Chase had made the sound. The zipper had scraped him. It hadn’t been intentional, but it was unavoidable, so Josh didn’t apologize. Instead, he said something utterly unnecessary.

“I’m going to take it out.”
His tone was as dry as if he were retrieving a muffin from the fridge. But what Josh pulled from Chase’s briefs was a baguette—unbroken, full-sized.
Josh froze for a moment. He was this hard? No wonder he looked like he was in pain. While a part of him sympathized, the thought that this thing had once been inside him made Josh’s heart go cold.

But he didn’t have time to dwell on it. The hot thing in his hand felt like it would explode at any moment. Even with his relatively large hands, Josh could barely hold it. His face flushed red. The heart that had gone cold was now blazing hot.
He wanted to pop a candy into his mouth, but had no free hand. He had no choice but to grit his teeth, trying not to breathe in too much of the pheromone scent.
Chase gasped sharply like a scream. Josh flinched and instinctively looked at him.

“Ugh, ngh, ah…”
Groans slipped out through clenched teeth. Josh felt like he was tormenting him, but there was no guilt. In fact, a twisted desire to push him even further surged inside him, and Josh was startled by himself.
Barely holding back, he began slowly stroking Chase’s cock. Moans spilled from Chase’s throat like something pressing down from deep within.

“Ah… ngh… h-ha…”
His rough breaths made his whole body tremble. Though Chase had his eyes covered, Josh averted his own gaze and focused entirely on his hand. The hot, pulsing cock throbbed madly beneath his palm—the same cock that had once ruthlessly torn through him.
He stroked the thick shaft expertly, as if touching his own. The heavy penis swelled even more, taut in his grip. The flushed pink tip turned as red as Chase’s face. Josh kneaded the shaft and brushed his thumb across the parted slit.

“Ngh…!”
Chase gasped and grabbed Josh’s arm. But he couldn’t push him away—just trembled there, unable to do anything. Josh let the hand stay where it was and kept moving.
As he worked the shaft, pre-cum began to leak from the tip. Wet, shallow breaths and groans mixed from Chase’s throat.

He writhed, clutching Josh’s arm desperately, letting go, clutching again, over and over. The flushed head glistened with slick, ready to burst.
Haa… haa…
Josh’s breathing quickened. His lower body throbbed and began to grow damp. It had been years, but his body remembered that night. Josh was stunned by his body’s instinctive reaction—preparing to take Chase in again, whether he wanted to or not.

He sometimes pleasured himself, but he’d never done it for someone else. Stroking another man’s cock with his own hand had been unthinkable. Josh had never once fantasized about men.
And yet Chase’s moans, his harsh breathing, were driving him mad. The pheromones were already pushing him over the edge—and this man was going to kill him.
If he could, he would pull the hand supporting Chase’s head away and stroke himself instead. No—just that wouldn’t be enough. If he could grip both their cocks and rub them together wildly—ah, even the thought made his brain buzz.

Josh moved his hand faster. Let’s just end this now. If not, he might do something unforgivable. Right—he’d sing a song. Oh, can you see, by the dawn’s early light…
He tried to recall the anthem he’d sung countless times in the army, but unbelievably, the lyrics wouldn’t come. No joke, he must’ve sung it hundreds of times. Fuck!
Josh’s hand picked up speed. Chase, utterly lost, began screaming moans between gasps.

“Ah—ahh… ha, haah…!”
A sudden cry, and warmth flooded Josh’s hand. He realized, belatedly, that he’d been too rough—he’d squeezed him to climax.
He was about to say “Sorry,” but his gaze froze. At some point, Chase had let his hands fall from his face, lying limp on the ground, blinking dazedly. His shoulders rose and fell with ragged breaths, chest heaving rapidly.

He looked like he didn’t even understand what had just happened. Still hazy from the release, his eyes stared blankly into the distance, lips parted, panting.
Cum was splattered on his mouth. Not just there—his body, everywhere. He lay there, soaked in his own fluids, struggling to breathe. Josh thought he should clean him up—but he didn’t want to.