Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jimin stares at his laptop screen with resignation. Another rejection letter. Most of the time he doesn’t even get a response to his applications, but whenever he does it’s always the same thing.

‘We appreciate your interest and want to thank you for the time and energy you put into your application. After careful review, we must regretfully inform you that we will not be requesting further interviews with you. You are welcome to apply again in-’

He has to fight the urge to scream. Jungkook isn’t home to hear him, but they do have neighbors and the last thing they need right now is a damn noise complaint.

He can handle this. All he has to do is keep applying and someone will have to hire him eventually. Right?

Except that almost nobody wants to hire unmated omegas, which is made even more infuriating by the fact that Jimin is mated, just not to a fucking alpha. He and Jungkook have been mated since the night they left home together – over two years ago now.

Both of them come from families heavily entrenched in the less than legal happenings in Busan, the sort of families it can be incredibly dangerous to betray. The Jeon family has a massive presence in the city, controlling an overwhelming majority of the drug trade and a slew of other illegal imports – prestigious and respected by anyone with any sense.

Jimin’s own family is not nearly the powerhouse that the Jeon family is, but they have a long history of collaboration, which is a nice way of saying that the Park family does a whole lot of dirty work for the Jeon family.

Jimin and Jungkook have been dating for years – just months after Jimin’s presentation as an omega back in high school – and they expected to be mates as soon as Jungkook finally presented as an alpha. Except, that never happened.

At the late age of twenty, Jungkook finally presented… as an omega.

While it didn’t really change anything for Jimin and Jungkook, the Jeon family had to take the obvious steps for a family of their prominence, and promptly started taking bids for Jungkook’s future mate. No omega child of theirs was going to be mated to another omega. Even in this day and age, the practice was taboo. The best they could hope for was that whatever alpha Jungkook ended up mated to would want Jimin too.

But they weren’t willing to risk losing one another, so they started scheming.

They were smart, stashing away money so that they could get an apartment right away, slowly moving their belongings there, applying to school, and finding work. The whole process took a little over a month, and when the time finally came they faced their families together, hand in hand.

They were prepared for the worst.

Jimin’s own family disowned him on the spot and he was told never to set foot in their home again, or they would make sure he regretted it. (A nicer way of saying he would likely be killed on sight.) The whole affair involved a lot of screaming and several broken dishes, but Jungkook stood by his side through all of it, ready to fight if need be.

Jungkook’s family took it slightly better, though it may have helped that the bar had been set particularly low. His brother Junghyun barely said a word at the news, merely frowning and turning to their family matriarch for guidance.

Despite her reputation, Jungkook’s mother has always been much warmer with her sons than people would have expected. She set high standards for them, but she wasn’t unreasonable – and Jimin was lucky that some of that warmth had always been offered to him as well. (Probably because he and Jungkook have been attached at the hip since they were children.)

Jungkook’s mother wasn’t happy – not by a long shot, but she could have killed them (or at least Jimin) and she didn’t. There were a lot of tense words exchanged between her and Jungkook, but in the end she let the two of them go.

Her final words to them that night still echo in Jimin’s mind:

‘Jungkook is giving up his life for you, Park Jimin. You had better make sure it’s worth it.’

Jimin has tried his very best to do just that. It was easy in the beginning, when everything just fell into place. All of their planning paid off when they first arrived in Seoul, and they were both working and in college, scraping by but managing. They had got into the same art school, with the intention of pursuing their dreams. Jungkook always said that in another life, he would have been a tattoo artist, so he’s taking both business and art classes in pursuit of that.

Jimin’s own dream was to dance, something his parents humored by allowing him to take lessons so long as he treated it as a hobby and nothing more. Jimin was prepared to leave it behind in search of something more practical, but Jungkook was the one to insist that if he was allowed to chase his dream, then Jimin should do the same.

It was all so good at the start. They were both tired and stressed out sometimes, but they were pursuing their dreams together, and even though it was hard, it was working.

Jungkook landed his literal dream job about nine months ago – an internship at Special-f(x), a tattoo shop owned and operated exclusively by omegas. Amber (the owner and boss), remembered Jungkook from a trip years before when he had gotten a tattoo done there. Even knowing who he is and what sort of family he comes from, she was still okay with hiring him.

There were only two conditions: He had to stay in school, and he had to keep out of trouble.

Everything seemed perfect. Then Jimin lost his job.

He’d been working at a local cafe as a server, and while the pay wasn’t great, the owner was at least willing to employ an “unmated” omega. Jimin had to douse himself in scent blocker every day to make absolutely certain he didn’t cause even a tiny bit of trouble, but it had been a small price to pay for work that allowed him and his mate to scrape by. He didn’t even mind the work itself, really. It was relatively easy, and he managed to develop friendly relationships with some of their regular customers.

Getting fired was horrible enough on its own, but to add insult to injury, Jimin never even really found out why.

His boss called him into the office one morning, made a few vague statements about complaints filed against him, and told him to pack his things. He tried to fight it, of course – to beg for another chance – but it was no use.

Jimin turned down a couple of alphas while he worked there. It wasn’t often he was propositioned – not with how much scent blocker he wore, but there were still some jerks who got pushy. His best guess was that one of them got mad enough to make some bullshit complaints in retaliation for being rejected.

Jungkook was furious and threatened to march right down to the cafe and give the owner a piece of his mind, but Jimin had managed to talk him down. It wouldn’t get him his job back, and they didn’t need to make enemies.

They were forced to make some tough decisions.

On one income, they wouldn’t both be able to afford tuition. Jungkook needed to stay in school to keep his apprenticeship, so Jimin had to drop out. It was fine in theory. Not being in school meant more potential jobs would fit his schedule, and someone out there must be willing to hire him. Even if he couldn’t find work, once Jungkook finished his apprenticeship they would be able to afford Jimin going to school. He would give up dancing and get a degree in a field that would actually hire an “unmated” omega.

They just had to somehow make it work until then.

~~

In only a little less than six months, things have gotten desperate. Jimin dropping out of school has saved them some money, and he’s managed to find a few temporary jobs to pad their income, but it’s been over a month since he’s had any work, no matter how many applications he puts in. Jungkook is lucky enough to have his paid apprenticeship, but it doesn’t pay nearly enough for the two of them to live on.

Jimin was prepared to sign them up for food assistance two months ago, having done research online about the application process, but there was a nagging worry that always stopped him.

Is Jungkook’s mother keeping tabs on them?

It’s hard to think that she wouldn’t at least be watching her son a little. Even if Jungkook did abandon the family, it doesn’t mean that she could just stop caring about him, right? Plus, the Jeon family has a lot of enemies back in Busan. It’s unlikely that she would leave him completely unprotected, regardless of what she might have said when they left.

If she catches wind that Jimin isn’t providing for her son – that he can’t afford to even feed the two of them – will she finally show up and force Jungkook to come home?

It isn't worth the risk.

Instead, they make their money stretch however they can with coupons and careful shopping. When Jungkook isn’t around, Jimin rarely bothers making food for himself. He needs to take care of Jungkook more than he needs to eat, so he saves most of the food for when they’re together. Luckily, Amber and Jungkook’s other coworkers seem to love doting on their maknae. He’s always coming home with baked goods and containers of leftovers that he shares with Jimin.

Jungkook is well fed and taken care of, and that is what’s most important.

School is out for another few weeks, which means that Jungkook is home more right now. He works extra shifts when he’s not in school, but it still means more time that the two of them spend together – and more food they both need to eat.

“Hyung, our cupboards are literally empty,” Jungkook says from the kitchen, shaking Jimin from his thoughts and forcing him back into the real world.

Jimin climbs off the couch where they were playing games together before Jungkook got up to look for lunch. He walks up behind Jungkook, wrapping his arms around his mate and staring into the empty cupboard with him.

“I think there’s some rice and maybe a few eggs left?” Jimin says, trying to not sound too worried.

Jungkook waddles towards the fridge with Jimin still wrapped around him. He opens the door to the fridge and the sight is pretty grim. There are a few condiments, several water bottles, and a lone carton of eggs inside. When Jungkook opens the carton, there are only three eggs left inside. He opens another cupboard and there Jimin can see the nearly empty bulk bag of rice staring back at him.

“There’s enough here to make some lunch,” Jungkook says, lifting the bag out of the cupboard. “Eat with me, hyung?”

“I’ll have a little. Not very hungry.” It’s a lie, but Jimin has gotten used to the dishonesty by now.

“You know, we can probably apply for food assistance. It wouldn’t bother me,” Jungkook says.

“Would bother me.”

“Too much pride to take government help, hyung?” Jungkook’s tone is thankfully light, near joking despite the bleak reality of their near empty kitchen.

Jungkook has always been able to remain positive and lighthearted. He never seems to get discouraged about their situation, how Jimin can’t find a job, how they can’t afford to go out, having to work to just scrape by – any of it. He’s always just smiling and looking forward to the future.

Jimin loves him so fucking much.

“Something like that. I can check the account after lunch and see what we can do.”

“Okay.”

Jungkook begins preparing food, rinsing the rice and getting it into the rice cooker. With the timer set, he leads Jimin back to the couch and picks up his laptop off the coffee table.

“Gonna see if I got paid for that commission piece I finished last week.”

Jimin hums and leans his head against Jungkook’s shoulder, eyes feeling a little heavy. He’s always so tired lately, and Jungkook is warm and safe.

He’s asleep within minutes.

Jungkook gently jostles him awake some time later. “Hyung?”

“Hmm? Sorry,” Jimin says, rubbing his eyes. “Did you ask me something?”

“Were you serious about that joke you made last week?”

Jimin’s still half asleep brain draws a blank. “Uhhh... What joke did I make?”

“When I asked if you’d thought about picking pockets for some extra cash? You said you’d consider it if a good opportunity came up.”

Jimin remembers now. He’d laughed when he said it, but he hadn’t really been joking. Things are getting desperate enough – as evidenced by their bare cupboards – that he’s beginning to think the risk is worth it.

Jimin was a good thief. He probably still is, but it’s been a while since he’s practiced picking pockets. When they left their families behind, it seemed like a stupid risk to take if they didn’t need to. Thievery is all well and good when there’s very little chance of repercussion, but it’s a lot less appealing when there’s jail time on the line. At this point though...

“Why do you ask?”

Jungkook turns the laptop so Jimin can see the screen better. It looks like an email, something about a private art gallery event.

“A private showing?”

“One of my professors knows the artist and apparently got the okay for some of his students to attend the opening. Otherwise it’s a closed event, and you know what that means.”

Jimin does know what that means. “Lots of people with too much money.”

“Mhmm. We don’t have to, but if you were serious about an opportunity, this is a good one.”

“You’re allowed to bring a plus one?” Jimin asks.

Jungkook points to the bottom of the email. “Yeah, it says so right here.”

Jimin chews at his lower lip. It’s a risk. It’s a fairly big risk, but he has years of experience stealing things a lot more difficult than wallets, plus people at these sort of events are usually more concerned with the social happenings than with protecting their belongings.

He can have Jungkook help him practice with a few dry runs at home, just to make sure he’s still up to the challenge. Get the muscle memory working again and hopefully manage to pull off something that at least lets them eat for the next week.

They really need the money. He can do this.

“When is it?” Jimin asks.

“Tomorrow night.”

“Okay. Yeah, let’s do it.”

Chapter Text

The gallery is a small hole in the wall, hardly noticeable from the outside but well kept inside. Jungkook shows his student ID at the door to get them in, and then the two of them split up right away to start scouting the exits.

The art is fine, all relatively abstract pieces in muted color palettes – the sort of thing Jungkook might have something interesting to say about, but not where Jimin’s attention is tonight. Instead, he calmly walks the perimeter of the room, stopping to pretend to look at art when appropriate.

He feels nervous.

He shouldn’t – not really. Not when he’s been picking pockets since he was a child. It’s just that it’s been a couple of years now and he feels rusty, even after the couple of practice runs he’s had Jungkook help him with earlier. 

The two of them meet up again around the back of the gallery, in front of a collection of paintings of flowers in grayscale that nobody else is currently looking at.

He can’t make out Jungkook’s scent at all, which is good. They both applied a lot of scent blocker to keep from drawing any extra attention.

“Any luck?” Jimin asks.

“Back door is wired to a fire alarm,” Jungkook says. “Not a good exit unless we have no other choice. How about you?”

“No windows in the bathrooms and no stairs up to the second floor. Must only be accessible from outside.”

“Front door only then?”

Jimin nods. “Yeah, front door only.”

“What do you want me to do, hyung?”

“You just stay out of trouble. Look at some art and grab some of the free food, but try to avoid running into anyone you know. I’ll grab a couple of wallets as quick as I can and head for the exit. If I can, I’ll try to let you know when I’m leaving. Otherwise, we meet at the gas station two blocks down in thirty minutes. Understood?”

It’s a low risk plan, at least for Jungkook – which is fine with Jimin. He doesn’t intend to get caught, but if he does, he at least has a lot less to lose than Jungkook. Plus sentencing tends to be a lot gentler for omegas accused of a crime.

Hopefully, it won't come to that. They just need enough to get by, to buy some food until he can find work again.

Once they split up again, Jimin starts hunting for marks.

Apparently he really has no reason to be worried, because as soon as his mindset shifts back into work mode, he feels right at home . Lots of the women are off the table, just because dresses rarely have pockets and most of them either aren’t carrying purses, or are holding them way too close. Instead, he watches the men in the crowd.

It’s easy enough to spot a couple of wallets, especially on the guys wearing tighter pants, but that also makes it much harder to snatch without them noticing. It’s fine though. Patience is key. He’ll know his opportunity when he sees it.

Luckily it doesn’t take too long.

Jimin spots him through a small crowd gathered between them, some guy with ginger hair standing off on his own with his back turned to Jimin, staring at a painting. Not that remarkable, until he glances at the price tag of the painting and absent-mindedly pats at his jacket pocket.

And, there it is.

If there was a moment to be nervous, this should have been it. Instead, Jimin feels completely sure of himself as he works his way through the crowd and up behind his mark. The ginger haired guy is built small, probably no taller than Jimin, but he gets close enough to catch the guy's scent (a really good cinnamon spice smell that nearly makes Jimin’s mouth water) and determine that he’s obviously an alpha. 

Alpha or not, the guy doesn’t move an inch while Jimin walks past his back, slipping a careful hand into his jacket pocket and removing his wallet without a hitch. 

Like candy from a baby.

He makes his way back through the crowd of people around the center of the room, weaving in between bodies while securing his prize in the inside pocket of his own jacket. If he works fast, he can grab another couple of wallets and then make a quick exit before anyone notices they’re missing something.

He’s scanning for another mark when he spots trouble.

Jungkook is standing next to a couple of men, and one of them has a hold of his wrist. Even from this distance, Jimin can make out the lopsided grin that Jungkook always uses when he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t.

Shit .

*******

Hoseok is following Jin from painting to painting, evenly dividing his attention between Jin’s commentary on the art and keeping a watchful eye on Taehyung. Their omega is almost too close to his heat for such a public outing, but he had insisted on coming – something about a friend of his showing their work tonight. 

Really he could have made any excuse and the rest of them would have agreed.

Taehyung is a force at the best of times, but in preheat he is very adamant about what he wants. He had asked about coming to the gallery opening over lunch, and within an hour Namjoon had cleared their schedule for the day.

The four of them had doused Taehyung in scent blocker and made sure he covered up well, exposing minimal skin. Even with all of that work, it still feels wrong to have him away from the safety of home right now. They’re all on edge with how close his heat is – even Hoseok, who’s alpha instincts rarely affect him as strongly as Namjoon’s, or even Yoongi’s. And if he’s feeling on edge, poor Namjoon must be really ready to go.

They’ve already been here an hour, so with any luck they ought to be leaving soon. It will be good to bring Taehyung home and get all of that scent blocker washed off of him.

Namjoon is across the room with a protective arm secured around Taehyung’s waist, keeping him close. They all know Taehyung loves being doted on like this – loves having all of his mates drawn near with the need to protect and fuss over him – and it shows. He’s positively glowing, all warm smiles and bubbly laughs as he leans into Namjoon’s grip.

Jin leads Hoseok through the thin crowd, pausing briefly at a few pieces without comment. There aren’t too many people in the gallery with it being a mostly private opening, but there are a few students mixed in. They stand out easily in a crowd that is otherwise made up of old money and other friends of the artist.

Some professor must have pulled a few strings to get their students into the event, since Hoseok was under the impression that this showing was invite only. At least the students are more interesting than all the stuffy run of the mill rich bastards they already have to deal with in their line of work. 

They’re the sort of people Hoseok can imagine his parents would love to rub shoulders with – old money folk looking for something ‘unique’ to display in their home.

Exhausting.

Jin pauses them in front of a large painting that he seems taken with (another abstract piece, this time done in shades of green and gray), and Hoseok instinctively searches for Taehyung again. 

It takes a moment, but he eventually spots Namjoon’s blonde hair and Taehyung tucked safely into his side. It looks like the two are making their way back around towards him and Jin, and Hoseok rather hopes that it’s because they are almost ready to go home.

“What do you think about this one for my office, Hoseok-ah?” Jin asks, gesturing toward the gray and green painting.

“It’s certainly dramatic.”

“Is that a criticism?”

“Just an observation. You like it?” Hoseok asks. “It’s too big for the car but I’m sure we can have it delivered.”

Jin gives Hoseok a bright smile (honestly he’s too handsome for his own good) and then turns back to the painting. He starts saying something about how well the colors will suit his office, and Hoseok lets him explain, happy to see his mate excited.

Again, he turns his head just enough to quickly scan the room for Namjoon and Taehyung, but this time he catches movement out of the corner of his eye instead. Anyone else might have missed it, but his eyes are sharp enough to know exactly what’s happening here.

It’s one of the students, Hoseok is fairly sure. He’s a pretty thing with dark eyes, dark hair, and an air of confidence that he should not have if this is how he tries to pickpocket someone. He’s lingered too long, made himself too obvious.

By the time he bumps into them and his hand is reaching for Jin’s back pocket, Hoseok has already made him. He grab’s the boy’s wrist.

“Ah ah, very bold but not today,” Hoseok says.

He can see a brief flash of panic on the pickpocket’s face before he plasters a smile over it.

“Oh, sorry. I really need to watch where I’m going,” The boy says, (even his voice is pretty) then reaches back to rub the back of his neck with his free hand. His smile is gorgeous. It has probably gotten him out of trouble before – and for good reason – but Hoseok knows what he’s doing.

“Hoseok-ah,” Jin says, turning to look at the scene behind him. His eyes narrow immediately. “What is this?”

“ This is a pickpocket, and a poor one at that.” Hoseok lets the boy go and watches him take a step back, that smile still plastered on his face. 

Jin immediately stands taller, his eyes going wide as he steps forward. While he’s hardly a threat to anyone, he still cuts an imposing enough figure to make most people wary. “A pickpo- Do you have any idea who you’re- Hey!”

In the space of a moment, another boy practically throws himself in front of the pickpocket, glaring daggers at Jin. Hoseok should probably be focused on the more pressing issue, but it’s hard to ignore that he’s gorgeous, smaller and more delicate than the thief, with blonde hair and a nearly feral look in his eyes.

Quite the attractive pair. No scent. Definitely not alphas. They could be betas – but Hoseok doesn’t think so. No, something about them practically screams ‘omega’.

“You stay away from him,” the blonde snaps, his pretty pouting lips twisted into a snarl. He’s too small to pose much of a physical threat, but Hoseok doesn’t doubt for a moment that this boy is ready to fight if he has to.

Namjoon practically runs over to them with Taehyung in tow. “Jin, what’s going on here?”

“This young man,” Jin starts, pointing his finger at the pickpocket, “tried to steal from me!”

“All a misunderstanding, really,” the pickpocket says from behind his protector.

Jin scoffs and goes to take another step forward.

“Don’t you fucking touch him ,” the blonde growls, stepping forward as well.

Namjoon immediately looks ready to pounce, but Taehyung touches his shoulder and lets out a little whine – so quiet that Hoseok barely catches it – but it’s enough to freeze Namjoon in place while Taehyung gets between Jin and the two boys.

“Jin-hyung, relax please? I’m sure they didn’t know who they were stealing from,” Taehyung says, giving Jin his biggest (most lethal) doe eyed pout before turning to the other two. “Don’t worry, nobody is going to hurt you. We were actually just going to go get some dinner. Are you two hungry?”

All of them pause. Hoseok quirks his head to the side, unsure what he is witnessing.

“I don-... What?” the blonde sputters, body still held tense and ready for a fight.

“Have you eaten?” Taehyung asks, as if it’s the most natural thing to be concerned about. There’s a flush on his cheeks, but he doesn’t seem flustered at all, just warm and calm, smiling like – 

Oh. 

Hoseok knows that expression.

It’s the same one Taehyung gave him the day they’d met, just before asking Hoseok for his phone number and explaining that his pack would be in touch because Hoseok smelled like a potential mate.

That look has changed his entire life once already.

“Taehyung, darling, you want to buy these thieves dinner?” Jin asks. Taehyung turns and nods up at him enthusiastically, soft black hair bouncing with the force of it. Jin tilts his head in response. “Why on earth would we do that?”

“Can’t any of you smell them?” Taehyung asks, voice cracking just the slightest as his cheeks go even pinker.

Hoseok hasn’t smelled anything, and looking up at Jin he would guess that neither did he. They both lean closer, Namjoon doing the same.

“Hey, stay away!” the blonde hisses, taking a step backward, then another and giving his friend a little push toward the door.

The pickpocket doesn’t move. “Hyung, I don’t think they’re gonna hurt us,” he says, reaching up to put a hand on his protector’s shoulder.

The blonde actually seems to relax minutely; he takes a deep breath and when he exhales Hoseok can see his shoulders drop a couple inches and his jaw unclench. He eyes each of them in turn, starting with Taehyung and ending with his eyes meeting Hoseok’s and looking for some sign of aggression.

It would seem he doesn’t find anything to be wary of. For a moment, things seem to calm down, but then the blonde’s gaze drifts over Namjoon’s shoulder and his eyes go wide.

“Yeah, not yet ,” he says quietly, giving his friend another push. “We need to go.”

They all turn to look into the crowd behind them, but there isn’t anything strange. Hoseok spots Yoongi (his ginger hair stands out in the crowd) heading for them – probably having noticed the commotion – but that’s all.

Hoseok turns back towards the thieves first, and catches sight of them as they are turning to run. They shouldn’t try and chase the boys down with Taehyung so close to his heat. It will only cause a scene and the stress could trigger his heat early.

It’s pure luck that Hoseok happens to spot the corner of something white (a scrap of paper maybe) peeking out of the back pocket of the dark haired boy’s pants. Possibly a business card or something?

With quick, practiced ease, Hoseok moves forward silently and grabs hold of it just as the two boys begin running for the exit, none the wiser. 

He takes one look at his prize and smiles. Not a business card. Something better .

A student ID.

“Hey, wait!” Taehyung calls out, but the thieves don’t stop. He looks ready to give chase himself, but Jin reaches out and wraps an arm around him.

“Don’t go running off now,” Jin says. “You need to stay close.”

“But we have to find them. You don’t understand ; they smelled so good , like mates.”

“Who’s mating?” Yoongi asks, having finally reached the group. He notices Taehyung’s distress right away and instinctively moves close, reaching a hand up to ruffle the omega’s hair.

“Jin and Hobi met two omegas!” Taehyung tells Yoongi.

“Both omegas?” Hoseok asks. He had assumed as much, but without their scents it had been impossible to know for sure.

“Yeah, mated too I think,” Taehyung answers.

“One of them was attempting to steal my wallet,” Jin adds with a huff.

“ Jeon Jungkook attempted to steal your wallet, actually,” Hoseok says. He holds up the student ID card that he had lifted from the pickpocket for the group to see.

Taehyung’s face lights up and he practically lunges for Hoseok with his arms outstretched, breaking free of Jin’s grasp. “Hobi-hyung you’re the best!”

Taehyung is warm against him, and Hoseok isn’t immune to having an armful of preheat omega latched onto him and offering praise – but now is really not the time to get sidetracked. The only problem is that he’s catching a hint of Taehyung’s maple scent in the air, which means the scent blockers aren’t going to be working much longer.

They need to go.

“What is it, Yoongi?” Hoseok hears Namjoon ask.

Hoseok tears his attention away from Taehyung and looks over to see Yoongi patting himself down with a look of disbelief on his face.

“I think someone took my wallet.”

Chapter Text

While Yoongi takes care of the necessary phone calls to cancel all of his bank cards, Namjoon makes short work of herding his pack out of the gallery and into the car. It feels like his thoughts are running a mile a minute.

Mates . More mates.

There isn’t even a question in his mind about what to do. Taehyung’s nose has never been wrong before, and Namjoon knows that the omega will absolutely not take no for an answer. They have to find them.

They will find them.

First though, Namjoon needs to get the pack home. He can smell preheat on Taehyung clearly, even with all of the scent blocker they had doused him in before leaving the house. There’s only so much the products can do. Preheat omega is already a strong scent to cover, but a preheat omega who has just smelled new mates and been rejected by them? Damn near impossible.

Taehyung is curled into Namjoon’s side in the back seat, bouncing back and forth between excitement and panic every few minutes. Hoseok is on the other side of him, rubbing soothing circles into the omega’s back.

“They didn’t want me,” Taehyung whines, face buried in Namjoon’s neck taking deep breaths of all the calming sandalwood scent he is putting out.

“It’s going to be okay, pup. They just couldn’t smell you,” Namjoon soothes.

“Never wearing scent blocker again ever .”

Namjoon looks up in time to make eye contact with Jin in the rear view mirror, catching the fond smile on his mate’s face. Even just that one small moment helps Namjoon feel more at ease. If Jin can keep calm, so can Namjoon. They’re going to get through this together as a pack, just like they have gotten through everything else.

“It’s okay, Taehyungie,” Hoseok says. “We know one of their names and where he goes to school. Yoongi-hyung will be able to find them.”

Taehyung pulls away at that, head whipping around to look at Yoongi in the driver’s seat with a big smile on his face. “Really, Yoongi-hyung? You’re gonna be able to find them for us?”

“Yeah, I should be able to find them easily enough. Maybe I can get them to give back my wallet too. Assholes. Can’t believe-”

“They were desperate,” Taehyung interrupts.

“Well my wallet isn’t going to do them much good, since I only had maybe a couple thousand won in there. Everything else is just my cards and some junk I wanted to keep. What a pain.”

“How are they supposed to buy food with that?” Taehyung whines. “You should keep a little more cash on you.”

“Are you actually suggesting that I carry more cash for the people who steal my wallet ?” Yoongi tries to sound offended, but it’s clear he’s barely holding back a laugh.

Hoseok snorts. “If you would listen to me and keep your wallet somewhere safe, you would still have it, you know?”

“At least mine was in my jacket, unlike someone ,” Yoongi jokes.

“Aaish, respect your elders, Yoongi-yah,” Jin answers with mock offense.

“Unbelievable.” Hoseok gives a long, dramatic sigh. “Honestly, I can’t take either of you anywhere.”

They’ve barely made it inside the house when Taehyung latches onto Namjoon again, arms clinging almost desperately around him.

Jin steps closer right away, carding fingers through Taehyung’s hair and putting an arm around Namjoon’s shoulder. “What is it, darling?” he asks, tone gentle.

“I just realized I’m – My heat is coming and I won't have time to see them before then. They won't be here,” Taehyung answers, words coming fast and with an edge of panic.

Namjoon hadn’t thought about that yet.

Taehyung has always attached almost immediately, even when he doesn’t want to; when someone smells like a mate to him, that is simply all there is to it. When his heat demands that all of his mates be there for him, two of them will be missing.

With some luck, they should still be able to handle it so long as they keep him busy and sated, though it won't be easy. All four of them will need to be extra attentive, but even then things could still get out of hand if Taehyung starts to spiral. They’ll need to – 

Namjoon is brought back to the present by the warm press of Jin’s hand at his nape, and realizes he is starting to smell distressed himself. Luckily, he has had years to work on calming his scent, a very necessary skill for any pack alpha.

He holds Taehyung tighter, pressing his nose into soft black curls and rubbing slow circles into his back.

“We will think of something,” Namjoon says, voice low. “All of us are going to take care of you, I promise. C’mon, let’s get you inside.”

“I know. I just know it’s going to hurt when I can’t see them,” Taehyung mumbles, his normally sweet maple scent starting to go a little bitter.

There’s nothing to be gained by letting him spiral right now, not when they still need to get him fed and comfortable before his heat hits. Without missing a beat, Namjoon leans in and gives Taehyung a very gentle nip to his scent gland, teeth barely sinking into the skin – though it’s enough to draw a little whine from him as he goes limp in Namjoon’s arms.

“There you go, pup. Let me take care of you.” Namjoon presses a kiss to the faint bite mark and then scoops Taehyung into his arms.

“The couch?” Jin asks.

Namjoon nods and looks up to see Hoseok a few steps ahead of him. They part ways in the kitchen, with Hoseok offering to stay behind and grab some snacks, and Namjoon agrees with a nod. All of them know they need to feed Taehyung whatever they can manage before his heat comes, since they’ll be lucky if he manages more than a few bites of food for the duration.

Taehyung has never eaten well during his heats.

The first few times they had been unprepared, scrambling to get him to eat anything they could, trying to reason with him (which never worked) or bargain with him (which only occasionally worked). Now they always make sure to feed him up during his preheat, and keep the snacks he will actually accept during his heat close to the nest.

Years of trial and error have helped them all learn how to best care for their mates.

Taehyung is still always desperately in need of a good meal by the time his heat ends, but it’s nothing like those first few times where he could barely stand afterward, swaying on his feet and teetering on the edge of consciousness.

Jin is the next one to leave, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. “I’ll go and get us all a change of clothes.” He reaches out and brushes Taehyung’s hair back from his eyes. “Something soft for you, darling? One of the robes?”

“Want a sweater,” Taehyung mumbles, still cradled in Namjoon’s arms.

“A sweater then. I’ll be quick.” Jin gives them both a warm smile before he heads upstairs to go and gather the clothes.

Once they enter the living room, Namjoon notices that Yoongi is gone as well, but he must have just missed him running off to take care of something quick. Either way, Namjoon gets Taehyung settled on the couch with him, cuddling while they wait for the rest of their mates.

Jin and Hoseok return nearly at the same time, Jin carrying an armful of clothes, and Hoseok with a tray of food that he sets out on the coffee table.

“I brought your favorite,” Hoseok sing-songs with a pretty smile on his face. “I stopped at that bakery down the street earlier today and picked up a couple of things.”

Taehyung springs up from where he was cuddled into Namjoon and turns to look at the tray. “You brought me cupcakes!”

“ And eclairs.”

“Thank you, hyung.”  Taehyung leans forward to reach for the tray.

Before he can grab one of the desserts, Jin steps in.  “Let’s get you changed first, huh? I brought you one of your soft sweaters.”

The promise of dessert combined with likely still feeling a little floaty from the nip is more than enough to get Taehyung up and moving. Jin passes out pajamas to each of them, and by the time Namjoon has his shirt unbuttoned, Taehyung is already down to his underwear and pulling the big sweater over his head.

“Does that feel better?” Jin asks, pulling on his own pair of soft lounge pants.

“It’s gotta feel better,” Hoseok says. “Look at how cute he looks in it. You want dessert now, Taehyungie?”

Once they’re all changed and Taehyung is settled on the couch in between Hoseok and Jin (eating his second cupcake), Yoongi is still missing from the group.

“He ran to his office,” Hoseok explains when Namjoon asks if any of them have seen Yoongi.  “If you give him a little more time, I think you’ll be very happy with the result.”  There’s a knowing smile on his face, and Namjoon trusts him enough to let it go for now and focus on the rest of the pack.

He settles in next to Hoseok and they let Taehyung turn on whatever anime he is currently watching, while they take turns feeding him snacks and cuddling.

~~

They make it through two episodes before Yoongi walks into the living room, laughing when he sees the four of them on the couch.

“You guys didn’t waste any time, did you? Straight for pajamas and a cuddle pile?”

“We’ve got snacks, hyung!” Taehyung calls out with a smile. “You want a cupcake?”

Yoongi wrinkles his nose. “Nah, I’m good.”

“There’s a change of clothes for you on the chair over there if you want,” Jin offers. “I can also get you something savory to eat if you’re hungry.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Will it work?” Hoseok asks.

Yoongi nods, heading over to investigate the change of clothes Jin had brought down for him. “I just have to iron out a couple of things, but it should work, yeah.”

“What are we ironing out?” Namjoon asks.

“I’ve been working on a program in my spare time. It was originally supposed to be for our security system here, but once we opted out of having cameras inside it was kind of pointless,” Yoongi says. “It’s essentially a client for watching live feed video across devices, only I have secured the hell out of it. Encryption, rotating access keys, that sort of thing.”

Namjoon blinks a couple of times. “Okay, umm – that sounds really impressive, but I don’t know how it helps us exactly?”

“Basically,” Hoseok says, “if we can access a camera where they live, we could have a secure live feed. Taehyung would be able to at least see them during his heat.”

Taehyung grins. “Yoongi-hyung, you’re so cool! You really made a program that can do that?”

Yoongi looks down at the floor, cheeks going a little pink. “It wasn’t that hard,” he mumbles.

“It does sound impressive, but how are we going to access a camera?” Jin asks.

“We have Jeon Jungkook’s student ID,” Hoseok says. “If he’s in college, he probably has a laptop for schoolwork, and if he has a laptop it probably has a webcam.”

Namjoon raises a brow. “Okay, that’s a lot of ifs , but assuming they do have a computer with a webcam, how do we get them to let us access it?”

“Having Taehyung ask would probably be the best option, don’t you think?” Jin says. “If he explains how close to heat he is and what he needs, maybe they would be amenable?”

“We could do that,” Hoseok says. “It might even work, but there’s still the chance that they say no. Yoongi, you said it would work for video calling too, right?”

“Yeah, the capability is there.”

Hoseok smiles. “Then how about this? You find a way to initiate contact, then let Taehyung try to talk them into a video call. He gets them to install your program and has the chance to talk to them before his heat hits. It’s a win win.”

It’s not a bad plan. It could definitely work, but –

“That sounds like starting off on the wrong foot,” Namjoon says. “Violating their privacy right out the gate?”

“They violated the privacy of my pockets,” Yoongi quips. He pauses before letting out a sigh. “I guess you’re probably right though. Honesty might be the better policy.”

“But what if they say no?” Taehyung asks, voice quiet.

“Sometimes it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission,” Hoseok offers. “If we explain about Taehyung’s heat afterward, I’m sure they will understand.”

They all look to Namjoon for the final decision.

Both options have their merits, but the thought of Taehyung spending his heat in any sort of pain due to not being able to see all of his mates is not a pleasant one. They have already started off on shaky ground, considering the circumstances of their meeting…

Namjoon looks at Taehyung. “You’ll be the one talking to them. If you decide you want to ask them, you can, but I think Hoseok is right. The best chance of you being able to see them during your heat is to not ask them.”

“We will stand behind any decision you make,” Jin says, pressing a kiss to Taehyung’s temple.

“I’m going to go put the finishing touches on the program and then find a way to contact them,” Yoongi says. “I’ll have something ready by morning.”

*******

Jimin leads the way once they sprint out of the gallery, tearing through alleyways and zig zagging his way in the general direction of their apartment, while Jungkook trails just a couple steps behind him.

It doesn’t seem like they’re being followed, but they keep running for a few minutes anyways.

Jungkook had fucked up. He’d fucked up massively .

He had only wanted to help, and he’d been so sure that he would be able to get away with it too. That guy’s wallet was practically begging to be stolen and they needed the money and it wasn’t fair for Jimin to have to put himself at risk when Jungkook wasn’t and – 

Stupid stupid stupid.

That omega and his pack...

Stupid. He needs to focus on the stupid . The problem is that he can swear that he’d caught a brief whiff of the sweetest fucking scent coming from that pretty dark haired omega – like pancakes smothered in maple syrup.

Even the thought of it makes his chest feel funny. (Or maybe it’s just the unexpected cardio?)

They’ve been running long enough, and Jungkook hasn’t seen any sign that they’re being followed. “Hyung,” he calls. “I think we’re safe.”

Jimin runs a few more seconds before slowing to a stop in the middle of the deserted alleyway they’re in and turning back to look at Jungkook. His face is set in a hard line.

It’s definitely the ‘ you fucked up ’ expression.

Jimin steps right into his space, and Jungkook fully expects to get yelled at. Instead, what he gets is Jimin reaching up to brush some hair out of his face and ask, “Are you okay? Did any of them touch you?”

Jungkook’s chest goes tight at the concern. “I’m fine, hyung. Nobody touched me. I’m so sorry. I just saw that guy’s wallet and it looked so easy to take, and I know it was stupid and I should have thought it through better –”

“Yeah, you should have,” Jimin huffs. “Listen, you can’t take risks like that, okay?”

“It feels unfair to put all of the risk on you.”

“I offered to do this, Kookie. I have experience and a lot less to lose than you do.” Jimin pauses, staring right into Jungkook’s eyes, deadly serious. “Promise me you wont do anything like that again. Promise me you wont risk your education and your dream job on something so reckless .”

Fuck, Jungkook hadn’t even thought about that.

His boss, Amber-ssi knew exactly who he was when she hired him and gave him three very clear, absolutely non-negotiable rules: One, no business in the shop. (That one is easy, since Jungkook has left the business behind already). Two, stay out of trouble. Three, stay in school.

If he gets into enough trouble, the school wouldn’t hesitate to expel him, breaking rule two and rule three all at once and basically guaranteeing the loss of his dream job.

Again, stupid.

“I promise. I’m sorry, hyung; I didn’t think.”

Jimin relaxes a little, taking a deep breath. “It’s alright. We made it out okay, and as long as you don’t do it again, I’m not angry.”

“Can I ask why we ran? I really don’t think those guys were going to hurt us.”

“Maybe not the ones we were talking to, but I took this,” Jimin says, pulling a thick black wallet out of his jacket. “The guy I took it from was headed right toward us and he was looking at the rest of those guys like he knew them.”

Jungkook feels relieved. At least they didn’t end up leaving empty handed. Still, his mind keeps coming back to the confrontation with those men, and that hint of sweet maple syrup he swears he smelled.

“They were a pack, weren’t they?”

“I think so, but I was pretty focused on getting us out of there.” Jimin opens up the wallet and starts rifling through it, his expression falling.

“No good?” Jungkook asks.

“A couple thousand won, but that’s all. He’ll be canceling the cards soon, so no point in trying those unless we wanna risk being caught.” Jimin sighs, passing a few bills to Jungkook and then pocketing the wallet.

“The corner market by home should still be open,” Jungkook offers. “We could at least get some dinner?”

*******

Jimin sends Jungkook into the little store on the corner of their street while he stands outside, scanning the surrounding area for any sign that they’ve been followed. He hasn’t seen anything so far.

They had gotten lucky but still, what a fucking disaster.

With a little more time, Jimin definitely could have grabbed another couple of wallets before they would have had to bolt. Someone in there was bound to have cash on them, but it would figure that he managed to barely scrounge up enough for cheap dinner.

Now they just have to hope that those guys aren’t the type to come looking for the two of them.

They’re going to have to try something else to make a little cash tomorrow, at least enough to pick up some groceries, but right now Jimin is just so exhausted. He leans against the wall and lets his eyes slip shut for a few seconds, listening to the sound of the city around him and trying not to worry about tomorrow.

Jungkook returns soon with a little grocery bag dangling from his hand, smiling when he reaches out to take Jimin’s hand and lead him back to their apartment.

At least if his mate is still smiling, Jimin doesn’t feel like a complete failure.

Back at their apartment, Jungkook opens the bag to reveal two packets of instant noodles and a jar of peanut butter.

“They had peanut butter on sale,” Jungkook says proudly. “Cheap, easy calories and protein, plus it tastes great in noodles. If I make some now, will you eat with me, Jiminie?”

“It’s okay,” Jimin answers, already making his way toward the bedroom. “You can have them. I’m just going to lay down.”

He doesn’t even get undressed before throwing himself down on top of the covers and basking in the comfort of their bed. They had worn so much scent blocker for their outing tonight that it makes crawling into a bed that smells like both of them seem like heaven.

Once he’s nestled comfortably on top of their blankets, he pulls out the wallet he had stolen again. Maybe he had missed something? Another bill tucked away in the bottom, or even a gift card, or –

There’s nothing there.

It’s strange that there is no ID in the wallet. Jimin doesn’t usually carry one either, but that’s more a habit from his upbringing. Sometimes when you come from the sort of family he does, it’s a whole lot safer if people can’t easily tell who you are.

Maybe the owner of the wallet comes from a similar background. All three bank cards he finds in the wallet are made out to different names, and Jimin is willing to bet that none of them are that guy’s actual name.

A bust. 

At least Jungkook got dinner out of it, and Jimin will probably eat some peanut butter out of the jar in the morning too. For now he can’t do anything else, so he pulls his phone out to spend some time mindlessly scrolling.

“You okay, hyung?” Jungkook’s voice calls a few minutes later. When Jimin looks up, he finds him leaning against the doorway, slurping out of his bowl of noodles.

“Yeah, just tired. Looked through the wallet again, but I got nothing.”

“No credit cards or anything?”

“His friends will have told him what happened, so I’m sure they’re canceled by now. Not worth the risk.”

“Could we have tried them if I hadn’t gotten us caught?”

“Don’t worry about it. We might have tried it if everything else I managed to steal had been a bust too, but it would have been a risk. We’re probably better off going out to hustle pool tomorrow or something. You work in the morning, right?”

Jungkook plops down on the bed next to him. “It’s Sunday tomorrow, hyung.” 

Ugh, Jimin can barely remember what day it is anymore. He’s so tired . Concern is written all over Jungkook’s face. He only goes into work early on Wednesday and Thursday this week, so it’s obvious how far off Jimin’s internal calendar is.

“Don’t look at me like that. Eat your noodles before they go all soft,” Jimin tries to snap, but there’s no heat behind the words.

Jungkook looks into the bowl and then shakes his head. “I’m full. Do you want the rest?” He tries to hand the bowl to Jimin.

“It’s okay, you can finish it,” Jimin says, pushing it back.

Jungkook sets the bowl on the nightstand and gets up, lifting his t-shirt over his head. “I’m going to shower before bed. If you don’t want the noodles, you can throw them away.”

As soon as he hears the shower start, Jimin’s eyes lock onto the bowl. Jungkook hates noodles after they’ve been sitting out. He won't finish them even if Jimin leaves them there.

Mind made up, he practically lunges for the bowl. 

There is quite a bit left and Jimin could nearly cry as he starts to eat, his body curling in around the container like he’s trying to absorb every ounce of warmth from it too. They’re the cheapest instant noodles they can buy, but they taste incredible after a day without food.

When they’re gone, he lays back down, staring up at the ceiling with his hands resting on his stomach. He’s not full but it’s so peaceful with the shower running and no gnawing hunger turning his thoughts grim – everything feels okay. He closes his eyes.

~~~

Jimin wakes up to Jungkook unbuttoning his shirt. His touch is gentle, and Jimin can feel the heat coming from his body – still hot from the shower. He reaches up and wraps both arms around Jungkook’s neck, pulling him down until his body rests on Jimin’s.

“So warm,” Jimin sighs nosing at Jungkook’s scent gland, breathing in that fresh, crisp citrus. The scent blocking spray has washed off in the shower, and being able to smell Jungkook again is so soothing it makes him feel almost like he’s melting.

“Once you get out of those clothes, I’ll cuddle you as much as you want. These aren’t good for sleeping in, hyung.” Jungkook tries to sit up, but Jimin keeps his arms tight around him.

“Cuddles now.”

“Your shirt is scratchy.”

“Sometimes you have to suffer for the people you love, Kookie,” Jimin giggles, lips laying little kisses all over Jungkook’s neck.

“Which is exactly why you’re gonna let me get you out of those clothes and into bed.” Jungkook runs his tongue over Jimin’s neck, then bites gently over his scent gland. Jimin lets out a tiny whine and his arms go boneless, a wave of warmth spreading through his whole body. “Can barely smell you even after a nip,” Jungkook pouts.

“Is it okay? I can go get a rag if you want?” Jimin has to force himself not to slur his words, his whole body feeling almost syrupy.

“It’s okay. Lemme just undress you.”

Jungkook works quietly at the buttons on his shirt, and then his pants too. He is kinder to Jimin’s clothes than Jimin usually is, hanging his pants over the back of a chair and folding his shirt on top of them.

“You want me to run you a bath or you gonna wait until tomorrow?” Jungkook asks, standing at the foot of the bed in his boxers. 

Jimin’s eyes slide over his body, taking in the muscles and tattoos he knows by heart now. He looks healthy, and that makes Jimin so happy . No matter what’s happening or how little they have, his mate is well fed and they have a roof over their heads. He will find a way to make things right, to take care of both of them, to keep –

“Jiminie?”

His eyes snap back up to Jungkook’s face, catching that same look of concern he’d seen earlier.

“Sorry. Sleep now, bath tomorrow,” Jimin answers, trying to smile enough to wipe that look off Jungkook’s face.

It only half works.

Jungkook climbs over him, straddling his hips and leaning down to kiss him. It’s just a quick peck of their lips together before he’s moving to press tiny kisses to each of Jimin’s cheeks, his forehead, then over his nose.

“You take such good care of me, hyung,” he whispers. “It’s going to get better soon. By this time next year my apprenticeship will be over and I’ll make enough money for you to go back to school. I finished up the last piece for that set of commissions last night too, so I’ll get the other half of my payment in the next couple days.”

“Wish you didn’t have to worry about it,” Jimin mumbles, feeling tears in his eyes. He just needs to find something , some way to make enough money for them to get by. “If I hadn’t lost my-”

“Jimin, no.” Jungkook raises up to look him in the eyes. “That wasn’t your fault.”

“If I hadn’t –”

“You didn’t do anything, baby. There have always been creeps who couldn’t take no for an answer, and you shouldn’t have had to pay the price for that. The owners didn’t have your back but I do.”

“I know you do, Kookie. Just wanna take good care of you.”

“You think I don’t see everything you do for me?” Jungkook trails a hand down Jimin’s flank, fingers resting over his ribs. “How many meals have you skipped so you could feed me?”

Jimin tries to turn away, feels his face heating up. It was supposed to be his secret.

“I’m not mad. Just wanna take care of you as good as you take care of me, so please let me, okay?” Jungkook doesn’t wait for a response, just kisses him slow and sweet, tongue running over Jimin’s bottom lip until his mouth opens.

Jimin whines when their tongues meet. He can’t feel Jungkook’s hips twitch at the sound, and the way his fingers spread warm and possessive over Jimin’s waist – his grip tightening just enough for his fingernails to press little half moons into the skin. Those hands could mark Jimin up so easily. It makes him feel nearly lightheaded, and so immediately needy.

It’s almost embarrassing how fast he starts leaking slick.

Jungkook breathes in deep through his nose, breaking their kiss. “Mmm, now I can smell you again. You smell so good , hyung,” he says, nosing his way down Jimin’s neck. “Can I take care of you now? Can I make you cum?”

There’s no way Jimin can say no to that offer.

“Fuck, please.”

*******

It takes Jungkook almost no time at all to have Jimin stretched around his fingers and begging for more.

He knows Jimin’s body so well after all these years, knows exactly how to wind him up and get him begging, how to make it so good that he’s a shaking sobbing mess by the end. 

He loves all of the sounds his mate makes. 

It’s not even that Jimin is especially loud (although he can be) but more that he’s always making some sort of noise when Jungkook touches him like this. Pretty little gasps and moans, long drawn out whines when something feels nearly too good for him, and of course the begging – fuck, the begging is Jungkook’s favorite.

Jimin’s first orgasm comes quickly under Jungkook’s practiced hands – his whole body tensing up and painting white strips across his chest with a shaking cry. Jungkook wipes up all of the mess, pressing his wet fingers into Jimin’s mouth until every drop is cleaned up and then follows it with his tongue, chasing the taste.

He isn’t without mercy. He gives Jimin a few moments to recover before arranging him on all fours and pressing his fingers back inside, already eager to see his mate cum a second time.

It doesn’t take long to have him desperate again.

“Pl – ah! Please, please I want –” Jimin babbles as Jungkook rubs mercilessly over his prostate in tight little circles. 

He looks so good with his face down against the mattress and his ass up in the air, stretched pretty and pink around Jungkook’s fingers, practically dripping with slick. For all of his whining, Jimin takes it so well. He shakes and sobs and twitches, but he always takes everything Jungkook gives him.

“What do you want, baby?” Jungkook holds him in place with one hand over Jimin’s hips while he rocks three fingers back and forth inside of him. “You wanna cum again?”

“Wanna- wanna feel you, please –”

“Yeah? Want my cock inside you?” Jungkook circles his fingers a few more times, loving the way Jimin’s legs quake with tiny tremors and how he lets out a low little cry when Jungkook pulls his fingers out, leaving him empty. “Gotta ask nicely, baby,” he teases, lining himself up and sliding his cock through the mess of slick between Jimin’s cheeks.

Always so wet for him.

“Please, Kookie, want it so bad,” Jimin whines. He shoves his hips back in desperation when he feels Jungkook’s cock catch on his rim, trying so hard to get it inside of him. Adorable . “Please please please! ”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you, hyung.” 

Jungkook takes his time sliding into Jimin. He’s big for an omega, and he knows how much Jimin loves to feel himself stretch . Jungkook loves it too, loves seeing his mate take him in.

He’ll never get used to this, to how tight and warm Jimin feels around him, how well he opens up for him or how fucking stunning Jimin looks wrapped around his cock. It’s nearly overwhelming and he has to bite his lip to keep from cumming when he’s still only halfway inside.

“ God it’s – it’s so much. Want it – want it all, baby please,” Jimin babbles, rutting his hips back over and over until he’s finally taking all of Jungkook, then letting out a low mewl.

“ You beg so pretty, hyung.” Jungkook can hear the strain in his own voice. He holds Jimin in place and gives a tiny thrust, pleased at the whine it earns him. “Does that feel good?”

“So good – Need you to fuck me. You can move – Ah!”

Jungkook does move, takes his time building up to a pace that has Jimin almost wailing with every thrust and the sweet scent of vanilla thick in his nose. 

“Fuck, you look perfect on my dick, like you were fucking made for me, hyung.”

“Made- ahhh- Made for you,” Jimin echoes in between moans.

“That’s right, baby. Just for me.”

He keeps telling Jimin how pretty he looks, how good he sounds, how hot and wet and fucking tight he feels – until words fail him and he resorts to biting bruises into Jimin’s shoulders instead.

All he can taste is vanilla cream and it’s perfect .

Jimin cums with Jungkook’s teeth pressed into his skin, and it’s the hot rush of slick and the way Jimin clamps down around him that sends Jungkook tumbling over the edge as well.

They are both left breathing hard, Jungkook still pressed against Jimin’s back as they come down.

“Jungkookie, you’re so amazing,” Jimin slurs, his voice warm and fucked out and satisfied.

The words make Jungkook swell with pride.

They’ve made a mess, but he is absolutely not leaving the bed for even a moment. He sacrifices the nearest thing he can find (a t-shirt draped over the headboard) and uses it to mop up the majority of the fluid released as he pulls out.

Jimin lets out a little whine. “Stay, please?”

“Not going anywhere, baby,” Jungkook answers. He balls up the t-shirt and throws it in the general direction of their clothes basket before pulling Jimin down for cuddles.

They lay facing each other, trading little kisses back and forth between them until they settle forehead to forehead, noses barely brushing.

“Wanna be the big spoon,” Jimin whispers after a couple of minutes.

Jungkook smiles. “Anything you want, hyung.” He turns around and presses his back to Jimin’s chest, feeling arms wrap around him immediately and Jimin’s lips pressing a kiss to his neck.

“Love you Kookie.”

“Love you too Jiminie.”

Chapter Text

Jungkook wakes up early the next morning. He fully intends to roll over and continue sleeping, but he catches sight of his phone’s notification light blinking in the darkness.

When he checks the time, it’s only four in the morning but he has several texts from an unknown number.

[Unknown to Jungkook]

[unknown]: Is this Jeon Jungkook?

[unknown]: You and your boyfriend have something that’s mine.

[unknown]: I’m not angry or anything. Taehyung wanted me to find a way to contact you. He said you would remember him.

[unknown]: I was going to just give your number to him, but he’s asleep and I’ve been doing some digging.

[unknown]: When was the last time you bought actual groceries?

~

Jungkook blinks at the screen of his phone, trying to process what the hell is going on with his brain still foggy from sleep. He rereads the messages a couple of times before worry sets in.

He hasn’t given his number to anyone recently.

~

[JK]: who is taehyung and who are you

[JK]: also what do i have thats yours 

[unknown]: I’m Min Yoongi and your boyfriend took my wallet. Taehyung is the omega you met when you got caught trying to steal a wallet from another of my pack mates.

~

Oh shit. How did they find them? Are they planning to go to the police, or are they the type of people that will take matters into their own hands? Thinking about Jimin being in any sort of danger because Jungkook had gotten them caught fills him with immediate dread.

He has to fix this.

~

[JK]: shit okay look im really sorry and i can get you your wallet back

[Yoongi]: Relax. I said I wasn’t angry. I would like my wallet back but if you already ditched it, just tell me and I’ll get another one.

[JK]: no we still have it

[JK]: im sorry we were desperate

[Yoongi]: Yeah I can see that. Look, before you freak out anymore just check your bank account. I feel like it’s important that you know we want to help you.

[JK]: umm ok

~

Jungkook hurries to log into his online banking app, unsure of what to expect. 

A deposit for one million won is definitely not what he expects – but there it is, staring right back at him.

He can actually feel his brain struggling to comprehend what the fuck is even happening. After paying rent last week, their account has been bone dry for days and now there’s enough there that he has to pause and count the zeros just to be sure. None of this makes any sense.

~

[JK]: why

[JK]: why did you give us money

[Yoongi]: There are two reasons.

[JK]: im listening

[Yoongi]: First one is easy. You barely had a thousand won in that account and you don’t get paid for another week.

[JK]: how could you possibly know that

[Yoongi]: I told you, Taehyung asked me to find you. I did that, and then maybe I got a little sidetracked.

[JK]: sidetracked hacking into our bank account

[Yoongi]: This is just a reminder that you two stole my wallet.

[JK]: fair

[JK]: whats the second reason

[Yoongi]: It’s a bit weird coming from me, since I’m the only one who didn’t really meet either of you.

[JK]: weirder than us stealing your wallet and you giving us a million won

[Yoongi]: Fair.

[Yoongi]: You both apparently smell really good. Like, “we want to get to know you better” good.

~

Jungkook stares at his phone, eyes wide. He doesn’t remember any of them getting very close, and it’s not like he or Jimin were broadcasting their scent. If anything, they were trying not to be noticed. The scent blocking spray they had worn was pretty effective too, at least for the cheap kind that washes off easily with a little water.

He does remember the smell of their omega though. Even though he just caught a brief hint of it, that agonizingly sweet maple scent that had hung in his nose even after they had made their escape from the gallery. 

~

[JK]: im surprised any of you could smell us

[Yoongi]: I don’t think any of the others did. Taehyung is just close to his heat and his nose is really sensitive in the few days leading up to it.

[Yoongi]: The money has no strings attached. We want a chance to meet you two again, but you can keep the money even if you’re not interested.

[JK]: okay so its not that im not really thankful

[Yoongi]: Need some time?

[JK]: yeah this is a lot and i need to think

[Yoongi]: Of course. Take your time and talk it over with your mate. Taehyung will probably get a hold of you guys once I give him your number, but if you tell him you need space he’ll wait.

[Yoongi]: Just please buy some damn groceries.

~

Jungkook just stares at his phone for a while, reading and rereading the texts. 

Eventually he goes out to get them some breakfast, mostly because he needs some fresh air to help him think , but also to help kill some time before he has to wake Jimin up and find some way to explain all of this.

*******

Jimin is pulled out of sleep by Jungkook shaking him awake with a near manic look in his eyes. It’s enough to have him shooting up in the bed, expecting to hear that something horrible has happened. He tries to ask what’s wrong but instead of explaining, Jungkook tells him that he’s brought home breakfast.

Breakfast? How – 

Before he can ask, Jungkook is already dragging him out of bed and steering him toward the bathroom, where he leaves Jimin to take care of himself and heads back out toward the kitchen.

When Jimin joins him, he finds Jungkook pulling out a couple of plates and setting them on the table next to a big plastic bag with steam rising out the top. The leftover noodles Jimin had eaten last night had barely filled him up at all, so he’s immediately drawn to the smell of food coming from the bag.

“Kookie, how did you–”

“It’s all on my phone. Here, go ahead and eat something while you read,” Jungkook answers, pulling a styrofoam container from the bag and opening it to reveal a bunch of cooked bacon and sausage links.

Yesterday they could barely afford a pack of noodles. How did Jungkook manage this?

There must be six different containers in the bag, so much food that Jimin briefly lets himself forget about everything else in favor of helping Jungkook get the rest of them set out and opened. Inside, there are crispy fried potatoes, croissants, scrambled eggs, and a steaming pile of pancakes all looking and smelling incredible.

It’s so beautiful he could almost cry.

Once he’s filled his plate and had the first few bites, Jungkook slides his phone across the table to Jimin, a text conversation pulled up on the screen.

It takes him a couple of passes, having just woken up, but he reads and rereads the texts while he sips at a cup of coffee Jungkook puts in front of him. 

It’s all way too much to take in. That pack found them , and apparently they want to –

What? Court them? All because their omega (Jimin remembers him – the pretty one with the dark hair and the low voice who had offered them dinner) had apparently decided they smell really good?

And they have a million won in their bank account now? Just like that?

The whole thing feels like a dream, which is probably a blessing because he isn’t sure how else he could manage to figure out what they’re supposed to do in this situation. He needs to be logical here. This could be an opportunity, and it’s not every day a pack takes an interest in someone.

Maybe… Just maybe , he’s a little curious.

“So what do we do when Taehyung gets a hold of us?” Jungkook asks. He’s given Jimin lots of time to process, focusing on eating as much of the plentiful breakfast he’d picked up for them as he can. It’s more food than they really needed for one meal, but after what they’ve been through recently, Jimin doesn’t blame Jungkook for over-ordering a little. 

“We should probably at least hear him out, don’t you think? Them not turning us in for theft is something.”

“Yeah it’s something alright,” Jungkook says, pursing his lips.

“You’re thinking it too, huh?”

“That they’re our kind of people? Or at least the kind of people we used to be?”

“Mhmm. I think so too. The way they acted, the money, this Min Yoongi guy digging into our information – it all makes it seem pretty likely,” Jimin says. The signs really are too much to ignore. There’s still a chance they aren’t criminals, but it all just fits too well. Anyone else would have been at least a bit more put off by a couple of pickpockets.

“Are you worried about stepping back into that sort of life, hyung?”

Jimin isn’t. Not really. If he’s being honest, he did way better in that career path than he ever did trying to make an honest living. Still there are a couple of factors… “The thought doesn’t bother me exactly, but how about you ? What about your apprenticeship?”

“No rules about who our mates are. Did I tell you Seulgi-ssi’s mate is that arms dealer from Daegu that your mom used to work with?”

Jimin’s eyes go wide. “Bae Juhyun-ssi?! Really? When did you find that out?”

“Just last week, actually. I think Seulgi-ssi knows who I am, but she hasn’t ever asked any questions. We don’t talk about that sort of stuff really.”

Jimin raises a brow. “How did you find out it if you don’t talk about it?”

“Her mate came by the shop to pick her up while I was working,” Jungkook answers, shrugging. “I recognized her right away but she barely gave me a second glance.”

That’s a relief at least. Without the protection of Jungkook’s family, the less people that recognize them, the better. Not that Jimin doesn’t trust Amber or the omegas who work for her. Just better to be cautious than to risk running into old enemies.

Which is something else to consider.

“We’ll need to find out how well established they are,” Jimin says. “We – especially you – have way too many people who would like to see us dead for us to go stepping back into those old circles without adequate protection.”

“Yeah, we definitely don’t have the connections we used to.” Jungkook takes his phone back and points down at Jimin’s still nearly full plate. “Here, you should eat some more, hyung. After that, we should go get some groceries.”

There’s a little bit of urgency in Jungkook’s voice, and Jimin understands why. As easy as it had been for this Min Yoongi guy to drop a million won in their account, he’d be able to take it away just as fast.

Jimin eats almost mechanically, thoughts running through his head way too fast to process. At least the physical sensation helps ground him a little, though he isn’t even really all that aware of what he’s eating – just whatever he had piled onto his plate.

By the time he realizes what’s happening around him again, Jungkook is at the sink washing up the few dishes they’d made and has already put away most of the food. He must feel Jimin’s eyes on him, because he turns to look over his shoulder, giving a little smile when their eyes meet.

“You back with me, hyung? I tried to ask you a question a minute ago, but you didn’t answer so I figured maybe you just needed to zone out for a little bit. Feeling okay?”

“Sorry. I don’t think I was completely awake and this morning has been a lot,” Jimin says, standing up to help with what’s left of the dishes. “What were you asking me?”

“Was wondering if you’ve ever thought about joining a pack before? Is that something you think you would be interested in?”

It’s a good question. He hasn’t really given it a lot of thought before, to be honest.

He knows there are plenty of benefits to pack mating, but he also knows that it doesn’t work for the majority of people. He’s heard a lot of stories about jealousy ripping newly formed packs apart, but compatibility is usually the biggest issue. 

Finding one mate can be challenging enough.

But then how could anyone not fall for Jungkook? He’s so talented, so smart – so good at every fucking thing he tries to do – and very very pretty.

Jimin tries to imagine it, to anticipate how he would feel sharing his mate like that with other people.

Surprisingly it’s... 

It’s not a bad image. Actually, the thought of Jungkook being cared for by a whole pack makes something in his chest feel warm. A pack could offer safety and security for his mate, far in excess of what Jimin can offer on his own, and the thought of Jungkook being doted on like that is more appealing than he ever would have expected.

“Hyung?” Jungkook asks gently.

“Sorry, I was just… trying to imagine it, I guess. Hadn’t really thought about it before now.”

“And?”

Jimin bites at his lip. He wants to ask Jungkook his feelings before he reveals his own, but that wouldn’t be very fair. “I like the idea,” he admits, watching intently for Jungkook’s reaction.

It’s unmistakably positive.

“Really?” Jungkook says, smiling wide. “You’re not bothered by sharing?”

“Not if it’s with someone who takes good care of you. I – Are you? Bothered by sharing?”

“No, it’s the same for me. As long as they were good to you I wouldn’t mind, plus did you see them? They were all so hot and – wait, what about Min Yoongi?”

“What about him?”

“You got pretty close to him, right? Did you get a good look at him?”

Jimin can’t help but laugh. “I was a little busy with the whole stealing his wallet thing. Never really got a look at his face. He’s got pretty ginger hair though, and he’s about the same height as me.”

“Another omega?”

“No, he was definitely an alpha. What about the rest of them?”

Jungkook quirks his head. “You couldn’t tell?”

“Again, I was a little preoccupied trying to get us out of trouble. Are you telling me you were busy sniffing them instead of looking for a way out of that?”

“I was still trying to help,” Jungkook whines. “It was just hard to miss, okay? Are you ready to go get some groceries?”

“Yeah, we should,” Jimin says. Honestly, the thought of finally having their cupboards full again has him feeling almost overwhelmed with relief, so he tries to keep his focus on the conversation. “Might as well share the knowledge, at least. Tell me about them?”

Jungkook smiles as he slips on his shoes. “Sure, hyung. The pretty dark haired one who offered to buy us dinner was an omega – pretty sure Min Yoongi said his name is Taehyung. Then the blonde guy who came running over with him was definitely an alpha, and the tall, broad shouldered one who’s wallet I tried to take was a beta. The last one I’m not sure about. Couldn’t catch his scent at all, or maybe it got drowned out – hard to say.”

Jimin hums, only half processing the information. He hadn’t really given it much thought when he was imagining pack mating earlier but… Alphas. Of course a pack would have alphas.

It’s not that he doesn’t like alphas, or even really that he has a problem with them. It’s just… He’s only ever been with one alpha before and it… Well it wasn’t really the best experience.

He shakes his head at the thought. It’s been years since then. He’s definitely over it.

*******

After some discussion, they spend over a third of the money on groceries. It’s enough to fill all of their cupboards and their fridge, and Jungkook can’t wait to see Jimin put weight back on again. Watching his mate shrink in an effort to keep him fed has been so goddamn hard.

Jungkook is able to convince Jimin to relax in the bath while he puts away the groceries, and he can hear the muffled sound of music playing from down the hall. Jungkook isn’t a fan of long baths, but he is a big fan of Jimin taking them – especially the way he comes out of the bathroom looking loose-limbed, relaxed, and almost as flushed as when he’s in heat.

Jungkook smiles at the thought.

He isn’t the best cook ever, but he’s planning to try his best to make something really great for dinner to celebrate their luck – and he’s gonna make sure Jimin eats as much as he wants. Maybe he’ll even get to hand feed him some –

He hears his phone beep with an incoming message.

[Unknown to Jungkook]

[unknown]: is this jungkook? yoongi-hyung gave me your number

[JK]: yeah this is jungkook

[JK]: are you taehyung

[Tae]: yeah ヾ(•ω•`)o 

[Tae]: yoongi-hyung said you guys texted this morning

[JK]: we did

[JK]: he uh may have mentioned something about you really liking how we smell

[Tae]: thats an understatement (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

[JK]: oh

[Tae]: listen can we talk face to face?

[JK]: like you wanna meet up somewhere

[Tae]: no im way too close to my heat for that. you have a computer?

[JK]: yeah i have a laptop

~

They exchange information and Jungkook downloads the program that Taehyung tells him to get so they can set up the video call. It’s some sort of secure video call client, according to Taehyung. 

The web page is blank save for a download link. It’s a bit suspicious, at least until it prompts him for a password, a long series of numbers and letters which Taehyung texts to him. He figures if the website was going to try and infect his computer, it probably wouldn’t make him enter a password first.

Within a few minutes, they have everything ready to go.

Jungkook sets the computer up on their coffee table, and sits back on the couch to check that he is in the frame of his webcam preview. He makes sure there’s room for Jimin to join too once he’s out of the shower and then presses the call button.

Taehyung picks up almost right away.

He’s as pretty as Jungkook remembers, maybe even more so with the way his cheeks are flushed and his pupils have blown wide with his oncoming heat. He really must be close.

“Oh wow, you look handsome dressed down too,” Taehyung says. His voice is incredible, sounding deeper than it had at the gallery, more personal when it’s coming through the speakers into the otherwise quiet apartment.

Jungkook feels himself blush. “Your voice is really something.”

“Oh you like it?” Taehyung flashes a cute smile and gives a little laugh. “Where’s Jimin?”

“He was just in the bath but he should be out in a minute or two. You wanna talk to both of us?”

“I’d like to, but it doesn’t have to be this time if he’s busy.”

“Okay, hold on one sec.” Jungkook gets up to look down the hall at the bathroom. The door is open, and the light is off, so Jimin is probably in the bedroom getting dressed. “He should be done any minute now. In the meantime, do you wanna maybe tell me how you found us?”

“Oh, yeah. Hold on and I can show you,” Taehyung answers, dipping out of the view of his webcam to look for something. There’s a huge bed behind him with what looks like a nest on top of it. Jungkook feels almost like he should look away, (especially since he can feel his face heating up) but Taehyung obviously isn’t concerned about him seeing something so private.

“Are you on a video call, Kookie?” Jimin peeks around the corner, freshly dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with his hair still damp from the bath.

Jungkook nods. “With Taehyung-ssi. Can you come sit too? We just started and he’s about to show me how they found us.”

Jimin sits down on the couch and looks at the computer, blushing a little and politely averting his eyes when he sees Taehyung’s nest.

“Okay, I found it,” Taehyung says as he comes back into view for a moment before he is obscured by a card he shows to the camera. It’s Jungkook’s student ID, the one he had shown to get them into the gallery. 

He immediately knows that he is in trouble.

“Jungkook,” Jimin says slowly, eyes narrowed as Jungkook turns to face him. He knows that look. It’s the how many times have I told you look that usually means he is about to get a talking to.

“Yeah, hyung?” Jungkook answers, smiling like he doesn’t know what’s coming.

“Was your ID in your pants pocket? How many times have I told you not to keep anything important there? Do you know how easy it is –”

Jimin is cut off by the sound of Taehyung’s laughter coming from the laptop. Even his laugh is pretty, all low and enticing and full of joy.

“Hobi-hyung said the same exact thing to Jin-hyung after you two ran off. He scolded him for keeping his wallet in his back pocket.”

“What about Yoongi-ssi?” Jungkook asks.

“His wasn’t in his back pocket,” Jimin answers. “It was in his jacket.”

“Hobi-hyung said he should have kept it in the breast pocket of his shirt.”

“Your hyung knows what he’s talking about.” 

“You know, Yoongi-hyung said he never even noticed you, and he definitely would have remembered someone as pretty as you. You must be very good, Park Jimin.” 

Jimin flushes. “Thanks. I uh... It’s good to meet you under better circumstances, Taehyung-ssi.” He bows his head toward the camera and Taehyung smiles wide.

“You two don’t need to be so formal. We’re trying to court you, not offer you a job.” Taehyung lets out another little laugh. “Oh, you’re both so cute when you blush.” He quirks his head to the side, his fluffy black hair bouncing as he shifts and it’s honestly just too fucking cute. “You do know that’s what this is about right?”

“Uh Yoongi-ssi mentioned it to me when we texted earlier.”

“He said you could smell us,” Jimin says, narrowing his eyes at the screen. “What did we smell like?”

“I only really smelled you together, but...” Taehyung’s pupils visibly dilate and a little smile tugs at his mouth. Jungkook’s own mouth suddenly feels very, very dry. The way Taehyung bounces back and forth between adorable and excruciatingly hot is nearly dizzying. “Orange and vanilla, almost like a fruity cream soda.”

“Well he isn’t lying,” Jimin concedes. “Sorry, I just had to be sure.”

“It’s okay. Can’t blame you for being careful.”

A thought suddenly strikes Jungkook. “Taehyung, do you smell like maple syrup?” he asks.

Taehyung’s face splits into a wide grin at the question. “Oh my god, you did smell me! I thought the scent blockers I was wearing were too strong. Was it good? Did you like it?”

“I only just barely caught it but umm…” Jungkook flushes, remembering just how fucking much he had liked it, “Yeah. You uh – You smell really, really good.”

Taehyung’s eyelashes flutter at the compliment, lips parting just slightly and – fuck he is so obviously close to his heat and so goddamn pretty. Jungkook knows how good praise feels when your heat is just about to hit, wants to give him more compliments just to see more –

“Did you smell me too, Jimin?”

“Sorry, I didn’t smell anything. I was pretty focused on getting us out of there without getting into trouble, since someone decided to get caught.”

Taehyung huffs out a laugh before his face twists a little and he winces.

Jungkook’s eyes widen, the urge to help washing over him immediately. “Are you okay, Taehyung?”

“Are you having cramps? Do you need to go?” Jimin asks.

Taehyung pouts. “I think so, yeah. I wanted to make sure I got a chance to talk to you guys first. Will you come meet us after my heat? Are you gonna let us court you?”

Jungkook gives Jimin one last look to be sure, and he gets a nod in return. “Yeah, we’ll come meet you guys. Why don’t we start with that and then we can figure the rest out once we are all together?”

“Just let us know when your heat is over,” Jimin says. “You look ready to go under at any moment. Are your alphas coming to help you or should we text Yoongi-ssi?”

“Don’t worry, my hyungs are in the next room. I’ll talk to you guys again in a few days. Thank you for this. I’m really glad we got a chance to talk.”

“It was good to meet you, Taehyung,” Jungkook says, waving to the camera. Jimin waves too and the video feed cuts out a few seconds later.

They both just sit in silence for a minute.

“So, uh he sure is...” Jungkook trails off. He doesn’t want to push Jimin into this if he isn’t interested, so maybe saying how hot Taehyung is would be a bit too forward. Should he –

“Goddamn pretty?”

“Oh thank god,” Jungkook laughs, turning sideways and laying back to rest his head in Jimin’s lap. “I’m so glad it’s not just me. You sure are blushing a lot there, hyung. Was it seeing his nest?”

“No, or well I mean – It’s not just that,” Jimin says quietly, closing his eyes and turning his face to the side as the color creeps further onto his cheeks.

Jungkook perks up at that.

“Aww, baby what are you embarrassed about? You can tell me.”

“I just... I think I want to ruin him.”

Jungkook swears he can feel his heart skip a beat because holy fuck is that an image that he is going to be thinking about for days.

Chapter Text

Yoongi feels a little stuck.

Taehyung is in the thick of his heat now, and the live video feed from Jungkook and Jimin’s apartment has been successful in helping to calm the omega down. His body is still demanding the presence of all of his ‘mates’, but being able to see the two of them safe and secure in their home has offered some sort of middle ground.

The problem is that Taehyung hadn’t asked their permission for the cameras, and Yoongi wants to see if he can get another one up and running.

The current camera (Jungkook’s webcam) gives a pretty good angle. Jungkook seems to keep his laptop on a shelf or something at the very back of their living room, since the camera gives a full view of their couch and coffee table, plus a glimpse of their kitchen further back.

The video quality is just pretty poor.

When they aren’t directly in their living room, it can be hard to make out much in the dim evening lighting – not to mention the times where they just aren’t in the frame at all. An additional camera could offer another vantage point, more opportunity for Taehyung to get a good look at them. There’s a lot of ‘ifs’ involved in whether it would even help, but having a problem to focus on is at least moderately helpful in calming the uncertainty plaguing his thoughts.

He’s been so focused on work these last few months – to the exclusion of basically everything else. He’s taken on project after project in an attempt to not lose steam, to keep being productive, and he’d accidentally let it become his life. Again .

It happens. He’s prone to getting tunnel vision and pulling all-nighters, sometimes spending weeks buried so deep in work that he forgets the passage of time around him. It’s not like it’s the first time, but that doesn’t make it any easier to face.

When Seokjin had reminded him of Taehyung’s upcoming heat last week, it had snapped him out of the stupor and made him realize just how out of hand things had gotten. When was the last time he’d sat down for a movie with Namjoon? Or had a game night with Taehyung? Or let Hoseok drag him out dancing?

How many date nights had he cut short to get back to his computer and hunch over his keyboard working on projects that really didn’t even need to be finished?

And how is he supposed to apologize for letting things get so out of hand?

As uncertain and kind of terrifying as the prospect of expanding their pack is, maybe it’s come at just the right time. All of his mates will be so focused on Taehyung’s heat and then the possibility of courting that he can just… slide right back into spending time with them like nothing happened – like he was there and present the whole time but maybe just a little busier than usual.

Unlikely .

Yoongi shakes his head. Hoseok and Taehyung might let him pretend like nothing has happened but he’s seen the way Namjoon and Jin have been eyeing him the past few days, probably working out how to approach a conversation after Taehyung’s heat breaks. Neither of them are the type to leave something like this ignored. He’s going to have to talk about it.

But that’s a problem for future Yoongi. He can’t do anything about it now. No, right now he is going to find a way to ease the pain Taehyung is in. He’s going to contribute something. He’s going to be useful , and maybe – just maybe , it will help to make up for at least a fraction of his recent absence.

He accesses Jimin and Jungkook’s network and looks for connected devices, but only sees Jungkook’s laptop, their cell phones, and their PlayStation. None of those are of any use to him.

Jimin has to have a laptop too, right?

[Yoongi to Jungkook]

[Yoongi]: Does your boyfriend have a laptop too?

[JK]: oh hey min yoongi-ssi

[Yoongi]: Ugh stop with that. You can call me hyung.

[JK]: Attachment: Contact Card – Park Jimin

[JK]: ok text him yourself hyung

[Yoongi]: Wow. The disrespect.

~

[Yoongi to Jimin]

[unknown]: Hey, this is Park Jimin right? I’m Min Yoongi.

[Jimin]: Oh hi Min Yoongi-ssi

[Jimin]: How is Taehyung-ssi

[Yoongi]: Still in the thick of it, but Joon-ah is taking care of him right now.

[Jimin]: Is he getting plenty of fluids and food when he's able?

[Yoongi]: Yeah he’s fine. We’re all here to make sure he gets everything he needs.

[Jimin]: Oh good i'm glad he's being taken care of (●'◡'●)

[Yoongi]: Have you two had a chance to talk?

[Jimin]: Not much. Just a few minutes on that video call a couple of days ago

[Yoongi]: That’s all?

[Jimin]: Umm yeah. Why

[Yoongi]: Just that I’m surprised you are so concerned with how he’s doing.

[Jimin]: Sorry if it's weird at all! I'm sure you all take really good care of him (￣▽￣)”

[Yoongi]: It’s fine I’m not offended.

[Yoongi]: Actually it’s really nice of you.

[Jimin]: Oh good （。＾▽＾）

[Jimin]: So uh did you need anything or

[Yoongi]: You have a laptop right?

[Jimin]: Yeah

[Yoongi]: Can you turn it on for me?

[Jimin]: Sure

[Jimin]: You gonna send me the link for your program or were you just gonna handle that yourself?

[Yoongi]: How do you know that’s what I want to do?

[Jimin]: Because I’m not stupid

[Jimin]: I left Jungkook's laptop on the shelf in the living room on purpose

[Jimin]: You want to be able to see us right

~

Well shit.

Sure, they hadn’t exactly been the most subtle , but had it really been that obvious what they were angling for? And if it was that obvious, why had Jimin and Jungkook just gone along with it then? 

~

[Yoongi]: If you knew that’s what I was going to do, why did you put his laptop somewhere with a view of your whole apartment?

[Jimin]: Oh good i thought you would try to deny it

[Yoongi]: Why bother? We were going to have to ask you both for permission at some point.

[Yoongi]: We just didn’t want to risk asking before Taehyung’s heat.

[Yoongi]: You didn’t answer my question.

[Jimin]: First of all it’s not our whole apartment. You can see the living room and the kitchen. Our bedroom and bathroom are down the hall

[Jimin]: Second does it help Taehyung-ssi to be able to see us?

[Jimin]: He was so close to heat when we met and I was worried he might get distressed

[Jimin]: I don’t wanna assume but he just seemed…

[Yoongi]: Yeah it does help him to be able to see you, and yes he’s exactly as attached as you’re assuming.  Probably more, actually. 

[Yoongi]: That’s why we didn’t ask your permission. Sorry.

[Jimin]: It’s okay I get it

[Jimin]: If he attached that fast it would probably hurt to not see us during his heat

[Yoongi]: Exactly. He’s always been that way. He decides someone smells like his mate and it’s like a switch is flipped in his brain.

[Jimin]: Kookie isn't quite that bad but he does attach pretty fast

[Yoongi]: And what about you?

[Jimin]: Were you going to send me the link for your program?

~

It’s a pretty clear dismissal. Yoongi can accept that. Jimin has already been a lot more accepting and understanding than they had any right to expect. If he doesn’t want to offer up personal information right now, that’s fair.

~

[Yoongi]: I can take care of it if you prefer.

[Jimin]: Are you going to hack my computer either way (* ￣︿￣)

[Yoongi]: At some point.

[Jimin]: Fine. You deal with it then

[Jimin]: Goodnight

~

Maybe Yoongi isn’t making the best first impression, but he doesn’t want to lie to them either if he can help it. 

He does hack into Jimin’s computer (if you can even call it hacking when the security is basically nonexistent), but he gets right to work and doesn’t do any snooping beyond running a few scripts he’s developed to look for anything malicious. They don’t turn up anything weird, not that he really expected them to. More of a precaution than anything. 

With that out of the way, it’s on to his true purpose. 

When he gets his program installed and accesses the video feed, all he sees is a blank section of wall with a sticky note on it that simply reads: “Rude.”

It does actually make him laugh a little.

Jungkook’s laptop still gives the same wide look at their apartment, but Jimin isn’t in view which is a shame considering that Yoongi has yet to get a proper look at him. (He’s caught a couple of passing glances of him in the kitchen, but the video is pretty blurry at that distance.) 

Maybe he did actually go to bed? It’s already – Yoongi glances at the clock – nine pm. Some people go to bed then, right?

He leaves the video feed for Jungkook’s laptop up while he works. He has enough monitors for it not to be an issue (an understatement, considering the sheer number of monitors mounted to the wall) and he has time to kill before Taehyung will need him again – besides, it’s not like Jimin and Jungkook’s home network is gonna secure itself. 

It’s not a difficult task. Yoongi could probably do it in his sleep. It does take some time for the programs to run; time that he spends on his phone and sort of (almost entirely) watching the video feed from Jungkook’s laptop.

There isn’t much happening at first. 

Jungkook is sitting back on their couch with a controller in his hand and his eyes glued to the television. Yoongi doesn’t have a good angle to see what’s on the screen, but the view into the rest of their apartment is still interesting.

It isn’t large, but they appear to keep the place in fairly good order. Their kitchen table is clear, and so are their counters for the most part. The living room is a bit more cluttered, with little piles of books resting on shelves and end tables, a few miscellaneous clothing items strewn about, and pillows and blankets piled on one side of the couch.

It kinda reminds him of the apartment he and Namjoon had briefly shared in college, though theirs had been a lot messier.

Jungkook is on the clear side of the couch, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt with his hair pulled up into a short ponytail. He’s handsome, even looking so casual, built rather large for an omega but still having a certain delicate quality to him that Yoongi can’t help but find appealing.

He wants to see Jungkook (and Jimin) in person. He’s the only one who didn’t get to see them that night at the gallery, even though Jimin had apparently gotten close enough to snatch his wallet at some point.

Yoongi notices his programs have finished installing and starts a security scan for good measure. He’s intending to mess around on his phone for a while, but then he catches movement on the screen. Jimin hadn’t gone to bed after all, and Yoongi finally gets a proper look at him. He watches him round the corner and pause to look at whatever Jungkook is playing on the TV.

Yoongi has to suck in a breath because fuck Jimin is beautiful. He’s built smaller than Jungkook and is wearing skinny jeans and some sort of oversized sweater that practically hangs off of him, exposing part of his shoulder and the sharp jut of his collarbone.

If that wasn’t enough, the brightness on the TV. flares and illuminates the room much better, giving Yoongi a better look at Jimin’s face and god he is so screwed. Jimin should be a model because nobody else has any business having eyes like those, or fucking lips like he does and it’s practically got Yoongi’s head swimming – his eyes wandering from Jimin’s face to the pale column of his throat.

Jungkook must think something similar, because he puts the controller down and pulls Jimin into his lap. Jimin goes willingly, a big smile on his stupidly gorgeous face while he nestles in between Jungkook’s legs, leaning his back against his chest.

Yoongi buries his face in his hands, rubbing at his eyes. Why do they look so good like that? Why is his heart beating so fast just seeing them cuddled up together? This is so dumb. How can he feel this affected when he hasn’t even met these two in person?

He gives himself a moment and then tries to focus on work again. There are still things he needs to take care of and information he needs to hunt down for Seokjin.

The fact that Jimin and Jungkook stay nearly motionless cuddling on their couch is helpful.  Much less distracting.

After a few hours of work, he sees movement on the video feed again. The two had mostly been cuddled up and taking turns playing their game, but now he sees Jungkook standing up with Jimin held in his arms and – shit is Jimin that light or is Jungkook that strong?

Fuck, why is that hot?

Jungkook sets Jimin down on the couch and leans in to kiss him before eventually disappearing down the hallway. Jimin picks up the controller like he’s going to keep playing, but sets it down a moment later and follows Jungkook down the hall.

When a pair of arms snake around Yoongi’s shoulders he nearly launches out of his chair, kept in place only by the grip tightening to keep him there.

“So jumpy, hyung.” Hoseok’s voice says from behind him.

Yoongi relaxes a little once he knows who it is. “You know I hate when you sneak up on me like that.”

“Have to keep my skills sharp somehow.” Hoseok presses a kiss to Yoongi’s cheek. “Hard at work?”

“Something like that. Looking into that family Seokjin-hyung has been working with.”

“And?”

“You were right. The niece got the lion’s share of the inheritance.”

“Yeah?” Hoseok says, his hands moving to Yoongi’s shoulders and starting to rub at the tense muscles. “Is she being smart with it?” Yoongi has to fight a little to stay focused. Hoseok is far too good with his hands, and after several years together he knows exactly where Yoongi carries his tension.

“Moving it to offshore accounts mostly. Cleared some debts, but otherwise isn’t spending too much,” Yoongi says, letting his shoulders slump a little. He hadn’t realized how tense he was – not that he was ever good at recognizing that, a habit that drives Seokjin crazy.

“Sounds like she’s going to be good for the money after all. Jinnie will be so pleased.”

“He should be. This has been in the works for – fuck ,” Yoongi groans when Hoseok rubs his thumbs hard up the back of his neck on either side of his spine. “You don’t have to do this, you know?”

“I disagree. You’re especially tense tonight and besides, you like it.” Hoseok rumbles the words right next to Yoongi’s ear and it makes him shiver. “What’s got you so worked up?”

“I thought I was always tense, according to you?”

“You usually are. But I can tell when you’re flustered, and you’re definitely flustered. Is it the two omegas? Looks like they went to bed, which is a shame since TaeTae can’t see them in there,” Hoseok says, still rubbing at Yoongi’s shoulders before leaning over one of them and looking closer at the monitors. “Oh? Looks like one of them is coming back out.”

On the screen, Jimin emerges from the hallway and sits back down on the couch. He grabs the controller and a blanket from the other end of the couch, then turns and gives a very pointed look to the camera and mouthing what looks like ‘you’re welcome’.

“What’s that about?” Hoseok asks.

“If I had to guess...” Yoongi pulls up another window on a different monitor and brings up Jimin’s webcam feed again. It’s pretty dark in the bedroom, but he can just make out what must be the back of Jungkook’s head where he lays asleep in bed.

“Oh, did you ask them to do that?”

“No. They just... Fuck they really seems to care about Taehyung.”

Hoseok presses into Yoongi’s shoulders again. “Relax, I can feel you tensing up. Does it bother you that they care?”

“No.” Yoongi answers almost before Hoseok can finish the question. Too quick.

He can feel Hoseok freeze behind him. A bad sign.

“ Oh? ” Hoseok says, pulling back and spinning Yoongi’s chair around so he can smirk at him. “It doesn’t bother you at all does it? You like it, a lot .”

“You like when one of us takes care of Taehyung too. Don’t act like I’m weird for it.”

“I mean, that’s definitely true,” Hoseok says. “I do find it endearing to think they might care that much even though they barely know him. It’s just that you usually take longer to warm up to people than this.”

Hoseok is right. It’s weird. Yoongi knows it’s weird and yet –

“Whatever,” he mumbles, turning his chair back around and glancing up to see Jungkook still asleep and Jimin still wrapped in his blanket playing games on the couch. “Did you need something or is this a social visit?”

“You say that like it has to be one or the other. Taehyungie is gonna need you soon, but I also wanted to come see how you were doing. You about ready to take a break?”

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a few minutes,” Yoongi answers, fingers tapping away on his keyboard setting up some programs to run while he’s away.

“I’ll let Jinnie and Joonie know you’re coming.”

Hoseok leaves and Yoongi makes it all of two minutes before he pulls out his phone.

[Yoongi to Jimin]

[Yoongi]: Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.

~

He sees Jimin get the text on the monitor and turn to stick his tongue out toward the camera (hell, why is he so goddamn pretty) before replying.

~

[Jimin]: You’re right

[Jimin]: But I talked to Kookie and we want to help Taehyung

~

Yoongi can feel his heart beat faster in his chest. They’ve had maybe twenty minutes of interaction with Taehyung, and yet they care . 

It’s absolutely ridiculous and he is so weak for it.

*******

Namjoon wakes feeling surprisingly well rested, his body curled around Jin, who is in turn holding Taehyung. He’s definitely sore after days of looking after their omega, though the rest of the pack contributed their fair share as well.

Taehyung’s heat broke yesterday, early in the evening. As soon as he was lucid, he had wanted to try and get a meeting set up with Jimin and Jungkook, but they had all needed to sleep and recover. Jin had done the majority of the work in getting Taehyung settled into bed with a combination of several nips and hand feeding whatever snacks the fussy omega would accept. Thankfully it was enough for them all to manage some sleep.

Jin is such a good mate.

Namjoon pulls the beta closer, breathing in his soothing minty scent and pressing kisses into the scars of his claiming bites. It’s satisfying to drag his tongue over the evidence of their bond, to taste how Jin’s scent goes sweeter for him even in his sleep.

Sunlight is streaming in through the bedroom window, so it must be at least late morning by now. He needs to check on Yoongi and Hoseok and make sure they are prepared for whatever sort of meeting Taehyung sets up, because as soon as the omega wakes up he is going to be unstoppable.

To do that, he needs to get out of bed.

First, he spends a couple more minutes mouthing at Jin’s scent gland. The beta starts to stir slightly at the attention, head tilting to offer up even more of his throat. Namjoon doesn’t turn down that invitation. 

Taehyung still smells like him and now so does Jin, but he can feel the itching need to scent his other two mates as well.

He knows it’s mostly nerves driving his instincts into overdrive. With Taehyung’s heat over, things are going to start to change for all of them. They haven’t courted a new mate since Hoseok, and they’ve never courted an omega as a pack – let alone two omegas. (Beautiful omegas too, though Namjoon is trying very hard not to start getting attached before they’ve properly met.)

It’s exciting, but it’s also uncertain.

“Gonna go check on the others,” he whispers in Jin’s ear. The beta hums in response and curls closer to Taehyung, pressing his nose into soft black hair.

When Namjoon makes his way down into the dining room, he finds Hoseok sitting at the table and scrolling on his phone. It doesn’t look like he’s been up long, still dressed in his pajamas with his brown hair sticking up in several spots.

“Morning, Joonie,” Hoseok calls when he spots him.

“Morning. Yoongi up too?”

Hoseok nods. “In the kitchen making us all breakfast. I offered to help clean while he cooks, but he’s a little grouchy this morning.”

“It is pretty early for him.”

Hoseok only laughs and accepts Namjoon’s arms wrapping around him from behind. Namjoon seeks out his scent gland and presses his mouth over the two claiming bites on one side until he can catch a taste of his mate’s rich coffee scent.

He’s lucky, he knows. Hoseok hides his scent entirely almost all of the time, but he’s always willing to indulge Namjoon when he asks, verbally or like this – by scenting him.

“Feeling possessive this morning, Joon?” Hoseok teases, tilting his head to accommodate Namjoon’s mouth, allowing himself to be scented thoroughly.

“Once Taehyung wakes up he’s going to be on the warpath,” Namjoon mutters into his neck. “Pretty sure Jin-hyung had to nip him four times last night to get him to bed.”

Hoseok hums. “Four huh? He’s really excited isn’t he? Was it like this when I met you guys?”

It’s been a couple of years now, but Namjoon remembers it well. Taehyung had met Hoseok on a job and came home absolutely beaming, tearing through the house to tell everyone he’d found them a new mate.

It had been chaos.

“It was almost worse when we met you. With his heat so close this time, we’ve had a few days to adjust to the idea of growing the pack but when he found you we were meeting up within hours.”

“But it’s given you more opportunity to worry this time, hasn’t it?”

Before Namjoon can answer, Yoongi enters the dining room with three steaming bowls on a tray. “Is Namjoon-ah feeling possessive this morning?” Yoongi asks when he sees the two of them still standing so close together.

“More nervous, I think,” Hoseok answers.

Namjoon lets go of Hoseok and stands up straight. “Not nervous, just... It’s been a long time since we’ve courted anyone.” 

Yoongi and Hoseok exchange a knowing glance.

“Nervous,” Yoongi says, setting down the bowls with a sigh. “Come here and do what you need to do before your breakfast gets cold.” He holds both arms open and Namjoon doesn’t even bother pretending it isn’t what he wants.

Yoongi feels good in his arms, small and warm from standing over the stove and already tilting his head to bare his throat. It makes warmth bloom in Namjoon’s chest to see his mate so willingly offer himself. They haven’t been scenting as often lately, with Yoongi all wrapped up in work. (Something that Namjoon will need to address soon, but for now he just lets himself enjoy this.)

“Thank you for breakfast, Yoongs,” Namjoon mumbles against his neck. He has to pull slightly at Yoongi’s hoodie to get to the skin, but his scent is worth it. The familiar smell of warm cinnamon is immediately comforting, but today there is a hint of sweetness to it that has Namjoon breathing in deeply and letting his teeth graze over Yoongi’s scent gland.

“Hey, I thought you just wanted to scent me.”

“You smell sweet. Did someone take good care of you this morning?” Namjoon asks, reaching up to run his fingers through Yoongi’s pretty ginger hair. He’s grown a bit attached to how long Yoongi has let it grow, likes how it feels in his hands.

“Oh my – No, I just woke up. Get off of me and eat your breakfast,” Yoongi grumbles. He pushes Namjoon away and sits down at the table.

“Is it your new crush that’s got you smelling sweet?” Hoseok asks, smiling at Yoongi from under his lashes. “I haven’t seen you give anyone heart eyes that big since you watched Taehyung look after Jin when he was sick last year.”

“You shut up,” Yoongi says, pointing his chopsticks at Hoseok. Before Namjoon can speak, Yoongi turns to give him a hard look as well. “If you say one more word to me before you eat your breakfast, I will go eat in my damn office.”

Hoseok raises both hands in surrender and Namjoon decides to listen as well, sitting down in front of his bowl of fried rice and digging in. It’s delicious; full of eggs, green onion, and some kind of spicy chicken. Yoongi’s cooking is always so good and Namjoon is eternally thankful since his own is terrible.

“This is really good. Thanks for cooking for us, hyung,” Namjoon says.

“It really is,” Hoseok agrees.

“I figured you’d be tired after the end of Taehyung’s heat. There’s more for him and Jin-hyung on the stove whenever they get up too.”

The three of them eat in companionable (not at all threatened) silence, aside from a few compliments about the food. Namjoon finishes first and can’t contain his curiosity anymore. Yoongi tends to avoid talking about his feelings especially when he’s being pressed on them, but things are about to change for their pack and it feels important to try and gauge what his mates are feeling.

“So are you going to tell me about your crush?” Namjoon asks quietly. He keeps his gaze soft and tries not to make it sound too important, just a simple question.

Yoongi frowns down at his bowl. “I don’t see why we’re making a big deal out of this. We’re going to court them, aren’t we?”

“If they let us, yeah,” Hoseok answers. “It’s just that you’re usually a lot more wary of new people, but you seem like you’ve attached pretty quick to them.”

Hoseok makes a good point. Yoongi usually takes a while to warm up to people – something Namjoon knows both from personal experience and from observation. Yoongi had not liked him much when they first met. It was a slow, difficult climb toward friendship, but once Namjoon had worked his way past Yoongi’s walls, he was rewarded with one of the most caring and loyal friends he’d ever had (and eventually an incredible mate as well).

Taehyung and Jin took a while to win Yoongi over too, though their relationships were much less antagonistic than his and Namjoon’s had been at the start. Still, it just takes Yoongi a while to start openly showing affection. He was the last one to put a claiming bite on all of them – he even wore Namjoon’s for months before returning the favor, which was especially strange for an alpha.

Things had been different with Hoseok.

Those two seemed to click right from the start, even if Yoongi tried to fight it a little in the beginning. Namjoon still isn’t exactly sure what it is that makes their relationship so different, but whatever it is they seem to be on the same page about it and that’s more than good enough for him. It pleases him so much to know that his mates have strong bonds.

“Maybe it’s because I haven’t met them yet? I’m sure they’re as annoying in person as the rest of you are,” Yoongi says, but there’s no heat behind his words.

Namjoon smiles. “Considering that you love all of us, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.” 

Yoongi shoves another bite of food into his mouth, ignoring the comment.

It’s not that Yoongi isn’t romantic. It’s just that his first line of defense when he’s feeling at all on edge is to get prickly and push people away, but after years together, they all know that it’s just an act he puts on. Underneath all of the bluster and complaints, Yoongi is a devoted mate who cares deeply for all of them.

Regardless, he is definitely worked up about something. It could just be the knowledge that things are about to change for them, but Namjoon feels like it might be more than that. He’s known Yoongi the longest out of any of them and this doesn’t seem like the kind of defensive he gets when he’s just nervous about change. More than likely, it’s got a lot to do with how aggressively he’s thrown himself into his work lately.

Something to keep an eye on, especially in combination with him being on board to court new mates so quickly. Maybe he can get Yoongi alone later and try to get him to talk.

Hoseok goes to take another bite of his breakfast but freezes, nostrils flaring. He’s got the keenest nose of all of the alphas, almost a match for Jin. After a deep breath in, his face cracks into a smile. “He’s out of bed. Should we be worried?”

“Absolutely,” Namjoon answers with a smile.

Moments later they can hear the sound of Taehyung’s bare feet sprinting down the stairs, and then he’s bursting into the dining room with his hair still messed up from sleep, covered only by one of the soft silk robes Jin had purchased for him. He’s stunning, covered in pretty bruises and bite marks made during his heat, looking so obviously theirs that it makes Namjoon’s chest swell with pride.

“This is not a drill! We are meeting Jungkook and Jimin tonight; if you had plans, cancel them.” He stops at the head of the table and plants both hands on the surface, looking at the three of them. “We didn’t have plans, right? What day is it?”

“It’s Thursday. Now open up,” Yoongi answers, lifting a bite of food up to Taehyung’s mouth where he accepts it immediately.

It’s obvious that the omega is trying to hurry up and finish chewing so he can keep talking, but Namjoon can see the moment he slows down and actually tastes the food. The poor thing hasn’t had a real meal since his heat started, considering that even getting him to eat a few snacks in his lucid moments is a challenge. His eyes close and he goes still while he chews and swallows.

Taehyung’s eyes flutter back open, pretty and dark. “Yoongi-hyung did you cook? It’s so good!”

“There’s enough for you and Jin-hyung in the kitchen,” Yoongi says.

“You should get something to eat right away,” Namjoon says. “You haven’t had a proper meal in days and it won't do for you to be running around on empty.”

“Okay I will, but first please tell me we don’t have any plans,” Taehyung answers, tipping his head downward so he can give Namjoon puppy dog eyes through his thick dark lashes.

It’s unnecessary, but Taehyung doesn’t know that. 

“Nothing that can’t be rescheduled. When are we meeting them?”

“Seven o’clock at Borahae.”

Ah, he should have guessed they would be meeting at Jin’s restaurant. Jin technically owns quite a few businesses. Several of them are just there to launder the money their operation brings in, but others are wrapped up in his family ties, or to diversify their investments – though honestly Namjoon doesn’t really understand a lot of it. He leaves most of the financial intricacies involved in covering their tracks to Jin.

While they do still launder some money through Borahae, it’s mostly a passion project for Jin and a place to engage with his love for food. He’s always so pleased after adding something new to the menu or reworking a dish around seasonal ingredients. He’s probably looking forward to being able to bring them all there again, not to mention getting the opinion of their guests.

“Did you two already let them know we’re coming?” Namjoon asks.

“Jin-hyung is calling right now to make sure they have the back room ready for us. Everyone needs to dress nice but not too over the top, and no scent blockers. I asked them not to wear any either.”

“God, I forgot how forward you are,” Yoongi groans.

“Would you rather spend weeks or months courting without even knowing if you have scent compatibility? That’s so old fashioned,” Taehyung says with a wave of his hand. “Besides, they agreed so I don’t see what the issue is.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Hoseok says, smiling. “Saves time and lets them know we’re serious right from the start. Plus, I want a chance to smell whatever Taehyungie found so irresistible.”

Taehyung grins. “You’re gonna love it, Hobi-hyung. It’s almost like orange cream soda, or maybe lemon – something citrus either way – and then a splash of vanilla. It’s really good .”

Even Taehyung’s description nearly has Namjoon’s mouth watering. He can’t wait to experience it firsthand. If they smell even half as good as they look, they might all be in trouble.

“Oh, that does sound good,” Hoseok says. “Don’t you think so Yoongi-hyung?”

“Yeah, probably,” Yoongi mumbles, face a little pink as he stands up from the table. “Guess we’ll find out later. For now I should get back to work.”

“Wait, hyung,” Taehyung whines, grabbing at Yoongi’s arm and pouting.

Yoongi stops immediately. “Something wrong?”

“Aren’t you excited? You believe me, right – that they smell like mates?”

Namjoon can’t resist the opportunity to tease, wiggling his eyebrows in Yoongi’s direction. “Oh, he definitely –”

“One more word, Namjoon-ah, and I swear,” Yoongi interrupts, glaring. After a couple of seconds he turns back to Taehyung with a sigh and reaches up to ruffle his hair. “Yeah, I believe you. It’s not like you’ve ever been wrong before.”

“And you’re excited?” Taehyung asks.

Yoongi shrugs. “Yeah, I guess. I just have a few things I need to get done before we have to get ready though.” With that, he gives Taehyung a quick peck on the cheek and makes a beeline out of the dining room.

“You know,” Hoseok says, “in Yoongi-language, that was basically him saying he’s over the moon about getting to meet them.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing,” Taehyung says, sliding into the chair beside Hoseok and leaning in close enough for the alpha to put his arm around him. “We just have to make sure he doesn’t work so hard that he forgets about dinner.”

“Don’t worry, baby. He wont forget,” Namjoon says. (He will make sure of it.) “Let’s get you something to eat, huh?”

Chapter Text

Seokjin is enjoying the excitement of preparing for their meeting more than he probably should. Namjoon and Yoongi have both been uneasy all day, while Taehyung and Hoseok are both obviously excited. There are so many things to help coordinate to keep his mates relaxed and Seokjin feels in his element darting from room to room assisting them.

Taehyung asks for help choosing an outfit right after breakfast (or rather lunch, considering the time), modeling several choices for Seokjin. 

They are in Taehyung’s closet, though it feels wrong to call it that with it being an entire room. The omega loves collecting clothing and the rest of the pack (Seokjin included) love to spoil him. Namjoon rarely leaves the house without returning with some sort of gift in hand, and Seokjin is partial to spending hours on shopping trips with Taehyung. (His own closet is quite respectable, if not nearly as grand as Taehyung’s.)

“I feel like the suit is too intimidating,” Taehyung whines, fussing with his tie in the full length mirror before turning back to Seokjin. It’s the fourth outfit so far, and while Seokjin has always adored how striking Taehyung is in a suit and tie, he is inclined to agree with the assessment.

“Maybe something a little more relaxed?”

“I wanted to wear the new black turtleneck, but I don’t wanna cover my scent gland.” The omega lets out a heavy sigh, picking up the offending garment and tossing it over his shoulder dramatically.

“I can smell you just fine when you wear that,” Seokjin comments, but Taehyung is already rifling through a different rack of clothes, pushing aside hangers one by one at a rapid pace. Seokjin is content to let him keep going for as long as he needs. The process is important for Taehyung, and he’ll be much calmer once he has an outfit picked out and can focus the rest of his energy on showering and getting ready.

Eventually the movement of hangers stops.

“Did you find something, darling?”

Taehyung turns to face him with a huge bright smile. “Yeah, I think I found the perfect thing! No peeking.”

Seokjin waits patiently with his eyes closed until Taehyung tells him to look, and wow . He’s wearing all black, an almost shimmery button down (with the top two buttons left open) tucked into black slacks that he looks nearly poured into, and a blazer that nips in perfectly at his waist.

He can’t stop himself from reaching out to pull Taehyung into his lap. If he hadn’t just spent the last few days fucking the omega over and over through his heat, Seokjin would be powerless to resist the urge to have him again now, but instead he noses at the Taehyung’s scent gland before sucking another mark into the skin, joining the mess of hickeys already adorning his neck.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Taehyung hums. He goes nearly limp in Seokjin’s arms, always eager to be marked up by any of his mates.

“You look irresistible.”

~~

Seokjin finds Namjoon in his office next, making a phone call while leaning back against the edge of his big wooden desk. The line of tension in his mate’s body is unmistakable – he will undoubtedly have a backache later – and Seokjin has half a mind to send him downstairs to see if Hoseok could help work some of that out.

Instead, he walks up to Namjoon’s desk and sits down in his big comfortable chair, popping his feet up on the desk to nudge at Namjoon. The alpha gives him a quick smile and rests a hand on Seokjin’s ankle.

His usual sandalwood scent has gone a little bitter with worry. It’s not something Namjoon would allow the others to smell on most occasions, preferring to keep his scent calm for the rest of the pack – but it’s different with Seokjin.

Namjoon trusts him with his worries, trusts him to occasionally help shoulder some of the demands of leadership.

“Yes, I am aware that the shipment has been delayed.” Namjoon’s tone is low, almost threatening, and Seokjin does not envy whoever is on the receiving end of it. “Nothing is going to change that fact now, so I need you to prepare to expedite things when it does arrive. I want as little delay as possible, understood? I suggest that you figure something out. I will call you tomorrow.”

“Everything alright?” Seokjin asks once Namjoon ends the call.

“It’s going to be fine. More delays with the shipments coming from Japan but what else is new? Hongjoong and his crew have always operated on their own schedule.” Namjoon pauses and lets out a sigh, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

“They are the best at what they do. If there is a delay, it’s very likely a necessity,” Seokjin offers. It’s true – Hongjoong and his boys have never let them down, no matter what the job. They’ve transported incredibly valuable goods nearly halfway across the world for them before and never given them reason to doubt their professionalism.

“You’re right. It’s just...” Namjoon trails off with a sigh.

“Delayed shipments aren’t what’s bothering you.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m bothered.”

Unlikely.

“Then tell me what you’re feeling, Joon-ah.”

Namjoon takes a couple of seconds to think before he speaks. “Taehyung is obviously excited. He seems just as sure as he was about the rest of us. Hoseok is taking the news well, even being the newest member of the pack. Yoongi is clearly interested, and I’m fairly certain you are as well?”

“I am.” Seokjin smiles, shaking his head. “However, I do have to point out that none of those statements told me anything about how you are feeling.”

Namjoon opens his mouth to speak, then closes it and clicks his tongue instead. When he does speak again, his voice is quieter. “Do you remember what it was like before Hoseok lived here?”

Ah . That makes sense.

The months they had spent courting Hoseok had been the most difficult on their pack leader, with all of his alpha instincts demanding to have his entire pack where he could make sure they were safe. Frequent texting and an active group chat where everyone checked in regularly had helped, but it wasn’t the same as having everyone physically close.

They had each made a habit of dropping in to spend time with Hoseok when they were in the area for work as well, and that had created further tension with even less of the pack being home at any given time. 

Obviously it had all been very worth it, and Seokjin knows that Namjoon would do it all again ten times over to keep Hoseok with them, but he understands the apprehension. Hoseok is an alpha after all, and Namjoon’s protective instincts towards his fellow alphas are marginally less intense than with Taehyung.

It’s different with Seokjin.

He’s happy to be the member of the pack that Namjoon has the least protective anxiety over. He knows that his mate loves him just as fiercely as the others, but it seems to be easier for Namjoon to relax when Seokjin is out of the house, always trusting the beta to take care of himself and return home safely.

That will not be the case with the omegas.

“Come here, darling,” Seokjin says quietly, standing up to pull Namjoon into his arms. The alpha comes willingly and Seokjin feels a sense of pride, his beta instincts immensely satisfied by their leader allowing him to provide comfort in this way. “I do remember what it was like when we were apart. There were times it was incredibly stressful, especially for you.”

“Knowing us could be dangerous for them,” Namjoon whispers. “I know there will be days where the worry tears me up inside until I have to rush over to check on them like some sort of stereotypical meat-head alpha.”

Seokjin hugs him tighter. “The desire to protect your pack is not “meat-head” behavior, in my opinion.”

“Feels that way in my head sometimes.”

“That’s what you need me around for, to remind you that not everything you think in that big huge brain of yours is correct. My dashing good looks are just a bonus.”

“Awfully handsome for them to just be a bonus,” Namjoon counters. After another few moments, he lets out a sigh. “I do want this, you know? I believe Taehyung and a part of me is really excited too, but it’s just – I know it’s going to be hard.”

There it is. Namjoon is finally talking about how he actually feels. He has a habit of getting his emotions so wrapped up in the health and happiness of the pack that he sometimes needs time to really dig down to his own feelings. Though when he does get around to expressing himself, his honesty is always something Seokjin can count on – a quality of Namjoon’s that he loves dearly.

“It probably will be hard sometimes, yes.”

“We haven’t even officially asked to court them yet. I’m trying to stay objective, to make sure we do this right and I don’t get too swept up in my feelings to lead effectively, but there’s just so much to think about.”

Seokjin rubs one hand up and down Namjoon’s back and presses a kiss into his blonde hair. “I have never found your leadership to be lacking, Namjoon-ah. I believe in you completely, and I’ll be right behind you every step of the way.”

“Thank you,” Namjoon whispers, uncertainty still clinging to his voice.

Not quite a resounding success yet, but Seokjin knows something that will lift his mate’s spirits. “You know, Yoongi told me last night that they seem very receptive to the idea of the cameras.”

“Really?” Namjoon asks, his face still pressed against Seokjin’s chest.

“Mhmm. You know the camera in the bedroom at night? Apparently that was Park Jimin’s idea, so that Taehyung-ah could see them even at night if he needed to.” That seems to do the trick. Namjoon starts to lean heavier into Seokjin, finally letting some of the tension out of his body. “Those cameras and all of us having Yoongi’s program on our phones mean we should almost always be able to see each other if we need to.”

“You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s going to be okay.”

“It’s okay to still be nervous, Joon-ah,” Seokjin says, reaching up to ruffle the alpha’s hair.

“Are you nervous?”

“Not really, but I understand why you are. Maybe I like the thought of getting to look after you when you’re all agitated?” Seokjin teases.

“You’re good at it – handling me when I’m agitated.”

“I’m glad you still think so.”

“It’s going to be messy, you know.” Namjoon says. “Courting one new mate is already an undertaking, but courting two, especially when they’re already mated to one another? Things might get chaotic for a while.”

“You’re right. It will likely become messy at points, but I believe we all signed up for a lifetime of chaos when we put claiming bites on Taehyung,” Seokjin says with a laugh.

“That is a very good point.”

~~

The door to Yoongi’s office is closed. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he won't accept company, but it’s also not an invitation. Seokjin knows what to do, pulling out his phone. He’s come prepared.

[Jin to Yoongi]

[Jin]: If I have a gift with me may I come in?

There is some shuffling on the other side of the door before Yoongi opens it, still dressed in his sleep clothes with a beanie pulled over his head. He pokes his head out, scanning the hallway before his eyes land on the bottle of wine tucked into Seokjin’s arm and the two glasses in his hand. (Yoongi tends to be more of a whiskey drinker, but he usually appreciates a glass of wine when it’s offered.)

His scent is slightly soured with anxiety, more of a burnt spice than the warm cinnamon Seokjin was hoping for.

“You know you don’t have to do all of this. Taehyung and Hobi don’t even knock,” Yoongi says with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he steps aside to allow Seokjin in.

They call it Yoongi’s office, but it’s much more than that. Namjoon and Seokjin each have office space in the home, but theirs are purely work spaces, while Yoongi’s is much closer to a studio apartment. His bed is here, his own couch and entertainment center setup, most of his personal belongings – and of course his computers.

Yoongi tends to sleep here more often than not.

They each have a bedroom they can call their own, but the sleeping arrangements aren’t very formal. They all have a tendency to fall into whichever bed is the most convenient at the time – or the bed with the highest chance of cuddles. Yoongi sometimes does the same, but he also has a habit of getting caught up in work and staying up very late.

Seokjin has found him asleep at his desk more than once, not even making it across the room to his bed.

The shades in his office are almost never open and today is no exception. Not a single ray of sunlight passes through the heavy drapes. Most of the time – today included – Yoongi just uses the led light strips that run the entire circumference of the room where the wall meets the ceiling, setting them to a warm dim glow.

“And if I just wanted to have a glass of wine with my mate?” Seokjin asks.

“Couch or...?” Yoongi gestures towards his desk, a massive setup against the back wall of the room that houses several computers and an absurd number of monitors. Seokjin has doubts about the practicality of so many screens but Yoongi is very proud of his setup, so he keeps that to himself. Only five of the monitors are on at the moment, meaning Yoongi must not have too many irons in the fire.

“That depends. Can you take a break?”

“Already finished most of my work,” Yoongi answers, leading the way over to his couch. “You need a corkscrew for that, hyung?”

“Please.” Seokjin sits down and sets out both of the glasses while Yoongi heads back towards his desk and bends down to start rummaging through drawers. Eventually he pops back up and pauses for a moment, looking at one of his monitors. “The live feed?” Seokjin asks.

Yoongi hums an affirmative and taps a few keys, putting the feed on one of the larger monitors and reaching up to adjust the position so that the screen more directly faces the couch.

Seokjin has had a few peeks at the video feed when they had pulled it up on Taehyung’s laptop to soothe him during his heat. The two omegas seem not to mind the camera at all, barely giving it a passing glance most of the time, and it appears to be no different now. Park Jimin is curled up on their couch taking a nap while Jeon Jungkook is leaning up against him and playing on his phone.

Yoongi passes Seokjin the corkscrew and sits down next to him, eyes still on the monitor.

“They’re adorable, aren’t they, Yoongi-yah?”

“Yeah, it’s...” The alpha trails off. Seokjin doesn’t say anything, just works the cork free from the bottle of wine and pours them each a glass. Sometimes Yoongi just needs a bit of time to figure out how he wants to word things, especially his feelings. “It’s strange, you know?”

“Which part?” Seokjin asks, handing Yoongi his glass.

“I didn’t even get a chance to meet them and we’ve only exchanged a few messages, but Taehyung has never been wrong about this.” Yoongi pauses again and Seokjin waits again, both of them sipping their wine in companionable silence. His mate’s scent is still anxious. He doesn’t want to push and make it any worse. Eventually, Yoongi speaks again, his voice quiet and nearly cracking, “I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I want to take care of them.”

“Oh love, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Seokjin answers, his voice low as well. He sets his glass down on the coffee table and extends one of his arms over the back of the couch – an open invitation.

Yoongi hesitates for a moment before setting his glass down as well and leaning into Seokjin’s waiting arms. The alpha is warm against him and Seokjin pulls him closer, wrapping him up in an embrace and rubbing his thumb over Yoongi’s scent gland until he relaxes under the touch and the bitter smell of burnt spice begins to dissipate.

“Settling so well for me,” Seokjin whispers. “You know it’s good that you want to look after them, right? You look after Taehyung so well.”

“Not really. You and Joon-ah were always better at it than me.”

Now this is news to Seokjin. He feels his heart lurch at the thought of Yoongi feeling like he isn’t needed by their omega, like he’s any less important than the rest of them. How had he missed this?

“You’ve gone all quiet. Sorry,” Yoongi mumbles as he burrows in closer, practically crawling into Seokjin’s lap.

“I just wish I had known you were feeling this way. C’mon, up for me,” Seokjin says, helping to lift Yoongi until the alpha is straddling his thighs and Seokjin feels hands clinging to the shoulders of his shirt. “That’s it. Doing so well.” He puts his arms around Yoongi’s back and noses along his neck.

“It’s okay. Don’t feel it a lot. Just a little sometimes.” Even just a little is too much in Seokjin’s book, but he’s relieved to hear it’s not a constant worry.

"I’m glad you told me. It’s a perfect excuse for me to tell you what a good mate you are, how well you take care of all of us.”

“I don’t do that much,” Yoongi says quietly.

“Oh, did someone else build the program that let Taehyung-ah see our new mates during his heat? Did someone else cook for everyone this morning because they were worried we would be tired and knew our omega needed a real meal?”

“Neither of those were a big deal.”

Maybe Seokjin has misunderstood. Maybe it’s not just about Taehyung after all. He decides to try a different approach.

“You know Namjoon-ah is feeling anxious, right?” Yoongi nods against Seokjin’s chest. “He was feeling worried about not having the pack together while we’re courting. When I told him about how well your program was working and how you talked to both of the omegas about the cameras, he was so relieved.”

Yoongi stirs at that, going a little stiff. “It really helped?”

Not just about Taehyung at all, then. It seems like Yoongi might need a reminder of how much they all adore him, and Seokjin is already beginning to formulate plans for how to do just that. For now, his words will have to suffice.

“I’m sure he will be asking you to help him set up a second monitor in his office within the week.” This makes Yoongi chuckle, his scent finally starting to smell warm and sweet again. “Without you, he would still be up in his office worrying, but instead he is downstairs probably still washing Taehyung’s hair in the big tub.”

“I bet Tae is loving that.”

“You know Namjoon is loving it too. We are so lucky to have you, Yoongi-yah.”

Yoongi leans back and looks up at him, flashing one of his gummy smiles and Seokjin feels his heart warm in his chest.

“I appreciate this,” Yoongi says, his gaze drifting down as he speaks, and his hands still clinging to Seokjin’s shirt.

“Mmm, and I appreciate you talking to me,” Seokjin answers, reaching up to cradle his mate’s cheek, thumb running over Yoongi’s jaw and watching his eyes flutter in response.

“Thank you, hyung,” he says, letting his eyes close and leaning up for a kiss.

Yoongi’s lips are warm, mouth opening almost immediately to allow Seokjin to taste him, his body pressing closer when their tongues meet.

It’s rare to have Yoongi like this, soft and seeking comfort without needing to be coaxed first. Seokjin is determined not to waste even a moment of it, pressing kiss after kiss into his mate’s mouth, eventually traveling down to Yoongi’s scent gland and running his tongue over the claiming bite he’d put there years ago. He tilts his head when he feels Yoongi nosing at his neck in return, allowing him to press his mouth against the matching bite he’d given Seokjin.

They stay like that for a long time, exchanging lazy kisses and cuddling until Yoongi finally sits up straight, looking almost as though he’s just woken up.

Seokjin cradles his hand against the back of Yoongi’s neck, thumb rubbing little circles into the skin. “Are you feeling a little better?”

“A lot better. I think I needed that.” He even sounds better, his voice warmer and less strained. Seokjin feels himself swell with pride.

“Yes, you did. Thank you for letting me give it to you. There’s still wine to finish if you like?”

Yoongi climbs out of his lap and grabs both of their glasses before sitting back, pressing himself into Seokjin’s side and passing him his glass.

“Love you, hyung.”

*******

Hoseok smells Jin coming before he sees him, a wave of sweet smelling mint with an unmistakable cinnamon scent still clinging to him. 

“You’ve been spending time with Yoongi,” Hoseok says, looking over his shoulder to see Jin entering the living room. With all of them living together it’s not unusual for their scents to mingle, but his nose is easily sharp enough to pick out how fresh Yoongi’s scent is on the beta.

“I was just in his office for a while, yes,” Jin answers, laying down on the couch and dropping his head into Hoseok’s lap.

It’s almost an automatic reaction at this point, the way Hoseok’s hands immediately find their way into Jin’s hair and begin rubbing at his scalp. Hoseok is good with his hands. He’d taken a few massage classes for an undercover gig years ago and developed a love for it that never really went away – a passion that only grew with four gorgeous mates to practice on.

He’s pleased to have something he can give that is always so well received. It’s an easy way to help any of them unwind after a long day – plus sometimes it’s desperately needed, especially for Yoongi and Joonie who both carry far too much tension in their neck and shoulders.

Mostly, it’s just nice to feel useful.

From this close, he catches the fresh scents of the rest of the pack as well, Namjoon’s soft sandalwood and Taehyung’s sweet maple both clinging to Jin.

Well, someone has been busy fussing over the whole pack. 

Hoseok can’t help but smile. Jin is just so naturally warm; he always knows what kind of care their mates need and manages to settle them so easily. It’s a skill that Hoseok has admired since they met, and one he’s done his best to learn to emulate.

“You’ve been making your rounds, haven’t you?”

“Taehyung-ah needed help choosing an outfit,” Jin says, his eyes closed and his voice low, relaxing into Hoseok’s touch.

“You must have calmed down Namjoon as well. I saw him and TaeTae coming back from a bath just a bit ago and they were both all smiles.” It was adorable too. Namjoon gets a special sort of light in his eyes when he really gets to dote on one of them the way he wants, and Taehyung had obviously let him do just that.

“He’s just a little nervous. It’s going to be a big change.”

Hoseok hums in agreement. It is definitely going to be a change but he’s having a hard time feeling anything but excitement, especially knowing he’s going to get to smell whatever had made Taehyung so immediately certain that they had to court the two omegas.

Meeting Taehyung and joining the pack had been such an incredible, life altering gift. Hoseok had spent so much of his life before them buried in work – seeing little reason to bother with much else. Meeting them changed everything , and if Taehyung really is always right about this sort of thing, then expanding their pack can only be a boon.

“How about Yoongi-hyung?” Hoseok asks, rubbing his fingertips a little harder into Jin’s scalp, feeling the beta go almost entirely lax against him.

“Mmm, he needs a little attention.”

When something is particularly difficult for Yoongi, he tends to have an easier time opening up to Jin. (At least willingly. Namjoon can get him to crack, but their dynamic usually involves a lot more growling and wrestling.) Hoseok is assuming this might be one of those times where Yoongi has opened up willingly – hoping even, since then Jin will be able to tell him how to help.

“Did you manage to get him to talk to you?” Hoseok asks. “I’ve been pushing for a little while, but I wasn’t getting anywhere.”

Jin nods his head gently in Hoseok’s lap. “He’s feeling like he doesn’t do enough for us, and I think he sees adding two more omegas to the pack as an opportunity for him to fix that.”

“There’s nothing for him to fix.”

“I agree. It’s likely that he’s beginning to feel some guilt after his recent absence. I think it would be best if we all found some ways to remind him that he is enough.”

Of the whole pack, Yoongi has always struggled the most with not feeling good enough, and Hoseok can’t help but wonder if this has been brewing for a while and gone ignored with all the long hours Yoongi has been working lately. Maybe the recent stress of Taehyung’s heat combined with new potential mates was simply enough to push the feelings to the surface. 

He needs a little time to mull it over but either way, he’s sure he can find some ways to help Yoongi feel better.

He has an entire arsenal of things he knows that Yoongi likes, from his favorite foods and video games, to his preferred drinks for a night out, all the way to the sort of comfort TV shows he watches when he’s feeling down – and several strategies for getting him to relax enough to enjoy those things. Most importantly, he knows how to exist in Yoongi’s space, just like Yoongi knows how to exist in his.

All he needs is a plan.

“Did you tell Joonie yet?” Hoseok asks. 

“Not just yet, but that’s where I’m headed next.”

Namjoon will want to know as soon as possible and will absolutely not rest until Yoongi knows exactly how amazing and appreciated he is, but –

“You don’t think we should wait until after dinner? He’s got a lot on his plate already, and preparing for this meetup has to be stressing him out.”

“He can handle it. I have complete confidence in him,” Jin says, cracking his eyes open and smiling up at Hoseok. “Besides, it gives him something to worry about that he can actually do something about.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Hoseok concedes. “If you’re going to go talk to Joonie, I guess I’ll get up and start getting ready. Maybe check up on TaeTae.”

~~

Hoseok takes his time getting dressed and fussing with his hair. He’s been thinking about Yoongi and wants to share his thoughts with Namjoon, but he makes sure Jin has time to talk to him first before he heads up to stick his nose in it.

Honestly, he’s a little upset with himself. He’s been devoting enough of his free time to work projects that he’d managed to miss all of the signs that something was up with Yoongi. 

Well, that’s not exactly right. He did notice .

He noticed Yoongi missing meals, working through their date nights, and how tired he’s been looking lately. It’s not that it’s uncommon for one of them to get busy for a while. It happens. The problem is that this has been going on for months , and Hoseok hadn’t really stopped to think about it. He’s supposed to be good at seeing patterns in people’s behavior.

If nothing else, this is a good excuse to refocus his attention on his mates, even more so if they are going to start courting.

He makes his way to Namjoon’s office, finding the door already open and only Namjoon inside, peering out one of his windows. Hoseok knocks softly a few times on the door frame until Namjoon turns around to look at him.

The furrow in his brow is obvious the moment he turns around, but he still smiles when he sees Hoseok. “Oh, Hoseok-ah, did you need something?”

“Was Jinnie already up to see you?”

Namjoon nods. “Come on in and shut the door behind you,” he instructs, taking a seat on his couch. Hoseok does as he’s asked, shutting the door and joining Namjoon on the couch. “Jin just left a couple of minutes ago. You want to talk about Yoongi too?”

“Jinnie talked to me just before he came up here and I’ve been giving it some thought.”

“You work so fast,” Namjoon says, huffing out a quiet laugh. “But you know I always value your input. Tell me what you’re thinking?”

“I think work crept up on him again. He had that really big job – what, like five months ago now?”

“You mean the month he spent hunting down that group out of China that was trying to hack his systems? The ones who kept sniping all our bids?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Probably about four or five months ago, sure. Why?”

“He was under high stress working day and night for a month straight, but once it was over, I don’t think he ever really relaxed. He just keeps taking on project after project to stay busy, and it’s kept him holed up in his office too much.”

Namjoon takes a little bit to consider his words, but Hoseok is confident he’s read the signs and connected the dots correctly. 

“You know better than anyone how he gets,” Hoseok continues. “He falls into this cycle of overworking himself and then gets angry at himself when he finally burns out enough to slow down and notice that he’s been a little absent from the pack.”

They both know what comes after that. Yoongi will start feeling guilty . It sounds like he’s already beginning to, and Hoseok doesn’t want to give him a chance to get worse. He wants to fix things, wants to make sure his mate understands that there’s nothing to feel bad about, that they all still love him. 

Namjoon’s eyes widen a little and his lips go tight as he nods. “The timeline does fit,” he says solemnly. “Damn, I should know how to recognize this by now.”

“It’s not your fault, Joon. You’ve had all the business with the shipments coming from Japan to get sorted, and before that it was the big collection we swiped out in Daegu. We’ve all been busy and none of us realized what was happening.”

“You did.”

“Not until just a few minutes ago, and it’s not like I know what exactly he’s feeling, just an idea of how he got there.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Namjoon says. “Knowing how he got there is important for figuring out how to keep this from happening to him again, and how to help him out of it now.”

“On that note, actually –”

Namjoon laughs. “Of course you’ve thought of something.”

Hoseok pauses. He should ask just to make sure – Namjoon isn’t really the type to mistake attempts at help for challenges to his authority, but still… “I’m not overstepping, am I?”

“Never, Hoseok-ah.” Namjoon opens his arms in invitation and Hoseok breathes a sigh of relief, leaning eagerly into the embrace. “Will you tell me what you’re thinking?”

“I'm fairly sure you’ll like it,” Hoseok says. “If the meetup goes well tonight, I think it will be relatively easy to coax him into working less. He already seems so interested, and it will give him something to dump some of his attention into that we can all connect with him about.”

Not to mention an easy way for Hoseok to get him talking.

“You make a good point. It will inherently involve lots of discussion between the five of us,” Namjoon says. “And of course there will be lots of dates to plan.”

“Exactly. A couple of gentle pushes to spend time together and we can get him feeling connected again. It doesn’t solve whatever self deprecating thoughts are running wild in his head, but it gives us somewhere to start at least.”

Namjoon reaches down to grasp at Hoseok’s chin, tilting his head up for a kiss. “You’re so clever,” he whispers, their lips brushing as his mouth moves. “Always do such a good job looking out for the pack.”

Hoseok tries to reply, but his words are swallowed up by Namjoon’s eager lips as he presses kiss after kiss against Hoseok’s mouth. It feels so good to let Namjoon lead, to have praise whispered to him while his alpha holds him close and kisses him like he’s something precious. Namjoon has always been good at that, making him feel secure and treasured, sometimes without having to say a word.

There is a gentle pressure at his scent gland where Namjoon’s thumb presses into the skin.

A request.

Hoseok has a habit of hiding his scent without even really thinking about it. He’s been doing it for so long that he almost always has to make a conscious decision to let go of the rigid control even in the company of his mates. He’s working on it (and the pack has more than earned it from him), but it’s a difficult habit to break.

Namjoon’s thumb starts rubbing slow circles into the skin now, and he pulls back just the slightest to look at Hoseok. “It’s alright,” he whispers. “Let go a little for me, okay pup?”

God, something about being called ‘pup’ by Namjoon always makes him feel like melting into a puddle of goo. He never thought he would get to have something like this, never even knew he wanted it until he met the pack and got a taste for it.

Hoseok feels the way his body wants to relax into the touch, a whine perched on the tip of his tongue as his scent tries to go sweet.

He let’s go.

The air goes thicker with the rich scent of coffee and Namjoon lets out a groan. “Smell so fucking good, Hoseok-ah.”

“For you,” Hoseok answers, mostly because he knows it will get a rise out of his mate.

Namjoon doesn’t disappoint, a low little growl humming in his chest as he nips his way down Hoseok’s jaw to his scent gland. His tone is dark when he echoes, “For me,” before closing his mouth over the gland and sucking a mark into the skin.

It’s no secret that Namjoon is possessive as hell, no matter how hard he tries to control it. 

Hoseok adores it. He will be showing off the pretty marks left on his neck to Jin and Taehyung as soon as he gets the chance, just like they would in his place. Yoongi is the only one who tries not to be obvious about how much he likes it, but he’s not nearly as subtle as he thinks.

Namjoon’s scent goes warm, almost sweet as he marks Hoseok up. A satisfied alpha.

His satisfied alpha.

After a couple of minutes, Namjoon finally leans back to admire his work, scent spiking again briefly at the sight. “You really are incredible, you know?” he says, fingers trailing over the bruised skin. “Looking out for our mates so well. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how we ever managed without you. You see so much that I usually miss.”

Hoseok lets his scent go sweet at the praise. “That’s nice of you to say, but don’t talk me up too much yet. There’s still work to do to fix this.”

“But thanks to you, we have a game plan. You and Jin can work on getting him out of his office a little more, and I’ll handle getting him to talk about his feelings. Once we know what’s going on in his head, we can figure out exactly where to direct our attention.”

“Oh yeah?” Hoseok laughs. “How are you gonna get him to talk about his feelings?”

“I have years of experience getting Yoongi to talk when he doesn’t want to. I’m sure I’ll think of something.” 

Namjoon lifts his wrist to peer at his watch.

“Time to go?” Hoseok asks.

“Soon,” Namjoon answers, leaning down to give Hoseok another kiss, warm and inviting. “We have a few minutes.”

Chapter Text

Hoseok is pleased to say that they end up arriving early at Borahae, mostly thanks to Namjoon managing to herd everyone to the door with plenty of time to spare. Years of experience have taught their leader well.

Borahae’s interior is cozy and welcoming, like a reflection of Jin in so many ways. It’s not quite what most people would classify as true fine dining, less because Jin isn’t capable of that and more because he had wanted something that felt a little more homey – less “stuffy” as he had put it.

The restaurant is one of Jin’s many methods of laundering the money they bring in, but it’s by far his favorite. The beta has always had a passion for food. While the majority of his businesses are run by other people, with Borahae he seems to enjoy taking a more active role, stopping by several times a week to check on things and weigh in on decisions that need to be made (especially decisions about the menu).

There are several private rooms in the back that are available for reservation, easily large enough to accommodate the seven of them and offer some privacy.

They all get settled around the rectangular table, putting Yoongi and Taehyung each at one end and the rest of them along one long side, leaving the other side open for their company. 

Everyone is practically thrumming with anticipation. Yoongi and Jin are wrapped up in a conversation about a show they both watch, but their eyes keep drifting to the door. Taehyung is quite literally vibrating in his seat, fidgeting with the silverware in front of him, and Namjoon keeps checking his watch when he thinks no one is watching.

Hoseok lets himself be excited too, smiling and listening to Taehyung tell him how much he is going to love the scent of the two omegas and describing it again as similar to orange cream soda. It’s endearing how animated Taehyung is when he gets excited like this, curly black hair catching the light as it bounces with his movements.

He’s gorgeous. Hoseok keeps thinking that someday he will get used to having four stunning mates, but at least once a day he still ends up wondering how he got this lucky.

After a few more minutes Taehyung can’t bear to keep sitting still any longer, so he and Jin head out to the front to wait for their guests. Both Namjoon and Yoongi are too on edge to really hold up much of a conversation, but luckily the three alphas don’t have to kill too much time before their mates return.

Jin re-enters the room first, holding the door for all three omegas behind him. “This is the area we reserved. I thought some privacy would be appreciated.”

Jimin and Jungkook come right behind him, both dressed almost as nicely as they had been that evening at the gallery, though with more personality this time. (Probably not trying so hard to blend in tonight.) Jimin appears to favor jewelry, wearing several simple necklaces and a couple of rings that catch the light when he moves. On the other hand, the only jewelry Jungkook wears are the piercings lining his ears and one at his eyebrow.

Jewelry is the kind of gift Taehyung and Jin will have a good eye for. Something to keep in mind if all goes well.

It takes a moment for their scent to reach the table, but oh – as soon as it does, Hoseok has to fight back a gasp. Taehyung had described it perfectly when he’d compared it to an orange cream soda, all sweet vanilla and citrus that nearly makes his head swim.

Definitely potential mates. Not a single question about it.

It’s a bit of a chain reaction. When Jimin and Jungkook breathe in the pack’s scents, their own go sweeter in response (a good sign that the two of them find the rest of their scents appealing as well), and that in turn has Taehyung, Jin, and Yoongi’s scents getting stronger. Hoseok works to keep his own controlled, noting Namjoon doing the same.

Best not to overwhelm them if it can be helped.

“Well, the initial impression would appear to be good at least,” Jin jokes, effectively cutting the tension steadily rising in the room. “Do you two need some air?”

“I’m okay,” Jimin answers, voice just a little shaky. “You okay, Kookie?”

Jungkook takes a couple of steadying breaths. “Yeah I uhh- I think I’m good too. Hi everyone,” he says with a wave and a flash of that gorgeous smile.

“Best to do introductions then,” Seokjin says. He moves to take his seat at Namjoon’s side, leaving just the three omegas standing.

Taehyung takes a couple steps forward, guiding Jimin and Jungkook towards the table. “This is Namjoon-hyung. He’s our pack alpha,” he says with a smile, gesturing to the center of the table.

Namjoon stands. “It’s good to meet you both under better circumstances.”

Jungkook reaches a hand up to his neck, biting his bottom lip and then smiling up at Namjoon. “Yeah, sorry about that,” he answers. It’s absolutely adorable, and it’s obvious that he knows exactly how charming he is.

“You might want to direct that apology toward me,” Jin says, raising an eyebrow at Jungkook, even as a smile tugs at his lips.

Jungkook almost trips over himself, turning to face Jin with a deep bow. “Of course! I’m very sorry... Umm... I don’t know your name.” Jungkook raises his head and looks up at Jin through his lashes.

“Kim Seokjin,” Jin answers.

Jungkook freezes. Hoseok can see how rigid his posture gets for a moment before he catches himself and deepens his bow – and oh, he knows – or if he doesn’t know, he definitely suspects something.

“I apologize for trying to steal your wallet, Kim Seokjin-ssi.”

“If you hadn’t, we might not have met you guys though,” Taehyung says.

“Taehyung-ah is right, and you can call me Jin. Your apology is accepted, Jungkook.”

Namjoon clears his throat. “With that being said, let’s get the rest of the introductions out of the way, shall we? You already know Kim Taehyung, and now Kim Seokjin. I’m Kim Namjoon.” He looks expectantly at Yoongi next, but Jimin is already stepping towards him.

“Min Yoongi-ssi, right?” Jimin asks, holding out a black wallet to the alpha with a smile. (Hoseok can see the beginnings of a flush creeping up Yoongi’s cheeks.) “This is yours.”

“What, no deep bow and apology?” Yoongi asks with mock offense.

“I’d say we’re even, actually. I let you hack my computer and you get your wallet back,” Jimin answers. He’s talking like he’s unaffected but there’s a little flush on his cheeks as well. Adorable.

“Do try to keep your wallet somewhere safe in the future, Yoongles,” Hoseok teases.

“Does that make you the ‘Hobi-hyung’ Taehyung talked about?” Jimin asks.

Hoseok grins and gives a nod. “Jung Hoseok, sometimes affectionately referred to as Hobi.”

This time it’s Jimin who stutters half way through a small respectful bow, his eyes locking on Hoseok’s for just a moment before he completes the movement. He’s a lot less obvious about it than Jungkook but still, it’s impossible to miss the brief spark of recognition in his eyes. When Jimin straightens back up, Hoseok catches his gaze again, searching.

He’s never seen Jimin before. He would definitely remember if he had – so how does Jimin know him ? Simple word of mouth?

“Hyung?” Jungkook says after a few seconds pass.

“You two know each other or something?” Yoongi asks.

“Jimin knows me,” Hoseok says, eyes not leaving Jimin’s face. “Jungkook knows Jinnie. Or I should say they know our names at least, but they also don’t look afraid. So they either know very little, or we all travel in similar circles.”

Jimin doesn’t budge, and Jungkook just keeps giving that charming smile, obviously waiting for his mate to make the next move.

“I’ve heard of you before, but this is the first time we’ve met,” Jimin eventually says, stepping back closer to Jungkook. They both still seem pretty calm, no distress spiking in their scents that Hoseok can pick up on at least – a good sign that they aren’t about to scare the two of them off at the first mention of what line of work they’re in.

“And how do you know me, Jungkook?” Jin asks.

Jungkook doesn’t answer, and instead reaches out for Jimin, tugging at his sleeve. The two exchange a look, and after a moment Jimin leans up to whisper something to Jungkook.

“Yeah they do, hyung,” Jungkook answers.

“Okay then,” Jimin says, turning to face the rest of them again. “Go ahead and tell them, Kookie.”

“Kim Seokjin-ssi, you attended events at my family home in Busan, though I don’t think we were ever formally introduced as I was rather young at the time.”

The pieces start to click together for Hoseok immediately when he hears Busan . The Jeon family in Busan is a powerhouse, with at least a third of the contraband that passes through that city having come through them. They also disowned one of their sons a couple years back, which means...

“No way !” Taehyung exclaims. “You’re that Jeon Jungkook? I’ve done work for your brother before.”

There is a brief flash of something close to shock on Jungkook’s face. He covers it up quickly, but not before Hoseok can spot it. He doesn’t want them to be frightened , but there’s always something so satisfying to him about seeing people realize that Taehyung is dangerous , that underneath the cute fluffy curls and that wide smile is a predator.

It’s not even that the rest of them aren’t dangerous. They definitely are. It’s just that none of them are as dangerous as Taehyung. Not by a long shot.

“So this is what happened to the Jeon family’s other son,” Jin muses. “It was hot gossip for a while, you know.”

Jungkook looks down at the floor, his jaw tightening a fraction. Sad ? Definitely upset at least. 

A topic to tread lightly around in the future.

“Why don’t you guys have a seat,” Hoseok offers, changing the subject. “Have a look at the drink menu and we can get some ordered. They have good wine if you’re into that sort of thing.”

Jungkook visibly relaxes and Hoseok feels a flash of warmth in his chest – a little curl of satisfaction – and it is way too early for him to be this pleased by soothing one of them, especially when he was just giving Yoongi a hard time about falling so fast.

“Yes, please sit,” Namjoon says. “Feel free to order anything you like.”

“That’s generous of you, thank you,” Jimin says.

Once everyone is seated and has a chance to look at their menus, they call for assistance and put in their orders. It makes for a nice light round of discussion about food and drink preferences, giving Jimin and Jungkook a chance to relax a little.

From there, the conversation flows fairly easily.

They learn that Jimin and Jungkook have known one another since they were kids, growing closer as they got older. The family Jimin comes from is much smaller than the Jeon family, but is tied to them quite thoroughly, handling their security and dirty work for generations now.

“When we were in our early teens, Jiminie was training to be my bodyguard,” Jungkook says with a big smile. “It didn’t take them long to realize his talents were better used elsewhere, but he never really stopped looking after me.”

“That’s so cute !” Taehyung exclaims. “So romantic too.”

Jungkook gives a dreamy little sigh. “Yeah, I got so lucky.”

“We both got lucky, really,” Jimin says.

Hoseok sees Yoongi open his mouth to speak, but then close it again. Hoseok gives him a few seconds, but he doesn’t try again. That won’t do. “Was there something you wanted to say, Yoongi-hyung?” he prompts.

Yoongi gives him a little frown at being called out. “I wasn’t sure it was the right time to ask.”

“It’s okay,” Jungkook says. “We’re supposed to be getting to know each other, right? You can ask whatever you want.”

“Fine. I was just wondering... If the two of you left your families and your old lives behind, are you going to be okay with coming back into contact with that sort of life? You understand now what sort of business we’re in.”

“Obviously, we will take your safety very seriously,” Namjoon says right away. “There are precautions we can discuss later if needed.”

Jimin gives a little laugh. “To be clear, we weren’t exactly fleeing a life of crime. The business wasn’t really the issue.”

“Yeah, it was – I was briefly engaged,” Jungkook admits. “I presented late. Jimin and I were already together and everyone just assumed I would be an alpha. When I presented as an omega, it threw a bit of a wrench in that and they started taking bids.”

“Wait, they knew you were together and still auctioned off your future like that?” Yoongi asks, disgust evident in his tone.

Jungkook shrugs. “It was to be expected. Eventually someone was going to offer too much money to pass up. Just business.”

“Marriage shouldn’t be business,” Yoongi says flatly.

So adorable. Yoongi really is a romantic at heart. He just hides it behind a mask that is so prickly and aloof that it always feels like a treat to see it, especially in a public setting like this.

“Yoongi doesn’t come from the same background as the rest of us,” Hoseok explains. “He just stumbled his way into our world.”

Yoongi snorts out a laugh. “You say that like I wasn’t doing anything illegal on my own.”

“Oh no, you were getting into plenty of trouble. I just mean that things work differently in the type of families that the rest of us come from.”

“They didn’t marry you off,” Yoongi comments.

“He’s not an omega,” Jungkook says. “It’s different for alphas.”

“Ugh. Old world aristocratic bullshit if you ask me.”

“You’re not wrong,” Hoseok agrees. “It’s just that most people in that situation don’t get much of a choice. Going against your family’s wishes tends to have pretty dire consequences.”

“Oh shit, sorry,” Yoongi says.

Jungkook gives a little half smile that does a pretty good job of hiding just how much said consequences probably hurt him.  “Don’t worry about it. It’s been a couple of years,” he laughs. “But to answer your question, we definitely aren’t worried about what you guys do for work.”

~~

Once their food comes, the conversation slows down a little with all of them eating, but they take turns telling a bit about themselves. Hoseok keeps his own additions short and tries to make sure that Yoongi and Namjoon have plenty of opportunity to speak, prompting them when needed.

Without a push, Yoongi would happily just let the conversation pass him by, and Namjoon would be too busy talking the rest of their mates up to speak more about himself. Thankfully Taehyung is comfortable in most social settings, and Jin does especially well in small group events like this, so Hoseok doesn’t have to worry too much about the two of them. 

Jungkook talks a little about being in college and studying to become a tattoo artist. He seems very passionate about it, and Jimin is all smiles when Jungkook talks about it too, like he couldn’t be prouder of his mate.

The two of them really are so cute together.

To be fair, they both smell like heaven and are incredibly easy on the eyes, so Hoseok may be a little biased by this point. Honestly though it’s hard to keep his eyes off of Jimin’s lips, or the way Jungkook bares his entire throat when he tips his head back in laughter. (At least he knows he isn’t suffering alone, if the pretty blush on Yoongi’s cheeks is anything to go by.)

Taehyung seems utterly enchanted as well, a dreamy expression on his face as his gaze drifts back and forth between Jimin and Jungkook. He asks plenty of questions and eagerly tells them about their home and hobbies, mostly keeping their work out of the spotlight for now.

At one point, Jimin admits that he had to drop out of school for financial reasons, but that he had been in the dance program before. He insists that he isn’t all that good, but Jungkook shuts him up right away with a slew of compliments about how hard he works and how clean his movements are.

Dance. Maybe theater dates? Would Jimin enjoy something like that? 

The more date ideas Hoseok can come up with right away, the better. He wants to have a fully formed plan for how to court the two of them as soon as possible, especially since this will be the first time he gets to be the one doing the courting.

Jimin gives Jungkook a playful shove even as he thanks him for the compliments.

The way they build one another up is endearing. Any time Jimin downplays his own skills, Jungkook immediately counters with praise, and Jimin never hesitates to mention Jungkook’s talents either. It’s obvious they mean the world to each other. Hoseok wonders how that will translate as they integrate into the pack, because there is little doubt in his mind that they will, especially now that he’s had a chance to smell them and get a feel for their personalities.

It wasn’t really all that long ago that he was on the other side of this arrangement, being courted by the pack who all seemed so certain he was a perfect fit. He had doubts then, but now at least he can understand what it must have felt like for them to be so sure.

Jimin doesn’t seem to come out of his shell quite as easily as Jungkook, but it’s hard to say how deep that particular trait runs after only an hour or so of conversation. Hoseok wants to know more, wants to know what he can do to make them smile and how to most effectively brighten up their bad days. They haven’t even agreed to courting yet, but it doesn’t change the fact that he wants .

“Jungkook,” Jin calls after finishing off his glass of wine. “I’ve been wondering about something.”

“Oh? What do you want to know?”

 “If you already knew who I was, why on earth did you try to steal my wallet that night?”

Jungkook quirks his head. “I knew your name, not your face. If I had recognized you, I wouldn’t have tried to steal from you and we probably never would have met.” Jin frowns at this and Jungkook quirks his head. “Did I say something wrong, Seokjin-ssi?”

“I thought you said you had seen me before?”

“Well yeah, but only a couple of times.”

Jin’s mouth hangs open, obviously offended. “How could you possibly forget a face this handsome ?”

~~

After a while, Namjoon takes advantage of one of the few lulls in conversation to clear his throat and get everyone’s attention. “I know it’s getting late and we don’t want to keep the two of you too long, but there are some things we should make sure we discuss before going our separate ways for tonight. Is it okay if we clarify a few things?”

Moment of truth.

Hoseok is at least ninety percent sure that Jimin and Jungkook are interested. They obviously think the pack smell like potential mates, and don’t seem put off by the line of work they’re in either. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to say yes, and he catches himself feeling a little nervous.

“Sure,” Jimin says. “We have time.”

“Perfect, thank you. At this point, we’ve all had plenty of opportunity to determine scent compatibility. While it might be a bit forward for a first meeting like this, we may as well be honest. The two of you smell like potential mates to me, and we obviously know where Taehyung stands. Jin, Hoseok, Yoongi?”

“Yes, for me as well,” Jin says.

Hoseok looks at Yoongi to find him already turned an adorable shade of pink, giving a short nod while he looks adamantly down at the table.

That’s okay – Hoseok can help. “It’s a yes for Yoongi and me too,” he says cheerfully, wanting the enthusiasm to be impossible to miss.

“I told you guys!” Taehyung exclaims. “My nose has never steered us wrong.”

Yoongi lets out a quiet groan. “Embarrassing.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Hoseok says. “We smell like mates to them too.”

Namjoon looks at Jimin and Jungkook. “I would prefer to hear that directly from them.”

“It’s true,” Jimin admits.

“Yeah, you all smell amazing,” Jungkook says, wearing a big smile as he glances at each of them. “How did you know already though, Hoseok-ssi?”

“It was what Jimin asked you before you admitted who your family is, wasn’t it? No point in divulging that sort of information to us if we didn’t smell right.”

“Is he right?” Taehyung asks.

“Yeah, he is,” Jungkook says with a look of disbelief.

Hoseok doesn’t think it was too hard of a thing to guess, but he certainly doesn’t mind an opportunity to impress.

“Well then,” Namjoon starts, “it sounds like we’ve established scent compatibility, as well as the fact that you two aren’t worried about the sort of work we do, so–”

“Are you gonna let us court you?” Taehyung interrupts, grinning from ear to ear. “I promise you won't be disappointed.”

Namjoon sighs. “I was working my way toward that,” he says with a laugh. “If you two need time to think about your answer, we would absolutely understand.”

Jungkook looks to Jimin, obviously eager but yet again deferring to his mate for the final decision. The two exchange a series of looks that ends with Jungkook nodding several times before Jimin turns to look at Taehyung and then Namjoon.

“It’s okay,” Jimin says. “We’re interested.”

Hoseok relaxes the second the words leave Jimin’s mouth.

They are getting a chance to court these two gorgeous omegas and Hoseok already has so many thoughts about how he wants to do it. Maybe a date with the two of them first, something casual where they can get more comfortable around one another, then after that he can focus on getting them one on one.

Taehyung pumps a fist into the air. “Yes! I’m not gonna be the only omega in the pack anymore!”

“You sure you’re not going to miss being our precious maknae?” Jin says. He’s wearing one of those big genuine smiles that has his eyes crinkling with joy. 

“No way. Now it’s my turn to be one of the hyungs,” Taehyung answers with a grin.

Under the table, Yoongi finds Hoseok’s hand and gives it a squeeze, interlocking their fingers. Namjoon starts talking again, but the words are lost on Hoseok when he looks over at Yoongi and almost freezes at the raw happiness written on his face. His mouth is curled into a tiny smile – but it’s his eyes that really shock Hoseok, so soft and pretty and damn near sparkling .

He hasn’t seen Yoongi look this happy in months, and being the one he’s decided to share it with makes Hoseok’s heart feel full in his chest.

They are about to add two more omegas to their pack. Taehyung is overjoyed, Namjoon and Jin are obviously already planning all of the ways they can dote on the two of them, and now Yoongi is truly showing his excitement too.

It’s enough to make him want to cry. He won’t, but it’s a close call.

Neither of them say a word, but he gives Yoongi’s hand a squeeze and smiles in return. It’s enough to communicate that the feeling is mutual, that Hoseok is excited too and happy to share it with him. 

Eventually, Namjoon’s voice draws their attention back to the others.

“There is one other thing we should talk about tonight.”

“Sure,” Jungkook says. “What is it, Namjoon-ssi?”

“I want to make sure we have your clear consent on going forward about the cameras. You’re aware that we have access to a live video feed, yes?” 

Leave it to Namjoon to take something that feels hard to discuss and just lay it out in the open so plainly. It takes a certain degree of courage to communicate like that, and it’s something Hoseok has always admired about his leadership. When push comes to shove, Namjoon always does what needs to be done.

“Yeah, we know,” Jimin confirms. “It doesn’t bother us, especially if it makes things easier for any of you. As long as we can turn them off whenever we want, I don’t have an issue with it.”

Jungkook nods his agreement. 

“They helped a lot with my heat,” Taehyung says. 

“I believe they will be of use to the rest of us as well,” Jin says. “They would give us an easy way to see that the two of you are safe, but that doesn’t make them a requirement.” His gaze drifts to Namjoon, looking for confirmation that he’s said the right thing.

Namjoon nods. “Exactly. We don’t want to pressure you if they make you uncomfortable. There are other systems we could work out to keep in communication if you–“

“It’s okay. It’s not a problem, really,” Jungkook interrupts. “If they bothered us, we would have said no already.”

Namjoon laughs, raising his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I might be being overly cautious.”

“Maybe just a bit,” Jin says with a fond little smile. “Either way, we’re just glad the two of you don’t mind.”

Jimin and Jungkook reassure them again that the cameras are fine, and then start preparing to head home. It takes a little time for them to get moving since everyone is busy exchanging phone numbers, but eventually they do all manage to make their way out the door.

While the rest of them say their goodbyes, Taehyung doesn’t even hesitate to open his arms wide and pull both of the other omegas into a hug. “Thank you so much for meeting with us. I’m gonna text you both soon and make a date to hang out! I wanna see where you live, and maybe we could get ice cream or something,” he says excitedly.

“We totally should! Jiminie loves ice cream.”

“Like you don’t?” Jimin laughs, elbowing Jungkook while they are trapped in the embrace. “We’ll both get ice cream with you anytime, Taehyung.”

Once the omegas finally break up their group hug, Jimin and Jungkook head off while the rest of them pile back into the car to head home.

Hoseok offers to drive so that Yoongi and him can sit in the front seat holding hands while their mates talk excitedly in the back. They both chip into the conversation when it's appropriate, but mostly they just enjoy listening to Namjoon, Jin, and Taehyung talk excitedly about all the dates they want to plan.

Things are definitely about to get interesting.

Chapter Text

Yoongi shouldn’t be surprised that Seokjin was right. It’s the afternoon following their meetup with Jimin and Jungkook, and Namjoon asks him to help set up an additional monitor in his office.

There’s plenty of room for it. Namjoon’s desk is a huge well built wooden piece, classic and sturdy – probably some sort of antique, knowing him. It’s the center point of the room. The rest of the office isn’t quite bare but it’s sparsely furnished aside from all of the art – since Namjoon likes to keep some of his personal favorites here. Besides that, there’s just a couple of large wooden cabinets, two armchairs, and a couch up against one wall. (The couch is almost exclusively used by Taehyung when he feels the need to be close by.)

It all stands in stark contrast to the sleek modern design of Yoongi’s own workspace but their tastes have always differed, with Namjoon tending to prefer a more classic look to his spaces. It looks good on camera for the occasional meeting he has via webcam here. 

Namjoon’s work frequently happens out on the town, while Yoongi’s rarely ever requires him to leave the house. Thank fuck for that, because there is no way in hell Yoongi would want to do what Namjoon does.

Namjoon keeps their entire operation running. He’s the one who always meets with clients, who negotiates all of their deals, who makes all of the toughest decisions – not only their pack alpha, but their leader as well. (A damn good one, in Yoongi’s opinion.)

Seokjin is the public face of their group, an expert in money laundering and skirting around the law – and he has contacts everywhere . All their properties are in his name and his record is basically spotless. As good as Yoongi has gotten at poring over financial records, he still only understands the basics in comparison to Jin.

Hoseok is an expert in procurement. He can get his hands on anything; people, transportation, weapons, obscure trinkets – no matter what it is, Hoseok knows someone who will sell it or can make a plan to steal it. Their options had expanded massively when he joined the pack, no longer stuck making deals for everything they wanted to get their hands on when they could plan to just take it .

Taehyung is... dangerous. Yoongi doesn’t know a ton about the market for hit men, but he knows that Taehyung is one of the best there is. Shit, he’s seen grown men – tough enforcer types even – go white as a ghost at the mention of the name “V”. The entire pack is dangerous, but none of them are anywhere near as dangerous as Taehyung.

They all play to their strengths, and Yoongi’s strength is in handling the technical aspects of their operation, and in hunting down the sort of information you don’t get from people. (He’s also a damn good shot with a pistol, not that he gets a lot of opportunities to shoot people when he’s behind a computer screen, but it never hurts to be competent. It’s saved their asses more than once.) Occasionally he will have to join the others for a “business trip” to provide technical support or an additional body, but most of the time he gets to work from the comfort of home.

Sometimes that means hacking into government databases or banking records – other times, it means helping his not-so-tech-savvy mate set up his computer. Either way, it’s nice to feel useful.

Yoongi already has mounting equipment and a few spare monitors on hand, so it’s as quick as just getting one set up at Namjoon’s desk. (He does offer to install more than one, but apparently, two would be “just too many”, according to his mate. He’s wrong, but Yoongi lets it go.) Namjoon wants his one single monitor up and out of his way, so Yoongi installs an arm to the back edge of the desk and mounts the monitor for him.

The whole process barely takes fifteen minutes.

“You’re so quick. That would have taken me ages,” Namjoon remarks from his seat on the couch. He’s been back and forth between watching Yoongi work and answering messages on his phone, but it looks like Yoongi has his full attention now.

“Joon, it was literally four screws. The rest was just knobs and clips. C’mon, sit down and log into your laptop so I can show you how to access the feed.”

Namjoon sits down at the desk and Yoongi stands beside him, guiding him through his display settings and getting the program set up. Thankfully, after years of showing him how to properly use a computer, the exercise isn’t too painful.

“The feed is accessible only with a link and a password. I’ve pinned the link to the group chat so you can grab it from there,” Yoongi says, pointing to the icon for the program.

Namjoon follows his instructions, opening the group chat and clicking the link pinned at the top. It loads up a blank black page with a blinking cursor.

“This is where you enter the password. I’ll be generating them for you, and each one should be good for a week or so.”

This seems to please Namjoon. “Do Jimin and Jungkook know that you are making security a priority?”

“I’ve run through some of the specifics with them. Honestly neither of them seem too worried, but I’d rather be safe,” Yoongi answers, pulling out his phone and generating a code for Namjoon.

Moments later Namjoon’s phone chimes, and he receives the text message with a string of letters and numbers. Once he enters the password the video feed loads in and they can see the familiar wide shot of Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment, which is empty at the moment. The image quality is still relatively poor, but Yoongi is working on a plan for that.

“That’s basically it. When they have both cameras on you’ll be able to pick one down at the bottom, or run both side by side.”

“Sounds simple enough. Thank you for your help,” Namjoon says with a warm smile. 

“Anytime.” Yoongi gives Namjoon’s shoulder a pat and then takes a little step back, preparing to turn and leave. Before he can go far, Namjoon is standing and reaching out to grab his hand.

“Do you have a bit more time?” Namjoon asks. His voice is quieter and almost sounds a little sad?

Yoongi is immediately ready to hunt down whoever or whatever has hurt his mate. 

“Of course,” he answers, letting Namjoon pull him back into his arms. Yoongi returns the gesture, wrapping his arms tight around Namjoon. “You alright, Joon-ah?”

“I’m okay, just feeling worried.”

“I’m right here.” He hugs Namjoon just a little tighter, tilting his head to accommodate the way he noses at Yoongi’s scent gland. “You can talk to me.”

“You sure?”

Yoongi pauses for a moment, confused. “Namjoon-ah, we talk about everything. There’s nothing you need to be afraid to tell me.”

“I know that, but I’m wondering if you do?” Namjoon answers, voice low against Yoongi’s neck.

“What?”

“I want you to talk to me .”

Oh.

It was a fucking trap , and he fell for it so goddamn hard.

*******

Namjoon can feel Yoongi tense against him, his scent going bitter as soon as he realizes what’s happening.

“Seokjin-hyung said something to you, didn’t he?”

“He wouldn’t have had to if you talked to the pack – talked to me . You don’t have to suffer alone, Yoongi.”

The scent of bitter, burnt cinnamon doesn’t dissipate and Yoongi doesn’t answer him, just stands stiffly in Namjoon’s arms with his face turned away.

“Is talking about it really so bad?” Namjoon asks.

Yoongi tries to step back, but Namjoon doesn’t let him go. Normally, this is where his mate would give up and start to relax into his arms, but apparently things are worse than he thought because Yoongi lets out a low growl and actually pushes his hands against Namjoon’s chest.

Either one on their own would warrant a raised brow, but together? Yoongi is obviously looking for correction, for stability.

Namjoon is happy to oblige.

He lets out a growl of his own and clutches Yoongi tighter. “Is this going to be that sort of conversation? Do you need your alpha to make you talk?”

“Can’t you just fucking leave it alone?” Yoongi grunts, pushing harder against Namjoon’s chest, but it doesn’t get him anywhere.

He could just go for Yoongi’s scent gland, give him a nip and bring him down gently. It would be easy enough, but that doesn’t seem like what Yoongi needs right now – no, he needs to be reminded that he belongs to Namjoon, that his alpha is going to take care of him no matter how stubborn he wants to be about it.

Namjoon pushes until he has Yoongi pressed into his desk. He reaches back to clear some space, shoving his laptop off to the far corner and sending several stacks of paper toppling to the floor.

He will deal with that later.

Yoongi tries to scramble away while Namjoon works to clear the desk, shoving and pressing his hips forward hard enough to push Namjoon back a few inches, but it’s not enough to break free. Apparently, Yoongi is determined to fight every step of the way. That’s fine. Namjoon lets out another growl and reaches up to weave fingers through Yoongi’s hair before clutching a fistful of the pretty orange locks and tugging.

Yoongi gasps.

“Do you want a nip?” Namjoon asks, giving his mate a chance to back down. Sometimes a quick show of dominance is enough to settle Yoongi, but this time he just glares back at Namjoon without a word. “Do you want a nip or do you want me to make you talk?”

“I don’t want a goddamn nip. I’m fine ,” Yoongi bites out. 

It’s not quite asking for it with words, but Namjoon knows how hard it is for his mate to ask for what he wants, and they’ve done this enough times that Yoongi knows how it’s going to go. Just to be sure, Namjoon leans in towards Yoongi’s neck as though he’s going for the nip anyways. 

The reaction is immediate.

Yoongi bares his teeth. “Keep your mouth to your damn self!” This time he pulls back as far as he can and then lunges forward with enough force to send them both off balance and falling to the floor, Namjoon losing his grip on Yoongi’s hair in the tumble.

Yoongi lands on top of him at first, huffing out a breath before trying to roll away. He doesn’t get far. Namjoon catches his arm and pulls him back in, throwing his weight until they both go rolling over one another. Yoongi manages a solid kick to his shin before Namjoon succeeds in caging both Yoongi’s legs with his own.

“You’re so. Goddamn. Stubborn,” Namjoon huffs, trying to wrestle his way on top of Yoongi.

Namjoon is definitely the stronger of the two, but Yoongi fights dirty and thrashes about with little regard for his own well being, meaning Namjoon has to be careful enough for both of them.

“Says the guy who can’t just fucking- let it- go,” Yoongi says in between heavy breaths.

It takes a few minutes before Namjoon finally manages to wrestle Yoongi underneath him, straddling his hips and pinning both of his wrists to the floor. Yoongi tries to buck him off, but he’s already breathing hard. All Namjoon has to do is let him tire himself out a little more.

“All that and I still got you underneath me, huh?” Namjoon prods. “You ready to talk yet?”

Yoongi gives one last valiant effort to dislodge Namjoon and wiggle away, straining against the grip on his wrists and trying to roll them again, but it’s no use. He struggles for another minute, even though it’s obviously not going to work, and then finally stops.

Yoongi goes limp, breath coming out in hard puffs and his cheeks red with exertion.

Namjoon leans into close again, expecting a fight, but there is no more resistance as he closes the distance and noses at Yoongi’s jaw.

Instead he catches the first whiff of arousal in the air, just the tiniest bit of heady cinnamon spice. Yoongi has always liked being overpowered, and Namjoon has always been happy to give him that – especially in times like this where it’s clear that he needs it.

Namjoon can’t help himself, not when his mate smells so good and is finally relaxing for him. He presses his lips to Yoongi’s in a kiss that’s far too sweet for all of the wrestling they just did, but Yoongi kisses him back just as gently.

It’s not a long kiss. Yoongi needs to catch his breath and Namjoon wants to get them both off of the floor. He stands and then helps Yoongi up, pulling him right into an embrace, making sure there isn’t a single chance that he can run away. (He seems like he’s out of fight, but Namjoon doesn’t want to risk it.)

“Talk to me,” Namjoon whispers. “Please.”

“Okay, fine. Can we sit?” Yoongi answers, voice quiet and his head tucked into Namjoon’s chest.

“Yeah, we can sit.”

It might be a ploy to buy some time, but that’s fine. They have plenty of time if that’s what Yoongi really wants. Yoongi walks back over to Namjoon’s desk and sits down on the open surface, still empty of nearly everything but his laptop. 

Namjoon raises an eyebrow, but pulls his chair closer to the desk and sits down in front of his mate. “You ready to talk about it?”

Yoongi sighs. “It’s not a big deal. Jin-hyung just caught me on a bad day.”

An obvious attempt at a dismissal. Namjoon won’t let him get off that easily. “Did he? Will you tell me about it?”

“Didn’t he already tell you?”

“Only that you were feeling like you weren’t good enough.” Yoongi winces at the words, looking down at the floor with distress spiking in his scent again, and Namjoon’s heart aches . “Hey, it’s okay,” he says, standing up and stepping in between Yoongi’s legs so he can get his arms around him again.

As much as Yoongi might like to deny it sometimes, he craves just as much physical affection as the rest of them do – and he isn’t immune to needing the secure embrace of his alpha to help him calm down on occasion either. Namjoon really shouldn’t have stopped touching him when they sat down. A mistake on his part, but easy enough to correct as he tucks Yoongi in close, splaying one hand wide over his lower back and letting the other curl around his nape. Namjoon keeps quiet, waiting patiently as the burnt spice smell of distress starts to dissipate.

“It’s just,” Yoongi eventually starts, taking a deep breath with his face buried in Namjoon’s neck. “I was thinking about us having more mates, more omegas in the pack. I just want... Fuck, I hate this.”

“You were doing so well. What do you want, Yoongi?” Namjoon rubs one hand up and down Yoongi’s back and works to keep his own scent calm and soothing.

“Fine. Fine , I just – I’m hoping there will be more opportunity to – Ugh, why is this so hard? I want to be able to take care of them, to take care of all of you. Sometimes when I compare myself to the rest of you I feel like I don’t do as much for the pack, but there aren’t a lot of gaps to fill either. Everyone is happy and taken care of but not usually because of me.”

“I don’t think that’s true at all.”

“Look at all the time you’re wasting on me right now. If I was just–”

“This isn’t a waste, Yoongi.”

“Seems like it to me.”

“Do you think it’s a waste when you take care of Taehyung on a bad day? Or when you let Hoseok talk you into going out dancing with him so he can unwind? How about when–”

“Those are different, ” Yoongi interrupts, a hint of frustration in his tone.

“Why?”

Yoongi doesn’t answer right away, taking a deep breath with his face still buried in Namjoon’s neck. When he does speak again, it’s quiet – barely more than a whisper. “Because the rest of you deserve it.”

If Namjoon’s heart ached before, it’s absolutely shattering now. 

He wants to crush Yoongi to his chest, pull him so close that he will have no choice but to feel how much Namjoon treasures him. His alpha instincts are practically screaming for him to bite and claim until Yoongi understands , until he’s so satisfied and fucked out that he could never doubt how much Namjoon wants to take care of him again.

First, they need to talk.

“Oh, baby I didn’t know,” he answers, pulling Yoongi in tighter. “You never need to do anything to deserve this. You’re my mate , and–”

“Look, I know it’s stupid,” Yoongi interrupts. “That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it.” 

Yoongi huffs, shifting like he wants to get away, but Namjoon stays wrapped around him – sliding the hand at his nape lower so he can start to very gently rub his thumb over Yoongi’s scent gland. He works small circles into the skin, feeling the tension practically bleed out of Yoongi, his body gradually going more and more limp until he’s pressed against Namjoon’s chest.

“It’s not stupid. You wanna know what I think?”

Yoongi sighs. “Sure.”

“I think that there has been a lot of stress lately. I know you’ve been busy, and then Taehyung’s heat and us meeting Jungkook and Jimin all happened very fast. This is going to be a big change and I think all of us are unsure what it’s going to look like.”

At first he doesn’t get a response, but after a few seconds, Yoongi gives a slow little nod.

“So maybe with all of that happening, Jin-hyung did catch you on a bad day, but I also think that this has been brewing for a while and we would have had to have this talk eventually anyways, right?”

“Fuck, probably,” Yoongi mumbles.

“Can you look at me?” Namjoon asks, pulling back just a little.

“Okay.” Yoongi leans back on his hands, still sitting on the desk with Namjoon standing between his legs. He makes eye contact for a moment before staring at Namjoon’s chest, chewing nervously at his bottom lip.

Namjoon rubs another little circle into Yoongi’s scent gland, watching the way his eyelashes flutter and his cheeks go pink. So pretty .

“Did you just want to stare at me?” Yoongi deadpans. He’s doing his best to look uninterested even though he’s all but leaning into the touch.

“Maybe.”

Yoongi frowns. “Ugh, are we done talking now then?”

“Almost, I promise. You’ve done so well for me.”

Yoongi’s cheeks go even more flushed and he turns his face away. “For fuck’s sake, you can’t talk like that when we’re looking at each other. Just say what you need to say.”

“Then keep looking at me.”

Yoongi turns his head back and makes pointed eye contact with him, raising an eyebrow. Brat . Any other day Namjoon would consider putting him over his knee, but the sass is more of a defense mechanism right now than a challenge.

Either way, Yoongi would consider kindness to be the harsher punishment, even if it isn’t meant to be.

“You never have to do anything to deserve this from me, or from any of us,” Namjoon starts. The words are enough to take the wind out of Yoongi’s sails, his expression softening. “As much as you love taking care of all of us, we love taking care of you too.”

“I know, it’s just... Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Namjoon answers, pulling Yoongi back into his arms where he immediately buries his face in Namjoon’s neck, nosing at his scent gland with a tiny little sigh. “Now at least I know what’s going on and I can help support you through it. Thank you for talking to me.”

“You say that like you didn’t have to literally wrestle it out of me,” Yoongi mumbles.

“It’s always been hard for you to talk about this sort of stuff. This won't be the last time I wrestle you into submission to get you to talk to me. To be honest, it’s kind of fun.”

Yoongi slaps Namjoon’s shoulder lightly. “You’re the worst,” he says with a laugh.

“Love you too,” Namjoon answers, pressing smiling lips against Yoongi’s neck.

“Are we done now?”

“We can be done for today. We’ll have to talk about it again, but right now I want to focus on making you feel better.”

Yoongi tenses just a little, and Namjoon just knows that he’s about to spout some nonsense about how he doesn’t need comfort and they’ve already ‘wasted’ enough time or something.

Namjoon doesn’t give him the chance. 

“I want to nip you, want to see you go down for me,” he says, pressing kisses into Yoongi’s neck where he can feel his mate’s breath catch. “Want to claim you until there’s not a doubt left in your mind about how much I want you.”  

“You really... I don’t...” Yoongi’s scent goes unmistakably sweet even as he struggles for words, and Namjoon moves his mouth closer to the source.

“You already smell so good for me. Let me look after you?”

“It’s really – It’s not that bad,” Yoongi mumbles. “You don’t have to do anything. I don’t feel this way all the time, just a little.”

“Then let me reassure you just a little , hmm?” Namjoon counters, teeth mapping out Yoongi’s scent gland and feeling his mate shiver against him. When his tongue swipes over the skin, Yoongi whines for him, just a small little noise but enough to let Namjoon know he’s interested. “That’s it. You sound so good, baby.”

Yoongi’s hips buck at the pet name.

“Joon-ah,” he whispers, his hands fisting into the fabric of Namjoon’s shirt.

“You gonna go down for me? Gonna let me take care of you?”

“Don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t have to, Yoongi. I want to . Will you let me?” Namjoon asks, sucking a bruise into Yoongi’s neck. And fuck he wants so badly. Wants to get Yoongi all the way under, sobbing and stretched so tight around his knot that all he can even think about is Namjoon, where there’s not a doubt in his mind about how desired and loved he is.

Yoongi keens for him and Namjoon growls, biting down just below his jaw until he makes the sound again and his body rolls against Namjoon’s, hips stuttering at the friction and – fuck they’re both so hard already.

“Need an answer,” Namjoon says before he bites at his mate’s jaw again, keeping his teeth away from where he wants them until he has permission.

Yoongi’s voice is barely a whisper when he answers. 

“ Please .”

As soon as the word leaves his mouth, Namjoon sinks teeth into Yoongi’s scent gland and feels the way his mate goes almost liquid against him.

“So good for me,” Namjoon says, pulling away to look at the dazed expression on Yoongi’s face, the way the flush has crept onto his cheeks and his pupils have blown wide. It makes Namjoon swell with pride to be so trusted. 

He’s going to make sure that Yoongi is taken care of exactly like he deserves.

~~

“You want it?”

“Yes,” Yoongi pants. “ Please .”

He’s perfect like this, entirely naked and so gorgeous all splayed out on Namjoon’s desk, lips kiss swollen and his chest dotted with bite marks, stretched around Namjoon’s cock and desperate to cum. Namjoon might be picky about the art he keeps in his office, but Yoongi is still the prettiest thing in the room by far.

“What do you want? Tell me,” Namjoon says, grinding the slowly swelling base of his knot against Yoongi’s rim. A little more force and he knows he could slip inside – and Yoongi knows it too if the way he ruts his hips back with a low whine is any indication – but Namjoon needs him to say it. “C’mon Yoongi, baby ,” he growls low right next to Yoongi’s ear. “Tell me what you want.”

“Fuck, I want – please, I – I want your knot,” Yoongi chokes out. His voice is so wrecked; his words come out almost half slurred with it and Namjoon loves it, wants to hear more. 

“Do you think you can take it?”

Namjoon knows he can. He’s stretched Yoongi out thoroughly, gotten him so slick and messy with lube that Namjoon can hear the wet squelching noises every time he fucks into him.

“Yes Joon, please! Please – ahh, I – I need it,” Yoongi cries.

Namjoon presses his hips harder into Yoongi, so close to what they both want and he feels Yoongi’s thighs tremble as he lets out a sob. God he’s perfect like this, all whiny and begging and desperate , so far gone that he’s forgotten to be self conscious about what he wants.

Namjoon loves him like this .

“You gonna cum for me if I give it to you, baby?”

“Yes yes yes! Wanna cum. Want you to fill me up, please! ”

“Need you to relax for me, okay?” 

Yoongi obeys, his hole going loose as he bears down. Namjoon presses his hips forward and finally feels his knot pop inside, – and fuck it’s so good – surrounded by that wet warm heat where it begins to swell almost immediately.

“Oh fuck,” Yoongi sobs, his thighs starting to shake even harder as Namjoon’s knot grows inside of him. “So much – It’s so much.” His hands scramble for purchase, short nails scratching the finish of the desk, but Namjoon couldn’t care less right now – focused only on taking his mate apart.

“That’s it. You take it so well,” Namjoon says, starting to thrust again – or at least as much as he can with them locked together and Yoongi so tight around him. “You open up so easy for me, taking my knot almost like an omega.”

Yoongi whines at the words.

“Oh, you like that? Like knowing that you fuck like some pretty little omega?”

“ A-alpha ,” Yoongi sobs, and oh he’s all the way under now. His pupils have blown so wide that there is hardly any iris left, tear tracks running down his cheeks and teeth sunk into his lip while Namjoon does his best to ruin him .

“That’s right. Alpha’s going to take care of you. You look so gorgeous when you cry for me, baby.”

“Please, alpha – I’m –”

Namjoon wraps his fingers into Yoongi’s hair, guiding him upward and then tugging until the pale column of his throat is on display.

“Gonna cum for me? Show me how good you look coming apart on my knot?” Namjoon growls, licking a long stripe up Yoongi’s neck. He can see how close his mate is, the way his chest heaves with each breath, his untouched cock all angry red and leaking on his stomach.

“Yes – Ah!  Don’t stop!” 

“Don’t even have to touch you, do I? You’re gonna cum just from having me inside of you.” Namjoon is so fucking close himself, his knot nearly completely swollen while he grinds it as deep into Yoongi as he can. “Fuck, me too baby. Gonna fill you up so good.”

“Please, yes! Want you to cum – wanna feel it, I–” Yoongi babbles. “Oh god, fuck I’m –” His mouth opens on a silent scream and his whole body pulls tight like a bowstring, the first stripe of white shooting up his chest.

Fuck , Yoongi always looks so good when he cums, his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth open, tongue just peeking out over his teeth – and Namjoon knows that it’s because of him, that he’s the reason his mate looks so pretty trembling on his knot and shooting rope after rope of cum up his chest.

He never stood a chance. If the sight alone wasn’t enough, the way Yoongi clamps down hard around him makes absolutely certain that Namjoon tumbles over the edge too, feeling the first burst of wetness as he starts to pump Yoongi full.

“You feel that? Gonna fill you up, baby. So much you’ll be dripping with me,” Namjoon groans, hips stuttering with the force of his orgasm.

“It’s so much,” Yoongi whispers. “Feels so good, alpha.” 

Yoongi clings to him, arms wrapped around Namjoon’s shoulders, face buried against his neck. He lets out low little whines at each new spurt of cum inside of him, hole clenching down on Namjoon’s cock every few seconds, milking him.

“Doing so good, baby. You’re gorgeous like this, wearing my marks and stuffed so full of me that you’re leaking. You’re perfect, Yoongi.” Namjoon presses kisses to Yoongi’s jaw as he murmurs praise, tongue sneaking out to catch the remnants of salty tears on his mate’s skin. “Perfect and mine .”

“ Yours ,” Yoongi echoes, voice fucked out as his mouth searches for Namjoon’s.

Their kiss is mostly just Yoongi panting into his mouth while Namjoon licks wetly inside, wanting every inch of his mate to be his , but that seems to be exactly what Yoongi wants too judging by how eagerly he accepts the intrusion.

Eventually Yoongi does start to kiss him back, tongue sliding against his, whimpering as Namjoon’s cock finally gives its last few spurts of cum.

Once they’ve both had a minute to come down, Namjoon very gently picks Yoongi up. They’re still tied together, but Namjoon isn’t going to leave his mate laying on the hard surface of his desk. Yoongi groans at the movement but wraps his legs around Namjoon’s waist and lets himself be carried over to the couch where Namjoon sits them down with Yoongi straddling his lap.

“You did so well for me,” Namjoon whispers, carding fingers through Yoongi’s hair. He can’t help running his tongue over Yoongi’s scent gland, not when he smells so sweet and content like this.

Yoongi whimpers at the contact but tilts his head to give Namjoon better access, and there’s no way he can resist sucking another mark into the skin now. After all, everyone should know that he’s the one who took Yoongi apart and got him smelling so sweet – that Yoongi is his.

His mate hums in response, eventually trailing off into a low little laugh.

“Something funny?” Namjoon murmurs, lips curling into a smile against Yoongi’s skin.

“Only you could fuck me like that and still feel like you need to mark me up more,” Yoongi answers, still sounding fucked out and content.

“You like it.”

“Yeah. Feels good and I like...” Yoongi trails off, burying his face into Namjoon’s shoulder.

“What do you like, baby?”

“I like feeling like yours,” Yoongi admits quietly.

Namjoon squeezes him tighter. “That makes me so happy, Yoongi. I love that you’re mine,” he says, pressing kisses up Yoongi’s jaw before sucking another mark into his neck. “I’ll make sure you never forget it.”

Chapter Text

[Namjoon to Jimin and Jungkook]

[Namjoon]: Jin and I will be in your area today for work. Would the two of you like to meet for lunch? Our treat.

[Namjoon]: There are some specifics we should discuss that we missed at dinner.

[Jimin]: Sure we are both be home today

[Jimin]: Should we be nervous? (￣▽￣)”

[Namjoon]: No, nothing to be nervous about. I’d like to give you a rundown of our business and discuss any necessary security measures with you.

[JK]: sounds easy enough

[Jimin]: Where should we meet you?

~

Jungkook is excited for a chance to spend more time with Namjoon and Jin, since they didn’t get a lot of opportunities to talk the other night. Really, he just wants to get to know the whole pack better. They all seem so cool and their pack bond appears strong and secure, which is exactly the sort of thing he would want for Jimin and himself.

It also doesn’t hurt that they all smell amazing. It reminds him of when he finally presented as an omega and could really smell Jimin for the first time, how he wanted to drown in that first wave of sweet vanilla cream.

Namjoon sends them both the address for a restaurant a few blocks from their apartment and Jimin looks it up right away to figure out if they need to dress up, while Jungkook reads over his shoulder. The prices are a little higher than they would typically go for, but nothing insane.

“I don’t think we should have to dress too fancy. I do wanna shower though,” Jimin comments.

“Looks pretty casual,” Jungkook says. “Do they have pasta?”

“Craving noodles?”

“Always.”

It turns out they do have pasta, so Jungkook is even more excited now. They also have some sort of pretty looking dessert that Jimin wants to try, although he gets caught up worrying if it’s rude to order dessert when someone else is paying for their meal.

Jungkook decides that’s silly, so he will make sure Jimin gets the dessert. If it’s rude, they can always pay for it themselves.

He’s spent months watching Jimin skip meals to make sure that he’s getting enough to eat, and he’s let Jimin do it because it was better than watching him breakdown at the thought of Jungkook missing even a single meal. Now that they aren’t treading water financially anymore, he’s going to give his mate all the food he could possibly want.

They don’t have too much time to get ready, but Jungkook already showered a couple of hours ago when he got back from his morning run, so he just needs to get changed and maybe comb his hair. The run had been nice, but he’s hoping to get back to the gym soon too, depending on how things go for them money wise. He doesn’t want to assume that things like Yoongi-hyung dropping a million won into their account are going to be happening frequently, but that is sorta the vibe he’s getting. If he’s right, it’s going to drive Jimin crazy. His mate gets so frazzled by gifts sometimes, and– 

Jungkook is getting sidetracked. He needs to pick out clothes.

Why is getting dressed such a chore?

He’s never been all that great at deciding on outfits for stuff like this. Is he supposed to dress like he does normally? If they’re being courted, is he supposed to dress more like a traditional omega? Damn, he hasn’t really given that much thought yet. Is he going to be omega enough for them? Are they going to want him to look soft and pretty all the time? Will they be put off because he–

Focus. Clothes.

He ignores the nagging worry in the back of his mind about whether he’s the type of omega the pack is looking for and focuses on finding the nicest looking jeans that he can. Apparently that’s a thing he’s going to have to worry about now. Nice jeans .

Jimin manages to exit the bathroom looking so effortlessly pretty and alluring that it’s honestly unfair. He’s blow dried his hair and is wearing one of his v-neck shirts that puts his whole throat on display in a way that makes Jungkook’s pants feel suddenly too tight. He’s even wearing mascara which should be illegal unless Jungkook gets to wreck him so hard that he cries and makes a mess of it. Fuck, he could put Jimin on his knees and–

“You’re staring,” Jimin says, mouth pulled into a little half smirk.

“I’m struggling to find ‘nice pants’ and you just walk out of the bathroom looking like that .”

“What do I look like?”

“Fucking hot, hyung. Do you think we have time to–”

“We need to go in like twenty minutes,” Jimin interrupts with a laugh.

Twenty minutes... He can make Jimin cum in half that time. Easily. Jungkook opens his mouth to say as much, but Jimin beats him to it.

“That wasn’t a challenge, Kookie. You still need to get dressed and brush your hair.”

They do manage to get out the door on time. Getting ready isn’t too hard once Jimin picks out a shirt for him and confirms that his jeans do in fact qualify as nice .

~~

The walk doesn’t take too long, and the weather is nice enough for it to be pleasant – the sun shining and only a light breeze in the air. From the corner of his eye, Jungkook sees Jimin’s hands slide into his pockets and back out before he starts fiddling with the hem of his shirt, pulling at the fabric a few times and then slipping his hands back into his pockets.

Jungkook watches him repeat the cycle twice before he eventually reaches out and takes one of Jimin’s hands in his own, lifting it up to his mouth and brushing his lips across the knuckles. “It’s going to be okay, hyung.”

“I know,” Jimin says, stepping in close enough that Jungkook lets go of his hand in favor of wrapping an arm around his back instead. “Just a little nervous.”

“It’s okay. I’m nervous too,” Jungkook says. The restaurant comes into view as they round the corner, and he starts scanning the people on the street. “Do you see them?”

“Not yet, but – Never mind I see them. Oh god.”

“What is it – Oh .”

Jungkook spots the two of them now too and feels his heart beating hard in his chest because fuck do they look good. They’re both dressed in suits that have obviously been tailored for them, looking sharp and broad and damn near intimidating as their eyes scan the crowd as well.

They are so hot. Why are they so hot?

“They haven’t seen us yet. We still have time to run,” Jimin jokes.

Jungkook laughs. “Maybe we should. We could go back home really fast and change and just claim that we ran late.”

The opportunity to turn tail doesn’t last long. 

Jin sees them first, nudging Namjoon and pointing, both of their faces breaking out into smiles as they wave Jimin and Jungkook over. It should be easier to look at the two of them like this, when they are all soft smiles and warm eyes – It’s not though . Instead, it’s just a whole different brand of hot that has him wondering what they look like curled up on the couch with a movie on, or how it would feel to be cuddled in between them in the morning, all warm and safe with–

“You two made it,” Namjoon says warmly. “I know it was a bit short notice.”

“It’s good to see you,” Jin adds. Both of them are smiling like Jimin and Jungkook in their t-shirts and jeans are something to be admired, which is insane when the two of them are wearing suits that probably cost more than Jungkook makes in a month.

A couple of years ago, he might not have even noticed the suits. He and Jimin had grown up surrounded by wealth and power without ever really thinking much about it, but now that they’ve struggled on their own for two years, he views it all very differently.

They had both brought plenty of nice things with them when they left Busan – some clothes, jewelry, and their phones. He even has a nice suit tucked somewhere in the back of their closet too, but it’s no longer tailored to his body, which is kind of like the rest of their possessions from back then. All just relics of a life they left behind, or at least they feel that way a lot of the time. Maybe now, he isn’t so sure. Things are changing, but what exactly that is going to mean for them is still– 

“Well, now I definitely feel like we’re underdressed,” Jimin laughs. “You both… You look very handsome.”

Right, the date. 

Jungkook needs to focus. For the moment, he just nods in agreement and gives them the most charming smile he can manage. If he opens his mouth right now he’s definitely going to say something stupid.

“Aww, Jimin-ah. So sweet,” Jin says. “The two of us are a bit overdressed really, but I’ve been wanting to try eating here for a while.”

“Yeah, please don’t worry. You both look perfect,” Namjoon adds, leading them towards their table.

Perfect .  

The praise goes straight to Jungkook’s head, leaving him feeling warm and almost floaty as they get seated and pick up their menus. He’s really glad they already looked at the menu online before they came, because the time to compose himself is invaluable.

They’re being courted. He can’t let every little compliment send him reeling, but he’s always been such a sucker for praise of any kind. How is he supposed to help the fact that getting compliments feels good?

Jungkook does eventually manage to gather himself enough to engage in some small talk as they wait for their food. They comment on the menu and trade little tidbits about their plans for the day until it’s time to place their order. Eventually Namjoon and Jin mention that they were in the area meeting with a client before coming to meet them. 

It makes for an easy segue, since Jungkook is curious. “You said you wanted to discuss your business, right?”

“Yes,” Namjoon answers. “We feel it’s important that you understand what you’re getting into, even if you won't be directly involved. Mostly making sure there aren’t any surprises later, while also making our case for the type of security we would like to assign you.”

“Admittedly, it should be a fairly easy conversation with your background,” Jin says, laughing. “You should have seen poor Yoongi-yah when he first found out what Taehyung-ah does for work.”

“Yeah, I doubt anything you say is going to shock the two of us,” Jimin says.

“Shall we?” Namjoon gives Jin a questioning look and receives a nod in response. “Okay, let’s get into it then. May as well start with the big one. Are you two aware of what Taehyung does for work?”

It’s not much of a mystery. If Taehyung really has done work for Junghyun it must mean he’s a hitman, and a hell of a good one too. Jungkook’s family doesn’t hire outside help unless absolutely necessary – much easier to keep that sort of thing in house if you have the resources, and they definitely have the resources.

Jungkook nods. “He said he’s done work for my brother, which doesn’t leave a lot of options.”

“Yeah. Normally they just have my family take care of that sort of thing,” Jimin says. “He must be pretty good then?”

Jin nods. “The best.”

“So is that what you guys do then?” Jimin asks. “Broker for Taehyung?”

“No,” Namjoon says. “Taehyung doesn’t work often if we can help it, but when he does Jin is usually the one who functions as his broker.”

“Then what line of work are you all in exactly?”

“Namjoon-ah has a keen eye for high value items, so the majority of our business is built on the collection and sale of those items.”

“What can I say? I’m a patron of the arts,” Namjoon says.

Jungkook knows what that means in the type of world they all come from. Stolen artwork and pilfered artifacts. It’s the sort of thing his grandfather got really into before he passed away and left his grandmother with a house that feels more like a museum than a home.

Who knows, maybe Namjoon has even bought some pieces from her collection to resell. He’ll have to ask sometime.

Jimin knows what it means too. “Purely domestic, or…?” he asks.

“Originally, yes,” Namjoon says. “Now we import from all over the world, but when Yoongi and I were starting the operation it was small time and almost entirely based in Seoul. Mostly we smuggled drugs back in those days, only getting to do the fun stuff on the side every now and then. Once Taehyung and Seokjin joined us and we had more resources, we grew fairly quickly – even more so since Hoseok became a part of the pack.”

Jimin grins. “I heard stories about Jung Hoseok-ssi back when we were still in Busan. It was a couple of years ago now, but even then people were talking about the heist he organized in Incheon.”

Jungkook is pretty sure he remembers the story. “Hyung, was that the one with the jeweled crown?”

“Uh huh, plucked right under their noses while it was on display at some charity event! I remember thinking he must have been mad to pull that off. Security was supposed to be insane.”

“Yes, he really is something,” Namjoon says. “He sees so much and his attention to detail is unmatched when it comes to planning anything with a lot of moving parts.”

Jungkook was never a thief, but Jimin had taken to it like a natural right away. It was that aptitude that got him reassigned from training to be Jungkook’s bodyguard, and he had flourished once they let him start working, developing real self confidence for the first time. He misses seeing Jimin confident. Maybe whatever this thing they are doing with the pack is, it can be the sort of positive push he needs to help him start finding that confidence again.

Sidetracked again . Oops.

He tunes back into the conversation as Jin is explaining that the pack does operate in a few other trades beyond the high value stolen art and curios. Taehyung and Yoongi both do their own work on the side, and Jin apparently makes a killing in real estate and owns several businesses. (Money laundering mostly, if Jungkook had to guess.)

After that, Namjoon starts talking about security for the two of them. They decline the offer of a bodyguard outright, but are willing to accept someone keeping tabs on their apartment building. Namjoon explains that Yoongi has already secured their home network and will make sure nobody else gets into their devices.

Their food comes sometime in the middle of the discussion, and Jungkook eagerly digs into his plate of pasta. Across from him, Jin is also diving right into his meal. They catch each other’s eye at the same time, smiling around their mouths full of food, neither of them saying a word as they go back to eating.

He has a feeling that he and Jin-hyung are going to get along great.

After a round of comments on the food, they discuss the cameras again too, since both Jin and Namjoon seem surprised at how willing they are to accept constant video surveillance.

Jimin shrugs. “It’s really not that weird for us. The Jeon family compound had cameras everywhere.”

“Yeah, compared to how we grew up, having a couple of cameras in our apartment is nothing. Plus we get the option of turning these ones off if we want.”

“Don’t you guys have cameras?” Jimin asks. “For your own security?”

Namjoon explains that they have some outside and at their front gate but none inside of their house at the moment, and after that the conversation drifts back to the meal. It’s nice to get a chance to get to know the two of them better. Jin really is passionate about food, pointing out the things he likes and dislikes about the dish he ordered, and talking about how he intends to try and replicate it at home.

Jungkook gets to tell them a little more about school and his work, explaining that his dream is to be a tattoo artist, but that he really loves all sorts of art. 

Namjoon seems excited when he mentions photography and even more interested when he talks about painting. “I’d love to see your work sometime, Jungkook-ah.”

“Sounds like a good excuse to update your portfolio,” Jimin says.

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to do that for a while now.” It’s long overdue, really, but Jungkook just keeps putting it off. He knows it’s going to be a project to go through all of his work and pick favorites, not to mention making it all look nice in a portfolio together.

Namjoon chuckles. “I would just be glad to see anything you feel open to showing me. Doesn’t have to be professional.”

Jungkook agrees to show him some work, and talks a little about how excited he is to go back to class even if it makes his schedule a little hectic.

“Kookie thrives with that crazy schedule,” Jimin says. “You should see him when finals roll around. He’s a machine when he needs to be. Honestly, if there’s one thing I don’t miss about school, it’s definitely finals week.”

Namjoon perks right up when Jimin brings up school, almost like he was waiting for it. “You had mentioned having to drop out of school. Would you be interested in going back?”

“That’s sort of the plan, at least once Kookie finishes his apprenticeship.”

“Would you still like to dance?”

Jimin makes it about halfway to a smile before his gaze falls on the table and he shrugs. “Probably not. I love it but it doesn’t offer a lot of career prospects. I’ve been looking for work for months now, and it’s basically impossible to get my foot in the door as an–” Jimin makes exaggerated air quotes, “–‘ unmated omega ’ without a degree.”

Jungkook can hear the strain in his voice, the frustration. Jimin has been trying so hard.

Jin sighs. “You would think we would be past such blatant sexism by this point.”

“Honestly. It’s so stupid,” Jungkook agrees.

“What would you go to school for instead of dance?” Namjoon asks Jimin, apparently intent on keeping this conversation moving.

“I guess I don’t know yet. I figure I can talk with an advisor at the college when we can afford for me to go back.”

Namjoon and Jin exchange a look. “I know someone,” Jin tells his mate. “She owes me a favor.”

“What are you talking about?” Jungkook asks.

“We’d like to offer to pay for your schooling,” Namjoon answers. “We were discussing it after we all met up the other night, and Jin-hyung has contacts at the college you both attended.”

“And a few other schools as well, if you would prefer to go somewhere different,” Jin adds.

What?

He isn’t sure how they are supposed to respond to an offer like that. It sounds too good to be true, but the thought of Jimin back in school and not at home stressing about finding a job is so appealing. It would be so amazing to see his mate happy again. Maybe it could even be the first step toward rebuilding his confidence!

He looks over to Jimin to see his reaction and finds him almost frozen, mouth hanging open and staring wide eyed at Namjoon.

“I’m sure you have concerns,” Namjoon continues. “Even if your schooling is paid for, your financial situation is still very tight.”

Jin leans forward with a big smile. “Which is why we would like to offer to pay your rent as well,” he says, popping another bite of pasta into his mouth.

“Really?” Jungkook asks, voice nearly shaking.

This could change everything .

Jimin shakes his head. “That’s too much. We really – We can’t accept that.”

“Hyung, wait,” Jungkook says. “Just think about it for a minute. If we don’t have to worry about rent, you could go back to your dance program and do what you love. You wouldn’t even have to worry about looking for work anymore! I could cover our other expenses no problem.”

“I know that and it’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but I don’t want to be some kept omega. School would be one thing, but I don’t want to just sit back and have everything paid for. If this doesn’t work out, we still need to be able to provide for ourselves and–”

“If I may?” Namjoon interrupts. “It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. If you’re only okay with us paying for school, that’s fine – and if you want to work I’m sure we could help get you a job somewhere too. We want to help, but none of us want to make you feel powerless.”

Jimin chews his lower lip for a few seconds, eyes glued to the table before he raises his head and says, “You could help me get a job?”

“We can,” Namjoon answers. “Between the two of us, we know quite a few people. It would just depend on what sort of work you’re looking to do.”

This could work. Oh my god this could actually work.

“Something part time,” Jungkook says right away. “If you’re going to go back to school, you shouldn’t work full time on top of that.”

Jin nods his head. “Jungkook-ah is right. There’s no need to over-stress yourself.”

“It's still just...” Jimin trails off, staring down at the table again. He looks like he might be getting overwhelmed. Jungkook can sympathize, because it is a lot to take in – but he can’t let Jimin miss this opportunity.

He can help.

Jungkook scoots over and reaches up to put an arm around his obviously stressed out mate. He wants this so badly for Jimin, wants him to feel like he’s doing enough, wants him to be able to chase his dream again the same way that he’s let Jungkook chase his. 

“Hyung, it’s okay to be scared,” he says, leaning his head on Jimin’s shoulder, “but I think this could be really good for you.”

“I’m sorry if we came on too strong,” Namjoon says gently, clearly aware that Jimin is on edge. It’s a good sign, Jungkook thinks – an alpha who pays attention to more than just scent, and it’s basically a requirement with Jimin, who tends to hide the distress in his scent by default. “There’s no rush. You don’t have to figure it all out today, if you need some time.”

Jimin shakes his head. “I definitely want to work. I don’t need to think about that at all.”

“And school?”

“I mean, I...” Jimin falters, and Jungkook squeezes his shoulder, hoping to encourage him enough that he will accept their offer. “That just seems like a lot to accept from someone I barely know.”

“You don’t have to agree right now,” Jin says. “Why don’t you let me set up a meeting with an academic advisor that I know there? You can talk with her and see what your options are. If you decide to go back to school, we’ll even pay your tuition up front so you don’t have to worry if any of us decide we aren’t as compatible as we think.”

Fuck . It’s an incredible deal. They aren’t going to get this lucky twice, and he can’t let Jimin pass this up out of pride or fear or anything else.

“He’ll do it,” Jungkook answers. Jimin’s head whips around to look at him, mouth opening to speak, but Jungkook cuts him off, “Please, Jiminie. Just go to the meeting and see?” He’s sure that Jimin will agree. Jungkook usually lets Jimin make most of the decisions, so when he does weigh in, Jimin always takes him seriously. 

He can see the moment Jimin caves, the way his face relaxes and his shoulders drop.

“Okay,” Jimin says, turning to Jin. “I would be very grateful for the opportunity to meet with your friend, and any help with finding a job. Thank you both so much.”

“Perfect. I’ll speak with her today and let you know the details right away.”

“Thank you again,” Jimin says, bowing his head.

“Please don’t feel like you owe us,” Namjoon says. “The cost is basically nothing for us so even if courting doesn’t work out, it’s not something we would ever be concerned with.”

Jin nods in agreement. “We have no desire to make you feel indebted to us, or to hold anything over your head.”

“Still, we really appreciate it,” Jungkook says. “This could be life changing for us.”

“Well, we are glad to be able to help,” Jin says before reaching out and picking up the small dessert menu from the center of their table. “Now, are any of you up for dessert?”

Namjoon declines, and Jimin starts to politely decline as well, but there is no way Jungkook is going to forget his mission to get him that pretty dessert he wanted.

“Jiminie wanted to try the – What was it again, hyung?”

Jimin gives him his wide eyed ‘ how dare you’ look, before turning back to Jin. “I’m not really all that hungry. I can stop by to try it some other time.”

“They just offered to pay our rent and you are worried about ordering dessert?”

“Some of us want to be polite ,” Jimin says quietly through his gritted teeth. His cheeks are flushed bright red, and he buries his face in his hands to hide it.

Jin and Namjoon are both kindly trying not to laugh, and Jin wordlessly passes the dessert menu to Jungkook. He peers at the pictures until he sees the one Jimin was talking about earlier.

“This is the one,” Jungkook says, pointing to the picture.

“Oh, the tiramisu? That’s exactly what I was going to try,” Jin answers. “Alright, two of those then. Do you want something too, Jungkook-ah?”

He’s about to decline until he catches Jimin glaring at him again. This one is definitely more of a ‘ you had better not’ type of look, and Jungkook decides that maybe this time he should actually listen. He probably has room for a scoop of ice cream anyway.

A small price to pay for his mate’s comfort.

Jin flags down a server and in just a few minutes, they’re all digging into dessert. Jimin and Jin both seem to really enjoy their tiramisu, and Namjoon even samples a bite of Jin’s and says that it’s delicious.

Jungkook wants to know what the fuss is all about, so he asks for a bite of Jimin’s, who glares at him one more time before his face breaks into a smile and he pushes his plate toward Jungkook.

It’s sweet and creamy, with a strong coffee flavor. Maybe a little like chocolate too, but he’s not always the best at identifying dessert ingredients. What he does know is that it’s really good .

“I like it a lot. Do you think you could make this at home, hyung?”

Jin practically lights up at that. “Oh, are you a baker, Jimin-ah?”

“Well, I’m not all that good or anything, but I do really enjoy it.”

“Don’t listen to him. Jiminie is a great baker! He’s made so many delicious things for me, and not even just desserts but homemade bread and stuff too.”

“Maybe you could teach me a few things,” Jin says, leaning forward and smiling wide. “I love to cook, but I don’t have a lot of experience with baking. I would love the opportunity to learn from someone with a passion for it.”

Jimin seems excited at the idea of being able to help, and the two of them immediately start discussing the sorts of things they could try baking together in the future. Namjoon looks just as content as Jungkook feels, each of them getting to see their mates talking about something they’re passionate about.

It’s a positive note to end on as they all finish their desserts. Jin and Namjoon have to leave almost as soon as they all get done eating, since they have another appointment to get to, but they still walk out together and thank Jimin and Jungkook for meeting them.

Him and Jimin are all smiles as they wave goodbye, and they spend their whole walk home talking about how sweet Namjoon and Jin are. Jimin even makes a few optimistic comments about getting to work again and the chance to maybe go back to school.

For the first time in months, Jungkook sees real hope in Jimin’s eyes.

Chapter Text

Taehyung doesn’t even have to orchestrate an opportunity to be alone with Yoongi; one just falls into his lap. Namjoon-hyung and Jin-hyung are out of town on business until at least tomorrow afternoon, and Hobi-hyung won't be back until late (if he makes it back at all tonight) – so it’s just the two of them home together.

Originally, the plan had been for him and Hobi-hyung to make a whole night out of taking care of Yoongi, but a last minute job had come up and Hobi had to go handle it. Something about a very important client, but Tae hadn’t paid all that much attention.

He’d been busy formulating a new plan.

The thought of Yoongi thinking he’s any less valuable than the other hyungs hurts to think about. It had taken a fair bit of convincing to keep Taehyung from stomping down to Yoongi’s room the moment that Jin explained to him how Yoongi’s been feeling. (He’s thankful that Jin-hyung talked him down. That would have been impulsive and not helped anything.) 

Instead, he’s had some time to scheme. All of Tae’s mates are incredible, and he’s going to make sure that Yoongi knows just how appreciated he is – how much Taehyung loves and needs him.

He knows how to make Yoongi feel useful.

They don’t see each other for most of the day. Yoongi sleeps late and doesn’t come out of his office a lot during the day when he has work to do, preferring to take very few breaks. He always works so hard at everything, and Tae loves to watch him when he gets into a groove and his fingers are flying over his keyboard. Taehyung doesn’t really understand how any of it works, but Yoongi looks so cool in front of all of his monitors, like some kind of legendary hacker from a movie or something.

Jimin and Jungkook text him a bit throughout the day and Taehyung eagerly takes the opportunity to get to know them better before he eventually passes out for an impromptu nap in the afternoon. 

When he wakes up again, a couple of hours have passed and he has a message on his phone.

[Jungkook to Tae]

[JK]: Attachment: CAP6488.jpg

~

He opens the picture to see Jimin laid out on a couch next to the hugest teddy bear that Taehyung has ever seen. It’s got to be nearly six feet tall with light brown fur with a big green bow around its neck. Jimin is cuddled right up against it, his head laying on one of the bear’s arms, with an arm slung over its middle.

He looks so cute asleep, wearing a soft looking hoodie that’s obviously too big for him – Taehyung almost wishes he was there to nestle in next to him, even if it might be a little early to try that.

~

[JK]: Looks like you both needed a nap.

[Tae]: oh fuck he looks so cute o(*￣▽￣*)o

[Tae]: also does the bear have a name

[JK]: top secret information

[Tae]: (´;︵;`)

[JK]: just kidding his name is haru

[JK]: we won him at a carnival on one of our first actual dates

[Tae]: omg i cant wait to meet him

[Tae]: we should hang out soon. i’ll bring snacks and some games (o゜▽゜)o☆

[JK]: that sounds awesome

~

They text on and off for the next few hours while Taehyung bides his time and scrolls on his phone. He learns that Jungkook and Jimin like playing FPS games together, and that they sometimes take turns playing healer for each other which is just so fucking cute it makes his heart flutter.

Namjoon and Hobi both check in on the group chat, and Tae responds letting them know that he and Yoongi are still alive and well at home. Yoongi doesn’t answer the group chat himself, but that’s not too strange. He has a habit of getting tunnel vision when he’s working on something. All the better for Taehyung’s purposes anyway.

When it’s getting close to time to enact his plan Tae goes and takes a hot bath, really letting himself relax into the water and take his time. He washes away the scent of his mates, and then opts for comfortable clothing. He wants to be soft, warm, and approachable . He wears sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. Nothing suspicious at all. Normal comfortable attire – and if the collar of the shirt has stretched a little too wide over the years and slips down to reveal a bit more skin, well that just means it’s extra comfy.

He checks the time; eight thirty. His stomach rumbles almost as if on cue. He’s hungry, and he’s almost certain that Yoongi won’t have eaten yet either. It’s also late enough that someone should have pulled the alpha away from his work by now.

Tae actually knocks on the door to Yoongi’s office, calling out a gentle, “Hyung?” so Yoongi knows it’s him at the door.

“Come on i–” he hears Yoongi start before footsteps come rushing towards the door and Yoongi opens it with just the slightest touch of panic. “Taehyung-ah, are you okay?” Yoongi asks, looking him up and down. “You never knock, so I thought – Is Hoseok-ah with you?”

“Hobi-hyung had a job to do, so he left this morning,” Tae answers, keeping his voice quiet but not distressed. He can see Yoongi’s nostrils flare, trying to catch his scent, but that will be difficult when he’s just bathed and put on fresh clothes.

Yoongi gives up, stepping forward and pulling Tae into his arms, asking, “Have you been alone all day?” Tae nods, and Yoongi immediately starts scenting him, tongue laving over his neck and wrist pressed to the scent gland on the other side.

Taehyung is going to smell unmistakably like he is Yoongi’s. All according to plan.

“How are you feeling?”

“A little dizzy,” Tae answers, letting his head tip to bare more of his throat to Yoongi, who noses from collarbone to jaw without missing a beat.

“Do you want to sit down?” Yoongi’s voice sounds just a little rough, obviously affected by the scenting. “Or, actually – shit. What time is it?”

Tae shrugs. “Not sure.” It’s not exactly a lie as long as he doesn’t know the precise time, right?

Yoongi digs his phone out of his pocket, looking at the screen before letting out a sigh. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Jin-hyung made breakfast before he left this morning. Did I miss lunch?”

Yoongi pulls away from Tae’s neck. “Baby, you missed supper.”

“Oh.”

“S’ probably why you’re dizzy. Come on, let’s go get something to eat, huh?”

Yoongi takes Tae’s hand and leads the way to the kitchen where he opens the fridge, shoving aside various packages and opening drawers while Tae decides to worm his way closer and wrap his arms around Yoongi from behind.

“You okay, Taehyung-ah?”

“Just wanna be close,” Tae answers. 

Yoongi’s scent spikes, a little rush of cinnamon that has Tae nuzzling into his neck, and honestly this couldn’t be going any better. “Okay, you can stay as close as you need. What if I make you something special since it’s just the two of us tonight? There’s enough leftover steak for bulgogi.”

Taehyung feels his mouth start to water. He really hasn’t eaten since breakfast and now it’s catching up with him.

“Yes please. Thank you, hyung.”

Yoongi hums and gets to work, washing the rice first, then pulling out the rest of the ingredients, all with Tae’s arms wrapped loosely around him. He grabs the knife and cutting board, instructing Taehyung to be careful and keep his hands out of the way as he begins to cut thin slices of meat and onion.

It’s calming to watch Yoongi cook, the rhythmic motions of his knifework are almost soothing, and the way he slows his movements to avoid jerking Tae around the kitchen as he moves is very endearing. Yoongi has always shown his affections differently than the rest of the pack, and always seems the most comfortable in moments like these – the quiet sort, where all he has to do is let Taehyung stay close to him while he focuses on providing.

Sometimes, it’s exactly what Taehyung needs.

He slowly starts to lean more heavily into Yoongi’s back, his grip around the alpha’s middle going looser. Everything feels so soft and warm, and Yoongi is taking such good care of him – he barely notices his mouth moving to Yoongi’s neck. The taste of cinnamon is so sweet when Taehyung presses his tongue to the skin, smooth spice that fills all of his senses and–

“Sweetheart,” Yoongi says, his voice strained. “Gonna be real hard to make you dinner if you keep that up.”

Tae’s stomach drops. Rejection? Does Yoongi not want him?

“You don’t–” Taehyung starts, voice quiet.

“Wait, no no,” Yoongi says quickly, (probably smelling Tae’s distress) turning in his arms until they are face to face and he’s reaching up to touch Taehyung’s cheek. “You’re perfect, such a good omega. Of course I want you.”

Before Tae can answer, Yoongi is leaning up to kiss him long and sweet, one hand tangled in his hair and the other guiding him backward until his lower back hits the counter top. Tae’s mouth opens in surprise at the sensation and then Yoongi is licking wetly inside his mouth, their tongues sliding together and sending a spark of want down his spine.

He doesn’t mean to slip quite so hard or so fast, but it feels good – just letting go and trusting that his mate will take care of him. It’s even better knowing that Yoongi needs this so badly, needs to feel like he’s contributing – and Taehyung gets to give it to him.

He whines when Yoongi pulls away a few seconds later, both of them breathing hard, foreheads pressed together.

“You smell so good,” Yoongi says, his voice rough.

“So do you, hyung,” Tae breathes. It’s true, the heavy scent of Yoongi’s desire is nearly intoxicating, spicy and sweet in the air.

Yoongi presses his body closer, the evidence of how affected he is impossible to miss now as his erection presses into Taehyung’s hip – and god Tae just wants so badly to have Yoongi inside of him. He could take him right here in the kitchen, bent over the counter or even on the floor, whatever Yoongi wants.  

How is he supposed to do anything other than grind his hips closer?

“Fuck, I need to feed you, babe.” 

“Yoongi-hyung,” Taehyung whines in response, pressing his hips forward again until both of them are groaning. “Don’t you want me?”

Yoongi’s chest rumbles with a low growl that Taehyung feels so deep it’s almost like it’s reverberating off of his spine . It makes his whole body hum and his teeth ache so good. Yoongi almost never growls at him.

A travesty, honestly. Yoongi sounds so fucking good when he does it.

“ Hyung, ” Tae breathes again, his head automatically tilting to expose more of his throat.

“You’re going down so easy for me tonight.” Yoongi’s voice is lower now, his mouth pressing hot and wet against Tae’s neck. “I’m going to show you exactly how much I want you, but first you need to eat for me, okay?”

“Uh huh,” Taehyung answers, mind still hazy as he tries to push his neck further into the searing heat of Yoongi’s mouth.

“Does my baby need a nip?” Yoongi’s tone is still deep after the growl, but there’s a teasing edge to it now, like he knows exactly what Taehyung needs and just wants to make him say it.

That’s fine. He isn’t ashamed.

“Please,” Tae whispers.

He can feel the way Yoongi’s lips curl into a smile against his neck before he sinks his teeth into Taehyung’s skin and everything goes a little hazy. He barely registers when Yoongi’s hands snake around his thighs – letting out a little gasp when he is hoisted up onto the counter top.

“Good boy. You sit right there and I’ll finish up dinner.”

Taehyung nods and watches Yoongi work while his head swims pleasantly. He likes watching Yoongi in the kitchen. Seeing his mates do the things they are good at always makes his heart feel full, and Yoongi is a very competent cook. Jin-hyung lets Tae watch him cook too. The beta seems to thrive with an audience, adding extra flourishes to his movements, narrating his actions, and of course letting Tae taste test every step of the way. In contrast, Yoongi is much more subdued. He works almost entirely in silence, movements practiced and smooth but not at all exaggerated. A different sort of confidence. 

Taehyung loves them both so much.

It’s not until Yoongi begins actually frying the meat that Taehyung starts to come back to reality, pulled in by just how delicious the kitchen has started to smell. Onion, garlic, and ginger, plus the beef starting to cook is all enough to have his mouth watering.

“Smells really good, hyung.”

Yoongi glances back over his shoulder at Taehyung with a smile. “Give me just a minute and you can try a bite.”

True to his word, Yoongi stirs the food a few more times before reaching in and plucking a piece of meat from the pan with his fingers, bringing it over to Taehyung.

When Taehyung reaches out, Yoongi shakes his head. “Open for me,” he instructs, holding the strip of meat up to Taehyung’s lips.

Fuck, Yoongi must really be intent on spoiling him. Placating him with the mini makeout session before? Not to mention the growling, the nip, cooking for him, and now hand feeding too? It’s nearly enough to send his head swimming again.

Tae opens his mouth with a whine and sees the tiny smirk on Yoongi’s face. His mate knows exactly what he’s doing and Taehyung refuses to be the only one suffering here. He sticks out his tongue a little more than is necessary and tips his head up, closing his lips around the piece of meat and the tips of Yoongi’s fingers with a satisfied little moan.

It’s shameless and it works.

Yoongi’s eyes narrow when Taehyung’s tongue touches his fingers, seemingly unable to look away. He does pull his fingers away but only enough to cup Tae’s cheek, thumb running along his jaw.

“Thank you,” Tae says, voice low and an innocent look plastered on his face while he chews. Being hand fed even one bite of food makes his inner omega practically purr in satisfaction, liquid warmth pooling in his belly. The meat really does taste delicious too, perfectly cooked and full of flavor.

“Good?” Yoongi asks, eyes still locked on Taehyung’s lips.

“Really good, hyung.” He doesn’t have to fake sounding breathless.

For a moment, he’s absolutely sure that Yoongi is about to turn the stove off and fuck him right there in the kitchen, and he is so ready .

Sadly, that is not what happens.

Instead, a few seconds of eye contact pass and Yoongi does eventually manage to tear himself away and return to cooking, though it looks like it takes some effort. It’s okay. Tae can wait. He knows he’ll get what he wants in the end, and in the meantime, he gets to watch Yoongi finish cooking. It doesn’t take too long, and he’s still floaty enough that it’s easy to just relax and take it all in.

~~

Once dinner is ready, Taehyung asks if they can eat in Yoongi’s room. It’s a good way to make sure he keeps Yoongi’s scent on him, and also lets the alpha provide not only their meal, but the space they eat it in too. No harm in appealing to those alpha instincts.

It’s a simple, yet effective way to keep the deck stacked in his favor.

Yoongi agrees without much fuss and leads the way back to his room, one hand holding his bowl and the other splayed against the small of Taehyung’s back.

They eat on Yoongi’s couch, feet up on the coffee table while they pick up where they left off on their last anime binge a couple of weeks ago. The food is delicious (like Yoongi’s cooking always is), and once he starts eating, Tae realizes just how hungry he actually is. Yoongi must feel similar, since they both finish their bowls before the first episode even ends. Neither of them move when the next one starts playing automatically, content to just cuddle together for a while longer and let their stomachs settle.

When the second episode is over, Taehyung reaches out to turn off the TV.

“Had enough of that?” Yoongi asks, letting out a little puff of laughter.

“Mhmm,” Tae agrees, wasting no time climbing into Yoongi’s lap and straddling his thighs. “You said you had to feed me.”

“I did say that, yeah.”

“And now I’m fed.”

Yoongi gives him a smug little smile. “You are. Was there something else you wanted?”

Taehyung resists the urge to roll his eyes because he has plans , and he didn’t wait this long just for Yoongi-hyung to pretend he doesn’t know exactly what is happening here. Luckily, he’s shameless enough for both of them, letting out a little whine (one of the low ones he knows drives Yoongi crazy), and leaning down to nose at the alpha’s scent gland. His mouth isn’t far behind, tongue lapping at the skin until the taste of cinnamon grows stronger.

“Fuck,” Yoongi groans. His hands rub over Taehyung’s thighs before working their way to his hips, and then down to give a harsh squeeze to his ass. “You know what you want, don’t you?”

“Want you to touch me.”

That seems to be enough to really get Yoongi moving, reaching up to cup the back of Tae’s head and pull him down for a kiss. While it’s soft at first, it’s not long before the kiss devolves into more tongue and teeth than anything else, with one of Yoongi’s hands tangled in his hair and the other working up into his shirt.

Taehyung whines into the kiss when he feels the first gentle pinch to one of his nipples, hips bucking forward automatically and finding Yoongi already hard in his pants. They both groan at the friction. At least this time, Yoongi doesn’t stop him – and Taehyung doesn’t waste the opportunity either. He grinds on the alpha’s lap and shamelessly arches his chest further into Yoongi’s hands, breathing little whines into his mouth.

“Sweetheart,” Yoongi says, voice strained as he breaks their kiss to look at Taehyung. His eyes are already starting to go dark with want, and Tae is so ready .

“Mmm, not what I want you to call me.”

“No?” Taehyung shakes his head in response and Yoongi smiles at him. “Does that mean you’re going to be good for me? Gonna let hyung ruin you?”

Oh fuck yes . That is exactly what he wants.

“Yes,” Tae answers eagerly. “Anything you want, hyung.”

“ Anything ?” Yoongi echoes, voice pitched low and dark. “You sure about that?”

Taehyung doesn’t hesitate, nodding immediately. He is so fucking sure – wants so badly that it’s starting to ache , almost like phantom heat pains in his gut. He needs Yoongi inside of him, like yesterday.

“Alright. Why don’t you get out of your clothes and get comfortable for me.”

Oh. Tae knows what ‘get comfortable’ means. He scrambles to comply, practically leaping off of Yoongi’s lap and pulling his shirt over his head before starting to work his pants off as fast as he can. “Where do you want me?” he asks once he’s slipped out his underwear and kicked the pile of clothes off to the side.

Yoongi’s eyes are focused on Taehyung’s body, but he tears them away to glance around the room until his gaze falls on the coffee table. There’s an obvious tent in his pants when he stands up and starts clearing the table, tossing remotes towards the couch and moving their dishes to his desk.

“Face down over the table,” Yoongi instructs.

Taehyung doesn’t need to be told twice. He kneels on the floor and drapes himself over the table, flinching a little as his chest presses into the cool surface.

“Too cold, baby?” Yoongi asks, pressing a warm palm to Tae’s lower back as he settles onto the floor behind him.

“It’s okay. Already warming up.”

“You tell me if you get uncomfortable or stiff, okay?”

“I will,” Taehyung answers, wiggling his hips in an effort to get Yoongi’s attention where he actually needs it. “Hyung, touch me please.”

Yoongi laughs, hands sliding up the back of Tae’s thighs to rest on his ass, spreading him open. “You’re so eager for me.”

Taehyung tries to agree, but Yoongi leans forward and licks a hot wet stripe over his hole and instead all he can do is grip tightly at the edge of the coffee table and choke out a moan. Yoongi’s mouth is notorious in their house. Taehyung has quite literally spent hours on the receiving end of it before, worked all the way to tears by Yoongi’s clever tongue.

There’s no buildup tonight. Yoongi is relentless right from the start, tongue spearing Taehyung open almost immediately and leaving him crying out as he tries to rut back against Yoongi’s mouth. It’s no use though. Yoongi’s hands keep Tae exactly where he wants him, spread open and pressed flat against the coffee table.

It barely even takes a minute for him to start producing slick.

Yoongi moans at the first taste of it. “Already leaking for me,” he says, breathing hard. “Perfect little slut getting all wet for your hyung.”

“Yes – For you, please,” Taehyung whines. Yoongi gives a low little growl in response and sinks his teeth into the meat of Tae’s thigh hard enough to bruise and – oh god it’s enough to make his head swim. Yoongi almost never gets like this, all bitey and possessive, and Taehyung wants it so bad, wants to feel taken and used and like he belongs to Yoongi. “Fuck, hyung. Again – Aah!”

Yoongi bites again, this time right into a cheek, and it’s enough to send another wave of slick dripping down Taehyung’s thighs.

“Making such a mess just from a little biting? You that desperate for my dick already?” Yoongi asks, giving a light slap to Tae’s ass before sinking his teeth hard into the same spot.

“Always desperate for you,” Taehyung whimpers, riding out the wave of pain until it turns to liquid warmth tingling on his skin. “Wanna- make you feel good too.”

“You will, don’t worry. Hyung just wants to mess you up first, so be good and let me, okay?”

Taehyung eagerly agrees. He doesn’t know how long he spends bent over that table, only that Yoongi keeps eating him out, biting bruises into his skin and lapping up his slick until he feels like he’s been shaking on the edge of orgasm for ages. His head is swimming with need, panting and watching his breath fog up the shiny surface of the coffee table in front of him.

Every time he thinks he’s getting close, Yoongi pulls back to sink his teeth into him again.

He’ll be covered in bite marks later, will probably feel them every time he sits for the next few days. He wants that so bad, wants the others to see them too, to know how thoroughly Yoongi has marked him – fuck. The thought has him whining again. “Pl– Ahh, please! I want–“

“What do you want?” Yoongi asks, rubbing his hands over the mess of marks and slick on Taehyung’s thighs. 

God, he must look wrecked like this .

Taehyung’s voice shakes when he speaks. “Wa-want to cum, please.”

“Already?” Yoongi drags his hands up to spread Taehyung’s cheeks, finally pressing teasing fingers against his hole and – god, Tae wants them inside of him right now, wants to feel himself stretch for his alpha. “You think you’ve earned it?”

Has he? Fuck, he really hopes so. “Please, hyung,” he whines, trying to push his hips back.

Yoongi sinks three fingers in with no resistance after working him open on his tongue for so long. “Look at how easy you take it, like you were made just for this.”

Taehyung whimpers in response, hips rutting back automatically and loving the way he can finally feel himself stretch around the digits. Yoongi’s fingers aren’t too thick, but three of them is still enough to leave him feeling delightfully full for a moment. 

It’s so much and yet almost immediately not enough. 

He wants to beg, plead for Yoongi to just fuck him already, but he knows that isn’t how this works – not when they’re playing like this. No, he won’t get a dick in him until he cums first. Yoongi prefers him wet and messy and ruined , so all he needs to do is get there and then he can have what he wants. It’s easy enough to build up a rhythm. Yoongi knows exactly how to touch him to make him come apart and he doesn’t waste any time, twisting his wrist and pressing right into Taehyung’s prostate with every motion. It’s so good , and he gets so close that he’s trembling with it.

Yoongi lets him get right up to the edge before his fingers go still, free hand settling on Tae’s hip and effectively halting his movements.

Taehyung lets out something close to a sob, tears spilling down his cheeks and onto the coffee table in big fat drops. “Alpha, why ?” he cries, trying in vain to move his hips again.

“You’re being so quiet tonight,” Yoongi says, fingers moving agonizingly slow inside of him. “Normally you’re babbling by now. Is hyung not taking good enough care of you?”

“No, no! It’s good – so good,” Tae pleads. “Just wanna cum, hyung please!”

“Then be a good little slut and talk to me, baby.”

Taehyung doesn’t even think, just opens his mouth and lets words tumble out. “Feels good- so good, but it’s not enough. Want – Want you to fuck me.”

As soon as he starts speaking, Yoongi’s fingers start moving in earnest again, rubbing right where he needs in small quick little movements that make him feel almost dizzy with want, warmth pooling in his belly as he inches closer to release. 

“Yeah? Wanted me to fuck you earlier too, didn’t you?”

“ Yes. In the kitchen, I – You were so hard. Wanted you to fuck me on the counter or – Would have presented for you right on- on the floor,” Tae manages in between moans.

“I wanted you too. You smelled so sweet; would have looked so good like that, all desperate and begging for my dick on the kitchen floor.”

“Would have made you feel so good, let you use me up – Fuck, please hyung I’m- gonna cum,” Taehyung whines, chest heaving against the table with every breath. He needs it, needs it so bad he’s crying for it, a fresh round of tears falling down his face. “Please don’t stop. Please –  Please let me .”

“No one’s stopping you, sweetheart,” Yoongi soothes, his calm voice a stark contrast to the way his fingers brutally fuck into Taehyung. “It’s okay, you can cum.”

“Please – Need it, need you –” Tae cuts himself off with a high mewl when the pleasure starts to spill over, whole body going tense as his orgasm finally tears through him. “Hyung, hyung, hyung- fuck – ”

“Look at you, so gorgeous and so goddamn tight ,” Yoongi growls, fingers still working in and out of him with force while Taehyung clenches around him, shaking as he comes apart. “Getting even wetter for me now too, aren’t you? Making such a mess of your pretty thighs that I bet I could just fuck those instead.”

Taehyung can’t find the words to respond, not with Yoongi’s fingers pressed so deep inside him that his thoughts feel like TV static, orgasm dragged out almost to the point of overstimulation by now – but he still knows what he wants and it’s still to have Yoongi inside of him as soon as possible. It would be easier if he could just say that, but–

The best he can do is shake his head repeatedly and let out something between a whine and a sob.

Yoongi finally seems to take pity on him and gently pulls his fingers out, leaving Taehyung twitching and heaving great big breaths against the table. He’s given a few seconds to collect himself before Yoongi drapes over him, chest pressing to his back.

“You did so good, sweetheart,” Yoongi says, pecking tiny kisses along Tae’s shoulder blade. “You okay? Need anything?”

“Nee’ you t’ rail me,” Taehyung slurs. He still feels half dazed and his back is still twitching with little spasms, but he knows what he wants . “Don’t wan’ you t’ stop, hyung.”

Yoongi laughs, breath puffing warm across Tae’s back. “Okay. You tell me if you need a break.”

Taehyung nods and Yoongi’s lips peck one more gentle kiss on his spine before sitting back up. He expects to feel Yoongi slide inside right away, but instead the alpha gathers him up in his arms and lays him down on the couch.

It’s the first time Taehyung has gotten a good look at Yoongi since this started. The strong spicy scent of cinnamon in the air has already given away how badly he wants Tae, but it’s flattering to see the way his face is flushed and his eyes have gone dark with want. He’s already stripped out of his shirt, but now he works his pants off too and Taehyung is nearly ready to drool at the sight of his cock, standing tall and already wet at the tip.

Without even thinking, he starts to sit up, mouth watering with the need to taste.

“Not this time,” Yoongi says with a low little laugh as he crawls in between Taehyung’s legs, not even letting him get his mouth close to that pretty dick. “Got you all loose and messy for a reason. You ready for more?” he asks, spreading Tae’s thighs further apart and lining himself up.

As soon as he feels Yoongi’s cock slide across his hole, he lets out a breathy moan and looks up at Yoongi, vision still a little hazy as he nods.

“Look at you, pretty cum-drunk little thing,” Yoongi coos, and Taehyung can’t help but whine. He loves when Yoongi talks to him like this, like he’s something to be used. “Still so needy even after that? You really are a cockslut, aren’t you baby?”

“M’a cockslut,” Tae agrees, rocking his hips in what he hopes is a clear invitation.

Finally, finally, finally he feels Yoongi pushing inside of him. He’s so wet and relaxed from his orgasm that the stretch isn’t even a challenge, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t feel every fucking inch of that perfect dick splitting him open.

“Fuck, you take it so easy. This is what you needed, isn’t it?”

Taehyung thinks he at least tries to answer, but it’s hard to be sure once Yoongi’s hips land against his thighs, finally bottomed out and pressing so fucking deep . It’s perfect – everything he wanted and more. He finally feels full and it’s like a wave of syrupy warmth rolling through all his nerves and leaving him boneless.

“There you go,” Yoongi whispers, voice low and warm. “Relaxing so nice for me. You stay just like that and take your fucking like a good little slut, okay?”

Taehyung tries to nod, but the second Yoongi pulls out and thrusts back inside, he is gone .

The only thoughts left in his head are about how fucking good it feels to finally have Yoongi fucking him like he’s wanted all day, like Taehyung is his . It’s not gentle, and the loud slaps of skin on skin are the only sound that he can make out over the blood rushing in his ears as he lets Yoongi take and take and take .

It’s overwhelming, but in the best way.

He’s not even sure how many times he cums – only that Yoongi fucks him through every orgasm without the slightest pause and that when Yoongi’s knot swells inside of him and he cums for the last time, it’s completely dry and almost hurts . Even edging on pain, it still feels so fucking good , especially with Yoongi buried to the hilt inside of him and pumping wave after wave of cum into him until it’s leaking out around his knot. Taehyung tries to keep it inside, wants it all to himself, but there’s just too much.

“ Hyung ,” he whines, trying to clench tighter around Yoongi’s knot.

“Fuck – Am I hurting you, sweetheart?”

“Want it inside.”

“Oh, it’s okay. You’re only losing a little, I promise. Look at me, baby.”

Taehyung didn’t even realize his eyes were still squeezed shut. When he cracks them open he sees Yoongi looking back at him with concern, one hand reaching up to brush at the wetness gathered on his cheeks. 

He remembers tears when he was still bent over the table, but… “I didn’t cry the whole time, did I?”

Yoongi gives him a little smile. “And if you did?”

“I didn’t mean to cry that much.”

“You say that like you didn’t look fucking gorgeous sobbing on my dick. You were perfect,” Yoongi soothes. They’re still locked together, but he pulls Taehyung closer so that he can roll them over on the couch, laying face to face instead of Yoongi being braced on top of him. “You did so, so well for me, sweetheart. I love you.”

“Love you too, hyung.”

Yoongi kisses each of his cheeks, his forehead, and the tip of nose before eventually kissing him on the mouth. It’s gentle, and his hands cradle Taehyung’s face like he’s made of glass. “Do you feel okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, it was really good,” Tae assures him, pressing a kiss to Yoongi’s cheek in return and then tucking his head under the alpha’s chin. “I love when you get all bitey with me.”

“And when I call you a slut.”

“What can I say? I’m a simple man with simple needs.”

“I don’t think anyone would ever call you simple,” Yoongi says, huffing out a laugh. “Are you comfortable? Need me to adjust anything?”

“M’good, perfect actually.” It’s the truth. He can’t imagine feeling much better than he does now, covered in Yoongi’s marks with his knot still swollen inside of him – and getting cuddles. He’s so fucking lucky. “Thank you, hyung.”

“For what?”

“For taking care of me tonight. For feeding me such good food and fucking me within an inch of my life and cuddling with me. I really needed this.”

Yoongi presses a tender kiss to the top of Taehyung’s head. “Thanks for letting me,” he whispers, pausing for a few seconds before adding, “I know I haven’t been the most present lately.”

And there it is.

Taehyung doesn’t have to tiptoe quite as much as the alphas and Jin-hyung do when trying to talk about feelings with Yoongi. Admittedly, that’s mostly because he doesn’t pry as much as the rest of them do, but it’s also just that he feels like sometimes they both understand each other fine without having to talk. He doesn’t need Yoongi to admit that he’s been burying himself in work at the expense of his mental health. They both already know it, and besides – Taehyung understands. Sometimes he uses work as a distraction from his problems too.

And that’s probably good because he still feels way too fucked out and dazed to give his response much thought.

“S’okay. You still let me stay in your room whenever I asked.”

“That’s a pretty low bar.”

“Maybe for the rest of the pack, but you’re picky about who you let hang out in here when you’re moody,” Taehyung points out, placing a kiss to Yoongi’s collarbone and then nuzzling closer. “You get grumpy with the others, but you let me and Hobi-hyung stay as long as we like.”

Yoongi laughs. “That’s cause you two know how to occupy yourselves. Maybe it helps that you smell so damn good.”

“Mmm, so do you. Can smell you all over me now, like I’m yours.”

There’s the beginning of something like a growl from Yoongi before he’s tipping Taehyung’s head up and whispering right against his lips, “You are mine.”

Taehyung’s agreement is swallowed up in their kiss. While it starts possessive and a little rough (with Yoongi licking into his mouth like he needs to mark every inch of him), it does eventually ease up until they’re just trading slow, lazy kisses back and forth.

Eventually, Yoongi pulls back and presses their foreheads together. “Fuck, I feel a lot better too. Maybe we both needed this.”

Mission accomplished.

“I’m glad, hyung.” With that, Taehyung just snuggles in closer and lets himself bask in their combined scent while Yoongi rubs little absent-minded circles into his back. He doesn’t need to push the conversation any further. They’ve said everything they need to, and it’s enough to know that his plan to help Yoongi feel better has been a success.

Chapter Text

Taehyung is basically buzzing with excitement.

The day is finally here. It feels like it’s taken ages, but really it’s only been four days since they all met up at Borahae and made the official agreement to start courting. The problem is that Namjoon-hyung and Jin-hyung have already met up with Jimin and Jungkook for a follow-up date and Taehyung has not .

He’s decided that even if he doesn’t get the first first date, he’s going to get the best one.

For one thing, he’s going to go by himself. No sharing. Not on his first real date with the two of them. He’s got to make an impression .

The three of them figured out the details together in their brand new Omegas Only Group Chat last night: Taehyung is going to head over to their apartment, they’re going to give him the tour, he’s going to present them with his First Date Gift Basket (that part is a surprise, and also a completely genius idea), and then they are going to hang out and play video games together.

The gift basket is big and sturdy and filled to the brim (with a layer of tissue paper on top to keep the contents a mystery). Tae had been absolutely determined to find an actual basket yesterday when the idea for the gift had struck him – plus Jin-hyung had wanted to go out shopping anyway, so Taehyung just had to drag him to a couple extra stores to get everything he needed.

He can’t wait to see them open it.

He lets Namjoon-hyung carry the First Date Gift Basket out to the front gate and load it into the back seat of one of the security team’s vehicles. The basket really isn’t all that heavy. Taehyung definitely could have handled it, but it’s more about Namjoon getting to see him off than anything else.

“All right, you got me all the way to the car. I think I can manage from here,” Taehyung says, smiling up at his alpha and puckering his lips. “Kiss?”

“Kiss,” Namjoon confirms, lips pressing warm against Taehyung’s for a few seconds. After that, he leans down to scent him.

Taehyung takes a quick step backward out of reach. “Nope, no scenting. I’m not going anywhere else and I wanna smell like me when I get there. You can scent me as much as you want when I get home.”

Part of making an impression is making sure they get the most authentic, open, uniquely Taehyung version of himself that he can bring to the table. Nobody else with him, no other scents. Just the three of them spending quality time getting to know one another so they can get this whole courting thing moving . (Not that he isn’t excited for the process too, but patience has never really been his strong suit.)

Namjoon laughs and lets him go without a fuss. “All right. Whatever you want, but I’ll hold you to that. Find me when you get home?”

“I’ll text you when I’m on my way and you can meet me at the door if you really want,” Tae offers, climbing into the back seat of the vehicle.

“Yes please,” Namjoon says.

Taehyung shakes his head and shuts the door after one more quick goodbye kiss. He shouldn’t be surprised that Namjoon would want to meet him at the door, not when he’s going to come home smelling like himself plus Jimin and Jungkook. If anything, he’ll probably get swarmed by all of his mates the second he gets back.

That’s a problem for future Taehyung.

Their apartment is only about a thirty minute drive from the house, in one of the college neighborhoods that’s close to a few different schools. He’s happy to see that they don’t live in a bad area at least, considering that they sound like they are in a pretty rough spot financially. (Or at least they were . They’re fine now, even if they don’t know it yet.)

He carries his gift and backpack into the building, taking the elevator up to their floor and finding their unit without much trouble. He knocks three times and within seconds, Jungkook is opening up the door with a cute little grin plastered on his stupidly handsome face.

He’s got his dark hair pulled back into a short little ponytail, dressed casually in ripped jeans and a faded black t-shirt, and god if that t-shirt doesn’t cling to him just right, showing off toned arms that are both covered in tattoos and look like they could pick Taehyung up without breaking a sweat. Fuck , he wants to reach out and touch – wants Jungkook’s arms around him while he looks all comfortable and relaxed like this. 

Why does being patient have to be so goddamn hard ?

“Wow, look at you,” Tae says, giving Jungkook an extremely obvious up and down glance. “Very handsome.”

Jungkook laughs, the beginning of a flush creeping up his cheeks. It’s charming anytime he smiles, but something about the way he looks when he’s slightly flustered is really doing it for Taehyung – makes him wanna try and embarrass him more just to see the reaction.

“Nothing special. You look better,” Jungkook mumbles before stepping aside and waving one of those gorgeous arms toward their apartment. “Come on in and we can show you around.”

The smell hits Tae before he’s even fully stepped inside – a mouthwatering wave of their combined orange cream soda scent that has permeated the apartment. He’d spent so much of his heat thinking about what it would be like to be surrounded by it, and somehow it’s still better than he imagined.

“Here, why don’t you put this on the table for me,” Taehyung says, passing Jungkook his First Date Gift Basket before stepping out of his shoes. 

Jungkook quirks his head at the basket but does as he’s asked, reaching out to take it by the handle. “Sure thing. What is it?” he asks, poking at the tissue paper sticking out of the basket.

“It’s a gift for the two of you. Speaking of which, where’s Jimin-ah?”

“Just a second!” Jimin’s voice calls from deeper into the apartment.

“Someone slept in this morning,” Jungkook says, setting the basket down on their kitchen table. “Jiminie has a bad habit of staying up way too late.”

“And Kookie has a bad habit of waking up at dawn,” Jimin says, emerging from the hallway and then catching sight of the gift basket. “Oh, wow that’s really for us?”

Jimin looks pretty, but that isn’t much of a surprise. His blonde hair has been left mostly unstyled, and the oversized navy blue sweater he wears looks so soft and comfy that Tae immediately wants to reach out and feel it. (Really, cuddling would be preferable, but he knows he has to have at least a little patience on that front. Unfortunately.)

His earrings also catch Taehyung’s eye right away, sparkly silver with three little purple moons dangling off of each one. “Yeah, the basket is for you guys. Where’d you get your earrings, Jimin-ah?”

Jimin smiles and reaches up to touch them, the sleeve of his sweater sliding down to reveal the flash of a few silver bracelets on his wrist. They suit him. Jewelry in general suits him, which is perfect because Taehyung has a good eye for that sort of thing and has fun looking for pieces that intrigue him, so he’ll have no trouble at all finding gifts for Jimin. “I got them years ago back in Busan. You like them?”

“Yeah, they’re so pretty!” Tae steps closer to get a better look. “Oh, they’re blue and purple; that’s so cool. They look really good on you.”

“Thanks. I was worried it was a bit much.”

Really ? Taehyung needs to make a date to take Jimin shopping asap if this is the level of self confidence they’re working with here. (And maybe a spa day, or a makeover and a night of dancing – just something to help him realize he has nothing to worry about.)

Shameless flirting will have to do for now.

“A bit much? You honestly look this pretty and still have the ability to worry about something like that?” 

Jimin blushes. “Thank you. You look really good too.”

“Do I?” Taehyung grins. He knows he looks good, but it’s not like he’s going to turn down a chance to hear it, especially from the two of them.

“He’s right,” Jungkook says. “You really do. Like you walked off a runway or something.”

“Aww, you’re so sweet,” Tae answers. “Do you wanna open your First Date Gift Basket now?”

Jimin and Jungkook exchange a look, neither of them moving.

“Is that a normal thing?” Jungkook is the one to eventually ask, smiling and rubbing at his neck. (Way too cute.) “Were we supposed to get you something too?”

“Normal?” Taehyung shakes his head with a little laugh. “No, it’s something I made up for fun. You weren’t supposed to get me anything. Think of it like, I don’t know… a housewarming gift or something.”

“But that’s what you get people when they move in somewhere,” Jimin says.

“Well, I am moving into your lives. That’s occasion enough,” Tae says, dismissing the thought with a wave of his hand. “Mostly I just wanted to get you something because it sounded fun, so go ahead and open it already. I’ve been waiting all day for this.”

The First Date Gift Basket is a hit, just like he knew it would be. He’d wanted to make sure there was something to represent the whole pack inside, so he’d gone hunting for a bunch of their individual favorite things. There’s some snacks (his), bath products (Jin), a bottle of whiskey (Yoongi), a few bottles of craft beer (Namjoon), and fancy chocolates (Hobi) – plus a brand new version of his own favorite ultra-soft blanket that Namjoon-hyung had gotten for him last year.

Jimin and Jungkook seem to love it, and it gives Taehyung an excuse to talk about his mates while he’s given a quick apartment tour. The whole place seems very cozy and comfortable, not to mention easy to secure. Only one real entrance to worry about, aside from window access to a fire escape – something a few members of their security team can cover with no trouble.

He can work with Hobi-hyung on getting a new security unit set up right away. It also wouldn’t hurt to see how well Jimin and Jungkook can defend themselves, but he can give them a little time before he asks to spar.

While the apartment is relatively small, it’s packed with personality. There are plenty of photographs of the two of them on the walls, and a bunch of what he assumes is Jungkook’s artwork – various paintings and more artsy photo prints. Various little knick knacks are displayed on shelves and a collection of colorful throw pillows has accumulated into a pile at one end of their L-shaped couch. The whole place looks lived in , and Taehyung appreciates that far more than those sterile homes that are always perfectly in order.

By the end of the tour, there’s only one thing he hasn’t seen yet.

“I have one super important question for you,” Taehyung says, looking right into Jimin’s eyes.

“Okay? What is it?”

“Where is Haru?”

“How do you know about…” Jimin blinks at him a couple of times and then looks over to see Jungkook breaking out into laughter.

“I sent him a picture of you asleep with Haru the other day,” Jungkook giggles. “You looked so cute. I couldn’t help it.”

“He’s right, you did look cute. So did Haru and I want to meet him so bad, please,” Taehyung says.

Just as he suspected, Haru is even better in person.

Jimin leaves Tae and Jungkook in the living room and heads back down the hall, reappearing soon enough almost entirely obscured by the giant stuffed bear he carries, arms wrapped around its middle. 

Taehyung can’t help but bound over to them, lifting Haru’s head so he can get a better look at his giant button eyes. He squeals in delight. “Oh my god he’s so cute ! Can I hold him, please?”

Since he’s extremely busy cuddling with Haru on the couch, Jungkook helps get his Nintendo Switch hooked up to their TV, while Jimin works on grabbing snacks and opening their new blanket. (They both gush about how soft it is for a solid minute, and Taehyung couldn’t be more pleased.)

They all have a blast playing Mario Party together, the breaks in between levels sometimes becoming twenty minute affairs when they inevitably end up sidetracked by some story or another. Jungkook wins every single event where they have to compete against each other – Jimin definitely hadn’t been exaggerating when he warned Tae about trying to win against Jungkook.

Luckily he doesn’t need to win to have fun. (Although if they play Mario Kart later, things might get a little ugly.)

“So how’d you guys end up forming a pack anyway?” Jimin asks when they’re in between levels, killing time while Jungkook is in the kitchen making some lunch. “Did your families know each other or something – I mean since most of you seem to come from the same background as us?”

“Nah, we actually met in college. Well, Jin-hyung and I met a couple of years before that when I was supposed to kill him, but–”

“Wait,” Jungkook interrupts, holding a spatula and giving him a very confused look from the kitchen. “You were supposed to kill Jin-hyung? Why?”

Taehyung shrugs, pulling Haru’s arm tighter around him. “Not sure why. Things were pretty shit for me back then. My parents told me what job needed to be done and I did it – end of story.” He still doesn’t like to think too much about those days, even all these years later. Calling them ‘pretty shit’ is just a very charitable way of saying it had been a horrible pit of despair he thought he would never escape from.

“Do you not wanna talk about it?” Jimin asks gently, reaching out to set his hand on Tae’s shoulder.

The touch is grounding, and a good opportunity to place his own hand over Jimin’s to show that he appreciates the comfort. “Thank you. It’s okay though,” he says with a little smile. “The stuff before it sucked, but meeting Jin-hyung was the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“I’m definitely curious how it happened if you’re willing to share,” Jimin says.

“Yeah, me too!”

A dramatic retelling . Taehyung can do that.

“Okay, so it was the dead of night, right? I scale the side of his family’s home until I reach the second story window to his bedroom – unlocked just like it was supposed to be. The thing is, the second I slip inside I’m surrounded by the best scent I’ve ever smelled in my whole fucking life.”

“Jin-hyung does smell amazing,” Jungkook says. He’s stirring something on the stove vigorously, those tattooed arms looking– 

No, he is not getting distracted right now no matter how pretty Jungkook is .

“Yeah, and he smelled just as good back then. For the first time I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish a job. He was asleep just like he was supposed to be, would have been such a simple mark, but the closer I got the more I hesitated. He was so handsome and he smelled so good . I don’t know how long I was standing over him holding that knife, but eventually he opened his eyes and I knew right then that he was my mate.”

Jimin lets out a laugh. “I’m sorry, it’s – It isn’t funny but just imagining him waking up with you standing over him like that… Did he scream?”

“No,” Taehyung answers. “He was ridiculously calm, actually – just blinked up at me a few times, looked at the knife, then gave me one of those smiles that went all the way to his eyes and asked if he could help me with something.”

“Wow, Jin-hyung is so cool,” Jungkook says, bringing over three steaming bowls of food for them and plopping down on the couch. “Just a quick fried rice – nothing special, but I hope it’s okay.”

Taehyung pauses to dig in and lets out a groan at the first bite. “It’s delicious,” he says around his mouthful. “Thank you.”

Jimin agrees and Jungkook goes a little pink from their combined compliments. Adorable.

Taehyung gives them the short version of the rest of the story over lunch. As soon as he looked into Jin-hyung’s eyes, he cracked and explained everything – his profession, the contract for Jin’s life, and that he was pretty fucking sure they were meant to be mates. Jin had taken it all in stride, agreeing with Taehyung’s assessment and offering him the opportunity to stay there. He didn’t leave Jin-hyung’s side for weeks after that night. Jin’s family was pretty suspicious (still are, honestly), but they didn’t fight Jin when he demanded Tae be allowed to stay. 

When Taehyung did finally leave, it was only to ‘take care’ of his family and then return to Jin’s side as a free man.

A couple years later, they headed off to college together. Jin was looking to strike out on his own, and as soon as Taehyung met Namjoon-hyung and Yoongi-hyung, he knew they were the guys for the job. It wasn’t until he convinced Jin to talk to them and they met outside of campus that he caught their scents and his plan rapidly evolved to the four of them forming a pack.

It had taken a little convincing (forming a pack was a pretty big commitment), but Taehyung could be very persuasive – and very persistent. He eventually got his way and the rest was history. They formed their little pack and a wildly successful business on the back of it; then about two years ago, he met Hobi-hyung on a job and convinced the pack to court him as well.

“And that’s about it. It’s been the five of us ever since, at least until now,” Taehyung concludes with a wink, watching both Jimin and Jungkook blush.

He really shouldn’t be allowed to have this much power. It’s way too tempting to keep pushing just to watch them both go all pretty pink, not to mention maybe expediting the whole We’re Dating Now process so he can skip directly to cuddling.

For the time being, he just stays perched respectfully in Haru’s loving embrace.

~~

After finishing their meal and a few more rounds of Mario Party, Jimin excuses himself for a bathroom break. Jungkook looks over at Taehyung and grins at the sight of him all cuddled up with Haru.

“You should let me take a picture of you like that, hyung.”

Taehyung laughs. “Knock yourself out. Make sure you get my good side.”

“Like you have a bad side,” Jungkook says, pulling out his phone. “You really do look like a model, I swear – Hey wait, would you be interested in some modeling if I need help for a school project? I bet you would be really fun to photograph.”

“Sure, I’d help you with whatever you want, Jungkookie.”

Jungkook gives a shy smile at the nickname, hiding it behind his phone while he snaps a few pictures. “Maybe I can set one of these as your picture in my phone contacts, unless you’d prefer to send me a selca or something. Just weird to not have a picture like I do for everyone else. Actually, do you maybe have pictures of the hyungs too? It would be cool to have a selca from everyone.”

“Sure,” Taehyung answers. “Let me see what I’ve got.”

As it turns out, what he’s got is very little. His phone is pretty new, and while Yoongi-hyung always makes sure their data is backed up, Taehyung isn’t really all that great about actually using those backups.

“What did I miss?” Jimin asks when he returns to the living room, sitting down between Tae and Jungkook.

“I’m trying to find some selcas for Jungkookie’s phone contacts, but I don’t think I have anything on my phone at all. Hold on though, I know just the man for the job.”

[Pack+2 Group Chat]

[Tae]: okay listen Jiminie and Jungkookie need pics for their phone contacts

[Tae]:  you all have exactly one chance to drop your preferred selca in the chat before jin-hyung does it for you (✿◠‿◠)

[Jin]: Oh I do love a chance to show off my extensive photo collection.

[Jin]: I will try to limit myself to my top ten favorites of each of you but no promises <3

[Tae]: i don’t have any on my phone so please pick good ones of me hyung (♥ω♥*)

[Jin]: As if I would choose anything less than the best.

[Yoongi]: Here use this for me.

[Yoongi]: Attachment: untitled.png

[Jin]: Yoongi-yah that is a picture of a trash can >:-(

[Yoongi]: I know what I sent.

[Tae]: yoongi-hyung BAD ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ ︵ ┻━┻ 

[Namjoon]: Yoongi would it really be so bad to send one selca? Here I’ll send mine first.

[Namjoon]: Attachment: IMG73186.jpg

[Hobi]: joonie omg u look so handsome ;D

[Jimin]: Wow you really do look handsome Namjoon-ssi

[Namjoon]: Thank you both.

[Hobi]: o jinnie i also have a ton of good pics of yoongles

[Jin]: Meet me in the kitchen to compare and choose the best options?

[Hobi]: of course omw :D

[Yoongi]: You two really don’t have to do that.

[Tae]: if you dont drop a selca in the next ten minutes they definitely will ᇂ_ᇂ

[Yoongi]: Fine.

[Yoongi]: Attachment: untitled1.png

[Namjoon]: Did you really just photoshop your name onto a different trash can? Do we need to have another discussion about how self deprecating humor can be harmful?

[Tae]: i want to be mad but your dedication to this joke is inspiring

[Yoongi]: Thanks. At least someone recognizes the hard work I’m putting in.

[Tae]: maybe jimin and jungkook can bribe you with their selcas (・ω<) 

[JK]: taetae makes a good point

[JK]: we should drop ours in the chat too

[JK]: Attachment: CAP6511.jpg

[Jimin]: Attachment: CAP2504.jpg

[Tae]: that is not how bribery works (¬_¬”)

[Yoongi]: Wow, you both look great.

[JK]: thanks hyung

[Namjoon]: He’s right. You’re both stunning.

[Jimin]: Aww thanks Namjoon-ssi (●'◡'●)

[Tae]: okay we’re gonna play more games now

[Tae]: i trust jin-hyung and hobi-hyung to drop good pics of the rest of us

[Tae]: i’ll be home later ヾ(•ω•`)o 

~~

The rest of their date is spent on the couch (not cuddling, sadly), but Jimin does sit close enough for their thighs to touch, so at least it’s not like he doesn’t want to touch him at all. They play more games and watch a movie before it’s eventually time for Taehyung to head back home.

It’s been a pretty successful first date in his opinion. He’s gotten to learn a lot more about both of them; how they grew up, what they’re interested in, and some of their favorite things. Plus, they know more about him and the hyungs now. Honestly, the day couldn’t have gone any better…

Or so he thinks.

As he starts gathering his stuff and Jungkook unhooks his Switch, Jimin disappears down the hall. When he emerges a minute or so later, it’s with his hands held behind his back and a grin on his face.

“Did you get it, hyung?” Jungkook asks.

Jimin steps closer to Taehyung. “Yeah, even found a bag for it. Here,” he says, bringing his hands forward to reveal a big red gift bag that he holds out to Tae. “It’s not much, but we wanted to be able to give you something too.”

Taehyung is nearly speechless. How did they – “When did you even have the time to do this?”

“It was Kookie’s idea. We planned it while you were in the bathroom, and I have a stash of old gift bags in the closet.”

Jungkook smiles. “Yeah, and then we just took turns sneaking off to the bedroom real quick. Go on and have a look.”

The first thing Tae pulls out of the bag is a painting (which explains why the bag is so big). It’s a gorgeous, super stylized picture of what looks kind of like a lotus painted in heavy black lines that frame bright red petals on a white background.

“Did you paint this?” he asks Jungkook.

“Yeah, for a project last year. I wasn’t sure which one to give you, but I thought it suited you best. If you don’t like it, you can pick a different–”

“Not like it? Are you kidding ? I love it! Thank you so much.”

Jungkook’s cheeks go pink as he smiles. “I’m glad you like it. It’s not framed yet, but I can make you one for it if you prefer.”

“There’s something in there from me too,” Jimin says. “Not quite as cool as a custom painting, but hopefully you like it.”

Taehyung reaches back into the bag and pulls out a little pink stuffed rabbit. It’s super soft and squishy and – he catches a peek of silver under one floppy ear. When he lifts up the ear, he finds a dangly moon earring, just like the ones Jimin has on but with red and pink moons instead of blue and purple.

“I thought maybe we could match, since you said you liked mine,” Jimin says with a nervous smile.

“Oh my god, they’re so pretty! Thank you,” Taehyung says, immediately removing them from the stuffed rabbit and putting them on. “How do I look?”

“The color suits you,” Jimin answers.

“Do I get to keep the bunny too?”

“Of course.”

Tae’s heart practically swells in his chest. He can’t believe they did this for him, and all without him noticing a thing. It’s so goddamn adorable and he is going to treasure these gifts for the rest of his life . “You guys really are so sweet. Thank you both. I love all of these things so much!”

After getting a hug goodbye from each of them, Taehyung makes his way back out to the waiting SUV and hops in quickly. As much as he doesn’t want to leave, he’s gotta get home and tell the hyungs all about his date and show off his presents. Namjoon is gonna be so jealous that he got a painting from Jungkook first.

~~

[Omegas Only Group Chat]

[Tae]: oh my god you should have seen how quick the hyungs swarmed me 

[JK]: did they miss you that much

[Tae]: no i just smell like the two of you and everyone wanted in on it (✿◠‿◠)

[Jimin]: Oh that’s flattering ( 〃▽〃)

[JK]: yeah well you should have seen how fast jimin jumped on haru after you left

[Tae]: really?

[Jimin]: Oh my god shut up 

[Jimin]: Not you Taehyung-ah 

[Tae]: you know if you wanted to cuddle you could have just asked (・ω<)

[JK]: told you hyung

[Jimin]: SHUT UP OMG (ー_ーゞ

[Tae]: wait actually?

[Tae]: did you two want to cuddle?

[Jimin]: … maybe kind of a lot ( 〃▽〃)

[JK]: yeah

[Tae]: fuck do you mean to tell me we could have been doing that the whole day?

[Tae]: that’s the last time i try to be reasonable ᇂ_ᇂ

[Tae]: why didn’t either of you say anything?

[JK]: didnt wanna scare you off on our first date

[JK]: plus i thought it was just me

[Jimin]: Yeah I just didn’t wanna make you uncomfortable (￣▽￣)”

[JK]: you didnt say anything either

[Tae]: ok fair point i guess

[Tae]: i suppose the important thing is that next time we hang out we are definitely having a cuddle pile

[JK]: hell yes

[JK]: you smell so good its not even fair

[Jimin]: I’d like that too (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

Chapter Text

[Hobi To Jungkook]

[Hobi]: hey what r u guys doing tomorrow?

[JK]: uh nothing as far as i know

[JK]: you wanna hang out

[Hobi]: yeah! :D

[Hobi]: yoongi wants to come too.

[JK]: sure what time

[JK]: also what do you wanna do

[Hobi]: yoongi is going 2 bring some actual cameras so u can have ur laptop back.

[Hobi]: assuming ur still ok with the cameras?

[JK]: yeah we talked to namjoon-hyung about it

[JK]: its not that weird for us

[Hobi]: one of ur families?

[JK]: yeah my house had tons of cameras

[Hobi]: no sneaking around allowed then? ;D

[JK]: we still snuck around plenty

[JK]: jiminie is good at that sort of thing

[Hobi]: i bet u 2 have so many good stories.

[JK]: bet you do too

[Hobi]: i might have a few ;D

[Hobi]: u will have to ask me tomorrow tho.

[Hobi]: does 4:00 work for u?

[JK]: yeah sounds good

[Hobi]: perfect. see u 2 soon. :)

~~

Jimin leaves their windows open for most of the afternoon. Even though they’ve already established scent compatibility, it still feels like quite a leap to invite two alphas into their home this early without at least trying to air things out a bit.

They do a little extra cleaning, but their apartment isn’t very dirty to begin with. There’s some clutter around and probably some dusty surfaces, but besides making sure the dishes and laundry are all taken care of, there isn’t a lot that needs doing. (Jimin would love to take credit, but the truth is that Jungkook is much neater than he is.)

They both spend a little extra time cleaning themselves up too.

It’s not like it’s a formal date. They’re just hanging out, but Jimin still spends longer than he would like to admit in front of the bathroom mirror, trying on different shirts and fussing with his hair. In the end he decides to not look like he’s trying too hard, opting for skinny jeans and one of his more flattering striped t-shirts.

He can’t pass up an opportunity for some extra jewelry though. It might not be a date, but it can still be an excuse to dress up a little. He likes the way bracelets look on his wrists, and a couple of thin necklaces disappearing into the collar of his shirt adds a nice touch.

“You look so pretty, hyung,” Jungkook says.

Jimin nearly jumps out of his skin, turning to see Jungkook leaning against the bathroom doorway laughing at him.

“Fuck, how did you manage to sneak up on me for once?”

“Maybe I’m getting better. It probably helped that you were real focused. Getting all dolled up?”

Jimin frowns. “Is it too much?”

“Of course not,” Jungkook answers, stepping forward to pull Jimin into his arms. “You look good, Jiminie. Plus, you know I love you in jewelry.”

“You may have mentioned it,” Jimin hums while Jungkook noses at his neck, lips pecking just above where the necklaces rest. “You’re sure I’m not going overboard?”

“Hyung, if jeans and a t-shirt is overboard, we’ll both be overdressed.”

“That what you’re wearing too?”

“Probably. Was kinda hoping you could help me pick something out?” Jungkook asks, lips pressing to the underside of Jimin’s jaw now.

“Sure, Kookie.” Jimin lets his eyes slip closed and focuses on how nice it feels to be pressed against his mate, how their scents mingling still makes his chest feel full after all these years. He reaches up and cards his fingers through Jungkook’s hair, listening to the little hum of satisfaction he makes when Jimin lets his fingertips scratch gently at the scalp.

“S’ nice,” Jungkook whispers.

Jimin keeps him there for a minute or two, taking the chance to mess up Jungkook’s hair before he gets ready for their company, and appreciating how relaxed he is with Jimin’s hands on him.

“You still want help picking out your outfit?”

Jungkook’s voice is low and syrupy when he answers, barely more than a whisper. “Yes please.”

It doesn’t take Jimin too long to help Jungkook narrow down his choices until he opts for a maroon sweater he’s particularly fond of. (They may or may not have to go through Jimin’s clothes to find it, but in his defense it’s a very comfortable sweater.)

They’re still left with time to kill after lunch. Jungkook talks Jimin into watching a drama with him, and they spend the next couple hours curled up on the couch together until they get a text from Hoseok saying he and Yoongi will be there shortly.

Hoseok is the first one to greet them when they open their front door a few minutes later. He and Yoongi are thankfully both dressed relatively casual too. (They do not need a repeat of their lunch date with Jin and Namjoon.) Yoongi is wearing all black and carrying a couple of small boxes in one arm, ginger hair styled deliberately messy and pushed back from his face in a way that Jimin can’t help but find attractive.

The contrast is stark when he stands next to Hoseok, who is wearing light blue jeans and a navy and yellow patterned shirt – and while Yoongi looks maybe a little nervous, Hoseok manages to radiate warmth and calm.

“Thanks for having us over,” Hoseok says with a grin. It’s a bit disarming, how sincere his cheerfulness seems, the smile lighting up his whole face.

Jungkook is all smiles too, ushering them into the apartment. Both alphas take an obvious breath through their noses when they step inside, and Jimin catches himself hoping that they appreciate their scents, even if maybe he shouldn’t.

He doesn’t want to hope too much. If this all somehow works, then that’s great but he doesn’t want to fall too fast or lose his head. Jungkook is already invested enough for both of them, and Jimin needs to be ready to deal with the fallout if this doesn’t pan out.

For now, he tries to just focus on enjoying himself instead of letting worry consume him.

“That’s basically the whole place,” Jungkook says once they have given Yoongi and Hoseok the brief tour of their little one bedroom apartment.

“Try not to get lost,” Jimin jokes.

“It’s cute,” Hoseok answers with a smile. “Pretty nice for this part of town too.”

“Yeah, especially considering how much they charge you for rent,” Yoongi adds. “Could definitely have done worse.”

Jimin and Jungkook both quirk their heads in confusion before it clicks.

“I’ve seen your financial records,” Yoongi reminds them. “I’d say I know all your dirty secrets, but there really wasn’t much to see.”

“Didn’t stop you from looking,” Jimin quips, mostly playful.

“Yeah, you’re welcome. Now, why don’t we get these cameras set up? I’m guessing you would prefer to have your computers back.”

It doesn’t take Yoongi long to get the cameras installed, mounting them each to the wall with a couple of screws. He puts the first one where Jungkook’s laptop had been in the corner of their living room, and then puts up one more on the other end of their apartment near the front door. Both cameras are small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, discreet but not meant to be completely hidden.

“This light glows red when they are on, like this,” Yoongi says, pressing the power button on the camera and pointing to the red LED now lit up. “This way you always know when they are recording. You can press the power button on the side to turn them off, or send me a text and I can do it remotely.” Yoongi still has one more box in his hand once the other two cameras are set up. He frowns at it, then looks at Hoseok.

“One more,” Hoseok says with a smile. “To replace the laptop in the bedroom.”

“Only if you want,” Yoongi mumbles, almost too low to be heard.

It’s endearing, the way Yoongi seems worried about assuming they will be okay with the bedroom camera, and how upfront he’s trying to be about the mechanics of this whole thing. For as crabby as he makes himself out to be, it’s clear he’s trying to be careful with them, wary of crossing their boundaries.

“Yeah, sure,” Jungkook answers with a smile.

“It probably won't be on very often, but if one of you gets anxious we don’t mind,” Jimin says. “We’re no strangers to living around cameras.”

“And like you said, Yoongi-hyung – we’ll know if they’re recording,” Jungkook adds.

Yoongi lets out a breath, obviously relieved, and then works on getting the final camera set up in their bedroom. (Jimin is really glad he picked up all of his laundry now.) Once the cameras are set up, they all end up at the kitchen table trading small talk about what they’ve been up to.

Hoseok has apparently had a full day already, helping both Namjoon and Jin with various projects that he doesn’t give many details about, while Yoongi admits that he slept in until noon and has barely accomplished anything so far.

“In all fairness, you were busy for most of yesterday,” Hoseok offers.

“Only until about six pm. The rest of the night was Taehyung-ah and I gaming. You know how much he hates playing alone,” Yoongi says.

“What do you guys play?” Jimin asks.

“Well, right now Seokjin-hyung finally managed to get Taehyung to play Maplestory with him, so they are grinding out levels together,” Yoongi laughs. “We played Overwatch last night, but that’s only because I refuse to dump hours into grinding Maplestory ever again.”

“Jiminie and I play Overwatch too,” Jungkook says, grinning. “Maybe we could all play together sometime?”

Yoongi and Hoseok both smile at his enthusiasm and it’s honestly too much. They’re both so handsome. Jimin tries to make sense of how there are two stupidly attractive alphas sitting at his kitchen table and smiling at Jungkook like they adore him already – but it doesn’t really compute.

Somehow, this is their life.

“Do you have a particular role you like to play?” Yoongi asks.

“I usually play DPS. Sometimes if Jiminie is feeling especially charitable, he will play a healer for me,” Jungkook says, smiling at Jimin.

“It helps that it’s fun to watch people get pissed when I pocket heal you, and then eat their words when you carry the team.”

Yoongi actually smiles at that. “What else do you guys play?”

“We have lots of games,” Jimin answers. “Jungkook plays more PC games than I do, but we’ve mostly been playing Rocket League together on console since his laptop has been serving as a camera.”

“Well you shouldn’t have to worry about that anymore,” Hoseok says.

“Wait, you use those things to game?” Yoongi asks. “You don’t have a desktop?”

Jungkook shrugs. “We each have a laptop and they work fine.”

Yoongi gives an unimpressed sideways glance at Jungkook’s laptop where it sits off to one side of the kitchen table. “Does that thing even have a dedicated GPU?”

Jungkook blinks at him. “A what?”

“Fucking– Just let me have a look at it.” Yoongi pulls Jungkook’s laptop toward him, already frowning. He taps at the keys like poor processing power is a communicable disease he might bring home to his own computers.

“It’s not going to bite you, you know,” Jimin says.

“With only eight gigabytes of RAM, I’ll be surprised if it does anything at all. Is your laptop the same model?”

“Yeah, they’re both the same,” Jimin answers.

“We got them on sale,” Jungkook adds, grinning at the way Yoongi visibly shudders.

Jimin can’t help smiling when he realizes what Jungkook is up to. He tries to sound excited when he adds, “They even came with two years of Norton Antivirus for free!”

“No,” Yoongi clutches at his chest, looking back and forth between Jungkook and Jimin with his mouth open in disgust. “Tell me you don’t actually use that.”

“It was free, so why not? Is there something wrong with it?” Jimin asks innocently.

“No way; I checked Bing and they said it was fine,” Jungkook says.

“Did you just say Bing?” Yoongi croaks.

Jungkook smiles. “Yeah, like the first page that comes up when you open Internet Explorer? Haven’t you heard of it?”

That seems to do it. Yoongi looks like he’s debating whether to throw up or just pack his things and leave as soon as possible, disgust evident on his face. “Please for the love of god , tell me you don’t use the default browser . I’m begging you.”

“But how else would I get to the internet, hyung?”

Yoongi’s jaw hangs open. Jungkook makes a valiant effort to contain himself, but as soon as he makes eye contact with Jimin he completely loses it and the two of them burst out laughing in unison.

“Gets them every time,” Jimin squeaks out between laughs.

Jungkook is doubled over in his chair, breathing hard between fits of giggles. “The look – Oh my god. The look on your face when I said ‘Bing’ was priceless!”

Yoongi quirks a brow, tone flat. “You two are awful.”

“Personally, I thought that was remarkably well executed,” Hoseok says, flashing a grin at Jimin. “You really had him going there. I don’t know if I’ve seen Yoongi look that horrified in months.”

“Don’t worry,” Jimin says. “That works on basically every tech-savvy friend we’ve tried it on.”

Yoongi lets out a long sigh. “I hate all of you so much.”

“Yoongi says that to everyone he likes. Don’t worry,” Hoseok says. He claps Yoongi on the back and then leans over to rest his head on the other alpha’s shoulder, gesturing at the laptop. “So are they really that bad?”

Yoongi softens noticeably at the contact, taking a slow breath. “They’re still shitty computers.”

“What would you recommend?” Hoseok asks.

Yoongi pauses, looking over the laptop once more before turning to Jungkook. “This is a touch screen. Are you doing some of your art digitally on here?” Jungkook nods and Yoongi turns to Jimin next. “And you are gonna need a laptop for school too, right?”

“If I go back, yeah, but it’s fine. My laptop works–”

“I know it objectively works, but I don’t think you’re considering the actual physical pain I will be in knowing that you two are using these. I’ve got a couple of spares at the house I can set you guys up with. Really, it’s more for my peace of mind than it is for you.”

Jimin chews at his lip. “I don’t know. That’s a pretty big gift.”

“Not used to being spoiled?” Hoseok asks, quirking his head and blinking a few times as he looks at Jimin. “I would have thought with your background –”

“Jiminie’s family wasn’t like that,” Jungkook interrupts, body going stiff. “He had to work really hard for everything.”

Oh god. They really don’t need to get into all of that. Jungkook is always so eager to jump to Jimin’s defense and talk up how he got what he wanted in spite of his parents, not because of them. It’s sweet, but it invites way more questions than he feels like answering on a first date. (Even though this probably isn’t actually a date.)

“It’s okay Kookie,” Jimin soothes. “Nobody meant anything by it.”

“That bad, huh?” Hoseok asks gently.

Jimin would really rather not go delving into his family issues right now, so keeps his reply concise. “I didn’t grow up deprived; my parents were just assholes. We had plenty of money and all that, but things I wanted tended to come with strings attached. It’s fine.”

“I see,” Hoseok says with a little frown. “Sorry for making assumptions.”

“It’s okay,” Jimin assures him.

“No strings here,” Yoongi says, turning his hands up as if to demonstrate the lack of tricks up his sleeves. “Anything we give you is just a gift, nothing more.”

“If a gift ever does come with strings attached, we’ll make sure you know before you accept it,” Hoseok adds. “We want to court you, not manipulate you.”

That sounds… promising – or at least less terrifying.

Jimin hesitates and Jungkook leans closer, bumping their shoulders together. “What do you think, hyung?”

“How much are you going to complain if I say no?”

“So, so much,” Jungkook says, grinning.

“Alright.” Jimin turns to Yoongi. “I can’t magically get over feeling kind of weird about it, but if you really want to do this for us, then I’m okay with it.”

“Thank god. Let me make a couple of calls and I’ll get them brought over and set up.” Yoongi pulls out his cell phone and starts tapping on the screen.

“Right now?” Jimin asks.

“You have other plans?”

“I mean, no, but –”

“Then yeah, right now.”

“No point fighting him at this point,” Hoseok says, leaning toward Jimin while Yoongi steps away from the table with his phone up to his ear. “Once his mind is made up, Yoongi is stubborn as hell.”

“Sounds kind of like you, hyung.”

Jimin gives a playful little shove to Jungkook’s chest. “I am not that stubborn.”

“You are literally the most stubborn person I know,” Jungkook says, grinning.

“Sometimes that just means you’re determined and have a strong will,” Hoseok offers.

Jungkook snorts out a laugh. “And sometimes it means pretending to enjoy drinking black coffee for weeks rather than admitting you forgot to buy creamer.”

Jimin can feel his cheeks go pink, the flush creeping up his neck and onto his face. “Oh my god are you ever going to let that go?”

“Not planning on it, no.”

“It wasn’t that bad!”

“It was his first time buying groceries after we moved and he was feeling sensitive about it,” Jungkook tells Hoseok. “He admitted to forgetting to buy rice and cooking oil, but then got all defensive when I asked how he was gonna drink his coffee. He tried claiming he liked it without creamer when we both know he thinks black coffee is bitter and gross.”

“I was having a hard day!”

“And if you would have just said that, I wouldn’t be making fun of you right now, but you didn’t. We went all the way back to the store and you still refused to buy creamer. We picked up everything else, but you decided that pretending to like black coffee was the hill you were going to die on. I watched you drink it like that for days, trying not to let it show how much you hated it.”

Hoseok laughs at the story hard enough that he is briefly doubled over in his chair, though most of that has to be from just how dramatic and into it Jungkook is. Jimin doesn’t really think it’s that funny… Okay, maybe just a little. It was pretty dumb of him but he really was having a hard day, and he tends to dig his heels in sometimes when he gets upset. Funny or not though, it’s still a little embarrassing.

“I hate you so much,” Jimin groans, blushing bright red at this point.

“I love you too, even when you’re being unreasonable. It was actually kind of cute.”

“You’re the worst.”

Jungkook laughs and then shifts gears in an instant, putting on his sweetest smile as he leans over to press a kiss to Jimin’s flushed cheek. “Hobi-hyung is right, you know; you are determined and strong willed and I admire that about you – so try not to be too mad at me.”

Jimin just raises an unimpressed brow at his mate.

Hoseok shakes his head with a laugh. “He is very sweet, isn’t he?” he asks, gesturing toward Jungkook, who is still wearing his best charming smile like he can’t see Jimin glaring at him.

It shouldn’t still work after all these years, but Jimin can only keep the frown on his face for a few seconds before he gives in with a sigh and admits, “Yeah, he really is.”

Once Yoongi returns, the four of them end up just staying at the kitchen table talking for a while. It’s all pretty surface level, typical getting to know each other type conversation, but Jimin is surprised by just how much he is enjoying it. He’d expected to be a lot more nervous with two unfamiliar alphas in their apartment, but they’ve both been nothing but respectful and nice.

It helps that Jungkook seems to be enjoying their company so much. He’s just finished excitedly telling them about becoming an apprentice at Special-f(x), how he had gotten a tattoo done there years before and decided right then that it was where he wanted to work. Jimin chips in too, telling a few stories about his time in school and some of the performances he got to take part in. Hoseok and Yoongi both seem genuinely interested, asking questions and listening intently to both of them and eventually sharing some of their own stories as well.

Yoongi talks about discovering a love for computers early on, about writing his first programs mostly to play pranks on his family computer. “My brother would spend hours hogging the computer, so I wrote a script that made the mouse stop working thirty minutes after he opened one of his games. He would get so mad,” Yoongi says, laughing as he speaks. “Eventually he just gave up trying to play games on the PC and switched to console.”

“Did he ever figure out it was you?” Jungkook asks.

“No way! I’m taking that to my grave.”

Jimin looks at Hoseok, who’s barely told any stories about himself so far. (Maybe he just needs a little prompting to open up.) “What about you, Hoseok-ssi? You joined the pack later, right? What did you do before that?”

“Oh, a little bit of everything in my line of work. You know how it is, I’m sure,” Hoseok answers before giving Yoongi a playful little shove. “Oh, you have to tell them the story about how you changed Taehyung’s grade for his final project because you thought the professor was an ass.”

Jimin doesn’t miss the obvious deflection. Does Hoseok just not like talking about himself, or does he not trust them yet?

“That professor was an ass.”

“Yoongi-hyung is actually just whipped,” Hoseok stage whispers to them, prompting Yoongi to roll his eyes in response.

~~

There’s a knock at the front door within the hour.

“I’ve got it,” Yoongi says. He goes over and opens the door. Nobody steps inside but they do pass Yoongi several boxes, which he stacks one at a time next to the door. Once he’s piled up five or six boxes of varying sizes, he thanks whoever brought them and closes the door again.

“You want help, Yoongi-hyung?” Jungkook calls.

“Sure. Get these boxes onto the table and we can start opening them up.”

Yoongi carries over one of the larger boxes himself. Jungkook – eager as always – crouches down and grabs the rest of them from the bottom, carrying the remainder of the stack over to the table.

“Showoff,” Jimin and Yoongi both say at once. They turn to look at each other immediately, Yoongi’s face cracking into a smile that Jimin returns.

Most of the boxes appear to be taped shut, he notices as Jungkook starts to spread them across the table. They’ll need something to get them open. Jimin almost turns to grab a knife from the kitchen before he spots a metallic glint in one of Yoongi’s pockets. A pocket knife.

He can’t help himself.

Jungkook finishes separating the boxes and when Yoongi leans forward to grab one, Jimin deftly slides the knife free from Yoongi’s pocket. It’s not even a challenge. The alpha doesn’t notice a thing, and Jimin is pretty sure Jungkook and Hoseok are both too occupied with the boxes to have noticed either.

“Showing off or not, getting all of them in one trip like that was still impressive,” Hoseok says, reaching for a box himself.

“It’s not showing off. They weren’t even that heavy,” Jungkook whines, a blush creeping up his cheeks as he stares at the table.

“Uh huh, a likely story,” Yoongi says. He pulls one of the bigger boxes toward himself, patting his pockets a few times and then looking at Hoseok. “You have a knife on you?”

Hoseok raises a brow. “You don’t? If Namjoonie finds out you left the house completely unarmed, he’s going to throw a fit.”

“I swear I did, but–”

“It’s okay,” Jimin says with a wide smile, stepping forward and taking hold of the box before proudly flicking open the pocket knife. There’s no way Yoongi won’t recognize it. The whole thing is a pretty metallic blue that glints under the kitchen lights, making it fairly unmistakable. “I’ve got one.”

“Thanks, Jimin – Wait a goddamn second. That’s my knife!” Yoongi sputters. “When did you take that?”

“Just a second ago when I realized we needed something to open the boxes.”

“And you couldn’t just – oh I don’t know – grab your own?”

“Yours was closer,” Jimin teases.

Hoseok howls with laughter, face buried in his arms against the table, and Jungkook isn’t doing much better, lips pursed and just barely managing to contain his snickering. After a few seconds, he ends up doubled over in a fit of giggles too.

Yoongi glares at both of them, shaking his head. “Every day I wonder why I bother.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Jimin admits with a small laugh. Poking fun at Yoongi seems to be an easy way to keep the mood light and let the alpha get out some of his tension by being a little prickly, but he would hate to overstep. He pinches the knife by the blade, holding the handle out to Yoongi. “Here, you can have it back.”

“Oi, are you trying to hurt yourself too?” Yoongi says, stepping closer. He covers Jimin’s hand with his own and gingerly removes the knife. The touch is unexpected, but so gentle that Jimin can feel his heart skip a beat. From someone else it might feel imposing or even intimidating, but he’s surprised at just how non-threatening the sudden closeness feels from Yoongi.

From this distance, it’s impossible to miss the warm cinnamon scent coming off of him. Hoseok and Jungkook are still laughing in the background, but Jimin can hardly hear anything over the sound of blood rushing in his ears.

Yoongi smells so good.

He wants to get closer, wants to cover himself in that scent, wants to see how nicely it mixes with his own, or with Jungkook’s. There’s an impulsive urge to tilt his head up and bare his throat for the alpha, but Jimin stays still. He is not going to embarrass himself like that. He can control himself.

They both look up at the same time, sharing the briefest moment of eye contact before practically leaping back from one another. Jimin starts opening the box he had cut the tape on, and Yoongi grabs another box without a word.

“Did I miss something?” Hoseok asks, still breathless from laughter but finally lifting his head.

“Hmm?” Jimin hums nonchalantly.

“This will go quicker if you cut open some boxes too, Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi grumbles.

“I’ll grab you a knife,” Jungkook offers.

The four of them open all of the boxes and deposit their contents onto the table. The laptops are still wrapped in plastic and look about a hundred times nicer than what Jimin and Jungkook have currently. The rest of the boxes contain the charging cables, as well as a few accessories. The sight of all of it like this does make Jimin feel a bit on edge...

“Oh wow, these are really for us, Yoongi-hyung?” Jungkook asks as he removes a fancy looking keyboard from one of the final boxes.

“No point in half-assing this,” Yoongi says with a shrug. He looks at Jimin, “And before you get all worried, just remember that every time I see you using shitty electronics I take ten points of damage.”

Jimin huffs, but decides to pick his battles. This is obviously something Yoongi is invested in doing, and to be honest it will be really nice to have a computer that isn’t painfully slow. Mostly though, he just tries to focus on how excited Jungkook is about all of this, because attempting to process his own feelings is… a lot harder.

He watches as Yoongi powers up the computers and gets them set up to his standards, all while Jungkook is eagerly unpacking all of the accessories. There’s a keyboard for each of them, new mice, spare charging cables, and what look like far too expensive headphones. Most of the items make at least some sense to give them along with the laptops, which were already hard to accept – but it’s just all so much . It’s honestly threatening to send his mind racing. He wants to just let it go, but...

How is he supposed to make all of this up to them?

“Isn’t this maybe a bit excessive?” Jimin asks quietly, poking at the headphones.

“What part of ‘ten points of damage’ did you miss?” Yoongi answers, not even looking up from the laptop. “I promise I already had all of this just laying around collecting dust, so someone may as well get some use out of it. Pass me a mouse, would you, Jungkook-ah?”

Jungkook obeys, handing Yoongi one of the mice before turning to Jimin with a smile and making grabby hands at him. “C’mere, Jiminie.”

Jimin frowns, but does eventually let Jungkook pull him onto his lap. Being close helps tame his nerves a little bit, and quiet down the nagging thoughts racing through his head. It’s a little embarrassing just how much he wants to hide under a blanket with Jungkook until all of the gift giving is done and they can move onto something else.

“Is someone feeling a bit stressed?” Hoseok asks. There’s not a speck of judgment in his tone, but Jimin feels it anyway – like maybe he should be hiding his distress better or something.

“It’s okay,” Jungkook answers. “He’s just a little nervous.”

“Oh my god, don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Jimin huffs, crossing his arms.

Jungkook just squeezes his arms tighter around Jimin’s middle. “So, hyung, do you think we should break these in with a couple of 1v1 matches tonight? Maybe with a new computer you can actually beat me.”

It’s an obvious ploy to redirect his attention, but Jimin is glad for it honestly. Whatever it takes to get through this with as little embarrassment as possible. “The computer isn’t the problem,” he says, rolling his eyes. “You being unnaturally good at every fucking game is the problem.”

Yoongi quirks his head at them, finally looking up from the computer. “How good are we talking exactly?”

“Not that good honest–”

‘That’s a complete lie,” Jimin interrupts. “He can beat you at any game if he’s had at least an hour of playtime to learn it.”

“Bullshit,” Yoongi scoffs.

“Yeah, Jiminie, I don’t think I could win at every game.”

“I suppose that’s true, now that I think about it.”

“Obviously; nobody is that good at games,” Yoongi says.

“Oh, no I just mean that games that are based on luck wouldn’t work,” Jimin clarifies. “They have to require skill. Even Kookie gets screwed by RNG sometimes.”

Hoseok nods, looking amused. “Ah yes, don’t we all.”

“I’m still not buying it,” Yoongi says. “If he’s that good, why not play professionally or something?”

“I make way too many mistakes to play professionally. I’m not that good, really,” Jungkook reasons.

“That’s it.” Yoongi pushes his chair back from the table. “Let’s play something so I can see how good you really are. I’m warning you though, I won’t go easy on you.”

“You wanna play a game together, hyung?” Jungkook asks. Jimin can hear how excited he is – doesn’t even need to see his face to know he’s smiling like a kid on Christmas. His scent even spikes a little, that pretty floral orange blossom smell that never fails to make Jimin smile. “You can pick anything you want! Jiminie, you okay to get up or do you need more cuddles?”

“I’m fine, Kookie,” Jimin answers, standing up. “Go play some games. I know how much you like to actually play with someone.”

“You two okay with watching?” Yoongi asks. “If you have something for four players we could do that instead?”

Hoseok’s hand taps at Jimin’s arm. “I’m actually craving something sweet. Wanna go get snacks with me, Jimin-ah? We can bring something back for these two.”

“Uh, sure,” Jimin says. He’s a little taken aback by the request, but he feels safe enough going alone with Hoseok, and he trusts Yoongi to look after Jungkook for a while too. “There’s a bakery a couple of blocks down the road, if you want?”

“Perfect,” Hoseok answers with a smile. “That’s a great idea.”

The praise makes Jimin’s stomach feel warm, and Hoseok being far too handsome for his own good isn’t helping either, so he turns to grab a hoodie off the couch and look for his shoes.

“Hyung, will you bring me back donuts?” Jungkook asks, offering his cheek up for a kiss.

“Yeah, I’ll get you donuts,” Jimin says, leaning in to dutifully kiss his cheek. “We’ll be back soon.”

Chapter Text

Jimin leads the way down the stairs and out into the evening air.

The sun is just barely beginning to set, and the streets are a bit more empty than during midday. Between the wide open space of the street and the gentle breeze blowing cool, crisp air against his skin, he starts to relax almost immediately. It’s peaceful. He hadn’t realized just how much he needed the break and he finds himself pausing for a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath.

When he opens his eyes again, Hoseok is looking at him with a serene little smile. “It’s nice out, isn’t it?” he asks.

In his moment of relief Jimin had almost forgotten about Hoseok, but now it’s hard to look away. The tail end of sunset bathes everything in golden light and it makes Hoseok look almost angelic, Jimin thinks. Rays of sunlight leave his skin glowing warm and inviting, and bounce off his pretty brown hair as it waves gently in the wind.

Jimin swallows and looks away before he can start blushing or something stupid. “Yeah,” he answers. “I love this time of day.”

“You’ll have to tell Namjoonie. He’s a sucker for a good sunset too.”

“What about you?” Jimin asks, starting to lead the way down towards the bakery.

“More of a night time guy, honestly. This is nice though.”

Hoseok follows at his side, close enough that every now and then Jimin catches a brief hint of his coffee scent. Hoseok seems to keep his scent hidden more often than not, so for the most part Jimin has hardly smelled him at all. Even now it’s really faint, and he finds himself wishing he could smell the alpha more clearly.

Does Hoseok feel the same way about his scent?

They walk a minute or so in pleasant silence before Jimin speaks again. “So, were you actually craving something sweet, or did you just need a breath of fresh air?”

“Something sweet does sound nice, but I admit that I may have had other motivations. I figured it was a good opportunity to try and talk to you.”

“About...?”

“Is this the place?” Hoseok asks, gesturing to the door of the building they’re in front of.

It is the place. He and Jungkook found the shop shortly after they moved into their apartment. It’s a cute little family owned bakery with reasonable prices and a nice shaded patio area. Jimin used to come here frequently to study back when he was still in college. (Mostly because their matcha bubble tea is one of his favorite drinks.)

“Oh, didn’t realize we were here already. Yeah, this is the place. Did you wanna talk first or...?”

“Let’s pick up the food and then we can sit for a little while if that’s okay with you,” Hoseok answers, gesturing to the deserted patio area.

Jimin nods and leads the way inside, letting Hoseok take his time looking at the menu. When he’s asked for his recommendations, he tells Hoseok about their bubble tea and how they make the best cinnamon rolls.

His mouth is watering just thinking about one of those huge cinnamon rolls, all warm and doughy.

When they’re ready, Jimin decides to splurge a little since they still have money left over from what Yoongi dropped into their account (and with any luck, he’ll be working again soon too). He takes a couple of minutes to pick out half a dozen different donuts for Jungkook to try – including a lemon one with strawberry frosting that he is sure Jungkook will love – and then one of the giant cinnamon rolls for himself.

Even with splurging on some fancier donuts, it’s not too expensive. Jimin reaches for his wallet.

“I’m buying,” Hoseok says, fingertips gently touching Jimin’s shoulder. “Didn’t you say you liked their bubble tea? Why don’t you get one of those, and something to drink for Jungkook-ah as well?”

“You sure?” Jimin fights to keep his voice even, mind more focused on the fact that Hoseok is touching him than he is on the food or even the money.

“Of course. I’m gonna get a drink too.”

Jimin adds two bubble teas to his order and then Hoseok is stepping forward to give his own order, hand falling from Jimin’s shoulder as he moves. He pays for everything while Jimin stands just a couple of steps behind him, wondering how pathetic it is to hope that Hoseok will touch him again. It’s surprising to him just how much he likes it, having expected to be a lot more put off by the alphas in the pack.

He tries to focus on the bakery, but his eyes keep drifting back to Hoseok, admiring him while he’s not looking. He looks effortlessly handsome, obviously well dressed and yet somehow managing to seem like he belongs in the cheap bakery. Hoseok seems like the type of guy who could blend in anywhere – a chameleon.

Jimin’s still not sure what to make of him. On one hand, he seems bubbly and almost carefree, but Jimin knows that Hoseok is sharp, that there is a reason Jimin had heard his name long before they met. It’s a little hard to reconcile the image he’d had in his mind of Jung Hoseok – the thief, the man who could get his hands on anything – with the man currently buying him bubble tea and giving him a warm smile over his shoulder.

To be fair, Jimin used to be an up and coming thief himself, and now here he is – just another college dropout trying to scrape by with his boyfriend. But it’s different for him. He had fled with Jungkook before his career could really take off, assuming it would have taken off in the first place. (He was good, but was he that good? )

Either way, their somewhat similar backgrounds and his professional knowledge of Hoseok leave Jimin particularly curious about him, even more than he’s curious about the rest of the pack.

All of their food is boxed up and passed to Hoseok in a bag, while Jimin grabs the cup holder full of their drinks and leads the way back outside to the patio. There are plenty of open tables, but Hoseok still picks one of the smallest tables and sits side by side with him, close enough that their shoulders would touch if either of them leaned a few inches to the side.

“Thank you for this, Hoseok-ssi,” Jimin says, taking a sip of his drink with a smile.

“Please, call me hyung – or even just Hobi if you prefer,” Hoseok answers. He reaches for his own drink, then gives Jimin a coy half smile. “Or do I have to flirt more directly to get you to drop the formality?”

Christ he is so forward. Jimin tries to ignore the way his heart beats faster, staring down at his bubble tea instead of into Hoseok’s pretty brown eyes. “Sorry. Thank you, hyung.”

“There you go. Sounds so nice when you say it too.”

Even if Hoseok is just playing, Jimin can’t deny it’s having an effect. Every word of praise from the alpha makes him feel warm, his inner omega practically purring in satisfaction and yet hungry for more. He buys himself a little time to breathe by taking another slow sip of his drink.

There’s a little tiny feeling of tension wiggling somewhere in the back of his mind, an apprehension about being here like this – about opening himself up to an alpha – but it’s surprisingly small. Part of him feels like knowing how sharp Hoseok must be should make it worse, should make him feel guarded and suspicious. Yet somehow it’s just a tiny worry in the back of his mind, almost entirely eclipsed by how flattered he is at Hoseok’s attention and flirting.

“So, you wanted to talk about something?” Jimin asks, keeping his tone casual.

Hoseok smiles. “I did, yeah. What kind of tea did you get?”

“Umm, the matcha. It’s really good – my favorite actually,” Jimin answers.

“Can I try it? I got the strawberry if you wanna trade?” Hoseok pushes his plastic cup toward Jimin and reaches a hand out in return.

Indirect kiss . Is he playing at something? Or does he really just wanna try Jimin’s drink? Indirect kiss.

Jimin bites the inside of his cheek and pushes his cup towards Hoseok, trying not to overthink it and failing miserably. He watches Hoseok wrap his lips around the straw and suck, feeling warmth creep up his face as he quickly averts his eyes and reaches for the other cup.

Jimin barely registers the taste, his mind way too focused on the pleased smile on Hoseok’s face as he hands him his drink back.

“You’re right. The matcha is good. Thank you for sharing, Jimin-ah.”

“Sure, it’s no problem. The strawberry is good too.”

Definitely not a problem. Not even a little. Jimin is fine. All of this is normal and he is not thinking about Hoseok’s stunning smile or how his skin glows in the sunlight or how even the slightest hint of praise from the alpha makes him want to bare his throat and whine.

Totally fine.

“Both of them are so good. We’ll have to tell Jinnie about this place,” Hoseok says.

“Is he a big fan of bubble tea?” Jimin asks, glad for any change of subject at this point. Whatever it takes to get him to stop thinking about how their scents are probably mingling on their cups – or wondering how long he’s supposed to wait before taking another drink now that Hoseok’s mouth has been on his straw.

“He’s just a big fan of food, really.” Hoseok answers. “I’ve lost count of the number of restaurants he’s taken me to, and if he’s not taking us out then he’s cooking amazing food at home.”

“That’s really nice of him. I like to bake, but I’m a pretty hopeless cook,” Jimin offers. “Jungkook does most of the cooking.”

“A baker, huh? You’ll definitely have me beat there. I’m passable in the kitchen, but between Jin and Yoongi I don’t end up having to cook much. I try to help with cleanup instead.”

Jimin hums in agreement. “Offering to wash dishes always goes over well.”

Hoseok nods and doesn’t say anything further. Jimin hopes that if he lets the silence hang in the air long enough that Hoseok will eventually tell him what he wants to talk about. Pushing directly hasn’t worked. Every time he tries to ask what’s on the alpha’s mind he ends up being redirected, so maybe letting Hoseok bring up the topic on his own terms will go better. It could be that he’s just the type who hates being poked with questions.

That’s fine. Jimin can work with that. In the meantime, he lets his eyes slip shut and focuses on the gentle breeze he can feel on his face, the muffled sounds of the city in motion around them, and the comforting smell of the baked goods coming from the shop. It’s nice to take a moment to just exist, to focus on his breathing and the sounds and smells in the air around them. It makes his racing thoughts feel quieter – further away.

When he eventually cracks his eyes back open, he sees Hoseok watching him, head quirked slightly to the side and a thoughtful half smile on his face. “You looked peaceful. Feel better?”

Jimin does feel better – more relaxed for sure.

“Yeah,” he answers, his voice lower than he means for it to be. He clears his throat. “Sorry if –”

Hoseok holds up a hand. “Please, don’t apologize. You looked like you were getting overwhelmed back at your apartment, which is why I asked if you wanted to come with me in the first place.”

Well, that worked surprisingly well.

“Not just because you wanted to talk?”

“May as well do both,” Hoseok answers, looking pleased with himself. “So if you don’t mind me asking, does having a couple of unfamiliar alphas in your space make you feel on edge, or was it mostly the gifts?”

Jimin raises a brow. “Was this what you wanted to talk about?”

“Not exactly.” Hoseok laughs. “It’s a related question though.”

“If you two made me nervous, I wouldn’t have left Kookie at home with Yoongi-ssi. I believe you when you say your intention is to...” Jimin looks down at his cup. “Umm, to court us.”

“Is anything we’re doing making you uncomfortable?”

“You’ve both been perfectly respectful. I mean, gifts are... I’m going to struggle with that, but I don’t get the feeling they are going to be all that negotiable.”

“You two did make the mistake of stumbling upon a pack full of people who love giving gifts. You might have been able to convince Namjoonie and me to tone it down a bit, but just wait until Jinnie gets on a roll. That man is unstoppable.”

Jimin groans. “That bad, huh?”

“The worst,” Hoseok says with a little huff of laughter. “Still, we wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable. I’ll talk to the rest of them – see if we can find some ways to ease you into things.”

That almost sounds worse, all of them trying so hard not to make him uncomfortable – enough that he has to fight back a frown. Maybe he can backpedal a little.

“Honestly, seeing Kookie so excited to get a new computer makes the whole thing a lot easier to handle. It’s still a lot, but... Things are always easier when I know he’s happy.” Jimin looks up and sees Hoseok smiling back at him. It feels like a good sign that he’s managed to lessen the worry a bit.

“That’s so sweet, Jimin-ah. I think I understand where you’re coming from. When the rest of the pack is happy, sometimes I feel like that’s all I really need.” Jimin smiles and hums in agreement, taking a drink of his tea. “That does kind of lead into the other thing I wanted to talk about,” Hoseok continues.

“Kookie? Or something else?”

“You and Jungkook, yeah.”

“What about us?”

“I made some observations, and I wanted to ask you about them.”

“Okay,” Jimin says slowly. “Such as?”

“He adores you, for one,” Hoseok starts with a smile. “He’s also deferring to you on a lot of this so far. That night at the gallery, when you insisted on leaving, he followed your lead even though he didn’t sense danger. Then, when you two met up with all of us again the other night, he waited for your input before every step, but didn’t hesitate for a moment once you gave the okay. It’s just...”

“It’s just?” Jimin pushes when Hoseok doesn’t continue.

“I suppose what I’m getting at is that it’s obvious that Jungkook is interested, but I’m wondering where you stand exactly?”

Hoseok definitely isn’t wrong. Jungkook has been giving Jimin every opportunity to decide that he doesn’t want to do this, even though it’s obvious that Jungkook is very interested. And it’s not that Jimin isn’t. He’s just… a lot more worried about all of the ways this could go wrong.

“You always watching that closely?” Jimin eventually says, trying to buy himself a little more time to consider how he wants to answer.

“Hard to turn it off. I imagine you struggle with the same thing.”

“Truth for a truth?” Jimin asks. “If I give you a straight answer, will you do the same for me?”

Hoseok smiles. “Oh? Something you want to know too? Sure, you can even ask first if you want.”

Jimin isn’t going to waste that opportunity.

“You’ve been avoiding any personal questions tonight, and you did the same thing the other night at dinner. I was thinking maybe you just don’t want to talk, but then you didn’t waste any time pulling me aside when Kookie and Yoongi-ssi got absorbed in their game, so what’s the deal?”

“You always watching that closely?” Hoseok echoes, grinning now.

“You’re right,” Jimin admits. “It’s hard to turn it off sometimes.”

“Yeah, I had a feeling you would understand. As for your question… Honestly, the truth is that Yoongi has a really hard time putting himself out there, so I wanted to make sure and give him as much opportunity to open up as I could.”

“Oh. Well that’s...” Surprisingly sweet? “What about the other night?”

Hoseok gives a little shrug. “There’s five of us. I wanted to give you two a chance to get to know the rest of the pack.”

“What about getting to know you?”

“Plenty of time for that later,” Hoseok answers, like it’s obvious. “We’re talking now, aren’t we?”

Jimin can’t help but smile at him. “You always put the pack first, huh?”

Hoseok looks a little taken aback at his words, opening his mouth to speak and then closing it again, frowning just a little as he thinks. Jimin is pretty sure he’s managed to surprise him, and his reward is a glimpse of this slightly more vulnerable side of Hoseok. It’s a relief to see that he’s not on his toes all the time, that there’s some uncertainty behind all of the confident flirting and calculated conversation.

“I suppose I do,” Hoseok eventually answers, face cracking back into a warm little smile. “Maybe I’m overdoing it a little. I’ll try to be a bit more open going forward.”

Hoseok has more than held up his end of the deal.

“Thank you. And you were right,” Jimin says with a sigh. “Jungkook is very interested, and it’s not that I’m not...”

“But?”

He can do this. If Hoseok could let Jimin have a glance of something honest, something vulnerable, the least he can do is try to return the favor.

“I guess I don’t want to get my hopes up. It’s one thing to find a compatible mate or two, but a pack of five super attractive guys falling into our laps and practically leaping at the opportunity to court us? And that’s not even touching on all the financial aspects. It just seems a little too good to be true.”

“You think I’m attractive?” Hoseok asks, smiling as he leans close enough to bump his shoulder against Jimin’s playfully.

It diffuses the tension almost immediately.

“That’s your takeaway from that?” Jimin sputters, cheeks going pink while he stares at his cup. “I do have eyes, you know – and for the record there’s no way you don’t already know you’re good looking.”

“Still nice to hear it sometimes. Flattery will get you everywhere.”

Jimin frowns. “I’m not trying to manipulate you.”

“Of course – just a joke I promise.” Hoseok sounds sincere enough that Jimin believes him. “It’s kind of the same for us, you know?”

“Which part?”

“We didn’t expect to find the two of you that night. We weren’t out looking for new mates.”

“Well none of you seem too on the fence about things.”

“Taehyung has never been wrong before,” Hoseok shrugs. “We want to take the time to do things properly, but I don’t think any of us doubt that you two will be a part of the pack, so long as you’re interested.”

“Just like that?”

“Pretty much.” Hoseok says. “It’s not that long ago that I was in your shoes, so I understand the apprehension. They were all so sure about me too and I couldn’t quite believe them for a long time.”

“What was it like?”

“Being courted?”

Jimin nods.

“It was a lot of things,” Hoseok answers with a laugh. “Exciting, romantic, overwhelming, terrifying. But falling in love is always kind of like that, isn’t it? I just know I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“That actually... That’s really sweet,” Jimin says quietly. “It makes me feel a little less anxious too.”

“I’m glad I could help. It would make me happy to be someone you feel like you can talk to, especially about this sort of thing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Hoseok-hyung.”

“Aww, aren’t you sweet, Jimin-ah? You know, it also doesn’t hurt that you and Jungkook are both incredibly easy on the eyes,” Hoseok says with a very deliberate wink.

Jimin groans. “You’re shameless.”

“And you’re pretty.”

“Oh my god. C’mon,” Jimin says, standing up from the table. “We should probably go check on those two.”

Hoseok laughs and follows Jimin’s lead. They gather up their food and start to head back toward the apartment, making pleasant conversation the whole way.

*******

Yoongi isn’t all that surprised when Jungkook wipes the floor with him in Rocket League. It’s obvious that he has had a lot of practice, and Yoongi hasn’t touched the game in over a year. Even after a couple of practice rounds, the mechanical skill and game sense are still heavily in Jungkook’s favor.

Still, he doesn’t want to be a poor sport, and it’s not like he isn’t having fun, so he lets Jungkook kick his ass for the better part of an hour before admitting defeat.

“Okay, you got me. You’re definitely better at this than I am,” Yoongi says, setting down his controller after Jungkook scores his tenth goal of the match (against Yoongi’s three).

“I think you did really good, especially since you haven’t played a lot! Do you want some pointers, Yoongi-hyung?” Jungkook asks with an earnest smile.

He’s too cute for his own good. It’ll be a real shame to wipe that smile off his face when Yoongi does beat him.

“Nah, I was never all that big of a fan, so I wont make use of them anyway. I played for a couple of months back when it first took off, but then never really went back.”

“Okay, do you wanna play something else then?”

“Yeah, let’s see what else you guys have.”

Their collection is pretty sparse, and Yoongi would be lying if he said he wasn’t already making a list of games to gift them. The only problem is that it’s hard to tell what they will like from the handful of games on the shelf, and Jimin seems easily overwhelmed when there are multiple gifts, so he has to play this smart. He needs more information. They said they play more on PC, so he makes a mental note to check what games they have on their computers before he leaves.

His eyes do catch on one familiar game case.

“No way, you guys play Mortal Kombat?” Yoongi asks, pulling the case off the shelf.

“Jimin hates it, but I like to play it sometimes. Wanna play that next, Yoongi-hyung?”

“Hell yes. I should warn you though; I’ve put a lot of hours into this game.” It’s an understatement really, considering that when he says ‘a lot’ he means somewhere nearing a thousand.

“That’s okay. I’m just happy to play with someone!” Jungkook answers, his excitement obvious.

Maybe Yoongi should take it easy on him? If he’s really that excited to play with someone else, Yoongi doesn’t need to demolish him right away. It could be a good opportunity to practice with a couple of characters he hasn’t played a lot of before.

Hoseok and Jimin return while Yoongi is getting the game set up, plopping down on the couch and starting to hand out food right away. Jimin passes Jungkook an entire box of donuts, which he accepts with a huge grin, picking one out to eat right away.

Their couch is thankfully big enough for them all to sit comfortably. Yoongi ends up between Jimin and Jungkook, with Hoseok sitting on the other side of Jimin.

Hoseok passes Yoongi a plain looking paper cup with a lid. It’s still a little warm.

“Tell me this is caffeinated?”

“Would I bring you anything less?” Hoseok teases. “It’s the house blend, but there’s a couple of shots of espresso in there.”

Yoongi takes one sip and is pleased at the rich, bitter taste of the coffee. He hadn’t even realized how much he needed a pick-me-up after all of the socializing they’ve been doing, but of course Hoseok would notice.

His mate is a literal angel sometimes.

“Umm, is that supposed to be hot?” Jimin asks. “We didn’t exactly rush back, so I can warm it up for you if you want?”

“Nah, it’s fine. I don’t care much about the temperature, but thanks.”

Jimin looks appalled. “You like lukewarm coffee?”

“I don’t mind it,” Yoongi answers with a shrug.

“I feel like you should know that I’m judging you,” Jimin answers, opening up a box containing a huge cinnamon roll inside.

Hoseok laughs. “Just wait until Yoongi finds out you drink your coffee with creamer, Jimin-ah.”

Gross.

“Ugh. Why would you ruin a perfectly good coffee like that?”

“Oh, I’m the one drinking ruined coffee? This, according to the guy who likes it cold.”

“Rather have it cold than full of sugary crap.”

“Your loss I guess,” Jimin shrugs, tearing a piece off the cinnamon roll in his lap. “Hoseok-hyung, did you bring him anything to eat with his cold, bitter coffee?”

Well, it sure hadn’t taken Hoseok long to earn hyung status from Jimin.

“Yeah, it’s here,” Hoseok answers, passing a paper wrapped package to Jimin, who hands it to Yoongi. “There wasn’t a lot to choose from besides sweets, but they had a couple of sandwiches.”

“Thank you.”

Jimin leans forward to look past Yoongi at Jungkook. “Are your donuts good, Kookie?”

“Mhmm,” Jungkook mumbles. Yoongi turns around to see three of the donuts already gone, and Jungkook finishing off the last bite of the one in his hand. “Really good, hyung. Thank you so much,” he answers once he’s swallowed the mouthful.

There’s a smudge of some kind of glaze or frosting just below Jungkook’s lower lip, and once Yoongi’s eyes are already in the area, he finds it hard to pull them away, gaze tracing the cute little cupid’s bow shape of Jungkook’s upper lip over and over.

He’s so pretty. Why is he so pretty?

“Something on my face, Yoongi-hyung?” Jungkook asks, looking at him all innocent with his stupid gorgeous doe eyes.

Fuck.

“You’ve got something here,” Yoongi says, focusing on the spot of frosting and pointing to his own lip in demonstration. He’s thankful when his voice doesn’t shake.

He expects Jungkook to reach up and wipe the smudge away.

What he does not expect is for him to stick his tongue out to lick at the spot, and then proceed to suck his lip into his mouth and–

Yoongi whips his head down to focus on unwrapping the sandwich he has in his lap, hoping his hair is long enough to cover the flush creeping onto his cheeks. At least the lighting in their apartment is relatively dim with the sun almost completely set outside and only a couple of lamps on.

Small mercies.

Jungkook thanks him and Yoongi gives him a thumbs-up without looking up, because he has a sandwich to eat, and that is all he is going to focus on. The others make some vague conversation around him, but nobody says his name so he just keeps eating and absolutely not thinking about Jungkook’s lips, or his pretty eyes, or his fucking tongue.

When Jungkook excuses himself to the bathroom a few minutes later, Yoongi is still working on his sandwich. He’d hardly tasted the first few bites, but now that he’s managed to settle the fuck down he realizes that it’s actually pretty damn tasty, so that’s a pleasant surprise.

“What were you guys going to play?” Hoseok asks.

“Jungkook kicked my ass at Rocket League, but they have Mortal Kombat so it should be my turn to win at something,” Yoongi jokes.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Jimin says, tearing off another piece of his cinnamon roll and popping it into his mouth.

“I’ve got to side with Yoongi-hyung this time.” Hoseok says as he reaches for Yoongi’s controller. “You have no idea how much time he’s spent playing those games.”

“And you haven’t seen how good Kookie is.”

Jungkook rounds the corner, returning to the living room. “Don’t talk me up too much, hyung. If I lose, it’ll make you look bad too.” His gaze drifts over to Hoseok, eyeing the controller in his hands with a smile. “Oh, are you gonna play too, Hoseok-hyung?”

“You and Yoongi are still eating, right? I bet Jimin-ah will play a couple of matches with me.”

“Jiminie doesn’t like playing Mortal Kombat,” Jungkook says, plopping back down next to Yoongi and grabbing another donut. “You can play single player though.”

“No, I just don’t like playing against you and getting my ass kicked over and over,” Jimin huffs. He sets the remainder of his cinnamon roll on the table and reaches out toward Yoongi. “Pass me the controller.”

Yoongi does as requested, taking Jungkook’s controller and passing it to Jimin.

Hoseok and Jimin are fairly evenly matched, mostly because they both kind of suck at the game, but they seem to be having fun with it at least. Hoseok wins the first match pretty quickly, but the next one is neck and neck right away.

Neither Yoongi or Jungkook can help backseat gaming.

“That jump attack leaves him wide open, Hoseok-hyung,” Jungkook calls out.

“Oh, thanks Jungkookie.”

He’s right, but Hoseok’s attempt to follow up the next time is too slow for any blows to actually connect. He appears to have far more luck just button mashing in Jimin’s general direction.

“Jimin-ah, remember to block,” Yoongi says. “You don’t have to let him hit you.”

“Oh, wow you mean I’m not supposed to just let him hit me?” Jimin snarks back at him.

This little shit. “That seems to have been your strategy so far. I’m just saying you could block at least some of those attacks.”

“I don’t remember asking for your advice.”

“Well, you seem like you need it and I’m charitable like that.”

“Do you two plan to argue like this on every date?” Hoseok asks.

In near perfect unison, Yoongi and Jimin both answer with, “This isn’t a date.”

Jimin whips his head to look at him with wide eyes and Hoseok takes the opportunity to land the final blows needed to finish round one, even as he starts cackling at them.

“Wai’ i’s no’?” Jungkook tries to exclaim around a mouthful of donut, chewing and swallowing as quick as he can before adding, “I thought this was a date?”

“It’s okay, Jungkook-ah,” Hoseok says. “You and I both know the truth.”

“We’re just playing video games,” Yoongi says.

“Yeah, we’ve basically just been hanging out for a couple of hours,” Jimin agrees. “If this is a date, then so is every night I spend home with Kookie.”

Yoongi nods. “Exactly. We haven’t done anything special.”

“This is a date, right, Hoseok-hyung?” Jungkook asks, setting aside his now empty donut box.

“Of course,” Hoseok answers. “I wouldn’t keep trying to flirt with you two if it wasn’t.”

“Oh my god,” Jimin groans. “Whatever. Let’s just finish our match so we can watch those two play.”

Hoseok relents, unpausing the game and beginning the second round. All of them fall silent. Jimin seems to have decided that he never intends to block again on principle, but it somehow ends up working out for him against Hoseok, so Yoongi keeps his mouth shut this time.

Jimin wins the second round.

The four of them are all leaning forward intently when the final round starts. It looks like Jimin is going to win easily for the first half, but Hoseok manages a few good combos and then they are both left playing scared with just a sliver of health. Suddenly both of them decide that blocking is the most important part of the game and spend a full minute dancing around each other, throwing single punches and kicks against the other’s guard to no avail.

“Just let me hit you, Jimin-ah. C’mon.”

“You’re blocking too!”

It’s Jimin who eventually gets the final hit. It’s just a single punch that finishes the match, and it should be anticlimactic, but instead all of them erupt into laughter and cheers.

“Rematch!” Hoseok yells, giving Jimin a playful shove.

“No way! I beat you once and you beat me once, so we’re even. Plus, now it’s time for Yoongi-ssi to lose,” Jimin says, passing Yoongi his controller with a grin.

“Jiminie, be nice,” Jungkook huffs.

“It’s fine,” Yoongi says, waving it off. “Not to talk myself up too much, but I’ve played way too much of this game. There’s no way I’m going to lose.”

~~

Yoongi is absolutely going to lose.

He hadn’t picked his best character (because he was trying to be nice and not completely kick Jungkook’s ass right out the gate), but it’s not like he picked his worst character either and yet–

Jungkook is running circles around him.

Yoongi barely even touches him in the first round, since he’s really busy being juggled through Jungkook’s combos and attempting to block some of the incoming damage. The second round is only better because he’s expecting it this time and can at least make Jungkook work for it a bit by playing defensive as hell, but that’s the best he can manage.

Once he’s finished watching Sub-Zero rip out his character’s spine and be declared the winner, Yoongi just stares at the screen, trying to keep his mouth from hanging open.

He lost. It hadn’t even been fucking close . Jungkook must have played this game like it was his part time job or something, because Yoongi knows he’s not a shit player. Sure, it’s not like he’s a professional or anything but he’s still good.

“That was fun, Yoongi-hyung!” Jungkook says with excitement. “Do you wanna play another match? What other characters do you play?”

Maybe it was a fluke?

“Rematch, right now,” Yoongi answers flatly, grabbing his now completely cold coffee off of the table and downing the rest of it while Jungkook sets up the next match.

Jimin giggles next to him. “And so it begins,” he says, leaning back into the couch and pulling out his phone.

“What’s beginning exactly?” Hoseok asks.

“This is how you end up in a one sided rivalry with Jungkook,” Jimin answers.

Hoseok tilts his head at Jimin. “One sided?”

“Well, it’s really hard to be rivals when the other guy is just normal about it,” Jimin says. “Kookie has to lose before it becomes mutual, and that could take months.”

“Or it could happen tonight,” Yoongi grumbles, while he waits for Jungkook to select his character.

“It could, but I bet you it won’t.”

“Bet me then,” Yoongi challenges. “I can win at least one match.”

Jimin doesn’t even look up from his phone. “Kookie, what do you want when you win?”

“Oooh, Yoongi-hyung, will you buy me barbecue?” Jungkook asks, giving Yoongi those big doe eyes again. At any other time, the look would probably be crippling, but right now he is determined to stay focused on the game.

“That’s all you want?”

Jungkook thinks for a moment before grinning. “And a beer!”

Yoongi can’t help but laugh at that. “Okay, barbecue and a beer if you somehow manage to beat me in every single match tonight.”

“What if you win, Yoongi-hyung?”

“Not having to buy you barbecue is the only prize I’ll need,” Yoongi answers. “You ready to play?”

~~

By the time they finish their tenth match, Yoongi has been through most of the stages of grief already. Denial had been wiped out when he lost with his best character (Liu Kang). Anger took the longest, since he spent several rounds absolutely pissed before moving onto bargaining, where he tried running really niche characters in the hopes that Jungkook wouldn’t know how to counter them.

That hadn’t worked either.

At this point, he is working his way through depression at an alarming rate. Maybe he was actually never any good at this game to begin with. Maybe he had in fact dreamed all of his near one thousand hours of playtime and the several local tournaments he had participated in.

He’s already played every one of his best characters and been completely wrecked. There isn’t really anything left to lose at this point. May as well play something fun.

“I thought you said you hated playing Scorpion,” Jungkook says before slurping the very last of his bubble tea out of the cup.

“Look, at this point it’s obvious you are going to beat me no matter what. I should at least try out some different stuff,” Yoongi says.

Yeah, he’s definitely moving on to acceptance.

“Told you so,” Jimin chirps beside him.

Yoongi isn’t going to rise to the bait. He’s already made it through the anger and there’s nothing to be gained from getting mad again. He is accepting his loss.

“Yeah, you weren’t kidding,” Yoongi answers, tone even. “At least barbecue is starting to sound pretty good – not to mention a goddamn beer.”

Jungkook nearly drops his controller. “Wait, are you just letting me win because you want barbecue?” he asks, obviously offended.

Okay, fuck acceptance. Yoongi is looping back around for another go at anger, because he is one hundred percent going to strangle this brat right here and now no matter how pretty he is.

“If I was losing on purpose, I would at least make it easy for you,” Yoongi snaps.

Jungkook looks at him suspiciously. “Like, even easier than it has been?”

Yoongi somehow manages not to attempt murder, but it’s a close call. He decides that maybe they’ve played enough 1v1 matches for one day, and the four of them take turns playing the campaign and talking for the rest of the visit instead.

~~

[Pack Group Chat]

[Hobi]: apparently jimin has some trouble accepting gifts

[Hobi]: just a warning

[Tae]: no worries i can fix that (✿◠‿◠)

[Tae]: how many gifts you think it’ll take to desensitize him

[Namjoon]: Taehyung, no.

[Tae]: taehyung YES

[Jin]: Technically I don’t see anything wrong with that plan. :D

[Namjoon]: Jin, please.

[Tae]: thats more permission than i even needed

Chapter Text

Jimin wakes up to the sound of his phone dinging with incoming messages. Sunlight is streaming in through the window and he’s in bed alone, so Jungkook must already be awake – not surprising considering that he went to bed a few hours before Jimin. He rubs his eyes and grabs his phone, pulling it under the blankets with him so he can hide from the sunlight.

[Namjoon to Jimin]

[Namjoon]: I believe I may have a good opportunity for you.

[Namjoon]: A friend of mine is looking for additional staff at her hotel. It would be primarily service work in the lounge to begin with, but with the addition of assisting with the books and other management duties.

[Namjoon]: It’s part time and the pay would be decent, while also offering some experience if finance or business is something you are at all interested in.

[Jimin]: That sounds amazing! Thank you so much （。＾▽＾）

[Jimin]: How do I apply?

[Namjoon]: That won't be necessary. Are you free tomorrow morning for an interview?

[Jimin]: Yes I can be there any time

[Namjoon]: Perfect.

[Namjoon]: She would like to see you at nine tomorrow morning.

[Jimin]: Thank you! I appreciate this so much, Namjoon-ssi (人´∀`)

~

Namjoon texts him the address for the hotel and Jimin bolts out of the bed to go and tell Jungkook that he has an interview. He finds him in the kitchen, chopping up an onion while his new laptop plays music on the table.

Jungkook smiles when he notices Jimin. “Morning, hyung. You’re up in time for breakfast today.”

Jimin wastes no time explaining the texts he got from Namjoon while Jungkook continues chopping vegetables for their breakfast. He seems genuinely excited when Jimin explains the offer, asking where the building is.

They look up the address together on Jungkook’s laptop and Jimin’s eyes go wide.

It’s not just some random hotel. It’s the Onyx Heights Hotel, which Jimin only recognizes because he used to pass by it on the way to school, and the building is so hard to miss. It’s a super tall, ultra modern looking structure that stands out mostly because the outside is entirely black and white aside from the windows. From what he understands, the place is pretty exclusive.

That can’t be right.

“Whoa, you’re gonna work there?” Jungkook whistles as he looks over Jimin’s shoulder at the screen.

Jimin must have made a mistake. “Maybe we – Did I type the address wrong?”

“That’s the only hotel on that street, Jiminie. It does seem like the sort of place Namjoon-hyung would know someone at too.”

Jungkook does have a point about that.

Still it’s hard to believe. He’s been trying for months to get in anywhere, and to have this sort of opportunity dropped into his lap feels crazy. It’s the type of place where he can make connections, not to mention getting the chance to learn the financial side of things – definitely a far cry from the tiny little cafe that he worked at before.

While there’s absolutely some feelings of nervousness swirling around inside of him, it’s almost hard to find them buried under all of the excitement of finally getting to go back to work – assuming he does well in the interview. Which he is definitely going to do. He has to. There’s no way he can let this opportunity slide through his fingers.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Jimin says. “I’ve gotta go pick out an outfit! Probably gonna need to iron a few things too.”

Jungkook shakes his head and laughs. “You’ve barely been up for five minutes. Let me feed you first.”

He’s too excited to really feel hungry but he eats anyway, chattering the whole time with Jungkook about what they think the hotel is going to look like on the inside, or what kind of clients they typically get. There’s no way that it’s cheap to get a room there, and a quick search online confirms that much.

It’s not too long after breakfast when Jimin’s phone dings again. He’s still trying to decide what shirt to wear for his interview tomorrow, but sets aside the two he’s comparing at the moment to check his messages.

[Jin to Jimin]

[Jin]: I understand that you have an interview tomorrow morning.

[Jin]: I got in contact with my friend at the college and was wondering if you would like to meet her after your interview? :-)

[Jin]: We can schedule it for another day if you would prefer.

[Jimin]: Doing both tomorrow would be fine with me. I’ll already be in the area (●'◡'●)

[Jin]: Excellent. Would you prefer a little time in between? Maybe eleven?

[Jimin]: That sounds perfect. Thank you so much Jin-ssi (人´∀`)

[Jin]: Of course. Thank you for letting us help. :-)

~

Jimin really can’t believe this is happening.

He’s glad that Jungkook stopped him from turning down Namjoon and Jin’s offer to send him back to school, even if it does still feel wrong to accept something so generous from people they hardly know. The chance for a free ride through college doesn’t come up every day, and neither pride nor fear are good reasons to turn it down.

Also Jungkook might try to kill him if he doesn’t accept, so there’s also that.

Whether he’s going to try and go back to school for dance is still up for debate. He wants to. He wants it so bad – but he needs to think about more than just what he wants. (And more than what Jungkook wants, because his mate is adamant that he pursue his dream even if it isn’t financially advantageous.) Maybe he could double major? Dance and then something he can fall back on for work if he needs to?

Hopefully Jin’s friend can help him come to a decision, but either way he has an interview and a shot at going back to school. After months of trying so hard and just getting more and more discouraged, things seem like they might finally be getting better.

It’s definitely worth being excited for.

~~

The Onyx Heights Hotel is even bigger than Jimin remembers, especially when he’s standing at the base of it and looking up toward the sky at the massive structure, all white with black accents and massive windows. He feels a little intimidated. It’s not really the place you would expect to find some college dropout working, but he has to remember that he’s more than just that. If there was ever a time to dig up that confident thief mentality he used to have, this is it.

He can do this. He’s done plenty of things more intimidating than this.

As soon as he steps inside, he has a good idea why Namjoon has connections here. There is art everywhere, paintings on every wall and sculptures dotted all around, from small pieces displayed on tables to an absolutely massive decorative fountain in the center of the lobby. It’s breathtaking.

It’s not just the opulence of it that’s impressive – Jimin is used to that sort of thing after growing up the way he did – but rather the way it feels like someone really curated and chose each piece to fit with the others. He’ll have to make sure Jungkook sees this place, half because he will absolutely love it, and half because he knows enough about art that he could probably explain why Jimin is so captivated by it.

He makes his way to the front desk and tells the woman working there that he has an interview. She smiles and guides him behind the counter and through a hallway of offices, then knocks on the one labeled Lee Siyeon.

The office is relatively small, not much bigger than a cubicle but incredibly tidy and dotted with a few personal touches (some photographs in frames and various colored sticky notes with reminders written on them). Lee Siyeon herself is sitting at the desk, typing quickly on her laptop. She looks a little intimidating when she first flicks her gaze up to Jimin, all dark hair and piercing eyes – but her face is very warm once she smiles at him.

“You must be Park Jimin,” she says, then gestures to an open chair across from her. “Please, come in and have a seat.”

Jimin sits down right away. “Yes, that’s me. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”

Siyeon doesn’t waste any time getting down to business, introducing herself and explaining the exact nature of the job opening. He’s a little nervous about his sparse work history, but they end up hardly discussing it at all and focusing far more heavily on what she’s looking for, and whether Jimin would be interested in that work. It turns out that she is ultimately looking for an assistant, but she is adamant that anyone doing that job be trained on all aspects of the business.

He is more than okay with that.

“Namjoon-ssi said you would likely be attending school, so I imagine you will have more evening availability than mornings. The evenings are where we need the most coverage for now anyway, and would be spent mostly helping out in the lounge until I’m satisfied that you have learned everything you need to there. We’ll start you off as a server, I think.”

“That sounds great,” Jimin answers. “I’ve done work as a server before, so it’s something I’m comfortable with.”

“Perfect. We’ll begin there and then when I think you’re ready, I’ll have you start training on the other aspects of the job. How soon can you start?” Siyeon asks him.

He can’t believe it’s really going to be this easy. Months of being turned down at every turn and now one ten minute interview is going to get him the job? It takes effort to keep from leaping for joy, but he manages to contain himself and explain that he can start as soon as she’s ready for him. The two of them spend another few minutes going over dress code, scheduling, and other expectations. The pay is really good to start too, and Siyeon makes it sound like it will grow as he learns more aspects of the job.

When Jimin leaves the building a few minutes later, he absolutely does jump for joy. Fuck, he’s so happy he could cry. Finally, finally, finally he has a job again.

He almost expects to wake up at any moment and realize this was all just some wonderful dream.

~~

[Jimin to Jungkook]

[Jimin]: I got the job!!! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

[JK]: that is so awesome

[JK]: i knew you would

[JK]: when do you start

[Jimin]: On Wednesday at noon

[JK]: i am so proud of you jiminie

[JK]: we are celebrating tonight i hope you know

[JK]: wanna go out for dinner

[Jimin]: Yes please (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

[JK]: okay we can go anywhere you want

[JK]: let me know how meeting jin hyungs friend goes too

[Jimin]: I will! Talk to you soon ♡

~

[Jimin to Namjoon]

[Jimin]: I got the job! (●'◡'●)

[Jimin]: It’s hard to express how much this means to me. I’ve been looking for work for months and getting nowhere

[Jimin]: Thank you so much, Namjoon-ssi

[Jimin]: I wish I had some way to repay you

[Namjoon]: I’m glad to hear it went well. Truly it was no trouble.

[Namjoon]: Although, maybe I could make a request?

[Jimin]: Anything you want

[Namjoon]: Would you consider dropping the formality for me?

[Jimin]: Would you prefer hyung instead?

[Namjoon]: I would like that.

[Jimin]: Okay then thank you again Namjoon-hyung （。＾▽＾）

[Namjoon]: Thank you, Jimin-ah. Are you heading for the school next?

[Jimin]: Yes I’m on my way right now

[Namjoon]: Have you given our offer further consideration?

[Jimin]: Kookie and I have talked a lot about it

[Jimin]: I promise I won't dismiss it outright

[Namjoon]: Wonderful. That’s all I can really ask. I hope the meeting goes well.

~

Jimin has been back on campus a few times in the past six months to meet up with Jungkook in between classes, but it feels weird to step foot back inside of the admin building again. The last time he was here was…

Wow, has he really not been back since he’d come to drop out? It makes sense, but somehow that memory seems all too recent – not at all like a full six months ago. Maybe it’s just because of how emotional it had been. He’d felt so completely devastated at the time, like his whole life was ending.

Now he’s back with a chance to try again.

Not much has changed in the building. They’ve rotated the artworks on display (something they do frequently, being an arts focused school), but a quick scan reveals nothing that Jimin can recognize as Jungkook’s work. A shame, really. Everything Jungkook makes is incredible as far as Jimin is concerned.

It’s easy enough to find the office number that Jin had given him: 308.

There’s no nameplate on the outside, but it’s definitely the correct room. Either way, he’s a bit too early to start knocking so he finds the nearest waiting area down the hall and sits there. He pulls out his phone and sees a new message from Jin.

[Jin to Jimin]

[Jin]: I just want to make you aware that all of the financial arrangements have been made. If you manage to find a path you’re interested in, please don’t hesitate to accept. :-)

[Jimin]: Okay. Thank you so much for this （。＾▽＾）

[Jin]: It’s no trouble. Thank you for considering it.

[Jin]: I’m sure you’re about to head inside, so I won’t keep you. Let me know how it goes, Jimin-ah.

~

A few minutes later, at exactly eleven o’clock, Jimin gets up and knocks on the door. There’s a second or two of silence before he hears a woman’s voice from inside telling him, “Come on in – it’s open!”

He opens the door and has barely set one foot inside of the room when he is immediately faced with a pretty brunette woman who rushes to greet him. She’s not wearing scent blocker – or at least not much of it – and it’s easy to tell she’s an omega when the entire office has the faint smell of bubblegum about it.

“Oh, you must be Park Jimin. Yes, you look exactly like Seokjin-ssi said you would, and I just know I’m going to be able to help you find something that will work perfectly for you,” she says without taking a breath. “Now I know your primary interest is dance, but you’re looking to make yourself more hire-able as well, so I’d like to talk through some options with you.”

She’s really more of a hurricane than a woman, speaking quickly as she guides him to sit across from her at the big desk in the center of the room. There’s nothing personal on the desk or the walls, so maybe this isn’t her primary office? Or maybe she doesn’t normally work at the school?

Jimin barely has time to start formulating a response (let alone actually speak), before the woman begins spreading out different papers on the desk, her perfectly manicured bright pink nails tapping at various lines of text on the sheets.

Some of them are class lists he recognizes. Others are completely foreign to him, but it doesn’t matter because the lady starts talking him through each sheet at breakneck speed.

“This is a sample I put together – something simple we can build from. You can see here the standard class list for the program you were enrolled in before you had to drop out. Tragic really, since it looks like you were performing quite well. So glad Seokjin-ssi was able to help! But back to the class list. Mostly familiar, but I removed some of the non-essentials to make room for us to add some classes that better suit your needs.”

When Jimin finally steps out of the office almost an hour later, clutching the folder she gave him with all of his options, he almost feels dizzy. She really did know her stuff. She’d listed at least fifty different certifications he could get to help build his resume, marking down each and every one he expressed interest in and then compiling them on the spot into three different possible class lists.

When she’d asked him what one he liked best, he’d had to shakily respond that he wasn’t sure and needed a chance to look them over.

It’s just so much. Namjoon helping him finally get a job and now not only having the offer to go back to school, but also a bunch of options that would let him keep dancing and have other job prospects? He thought the only way he would be able to justify returning to school would be to give up dance entirely, but now he isn’t sure of that anymore.

It’s a lot to take in.

He makes his way out of the building and finds the closest bench where he can sit down and have a moment to breathe, letting his eyes close while he focuses on the feeling of the cool breeze on his skin and the familiar sounds of the campus around him. Everything is going to be okay. He’s feeling a little overwhelmed, but he knows it will be better once he’s had a chance to talk it over with Jungkook.

First, there’s someone else he needs to contact.

[Jimin to Jin]

[Jimin]: That was definitely an experience. She gave me a ton of options so thank you again for setting this up for me (●'◡'●)

[Jimin]: I have to ask though. Does that lady actually work for the school?

[Jimin]: I would use her name but I’m not even sure she mentioned it

[Jin]: Oh, yes sometimes Len-ssi breezes right past the introductions.

[Jin]: Did you find her lacking?

[Jimin]: Oh no not at all (￣▽￣)”

[Jimin]: It was just very different from my last experience with an educational advisor

[Jin]: She is more of a consultant than an actual employee, but I assure you she has the authority to make anything she offers you a reality :-)

[Jin]: May I ask how it went?

[Jimin]: It was a lot

[Jimin]: She basically offered to build me a custom program that would allow me to pursue dance and fill the rest of my time with courses for certifications to build my job qualifications

[Jin]: That sounds rather ideal, doesn’t it?

[Jimin]: It does

[Jimin]: It really does

[Jin]: Did you accept? Or did you need some time to think it over?

[Jimin]: I need to think about it. I really do appreciate what you’re trying to do though

[Jimin]: She gave me so many options and it’s just a lot to process but I think talking to Jungkook will help

[Jimin]: Sorry

[Jin]: You have nothing to be sorry for. I won’t be upset no matter what you decide, Jimin-ah. I’m just pleased you agreed to meet Len-ssi and discuss your options.

[Jimin]: Thank you (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

[Jimin]: I’ll let you know what I decide tonight

~~

Jimin was right. Talking to Jungkook really does make everything much better. He’s so clearly excited for Jimin that it’s hard to keep feeling overwhelmed for very long, especially when Jungkook is picking him up and spinning him around, all while saying how proud he is.

Maybe Jimin still cries a little (it’s been a hell of a day), but they are definitely happy tears.

The two of them end up at the kitchen table for almost an entire hour, just looking over the options Len-ssi had compiled for him. Each of them has the same core curriculum for dance, but with a different assortment of accompanying courses. One of them focuses mostly on financial and accounting certificates, while another has a well rounded assortment of business classes. And the final one...

“Are all these computer courses really up your alley, hyung?” Jungkook asks, holding up the last packet Len-ssi had put together when said he didn’t mind working with computers.

Jimin gives a little frown. “Honestly, I don’t really think so. I know IT can pay pretty well, but I don’t think I’d like it very much.”

“Okay, that’s one option off the table then.” Jungkook tosses the stack of papers off to the side, laughing at how Jimin’s eyes go wide when it slides right off the table and onto the floor. “What? You said you aren’t interested, right?”

Jimin can’t help laughing. “That doesn’t mean you should just throw it away.”

“It’s on the floor, not in the trash. You still have a little time to develop a sudden passion for computers. Oh, maybe you can ask Yoongi-hyung to teach you,” Jungkook teases.

“Somehow, I don’t think that would be fun for either of us.”

“It would be fun for me,” Jungkook says proudly. “I bet Taehyung would like watching you two bicker like an old married couple too. We could bring popcorn!”

“We do not bicker.” Jimin can feel his face getting warm. They didn’t argue that much when Yoongi and Hoseok came to visit, did they?

“Uh huh, whatever you say, hyung.”

“Are you going to help me figure this out so we can go eat, or are you just going to give me shit instead?”

Jungkook grins. “Can’t I do both?”

~~

[Jimin to Jin]

[Jimin]: I just got off the phone with Len-ssi and it sounds like Kookie and I will be starting classes together this semester

[Jimin]: Thank you so much. I really don’t know how I will ever be able to repay you for this but I am so so grateful

[Jin]: Just knowing that you are able to go back to school is more than enough :-)

[Jin]: Namjoon-ah is going to be so pleased when I tell him.

[Jimin]: Oh I have an idea

[Jimin]: Do you have a favorite dessert? I could bake for you （。＾▽＾）

[Jimin]: I know it’s not much but at least it would be something

[Jin]: That would be lovely, but I think I have a better idea.

[Jin]: Would you consider baking with me instead? Once you two have had a chance to get to know us all a little better and come visit the house, of course. No rush.

[Jimin]: Yeah totally! Whenever you want

[Jimin]: We can make anything you like (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

[Jin]: Perfect.

[Jin]: I will look forward to it :-)

Chapter Text

[Namjoon to Jimin]

[Namjoon]: Good morning. I just want to wish you luck before your first day of work.

[Namjoon]: I hope you aren’t feeling too nervous.

[Jimin]: Aww thank you Namjoon-hyung (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

[Jimin]: I’m a little nervous but I’m still so excited to finally be going back to work

[Jimin]: And Siyeon-ssi seems like she will be a good boss

[Namjoon]: I’m glad to hear it. Minji-ssi is who I normally work with, so I don’t know Siyeon-ssi all that well.

[Namjoon]: I would love to hear how your day goes, if you feel up to texting once you get back home.

[Jimin]: Of course! That’s the least I could do （。＾▽＾）

[Jimin]: Talk to you tonight Namjoon-hyung. I hope you have a good day

[Namjoon]: Thank you. You as well, Jimin-ah.

~

[Jungkook to Taehyung]

[JK]: Attachment: CAP6718.jpg

[Tae]: aww you two look so cute today (灬♥ω♥灬)

[JK]: thanks hyung

[Tae]: what are you drinking?

[JK]: we got smoothies together to celebrate before jimins first day at work

[Tae]: oh did you already drop him off?

[JK]: yeah im just on the subway headed to work now

[JK]: he seems so happy

[Tae]: that’s so good （＾ω＾）

[Tae]: he’s been looking for a job for a long time huh?

[JK]: yeah its so dumb how many places still wont hire unmated omegas

[JK]: it was really weighing on him to keep getting turned down

[JK]: i should find something nice to do for namjoon-hyung to thank him

[Tae]: are you looking for suggestions?

[JK]: do you have any

[Tae]: only about a million

[Tae]: i dunno how keen you are to gift your art but he was super impressed with the painting you gave me.

[JK]: really

[Tae]: yeah. kept going on about the composition and brush strokes and a bunch of other stuff

[Tae]: basically just fawned all over it (✿◠‿◠)

[JK]: oh wow i cant believe he liked it

[Tae]: what? it’s amazing, of course he was gonna like it! ᇂ_ᇂ

[JK]: yeah its not bad but namjoon hyung sees all sorts of really amazing art doing what he does

[JK]: its just hard to believe hed think mine is anything special with everything hes seen

[Tae]: well he does. he likes it a whole lot

[Tae]: just trust me here. he would be so happy to have any one of your pieces

[JK]: okay i will pick him out something nice

[JK]: thanks for your help hyung

[Tae]: of course

[Tae]: have a good day at work jungkookie ヾ(•ω•`)o

~

[Pack Group Chat]

[Tae]: Attachment: CAP6718.jpg

[Tae]: jungkookie and jiminie look so cute today

[Hobi]: omg they really do :O

[Jin]: Did they say where they got their drinks? :-)

[Tae]: i share my incredible selca bounty with you and you wanna know about the drinks? (¬_¬”)

[Jin]: Ah yes, excuse me for always looking for new places to take you.

[Hobi]: jinnie hyung always on the lookout 4 new date spots :D

[Tae]: well i didn’t ask but you feel free to find out i guess

[Tae]: anyway! now that you mention date spots (✿◠‿◠)

[Hobi]: do u have some ideas taehyungie?

[Tae]: a couple yeah. but i was wondering what the rest of you were thinking? i dunno if namjoon-hyung is here too but maybe we can all compare notes

[Jin]: Namjoon-ah is with a client right now, but I know he is planning a couple of dates including a visit to the museum to see that new exhibit he’s been so excited for.

[Hobi]: o that’s a good idea :D

[Tae]: what about you hobi-hyung? are you gonna go all out right away and give them the jung hoseok special?

[Hobi]: not just yet. i want a better idea of what they like before i try to plan something intricate ;D

[Jin]: Understandable. No need to rush it.

[Hobi]: yeah would rather take my time and get it right u know?

[Hobi]: 4 now i was thinking just some casual lunches and maybe a dancing date at some point

[Hobi]: what about u guys? :D

[Jin]: I would like the chance to cook for them, but I’m not sure I’m willing to wait for them to feel comfortable joining us here.

[Tae]: i’m sure they would be fine having you over （＾ω＾）

[Jin]: I may just try inviting myself.

[Jin]: What about you?

[Hobi]: yeah taehyungie what do u have planned?

[Tae]: i was thinking about a shopping date

[Tae]: jiminie has some self confidence issues that i wanna get a jump on asap

[Hobi]: yeah i got the same impression.

[Jin]: What about Jungkook-ah? He seems to talk down his own talents rather frequently.

[Hobi]: yeah but he doesn’t think he’s bad. i’m about 99% sure he’s just a perfectionist

[Hobi]: he knows exactly what he’s capable of at his best and that just makes every mistake even more glaring.

[Jin]: Speaking from experience, Hoseok-ah?

[Hobi]: yeah i’ve known a few perfectionists.

[Hobi]: why?

[Tae]: oh no reason i’m sure (✿◠‿◠)

[Jin]: Yes, none at all.

[Hobi]: ?

[Tae]: anyways i should probably get back to work

[Tae]: hobi-hyung are you ready to help with the new security team?

[Hobi]: of course. i did have one other thought though.

[Tae]: sure what’s up?

[Hobi]: we should try 2 keep doing date nights with all of us when we can fit them in. would be good 4 them 2 spend time with the whole pack :D

[Jin]: And good for Joon-ah as well.

[Hobi]: exactly

[Tae]: yeah fair point

[Hobi]: i’ll find a day that works 4 everyone. might need restaurant recommendations though jinnie-hyung <3

[Jin]: Of course. I’ll help you get it all set up :-)

~

[Jimin to Namjoon]

[Jimin]: I just got home and my first day went so good Namjoon-hyung （。＾▽＾）

[Namjoon]: That’s great! I’m so happy to hear that.

[Namjoon]: You think it’s going to be a good fit for you?

[Jimin]: Yeah! Siyeon-ssi gave me the rundown and let me shadow her all day. I even got to see some of the administrative stuff she wants me to learn later

[Jimin]: I think I’m going to learn a lot here and it will help me get some valuable work experience (●'◡'●)

[Jimin]: I really can’t thank you enough for this

[Namjoon]: Please, it was no trouble at all, Jimin-ah.

[Jimin]: Well it means a lot to me. I’ve felt so powerless and like I couldn’t take good enough care of Kookie since I lost my job

[Jimin]: So even if this is small to you it’s huge for me. Thank you (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

[Namjoon]: Well in that case I’m just happy to help.

[Namjoon]: For what it’s worth, I think you take very good care of Jungkook-ah. It’s easy to see how much the two of you look out for one another.

[Jimin]: Thank you

[Jimin]: You guys do too you know

[Jimin]: Take good care of each other I mean. Your pack bond seems really strong (●'◡'●)

[Namjoon]: That’s sweet of you to say. I like to think it is, so it’s nice to hear that it seems that way from the outside as well.

[Jimin]: It probably says something about your leadership too

[Namjoon]: I can only hope. It’s a group effort though. We all do our best to make one another happy.

[Jimin]: Well it shows

[Namjoon]: Thank you, Jimin-ah.

[Namjoon]: And I really am glad your first day went well.

Chapter Text

[Jin to Jimin and Jungkook]

[Jin]: You will both be home tomorrow morning, yes? :-)

[Jimin]: Yeah I don’t have work until ten

[Jimin]: Kookie is home all day

[Jin]: Allow me to come and cook for you?

[Jimin]: You want to come and cook here?

[Jin]: Yes. I will bring all of the ingredients I need.

[Jimin]: Lemme ask Jungkook. He’s busy gaming (●'◡'●)

[JK]: sorry i wasnt looking at my phone

[JK]: are you sure you want to cook here

[Jin]: I am but if you would prefer that I don’t, that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to intrude.

[JK]: oh no thats not it at all

[JK]: im just worried we might not have the things you need

[Jimin]: Yeah we haven’t bought a lot for our kitchen (￣▽￣)”

[Jin]: It’s no trouble. I am more than capable of improvising should the need arise.

[JK]: okay anything you need me to do

[Jin]: Nothing at all. Does 8:00 work? :-)

[JK]: sure see you then

[Jimin]: Looking forward to it （。＾▽＾）

~

Seokjin hasn’t spent all that much time watching the live feed of Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment. He’s done a few quick checks to see that they are both home safe, and maybe just a couple of glances to sate his curiosities about their living situation and schedules, but that’s about it.

It’s not that he isn’t interested. In fact, he’s incredibly curious, but that isn’t the issue…

Maybe he’s just old fashioned, but he likes the thought of discovering their personalities and quirks through the pleasure of their company as opposed to voyeurism. Still, he knows that the rest of his mates don’t have the same feelings on the matter, and he doesn’t begrudge them that for a moment. He can’t deny the utility of the cameras either. They were a stroke of genius from Yoongi – the perfect balm to their collective instinct to protect the likely new additions to their pack.

He’ll use them more later, he imagines. Once he’s had a chance to learn more about Jimin and Jungkook in his own time. Nonetheless, the cameras do give him options.

For instance, this time when he loads the app on his phone, it’s with a specific purpose in mind.

Jungkook had seemed a little nervous about him coming over, but they haven’t texted much yet so Seokjin can’t be completely sure just from a few messages. He’s hoping the cameras will give him some additional insight.

Sure enough, when the app loads he is greeted immediately by the sight of Jungkook wiping down the kitchen counters while he fills their sink with water. It looks like he’s enlisted the help of Jimin too, who enters the kitchen carrying the dishes from their last meal and deposits them into the sink before pulling out a broom and dustpan.

They’re cleaning for his visit. Nothing wrong with wanting to make a good first impression. He will likely be doing something similar when the time comes for the two of them to visit their house, so he understands. Mostly, it’s just cute that they care so much about impressing him.

Or at least it’s cute at first.

He closes the app and leaves them to it, but when he checks back in two hours later and Jungkook is still in the kitchen (scrubbing the inside of the refrigerator now), he knows he needs to step in.

[Jin to Jungkook]

[Jin]: You are aware I won’t be grading you on the cleanliness of your kitchen, correct?

[JK]: damn i didn’t even think about the cameras

[JK]: how long have you been watching

[Jin]: Long enough to know that you should take a break and relax :-)

[JK]: jiminie was right wasnt he

[JK]: im going overboard

[Jin]: You may be going a little overboard. Have I made you nervous by inviting myself over?

[JK]: no its not your fault

[JK]: i just want to do this right

[Jin]: What exactly is it that you’re trying to do right?

[JK]: uhh i dont know actually

[JK]: all of it i guess

[Jin]: That sounds very ambitious of you.

[Jin]: Everything in general? Or everything in relation to being courted?

[JK]: the second one

[Jin]: It’s not abnormal to want to put your best foot forward in these circumstances, but you don’t need to worry so much, Jungkook-ah.

[Jin]: I can assure you that we’re all quite taken with you :-)

[JK]: all of you

[JK]: are you sure

[Jin]: Yes, the entire pack. And not just with you but with Jimin-ah as well.

[JK]: that makes me feel a lot better

[JK]: we are too you know

[JK]: taken with all of you i mean

[Jin]: It’s wonderful to know that the feeling is mutual.

[Jin]: Will you consider relaxing now?

[JK]: yeah ill stop as soon as im done with the fridge

[JK]: may as well finish what i started

[Jin]: That sounds reasonable enough :-)

[JK]: thank you for this

[Jin]: Any time. You get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning, Jungkook-ah.

~

Seokjin decides to plan a little more thoroughly the following morning. Jungkook already seems a bit worried about the state of his kitchen, and seeing Seokjin try to adapt around missing equipment might make him even more anxious.

Luckily, it’s simple enough to grab some of his travel cookware and pack it alongside his ingredients.

He doesn’t need to go too over the top and he doesn’t know exactly what they like just yet, so he keeps the menu simple and customizable – something that will let his skill and good ingredients shine. Omelets with several different filling options, a loaf of good bread for toast, and a selection of fruit to accompany everything.

Nutritious and essentially foolproof.

He arrives at their apartment and is grateful to see a working elevator, since the two bags he has brought with him are a bit heavy. The few extra kitchen essentials he packed to gift them are at least half to blame, but it’s a small price to pay in exchange for getting to share his love of cooking.

Jungkook opens the front door only seconds after the first knock, dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. He looks Seokjin up and down for a moment before his face splits into a grin and he says “Oh, I swear I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

Seokjin is caught somewhere between laughter and offense, his mouth hanging open in surprise as Jungkook just keeps giving him that charming smile.

“I see how it is,” he eventually sputters, unable to keep from smiling. “I come to cook for you and you have the audacity to pretend not to recognize this handsome face?”

Jungkook does break out into laughter at that. “Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Can I take one of your bags, hyung? They look kind of heavy.”

Oh, that’s certainly a nice change. Seokjin wonders at what point he earned the honor of being called ‘hyung’ by Jungkook. He can guess that it might have something to do with helping to get Jimin back into school, but it’s hard to say for sure. Regardless, it pleases him thoroughly.

“I’ll forgive it just this once,” he says, passing one of the bags to Jungkook and following him inside.

It’s not entirely like entering a new place – not with how many glimpses he’s had of their apartment via the cameras. Still, it’s nice to see the space in person, and even nicer to be surrounded by their combined scent.

Unsurprisingly, the kitchen is spotless.

Seokjin is aware of Jungkook’s eyes on him as he takes in the kitchen, probably looking for any sign of disapproval. He won't find it. The kitchen looks perfectly serviceable and ready for what he needs. He makes a deliberate show of nodding his head in approval and says, “You can just set the bag down on your table here and I’ll work on getting everything unpacked. Do either of you have any food allergies I should be aware of?”

“None,” Jungkook answers. Just a moment later, Jimin makes his way into the kitchen. He’s still dressed in pajamas, looking tired with a mess of blonde hair sticking up in every direction. Jungkook lets out a fond little chuckle at the sight of him. “Oh, look who decided to join the land of the living.”

“Good morning, Jimin-ah. Did you just get up?”

Jimin nods, gravitating toward Jungkook until he’s latched onto his side, where Jungkook wraps an arm around him right away. “Mhmm. Good morning, Jin-ssi. Do you need any help?”

“I believe I can handle it. You have work in a couple hours, right? Breakfast will still be a while, so don’t let me keep you from anything you need to do to get ready.”

Jimin hangs off Jungkook’s side for another minute or so while Seokjin explains what he’s going to cook for them, and then makes his way back down the hall to get ready for the day.

While Seokjin unpacks, Jungkook hovers around him looking for opportunities to help with a sort of nervous energy about him. It’s no trouble though. Seokjin is used to cooking around people. When Taehyung wants attention, he’ll hover in a similar way, occasionally latching onto Seokjin’s side or leaning on counters to watch from a distance. If Namjoon is having a particularly bad day, he’ll hang around the kitchen while Seokjin cooks as well, though he has the annoying habit of somehow always standing directly in front of where Seokjin needs to be.

In comparison, Jungkook’s nervous hovering is much less obtrusive.

Seokjin unpacks all of his ingredients first, then the rest of his supplies. His gifts (a toaster, a blender, and a couple of high quality pans) are received graciously by Jungkook, who thanks him and eagerly starts opening packages to inspect their contents.

Being in motion seems to suit Jungkook much better, so Seokjin allows him to help with the prep work. It’s a good chance to get a look at his knife skills (serviceable, but open to refinement), and to bond over their shared appreciation for cooking.

Jimin joins them a little later, dressed for work and looking much more awake than he had before. He tries to stay out of their way, only stepping up to the counter to get a cup of coffee from the pot – a cheap looking drip coffee maker.

Did he pack his french press? He should have. Oh well, another gift to add to the list – no reason to exhaust all of his options straight away.

They discuss Jimin’s return to school, and then he eagerly tells Seokjin about his first day of work yesterday, about how nice all of his coworkers seem and getting to shadow Siyeon and another server for a few hours. He seems genuinely excited, like he really couldn’t be any happier to be working – and Jimin’s joy has Jungkook looking incredibly pleased as well.

It’s sweet how invested they are in one another’s happiness. They’re both so cute.

Of course, that isn’t really a surprise at this point. He’d already determined that much after the night they all met up at Borahae, and their recent lunch date had only further solidified it. Jimin and Jungkook are decidedly cute. What’s far more enticing about them though, is just how well Seokjin can imagine them fitting into the pack already.

It helps that all three omegas have seemed to bond almost instantly. Judging by what he’s seen (and what Taehyung has told him), Jungkook and Taehyung seem to be on a similar wavelength, sharing both their excitement and easy-going style of friendship right off the bat. Seokjin has to admit that it’s invigorating to see Taehyung interact with someone who can actually match his energy level.

He is trying not to anticipate the type of trouble those two will get into. Something tells him they’re going to be a handful.

Then there’s Jimin. For as reserved and wary as he seems with the rest of the pack, it’s different with Taehyung, like whatever switch had flipped in Taehyung’s head when he smelled the two of them had flipped in Jimin’s head as well. He’d been protective right from the first video call the omegas had shared. (Seokjin had heard enough about it during Taehyung’s heat – how concerned Jimin had been and how he had offered to call the rest of the pack at the first sign of Taehyung’s discomfort.)

Many packs have trouble integrating multiple omegas. Alphas come with their own set of problems, but they tend to sort them out given enough time, falling into a natural hierarchy. Omegas can be trickier without that same structure to fall back on.

It would appear they wont need to worry about that.

~~

Jimin has to leave for work shortly after their meal (which turns out delicious and seems to go over very well – not that Seokjin had ever doubted himself). He thanks Seokjin again for breakfast and exchanges a kiss with Jungkook.

“I really am sorry to leave so soon after eating,” Jimin says as he slips on his shoes. “I just want to make sure I’m early in case Siyeon-ssi needs any help.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Thank you for letting me cook for you, Jimin-ah.”

“Text me when you get there, okay?” Jungkook reminds him.

Jimin agrees as the front door closes behind him, leaving Jungkook and Seokjin together at the kitchen table with their empty plates. Jungkook stands up to start taking care of the dishes and Seokjin joins him at the sink to assist.

“You really don’t have to help, hyung. You already cooked for us.”

“And if I would just like to spend time with you like this?” Seokjin asks, taking pride in the way Jungkook’s cheeks go pink at his words.

“Okay,” Jungkook squeaks out. “I’ll dry and put away, since I know where everything goes?”

“That sounds perfect.”

The task doesn’t take too long between the two of them. Seokjin had made an effort to clean as he cooked, but still it’s a good opportunity to work together at something – and it helps the conversation flow too.

It’s easy enough to get Jungkook to talk about himself. He pauses to weigh each question Seokjin asks for a moment before giving what seem to be very genuine responses. His bare honesty reminds Seokjin a little bit of Namjoon – only Jungkook’s is paired with youthful exuberance while Namjoon’s is more tempered. Either way, the comparison is definitely a compliment as far as he’s concerned.

He learns more about Jungkook’s job at Special-f(x), and how much he looks up to his coworkers and especially his boss, Amber. He speaks very highly of her in particular, praising how she looks out for her employees and for every omega that comes to their shop.

Jungkook isn’t afraid to ask questions of his own either, and Seokjin finds himself talking quite a bit about his work at Borahae. He answers questions about how often he’s there (at least several hours a week), how many people they employ (thirty-six currently), and his favorite item on the menu (soup dumplings – his grandmother’s recipe).

“You seem very interested in Borahae. Have you ever considered working in a restaurant?”

“Oh, not really,” Jungkook says with a laugh, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. “It’s just kind of your baby, isn’t it? I like hearing you talk about something you care so much about, or at least that’s the impression I get – that it’s sort of your passion.”

He’s too handsome for his own good, especially when he gives that charming, slightly nervous smile. It doesn’t help that he is also very sweet.

“I suppose you could say that. The pack comes first – always – but Borahae is very near to my heart, much the same way it sounds like Special-f(x) is to you.”

With the dishes done, they end up sitting back at the table. Jungkook offers to make them some coffee, but Seokjin remembers their sad drip coffee machine and turns down the offer.

“How about a cup of tea then? I feel like I should offer you something.”

“Tea sounds lovely, thank you.”

They both go quiet while Jungkook busies himself getting out their tea kettle and putting some water on to boil. Seokjin takes the time to weigh his options. He’d like to push for more details about Jungkook’s history and his relationship with his family, but the topic had seemed to be a little raw from what he caught at dinner the other night.

Maybe better to save that one for a little while. Besides… There’s another opportunity here.

He waits until Jungkook finishes setting out two mugs and returns to the table to ask his question. “So, you’ve known Jimin for most of his life then?”

Jungkook’s face lights up at that. “Yeah, I don’t really remember a time without him. We grew up together, went to the same schools, basically lived together our whole lives.”

“And how long have you been mated?”

“About two years now, but we’ve been together a lot longer than that – almost right after Jiminie presented in high school. I was a bit of a late bloomer though. Didn’t present until I was twenty.”

“Wow, that is rather late. Was it a painful presentation? I’ve heard it can be quite the ordeal once you get above eighteen or so.”

“It sucked pretty bad,” Jungkook says with a laugh. “My heat started really soon after. I was lucky to have Jiminie there to help, but it was right after his heat and he was so exhausted. He still took care of me but it was… Definitely my worst heat ever.”

Seokjin’s eyes go wide. He can’t imagine how hard that must have been on both of them. “The two of you handled it alone?”

“Yep. We’ve spent every single heat together, except for Jimin’s first one after he presented. He thought… It was…” Jungkook shakes his head, like he’s trying to will the very thought away. (There’s definitely a story there, though it looks like Seokjin won’t learn it today.) “His family ended up checking him into a clinic.” Jungkook finishes, almost spitting the word ‘clinic’, distaste obvious in his voice.

Seokjin understands. Even the thought of Taehyung spending his heat in a clinic is appalling. They serve a purpose and most of them are well kept and safe, but it still means the omegas effectively spend their heats alone outside of brief encounters with staff for food delivery or medical care.

The kettle starts whistling on the stove and Jungkook hops up to pour their tea.

“When do your heats fall?” Seokjin asks.

“We just had them about two months ago. Milk or honey for your tea?”

“A splash of milk, please. Do they still fall close together? With such a late presentation, it wouldn’t be too abnormal for your schedule to have varied.”

“Mine moved a few days later, but otherwise it’s been like clockwork,” Jungkook answers, setting down a steaming mug for each of them. “Jiminie has his first and then I go into preheat a couple days before he's done. It’s still pretty close, but we make it work.”

“I’m sure you do. I hope it wasn’t too rude of me to ask.”

“Nah, it’s fine. If we’re umm- courting… It’s sort of important information,” Jungkook stammers, the beginnings of a blush creeping up his cheeks.

Seokjin watches Jungkook take a nervous sip of his still nearly boiling tea and decides to kindly change the subject. “Maybe you won’t mind if I pry about something else then?”

“Sure, what do you want to know?”

“Why don’t you tell me more about Jimin-ah? He seems a bit reserved.”

“I’d be careful with that assumption,” Jungkook laughs. “Jimin is a spitfire under the right conditions.”

“What are the right conditions?”

“You should see him after a couple of drinks, or when he thinks he’s right about something. Otherwise it’s mostly when he doesn’t have time to second guess himself, I suppose. He never used to doubt himself so much, but he’s been… Things have been different for a while now.”

Now that piques Seokjin’s interest.

“Can I ask what happened?”

There’s a pause while Jungkook considers the question. “I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure that out, actually,” he eventually answers, voice going quieter as he looks down at the table. “I thought it was just because he lost his job, but now looking back, it feels like he’s been losing confidence for a lot longer than that.”

“You think it was something else?”

“I mean, he’s been through a lot, but sometimes I wonder if maybe... I don’t know. It’s like everything fell into place for me. School has gone really well and then I got to be an apprentice at my dream job. I guess sometimes I worry that part of it is that Jimin doesn’t feel like he’s going to get to live his dream the same way I get to live mine.”

“Is that why you were so adamant that he go back to school for dance?”

Jungkook nods. “He’s always loved dancing, and I don’t want him to miss the opportunity to try again. He already gave it up once for me. I won't let it happen again. I just wanna help Jiminie feel like himself again.”

It’s so sincere and sweet that Seokjin finds himself nearly at a loss for words. “It’s clear you love him very much,” he manages after a few seconds. “He’s very lucky to have such a supportive mate.”

Jungkook flushes at the compliment, scent going just a little sweeter. It’s delightful how well he responds to praise of any kind. It makes Seokjin want to spend all day giving him compliments just to see how much of a response he can get. With any luck, he’ll have ample time to test just how deep that desire for praise runs – but that’s a thought for later.

“It’s a noble goal. We’ll support that in any way we can, Jungkook-ah. I promise you.”

“Thank you, Jin-hyung.”

“Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate you allowing me into your space like this, and your hospitality,” he says, lifting his mug of tea with a quick wink. “It’s been nice to have a chance to talk alone and get to know you a little better.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook agrees, eyelashes fluttering at the compliments. “I’ve enjoyed this too.”

Seokjin stays for another half hour or so. He and Jungkook finish their tea with some more casual conversation, mostly about their hobbies and interests. It’s pleasant, and somehow more comfortable after the slightly heavier conversation they’ve just shared.

By the time Seokjin is packing up to leave, Jungkook excuses himself to grab something from his bedroom, returning to the kitchen with a plain brown gift bag that he presents to Seokjin.

“Would you give this to Namjoon-hyung for me? It’s not much, but I wanted to show my appreciation for helping Jiminie find a job. I haven’t seen him this happy in months. Not that he isn’t excited about school too, but I heard he was planning to bake for you so I didn’t–”

“It’s okay,” Seokjin interrupts. “Jimin-ah and I do have plans to bake together, so please don’t worry. Can I ask what’s inside?”

“Umm… It’s – Taehyung said he would like it if I gave him something I made.” Jungkook is blushing a deep red now. Adorable. “It’s just a painting. Nothing special, but I hope he likes it.”

Nothing special.

Somehow, Seokjin is very certain that Namjoon will disagree with that assessment.

“I’ll deliver it right away. I’m sure he’ll love it.”

~~

[Namjoon to Jungkook]

[Namjoon]: I just had the most wonderful gift delivered to my office.

[Namjoon]: Thank you, Jungkook-ah.

[JK]: thank you for what you did for jiminie

[JK]: i know it isnt much but i wanted to give you something

[JK]: i wasnt sure what kind of art you would want but i tried to pick something that suited you

[Namjoon]: It’s beautiful. You chose perfectly.

[JK]: im really glad you like it

[Namjoon]: Yoongi is intending to build a proper frame for it, but I admit I couldn’t make myself wait to hang it in my office. It fits in quite well.

[Namjoon]: Attachment: IMG73219.jpg

[JK]: oh good it doesnt clash with the rest of your things

[JK]: your office is really nice namjoon hyung

[Namjoon]: It’s even nicer now. Thank you again.

Chapter Text

It takes Hoseok a while to find a good opportunity to talk to Yoongi about his recent downswing. It’s not necessarily due to a lack of time they’ve been able to spend alone, but more that he can tell when Yoongi isn’t feeling up to a more involved discussion. Besides, Namjoon and Jin have already laid the foundations of getting him to open up, at least enough for the rest of them to work with.

Still, he wants to be supportive, and Yoongi deciding he’s going to take a break from his computers to go build frames for Jungkook’s paintings in the workshop is the perfect opportunity. Plus, Hoseok has always liked spending time there with Yoongi. There’s something soothing about watching him work on something so tactile.

When he walks into the workshop, he’s greeted with the loud whine of the saw working through wood. Luckily there’s hearing protection right inside the door and it’s easy enough to slip on the earmuffs before going any further.

He can’t fight a smile. It’s been a few months since the last time he saw Yoongi in here – definitely a sign of improving mental health for him to be engaging with his hobbies again.

The workshop was already here when Hoseok joined the pack, though it’s expanded more and more over time, slowly sprawling across the entire large garage dedicated to it. Yoongi prefers not to buy tools he doesn’t need for a project yet, so the growth has been very organic. Mostly he comes down here to do work alone, but he’s rarely ever opposed to company in here like he is when he’s working on coding something. (Plus, he likes teaching the rest of them how to build things too – and it’s adorable.)

Yoongi notices his approach, looking up at Hoseok and giving one of those cute gummy smiles and a wave, followed by a hand signal that he’s almost done before returning to work.

He looks way too good like this, dressed in a white t-shirt and dark wash jeans with his hair pulled up into a messy half ponytail. To be fair, Yoongi almost always looks good, but there’s something so particularly attractive about him when he’s dressed for more physical work.

Maybe Hoseok snaps a couple of photos – both for his own collection and to send to Jungkook so he knows his paintings are going to be displayed in proper frames soon (and maybe just a little bit because he just knows Jungkook will find this as attractive as he does).

[Hoseok to Jungkook]

[Hobi]: Attachment: CAM_1024

[Hobi]: yoongles hard at work making frames for ur gifts :D

[JK]: wow

[JK]: yoongi hyung really looks good like that

[Hobi]: doesn’t he?

[JK]: its nice of him to make frames too

[JK]: are you helping

[Hobi]: nah mostly just here 2 chat and snap a couple pictures ;D

[JK]: a couple

[Hobi]: was that a request?

[JK]: yes please

[Hobi]: Attachment: CAM_1023

[Hobi]: Attachment: CAM_1025

[JK]: god hes so handsome

[JK]: i just showed jiminie and he blushed so hard

[Hobi]: are u blushing? ;D

[JK]: ...maybe

[JK]: thank you hyung

~

The whine of the saw dies down and Hoseok looks up to see Yoongi staring back at him with a raised brow and a hand on his hip. Looks like he’s been caught. When Yoongi reaches up to remove his earmuffs, Hoseok follows suit, keeping a guilt free smile plastered across his face.

“You think I’m not going to notice you taking pictures of me?” Yoongi says without an ounce of heat behind his words, barely keeping an answering smile off his own face. “You didn’t drop that in the group chat, did you?”

Hoseok shakes his head. “No, just letting Jungkookie know that you’re hard at work making frames for his paintings. You done with the saw, or should I cover my ears again?”

“I’m all done for now. Just cutting everything to size for Joon-ah’s frame right now. I got Tae’s cut and glued yesterday, so it should be dry and ready for sanding now.”

He follows along as Yoongi gathers up the pieces he’s cut and heads over to his work table. The other frame is waiting there, clamped on all four corners (probably to hold it together while the glue dries, if Hoseok had to guess – but this is really not his area of expertise). There’s a stool off to one side of the table that he decides to perch himself on, close enough to talk but still out of the way.

Yoongi takes his time undoing each of the clamps, making it all the way to the last one before biting at his lip for a moment. Hoseok is pretty sure he knows what’s coming but he waits anyway, watching Yoongi’s fingers work the final clamp loose.

“So, what did he say?” Yoongi eventually asks.

Hoseok reaches into his pocket, grabbing his phone and passing it over. “Here, you can see for yourself. I left it up.”

Yoongi keys in the code to unlock Hoseok’s phone and scans the screen, thumb scrolling through the messages as a cute little blush crawls up his cheeks. He passes it back without a word and returns to his work while Hoseok occupies himself for a little bit – giving Yoongi some time to process. Compliments can be difficult for him, and the fact that Jungkook’s attraction is being stated so plainly will definitely need a little space to sink in.

The sound of sandpaper on wood is actually quite soothing, Hoseok has found. It makes for good white noise as he works through some of his unanswered messages – mostly reports from their security teams, interspersed with the occasional tip from one of his contacts.

He makes it through the majority of his backlog before Yoongi speaks again.

“You were quiet the other day,” he says, glancing up at Hoseok before returning his gaze to the frame he is sanding. “When we went to go see Jimin and Jungkook.”

“Was I?” Hoseok places his phone back in his pocket. Yoongi does not look impressed with him playing dumb. “Alright, alright,” he says, raising his hands in surrender. “You got me. I wanted to make sure they had plenty of chances to get to know you better.”

“What about getting to know you?”

“You know, Jimin asked me almost the same thing.”

Yoongi pauses for a few seconds, the rhythmic sound of sanding filling the silence. “It was weird,” he eventually says, “– you making me do most of the talking. I like it better when we’re both talking instead. Makes it feel less like I don’t know when to shut up.”

“I don’t think either of them wanted you to shut up. They both seemed interested in all of the stories you told.”

“They seemed interested in you too, but you kept passing it off to me instead,” Yoongi counters.

He’s right of course. It had seemed like the right decision at the time, but now in hindsight it was both far too obvious and a bit unfair. “Sorry for making it weird. I won't make you do all the talking next time, promise.”

“It’s okay. Not like you ruined the night or anything, but thanks in advance for not making me carry the conversation again. It’s stressful and you do it better anyway,” Yoongi says with a huff of laughter. “So… You and Jimin-ah were gone for a while. What did you guys talk about?”

“Well he seemed like he needed a break so I tried to keep it pretty casual until we got the food and he had a drink to sip on – something to ground himself, you know?”

“That bad, huh? Was it because… Did I overdo it with the new computers?”

Hoseok doesn’t hesitate, not with Yoongi. “Yeah, you probably went a little overboard – but it’s likely for the best considering what he’ll be in for with Jinnie and Joonie.”

Yoongi chuckles. “You don’t think Taehyung-ah will be just as bad?”

“Oh he definitely will. I’m just betting that it will be a little easier for Jimin to handle coming from him.”

“That’s probably good, considering that Tae won’t give him much of a choice,” Yoongi says, running fingers along the side of the frame to check his work before returning to sanding. “You guys got a chance to talk after you got the food though?”

Hoseok nods. “Mostly I wanted to try and get a feel for whether or not he’s as interested as Jungkook-ah seems.”

“And he managed to turn it around on you? Pretty impressive for a first date.”

“Oh, so now it was a date? You and Jimin-ah both seemed pretty convinced it wasn’t one at the time. What changed your mind? Wait, can I guess? Was it how confused poor little Jungkookie seemed when you said it?”

“That may or may not have had anything to do with it.”

“You know, coming from you, that's practically a signed confession,” Hoseok says with a grin.

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Yoongi shrugs and shakes his head. “So, what did you find out? Is he still interested?”

“Oh, he’s definitely interested – just a little wary I think. Called us ‘too good to be true’ and said he’s still trying to work through that feeling.”

Yoongi stops sanding, face scrunching up in thought for a few seconds before looking up at Hoseok. “That sounds pretty promising,” he says, careful like he doesn’t want to sound too excited. “Do you feel like you have a better read on him now that you spent some time alone?”

Does he? It had certainly been a different side of Jimin, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a more genuine side even if it seemed that way. Still…

“His fierce loyalty to Jungkook-ah isn’t a front at all, and I think the thing he’s most worried about is the possibility of him getting hurt in any capacity. As long as we take good care of Jungkook, I think Jimin will relax a little more. What about you? Did you learn anything about Jungkook-ah while getting your ass kicked in Mortal Kombat for the tenth time?”

“Rude, Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi mumbles, following it with a snort of laughter. “I can’t believe he was that good. I’m not going to be able to rest until I find something I can beat him at.”

“At least you got a date out of it,” Hoseok teases. “Do you know where you’re gonna take him yet?”

Yoongi blushes, pausing his sanding again to inspect the frame. “Not yet. I was going to ask Seokjin-hyung. He always knows the best places.” Apparently the frame still isn’t quite up to par, so he grabs a different sheet of sandpaper and returns to his work. “You did a good job, by the way – actually letting your scent out a little while we were visiting them.”

“Mostly because you kept reminding me.”

They had discussed it on the way over to visit Jimin and Jungkook, how it’s important for them to get accustomed to their scents – which means Hoseok needs to actually let them catch his on occasion. It’s less that he wants to hide his scent all the time and more that it’s just a habit at this point, especially when he’s feeling even the slightest bit on edge. Luckily Yoongi had been there to help, tapping a few times on his arm whenever he was clamming up again.

It’s difficult to undo a lifetime habit like that. He’s been hiding his scent almost since the day he presented, trying to make sure nothing about being an alpha interfered with his work. It was just that at some point work became his whole life, and it took meeting Taehyung and joining the pack to start learning how to disconnect from that.

It’s been a slow process. Uncomfortable, but positive.

“It’s still hard, isn’t it?” Yoongi asks, voice quiet as he sets down the frame. “You seemed like you were doing really good with it a couple months back, before you went home for–”

“I know,” Hoseok interrupts. And he does know, really. It’s always harder when he goes home to visit his parents, but there isn’t a lot he can do about that so there’s no point in worrying about it – and even less point in engaging Yoongi about it, since his opinion on Hoseok’s family is less than charitable. (Hoseok doesn’t hold it against him. It comes from a good place, but it’s just not as simple as Yoongi makes it out to be.) “It is still hard, but I’m working on it.”

Yoongi looks at him for a few seconds before his gaze drifts back down to the table and onto the pieces he’d cut for the other frame. “Okay,” he says softly, picking up a couple of the pieces. “Just as long as you know I’m here to help whenever you need me.”

It’s not a platitude. Yoongi wouldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it.

“Thank you. I appreciate it. All done sanding Taehyungie’s frame?”

Charitably, Yoongi doesn’t fight the change of topic. “Yeah, it’s ready for staining. Just wanna get Joon-ah’s frame glued together now before I forget, and maybe give my hands a break,” he says, setting the wooden pieces back down and starting to do the routine of hand and wrist stretches Hoseok had taught him to stave off carpal tunnel. (Basically a necessity with how much time Yoongi spends in front of a computer typing.)

“Speaking of taking a break,” Hoseok starts, intending to make the segue painfully obvious. He wants Yoongi to know exactly where the conversation is headed and give him the opportunity to delay if he’s not feeling up to it. “How have you been feeling, now that you’re taking a step back from work?”

Ever since the seven of them met up at Borahae to discuss courting, Yoongi has been spending considerably more time out of his office with the rest of the pack. He hasn’t missed any of their group dinners this week (even helping Jinnie cook a few of them), and has spent a couple of evenings catching up on anime with Taehyungie, plus one night watching a movie with Namjoonie.

The improvement in Yoongi’s mood has been obvious, almost like a cloud that had been hanging over him has finally lifted, and it makes Hoseok so happy to see him like this.

“So what, I have to talk about my problems but you aren’t gonna talk about yours?” Yoongi asks, giving Hoseok an unimpressed look.

It’s a fair question, as much as Hoseok wishes it wasn’t. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want; I’m just curious.”

“You not feeling up to thinking about your family right now?”

“Not really. Would rather focus on things here.”

Hoseok doesn’t say, ‘ I would rather focus on you ,’ but he’s fairly sure he doesn’t have to for Yoongi to understand. Sometimes it’s easier for both of them to talk around things, or to ignore them entirely – like he intends to do right now.

Yoongi takes a couple of seconds to think before letting out a little sigh. “Yeah, I feel a lot better. Don’t know what got into me really – just like I worked myself up so much that I felt like I had to keep going. It was stupid.”

“I don’t know if ‘stupid’ is the word I would use.”

“Yeah, well you're not the one who’s had all of their mates checking in constantly and babying them for over a week now. I think I have every right to call it stupid if I want to.”

“Does this count as babying?” Hoseok jokes, waggling his eyebrows.

“Are you intending for it to be?”

“Not unless that’s something you’d be interested in. Was aiming more for a check in without any real plan for where it should go – not to mention I just like being in here while you work. It’s relaxing. So if you really don’t want to talk about it, we can just hang out.”

“No, it’s fine,” Yoongi says with a sigh. “May as well get it out of the way. It helps that you’re going to be infinitely more tolerable about it than Joon-ah has been.

“And what’s making him so intolerable?” Hoseok asks, keeping his voice cool and unbothered even though his interest has definitely been piqued.

“He keeps pressing me about how I feel but all it’s going to do is hurt him if I talk about it. I don’t want to see him giving me that disappointed look, like it’s his fault or something when we both know it’s not.”

“Something in particular you feel like you can’t say to him?”

“That I fucked up? That I got so focused on work that I neglected what was important and that it’s a goddamn mystery why anyone wants to bother with me sometimes? That even when I am present and doing my best I don’t feel like I fit the same way the rest of you do, and–” Yoongi pauses, a wave of burnt spice rolling off of him.

He’s obviously stressed, but that’s to be expected. Vocalizing feelings is hard for Yoongi. Hoseok knows by now that the best thing he can offer is a non-judgmental ear, somewhere for all those feelings to go instead of staying trapped inside of Yoongi. Luckily, this is something that Hoseok excels at. Other people’s feelings rarely ever weigh on him the same way that they do for the majority of people, and it’s easy not to judge when it’s one of his mates , someone he loves so deeply.

Yoongi takes a couple of breaths, staring down at the table for a few seconds before reaching for the pieces of the frame again. He lays them out in their final shape and then turns around to rummage in a nearby shelf, returning with a bottle of wood glue.

“Sorry, I just need a minute to think,” Yoongi says softly.

“No apology necessary. You can take all the time you need; I’ve got nowhere to be today.”

Yoongi returns to work and Hoseok returns to answering various texts and emails. He also checks in on the live feed of Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment just to make sure they both made it home from work safely. Jungkook appears to be napping on the couch while Jimin is in the kitchen wiping down counters, wearing the new headphones Yoongi had given him and swaying to the music as he cleans.

“What’s got you smiling like that?” Yoongi asks.

Hoseok hadn’t realized he even was smiling, but he can feel it tugging at the corners of his mouth once Yoongi points it out. “Here,” he says, passing Yoongi his phone. “Jimin-ah is wearing the headphones you gave him.”

Yoongi stares down at the screen until the beginnings of a smile start to appear on his face as well – whether because his gift is well received or because the scene is just cute, it’s hard to say. He passes the phone back to Hoseok and picks up his nail gun to secure the final corner of the frame, the two of them falling back into companionable silence.

“I’m worried that it will bother him,” Yoongi eventually says, fingers working to secure clamps to the newly assembled frame.

Hoseok takes this as his cue to put his phone away again. “Do you mean Namjoonie?”

“Yeah, Joon-ah. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, just making sure I follow. What do you think will bother him?”

“The fact that this… That what we’re doing with Jimin and Jungkook is helping. Courting. Whatever you want to call it. I don’t want him to think it’s because the pack wasn’t enough – that’s not the problem at all,” Yoongi says, letting out a sigh. “It’s just that we’re all doing this together and it feels – I don’t know – easier I guess? Like there’s plenty of places to jump in and help.”

“I think I understand what you mean. It’s given us a new reason to spend more time together and a common goal, not to mention probably shaking things up for all of us. If nothing else, having the spotlight shifted off of you must be a relief.”

“Yeah… I guess I’m just ready to be done thinking about it, but you know how much Jin-hyung and Namjoon worry,” he says with a sigh. “Really, I think it’s more Joon-ah at this point. At least Jin-hyung doesn’t keep trying to talk to me about it.”

“Does Namjoonie know you’re feeling better?” Hoseok asks. Namjoon has likely noticed the improvement in Yoongi’s mood, but still it might help to hear it directly from the source.

“Maybe? I don’t know. I’ve kind of been avoiding him.”

Hoseok raises a brow. “I thought you two watched a movie together the other night?”

“Yeah, we did but…” Yoongi trails off, biting at his lip with a guilty expression on his face. “I didn’t want him to feel like I was avoiding him, so I offered to watch that new foreign film he’s been so excited about. He seemed really happy about it, and subtitles meant we both had to pay attention – and honestly the movie was pretty good. We even cuddled through the whole thing.”

“But?”

“We talked a little after it was over, about what we thought of it and stuff, but eventually he started trying to talk about me instead of the movie – and I… I may have faked an urgent phone call.”

Hoseok does not dignify that with a response, simply staring at Yoongi until he hangs his head.

“I know, I know, okay? You don’t have to keep looking at me like that. I know I can’t put it off forever. I just… I’m going to try and say all of this to him and I’m gonna fuck it up and it’ll just make him worry even more. And then I’m going to have to explain more. It’s just so much talking.”

Hmm. Maybe Hoseok can actually help here.

As much as Yoongi fights it, he always seems to feel better after talking to Namjoon. Whether it’s because he builds it up so much in his mind that it’s a relief just to have it over with, or because it genuinely soothes him to reach an understanding with his pack alpha (or maybe both ), Hoseok isn’t sure. What he is sure about, is that he can find a way to help the conversation along.

“Have you considered maybe framing it differently when you talk to him?”

“How do I do that?”

“Well, maybe it would be best to lead with the fact that you’re feeling better, and are thankful for the support. Then, instead of trying to explain all of that right away, just tell him something like ‘I really feel like us courting has been the perfect opportunity to re-explore my place in the pack’. That way you’re still being honest, but you’re giving him something more positive to focus on – might not save you from talking about the hard stuff but it should at least help.”

Yoongi gives this a few seconds of thought before eventually nodding. “That does seem… less worrying, I guess. It’s not like it can go any worse and it does sound better at least. Okay, I’ll try that soon, but can we be done talking about this now?”

“Can I say one more thing first?”

“Go for it.”

Hoseok takes a second to organize his thoughts. He wants to get this out as efficiently and as easy for Yoongi to take as he can. “I just want to state for the record that I’ve always thought of you as an important member of the pack. You do so much for all of us, even if you don’t think so. I’m glad you’re here and it wouldn’t be the same without you – especially not for me.”

Yoongi’s lips go tight at the barrage of compliments, but he does eventually croak out a tiny, “Thank you.”

“Sure, sorry if I pressed too hard.”

“No, it’s… You’re fine, Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi says, reaching a hand out across the table that Hoseok takes right away. “I always appreciate your help, okay? Now, do you want to learn how to apply wood stain? I bet Taehyung-ah would love it if we both helped make his frame.”

Hoseok smiles wide. “Yeah, show me how,” he says, allowing himself to be led by the hand over to a shelf full of different cans and brushes.

Yoongi is a good teacher, patient and kind with his advice as Hoseok practices on a couple of scrap pieces of wood before moving onto the real thing. Even once the frame is done and set up to dry, the two of them stay in the workshop for quite a while longer, fiddling with various little projects Yoongi has been working on and chatting about nothing until Jinnie calls everyone to dinner.

Chapter Text

Namjoon’s phone is on silent because he’s in a meeting, but he feels it vibrate with an incoming message in his pocket. He’s in his office, still dressed in a suit but thankfully taking the video call from the comfort of home at least. Jin is next to him, currently speaking calmly and clearly into the webcam, explaining the timeline for their next round of acquisitions to the client. It’s a good opportunity for Namjoon to make sure nobody needs him urgently, so he pulls his phone out and glances down at the message for a moment.

[Yoongi to Namjoon]

[Yoongi]: Hey, so I just wanted to let you know I’m feeling a lot better.

~

The message nearly makes Namjoon do a double take. It’s not that he’s surprised to get a message from Yoongi. Even though they’re both at home today, they’re still working and Yoongi knows that he and Jin have been in meetings most of the morning.

No, it’s more the content of the message that gives him pause, considering that up until this point Yoongi has been avoiding talking to him.

It’s clear he doesn’t want to discuss what’s been bothering him, and Namjoon has been allowing it mostly because he doesn’t want to corner Yoongi again so soon after the last time. Plus, aside from avoiding him, Yoongi has been doing everything else right. He’s been more present with the pack and has seemed much happier for it – cooking with Jin and spending time with Taehyung and Hoseok too.

He also watched a movie with Namjoon a couple of days ago. (Yoongi had even been the one to suggest it in the first place.) And although he did fake a phone call and flee the scene shortly after the movie ended, it had still been nice to spend some time together.

After all of that work to avoid him, Namjoon had expected to have to wait at least another week for Yoongi to give him a chance to talk about any of this – and that was only if he didn’t just keep avoiding Namjoon until there was no other choice but to talk. A message like this out of the blue is the last thing Namjoon had expected.

Still, while it is incredibly intriguing, it’s not something that requires his immediate attention. He can finish up this meeting before he decides how to handle this new development from Yoongi.

Namjoon returns his attention to the task at hand. His phone buzzes a couple more times throughout the meeting, but he only peeks at it long enough to determine that the messages are still coming from Yoongi. Jin gives him a quick curious look when he notices Namjoon checking his phone, but one reassuring glance is enough to settle any worries his mate might have.

A half hour later, they end their call with a list of potential dates, names, and dollar values to show for their efforts. It should be easy to find buyers for the majority of the items, if Jin’s contact is to be believed (which they usually are). There’s still plenty of arrangements to make, but they can wait until later.

“Which one of them is it?” Jin asks when Namjoon picks up his phone again right after their call ends. “Is everything alright?”

“It’s Yoongi, and I think so? Hold on, let me just…” Namjoon unlocks his phone to find more messages awaiting him.

[Yoongi to Namjoon]

[Yoongi]: Hey, so I just wanted to let you know I’m feeling a lot better.

[Yoongi]: Things got a little rough there but I’m fine now. I really feel like us courting has been a good opportunity to re-explore my place in the pack, and everyone has been really supportive.

[Yoongi]: Sorry for kind of avoiding you about it.

[Yoongi]: See you two at dinner tonight or will you be working? I can cook for the rest of us if you guys are out.

~

“You’re frowning, darling,” Jin says, reaching out to lay a warm palm against Namjoon’s arm.

Something about these messages is off enough that Namjoon is feeling a little suspicious. Dropping an abrupt update on his mental health and then immediately trying to move onto more mundane conversation is very much something Yoongi would usually do, but the rest…

Namjoon holds out his phone. “Here, have a look.” Jin takes a moment to scan the messages, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth even as he narrows his eyes at the screen. “They’re weird, aren’t they?”

“Maybe not all of it, but that one… The wording? The positive framing? It practically screams Hobi-yah, don’t you think?”

Ah. That would be why they feel so strange.

“Hoseok did say they hung out yesterday,” Namjoon says. “At least that means they talked about it. This seems like the perfect time for me to do the same.”

“Done letting him avoid you?”

“If he’s getting tips from Hoseok on how to handle this, that means it’s weighing on him too – so yes. I think I’ll head down for a chat.”

Jin gives him a warm little smile. “I agree that’s likely the best course of action. Do you want to go alone or would you like me to accompany you?”

Namjoon takes a moment to think it over. While Jin does have a particular way of setting Yoongi at ease enough to get him talking, the two of them going down to his office together also runs the risk of making him feel even more threatened than Namjoon showing up alone. Not to mention, Yoongi is avoiding him , not Jin.

Yes. This is between them, and Namjoon intends to settle it that way. He’s been Yoongi’s alpha for years now. He knows all his tells and tricks, and also just how much Yoongi needs him to push sometimes.

“I think I’d like to talk to him alone this time,” Namjoon answers. “Though depending how it goes, he– we might end up needing you.”

“Of course. Just let me know if you do. I’ll text you when dinner is ready, but if you two are still busy I’ll just keep something warm for you,” Jin says, leaning in to brush his lips over Namjoon’s in a reassuring kiss. “You go take care of Yoongi-yah, and if you need me I’ll be there.”

“Thank you,” Namjoon whispers, leaning in to give Jin a kiss of his own.

~~

Yoongi does not look enthused when Namjoon shows up at his door, only opening it enough for him to poke his head out and give Namjoon a long up and down glance before frowning. “Do you need something?” he asks.

“Just wanted to talk. Can I come in?”

“You’re dressed for work,” Yoongi comments, not opening the door any further, but seeming to relax just a little at the observation.

“Jin and I just wrapped up a meeting,” Namjoon answers. He hadn’t thought to change out of his suit before coming down, more focused on finally getting Yoongi to talk to him than anything else. Maybe that had been an oversight on his part. “Just discussing the early stages of the next big shipment.”

“What do you need me to do?” There’s an edge of relief in Yoongi’s voice that Namjoon is almost going to feel bad taking from him. “Vetting some new clients or something? You know it will be easier if you just send me a list of their names and–”

“Yoongi, I’m not here to talk about work.”

“Oh.” His expression sours, gaze falling from Namjoon’s eyes to somewhere over his shoulder instead.

“I got your messages, but it seemed like a conversation better had in person. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I don’t know what about a text message would give you that impression,” Yoongi deadpans.

Namjoon raises an eyebrow but otherwise ignores the sass in favor of hopefully moving this discussion out of the hallway. “Are you going to let me in?”

Yoongi makes eye contact again for a moment before letting out a long sigh and opening the door. “Okay, let’s get this over with,” he says, stepping aside to allow Namjoon entry. The room is still dim, but slightly brighter than Yoongi usually keeps it, the LED strips turned to a soft white instead of their typical warm glow. Yoongi leads the way inside and gestures toward a wooden picture frame on top of his coffee table. “That’s for you. Just finished it this morning.”

Namjoon is briefly taken aback, having not expected a gift, but he still steps closer to pick it up and inspect it. It’s lighter than it looks, but still feels sturdy in his hands. The entire thing has been stained a light gray, with only the slightest hint of tan from the wood beneath – exactly what Namjoon had requested to compliment Jungkook’s painting.

“It’s perfect, thank you,” Namjoon says, setting the frame back down on the coffee table and looking up to find Yoongi standing in front of the little mini-fridge tucked off to the side of his desk.

“Glad you like it,” Yoongi says, turning back toward Namjoon with a bottle of sparkling water in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. “Preference?”

Namjoon recognizes the label on the beer bottle – it’s one of his favorites – and he also knows Yoongi hates sparkling water. “You were expecting me.”

Yoongi frowns. “Do you want a drink or not?”

Namjoon takes a few steps forward, closing some of the distance between them. “Why try to fend me off at the door if you had all this ready?”

“Just because I’m as prepared as I can be doesn’t mean that I’m excited about this.” Yoongi gives him a hard look and holds out both bottles. “Now listen, I’m pouring myself a whiskey either way, so will you please tell me what you want to drink?”

When Namjoon reaches out to accept the beer, Yoongi visibly relaxes, shoulders dropping a couple of inches as he turns to put the sparkling water back in his fridge. Namjoon opts to give Yoongi a little space, turning back toward the couch and taking a seat at one end. While Yoongi’s scent isn’t distressed, it’s far from his baseline and even further from the sweet cinnamon smell that Namjoon so adores. If this goes well enough he might just manage to get Yoongi there, but if that doesn’t work he can settle for something closer to neutral.

Yoongi makes his way to the couch with a couple fingers of whiskey, ice clinking in the glass as he sits a full cushion away from Namjoon and puts his feet up on the coffee table. He lifts the glass up to his face, breathing in the scent for a moment before speaking, “Awfully quiet for someone who came here to talk.”

“I didn’t want to rush you,” Namjoon answers, twisting the cap off his bottle and taking a sip. “Thank you for the drink.”

“No problem. But seriously, I’m as prepared as I can be so you may as well start talking.”

“I’m sorry you felt like this was something you needed to prepare for.”

Yoongi bites at his lip, looking guilty and taking a sip of his drink to cover it. “It’s not your fault,” he eventually says.

Namjoon can’t help letting out a tiny sigh. He knows that Yoongi builds these confrontations up in his head, that he spends far too long agonizing about them even after years of evidence proving that they generally go well and almost always lead to him feeling better in the end. It’s not something Yoongi can help, Namjoon understands. Still, he wishes there was some way to take that weight away from Yoongi – to show him that there’s never a need to worry about talking to him, that he isn’t a burden, and that Namjoon will always want to help him feel better.

“Don’t do that,” Yoongi says, snapping Namjoon back out of his thoughts.

“What am I doing?”

“Staring off into nothing and looking all sad like that. You wanted to talk, so let's get on with it. Is there a reason we’re doing this right now?”

Yoongi has a point. He should be focusing on the task at hand.

“Well I got your messages and it was clear you’d been asking Hoseok-ah for advice, so I figured this was weighing on you too. And you also admitted that you’ve been avoiding me, which I took to mean that you were done avoiding me now,” Namjoon answers.

“Damn it. Did the whole stupid ‘positive framing’ thing work even a little or was that just a dead giveaway that I took advice from Hoseok-ah?”

“That depends. Did you mean it?”

Yoongi freezes with his glass raised just below his lips, staying completely still for a few seconds before taking a slow sip of the drink. “I meant it,” he admits. “Really. I do feel a lot better.”

“And you feel like courting has helped?”

“Yeah, it… I feel like it’s made things easier.”

“Can you talk to me about why?

“I don’t know – maybe because it’s given you all something else to focus on? Because I can go back to doing stuff together with you guys without anyone wondering why I’m suddenly involved again? Plus they seem… Both of them are really great. It’s exciting, I guess – and I’m having fun.”

Namjoon smiles, giving Yoongi a little break as he sips his beer before speaking again, “Those are all good reasons. Do you have any more?”

“Not really. I mean… I guess, there’s the whole actually feeling like I can be of some use now thing, but that’s about it.”

“Yeah, that was one you mentioned the last time we talked. I have to admit that I’ve been giving it a considerable amount of thought since then.”

“Oh. I didn’t…” Yoongi winces, staring down into his drink. “Why?”

“Because I’m wondering what I can do to help with that, and what kind of opportunity you’re looking for that you feel has been missing.”

“You don’t have to worry,” Yoongi says furrowing his brow. “Nobody is doing anything wrong or–”

“Of course. That’s not what I mean to imply. I promise it’s not about anyone making accommodations for you or ‘fixing’ their behavior – I would just like to know what you want so that I can help you figure out how to get it.”

“And if I don’t know what I want?”

“That’s okay too,” Namjoon assures him. “We can figure it out together. Why don’t you talk to me about the things you do know, and maybe we can get somewhere with it?”

The look Yoongi gives him is skeptical at best, eyes narrowed like he thinks Namjoon is just trying to bait him into revealing something. Hopefully years of problem solving together can help him get over that hump faster than he used to, but if not Namjoon is prepared to wait. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or how many times he has to sit Yoongi down for one of these talks – he won’t let this fester until it hurts him again.

They’ve got plenty of time.

Namjoon sips at his beer and lets the silence linger in the air.

Eventually, Yoongi takes a deep breath and starts talking. “It just doesn’t feel like I do as much as the rest of you. Like, I basically fucked off for several months straight and everything was fine , and everyone is just looking at me like they’re happy I’m back, instead of upset that I was burying myself in work – again . I always do this and everyone always acts like it’s okay. You all do your best to make room for me but it doesn’t feel like I’m helping the same way that the rest of you are, but now that we’re courting there are just so many places to jump in and I just…”

“It feels nice?” Namjoon asks, fairly certain he understands but not wanting to overstep.

“Yeah it… It really does. I guess I’m hoping it’s not just because it’s new, but maybe more because having them in the pack will make it easier in the long run? It’s not really fair to put that on them and – Fuck, I shouldn’t be this invested already,” Yoongi groans, taking another drink and letting out a sigh. “Did any of that make sense?”

“It did. Thank you for explaining it to me.”

Yoongi looks lighter now, after the barrage of honesty – shoulders relaxing and the line of tension running through his entire body finally softening. As much as Namjoon knows he would prefer to keep all of his feelings locked safely inside of him, it’s always helped him in the long term to get them out.

“I’d say ‘no problem’, but…” Yoongi trails off with a little puff of laughter.

“I feel that way sometimes too,” Namjoon says, spotting the opportunity to relate and deciding to go for it. Yoongi looks at him with a little frown of disbelief rather than answering, which he takes as license to continue. “Especially with Jin and Hoseok both a part of the pack now. Most of the time they work out issues before I even catch on that something is wrong. They still keep me in the loop, but sometimes I feel like I’m just hovering around the two of them waiting for a time where they need my help with something.

Yoongi’s expression goes a little softer as he swirls the last bit of whiskey around in his cup. “Does it ever bother you?” he asks, voice quiet.

“Not recently, but it has before.”

“What did you do about it?”

Namjoon takes a drink from his bottle and clicks his tongue, trying to figure out how to word this. It’s something he’s only really talked to Jin about before – not a worry he’d wanted to place on the rest of the pack. Though now he wonders if being open about it would have helped Yoongi feel more comfortable talking about his own struggles, or if it would have just made him worry unnecessarily.

Something to ponder later.

“Well, I was worried about putting that on the rest of you, so I talked it over with Jin-hyung and together we were able to find ways to help me manage it. It wasn’t that I wanted you all to need me all the time, but I still felt like I wasn’t doing enough – especially as the pack alpha.”

“But you always take care of all of us,” Yoongi says, staring down at his glass before raising it to his lips and downing the last of the whiskey. He sets the empty cup on the coffee table and stays leaned forward, elbows on his knees and just a bit closer to Namjoon like this. “I doubt anyone has ever found you lacking in that department. I know I haven’t.”

“Of course you wouldn’t. You think I’m overbearing,” Namjoon jokes, scooting closer to Yoongi and bumping their shoulders together.

“That’s not what I meant.” Yoongi laughs, face tilting up just enough to give Namjoon the prettiest little smile before he looks back down at his hands.

It’s only a moment, but it still makes Namjoon’s heart leap in his chest. This is going smoother than he expected. He’s managed to get Yoongi laughing, joking, and comfortable enough that he’s being almost intolerably cute without even realizing it – smiling up at Namjoon through his lashes so sweet and shy that it almost hurts not to lean in and kiss him.

Yoongi has always been good at that, looking grumpy and standoffish only to turn on a dime and drop the most agonizingly gorgeous little smiles out of nowhere. Even back when they had been roommates in college (both far too busy to even consider dating), Namjoon remembers having to hide the way his jaw wanted to drop every time.

Years later, he’s still sitting here trying to pretend it doesn’t turn his brain to mush.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Yoongi asks, raising an unimpressed brow at him.

And still doing a terrible job of hiding it, apparently. Some things never change.

Well, if he’s already been outed… “I was thinking that I want you closer, but only if that’s something you want too.”

He watches as Yoongi considers the request, glancing at his empty glass, then over his shoulder toward his computer screens, and finally back at Namjoon with a shrug. “Fine. What do you want?”

Namjoon leans forward to set his nearly empty bottle of beer on the coffee table, then sits back and pats at one thigh. “Up?”

“What, you don’t want to sit in my lap?”

“Would you prefer it if I did?” Namjoon asks, preparing to stand up and do just that. He’s not too picky about how he gets closer, but the thought of caging Yoongi in, safe and secure between him and the couch is appealing on another level entirely.

Yoongi stops him with a firm hand on his shoulder. “I was joking. Don’t need your giant clumsy ass climbing around on my furniture and breaking something,” he grumbles.

There’s no real annoyance behind the words, and judging by the little dusting of pink on his cheeks, he’s not entirely opposed to the idea either – but Namjoon doesn’t want to push it when they still need to talk. “You going to come here then?” he asks, offering a helping hand that goes ignored.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m working on it,” Yoongi says, standing up and wavering just the slightest (probably from the whiskey), and then quickly stepping forward to straddle Namjoon’s thighs and drop into his lap. He steadies himself with a hand on each of Namjoon’s shoulders before raising his brows and giving a little shrug. “You happy now?”

“Very,” Namjoon answers. His hands almost immediately settle on Yoongi’s hips, incredibly pleased to have him like this after so long of being avoided. He’s a warm and familiar weight in Namjoon’s lap, his scent stronger from this distance and definitely closer to his usual warm spice than it had been earlier.

“Does this mean we’re done talking?”

“Not just yet, if you’re still willing?”

Yoongi looks back at his monitors again, and Namjoon can’t be sure whether it’s actually because he’s looking for something, or if he just needs a chance to focus his attention on anything besides their conversation for a moment. From this close it’s impossible to miss the way he worries his bottom lip between his teeth, taking in a slow breath before turning back to Namjoon.

“What did Jin-hyung tell you when you talked to him about it?” Yoongi asks.

“Well, first he told me I had nothing to worry about, but you can imagine about how well that worked. So then he started to tell me all of the things I did for the pack that nobody else could do, and that helped a little more.” Namjoon smiles, rubbing his hands gently from Yoongi’s flank to his hips in an attempt to soothe him for what comes next. “Would you like to know what yours are? Some of the things we appreciate the most about you?”

Yoongi tenses against him, but Namjoon expected that so he just waits, hands still rubbing at Yoongi’s sides. His eyes dart around the room, looking anywhere but at Namjoon.

It’s a big ask. Yoongi doesn’t always handle compliments the best, especially not like this – when they’re the main focus of the conversation and there’s nothing else for him to hide behind or rapidly change the subject to. Still, Namjoon knows he needs the reassurance as much as any of the rest of them do, if not more.

Maybe he can offer something to make it easier .

Namjoon tilts his head in invitation, offering up his neck without Yoongi doing so first and pushing more of his scent out into the air.

Yoongi only hesitates for a moment before leaning in and pressing his face to Namjoon’s neck, nosing at his scent gland and letting out a low little hum. “Didn’t have to,” he whispers, arms wrapping around Namjoon’s shoulders as he begins to relax against him.

“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to – just like I want to tell you all the things you do for me and for the rest of the pack. Can I, Yoongi?”

It’s barely loud enough to be heard, but Yoongi lets out a tiny, “Okay.”

Namjoon is ready. He’s been thinking about this since he and Yoongi last talked, so he wastes no time getting right into it before Yoongi can change his mind.

“You know you’re almost always the first person Hoseok looks for when he’s having a bad day? I’ve seen him get home from a rough job and pass right by me and Jin-hyung to head for your office. He’s told me that you’re the one he feels the most at ease with, that you never make him feel like he needs to be anything other than himself.”

Yoongi doesn’t respond, just buries his face a little harder into Namjoon’s neck.

“It’s not just him either,” Namjoon continues. “When Taehyung is feeling overwhelmed, your room is always the first place he goes, or when he needs to talk to someone who will just listen. And don’t even get me started on how lost Jin would be without you.”

This time Yoongi actually shakes his head at the words.

“You don’t think so?” Namjoon asks.

“Seokjin-hyung hardly needs anybody’s help. All I really do for him is technical stuff,” Yoongi says quietly. “And I guess help him cook sometimes…”

Namjoon can’t let that stand. “That’s not true at all. You’re always the first person he wants to talk to when he’s had an interesting day at Borahae, and his favorite late night gaming companion. You’re also the only one he really trusts completely in his kitchen, and you know that’s not an easy title to earn. And when he goes out of town, who does he always leave in charge?”

Yoongi pulls back from Namjoon’s neck to argue, “That’s only because–”

“Who?” Namjoon interrupts.

“Me, but–”

“That’s right,” Namjoon says, reaching up to cup Yoongi’s cheek, brushing his thumb against the corner of the frown plastered across his face. “Not me and not Hoseok. You, Yoongi.”

“Hoseok-ah just doesn’t like to be in charge and I technically have the most experience making sure you don’t do anything stupid,” Yoongi huffs. For a moment, Namjoon almost expects him to try and shake free of his grasp, but he stays relatively still, eyes focusing somewhere over Namjoon’s shoulder.

“Bound and determined to undervalue yourself?”

Yoongi shrugs. “It’s not undervaluing, just true.”

“Really? I’d love to hear you tell that to Jin. Maybe we can call him down later and you can give it a try?” Namjoon can’t help a smile spreading across his face. Jin would absolutely jump at the opportunity to shut down Yoongi’s negative self-talk and would love the chance to build him up even more.

“Let’s not do that,” Yoongi mumbles. “We don’t have to keep talking about this.”

“Oh? But you haven’t even let me tell you how much I appreciate you yet. You’re right that you have the most experience looking after me. I don’t know what I would have done without you in college.”

“Crashed and burned probably,” Yoongi says dismissively. “You really don’t have to keep doing this.”

Namjoon ignores his protests. “You’re still the one I most trust to give me an honest opinion – always have been. I love how fiercely loyal you are and how you’d do anything to protect your mates. You take such good care of us no matter how much you try to hide it behind all of that bluster and attitude.”

“I really don’t do that much.”

“You do,” Namjoon says, voice calm even though a part of him wants to growl and bite until Yoongi understands, “– and I’ll make you see it even if it takes me the rest of my life.”

Yoongi’s eyes squeeze shut and he shakes his head. “You keep saying all this nice shit, but I know I’m frustrating and difficult and–”

“You can be, but so am I and I’m pretty sure you still love me. You’ve always been prickly and stubborn and I’ve always loved you for it.”

The words make Yoongi squirm in Namjoon’s lap, looking up at him with something close to desperation while the faint smell of burnt spice fills the air. “You can’t really like those things,” he says, voice coming out strained, inching towards overwhelmed.

Luckily Namjoon knows just how to help.

He doesn’t fight his natural reaction, not this time – not when he knows how well Yoongi responds to it. Instead, he lets out the low growl rising in his chest and slides the hand currently cupping Yoongi’s cheek down to grip firmly at his chin, keeping their eyes locked together and appreciating the pretty little gasp Yoongi makes. “You do not get to tell me how I feel about you. Do you understand?”

Yoongi’s scent spikes sweet and clear almost instantly. He closes his eyes tight, instinctively trying to turn and hide the way his pupils dilate and his cheeks flush, but Namjoon’s grip on his chin keeps him right where he is.

“Eyes on me,” Namjoon instructs, watching as Yoongi’s eyes flutter back open. “You didn’t answer me. Do you understand, Yoongi?”

“Yes,” he breathes, just barely above a whisper.

“Very good.” In the interest of giving Yoongi a break (and as a reward for his cooperation), Namjoon leans up to slot their lips together, tipping Yoongi’s face down to meet him.

He lets his hands settle on Yoongi’s hips, thumbs rubbing gentle little circles into the skin as they trade slow kisses back and forth. It’s warm and familiar, and hopefully grounding for Yoongi, who breathes the tiniest little sigh into the kiss and wraps his arms around Namjoon’s neck. He’s done so well already, handling the barrage of kind words better than Namjoon had expected him to – and he only wants to push a little further before bringing them back to something more practical.

Yoongi tries to chase his lips when he pulls back and Namjoon can’t help the little laugh that bubbles up in his chest. “Gotta finish talking, pup,” he says, denying Yoongi another kiss.

“Do we?” Yoongi mumbles, arms still wrapped around Namjoon as he rests his head against one shoulder.

“We do. You’ve done so well for me and I’m almost done, but you didn’t let me finish. Do you think you can give me just one more minute?”

Yoongi grumbles but otherwise just keeps holding onto Namjoon, his scent staying sweet and calm even as he asks, “What could you have left to say after all of that?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised. I could go on for hours if you would let me.”

“Please don’t.”

“Just the important part then,” Namjoon concedes. “One that you can’t argue with me.”

“Try me,” Yoongi mumbles into his neck.

“You were mine before anyone else. The first time I knew I wanted to be anyone’s alpha, it was yours,” Namjoon says, curling a possessive arm around Yoongi’s waist. “Even if I was too stupid to see it at first – even if it took Taehyung pointing it out for me to recognize it – you were still mine. Hard-headed and stubborn and brilliant and exactly what I wanted. I don’t want you doubting for a moment that I love everything about you, Yoongi. You’ve already given me so much more than I ever could have asked.”

Silence drags between them as Yoongi goes almost frozen in his arms, but it’s okay. Namjoon has no problem being patient, rubbing a hand up and down Yoongi’s back until he eventually croaks out a weak little, “I love you too, you know?” and buries his face back against Namjoon’s scent gland.

“I know you do, pup. It’s okay. This was a lot to ask of you and I’m proud of you for sitting through it with me.” Yoongi makes a little hum in response, but that’s all. “Would you like to discuss some strategies I think might help you get more involved in the future?”

“Can we… Would it be okay if we just didn’t talk for a couple of minutes?”

“Sure, I’m not in any rush. We can talk when you’re ready.”

The break is longer than a few minutes. For the first while they just stay as they are, Yoongi’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and Namjoon rubbing at Yoongi’s back in slow, deliberate motions. Eventually, Yoongi gives a tentative little lick to Namjoon’s scent gland, asking permission as though he would ever be denied.

Namjoon gives it with a gentle press to the back of Yoongi’s head and allows himself to be thoroughly scented, after which Yoongi offers up his own neck and permits him to return the favor. The first taste of sweet cinnamon spice against his tongue nearly has Namjoon ready to purr in satisfaction. His mate is settled and relaxed against him, brought all the way from avoidance to acceptance in the space of a single conversation, and together they’re going to figure out how to improve things for him going forward.

It’s hard not to be pleased.

Another few minutes pass after the scenting before Yoongi speaks again, voice low and nearly muffled against Namjoon’s neck. “Alright, what did you and Jin-hyung come up with after he drowned you in nice words?”

“Well, we developed a little signal, so that when a time comes that I feel like I’m just uselessly hovering even though I want to help, I have a way to let him know. All I do is grab his wrist and squeeze twice, then usually he can find an opening for me to get more involved, or help create the opportunity.”

Yoongi gives it a moment of thought. “I don’t know if that’s going to work for me,” he admits, sounding a little discouraged.

Thankfully, Namjoon has already thought of this. “I agree. It’s pretty unlikely you would actually let me know – which is why I’d like to propose a slight modification.”

“Go for it.”

“Why don’t you let me be on the lookout for opportunities for you? It doesn’t have to be all the time or anything. I think I already have a pretty good sense for when you might want to participate, so it can be as easy as me giving you the signal and you just shaking your head yes or no. There doesn’t have to be any pressure, just a question of whether you would like to be more involved in that moment.”

“I can’t ask you to do all that for me.”

“You’re not asking. I’m offering,” Namjoon corrects. “Besides, I’d like to enlist a little help if you’ll let me.”

“Seokjin-hyung?”

Namjoon nods, squeezing Yoongi a little closer and pressing a kiss into his hair. “You know he lives for this sort of thing. What do you think? Are you alright with me talking to him about it?”

“I don’t care if you tell him. I just…” Yoongi lets out a sigh. “It all sounds like too much effort on your part.”

“Respectfully, that’s not your responsibility to worry about. Why don’t you let me decide what amount of effort I’m willing to put in?” When Yoongi doesn’t respond, Namjoon continues, “You can tell us to stop at any point if you hate it, but I’d like the opportunity to make a few attempts. What do you say?”

Yoongi leans back to look Namjoon in the eyes, looking soft even with the little frown on his face, hair all messed up from so long spent nestled into Namjoon’s neck. “And if I say no?”

“Then we talk about other ideas to help.”

“But things are better now.”

“They are,” Namjoon says patiently. “That makes this a much lower risk time to test this out then, don’t you think? Maybe we can help to make sure they don’t get bad again?”

A few seconds of Yoongi chewing at the inside of his cheek pass before he lets out a reluctant little, “Okay.”

Namjoon smiles up at him. “Thank you. I appreciate you letting me try.”

“Now can we be done talking? Or at least about serious shit?”

“Yeah, we can be done. What do you want to do instead? Gonna offer to watch another movie with me?”

“Is that what you want?”

“Depends on whether or not you’re going to fake a phone call at the end of this one,” Namjoon says with a smirk.

“Oh my god – You knew?”

“Yoongi, we’ve lived together since college. Of course I knew. What do you think I am, stupid?”

“Sometimes,” Yoongi answers, laughing at his own joke.

Apparently , someone needs to blow off some steam, so Namjoon raises one eyebrow and then promptly rolls them both over and tackles Yoongi against the couch.

A quick ten minute wrestling session later, Yoongi is still pinned (to the floor instead of the couch now), but at least this time he’s agreeing to another movie night – and promising not to flee the second it’s over.

All in all, Namjoon considers the conversation a success.

Chapter Text

[Tae to Jimin and Jungkook]

[Tae]: what are you guys doing tonight and why is it having a sleepover with me?

[JK]: you wanna come spend the night

[Tae]: am packing my bag right now （＾ω＾）

[Jimin]: We don’t have anything going on and Kookie just got home

[Jimin]: Have you eaten yet

[Tae]: not yet

[JK]: ok hear me out

[JK]: are you gonna bring your switch

[JK] because we could have beer and pizza and mario kart

[Tae]: fuck yes lets do it (⁀ᗢ⁀)

[Jimin]: Do you want anything special to drink?

[Tae]: nah i'll drink whatever

[Jimin]: Kk we can order dinner once you get here (●'◡'●)

[Tae]: sounds good

[Tae]: will be leaving soon

~

Jungkook cannot make himself sit still. They’ve seen Taehyung once since their first real date where he came over to the apartment, but that was just for a quick lunch with Hobi-hyung. Not that it wasn’t fun. It totally was! They got fried chicken and milkshakes and everyone told jokes and laughed and had a great time.

It’s just that he can’t stop thinking about finally getting a chance to cuddle up to Taehyung and get his pretty maple scent all over him. And all over Jiminie too. It’s been at the back of his mind since they all texted about it.

To be fair, he’s been thinking a lot about all of them – the whole pack.

It hasn’t been that long since they all met, but now that they’ve had a chance to get to know one another better… He’s surprised by how perfect it feels – by how much he likes all of them (especially Taehyung). Isn’t it supposed to take longer than this? Would it be different if he didn’t know how good they all smell? He’s only ever fallen in love with Jimin before, and that had been so much different than this.

Not that he’s in love. Not yet at least, but he feels like maybe he could love them all some day, and that’s kind of… terrifying? Strange? Exciting?

He’s not entirely sure. It feels like a lot, whatever it is – and mixed with the anticipation of Taehyung coming for a sleepover, Jungkook is practically vibrating in place. After the long run he’d opted for when he woke up this morning (he keeps meaning to go get a gym membership again, but always gets distracted), he really shouldn’t have this much energy.

Jimin is excited too, even if he’s able to sit calmly on his phone while Jungkook flits about the apartment doing various bits of cleaning and preparing.

He pulls out the entire pile of spare blankets they have in their closet, usually reserved for nesting but plenty good enough for company.

“Do you think he’s in danger of freezing to death on the couch?” Jimin asks, letting out a little laugh when Jungkook sets down the whole stack of blankets on the floor beside the couch.

“I just want him to be able to pick whatever he likes best,” Jungkook answers, feeling a frown start to form on his face. The pile does look way too tall now that he’s put it down on the floor – and there aren’t even any pillows with it yet. “It’s too much isn’t it? Should I put them back?”

He’s already leaning back down to pick them up when Jimin grabs his arm and pulls Jungkook into his lap. “It’s fine. I was just giving you a hard time, Kookie. I bet Taehyung will think it’s cute that you care so much about him being comfortable,” he says before pressing a kiss to Jungkook’s lips.

It makes his worry melt away almost instantly.

“You think so, hyung?”

“After that gift basket he brought us last time? Yeah, I’m pretty sure you aren’t going to put him off by pulling out a few extra blankets. Besides, he already adores you – I can tell.”

“Are you sure?” Jungkook wants to believe that so badly and he trusts Jimin to tell him the truth, but he still needs to double check.

“So sure. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you last time he was here,” Jimin says, lips traveling down Jungkook’s neck until they’re pressed softly to his scent gland. It makes him shiver, and Jimin lets out a little chuckle in response. “Can’t blame him. You’re so handsome.”

The praise makes Jungkook feel warm, even though he’s heard it from Jimin thousands of times. He can’t help the contented little sigh that escapes him, and doesn’t bother to fight the instinct to offer up his throat. He’s not even completely sure what he’s asking for. Probably not a nip, since Taehyung will be here relatively soon and Jungkook wants to be alert and ready the moment he arrives. Jimin will know that. He’s always good at anticipating Jungkook’s needs – he’ll know what to do.

Jungkook can feel Jimin smile against his neck.

“Pretty baby,” Jimin coos, making Jungkook blush. “Feeling restless?”

“Mhmm. Excited for him to get here.”

“Me too. Last time was a lot of fun, wasn’t it?” Jimin is still speaking right against Jungkook’s neck, but he’s not actually doing anything.

“Hyung,” Jungkook whispers, tilting his head even further to make it clear what he’s asking for.

Jimin smiles again and gives a tiny peck to his scent gland. “What? Didn’t you have fun last time?”

Oh. He already knows what Jungkook wants – he’s just being a tease about it. That’s fine. Two can play at that game.

It’s easy enough to reposition, to lift himself up and press his own mouth just above Jimin’s scent gland with a whine, “Hyung, please?”

There’s a nearly immediate spike in Jimin’s scent that fills Jungkook with pride. As weak as he is for all of Jimin’s whining and begging, when the tables are turned Jimin is just as weak for him. He loves it. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing Jimin’s eyes go dark with want, or the way he cracks before finally giving in to whatever Jungkook is angling for at the time.

Jimin’s voice is strained when he mumbles, “Brat,” into Jungkook’s neck before beginning to thoroughly scent him.

Jungkook lets himself melt into it, very content with his victory.

~~

By the time Taehyung arrives, Jungkook has already pulled out some extra pillows and gone to fetch Haru, placing him on one end of the couch. He gets momentarily distracted posing the bear, crossing one leg over the other and setting the remote on his lap, but as soon as he hears the doorbell he rushes over to answer it.

“Hey, hyung,” Jungkook calls out before he’s even completely opened the door.

Taehyung is on the other side looking as pretty as he always does, smiling as he gives Jungkook an extremely obvious up and down glance. “Hi, Jungkookie. You look handsome today,” he says, making his way into the apartment with a backpack slung over one shoulder.

Jungkook quickly glances down at himself, wearing sweatpants and an old tank top, and wonders what exactly earned him that compliment. Either way, he likes it. Compliments in general feel good for him, but there’s something about when Taehyung gives them in that pretty, low voice that’s just–

“Are you coming, Kookie?” Jimin calls from the living room, giving Jungkook a knowing smile.

Taehyung has already joined Jimin on the couch, his backpack between his feet as he fishes around inside, pulling out extra controllers for his Switch. Meanwhile, Jungkook is still standing by the closed front door, lost in his own thoughts.

Oops.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” he answers, making his way over to the couch where Taehyung passes him his Switch and the cords.

“Will you hook this up for me while I find my other controllers?” Taehyung asks. “I know I brought them, but they’re buried in here somewhere.”

“Sure, I can do that.”

Jungkook takes care of getting everything hooked up to the TV while Jimin and Taehyung work on placing their pizza order and haggle back and forth about toppings before opting to just get two different pizzas entirely. It doesn’t matter much to him. Jungkook has never really been a picky eater and this just means he gets to try two different pizzas.

“Aww, are these all for me?” Taehyung asks.

Jungkook pokes his head up from behind the TV to see Taehyung looking at the huge pile of pillows and blankets at the end of the couch. “Yeah, wanted you to be able to pick whatever you like best,” he explains, already blushing as words start to tumble out of his mouth. “Not that you can’t use them all if you want. Or if you don’t like them, we could find you something else too. Whatever you want, really.”

Taehyung lets out a laugh. “You’re so cute. Thank you both for trying to make sure I’m comfortable.”

“Oh, that was all Kookie,” Jimin says, grinning.

Jungkook lets out a nervous laugh and hides himself back behind the TV, spending a little longer than he needs to fiddling with the cords for Taehyung’s switch.

Once the game is set up, he grabs out two beers and a wine cooler (for Jimin) out of the fridge, returning to the couch and passing out drinks before sitting down next to Taehyung. He sits close enough that their thighs touch, but he wants more than that – he just isn’t sure if it’s okay to ask yet. But then again it did sound like they were all thinking the same thing the last time Taehyung was over for a visit, so maybe it’s the same this time? Maybe he could ask and–

“So were you guys still interested in the cuddle pile, or are we all just going to sit here and pretend that conversation never happened?” Taehyung cracks open his bottle of beer as he asks, taking a long sip before looking at the two of them and smiling. “You’re both so shy. It’s cute.”

Oh hell yes. Jungkook might already be blushing, but he is so ready for this.

“Yes please!”

“Yeah, I’m still in too,” Jimin says. “How do you wanna…?”

“Don’t care – just come closer. You both smell so fucking good, it isn’t fair.”

Jungkook doesn’t really think before he moves, sliding one arm around Taehyung’s back and then reaching out with his other hand to offer up his wrist. He lets it hang there for a second or two before he realizes what he’s doing and quickly pulls his arm back with a mumbled, “Shit, sorry.”

What is he thinking? Scenting this soon? On their second – or maybe third… Does it only count as a date if the three of them are alone or does their lunch date the other day count too? What about when all seven of them had dinner together? How is he gonna know when he’s supposed to–

“Hey, wait – no,” Taehyung says, reaching over and making grabby hands towards Jungkook’s arm. “You don’t have to be afraid to ask for what you want. If that was a serious offer, I want it too.”

For a moment, all Jungkook can think to do is blink back at Taehyung, searching his face for some sort of lingering joke.

He doesn’t find one.

“You’re sure?” he asks, hesitant to overstep.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want to push you into anything too soon,” Jimin adds. He’s scooted in closer too, pressed up against Taehyung’s side and watching the two of them curiously, but with an edge of worry in his eyes.

“Okay, listen up,” Taehyung says. “Maybe I should make a couple of things clear. For one, I don’t make a habit of asking for things I’m not interested in. For two, I’m very interested in both of you. And finally, you really don’t need to worry this much. I’m already invested, so you couldn’t scare me off even if you tried, okay?”

Taehyung is waiting for a response, but Jungkook looks over at Jimin first. No matter what he might want or how good it might feel to scent Taehyung, he needs to know that his mate is on board and comfortable with it first.

Jimin is biting at his lip, cheeks dusted with pink, still looking at Taehyung with wide eyes. When he eventually catches Jungkook’s questioning gaze, he nods – a clear ‘go ahead’.

Meeting Taehyung’s eyes again, Jungkook offers his wrist back up. “I would like that a lot.”

“Hell yes,” Taehyung says, grinning wide. “Wanna smell like both of you so bad.”

Jungkook is used to the comforting feeling of scenting Jimin, like being wrapped in a warm blanket and held close and safe. He hasn’t scented someone new since the first time with Jimin right after he’d presented. It was intense, he remembers – but then again everything was intense at that time, so it hadn’t felt particularly overwhelming then. But this? Scenting Taehyung?

It’s definitely overwhelming.

If scenting Jimin is like being covered with a warm blanket, the first touch of Taehyung’s wrist to his feels like having that same warm blanket launched out of a cannon directly into his gut. It nearly knocks the air out of him, a wave of heat and electricity that makes all of his nerves stand on end for a few seconds.

He can hear himself letting out a whine when that first intense wave passes and he’s left with his body feeling like he’s got TV static in his veins. The scent of maple is so strong in the air that he can taste it – wants to drown in it. It all feels so good (so wonderfully, incredibly good), but even more than that it feels right, like coming home and he wants to get closer, wants to cuddle up to Taehyung and kiss him and tell him how pretty he is and–

“Wow,” Taehyung whispers, sounding almost as breathless as Jungkook feels and looking back at him with clear wonder in his pretty dark eyes. “You react so strongly.”

“He’s only ever scented me before,” Jimin explains, his own voice sounding thick too, like he’s been affected just by watching the two of them. “And the first time was right when he presented.”

Jungkook suddenly feels a little self conscious, voice going quiet as he asks, “Am I not supposed to? Doesn’t it feel good for you too, or–”

“Oh, no, baby,” Taehyung coos, pulling Jungkook into a hug while his brain promptly short circuits because – oh my god Taehyung just called him baby. “You didn’t do anything wrong. That was perfect; it felt so nice. I just didn’t know you weren’t prepared for it is all.”

At the very least, Jungkook’s own scent is already thick in the air, so it’s not detectable to Taehyung how much of an effect it’s having on him to be held so close and called pet names while he still feels raw from the scenting.

Small mercies.

As good as it all feels, it’s almost a relief to have a moment to collect himself when Taehyung lets him go, ruffles his hair with a grin, and then turns toward Jimin instead. “Do you wanna scent too or is that going too fast?”

Jimin opens his mouth to speak, but closes it again just a moment later, looking down at his lap and then back up at Jungkook. He wants to – Jungkook knows his mate well enough to be able to see that. He’s just trying to decide if he’s going to let himself.

It’s not Jungkook’s decision to make, but he does give what he hopes is an encouraging smile. No matter what Jimin decides, he’ll support it.

Another second of thought and Jimin is opening his mouth again. “Yeah I – I’d like to, as long as you want to too.”

“Have you done it before? Or just with Jungkookie?”

“One other time,” Jimin answers, a tiny frown flickering on his face before he moves along. Bad memories. “I know what to expect, but it’s been as long for me as it has for Kookie.”

“Okay, you ready?”

Jimin nods, eyes flicking to Jungkook one more time before landing back on Taehyung. It’s impossible to see from where he’s sitting, but Jungkook still knows exactly when their wrists touch. Jimin’s mouth drops open just a little and his pupils blow wide in an instant, his pretty vanilla cream scent going sweet and filling the air. It mixes with the maple and the orange already there until the whole room smells like the three of them so strongly that it makes Jungkook’s mouth water.

They smell good together – so fucking perfect.

It had been nice to smell his own scent mixed with Taehyung’s – absolutely – but it’s the three of them together that really smells right. It almost makes his head swim.

All of them are breathing hard by the time they’ve finished (though Jungkook isn’t quite as affected this time around since it isn’t him doing the scenting). Jimin’s mouth splits into a slow, syrupy smile – first directed at Taehyung and then to Jungkook.

“That was – God, I forgot what it felt like,” Jimin says, his voice breathy. “I can’t believe you did that twice in a row, Taehyung-ah. Do you feel okay?”

Taehyung lets out a slow laugh and flops back against the couch, licking his lips and then grinning. “Yeah, I feel great. You’re both just… Damn, the three of us smell so good together.”

“Yeah it’s…” Jimin’s voice cracks and he trails off.

“Perfect,” Jungkook finishes.

“Of course it is. We’re gonna be mates; we have to smell right together.” Taehyung pauses and reaches his arms out toward both of them. “Now come on – I still want those cuddles if you guys feel up to it. I don’t think I’m gonna have the coordination for video games until after pizza, but you can play without me if you want.”

They do not want.

Instead, the two of them curl up against Taehyung and tangle their limbs together until it truly feels like a cuddle pile, with Jimin and Jungkook joining their hands where they rest on Taehyung’s chest. It feels every bit as right as they smell, warm and safe and secure.

Jungkook is so damn lucky.

~~

They cuddle and chat until their pizza arrives, at which point Jimin gets up to answer the door while Taehyung and Jungkook clear space on the coffee table. From there, the night is a lot more casual. Jungkook eats way too much pizza and wins enough games of Mario Kart that they eventually give up and decide to play something else.

A couple hours after dinner, Jimin decides to bake cookies and Taehyung is eager to help. Jungkook leaves them to it, opting to open up his fancy new laptop and do some sketching. (His old stylus pen hadn’t been compatible with the laptop, but a newer model had been delivered to their apartment the next day. There was no message with the delivery, but Jungkook had sent Yoongi-hyung a thank-you text anyway – which Yoongi never answered.)

He means to start sketching out some ideas he has for a new tattoo – something he could actually afford again soon – but he finds himself outlining the scene before him instead. Their kitchen, lit by the artificial glow of the overhead light. Taehyung sitting on the counter, smiling and talking to Jimin while he works. Jimin measuring out ingredients and offering Taehyung tastes of the batter.

It’s too appealing to ignore, so achingly sweet that it makes his chest feel tight. He wants to capture this moment – this whole night – to freeze it in time so he can come back to it whenever he wants.

When they finish in the kitchen, he saves his work and sets it aside to finish later.

The rest of the night passes in a blur of games, enough cookies to make his stomach ache, and the ever growing realization that he really wants this thing to work out. Taehyung is so fun and bubbly and nice – and Jimin almost seems to glow under his attention, eager to tell stories and jokes, relaxed in a way that is usually reserved only for when he’s alone with Jungkook.

By the time he starts getting genuinely tired, Jungkook still isn’t ready to leave Taehyung and Jimin. He wants to keep talking and stay out here surrounded by their combined scents and the sounds of their voices.

So he does.

He fights back as many yawns as he can and tries to stay active in the conversation, but eventually lets himself fall silent, drifting off to the sounds of Jimin and Taehyung telling stories about their time in college. The sound of soft laughter pulls him from sleep a couple of times, though only long enough for him to confirm that the two of them are still present before everything goes dark again.

When he wakes, Jungkook finds Jimin snuggled up on the couch with him, head resting on his chest with the tiniest line of drool dripping from his mouth onto Jungkook’s shirt. Adorable. Over on the other end of the couch, Taehyung is draped over Haru, the two of them covered by a blanket with only Taehyung’s head poking out where it rests under Haru’s chin.

It’s his first opportunity to really look at Taehyung without him looking back.

He’s every bit as beautiful asleep as when he’s awake, skin almost glowing in the golden early morning sunlight that streams through the windows. With nobody else awake to see it, Jungkook basks in the growing fondness in his chest, letting it wash over him in a warm wave of affection and longing.

There’s a chance this all goes wrong – that Jungkook isn’t good enough and the rest of the pack won’t like him enough to want to claim him – but Taehyung seems so sure of it all. Like there is only one possible path forward and they’re already on it.

It makes it easier to not worry too much.

Jungkook presses a kiss into Jimin’s hair, breathing in the smell of his shampoo and the ever present scent of vanilla. No matter what happens, he’ll always have Jimin – but still, he thinks that this could be good for both of them.

With one last glance up at Taehyung, Jungkook closes his eyes and drifts back to sleep.

Chapter Text

“You know you don’t have to do that, right hyung?” Jungkook says as Jimin steps in front of where he’s seated on the couch to open up the living room windows.

Again, Jimin has found himself trying to air out their apartment before an alpha arrives – only this time it’s Namjoon, the only one who hasn’t been in their home yet. It shouldn’t feel any different, but he’s the alpha for the whole pack, so it feels even more intimidating somehow.

“I just want to air it out a bit, otherwise our scents are going to be way too strong.”

Jungkook reaches out and grabs one of Jimin’s belt loops to tug him down into his lap. “They like our scents, Jiminie.”

He knows that. He really does. It just… It’s hard to shake the anxiety bubbling up inside of him, and something about airing out the apartment helps, makes him feel less worried that Namjoon will walk in and wrinkle his nose at the strength of their scent.

Or mostly his scent , because the thought of anyone finding Jungkook’s unappealing is absurd.

“I know,” Jimin says quietly, tipping his face into Jungkook’s neck and breathing in that pretty orange blossom smell he has when he’s feeling really content. For as anxious as Jungkook had been when Jin came over to cook, he seems utterly relaxed about Namjoon coming over – although that might just be because Namjoon won't be using their kitchen. “Just makes me feel better if it isn’t so thick in here, okay?”

Jungkook hums and noses his way up to Jimin’s jaw, lips pressing a kiss just below his ear. “Okay, whatever you need, hyung. Anything you want me to do?”

It never ceases to amaze him just how accommodating Jungkook is when Jimin feels anxious like this – always pressing just enough to express that he’s concerned and open to discussion, but never so much that Jimin ends up shutting down. As long as it isn’t harmful, Jungkook lets him do whatever he needs to do to cope with his feelings. It’s more than Jimin ever could have asked for.

“No, you already helped me clean and I’m just fussing now. Do you have all your stuff ready for work?”

“Dinner is already packed, and I have my clothes laid out.”

“Good job,” Jimin praises. He lets his lips land on Jungkook’s scent gland, feather light at first and then pressing a little harder, just to enjoy the way his mate goes pliant and warm, letting out a shaky exhale. After one last peck to Jungkook’s neck, Jimin climbs out of his lap. “I’m just going to go open the bedroom window quick.”

Jungkook mumbles some sort of agreement, voice a little wobbly from the attention.

~~

Namjoon arrives an hour later. Jimin heads for the door at the first knock, opening it to find him smiling on their doorstep, a couple of bags of takeout held in his hands. His nice sandalwood scent is present but not being broadcast like he has something to prove – which Jimin appreciates.

It’s not that he doesn’t like Namjoon’s scent, or alpha scents in general. (He actually finds Namjoon’s scent really appealing.) He just can’t stand all of that unprompted alpha-posturing some of them are determined to do, like everyone in the room needs to know how big and important they are. Thankfully, it seems that none of the alphas in the pack are prone to that sort of thing.

Really, they’ve all been perfect gentlemen in that department.

“Hi, Namjoon-hyung,” he says, feeling his cheeks go warm. It’s the first time he’s called Namjoon ‘hyung’ to his face, but the brief embarrassment is a small price to pay for finally having a job and a chance at school again – plus he wants Namjoon to know how much he appreciates the help. “Can I take one of the bags for you?”

Namjoon’s smile goes a little wider at the words. Damn it, he’s so handsome. “Jimin-ah, it’s good to see you. Sure, thanks for offering,” he says, holding one of the bags out.

Jimin takes the bag and beckons Namjoon inside, turning to walk toward the kitchen table so he doesn’t have to see it if Namjoon does wrinkle his nose at their scents. He just doesn’t think he could bear that right now.

“Namjoon-hyung, you came,” Jungkook calls from the living room, the joy obvious in his voice. It makes Jimin’s heart feel a bit lighter to hear his mate sound so calm and happy, like a little weight is lifted in his chest. Jungkook wants this, and that makes it much easier for Jimin to acknowledge that he wants it too.

“Of course,” Namjoon says, setting down his bag on the table as well and smiling at Jungkook’s approach. “I brought lunch, courtesy of Jin.”

“Oh, was he at Borahae today?” Jungkook asks.

“Yeah, something about an incorrect delivery so they’re reworking the menu for a day or two while they wait for what they need.”

“That sounds a bit stressful,” Jimin says. “Does that sort of thing happen a lot?”

Namjoon laughs. “Often enough. It sounds stressful to me too, but he thrives in that sort of environment, adjusting a plan and then bringing everyone together to execute it.”

“Jin-hyung does seem like he would be really good at that,” Jungkook says, starting to unpack the food on the table.

Jimin joins him, grabbing glasses, utensils, and napkins. “How about you, Namjoon-hyung? What have you been doing this morning?”

The three of them sit down for their meal together while Namjoon tells them about his morning. It sounds like he’s been busy, between taking meetings with a few clients and working with Hoseok and Taehyung on the plans for some sort of job.

It’s wonderfully apparent that Namjoon really does have the utmost respect for each and every member of his pack. He has so much to say about all of their strengths and contributions or what sorts of projects they’re currently working on, with little details sprinkled in about their habits and hobbies.

Jimin had expected to be more… put off? Unimpressed? He’s not sure exactly what, but he hadn’t expected to like Namjoon as much as he does. Something about the idea of a pack alpha had made him hesitant – like it conjured up an image of something aggressively alpha in the most obnoxious ways, but Namjoon doesn’t seem like that at all. Instead he’s approachable, warm, and the kind of (apparently) genuine that almost reminds him of Jungkook in a way.

Still, Jimin is careful to watch for any signs that it’s all an act, though what the end goal of something like that would be, he isn’t sure – not with the whole pack seemingly on board and Jimin and Jungkook having very little of value that could be gained through some grand deception.

Yeah, it’s probably way more likely that this is an honest attempt at courting, so why is that so hard to accept?

Whatever. Whether the alphas are as decent as they seem is something he can at least give them the opportunity to prove.

The whole thing is really nice, especially considering how anxious he had felt this morning. The conversation is easy and the food is all delicious. Jin sent small portions of quite a few types of dishes, so they get to try a lot of different things. Jimin is especially partial to some sort of creamy vegetable soup that he desperately wishes there was more of, but Jungkook is kind enough to trade his helping for the fried prawn still on Jimin’s plate. (Namjoon isn’t fond of seafood, so his fried prawn also goes to a very pleased Jungkook.)

“How was your sleepover?” Namjoon asks as they near the end of the meal. “Are you getting accustomed to Taehyung-ah’s particular brand of chaos alright?”

“Is he chaotic?” Jungkook asks, quirking his head.

Namjoon lets out a laugh, his expression somewhere between a smile and utter disbelief. “We are talking about the same Taehyung, right? You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, he’s serious all right,” Jimin answers, letting out a giggle of his own and patting at Jungkook’s shoulder. “Kookie just can’t see it through how chaotic he is on his own.”

“Hey,” Jungkook whines, looking offended. “I’m not that bad.”

“You really really are, Kookie. Have been since the day I met you.”

It’s the truth. Honestly, Jimin should probably be more worried about what kind of ridiculous stuff Taehyung and Jungkook will get up to together. He has a feeling that if left unchecked, they will unlock each other’s potential to create mayhem on a scale they wouldn’t have been capable of on their own. Well, maybe it’s a little early to speculate about Taehyung’s capabilities, but Jungkook can usually be talked down from his more wild ideas as long as there is someone around to do it.

It’s a little terrifying to imagine him being talked into those ideas instead.

Namjoon must be thinking something similar, judging by the apprehensive look on his face, but it’s replaced by another smile soon enough. “You know,” he says, considering for another moment before continuing, “as scary as that is, it might also be kind of incredible. Taehyung can be unpredictable, but he can also achieve some really impressive things when he’s properly motivated.”

Jungkook gives this a moment of thought before asking Jimin, “Am I like that, hyung?”

It takes every ounce of control Jimin has not to laugh in his mate’s face because come on honestly . “Kookie, I have watched you rearrange the entire apartment in a single afternoon with the same intensity as you destroyed the kitchen trying to create a meal you ate in your dream and for some reason needed to make a reality. Yes , I think it’s safe to say that when you have the motivation you are practically unstoppable.”

“My pizza-cone was delicious and you know it.”

“I never said it tasted bad, but I didn’t want to eat cheese again for weeks – plus it took ages to scrape all the burnt stuff off the bottom of the oven.”

“You burnt it that badly and it still tasted good?” Namjoon asks.

“Oh, no, that was just my first attempt,” Jungkook says with a shrug. “Turns out you’re better off baking the dough into a cone and then filling it after.”

Jimin lets out a laugh. “Yeah, because if you try to bake the whole thing, it doesn’t hold up and you end up with an inch of burnt pizza sauce and cheese stuck to the bottom of your oven.”

“Listen, my dream showed me the pizza cone, but it didn’t give me a recipe so I had to improvise. You know, we could probably afford all the ingredients again now if you–”

“Please don’t ruin the oven again.”

“And if I don’t ruin the oven?”

Well, here they go again.

Jimin gives a long sigh. “At least invite Taehyung so I don’t end up having to eat so much.”

“You know,” Namjoon says with a grin. “I bet Hoseok-ah would try it too. Yoongi would definitely look at you like you were crazy, but even he could probably be persuaded with enough prodding.”

Jungkook’s eyes practically light up at the mention of Yoongi. “Oh, did Yoongi-hyung tell you that he’s taking me out for barbecue?”

“I may have heard about it through the grapevine – something about you beating him at one of his favorite games, I think?”

“Repeatedly,” Jimin adds, unable to hold back a smile at the memory.

“It will be good of him to get out of the house for a while, take in a bit of the fresh air with some lovely company,” Namjoon says, looking pleased at how Jungkook blushes at the compliment, but not lingering too long on it. “I heard Hoseok took the three of you out the other day too. Did you do anything fun?”

Jungkook nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, when he came to pick up Taehyung, he took us all out for ice cream and then we ate it at the park. The weather was really nice and there were a bunch of ducks there that we got to watch.”

“He’s not joking – there were like thirty of them.” Jimin can’t help but laugh. “Taehyung and Kookie threw the bottom of their ice cream cones to them and they practically swarmed to get a bite.”

“That sounds like fun. I would have loved to see the ducks too. Did either of you take pictures?”

Jungkook grins with excitement and pulls out his phone. “I took a ton! And a video of them too! Do you like animals, Namjoon-hyung?”

“I really like nature in general,” Namjoon says, leaning closer to look at Jungkook’s phone. “I always take lots of pictures when I go out hiking, especially if I see animals or a new plant.”

That’s enough to really get the two of them going. Jungkook has always been a fan of the outdoors, and it turns out that Namjoon likes it just as much. They start talking about hikes they’ve been on and animals they’ve seen out in the wild. Jimin has never been a fan of nature to the degree that Jungkook is, preferring it in small controlled doses (and preferably far away from all the damn mosquitoes ) rather than days long excursions into forests and mountains. So it’s really sweet to see him getting to talk about that interest with someone who is every bit as excited as he is.

They eagerly share stories and show off pictures they’ve taken. Jimin interacts and pitches into the conversation where he can, but mostly he just watches the two of them with a warm fondness swelling in his chest.

Namjoon might actually be really good for Jungkook.

The conversation stretches on long enough that three of them end up moving to the couch, mostly so that Jungkook can have more room to show off some of the additional photos he has saved to his laptop. (He takes so many pictures that he’s constantly running out of room on his phone for them.) Jimin even went on a couple of the hikes with him (a little reluctantly, but still), so he is able to offer a few anecdotes too – especially about watching Jungkook climb trees to get better photos, or getting down on his belly to take a close up shot of all sorts of bugs and tiny plants.

The time passes quickly and before he knows it, Jungkook needs to get ready to head to work. He excuses himself to go get changed and leaves Namjoon and Jimin alone on the couch, the empty space between them seeming much bigger now without Jungkook there.

“I was wondering if you would mind if I stayed a little longer?” Namjoon asks once they hear the bedroom door shut. “If not, that’s completely fine, but I admit I’d love the chance to get to know you a little better, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin takes a moment to think it over. On one hand, he’s enjoying their time together and would like to talk more too, but on the other hand the thought of spending time alone with Namjoon makes him nervous. What if he thinks Jimin is boring without Jungkook here? Or what if he is only offering to stay to be polite?

That doesn’t make any sense and even if it did, it would still be stupid.

Jimin swallows down his anxiety and thanks the powers that be for his ability to keep the worry out of his scent. “I’d like that too,” he answers.

His agreement is enough to make Namjoon’s scent go a little warmer, which is admittedly kind of flattering – unless he’s doing that on purpose for some reason. Still, Jimin tries not to think about that and just take Namjoon at face value. Jungkook really seems to like him and if there’s a chance this could actually be good for him, Jimin doesn’t want to mess it up by being suspicious. Especially when Namjoon has done nothing to warrant it.

Jungkook returns all dressed for work and Jimin gets up to double check his lunchbox and make sure he has everything he needs. He’s fussing at this point, but Jungkook allows it like he always does.

“Okay, hyung. It’s time for me to go now,” Jungkook says, slipping his shoes on by the door and opening his arms in invitation.

Jimin eagerly accepts, letting Jungkook pull him in close and leaning up for a kiss. “Have a good day. Remember to give Amber-ssi those cookies I baked for her please.”

“I will. She’s gonna be so excited that you’re baking again. Bye Namjoon-hyung. It was good to see you – sorry I have to go,” Jungkook says, letting Jimin go and pulling on his coat.

Namjoon walks over to say goodbye and then Jungkook is leaving and Jimin finds himself alone in their apartment with an alpha. He can feel a tiny surge of panic rise in his chest, but he expected that so he’s prepared to keep it contained there – doesn’t want it leaching into his scent. Besides, Namjoon seems to be safe. He hasn’t done anything to make Jimin uncomfortable. Even now he’s just returned to the living room and is looking out their big window, showing Jimin his back. He’s about as non-threatening as he could possibly be at the moment.

It’s going to be fine.

Jimin takes a couple of deep breaths and feels the panic settle. He wants to get to know Namjoon. He wants to give this a chance.

He just needs his brain to get with the damn program.

 *******

Namjoon is not always the most observant (a title that would easily go to Jin or Hoseok before him), but even he can tell that Jimin is nervous. It’s not apparent in his scent, which is a little strange – but still it’s plenty obvious. From the way he worries his lip and takes a while to answer Namjoon’s question about staying to talk some more, to how he hovers and fusses around Jungkook as he gets ready for work. (The same kind of anxious hovering Namjoon himself is prone to when he’s feeling particularly uneasy.)

His instincts are telling him to soothe Jimin, but his options are very limited. If it were Taehyung feeling this way, Namjoon would already be right up in his space, pulling him in for a hug and trying to figure out if he’d done anything wrong.

That isn’t really an option here.

He’s not sure if it’s because of anything he’s done, but it also doesn’t seem like pointing it out or asking Jimin about it right now would be helpful either. Instead, he decides to aim for a more delicate approach and give Jimin a bit of space, while also keeping any possibly overbearing alpha instincts in check going forward.

At the very least, Jimin doesn’t seem to dislike him. Being nervous is understandable, and something that Namjoon can work around as they get accustomed to each other.

Namjoon plants himself in front of the big window in Jimin and Jungkook’s living room and waits, staring down at the street below. It’s a busy enough location that there’s a fair bit going on outside, people on the street coming in and out of shops and waiting at a nearby bus stop. Easy enough to occupy himself for a while just by taking in the sights, and hopefully it gives Jimin a chance to relax without being watched.

A minute or so passes in relative silence. Then there are a few soft sounds from the kitchen, cupboard opening and shutting before Jimin speaks up. “Namjoon-hyung, can I make you a cup of tea?”

Namjoon turns to look over his shoulder with a smile. He likes hearing Jimin call him ‘hyung’, especially after seeing him blush so sweetly the first time he said it at the door today. “Sure, I would love some tea. Thank you.”

“No problem. We baked cookies while Taehyung was over if you want one of those too? They’re white chocolate and cranberry.”

Namjoon agrees to the cookie as well and waits patiently for Jimin to finish up in the kitchen. After another couple minutes of looking out the window, he hears the tea kettle begin to whistle and takes that as his cue to sit back down on the couch.

Jimin returns to the living room carrying their mugs of tea and a plate with two cookies on it. The few minutes spent in the kitchen focusing on something else seem to have helped him calm down some. His features look softer, and his movements don’t have that same rushed, almost frantic quality that they did just before Jungkook left.

“Here, the tea is probably a little hot still, but the cookie is safe,” Jimin says, grabbing one for himself and then pushing the little plate toward Namjoon.

Being offered food by the omega he’s courting fills him with a sense of accomplishment, no matter how small or unintentional the gesture is. Namjoon has always been like this, a bit of a romantic in the traditional sense, a sucker for all those courting rituals that only grow more old fashioned by the year. He wonders how Jimin might feel about it, but now doesn’t feel like the best time to ask.

Still, it’s hard to keep himself from preening inside. Jimin looks lovely in the afternoon sunlight, smiling and offering Namjoon something he baked from scratch.

The cookies are picture perfect, golden brown with crisp edges and dotted with chunks of white chocolate and cranberries – and they taste exactly as good as they look. The perfect distraction while he reigns his thoughts in.

“These are incredible, Jimin-ah,” Namjoon says after wolfing down half the cookie without a word.

Jimin smiles at the compliment. “I’m so glad you think so. It felt really good to bake again. I umm… We wouldn’t have the money for me to do stuff like this if it hadn’t been for you all, so thank you.”

“Thank you for letting us. I know we sort of pushed a lot on the two of you – well, especially on you – but I’m really happy that we didn’t scare you off.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Jimin says with a little huff of laughter. “Kookie is already really invested, so it would take a lot more than you might think to put him off at this point.”

“What about you?” Namjoon asks with a smile, keeping his tone light. “Are we in danger of scaring you?”

Even with him trying not to sound too serious about it, Jimin still winces a little and looks down at his half eaten cookie. “It’s… I kind of talked to Hoseok-hyung a little about this but… I know I don’t seem as interested as Jungkook does, but he falls so hard and fast that I just want to make sure one of us keeps their head on straight. This all still feels – It’s a little hard for me to wrap my head around. But I am interested.”

Namjoon can’t help but respect where Jimin is coming from, and the way he’s working so hard to look after his mate and make sure they’re both safe. He has the feeling that Jimin would do absolutely anything to protect Jungkook. (It shouldn’t be a surprise, considering how he had thrown himself between Jungkook and Jin that night at the gallery, snarling and ready to fight if he had to.)

Very admirable.

It also mirrors Namjoon’s own outlook in a way. He’s been watching all of his mates falling hard and fast for these two, and as much as he wants to let go and do the same, it feels like his duty to try and keep a level head. Of course, the pack has a long history of Taehyung being right about this sort of thing to suggest that it may be less necessary, but that’s not quite enough for him to throw caution to the wind entirely either – so he can only imagine what this all feels like for Jimin.

“Jungkook-ah is lucky to have you. I think it’s incredibly impressive how much you look out for him.”

Jimin seems surprised by the words, head quirking to the side. “Really?”

“Very, and it’s easy to tell that he trusts you completely.”

“Thanks. It’s nice of you to say. He takes good care of me too.”

Namjoon takes a moment to think about how he wants to continue. It would be ideal to get some more information about Jimin, but he isn’t sure exactly where to start. Of course he wonders about his family, about Busan and how he grew up, and what it was like for him and Jungkook growing up together. There’s just so much he wants to know, but he doesn’t want to get too deep too fast – not willing to risk making Jimin uncomfortable.

He takes a bite of the cookie still in his hand and then it hits him.

“When did you start baking?”

“Well, it was my grandma who first taught me – my mom’s mom,” Jimin says with a fond little smile. “She was the best. Sometimes when my parents had to leave town on business, they would let me stay with her for a couple of days and we would always bake something. Whenever there was a big holiday coming up I’d get to go help her too.”

“Did Jungkook-ah ever get to come with you?”

“A couple of times. Usually he would be with his family before holidays, but he got to come meet her a few times before she passed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. I was about fourteen then, so it’s been a long time.”

“Still, it sounds like you really had a bond with her,” Namjoon says, reaching for his tea. The mug is still warm against his fingers, but a careful sip confirms that it’s cool enough to drink now.

Jimin reaches for his mug too, curling both hands around it and pulling it into his lap. When he speaks again it’s quieter. “Yeah she was… We were very close. She was the only one in my family who was really nice to me, so I was pretty distraught at the time.”

“The rest of your family wasn’t so good?”

“Yeah, they definitely weren’t great,” Jimin says with a bitter little laugh.

He doesn’t elaborate, and that’s fine. They don’t need to get too deep right away and besides, Namjoon should probably reciprocate Jimin’s openness.

“Mine weren’t great either,” he offers, taking a sip of his tea. “Haven’t spoken to them in years actually, but like you I at least had someone who was kind to me growing up.”

“One of your grandparents too?”

“My uncle actually. He never had any kids of his own and I was his only nephew, so he doted on me. My parents were usually eager to get me out of their hair, so he’d offer to babysit all the time – picked me up from school and spent weekends with me, that sort of thing.” Namjoon can’t help but smile thinking about him. They’re some of his happiest childhood memories. “He had a passion for photography, which was kind of my introduction to art.”

“Do you still talk to him?”

“He died shortly before I went to college.” Namjoon feels the familiar dull ache of longing in his chest as he says it. He knows his uncle would be proud of him, knows he would have loved the chance to meet his mates, or come to his college graduation.

It sucks, but he’s used to it – probably the same way Jimin is used to talking about his grandmother.

“Oh,” Jimin whispers. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. Like you said, it’s been a long time. Mostly I’m just grateful for all the time we got to spend together, and for everything he taught me about art and pursuing my passions.”

“He sounds really great.”

Namjoon nods. “He really was. Sounds like your grandma was pretty great too.”

“She was.” Jimin goes silent for a few seconds, taking a drink of his tea with the beginnings of a smile tugging at his lips. “At least if we were going to have shitty families, they both had a bright spot to help lessen the blow.”

“Small mercies I suppose,” Namjoon says with a laugh. “Did you bake with someone else after she was gone, or did it become a solitary activity?”

“Mostly alone. I mean, Kookie will hang out with me while I do it sometimes but baking is one of the few things he isn’t naturally good at, and he’s never been all that interested in learning. It’s okay though. Sometimes I like to have company, but it’s also nice to just turn on some music and shut my brain off while I work too. I don’t know if you have a hobby like that?”

“Hiking can be like that sometimes. I usually prefer to have company, especially on a new trail, but if I need to clear my head it can be helpful to go and walk something I know like the back of my hand.”

The conversation flows more easily from there, now that they both have hobbies to talk about and stories to tell. Jimin talks about discovering dance after his grandma passed and falling in love with it, and Namjoon tells him about getting his first camera and immediately bringing it outside to take pictures of birds.

When Namjoon talks about some of his first camping trips and all the things he forgot and messed up, Jimin lets out the cutest laughs. He really is beautiful, but even more so when he’s smiling so wide it reaches his eyes.

As much as Namjoon is trying to stay objective, a part of him still feels like he’s in free fall. He keeps thinking about opening the live feed the other day while Taehyung was visiting and seeing all three omegas curled up right here on this couch, how Taehyung had come home soft and warm and already scented by both of them – and just how incredibly right the combination of their scents was on his skin.

Even recalling it now makes a warm wave of possessiveness roll through his chest.

It’s frightening just how much he wants.

He wants all seven of them together again, feels it like a dull ache in his stomach. He wants to watch the whole pack interact with them again, the push and pull of conversation and the slow slide from uncertainty to comfort. Jin will be over the moon as soon as he gets to cook for all of them together, and Taehyung will be so excited to give them a tour of the house. He can already imagine how Yoongi will try to hide his own excitement and how Hoseok will be there to coax him out of his shell.

They’re not too far off. It should be okay for them to at least extend an invitation to the house soon.

Still, all of that is in the future. Right now he has this time with Jimin, sitting just a couple of couch cushions away, his pretty blonde hair shining in the afternoon sunlight and a smile on his face while he talks about his first couple of days working at Onyx Heights.

This day is precious too, and Namjoon intends to make the most of it.

Chapter Text

[Yoongi to Jimin]

[Yoongi]: Can I ask you something?

[Jimin]: Sure?

[Jimin]: Should I be worried? (￣▽￣)”

[Yoongi]: No, I’m just curious about something and you don’t look too busy at the moment.

[Jimin]: Yeah just messing around on my phone

[Yoongi]: Yeah I see that. It’s kind of adjacent to what I’m wondering about.

[Jimin]: Oh?

[Yoongi]: I guess I’m curious what you do on your phone most of the time?

[Jimin]: (・_・;)

[Jimin]: Why?

[Yoongi]: You don’t have any social media. I checked when I was first trying to find you guys.

[Jimin]: Well first off there’s more to do on a phone than just that

[Yoongi]: Sure. That’s fair.

[Jimin]: And second it would be kind of dumb for me to have those things

[Jimin]: Considering our background

[Yoongi]: Jungkook is on Instagram.

[Jimin]: Yeah for his art

[Yoongi]: But he at least had some old deactivated accounts from a couple of years ago. I didn’t find anything like that for you.

[Yoongi]: If you don’t want me to pry about it, I’ll leave it alone. I was just curious. It’s kind of weird in this day and age to have nothing.

[Jimin]: Do you use social media?

[Yoongi]: God no. I’m active anonymously in a few places but nowhere with my real name or any personal details attached, nothing where people could find me.

[Jimin]: That’s what I prefer too.

[Jimin]: You’re not still digging for something, are you?

[Yoongi]: No. I just saw that Jungkook posted a picture on Instagram and it reminded me that I wanted to ask you about this.

[Yoongi]: Is that a request for me not to dig?

[Jimin]: Would you listen if it was?

[Yoongi]: Yeah, of course. You two have given us a shocking amount of access to your lives. I’m in no position to demand more from you.

[Jimin]: You really mean that?

[Yoongi]: I do. If I want to know something I would rather just ask you, and if I needed to dig I would at least talk to you about it.

[Jimin]: True, you did at least tell me when you were going to hack my computer

[Yoongi]: Look, I hardly knew you then and it was important to be sure that neither of you were a threat.

[Yoongi]: Plus you can hardly even call it hacking if you don’t try to secure your electronics.

[Yoongi]: Either way though, I just ran a couple of quick scans to look for anything malicious and then secured your network for you. I wasn’t sifting through your personal files. That’s the sort of thing I save for people who’ve done something to deserve it.

[Jimin]: That actually does make me feel better („• ֊ •„)

[Yoongi]: Good. I like you, Jimin-ah. There’s no reason for me to violate your privacy any more than I already did, and I’m sorry I had to in the first place.

[Jimin]: It’s okay. I understand taking precautions.

[Jimin]: And I like you too. You’re pretty nice for someone who acts all grumpy （。＾▽＾）

[Yoongi]: Thanks, I think?

[Jimin]: It was a compliment

[Yoongi]: So what are you actually doing on your phone?

[Jimin]: Right now? Just watching a cute video of some puppies learning to play fetch

[Jimin]: Or I was before we started texting at least

[Yoongi]: That’s adorable.

[Jimin]: Oh, do you want a link?

[Yoongi]: I didn’t mean the video.

[Jimin]: ( 〃▽〃)

[Jimin]: Thanks Yoongi-ssi

~

[Jungkook to Jin]

[JK]: thanks for taking us out last night hyung

[JK]: date nights with all of us are my favorite

[JK]: Attachment: CAP6613.jpg

[JK]: i used our leftovers to make cute little bentos for lunch

[JK]: what did you do with yours

[Jin]: Those are so cute! Very creative Jungkook-ah :-)

[Jin]: Attachment: IMG70854.jpg

[Jin]: I used ours in the quiche I made for breakfast this morning.

[JK]: oh wow that looks so good

[JK]: how did it taste

[Jin]: The meat was perfect. Held up very well to being cooked a second time. The vegetables were a little less cooperative, but overall I would consider it a success :-)

[Jin]: I will be curious to hear how yours tastes once lunchtime comes.

[JK]: i put most of our leftover vegetables into the rolled omelets

[JK]: will give you a review once i try them

[JK]: this was a good idea

[JK]: both of us trying to make something different with the leftovers is fun

[Jin]: Yes, I’m enjoying it as well.

[Jin]: It was good to see the two of you last night too. Having the seven of us together is always a delight :-D

[JK]: yeah its been fun every time

[JK]: and you guys always take us out for such good food so thank you

[Jin]: Of course. Thank you both for coming.

[Jin]: I do love taking the two of you out, though I admit that I’m eager for the opportunity to cook for you myself again.

[JK]: i would love that too

[JK]: your cooking is so good hyung

[Jin]: Thank you, Jungkook-ah.

[Jin]: Perhaps I’ll have the opportunity again soon ;-)

~

[Hobi to Namjoon]

[Hobi]: ur never gonna guess what i found.

[Namjoon]: Oh?

[Hobi]: u remember those 2 sculptures that went missing in transit from the warehouse last year?

[Namjoon]: You found both? When?

[Hobi]: 1 of my contacts sent me this while we were out on our date last night:

[Hobi]: Attachment: Screenshot

[Namjoon]: Bold to try and sell them right out in the open like that.

[Namjoon]: They’re never going to get that price either. That’s almost double what we were going to start bidding at.

[Hobi]: exactly. which means we have time.

[Hobi]: let me get them back 4 us? ;D

[Namjoon]: You think it’s better for you to go in than for us to use a show of force?

[Hobi]: these guys r small time and obviously have no clue what they’re doing. not much 2 be gained from storming whatever they have going on.

[Hobi]: let me take care of it and i’ll make sure they learn their lesson.

[Namjoon]: Alright. I’ll leave it up to your discretion then. Fill me in on the details once you have them?

[Hobi]: of course.

[Hobi]: on a less work related note, u and jimin-ah seemed to be getting along well last night :D

[Namjoon]: You think so?

[Hobi]: yeah he looked a little wary of u last time the 7 of us were together but last night u 2 were talking up a storm for a while there.

[Hobi]: he definitely seemed more comfortable :)

[Namjoon]: I’m so glad to hear that. I had such a good time last night, and that just makes it all the better. Did you have fun?

[Hobi]: hard not to when it’s the 7 of us like that. taehyungie was so excited and i got 2 have a really fun talk with jungkookie about our favorite dramas b4 dinner :D

[Namjoon]: That’s great! Everything is going so well.

[Hobi]: it really is isn’t it?

[Hobi]: r we gonna invite them here soon?

[Namjoon]: To the house? I’ve been thinking about it. I don’t want to offer too early and spook them, but I think soon it might be appropriate.

[Hobi]: u know jinnie is dying 2 cook 4 them ;D

[Namjoon]: Oh trust me, I have heard him talking about it. Definitely soon.

[Hobi]: looking forward 2 it

[Hobi]: i’m gonna get started planning. see u at lunch?

[Namjoon]: Yes, I’ll be home.

[Hobi]: looking forward 2 it <3

~

[Tae to Jimin]

[Tae]: Attachment: Screenshot

[Tae]: look at my new horse （＾ω＾）

[Jimin]: Wow it’s so pretty

[Jimin]: Is that Breath of the Wild?

[Tae]: yeah i’ve been trying to tame this thing all day

[Tae]: wait what do you mean is that botw? you’ve played it right?

[Jimin]: No, I don’t have a switch (￣▽￣)”

[Jimin]: Once we have some savings built up again I’m definitely gonna buy one though

[Tae]: no worries you can have my old one

[Jimin]: You have a spare?

[Jimin]: Maybe I could just borrow it sometime when you’re done with Breath Of The Wild instead of you giving it to me. I don’t mind waiting (●'◡'●)

[Tae]: no need to wait

[Tae]: i’ll have one of the guys drop it off in like an hour (✿◠‿◠)

[Jimin]: You really don’t have to do that.

[Tae]: i do actually

[Tae]: need you to play botw so we can talk about it

[Jimin]: Well thank you. That’s really nice of you (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

~

[Tae to Jungkook ]

[Tae]: ヾ(•ω•`)o

[JK]: hi hyung whats up

[Tae]: any games you wanna play on switch?

[JK]: i cant think of many off the top of my head

[JK]: maybe smash bros

[JK]: jiminie probably knows more good games though

[Tae]: okay thank you

[JK]: why

[JK]: are you gonna bring your switch over for another date night

[Tae]: nope （＾ω＾）

~

[Jimin to Tae]

[Jimin]: Taehyung this is new

[Jimin]: None of these games have even been opened

[Tae]: oops (✿◠‿◠)

[Jimin]: You didn’t have to do this

[Tae]: no but i really really wanted to so enjoy ( *’ω’* )

[Jimin]: This is too much. I should have you take it back

[Tae]: can’t do that. i specifically instructed them not to keep the receipts

[Jimin]: (ー_ーゞ

[Tae]: which game are you gonna start first? （＾ω＾）

[Jimin]: ...

[Jimin]: You’re terrible you know

[Jimin]: But thank you (￣▽￣)”

[Jimin]: I’ll start Breath of the Wild

[Tae]: yes omg you’re gonna have so much fun

Chapter Text

[Yoongi to Jungkook]

[Yoongi]: I owe you dinner.

[JK]: oh yeah i almost forgot

[JK]: you dont have to if you dont want yoongi hyung

[Yoongi]: Of course we’re going. I don’t leave debts unpaid. When are you free?

[JK]: umm i have time the day after tomorrow if that works

[Yoongi]: I can do that. I’ll pick you up.

[Yoongi]: Is Jimin free then too?

[JK]: he says he doesnt work

[JK]: but also he didnt think he was invited

[Yoongi]: Oh, no I’m asking for Hoseok. He needs a break from work and was thinking about seeing if Jimin wanted to go out while I take you for barbecue.

[JK]: oh thats a great idea

[JK]: jiminie would love that

[JK]: he and hobi hyung get along great

[Yoongi]: Okay. I’ll tell Hoseok to go ahead and ask. Thank you.

~

The day after tomorrow. That should be enough notice for Yoongi to make reservations – once he figures out where they’re going in the first place, that is. Left to his own devices, he’s far more likely to order in than he is to go sit down somewhere and eat, and when he does go out it’s usually one of his mates that decides where they’re going to go. He could do what a normal person would do and look at reviews online to find his best bet.

But he has something better.

He finds Jin in the kitchen, dicing up some vegetables in preparation for supper and humming softly as he works, still wearing his pajamas. It’s been a lazy day for most of the pack. Taehyung had woken Yoongi up in the morning looking for a burner phone (which always means he has a job), but both Seokjin and Namjoon are free from meetings today.

Hoseok had opted to take a break from planning for his next heist to spend more time with them. It’s most likely an effort to help ease some of the anxiety that Namjoon always gets when Taehyung is alone on a job, because normally Hoseok is almost as hard to pry away from his work as Yoongi can be. He’s been holed up in his office for a couple of days now, only coming out for meals when Jin or Taehyung go and collect him.

That probably means it’s another big job. Yoongi just hopes it isn’t Hoseok’s family dropping more stressful bullshit on his plate…

Either way, Seokjin is alone in the kitchen and Yoongi doesn’t smell either Hoseok or Namjoon anywhere close by, just the cool scent of mint.

“Where are the other two?” Yoongi asks, making his way up to the counter.

“Hobi-yah convinced our poor, anxious leader to have a glass of scotch with him before dinner – out in the garden I believe. The fresh air will do Joon-ah some good.” Jin sets down the knife and turns to face Yoongi with a warm smile. “Hello, darling. Did you finish up your project?”

One of Yoongi’s web scraping programs had been collecting a bunch of junk data, an issue he’d noticed last night, stayed up way too late trying to fix, and then finally sorted out just minutes before he remembered his promise to take Jungkook out for barbecue. “Probably. I think I patched it up, so now I just have to wait and see if I come back to a bunch more junk or not.”

“Does that mean you’ll be joining us for the evening?”

“Yeah, I’m free now. How’s Joon-ah?”

“Oh, the usual. Anxious, but better now that Taehyung-ah is back in contact.”

“Already?” Yoongi raises a brow, leaning against the countertop. “That was quick.”

“It was relatively local from what I gathered, only an hour or so outside of the city – and incredibly time sensitive.”

“That means minimal planning – Joon-ah’s favorite. When’s he coming home then?” Yoongi might not be a worrier like Namjoon is, but he still doesn’t like it when Taehyung is gone for work either. He knows – absolutely knows – that Taehyung is the most dangerous person he’s ever met, but trying to get the alpha part of his brain to understand that is an entirely different battle.

That’s still his omega out there.

Jin’s fond smile curls just a little wider. He knows, of course. Seokjin can smell anxiety on any one of them from a mile away, and Yoongi still doesn’t know how much of it is his beta instincts and how much of it is just Jin being Jin. “I have it on good authority that he’ll be back in about an hour. Maybe you’d like to go join Namjoon and Hoseok for a drink before he gets back? If you’re near enough to the entrance, the three of you could swarm him properly the moment he arrives,” he says with a wink.

Yoongi shrugs. “I might. Wanted to ask you something first though.”

“Oh?”

“I’m looking for restaurant recommendations. Barbecue, specifically,” Yoongi says, adding, “Preferably somewhere with good beer,” when he remembers Jungkook’s excitement (cute – so goddamn cute) at the prospect.

“Is this for your date with Jungkook-ah?”

Damn it. Yoongi feels himself start to blush. “Hoseok-ah told all of you, didn’t he?”

“Was it meant to be a secret?” Jin laughs and reaches out to pull Yoongi into his arms. He goes willingly, allowing himself to be hugged even if it’s mostly just a convenient way to hide how pink his cheeks probably are. “No need to be embarrassed, love.”

“M’not embarrassed.”

“Ah, yes of course. Forgive me for thinking so,” Jin teases. “Now, I’m assuming you would prefer somewhere a little more out of the way?”

Yoongi nods, finally wrapping his arms around Jin to return the embrace.

“With reservations so you don’t end up sitting at the bar? Maybe even booth seating for a little extra privacy?”

“Preferably, yes.”

Jin takes some time to think, letting out the occasional hum as he gently sways the two of them from side to side. After a minute or so, Yoongi kind of forgets what he was embarrassed about in the first place and leans more heavily against Jin, letting himself get lost in the slow swaying and Jin’s fresh mint scent.

When he is finally let go, it’s only for Jin to be able to lean down and kiss him, warm and soft and thorough enough that he’s left blinking up at Jin dumbly for a few seconds when it’s over – stuck between wanting more and wanting to know how they even got here. It never ceases to amaze him how Seokjin so effortlessly pushes and pulls at any situation to put all of them at ease. In the space of a couple minutes, he’s gone from on edge and a little anxious to whatever this softer, more relaxed feeling is.

Still fucking weird, no matter how many times it happens.

Jin, for his part, just gives Yoongi one of his patented warm, loving smiles and says, “I think I know just the place.”

~~

Of course, Jin’s recommendation is perfect.

Yoongi and Hoseok leave just a few minutes shy of one another, so when Yoongi pulls up in front of Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment building, they’re both waiting outside together. He offers to stay until Hoseok arrives, but Jimin just smiles and shoos the two of them off.

After a quick kiss goodbye, Jungkook eagerly climbs into the passenger seat and asks how Yoongi’s day has been.

The little restaurant is tucked away on a side street, plenty private but just busy enough inside for the chatter to carry and make it feel less like he and Jungkook are entirely alone in their booth. Everything smells incredible (including Jungkook), and of course the craft beer menu is basically a mile long.

Jungkook looks especially (handsome) excited as he looks through the menu, all pretty smiles and enthusiastic observations. It’s enough to convince Yoongi to try one of the beers too. He might be more of a whiskey guy, but food like this always goes well with a good beer.

He had been a little worried that this might be awkward, considering they haven’t spent all that much time alone together, but the conversation flows surprisingly well. Jungkook talks about getting ready for school to start again, how excited he is for Jimin to be coming back with him, and then starts talking about all the games they played when Taehyung slept over the week before.

Yoongi doesn’t need a reminder.

Well to be fair, it’s not like he paid a ton of attention to the games they played that night. None of the cameras have a good view of the TV screen. What they do have a good view of is the couch, and Yoongi had gotten quite the eye full when the three of them had their sleepover. It had been enough for him to do a double take, when he glanced up at the screen absentmindedly and saw Jungkook and Taehyung with their wrists pressed together – his eyes staying glued to the screen as Taehyung eventually turned to do the same with Jimin.

Taehyung had smelled like heaven when Hoseok brought him home the next day, Jimin and Jungkook’s scents still strong on him.

“Hyung?” Jungkook’s voice snaps Yoongi back to the present in an instant.

“Sorry, I zoned out for a second,” Yoongi admits, shaking his head and looking down at the menu again. “What’s up?”

“Do you want to split an order of veggie tempura with me?” Jungkook asks, peeking over his menu with a shy, sweet smile that makes Yoongi’s heart race.

He really is way too pretty.

“Sure, we can try anything you want. I have it on good authority that everything here is pretty damn tasty.”

Jungkook apparently takes Yoongi’s words to heart, because when they finally put in their order he requests three different appetizers in addition to the meat platter they’ll be splitting. It’s almost like going out to eat with Jin, who always wants to try a little bit of whatever he can whenever they go somewhere new. Yoongi can’t help but let out a bark of laughter, then throws on an appetizer of his own.

Why the hell not?

May as well live a little, and it seems to set any anxiety Jungkook has about his own order to rest.

They trade sips of each other’s beers, even though Yoongi thinks they taste pretty similar to be honest. The appetizers come quickly, and then most of the conversation is taken up by their opinions on each of the items they ordered. Eventually, Yoongi ends up explaining (or trying to) some of the work he was doing trying to fix his program the other day, which leads into a further exploration of how even the tiniest error can break an entire program.

Jungkook listens with rapt attention, eyes only leaving Yoongi to pick up bites of food. “So you write a lot of programs like that? The kind that just searches the internet for you?”

“I mean, I have, yeah. Web scraping is pretty beginner stuff, so I’ve written a bunch of them over the years – especially when I got into archiving back in high school. Equipment wasn’t cheap then though. Storage has gotten way more affordable.”

“Archiving. Like just saving a lot of stuff?”

Yoongi lets out a little huff of laughter. It’s cute, the way Jungkook clearly doesn’t have the background to understand a lot of what Yoongi’s talking about, but keeps trying to make sense of it anyways. “Yeah, basically. Really I was mostly just archiving forums and pirating a bunch of files and keeping them backed up on a couple of external drives, but I thought I was hot shit back then because I had a VPN and could hook my friends up with free movies.”

Jungkook stuffs a piece of tempura into his mouth and quirks his head. “A VPN?” he asks around the mouthful.

Yoongi waves a hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it. Really, I don’t mean to bore you with a bunch of technical talk.”

“It’s not boring! I know I don’t understand a lot of it but I’d like to. It sounds really interesting and I want to get to know you better, so that’s even more reason to learn. Maybe you could teach me about it?”

“Look, if you’re still interested later I can maybe show you a few things,” Yoongi says, trying not to let his excitement show too much. Most people tune him out when he starts talking about computers, and yet here is this gorgeous omega looking at him like he’s saying the most interesting things ever. Part of him can’t help feeling like Jungkook is just being polite. He really doesn’t want to get his hopes up, but…

Getting to teach someone? Having someone to talk to about this stuff who thinks it’s actually interesting?

That could be nice.

Jungkook grins at the offer. “That would be so cool, Yoongi-hyung. Thank you!”

“If nothing else, you should at least learn some of the basics.” Things go quiet for a few seconds before Yoongi can’t help but ask, “You really don’t know what a VPN is?”

“No, why?”

“I just thought… With how you and Jimin-ah pulled my leg with the jokes about goddamn Norton Antivirus and Bing that maybe you were a little more in the loop.”

“Oh, that? Jiminie had a friend from one of his dance classes who taught us that when I kept getting hit on by this pushy computer science major. He was a jerk. We only had one class that overlapped but he was one of those alphas who couldn’t take no for an answer, so I just started acting super dumb about computers whenever he was in earshot and doubled down if he tried to ask me about it,” Jungkook explains with a grin. “Being annoying worked way better than trying to brush him off ever did.”

The desire to figure out who this guy is and find some way to fuck with him isn’t all the surprising – Yoongi enjoys using his technical prowess to stick it to assholes. It’s one of his favorite pastimes, really. What is a surprise is the wave of possessiveness that rushes through him, making his teeth ache with the desire to scent Jungkook so that there can be no mistake that he’s being courted.

Shit, it’s way too soon to be thinking like this.

“He ended up leaving you alone?” Yoongi asks, shoving a big piece of crispy green onion pancake into his mouth – mostly to keep himself from asking for the guy’s name.

Jungkook grins. “Yep, it only took a couple of weeks of being annoying every chance I got before he moved on. Our class ended a month or so later and we never had another one together, so I didn’t even have to keep up the charade.”

Yoongi nods, his mouth still full of food, and Jungkook immediately starts telling a tangential story about watching a girl in that same class turn down a guy so viciously that he ended up dropping the class and retaking it the following year.

It’s easy enough to shift his focus once Jungkook gets talking, and Yoongi has enough stories about ridiculous shit he saw in college that there’s barely a lull in conversation even once their main meal arrives. They take turns grilling meat and telling stories. Jungkook orders a second beer and Yoongi gets to watch the pretty pink flush creep up his cheeks, movements and speech just the tiniest bit looser while his little remaining shyness all but evaporates into the air.

Jungkook looks at him like he’s something impressive, like he’s hanging on Yoongi’s every word and just can’t wait to hear whatever story comes next. It’s flattering, even if Yoongi isn’t entirely sure he deserves that kind of attention, especially from someone as likable and goddamn handsome as Jungkook is.

Still, he’s not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, he picks up the tongs to flip a few pieces of meat and starts telling another story from his college days, letting himself enjoy the eager way Jungkook listens to him.

********

Taehyung was right. Yoongi-hyung is the coolest.

Jungkook has been looking forward to this since they texted about it earlier in the week, and it’s been even better than he thought because it seems like Yoongi-hyung really likes him too. He listens to all of Jungkook’s stories and asks questions about them and even laughs at most of his jokes.

And it’s not just the couple of drinks making him think that. Jungkook is a tiny bit tipsy, definitely feeling warm and comfortable – but he’s far from drunk. And it’s probably not just Yoongi being polite. By now he’s spent enough time with the alpha to get the impression that he’s not the type who goes out of his way to hang out with people he doesn’t like. (Let alone offer to teach them about computers, which would be so cool.)

It’s fun to hear about Yoongi’s time in college too. He tells Jungkook about his first set of roommates, how they didn’t really get along but still managed to occasionally bond over their dislike for the one who refused to clean and always had his girlfriend over. It makes Jungkook glad that he never had to deal with that part of the college experience.

They’ve nearly finished their food by the time Namjoon-hyung’s name comes up in one of Yoongi’s college stories, and Jungkook is immediately curious.

“Taehyung told us you all met in college, but you met Namjoon-hyung first, right?”

“Yeah, me and Joon-ah had roomed together for two semesters by the time we met Taehyung-ah and Seokjin-hyung,” Yoongi explains. “We were all in our last year of school when we started hanging out. It was supposed to be a business venture at first, but then Taehyung caught a good whiff of our scents and – well, you know how that goes.”

“I do. I’m not complaining though,” Jungkook says, feeling brave enough to follow it with a big smile while hoping that the flirting isn’t too much too soon.

Yoongi blushes, which is adorable.

He’s honestly one of the prettiest alphas that Jungkook has ever seen – not that he isn’t handsome in the more traditionally alpha way too, because he definitely is. It’s kind of the same thing Jungkook has going on, actually. Neither of them is the standard for their subgender, with Yoongi being built kind of delicate for an alpha and Jungkook being built kind of big for an omega (a fact he only makes more apparent with all the time he’s spent in gyms over the years).

The fact that Yoongi being so pretty doesn’t make him any less appealing as an alpha does sort of make Jungkook feel like it might not be abig of a deal to the rest of the pack if he isn’t exactly what people picture when they think of an omega.

“Yeah,” Yoongi mumbles, eyes fixed on his food. “I’m not complaining either.”

Jungkook can’t help grinning at the admission (and maybe also at the way Yoongi is blushing all the way up to his ears). Still, he doesn’t want to push if his flirting is making Yoongi-hyung uncomfortable and to be honest, he’s really curious to learn more about what the pack was like in college. “So how did you and Namjoon-hyung meet then?”

Yoongi seems glad for the subject change, looking more at ease almost immediately. “I did some tutoring for extra cash back then. Joon-ah is basically some kind of genius but he couldn’t work a computer to save his goddamn life. He’s still not the best with technology, despite all of my efforts, but he did manage to pass his classes at least.”

“Did you guys hit it off right away?”

“God no. He drove me nuts when we first met.” Yoongi laughs at this. “I couldn’t stand him.”

Jungkook pauses with a bite of food halfway lifted to his face, surprised. “Really? Why?”

“I thought we were too different to ever get along. He came from money, and I hated rich kids on principle back then.” Yoongi stops talking with a shrug, but when he catches sight of Jungkook still frozen in confusion, he explains further. “My family was poor growing up. My parents worked hard but every time it seemed like they got a leg up, something would go wrong for them – house repairs, car problems, getting laid off – you get the picture. We always had a home and food, but everything else was a struggle and there was never quite enough money to go around. The only reason I even got to go to college was on a really good scholarship.”

It sounds hard, what Yoongi’s describing. Jungkook wants to say something, but he has the feeling that his sympathy is not what Yoongi is going to want, so he stuffs another bite of food in his mouth and listens intently instead.

“Then I meet this kid who seems to have it all going for him. Nice, handsome, smarter than anyone else I’ve ever met, and his parents were loaded. I was… Honestly, I was an asshole. All I saw was a spoiled rich kid trying to make friends with some poor charity case, so I shot down every attempt Namjoon-ah made at trying to be friends.”

“Was he?” Jungkook asks. “Spoiled, I mean?”

“No. Even if he had been, it would have been a shitty reason to act like such a dick – people can’t help how they grow up and having money doesn’t make people bad – I know that now. But no, he wasn’t spoiled. His family sucks. They had money but all they ever did was hold it over his head and use it as another tool to control him. It wasn’t long after I pulled my head out of my ass and started being friends with him that his parents cut him off completely.”

“That’s why you guys ended up living together?”

“Yeah, he needed a place to go and I needed a friend, I guess.”

Jungkook nods slowly. It sounds like a sad time, and poor Namjoon-hyung… “It’s good that you guys had each other, but I feel bad for Namjoon-hyung.”

Yoongi frowns. “Because I was a jackass?”

“What? No. It sounds like you were working through your own stuff – and besides, you came around eventually. His family though… They sound a lot like Jiminie’s.”

“Oh, shit… They pretty bad?”

“Yeah, they were awful to him.” It’s a massive understatement, but it’s not Jungkook’s family to talk about, so he leaves it there.

“What was your family like?” Yoongi asks. “The Jeons – kind of a big deal, even here. Must have been pretty crazy growing up in that sort of environment.”

“Felt normal to me,” Jungkook says with a shrug, “but that’s what it’s like when you’ve only ever known one thing, isn’t it? I didn’t really understand how strange my life was until we left. It’s complicated and messy, but… My family was mostly pretty good. Dad died before I ever really knew him but mom took care of me and my brother. Lots of people thought she was cold but that wasn’t right – not really at least. She’s logical to a fault. She knows what needs to be done and she does it, but she’s efficient, not cruel – especially not to her family.”

“She sounds like a hell of a woman.”

“Yeah, she definitely is.”

“You haven’t seen any of your family since you and Jimin-ah left?”

“No. It’s been–” Shit, Jungkook can feel tears springing up into his eyes. Nope. No way is he going to cry in this restaurant, let alone in front of Yoongi-hyung. “Been a while now,” he says quickly. “What about your family, Yoongi-hyung? Are they from around here?”

Yoongi reaches out across the table to set a hand over Jungkook’s. “I’m sorry, that was a dumb question. I should have–”

“It’s okay,” Jungkook interrupts, taking a deep breath and looking up at the ceiling, blinking away tears. When he looks back at Yoongi the concern is obvious on his face, and he gives Jungkook’s hand a little squeeze. It’s nice to have Yoongi touching him, calming in a way he usually only feels with Jimin. He turns his hand to hold Yoongi’s and gives a little squeeze in return. “Really, I’m alright, hyung.”

“Well good because I don’t know what I would have done if I had made you cry and ruined this date.”

A date. This is a date. Officially.

His blooming excitement and butterflies aside – he definitely has to give Yoongi shit about this.

“Oh, so this one is actually a date?”

“Brat,” Yoongi answers, huffing out a laugh and giving Jungkook’s hand one more squeeze before he withdraws.

Jungkook misses the contact almost right away, wants to reach out and take Yoongi’s hand back but that would probably be too much. He wants so many things but more than any of them, he wants to do this all right – to not screw it up. Then if he’s lucky all the hyungs will like him and everything will be–

“For the record though,” Yoongi says, dragging Jungkook out of his thoughts, “yeah, this is a date. As long as you’re okay with that?” He blushes when their eyes meet but he doesn’t look away, waiting for a response.

Jungkook can’t help smiling. “Yeah, I’d like it if this was a date. I’m having a lot of fun, Yoongi-hyung.”

Yoongi tilts his head down and smiles up through his lashes, shy and cute – and again Jungkook is struck by just how pretty the alpha is sometimes. He should paint him like this, ginger hair glowing warm in the restaurant lighting, eyes dark and welcoming, and the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. It’s perfect, really. He can already see the color palette in his–

“Jungkook-ah, you’re staring.”

Now it’s his turn to blush. “Sorry, I was – You’re so handsome and I was thinking of painting you like this.”

“Oh god, I – What am I supposed to say to that?” Yoongi hides his face in his hands and lets out something between a groan and a laugh. “Thanks, I think,” he mumbles, face still hidden.

“Sorry, the lighting just really suits you and you’re so–”

“Okay, that’s enough of that. You asked about my family, right? Well let me tell you right now that you and my mom would get along great, cause she’s always giving people compliments out of nowhere too.” The words tumble quickly out of Yoongi’s mouth, half muffled by his hands.

Jungkook barks out a laugh, but decides he’s fine with the change of subject so long as he gets to learn more about Yoongi. “She sounds nice, hyung. You said you have a brother too, right? Do you see them often?”

Yoongi-hyung talks fondly about his family back in Daegu, at least once the embarrassment passes and he relaxes a little. Apparently he visits a few times a year, and every now and then they even come to Seoul to visit. He still talks to his brother too, though a little less frequently since he’s living and working in Japan and only really comes home for holidays.

They think that Yoongi is a software developer, which is sort of true apparently. Jungkook doesn’t really understand it all but over the years Yoongi’s made a few relatively successful apps that Jin-hyung helped him license through a shell corporation of some kind, and that money gets funneled back to his family in Daegu. (It sounds like Yoongi isn’t all that familiar with the specifics either. He just trusts Jin to manage it, since it’s his area of expertise.)

It’s sweet how much Yoongi cares for his family, and Jungkook can’t help but admire the way he’s managed to raise them out of poverty and look after their needs.

~~

[Jimin to Jungkook]

[Jimin]: Just got home. Hope you and Yoongi-ssi are having fun

[Jimin]: Wanna let me know when you’re heading home? （。＾▽＾）

[JK]: just finished eating a bit ago

[JK]: grabbing a to go box and then heading out

[Jimin]: Okay see you soon ♡

~

By the time they leave the restaurant, Jungkook is feeling full and warm and content. The whole night has been so good, even better than he had hoped really, and Yoongi lets him pack up all their leftovers to take home with him so he can share with Jimin. (As it turns out, four appetizers and a whole meal was too much, even for Jungkook.)

He knows it’s just Yoongi being nice, but that doesn’t stop his omega from preening at how he’s being provided for, and it makes his head swim just a little on the drive home.

As they park in front of his apartment, Jungkook is faced with saying goodbye and realizes that there’s something else he wants – just a tiny thought at first, but growing so fast he doesn’t think he can keep himself from asking. They could scent right now. It might be too soon but then again… If he and Jimin have already done it with Taehyung, is it really too soon? How many dates is he supposed to wait for? Does any of that even matter when he really just wants to smell like Yoongi-hyung? All sweet and spicy cinnamon and–

“Well, we made it,” Yoongi says, turning to give Jungkook a smile. “Thanks for letting me make good on our bet. It was fun to–”

“Hyung, can I ask you for something before I go?” Jungkook blurts out before he can stop himself, immediately realizing he’s spoken out of turn and trying to backpedal. “Oops. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. It’s not important – and I had a lot of fun tonight too so thank–”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Yoongi says, reaching over to place a comforting hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. “You’re cute when you get all excited. Tell me what you were thinking about?”

“I was going to ask… Sorry, it feels kind of stupid now.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it isn’t stupid. Let’s hear it.”

“Well, I was kind of hoping maybe you would…” Jungkook bites his lip and takes a breath. “Do you want to scent me?”

Yoongi’s face freezes in an expression close enough to shock that Jungkook is sure he’s made a huge mistake – that is right up until he smells the unmistakable spike in Yoongi’s scent at the request, a wave of mouthwateringly sweet cinnamon that dissipates way too soon.

He’s at least got to be a little interested if he smells that strong, right?

It still takes a few seconds for Yoongi to speak, mouth opening and closing again twice in a row before he finally finds his words. “You want… to scent – With me?”

“I mean only if you want to too,” Jungkook answers quietly, his cheeks burning. Maybe this was too soon… “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“What? No, it’s okay. I just didn’t think you would feel so comfortable so fast, especially with me and – It’s not like I don’t want to.”

“But not right now?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Jungkook perks his head right up at that, licking his lips and smiling up at Yoongi. “Really?”

“As long as you’re sure you want to, yeah. There’s no way I wouldn’t want you to smell like me – are you kidding? And your scent is…” Yoongi swallows, looking out the window for a second before turning back to Jungkook and gingerly offering up his wrist. “I like it. A lot. A whole lot.”

The compliment has a whine threatening to spill from Jungkook’s lips. Yoongi-hyung likes his scent – a lot, apparently, and that’s enough to make his inner omega preen, a heady mix of pride and desire settling warm in his chest and–

He needs to stay focused.

“I like yours too, hyung – so much,” Jungkook says, reaching out his own wrist to hover close to Yoongi’s. “Are you ready?”

Yoongi nods, scent already spiking again and Jungkook eagerly closes the distance to press their wrists together.

It’s every bit as intense as it was with Taehyung, but at least this time Jungkook expects most of it. The way all his nerves light up and his head starts to swim with warmth is familiar even if it’s still nearly overwhelming, and being surrounded by Yoongi’s scent makes him want to bathe in it just like he had with Taehyung.

He still can’t help letting out a shaky little whine as the want starts to hit him.

That part is definitely different. With Taehyung he’d wanted to cuddle up next to him, to kiss him, to be as close as he could get, but this – He still wants to kiss Yoongi, but there’s an ache in his chest to feel Yoongi’s arms around him, the weight of his body on top of him, or – fuck, maybe even his teeth digging into Jungkook’s scent gland for a nip, voice gone low and telling him he’s a ‘good omega’ while–

“Wow,” Yoongi breathes, pulling back his wrist to rest his hand on Jungkook’s knee instead. At least he looks half as affected as Jungkook feels, breathing hard with his pupils blown wide as he licks his lips, their combined scents still thick in the air. “Shit, I forgot how hard that hits the first time. You okay, Jungkook-ah?”

“Yeah I’m–” Jungkook’s voice cracks and he swallows, taking a steadying breath before trying again. “I’m good. That was really good. Thank you, Yoongi-hyung.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I wanted to do it too and I… This whole night was really good,” Yoongi says.

Jungkook nods, trying to focus on the warmth of Yoongi’s hand on his knee as he comes back to himself. “Yeah, tonight was really good.”

“You should probably get inside before Jimin-ah starts to worry, huh?”

Yoongi has a point. Jimin is probably waiting for him. “Oh, yeah, I probably should. Thank you again for taking me out. I had a lot of fun!”

“Yeah, me too. Catch you later, okay? Say hi to Jimin-ah for me.”

“Sure thing, hyung.” Jungkook smiles one last time at Yoongi and then gets out of the vehicle, legs shaking a little bit as he makes his way up to the building with his leftovers in hand and his heart racing in his chest.

~~

Once Jungkook is through the door to their apartment, it only takes a few seconds for Jimin to get close enough to tell what happened – at least if the knowing smile spreading across his face is anything to go by. He’s already changed into his pajamas and is busy nursing a wine cooler at the kitchen table, but he abandons that in favor of getting right into Jungkook’s space and taking a deep breath through his nose.

“Oh my god – you two scented, didn’t you?” Jimin asks with wide eyes.

Jungkook nods. “I asked before I got out of the car. Did you have fun with Hobi-hyung?”

“Yeah, we had a good dinner, but forget about that for a minute. How did Yoongi-hyung react when you asked?”

“Umm, a little shocked at first. I don't think he expected it at all, but he said he wanted to if I did, so…” Jungkook shrugs, holding out the container of leftovers. “We ordered too much food, so I have lunch for us tomorrow.”

Jimin takes the container from him but turns to set it on one of the counters right away before turning back to Jungkook and wrapping his arms around him.

For a moment, Jungkook is worried that maybe Jimin is upset or in need of comfort, but then he hears him mumble, “Fuck, you smell so good, Kookie.”

Oh. Hell yes.

“You think so, hyung?” Jungkook teases, lifting his scented wrist closer to Jimin’s face, eventually weaving fingers into his hair while Jimin lets out a purr in response. “It’s good, isn’t it?”

An understatement really, because the combination of Yoongi and Jimin’s scents is goddamn mouth watering – sweet vanilla and cinnamon like he’s in a bakery or something – and knowing that he’s wearing both at the same time is…

Incredible.

“Yeah. It’s really good,” Jimin says, nuzzling into the touch. “I swear to god if you tell Yoongi-hyung about this –”

“We’re on camera, Jiminie.”

“Well yeah, but he’s driving home right now so it’s not like he’s watching.”

“You don’t want him to know you like his scent?”

“Not this much, and not this soon.”

It’s enough to make Jungkook wonder, enough that he wants to clarify and be absolutely sure they’re on the same page. “Does it bother you at all that I scented with him?”

Jimin pulls back at that to look Jungkook square in the eye, his gaze soft but serious as he shakes his head. “Not even a little. I like that you feel comfortable with him and I want you to take all of this at your own pace, even if it’s a little different than mine. As long as you feel safe and nobody is pressuring you into anything, I’m fine with it – encouraging it even.”

That’s good enough for Jungkook. “Okay, as long as I’m not doing anything you don’t like. You’d tell me if I did, right?”

“Of course I would – loudly,” Jimin answers with a grin before leaning back into their embrace.

Jungkook isn’t sure that he understands it entirely, but he knows Jimin has plenty of reason to be more wary than he does, and the last thing Jungkook wants to do is push him into something he isn’t ready for. Whatever time Jimin needs to get comfortable with the pack, Jungkook will make sure he gets it – and maybe leading by example will be a good way to show Jimin how safe and nice they all are (assuming Jungkook is right about them at least).

He can go first and test the waters for both of them.

Jimin does eventually let him put away the leftovers and get changed into his pajamas too, but as soon as that’s done they’re right back to cuddling – only on the couch this time. Jimin is propped up against one end of the couch with Jungkook lying against him, back pressed to Jimin’s chest and Jimin’s arms wrapped around him.

It’s comfortable and so nice to come home to his mate after a long day. Being courted is new and exciting and great, but there’s something so relaxing about being here with Jimin, knowing that no matter what else happens, they have each other to fall back on.

“You never told me how your date with Hobi-hyung went,” Jungkook comments, lifting one of Jimin’s hands up to his face so he can press a kiss into his wrist. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, it was really nice. We got hotpot just down the street and then took a bit of a long walk back to the apartment – circled down by the river for a little bit and talked.”

“That’s so cute, and the weather was perfect for it too. Did you see the sunset? What’d you guys talk about? Did you kiss?”

Jimin lets out a little laugh and pokes a finger into Jungkook’s ribs. “Oh my god, no. We didn’t kiss under the sunset or anything like that. We just talked about easy stuff, the scenery and the food, people we saw walking around – that sort of thing. He told me a little about a job he did last year and I told him the story about when I stole that ruby bracelet for your mom back when you were in your senior year.”

“The one where you had to hide in that closet for three hours because they had that contractor doing renovations and blocking your escape route?” Jungkook can’t help the bark of laughter he lets out. At the time he’d been so worried, but as soon as Jimin was safe again he’d started giving him a hard time about it right away.

“Hey, I got the damn bracelet, didn’t I?”

“You did. Mom was so worried when you weren’t back on time too. She tried to hide it but it was so obvious – and then when you showed back up with the bracelet?” Jungkook grins. “She was impressed. You know how hard that is to do.”

“Yeah, impressed that I didn’t die.”

“What’d Hobi-hyung think about it?”

“He actually remembered hearing about it! I’m so surprised. I know it felt like a big deal to me at the time, but compared to some of his jobs it’s small time – but he said he’s always preferred jobs like that anyways. I think the really big ones stress him out, but he talks around his feelings a lot so it’s a little hard to tell exactly.” Jimin pauses, clicks his tongue, then takes a deep breath. “So, umm… We didn’t kiss but we did sort of hold hands a little.”

Jungkook tilts his head back as much as he can so he can smile up at Jimin’s blushing face. “Aww, hyung, that's so adorable!”

“It was just for a minute or so when we were getting close to the apartment again, when I told him I was having a good time.” Jimin lifts his hands up to hide his face. He’s blushing like crazy – but he’s also smiling so wide and pretty that it’s clear that he’s happy with what happened.

“Aww, you don’t have to be shy,” Jungkook coos at him, rolling over and using this new position to press kisses over Jimin’s hands and whatever parts of his face he doesn’t quite cover. “It’s cute!”

“It’s embarrassing,” Jimin groans, even as he drops his hands and accepts the onslaught of affection.

Jungkook keeps assuring him that there's nothing to be embarrassed about, kissing his cheeks and forehead until Jimin is laughing under him and puckering his lips for a proper kiss. One kiss turns into two, then three, continuing until Jimin is breathing soft little sighs of contentment against his lips – more focused on Jungkook than on being embarrassed now.

“Feel better, Jiminie?” Jungkook asks, pulling back to rest their foreheads together.

Jimin lets out a dramatic little sigh. “Yeah, I guess. As long as you tell me more about your date with Yoongi-hyung – and maybe also keep cuddling me?”

Jungkook smiles and presses another quick peck to Jimin’s lips. “Sure, hyung. I can do that.”

Chapter Text

Namjoon stares down at his phone, fingers hovering over the screen. He’s been here a few minutes now, alone in his office trying to figure out what to do next and making no real progress.

He wants to invite Jimin and Jungkook to visit the house for a date night with the seven of them. They have all had the chance to get to know each other better in the last couple of weeks. Everything seems to be going well. The next logical step is to invite them over and get them acquainted with the house – but he can’t help worrying that it’s too soon, that he might push too far.

It’s been a few weeks since they met officially and agreed to courting. This would be about the point in a standard courting arrangement where determining scent compatibility would become important. They had kinda skipped right to that step, which did save a lot of time they would have spent wondering, but also makes every standard timeline Namjoon knows for courting omegas basically useless.

To be entirely fair, those rules and guidelines are a lot less influential now than they were in his parent’s generation, and even then they were considered more of a suggestion – relevant in high society or formal settings like arranged marriages but not so much in everyday life. Just because Namjoon was taught them doesn’t mean they’re correct. It’s certainly not the template they followed when they formed their pack.

He just… He likes having something concrete to fall back on, to check himself against and to help guide him.

If he’s not relying on standards, then he has to rely on how he feels, which is a whole lot less logical and clear cut. He wants this – obviously – but that isn’t what’s important right now.

The facts are what should be important. He’s interested. The rest of the pack is very interested. Scent compatibility has been determined. It all lines up perfectly, and yet...

He’s not terribly worried about scaring off Jungkook. Jimin seemed confident when he told Namjoon that Jungkook was already very invested in them. Even without that, he wears his enthusiasm and delight at their presence so openly that Namjoon doesn’t doubt for a moment that he will be excited to come into their space.

Jimin is harder to read.

He’s far more wary about them than Jungkook is – not hostile by any means, just a lot more cautious about everything. He had stated his interest pretty plainly while Namjoon was visiting their apartment, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will feel comfortable coming to their house.

Namjoon can understand. He’s also prone to being overly cautious where his mates are involved.

Maybe it would be helpful to consider that he and Jimin aren’t so different in that respect… If Namjoon were in Jimin’s shoes, he would prefer open communication about the trajectory of their relationship and the desires of both parties, even if they didn’t necessarily align. With that in mind, it’s probably better to extend the offer and just remind them that they are under no obligation to come if they aren’t ready.

Yeah. That makes perfect sense.

[Namjoon to Jungkook and Jimin]

[Namjoon]: How would the two of you feel about coming over to our house for dinner tomorrow?

[Namjoon]: If it’s too soon, we can go out instead. Please don’t feel pressured.

[JK]: yes i totally wanna see where you guys live

[JK]: is jin hyung gonna cook

[Namjoon]: I don’t think I could stop him if I tried.

[JK]: hell yes

[JK]: let me confirm with jiminie

[Namjoon]: Of course. If he would prefer to wait, we would understand.

~

Several minutes of Namjoon staring nervously at his phone pass before he receives the next message.

~

[Jimin]: Thanks for inviting us (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

[Jimin]: We would love to come over

~~

Namjoon breaks the news of their upcoming guests over dinner that evening, taking special delight in watching the way Jin’s eyes light up at the realization that he can finally cook a proper meal for them. (Breakfast at their apartment had been one thing, but Jin had later lamented about not being able to do something more impressive.) Taehyung starts talking excitedly about all the things he wants to show them, while Hoseok and Yoongi share a smile.

There are plenty of questions about the schedule for their arrival and Namjoon relays all the relevant information, practically able to hear the gears turning in both Jin and Hoseok’s heads.

“Did you already arrange them a ride?” Hoseok asks.

“Yes, a member of the security team is going to pick them up.”

Jin glances around the dining room, eyeing the corners of the room critically. “I may need to enlist some help for a thorough cleaning before they get here.”

“But, hyung,” Taehyung immediately groans. “It’s not even dirty in here.”

“There is dust on the baseboards, darling – not to mention the muddy footprints in the foyer.”

Yoongi laughs at that. “You did track in an awful lot of mud, Taehyung-ah. Better run before Jin-hyung hands you a mop.”

Taehyung’s eyes go wide and he tenses, preparing to hop off his chair only for Namjoon to reach over and put an arm around his shoulders to keep him in place. “No running off, pup. If we all help, I’m sure it will take no time at all.”

“Kind of silly to pretend our house is always clean,” Yoongi says.

“Exactly,” Taehyung whines. “See, Yoongi-hyung understands. It’s not like Jiminie and Jungkookie’s apartment is spotless either!”

“Hey, I said it was silly but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to help. And –” Yoongi looks at Taehyung expectantly, “– if I’m going to help, then…?”

Taehyung lets out a dramatic sigh and takes another bite of his dinner. “If you have to help, then I have to help.”

“That’s right,” Yoongi answers.

“I can take care of the floors,” Hoseok offers. “I know you both hate doing them the most.”

It really does go quickly with all five of them working together. Yoongi keeps Taehyung on task and motivated as the two of them tackle the living room. Jin sweeps the kitchen while Hoseok starts in on the muddy foyer and Namjoon takes care of the dishes. Before long, Jin is thanking them for their help and shooing them away so he can finish up the rest himself.

All four of them know that this means it’s time to make themselves scarce. When Jin gets really into cleaning it’s always best to give him plenty of space to do it in, otherwise they risk being scolded when they inevitably get in the way. Namjoon heads upstairs to answer some emails and catch up on a bit of reading.

By the time Jin joins him in their bedroom that night, he looks tired but satisfied.

Namjoon sets aside his tablet, long finished with answering emails and having moved on to scanning the news for interesting headlines. “Feeling better?” he asks, lifting the blankets to beckon his mate into bed.

“Let me at least get my pajamas on first,” Jin says, shaking his head at Namjoon’s offer. “And yes, I do feel better now.”

Namjoon takes the brief opportunity to grab his tablet again and pull up the live feed of Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment. It’s become something of a habit to check it before bed… and sometimes before a long meeting… and maybe also in the morning…

Okay, so he checks it pretty often. In his defense, his alpha instincts are practically screaming at him to physically stop by their apartment every day to check on them and this is the far less intrusive option of the two. Plus it’s just so soothing to be able to tap a few times on his tablet and be rewarded almost instantly with an image of the two of them safe at home. And there is a special kind of joy he gets from sending one of them a good-morning text and then getting to watch as they open it, seeing one of those big warm smiles spread across Jungkook’s face, or the way Jimin bites his lip and huddles over his phone.

Tonight, the two of them are just cuddled up on the couch together, Jimin wrapped around Jungkook as they watch something on the TV.

To think, tomorrow they’ll finally be here – all seven of them together in their home. It’s enough to make Namjoon’s teeth ache, imagining them cuddled up just the way they are now, but close enough for him to be able to reach out and touch, to catch their scents all content and warm while–

“Excited to see our guests?” Jin asks, amusement clear in his tone as he slips into bed beside Namjoon, leaning in to have a look at the screen as well. “Oh, aren’t they cute like that?”

“They really are – and yes, I’m excited to see them.” Namjoon gives the screen one last long glance and then switches the tablet off, setting it over on the nightstand.

He takes a moment to gauge where Jin is at – what his mate needs from him. The beta seems relatively calm, clad in his silky pajamas and leaning back against his pillows, but Namjoon can tell he’s still buzzing just under the surface with a little of that nervous energy from earlier.

Luckily he knows just how to help with that.

Namjoon scoots closer, allowing himself to be pulled into Jin’s arms, head resting on his chest. “How are they?” he asks gently, wrapping his arm around Jin’s stomach.

“Excited, mostly,” Jin answers with a little huff of laughter. “Taehyung-ah was still in the process of tiring himself out by the time I found him to say goodnight. He was in Yoongi’s office, practically vibrating in place on the couch and texting with Jimin-ah.”

“And Yoongi?”

“Pretending not to be endeared by the whole affair and failing miserably. He was doing that thing where he has three different projects up on his monitors but isn’t working on any of them. Taehyung was in the process of talking him into ice cream when I left. I’m sure they’ve gotten some by now.”

That sounds about right. For as opposite as Yoongi and Taehyung are, they are always good at riding things out together, finding common ground even when their reactions to a given situation couldn’t be more different. Their path to bonding may have been shaky at the start, but once they had finally clicked they became thick as thieves.

Namjoon makes a little hum of acknowledgment. “How about Hoseok-ah?”

Jin is quiet for a few seconds before giving a single click of his tongue and saying, “I think he’s planning another job.”

“Another? Are you sure? He just finished his last one.”

“I caught him heading down to his office. When I asked his plans for the evening, he redirected to talking about tomorrow without ever answering my question.”

“Half the time I think he just redirects like that for fun – but if he was going to his office, that’s a pretty good indicator.”

“Sometimes it is for fun,” Jin agrees. “It’s different when he’s actually trying to get away with something though.”

“You always say that but I still can’t tell the difference most of the time.”

“That’s because he knows your buttons perfectly. He’s never quite managed to find all of mine.”

Namjoon lets out a little sigh. As much as he wishes he could see Hoseok as clearly as Jin can, it’s not something he can simply will into existence. He has to rely on honesty and – when that fails – Jin’s observations.

Hoseok is secretive by nature, always keeping something of himself hidden whether it’s his scent, or his work, or (most frustratingly) his needs – there’s always something under the surface that Namjoon has to fight for every glimpse of. He understands why. It wasn’t safe for Hoseok to be open and honest before he joined their pack, and it takes a long time to undo a lifetime of feeling like hiding is the safest option. He’s made so much progress in the last couple of years, and Namjoon knows it will only get better as time goes on – it’s just still hard sometimes when he so desperately wants to be able to help now.

“I’m glad you caught it at least,” Namjoon says with a sigh. “Do you think it’s his parents again?”

“The mood didn’t seem quite that sour. As far as I know, those two are still out of the country on their extended vacation, so he should have a bit longer to enjoy the peace, but I can’t make any guarantees on that.”

“That’s something at least. I’ll try to keep a closer eye on him this week, maybe see if we can schedule some time to relax.” It’s easier said than done, but that isn’t going to stop Namjoon from trying. Maybe he can invite Hoseok up to his office for a drink in private later in the week, possibly under the guise of needing some help unwinding himself.

Jin pulls Namjoon in closer, fresh mint scent spiking in the air until he can feel the tension leaving him instinctively. “I think tomorrow will be good for all of us, a chance to put everything else aside and simply enjoy our time together. Hoseok-ah is not the only one who needs time to relax.”

“Did Yoongi have something going on this week too? I mean, I know he has projects going but I didn’t think–”

“I’m talking about you, Joon-ah,” Jin states plainly.

“Oh. Is it…” Has he been stressed out lately? There has been a lot of work stuff to juggle recently, not to mention Taehyung and Hoseok both being out for jobs, plus all that time Yoongi had spent avoiding him before they talked it out, and – “Damn, things have been hectic for a while now, haven’t they?”

“They have. I understand you’ve had plenty to worry about recently, but with the exception of whatever Hoseok-ah has going on, I think tomorrow might be able to serve as a sort of turning point. You’ve been giving a lot of thought to this next step in the courting process.”

“Has it been that obvious?”

“You haven’t been worrying any of the others,” Jin says right away, because he knows what Namjoon is really asking. “I’m not even sure that Hoseok-ah has noticed, but you’re always obvious to me, love.”

At least that’s something. The last thing he ever wants to do is worry their mates due to his own insecurities – that’s his burden to bear, not theirs. It’s different with Jin. From the start they had formed a firm alliance, taking care of one another so that together they could take better care of their pack.

It had been especially necessary back then, when Taehyung was still half feral and Yoongi was a lot more volatile. Namjoon hadn’t been sure he was cut out for being pack alpha when he still felt so unsteady himself, but Jin had never doubted him for a moment – had helped to support and teach Namjoon how to be what they needed.

He owes a lot of the man he is today to Jin.

“It has been weighing on me,” Namjoon admits. “I didn’t want to ask too soon and risk them thinking we’re too forward.”

“Joon-ah, we asked them to meet us for a private dinner with no scent blocker before we even agreed to officially courting.”

“I know, but… It’s just – It’s hard to know where the lines are, and the last thing I want to do is ruin this for all of us because I’m overeager.”

“Come here, darling,” Jin says, pulling Namjoon up to face him and promptly leaning in for a kiss, mouth warm and insistent against Namjoon’s. “You won’t ruin anything. You’ve done so well, taking care of our pack and making all of these arrangements for our new additions. I’m proud of you, love.”

It’s an immediate relief to hear that Jin thinks Namjoon is doing a good job. Of all the members of their pack, Jin is the one he trusts most of all to tell him if he’s failing at any part of being their pack alpha. Leadership is something they share. Even if Namjoon is the pack alpha, he couldn’t do it without Jin at his side picking up all of the slack and pushing him to be the best version of himself.

There’s not a day he doesn’t feel blessed to have someone so incredible at his side.

“Thank you, hyung,” Namjoon says softly, pressing another slow kiss to Jin’s mouth. “I appreciate that.”

“And we appreciate you, Joon-ah, so much.”

Namjoon can feel the beginning of tears prickling in his eyes and he doesn’t bother to fight them, just lets them roll down his cheeks so that Jin knows just how relieved he really is.

He’s doing okay – He’s doing good .

Jin wipes away the couple of stray tears and presses a few gentle pecks to Namjoon’s cheeks before leaning back to switch off his bedside lamp. “Come on, let’s get a little rest. We’ve got a big day tomorrow, don’t you think?”

Namjoon nods in the darkness, sliding under the covers and right against Jin’s back, tugging him closer with an arm around his middle. “I love you,” he whispers into the back of Jin’s neck.

“I love you too, Joon-ah.”

~~

It’s a whirlwind from the very moment Jimin and Jungkook arrive. Taehyung has been hovering in the foyer for almost half an hour, sitting on his phone and periodically wandering into the kitchen to talk out some of his excited energy, so as soon as the doorbell rings he is sprinting to go and answer it.

Namjoon follows behind him at a more leisurely pace, trying not to give away how excited he actually is at the prospect of having the seven of them all in their home together. He’s been thinking about this for weeks and now it’s finally happening, his alpha instincts already preening just at the sight of them in the foyer exchanging hugs with Taehyung.

He doesn’t know a lot about fashion, but the two of them still look like they’ve dressed up for the occasion (which is a little flattering). Of the two of them, Jungkook looks more laid back in his t-shirt and jeans, but it’s still a far cry from the worn hoodies he usually wears to class or the sweatpants he pulls on after his morning run.

Jimin is more dressed up, wearing some incredibly soft looking sweater and moon earrings to match the ones dangling from Taehyung’s ears. The two of them make quite a pair, their faces made up and their various jewelry catching in the light. Jungkook should maybe look out of place next to them, face bare with his piercings being the only jewelry on him and all his tattoos out on display, but Namjoon doesn’t think anything could be further from the truth.

The three of them look perfect together.

Jungkook notices him first and gives a toothy grin as he waves. “Hi, Namjoon-hyung. This place is huge!” It doesn’t take long for his eyes to wander again, landing piece by piece on some of the larger sculptures and paintings Namjoon has collected to display here. “Wow, you have so much incredible art.”

Taehyung grins, taking Jungkook by the hand and then reaching for Jimin as well. “If you think this is cool, you’re going to love the rest. Joonie-hyung has art all over the house and there’s some sculptures in the gardens too if you wanna see those! There’s so much I’ve got to show you. Come on, I’ll give you guys the whole tour.”

“Wait,” Jimin says, laughing at Taehyung’s eagerness. “At least let us stop to say hello on our way.”

“Yes, I think we’d like to greet our guests as well,” Jin’s voice calls out as he enters the foyer too, stopping right beside Namjoon.

Jimin’s eyes light up at the sight of him and he grins. “Hi, Jin-hyung. It’s good to see you again!”

Seconds later, both Jimin and Jungkook are on the move, with Jimin stepping into Jin’s already open arms for a hug while Jungkook walks right up to Namjoon to do the same.

He hadn’t wanted to assume that a hug was on the table as a standard greeting now, but it would appear so – at least with Jungkook, who had hugged him hello and goodbye at their last date night with the seven of them as well. The weight of him in Namjoon’s arms is becoming familiar, but no less enticing. He’s all muscle and warmth and eagerness, squeezing Namjoon tight and letting out soft, contented little sighs when Namjoon returns the gesture.

“I missed you, hyung,” Jungkook says, making Namjoon’s heart catch in his throat. The two of them had grabbed breakfast together just a few days ago. Of course he missed Jungkook, but hearing that the feeling is mutual is enough to make his scent spike before he can catch it.

“I missed you too, Jungkook-ah,” Namjoon eventually manages. “We’re so glad the two of you wanted to come over.”

Jungkook holds him tight for a little longer and Namjoon looks over his shoulder to see Taehyung standing just a few paces back, looking at the four of them with naked adoration. He catches Namjoon staring and smiles back at him for a second, before flicking his head toward Jimin and giving a few enthusiastic little nods while Jungkook finally steps away to hug Jin next.

Namjoon feels himself blush as he’s left face to face with Jimin, who looks a bit uncertain as well. He looks down at the floor and then back up at Namjoon again, pretty lips pulled into a nervous little half smile as he steps in closer.

Taehyung’s head is moving in even more quick nods just at the edge of Namjoon’s vision, so he trusts his mate and opens his arms slightly in invitation.

To his absolute delight, Jimin doesn’t even hesitate, stepping into the hug and tucking his head under Namjoon’s chin with a nervous little laugh. “Hi, hyung,” he says, wrapping his arms around Namjoon in return. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“Thank you for joining us. We’re so happy to have you both here.”

Jimin just squeezes him a little tighter at that, taking a deep breath through his nose before saying softly, “You smell really nice.”

Oh god, this is how he’s going to die. Perished on the spot because the pretty omega he’s courting likes his scent – honestly there are probably worse ways to go.

“So do you, Jimin-ah,” Namjoon answers, allowing himself a nice slow deep breath to take in Jimin’s scent as well.

After a few moments, he lets Jimin go – not missing the incredibly self satisfied smile on Taehyung’s face. Namjoon smiles back at him in thanks, grateful for the push and feeling almost a little lightheaded with the joy of not only the closeness, but finally having his entire pack under one roof.

His pack.

Probably too soon to think of them that way, but some things can’t be helped.

With greetings out of the way, Taehyung goes back to his original plan of dragging Jungkook and Jimin through the house, grabbing each of them by the hand and leading them into the kitchen. It leaves Namjoon and Jin alone in the foyer, grinning at each other like idiots.

“Did you see them all together?” Namjoon whispers, incapable of keeping the awe out of his voice. “They look so good – so happy.”

“I did, yes. They do make quite the trio.”

There’s a commotion from the kitchen, Jungkook exclaiming something about knives and Jimin talking about what sounds like their oven with obvious excitement.

Namjoon lets out a laugh. “I think that might be your cue.”

“I believe you’re right, and I should finish prepping for dinner anyways.”

Jin turns to start heading back toward the kitchen, Namjoon following just a few steps behind him, grateful for a moment to just bask in how pleased he is.

The night is already perfect and they’ve barely even started.

~~

The tour takes over half an hour, with Taehyung leading them down every hall and peeking into at least most of the rooms in their home. (Quite a few are still empty. They knew the house was too big for them when they bought it but the location had been perfect, so they were willing to accept a few empty spaces.) For the most part, Namjoon and the others leave them to it. Taehyung has been looking forward to showing them around himself, and letting the three omegas take in the space without any alphas hovering over them seems like the best way to help them feel comfortable here.

There’s a little bit of tension in the air – and not just from Namjoon.

Hoseok and Yoongi both want to do this right too, he can tell. The three of them wait patiently in the living room for the tour to conclude, making light conversation that pauses every time they hear laughter or a door shutting upstairs.

When the omegas finally make their way back to the living room, Jimin and Jungkook are both gushing about how nice their house is. Jimin seems hung up on the sheer size and scope of Taehyung’s ‘closet’, while Jungkook seems most impressed with all of the art pieces.

“TaeTae still needs to show us the gardens,” Jungkook explains. “But we thought it would be nice to take a break first.”

“I was gonna show them your room too, Yoongi-hyung,” Taehyung says. “It’s all locked up though!”

“Yeah, that’s because I locked it. If you really want to see it, we can take a look after dinner.”

“You guys are really that impressed with this?” Hoseok asks. “I never went inside, but from my understanding the Jeon compound is pretty massive. It’s hard to believe that this really compares.”

Jungkook shrugs. “The compound was big, sure – but it wasn’t anything like this. Our house was a lot smaller too.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung agrees. “They have a whole bunch of buildings, but most of them are work spaces. Even their main building is way more utilitarian than this is.”

“They invited you in?” Hoseok says, looking surprised. “And you agreed?”

“I do have a few customers who know my face, but only the really big ones – and the Jeons are one of the biggest.”

“Mom is particular about meeting some of the people we hire for sensitive jobs,” Jungkook says. “Did you get to talk to her?”

“Only the first time they hired me for something important. Usually I work through your brother, but I’m lucky if they call me for a few jobs throughout the year.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Jungkook gives a sad looking smile and reaches out for Jimin’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “But yeah, we never had the sort of art that you guys do here. That wasn’t really our area of expertise.”

Taehyung leans against Jungkook’s side on the couch with a smile spreading across his face. “You should have seen him when I showed him your office, Namjoon-hyung! He looked so surprised to see his painting up on your wall.”

“I sent you a picture when I first hung it up, didn’t I?”

Jungkook blushes. “Well yeah, but that was before the frame and before I got to see the rest of your house. I just can’t believe you have one of my paintings up on your wall when the rest of your house is full of stuff like this.”

“I guess I don’t see the difference,” Namjoon says. “All of the art here is stuff that I liked enough to keep and display. Your work is no different.”

“I thought maybe you were just being polite, since it was a gift,” Jungkook mumbles.

“If I had seen your painting for sale, I would have bought it in a heartbeat.”

“That’s exactly what I said,” Taehyung says. “I told you Jungkookie! He really likes it.”

“It is quite lovely,” Hoseok adds.

Yoongi nods his agreement. “Yeah, I hope my frame was able to do it justice.”

Jungkook’s face is bright red at this point, but he’s smiling wide and happy. “Thank you. You’re all so nice – and the frame was really pretty too! I am just really glad you like it, Namjoon-hyung.”

~~

After a half hour or so of chit chat, Namjoon heads toward the kitchen to go check on Jin, only to find his mate leaning against the door frame leading to the kitchen, looking out on the living room with a fond expression on his face.

He winks when he catches Namjoon staring. It really shouldn’t make him blush after all these years, but for some reason Jin has always had the ability to make Namjoon feel like a schoolboy with a crush. Thankfully, he mostly uses this power when nobody else is looking.

Hard to be taken seriously as pack alpha when you’re swooning like a lovesick teenager.

Namjoon makes his way to Jin’s side, slipping an arm around the beta’s waist and taking in the contented smell of sweet mint around him.

Jin leans over and presses a kiss to Namjoon’s temple. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Was coming to check on you actually. Do you need any help?”

“It’s all under control. I have a little time now while everything cooks, and then it’s just a few finishing touches.”

There’s a sudden happy squeal from the living room, followed by a fit of giggles that has both of them looking up to investigate.

Taehyung has thrown himself over both Jimin and Jungkook’s laps on the couch, and apparently Jungkook must have tickled him – at least if the slew of creative threats coming out of Taehyung’s mouth are anything to go by. Hoseok and Yoongi are sitting on the opposite end of the couch, laughing almost as hard as the omegas are, both pushing Jungkook to try tickling Taehyung again.

“You two are – You’re supposed to- protect me!” Taehyung accuses between bouts of laughter.

“Protection from tickles was never agreed to, Taehyungie,” Hoseok says with a grin.

“Traitors! Both of you!”

Namjoon can’t help but smile, scooting in closer to Jin and leaning against his shoulder. “It’s almost scary how well they seem to fit,” he admits.

“It is,” Jin agrees. “We’re all falling fast.”

“Even Yoongi.”

“Especially Yoongi, I think,” Jin whispers with glee. “You should see his amazon wish list over the past couple of weeks.”

“You can see his wish list?”

“Yes, but that is a secret, okay? He gave me the link a couple of years ago when he had been up for a few days working on a project and I kept pestering him about what he wanted for his birthday. I don’t think he remembers doing it.”

“So that’s how you always know the best presents to give him,” Namjoon says. “I knew you had insider info.”

“If you tell him, I will make your life hell, Namjoon-ah,” Jin threatens, but there’s no heat behind his words.

“I suppose I can keep it to myself… at least if you tell me what he’s been adding.”

“So many things. Lots of electronics because that’s just who he is, but I think he’s been doing research on popular products for omegas because I’ve seen a lot of the same brands we’ve bought for Taehyung-ah.”

“What, like clothes?”

“Oh, there’s some clothes in there, but that’s not all,” Jin says, tone laced with glee. “You remember those fancy pillows I bought for Taehyung last year?”

“Really? What else?”

“Towels, bath products, soft blankets, the works I swear. I don’t think he knew where to start. It looks like he just saved everything he thought they might like.”

“Shit, that’s so sweet,” Namjoon breathes, almost in awe at Yoongi being so ready to spoil their new mates. He always acts so aloof, and even though Namjoon knows how doting and kind he is under all of it, it’s still rare to be allowed such a clear glimpse behind the curtain. “Oh god. He can never find out that we know.”

“Never,” Jin agrees. “We take this secret to the grave.”

Jin’s phone buzzes in his pocket.

“Ah, that would be dinner. I need about ten minutes to finish everything up and get it to the table. Why don’t you go be a good alpha and herd your pack to the dining room?” Jin teases.

“Brat,” Namjoon says fondly.

“Only for you.” Jin’s tone is playful and low enough to make Namjoon want to put him on his knees. Jin takes an exaggerated breath in through his nose, which means he can probably smell where Namjoon’s thoughts have drifted. “Later, love,” he says with another wink before turning to head into the kitchen.

Namjoon takes a deep breath.

Definitely later.

Chapter Text

Seokjin couldn’t be happier with how the night has progressed. While cooking a more complex meal meant spending the opening portion of Jimin and Jungkook’s first visit to their house hard at work in the kitchen, it’s more than worth it to see the way their eyes light up when they sit down for their meal. The menu is something he gave a fair bit of thought to – or at least as much as he could with the limited time at his disposal.

The star of the show is definitely the couple of racks of ribs he’s cooked to perfection, but the hardest part was coordinating when all of the side dishes would be finished so that everything made it onto the table fresh and hot. (Hoseok had been kind enough to assist with bringing the dishes out, appearing in the kitchen just when Seokjin needed him most.)

He’s all too happy to soak in the slew of compliments and rave reviews as everyone dishes up and digs into their plates.

“Jin-hyung, this is so good,” Jungkook says around a mouthful of roasted potato. “You’ve got to teach me how to make these.”

“Absolutely. Maybe next time you can come assist me with dinner?” Seokjin offers. The opportunity to cook together would be a welcome one, plus the invitation gives him a chance to gauge Jungkook’s comfort level.

As expected, there’s nothing to worry about on that front.

“That would be awesome! I’d love to come early and help.”

While Seokjin is pleased with his successes in the kitchen, there’s plenty more to be happy about tonight too.

Namjoon is practically glowing, finally at peace with his whole pack under a single roof – their roof. It’s been impossible to miss his growing anxiety up to this point, his alpha instincts demanding to have his pack together and being denied at every turn. (And Jimin and Jungkook are part of the pack, at least as far as Namjoon’s alpha is concerned. Seokjin doesn’t doubt that for a moment.) Their brief weekly dates where the seven of them go out for dinner somewhere have done relatively little to take the edge off, the environment too stiff and the time frame too short to make a meaningful difference.

Now it’s like the tension has simply bled out of him.

He smiles and asks questions, listening with rapt attention to each interaction that happens, taking in every bit of information. He’s probably the least interested in the food out of all of them, but Seokjin can’t hold that against him. (And it’s not like Namjoon ignores the food entirely, nodding his agreement to several of the compliments made by the rest of the group.)

Namjoon and Hoseok both make several attempts to include Yoongi more before they realize it’s rather unnecessary. Whether it’s because they’re finally in their own home, or because they’ve had enough dates together for the ice to finally be broken, he seems to be more than willing to speak up. If he does get too quiet, Jungkook (who’s sitting next to him) leans over to bump their shoulders together and ask his opinion on whatever topic is at hand.

Yes, things are progressing very well.

They all stay at the table long after they’ve finished eating, now talking about what plans they have for the week ahead. (Seokjin is pleased to see so many empty dishes on the table, proof that the meal was well received and his pack has eaten well.)

“So, the two of you start classes tomorrow, right?” Hoseok asks.

“Yeah. Kookie starts a little earlier than me, but we’re gonna leave at the same time so we can get breakfast together,” Jimin says with a smile.

“Jiminie agreed to get donuts with me,” Jungkook says. “We’re going to the same bakery you guys went to on our game night date, Hobi-hyung.”

“You guys are so cute,” Taehyung says, almost dreamily. “I wanna go on a bakery date.”

“Do you wanna meet up with us?” Jimin offers.

“Can’t tomorrow. Jin-hyung has a meeting with some new clients and I wanna go with him to make sure he’s safe.”

“Why don’t you and Jin-hyung just go tomorrow morning then?” Yoongi asks.

“Because hyung is waking up early tomorrow to do some other work. I’m gonna have to meet him there,” Taehyung says with a dramatic sigh. “Wait, I know! Why don’t you come with me tomorrow, Yoongi-hyung?”

Yoongi raises an unimpressed brow. “I’m guessing this will be before noon?”

“Well yeah, but–”

“Too early, not happening.”

“But Yoongles,” Taehyung whines, looking up at Yoongi with wide, begging eyes.

“Oi, don't call me that! I’m your hyung.”

“But you let Joonie-hyung and Hobi-hyung call you that!”

Namjoon snorts with laughter. “Yeah, he barely lets me get away with that one. Hoseok-ah is the only one he really accepts it from.”

“That’s because I’m his favorite,” Hoseok stage whispers to the table with a wink. (It’s true – they all know it even if Hoseok thinks it’s only a joke.)

From there, the conversation devolves into a discussion about nicknames, from how Seokjin and Hoseok lean more toward cutesy nicknames and endearments, to Yoongi and Namjoon who tend to be a bit more buttoned up about nicknames. Taehyung is all over the place, as he is in most things, but they all tend to find that endearing (except maybe Yoongi, it seems – or at least when it comes to being called Yoongles).

“Did Jiminie ever tell you his old nickname?” Jungkook asks the table.

“Oh god, Kookie – nobody’s called me that in years. It’s fine, we don’t need to bring it up.” Jimin’s cheeks are already starting to flush just at the mention of this, though he tries to hide it behind his glass as he takes a drink of water.

Hoseok notices – of course. “Ooh, I definitely wanna hear this. What was it, Jungkookie?”

“Some of our friends back in Busan used to call him Minnie. I always thought it was super cute!” Jungkook says with that charming grin, his smile only widening as Jimin’s flush deepens. “Aww, it’s okay, hyung.”

Jimin looks ready to either kill Jungkook or dive under the table to escape, since he’s flanked on either side by Taehyung and Hoseok.

“Minnie?” Hoseok tries, testing the word out with a smile. “That really is cute.”

Jimin lets out a long groan and leans over to hug Taehyung, turning to hide his face in the other omega’s shoulder. Taehyung seems incredibly pleased by this development and wraps his arms around Jimin right away, grinning from ear to ear.

“Does it bother you, Jiminie?” Taehyung asks.

“No, it’s fine,” Jimin mumbles into Taehyung’s shoulder. “I just haven’t heard it in a long time and it’s weird.”

Jungkook leans forward, a grin still plastered on his face, and silently mouths to the rest of them ‘he likes it.’

Hoseok’s smile widens and he nods, clearly intending to use this information to the fullest. He’s not the only one who seems to agree either – with Namjoon also giving a thoughtful little nod.

As conversation moves on, Jimin does eventually make his way back out of hiding (much to Taehyung’s displeasure as he reluctantly lets Jimin go).

The next hour or so passes with a flurry of conversation. They discuss Jungkook and Jimin’s excitement for their classes tomorrow, Taehyung’s desire for a breakfast date (which ends up on the schedule for later in the week), and eventually land on everyone’s plans for the evening. Jimin and Jungkook admit that they probably shouldn’t stay too much longer tonight, since they have their first day of classes in the morning. This has everyone checking the time and remarking at how fast it’s gone, and Seokjin is inclined to agree.

The evening has gone by incredibly quickly.

“I’ll let one of the security guys know that you two will be out for a ride home soon,” Hoseok says, already typing out a text message.

“Are you sure?” Jimin asks. “We could walk down a few blocks and catch the bus, no problem.”

Namjoon is already shaking his head before Jimin has finished speaking. “Please, I would feel much better knowing that the two of you are in safe hands.”

“Okay. In that case, thank you, Namjoon-hyung.”

“Do you want us to help with the cleanup before we go, Jin-hyung?” Jungkook asks. “It’s the least we could do since you cooked all of this for us.”

“Absolutely not,” Seokjin answers. There is no way that he will have the two of them cleaning up on their very first visit. “Your presence is all the payment I require.”

“Yeah, good luck with that one,” Hoseok says. “It took me like ten visits before Jinnie-hyung would let me help even a little.”

Jungkook thinks this over for a few seconds before turning to Seokjin with a serious look. “Hyung, if you let me come help with cooking, you have to let me help clean up too. Please?”

He is far too cute for his own good, and obviously very used to it getting him what he wants – a trend Seokjin won’t be able to end here. “I accept those terms,” he says, watching the grin that splits on Jungkook’s face immediately.

“Thank you, hyung!”

Hoseok’s mouth is actually hanging open in shock. (It’s quite the achievement – surprising Hoseok is a rare treat.) “Really? I asked you to let me help so many times,” he says. “And it’s not like I didn’t try bargaining.”

“Yes, well I’m not sure you ever asked quite so sweetly,” Seokjin jokes.

It’s the right thing to say. Hoseok just shakes his head and lets it go, while Jungkook flushes at the compliment.

Perfect.

Seokjin doesn’t need to bring up that part of the reason he denied Hoseok’s requests for so long was because his motivations for offering to clean were quite a bit different than Jungkook’s. Hoseok has a tendency to use helping people as a way to deflect attention away from himself and his needs. While he’s gotten considerably better about it, he still slips from time to time. Seokjin was very careful not to reinforce that habit in the early days of their courting. Even now, he’s by far the least indulgent of it – though that’s likely because he's the most hyper aware of when it’s happening.

Hoseok is very good at deceiving people, but he’s not all that good at deceiving Seokjin.

As Jimin and Jungkook begin to say their goodbyes, Seokjin can’t help but spot a good opportunity for Yoongi to get a little extra time with the two of them. Someone really should walk them out to the car, and there’s no reason they can’t send Yoongi if he’s willing.

Namjoon’s attention is easy enough to get – just a gentle nudge from Seokjin’s knee and a couple of exchanged glances (including a quick flick of his head in Yoongi’s direction) are enough to get his point across.

Just like he’d promised, Namjoon is discreet. Seokjin only sees him reaching for Yoongi’s wrist because he’s looking for it. There’s a brief pause after he does it where Yoongi looks a little uncertain but eventually he gives a tiny nod, already starting to blush. Seokjin gives Yoongi a little bit of time to calm himself. He needs to wait for the right opening before he asks anyways.

At the very least, he isn’t kept waiting long.

“Well, if you’re absolutely sure you don’t want our help cleaning up,” Jimin starts, rising from his seat with Jungkook just a moment behind him. “We probably should get going.”

“Yeah, big day tomorrow,” Jungkook agrees. “This has been so fun though. Hopefully all of us can hang out together again soon.”

Jimin glances toward the hallway and then back at Namjoon. “Should we just head back down to where they brought us in, or…?”

“Why don’t you let Yoongi-yah walk you out?” Seokjin says. “It’s dark out now, so you might want a little help navigating your way out to the gate.”

“Sure, if you’re willing, Yoongi-ssi,” Jimin says.

Yoongi rolls his eyes at the formality (though Seokjin suspects it’s more of a game at this point than a genuine show of discomfort on Jimin’s part). “Yeah, I’ll walk you guys out.”

Taehyung leaps up from his seat. “I wanna come too.”

This night just keeps getting better. Yoongi getting to take all three omegas out (even briefly) is just the cutest image, and it will be a good opportunity for them to bond. Plus, Taehyung is always good at getting Yoongi to be a bit indulgent in ways he doesn’t always show around the other alphas.

Yes, this is ideal.

Yoongi agrees to Taehyung tagging along and then they’re all working their way toward the foyer for proper goodbyes – hugs for all of them, Seokjin notes with pleasure. There are plenty of promises to text updates for their first day of classes and then Yoongi is leading all three omegas out into the night air, leaving Seokjin, Hoseok, and Namjoon standing in the foyer.

There’s a moment where Seokjin can just feel both of them buzzing with energy on either side of him, unsure where to put it now that their company has gone, but Hoseok doesn’t let it linger long.

“So, do I get to help you clean up tonight, or do I have to ask sweeter?” he teases, giving Seokjin a playful nudge.

“I believe you have long since earned the privilege, Hobi-yah.”

~~

The three of them make relatively quick work of the table. Seokjin packs away the small amount of leftovers while Hoseok and Namjoon carry dishes into the kitchen for him. When Yoongi and Taehyung get back in, it’s very apparent that Taehyung has been scented by both Jimin and Jungkook.

“They said they would text when they got home,” Yoongi says as he steps up to the sink to start helping, his own scent all warm and spicy with contentment.

It’s obvious that seeing Jimin and Jungkook off went well for him, and Seokjin is incredibly happy about that. It’s important to have some early successes to reinforce this new strategy for keeping him involved, and right now is the perfect time to practice, when everything is already good and the stakes are nice and low.

Yoongi does seem to be feeling better, far more relaxed after finally talking with Namjoon. Those two really have come so far. Sometimes it’s hard to remember how completely in denial they were when Taehyung and Seokjin met them back in college – two roommates so busy pining after one another and trying to ignore their feelings that they couldn’t see just how interested the other was. (Taehyung had dismantled that fairly quickly of course, all but cornering Namjoon and laying out all the evidence for why he was absolutely certain they were in love.)

Back then a talk about feelings definitely would have ended with yelling and probably a wrestling match. Though while they have (mostly) stopped yelling at one another, the wrestling is still an important part of their dynamic as Seokjin understands it.

It works for them and that’s all that matters.

Taehyung is quick to pull Hoseok away, clearly in need of some cuddles and attention to settle him after such a big night. Seokjin is eager to send them off together. Hoseok will need all the one-on-one attention they can make him accept if he’s going to be taking on another big job so soon. The job he’d recently finished for Namjoon was small – a personal project. Those ones don’t seem to drag Hoseok down the way that the big jobs have started to.

It’s something they’ll need to work toward talking about, but Seokjin is prepared for a long uphill battle on that front. Hoseok can be particularly difficult when it comes to trying to get him to put his own needs first.

Once those two leave the kitchen hand in hand, Seokjin is left with Namjoon and Yoongi to assist in the cleanup. They chat a little as they work. Yoongi says that Jimin and Jungkook were still talking up his cooking on the way out to the car, raving about crispy potatoes and his homemade pickles, not to mention the ribs. It’s wonderful to know that dinner was enough of a hit for them to be complimenting it even without Seokjin there to hear it.

Not that he doubts his successes, but there’s nothing wrong with a little extra recognition for the things he does well.

“Were they at all upset to have missed the chance to see your office, Yoongi-yah?” Seokjin asks.

“Nah, they only just remembered as they were getting into the car, but I promised to show them eventually. I think their tour was already more than enough for one day.”

Seokjin hums thoughtfully. “Yes, Taehyung-ah did give them quite the look around. They seemed comfortable.”

“Yeah,” Yoongi says, huffing out a laugh as he dries one of Seokjin’s frying pans. “I don’t think Taehyung-ah gave them much of a choice. The three of them have bonded so fast.”

Yoongi is right. It truly is impressive how close their omegas have become in such a short period of time, and how easily they fit together.

Namjoon has gone mostly quiet while Seokjin and Yoongi talk, with only the occasional nod or hum to indicate he’s listening. His scent has been somewhat subdued since their company left, but it steadily grows as they get closer to wrapping up the dishes. Yoongi catches it too, if the way he looks Namjoon up and down with his brows furrowed is any indication. It’s not quite the scent Seokjin would have expected after the evening they’ve had, bouncing somewhere between frustration and content, with the occasional tiny burst of heat almost like…

Ah. Yes, he knows what this is.

“Yoongi-yah, the two of us can finish up here. Thank you for your help,” Seokjin says, fixing Yoongi with his very best warm smile, made to deter any argument.

“You sure?”

“Yes, there isn’t much left to do, and I think Taehyung-ah might benefit from some attention from both you and Hoseok-ah. He seemed a little restless.” In truth, it’s Hoseok who really needs the attention, but it will be better received if he isn’t the clear focus of it.

Yoongi quirks his head just a tad before giving a shrug and putting down his towel. “Okay, I’ll make sure he’s taken care of, hyung.”

“Thank you, darling,” Jin answers, pulling Yoongi in for a quick peck on the lips and then sending him on his way.

He and Namjoon finish the dishes in silence, with Namjoon taking care of putting most of them away while Seokjin handles wiping down the counters and the stove. After that all he really needs to do is give the dining room table a quick cleaning and everything will be pristine once again.

Namjoon hovers in the doorway, eyes never leaving Seokjin.

He’s cute like this – not quite uncertain but probably not entirely sure what exactly he needs either, just that he’s impatient for it and trusts that Seokjin can give it to him. (Which he can, of course.) Namjoon needs an outlet, somewhere safe to dump all of the feelings he’s having where he can be certain they won't be a burden to anyone else. Some reassurances and physical affection will probably go over quite well too. All things that Seokjin is more than eager to provide.

When the last of the cleaning is done, he approaches Namjoon in the doorway, stepping in close and pressing a kiss to his alpha’s cheek. “Would you like to go upstairs, love?”

Namjoon mutters a very quiet, “Please,” and turns to lead the way up to their bedroom.

The living room is empty when they pass by, and Seokjin is willing to bet that the other three have moved into Yoongi’s office or Hoseok’s room by now. They shouldn’t need assistance from either him or Namjoon tonight.

As soon as they enter the bedroom, Namjoon closes the door behind them and then pulls Seokjin into his arms. His mask drops entirely in the space of only a few moments, leaning heavily into their embrace and letting his scent roll off him in strong waves – revealing a hint of fear and anxiety that Seokjin had been able to guess at in the kitchen, but now is confirmed by the slight bitter edge to his scent.

“Oh, darling, you’re feeling quite a bit right now, aren’t you?” Seokjin rubs up and down Namjoon’s spine, already nosing at his scent gland. “Why don’t you tell me what’s worrying you?”

“It just – Fuck, it all went so well,” Namjoon mumbles, letting out a long sigh against Seokjin’s shoulder. “They’re perfect for us.”

“While I’m inclined to agree, I’d like for you to tell me why you find that distressing.”

“I don’t, I just… I can’t keep myself from – How am I supposed to be the reasonable one when I’m falling just as hard as everyone else?”

Oh, his poor baby, trying so hard to keep a level head to take care of the pack. Namjoon really is the best pack alpha they ever could have asked for, but Seokjin knows that it can weigh heavily on him sometimes. He’s so thankful that Namjoon allows him to see him like this – that he trusts him enough to seek out these moments alone together.

“You can’t help how you feel, Joon-ah,” Seokjin says, pressing a kiss to his mate’s cheek. “Nobody expects you not to have feelings.”

“But what if something goes wrong and I’m too invested and I can’t be strong for the pack?”

“Being a strong leader doesn’t mean never being overcome by emotion. Nobody expects that from you. You are always strong enough for us, Namjoon-ah – I promise. And if something does go wrong, pretending you’re not invested will not make it any easier to bear.”

Namjoon takes a few seconds of silence to think through Seokjin’s words before finally taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, his scent starting to even out just a little. “I know you’re right. I know it, but…” He buries his face in Seokjin’s neck, breathing right next to his scent gland now.

“It’s still frightening?”

“Yes. I just feel like I’m falling so fast.”

“You are,” Seokjin agrees. “But there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s okay to let yourself feel it, especially right now – when you’re safe here with me and nobody else needs you.”

“I suppose it’s… You’re right. Again.”

“Then talk to me, Joon-ah. Tell me how you’re feeling about them.”

“Taehyung adores them,” Namjoon says quickly – and once he begins speaking, the words just keep tumbling out. “He looked so happy tonight with them, and they are so comfortable with him too. Omegas bonding is supposed to be difficult, but the three of them are already inseparable. And then the way that Yoongi and Jungkook have taken a liking to one another – God, and Jimin and Hoseok – And you.” Namjoon starts to flounder a little at the end, rubbing his face into Seokjin’s scent gland in jerky little motions as his voice cracks.

Seokjin encourages it, pressing a hand gently to the back of Namjoon’s head and leaving the other one steady on his back, keeping him grounded and close. “Can you tell me how you feel about any of those things, darling?”

For a moment Namjoon freezes against him, then he lets out a little bark of laughter. “I did it again, didn’t I?”

“You mean giving me an update on how you think everyone else is doing instead of one about you? Yes, you did,” Seokjin says with a fond little laugh of his own before pressing a kiss to the side of Namjoon’s head. “You know I love how much you care about our mates, but right now I want to hear about you, Joon-ah.”

“Sorry,” Namjoon mumbles, sounding calmer now that he’s had a bit of a laugh to break the tension. “I always think I’m going to do alright, but then we’re all together and it’s like I can feel my heart swelling against my chest. Jimin-ah greeted me with a hug today and I thought I was going to burst with how happy it made me – and that was just the first two minutes of them being here. Seeing the whole pack so happy and settling into them being in our space was just… It’s good – really good – but it’s so much.”

“There you go,” Seokjin praises. “That’s much better. You seemed to do very well until they had gone. Tell me how you felt as they were leaving.”

“Wanted them to stay,” Namjoon admits.

“Did you?”

“Yeah, I – I had to fight not to offer to clear out a guest bedroom for them. I know they couldn’t have stayed, even if they were comfortable enough and it wasn’t way too soon. They have classes tomorrow and it wouldn’t have made sense but I just… It was good, having them here with us where I know they’re safe.”

“I wish they could have stayed too. They will eventually feel comfortable staying the night, but until then at least they feel safe enough to come to our home and we can all work together to make it a secure, appealing place to them. All good things in due time. I for one am very excited for Jungkook-ah to help me cook for our next date night, and Jimin-ah will eventually come and bake with me too.”

Seokjin can feel Namjoon smile against his neck. “Yeah, I’ll be happy for those things to happen too.”

“And that’s just what I have planned right now. I’m sure there will be many more visits – perhaps even some that you could arrange to enjoy some more quality time with them.”

The thought is certainly appealing. Seokjin is already imagining a time where they feel so comfortable that they don’t even call before coming over, when they understand that this space is one they are always welcome in. Even with that goal in mind, there are so many things to look forward to in between then and now as well. The future is looking bright indeed.

The anxiety is almost entirely gone from Namjoon’s scent now, tension leaving his body as he presses his lips to Seokjin’s scent gland with purpose this time. “Thank you, hyung,” he says, voice gone softer. “I appreciate you so much, you know?”

Seokjin has to fight back a knowing grin. Namjoon’s scent is taking on the same hint of sweetness it had earlier in the evening – when Namjoon had looked at him with dark eyes, and Seokjin had promised ‘later’. It’s a pretty good indicator of exactly where his thoughts are headed now, but Seokjin is in no hurry. They have plenty of time if Namjoon wants to take it.

“Do you now?” Seokjin asks playfully.

Namjoon lets out a puff of laughter and gives a tiny nip to Seokjin’s neck, just above his scent gland but close enough to send a shiver down his spine. “I really do, and not just for you bringing me up here and helping me sort out my feelings – but again, thank you for that.”

“It was my pleasure. I admit though, I’m curious about what else you’re feeling so appreciative about.”

“You’ve been incredible these last couple of days – more than usual,” Namjoon says, voice pitched low and warm against Seokjin’s neck. “You took care of everyone last night, found space for Yoongi to get some extra time in today, got Jungkook-ah to agree to another visit, and – God, that dinner, baby.”

As much as Seokjin loves flattery, that last bit does give him a moment of pause. “I have to say, I didn’t think you were all that taken with the food at the time.”

“The food was delicious. Your cooking always is…”

“But?”

“You did so well, provided for our omegas – for our whole pack,” Namjoon says, his voice strained. “Fed them up so well they wanted to come back just to learn how to cook like you.”

Oh.

It’s clear that Namjoon needs an outlet for all those nagging alpha urges he’s been suppressing for the last few hours. His scent has really gone sweet now, warm and inviting like a blanket fresh from the dryer – a reward for all of Seokjin’s hard work.

It would be terribly impolite not to accept his prize.

Seokjin tilts his head, offering up his throat and letting out a low, “Did I do well, alpha?”

Namjoon’s breath leaves him in a quick hiss as he latches onto Seokjin’s scent gland, intent on sucking a new bruise over the scar left by his claiming bite years before.

It doesn’t leave him boneless quite the same way as a proper nip would but it still has Seokjin letting out a gasp, a hot curl of arousal already starting to bloom in his belly. “Joon-ah,” he whispers, voice shaking. “I have a meeting tomorrow.”

He can wear a turtleneck if he has to. It’s not a real complaint – not really. He’s just looking for a reaction, and Namjoon knows that too.

“Let them see,” Namjoon answers, sucking more marks into his skin. “They should know you’re mine.”

Seokjin loves Namjoon like this, possessive and hungry, intent on staking his claim. And he knows exactly what lies in wait beneath all of that:

A desperate desire to please.

~~

It’s no hardship to let Namjoon take his fill.

Seokjin gives himself over to it completely, letting Namjoon strip him bare and lay him out on their bed to be marked as thoroughly as he pleases – which as it turns out is quite thorough indeed. Namjoon takes his time coating Seokjin’s chest with marks first, sucking bruises into the skin and then soothing them with his tongue, murmuring praise as he works.

“So pretty, hyung. Such a good mate – always take such good care of us.”

Seokjin is so hard it almost hurts, but he knows the value of patience, knows it will feel that much better if he lets Namjoon work him over first. They all know how possessive Namjoon can be but he is usually quite reluctant to lean into those urges, so getting to actually experience them first hand is always a treat.

This time it’s been brewing for a while, only heightened by new mates that he can’t stake a claim on and all the additional stresses that come with that. It’s probably why there must be nearly fifty bruises dotting his body by the time Namjoon starts to wind down.

Seokjin is nothing if not indulgent to his mates.

“Perfect,” Namjoon mutters as he licks over one of the many marks he’s left on Seokjin’s thighs. “Strong and pretty and mine.” As soon as the words are out of his mouth he bares his teeth, preparing to bite another bruise into the skin.

“Gentle, darling,” Seokjin instructs, just as teeth start to press into the meat of his thigh.

Namjoon relaxes his jaw immediately, settling for a soft nip to the skin. “Gentle,” he repeats. He might be letting go, giving into his needs, but he still listens so well. “Going to take such good care of you.”

“You are taking good care of me. Such a good alpha, Joon-ah.”

Namjoon whines at the words and drags his lips higher up Seokjin’s thigh before latching on to suck a fresh hickey up near his hip. Seokjin doesn’t necessarily mind being bitten – sometimes he even craves it – but encouraging Namjoon to be gentle is a good way to remind the alpha that he can control himself, even if he feels like he can’t when he gets like this.

And maybe Seokjin likes the way he pouts and whines when he’s denied the privilege of using his teeth – likes knowing that their pack alpha will do anything he asks. It’s an intoxicating rush, getting to guide him when he’s like this, one that Seokjin relishes at every opportunity.

For the first time tonight, Namjoon’s attention finally drifts from his task and he turns his head just enough to take a good look at Seokjin’s cock – only inches from his face, flushed red and shining wet with arousal. Namjoon’s pupils dilate at the sight and he licks his lips before looking up at Seokjin with hazy eyes.

Oh, he’s a sight like this. Flooded with relief after finally getting to let out some of that building tension, limbs gone loose and a little uncoordinated, his scent so warm and thick in the air that it’s almost making Seokjin’s head swim.

Perfect.

“Feeling better, Joon-ah?” Seokjin asks, reaching down to brush Namjoon’s bangs out of his eyes.

Namjoon hums in agreement, pressing a tiny almost apologetic kiss to the side of Seokjin’s cock, not seeming to mind the wetness that smears on his cheek as he does it. Fuck. It’s obscene and so, so hot that Seokjin swears he can feel another drop of precum slide down his dick at the sight. He might not even be imagining it, judging by the way Namjoon smiles and lets out a tiny little puff of laughter before sitting up on his knees and looking slowly over the expanse of Seokjin’s body with awe.

“Wow, I really…” Namjoon reaches out and runs a slow, reverent hand down Seokjin’s flank, trailing over bruises as he goes. “Too much?” he asks carefully.

“Not even a little,” Seokjin answers, opening his arms and watching with amusement as Namjoon scrambles into them, cuddling in close and leaning in for a kiss that Seokjin is only too happy to provide. One kiss turns to two, then three before he pulls back to ask, “What do you need, darling?”

“Want you,” Namjoon whispers, giving more little pecks to Seokjin’s cheek. “You do so much, take such good care of the pack. Wanna make you feel good.”

Those words could mean a lot of things considering how fluid their relationship is, and while Seokjin might feel like he has a good idea of where this is going, it never hurts to ask. “And how would you like to do that, hmm?”

Namjoon blushes, little dimples forming in his cheeks as he smiles. He’s so handsome when he smiles like this, and Seokjin knows exactly what the reaction means – Namjoon fully intends to indulge him. “Wanna let you take care of me, but only if that’s what you want too.”

As if there was anything on the planet that Seokjin could want more at this moment.

“Oh, fully intent on spoiling me tonight, aren’t you?”

“Only if you let me,” Namjoon answers, smile widening.

“Are you going to let me nip you?”

Namjoon sucks his lower lip into his mouth, thinking – probably running through a mental checklist to make sure all of his responsibilities are handled. With Taehyung in Yoongi and Hoseok’s care, no work meetings until tomorrow, and Jungkook and Jimin’s promise to text upon their safe arrival home, everything should be taken care of.

Namjoon seems to reach the same conclusion.

“You can nip me.”

Seokjin wants to – so badly that it leaves his teeth aching, but still it’s important to be certain. “You’re sure? If you don’t want to, I’ll be just as content to take you apart without it.”

“No, I…” Namjoon’s blush deepens and he looks right into Seokjin’s eyes as he says, “I want you to, please.”

~~

Namjoon takes everything so perfectly – pliant and loose-limbed from the moment Seokjin gets his teeth in him, and so delightfully eager for every touch he receives. He’s beautiful, whining and wriggling in Seokjin’s lap, trying desperately to rock back onto the three fingers stuffed inside of him.

“Hyung, please, I want…” he breathes, trailing off into a moan when Seokjin leans in to latch his mouth onto a nipple. They must be quite sensitive by this point, swollen and surrounded by pretty pink suck marks from all the teasing Seokjin has already put him through.

He twists his wrist and delights in how Namjoon’s legs shake when he presses into his prostate. The angle isn’t ideal, but it’s so worth it to have a front row seat to his gorgeous alpha falling apart for him.

“What do you want, darling?” Seokjin asks, thumbing at Namjoon’s other nipple and watching his eyelashes flutter.

“Want you, please.”

“You already have me, or have you forgotten?” Seokjin smiles and presses his fingers as deep as he can, drawing out another low whine that he leans forward to swallow in a kiss. It’s filthy, a mess of open mouths and tongue and all the pretty noises his mate breathes into it – Perfect.

Namjoon eventually breaks away, panting and whispering, “Want you inside of me – Your cock, hyung, please.”

He probably has teased enough for one night, no matter how much he loves Namjoon like this. They’ve both been achingly hard for far too long.

“Then you’ll have me, love.”

Seokjin pulls his fingers free and prepares to move the two of them, but Namjoon places a hand on his chest. “Wait, I want – Can we… Like this?” he eventually manages, already looking fucked out as he gazes down at Seokjin.

What a delightful proposition.

“Of course. Whenever you’re ready, Joon-ah,” Seokjin answers, helping to steady Namjoon as he positions himself just above his cock. Just before he sinks down, Seokjin reaches up to cup his cheek. “As slow as you want, darling. There’s no rush.” Mostly he just wants to make sure this isn’t over too quickly, with how worked up they both are – wants to savor every moment they have.

Apparently, Namjoon feels the same.

He takes Seokjin in slowly, eyes slipping closed as they both let out a moan in unison. He’s perfect, warm and tight and taking in every inch of him like he was made for it. Again, Seokjin lets his hand slide down Namjoon’s chest to thumb at an abused nipple, loving the way it makes the alpha clench down around him with a low whine.

“Beautiful, Joon-ah. So lovely like this.”

“You feel – I’m so full,” Namjoon whispers, eyes fluttering back open to look down at him for a moment before leaning in for a kiss.

The pace Namjoon sets would be agonizing any other time but it’s perfect right now, when they’re both so worked up that every slight motion feels like heaven. He hardly even lifts himself halfway up before sliding back down, keeping Seokjin buried deep inside of him. When his thighs start to shake with exertion, Seokjin holds him in place and fucks up into him at the same slow pace, pressing kisses into his chest and muttering praise until they’re both starting to fall apart at the seams.

“Jin – hyung… Please- I’m so –” Namjoon cuts himself off with a gasp as Seokjin gives a particularly hard thrust, grinding their hips together. “Fuck, please.”

“What is it you want, darling? I can feel you getting tighter, squeezing me so nice. Are you getting close, Joon-ah?” Namjoon gives a couple of quick nods, hips trying to jerk unsuccessfully in Seokjin’s grip. “Yeah? Gonna show me how good you feel? How gorgeous you look coming apart for me?”

“Feels so good, hyung… I can’t – Not gonna last,” Namjoon whines.

“Me too, love. It’s okay,” Seokjin soothes, continuing his slow thrusts that punch moan after moan out of his mate. He’s so close, heat curling tight in his belly. “You’re perfect, darling, so pretty like this. You can touch yourself.”

Namjoon doesn’t waste a moment, reaching down to fist his cock and immediately crying out at the pressure. “Fuck – I’m gonna… It’s so much.”

“That’s it. Come on, Joon-ah. Make yourself cum for me.”

A few quick strokes is all it takes to send Namjoon tumbling over the edge. He’s beautiful, crying out with his head thrown back, clenching tight and shaking with overstimulation as Seokjin fucks him through it, chasing his own release. It only takes him another minute or so, fucking up into Namjoon even as he collapses onto Seokjin’s chest, tiny whines dragged out of him with every thrust and his hole twitching around Seokjin with aftershocks.

“Wan’ it, hyung,” Namjoon slurs. “Wanna feel you cum, please.”

It’s the last little whimpered ‘please’ that finally has him cumming, fumbling to capture Namjoon’s lips in a sloppy kiss as he fills him up. It’s hardly a kiss, more like panting into each other’s mouths, but he loves it all the same, wrapping his arms around Namjoon to keep him close.

Neither of them move for a while, content to keep cuddling while Seokjin plants soft little kisses all over Namjoon’s face. “You were perfect, Joon-ah. So sweet for me. I love you so much.”

“Love you too, hyung. Felt so good,” Namjoon whispers back.

A stash of wet wipes in the drawer of Seokjin’s nightstand makes the cleanup easy at least, not even requiring them to leave the bed – which is good because he doesn’t intend on letting Namjoon go anytime soon. The slow atmosphere of intimacy and comfort they’ve managed to create is one he can’t bear the thought of giving up until the morning.

“Are you feeling better, love?” Seokjin asks once they’ve cuddled back up under the blankets, Namjoon’s head resting comfortably on his chest.

“A lot better. I needed that – needed you. Thank you for taking care of me tonight,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to Seokjin’s chest.

“Thank you for letting me. I think I needed that too, and you know I love it when you let me look after you in any capacity.”

Namjoon hums in agreement, going silent for a minute before he speaks again. “I really am happy, you know? All of this is still new and we’re figuring out how to navigate it but… I wouldn’t have it any other way. Are you happy too?”

“I am,” Seokjin says. “So happy, Joon-ah.”

Chapter Text

[Jimin to Jungkook]

[Jimin]: Oh god I forgot how much I hate morning classes

[JK]: they arent that bad if you go to bed at a decent time hyung

[Jimin]: I tried

[Jimin]: I’m so exhausted

[JK]: dont worry that just means youll sleep good tonight

[JK]: plus after your first dance practice i bet youll feel way better

[Jimin]: Ugh. You’re probably right

[Jimin]: Your first class go okay?

[JK]: yeah but it was an art class

[Jimin]: What do you have next?

[JK]: statistics

[JK]: wish me luck hyung

[Jimin]: No luck needed. You’re so smart. I know you’re gonna do great (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

[JK]: youre the best jiminie

~

[Hobi to Jungkook]

[Hobi]: u all done 4 the day? :D

[JK]: yeah just got out of my last class

[Hobi]: how did it go? was it nice 2 b back?

[JK]: yeah it went really good

[JK]: maybe a little boring since it was the first day but still good

[Hobi]: anything in particular ur looking forward 2? :D

[JK]: oh i get to do a sculpting class this year and i am real excited for that

[JK]: ive never done it before

[Hobi]: that sounds so cool

[Hobi]: are there other classes ur excited for?

[JK]: yeah i love our photography professor so that will be fun too

[JK]: gonna get some cool shots of jiminie now that hes dancing again

[Hobi]: will u show me some of them sometime?

[JK]: sure hyung

[JK]: do you like photography or just curious

[Hobi]: i’m interested in all sorts of art. not a connoisseur like joon-ah but i still appreciate it ;D

[Hobi]: plus i would love a chance to see any of ur work

~

[Taehyung to Jimin]

[Tae]: did you survive your first day? ヾ(•ω•`)o

[Jimin]: Yeah we both made it through (●'◡'●)

[Jimin]: How was your day?

[Tae]: nothing too exciting

[Tae]: jin-hyung had that meeting and i went with just in case but nothing happened

[Jimin]: Oh that’s good

[Tae]: boring honestly

[Tae]: but at least we got snacks after

[Jimin]: Would you prefer someone try and attack you?

[Tae]: i mean at least it would be more exciting

[Tae]: just wait

[Tae]: if you ever see one of jin-hyung’s meetings you’ll wish you were getting attacked too (✿◠‿◠)

[Jimin]: That bad huh?

[Tae]: money laundering is a lot less exciting than it sounds

[Jimin]: It doesn’t really sound that exciting to begin with (￣▽￣)”

[Tae]: exactly (；′⌒`)

[Tae]: so when do i get to see you dance?

[Jimin]: I mean there won't be performances until later in the year

[Jimin]: And I doubt you wanna see me practice when I don’t have any of the routines down

[Tae]: how dare you assume that ᇂ_ᇂ

[Tae]: after hearing jungkook talk you up i am so excited to get a peek

[Jimin]: We probably still have video files for some of my old performances if you’re that interested

[Tae]: YES ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

[Tae]: send now please

[Jimin]: Give me a bit to find them

[Tae]: k i will be vibrating in place and watching my phone like a hawk (・ω<)

[Jimin]: ( 〃▽〃)

~

[Jin to Jimin]

[Jin]: How was your first day back in school?

[Jimin]: Hey Jin-hyung (●'◡'●)

[Jimin]: It was good. There’s still a couple of people I know from before in the dance program so it’s been nice to catch up a little. I’m really excited

[Jimin]: How was your day? Taehyung said your meeting was boring which I assume was probably good?

[Jin]: Taehyung’s interpretation of boring differs quite heavily from mine.

[Jin]: But he was right this time. The meeting was boring ;-D

[Jimin]: Is that a good thing or…?

[Jin]: Not good, but not bad either. Essentially, nothing happened in the whole three hours. It was a bunch of posturing about possibilities without any real numbers to back it up.

[Jin]: About as close to a waste of time as my meetings can get.

[Jimin]: That sounds awful

[Jimin]: No wonder Taehyung said he wanted to get attacked (・_・;)

[Jin]: Excuse me. He what?

[Jimin]: I’m sure he was just making a joke (￣▽￣)”

[Jin]: Somehow I doubt that >:-|

[Jimin]: You know I wanted to thank you again

[Jin]: Oh? For what, Jimin-ah?

[Jimin]: I mean for everything really

[Jimin]: But especially last night. Me and Kookie had a really good time （。＾▽＾）

[Jin]: I’m so glad to hear that. We all had a great time too :-)

[Jin]: I admit that I was surprised by just how natural it felt to have you both in our space. And there’s something absolutely enchanting about seeing the two of you with Taehyung-ah.

[Jin]: Hopefully that isn’t too terribly forward of me to say.

[Jimin]: Not at all ( 〃▽〃)

[Jimin]: It really did feel easy. Way less awkward than I expected. You’re all so welcoming

[Jimin]: And yeah there’s something really nice about spending time with Taehyung. I mean we really like all of you but something about him just clicked with both of us right from the start I think

[Jin]: I’m glad. He was so immediately taken with the two of you and seeing it reciprocated is heartwarming. :-)

[Jin]: I should ask something though.

[Jimin]: Oh?

[Jin]: Was there anything last night that made either of you uncomfortable?

[Jimin]: No nothing at all

[Jimin]: We both had such a great night. I’m excited to come back (●'◡'●)

[Jin]: Oh that makes me so happy, Jimin-ah.

[Jin]: If there’s ever anything we do that you don’t like, please don’t hesitate to tell me.

[Jimin]: Okay hyung. We’ll let you know if anything comes up

[Jin]: Thank you.

[Jin]: And for the record, we’re very excited for the two of you to come back as well ;-D

[Jimin]: Next week? („• ֊ •„)

[Jin]: Yes I think so.

[Jimin]: Can’t wait （。＾▽＾）

~

[Jungkook to Yoongi]

[JK]: Attachment: Screenshot

[JK]: hyung look i can take a class for how to put together a computer

[Yoongi]: It’s only one credit and I bet you they make you work the IT help desk for an hour a week. Do you need credits that bad?

[JK]: no i just thought maybe it would be neat

[JK]: im just looking at classes for next semester so i know what i wanna sign up for when they let us

[Yoongi]: Look, if you don’t need to take computer courses, don’t bother unless you really want to. I can teach you anything you want to learn and you won’t have to risk getting stuck in a shitty class.

[JK]: but wont it be annoying if i dont have a clue what im doing

[Yoongi]: No. You not having a clue means I get to teach you the correct way right from the start.

[Yoongi]: And honestly you’re kind of cute when you’re confused.

[JK]: thank you i think

[Yoongi]: It was definitely a compliment.

[Yoongi]: Anyway, how many nights in a row are you and Jimin-ah going to eat cereal for dinner?

[JK]: i had class and work the last two days so i was tired

[JK]: ill try to cook something tonight

[Yoongi]: That’s not what I meant.

[Yoongi]: Don’t cook anything.

[JK]: i thought you didnt want us to eat cereal

[Yoongi]: Gimme a minute.

~

[Yoongi to Jin]

[Yoongi]: Hyung.

[Jin]: Yes darling :-)

[Yoongi]: You. Me. Cooking something nice for Jimin and Jungkook. You in?

[Jin]: When?

[Yoongi]: Kitchen in twenty minutes?

[Jin]: Of course.

~

[Yoongi to Jungkook]

[Yoongi]: Jin and me are gonna bring you dinner.

[JK]: oh really thats so nice of you yoongi hyung

[Yoongi]: What’s going to be nice is not having to watch the two of you eat cereal again.

[JK]: are you gonna eat with us

[Yoongi]: Uh… Do you want us to?

[JK]: wouldnt it be kind of weird to just drop off dinner and leave

[JK]: i mean you can if you want

~

[Yoongi to Jin]

[Yoongi]: Um are we going to eat with them?

[Jin]: Well I would hope so considering we’re going to cook for them. What did you plan to just drop it off and run away?

[Yoongi]: Maybe.

[Jin]: That would be extremely weird.

[Jin]: And I wont deprive them of the chance to see my handsome face. ;-D

~

[Namjoon to Jungkook]

[Namjoon]: I heard Jin and Yoongi brought you two dinner last night.

[JK]: yeah it was so nice

[JK]: its been a really busy week so making time to cook was hard

[Namjoon]: Yoongi may have mentioned something about several nights of cereal. And Jin might have said something about you feeling a little guilty about it.

[JK]: yeah im gonna try to do better next week

[Namjoon]: Hey, I wasn’t trying to judge you, Kook-ah. Despite what Jin and Yoongi might say, there’s nothing wrong with having cereal for dinner.

[Namjoon]: Actually, definitely don’t listen to Yoongles at all if he gives you a hard time for it.

[JK]: why not hyung

[Namjoon]: Next time you just ask him what we used to eat in college.

[JK]: but i thought yoongi hyung could cook even then

[Namjoon]: Oh he definitely could. He just didn’t.

[Namjoon]: It was just the two of us trying to get our operation off the ground and finish school. We worked through a lot of mealtimes.

[JK]: did you guys not have money for food

[Namjoon]: We were pretty poor then but we definitely had enough money for food. We both just preferred to work. There were plenty of nights we would eat instant noodles and not think about food again until the following night.

[Namjoon]: The point is that Yoongi doesn’t have much ground to stand on here. If you want to eat cereal, you two can eat cereal.

[JK]: i do wanna feed jiminie better than that though

[JK]: he skipped so many meals to keep me fed before we met you guys

[JK]: i just dont ever want him going hungry again

[Namjoon]: I’m sorry. I didn’t realize things were quite that bad.

[JK]: yeah it got really hard for a while there

[JK]: he’s still so thin

[JK]: he tried to pretend he was eating but he always saved the food for me

[JK]: and i ate cause he would be way more upset if i didnt

[Namjoon]: That’s so awful. I really am sorry, Jungkook-ah.

[JK]: sorry i shouldnt have dropped all that on you

[Namjoon]: Please, don’t apologize for opening up. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me. I only wish there was something more helpful I could say.

[JK]: its okay hyung

[JK]: things are better now because of you guys and im going to make sure hes always fed

[JK]: even if it is just cereal

[Namjoon]: I promise you that we will make sure you can do just that. Still, after what you’ve just told me, maybe you would consider letting us help more directly?

[JK]: what do you mean exactly

[Namjoon]: Let me talk to Jin? I imagine he would love to arrange something. Maybe a delivery from Borahae once a week, or even something he’s cooked himself? Something that would leave you with plenty of leftovers.

[JK]: you guys dont have to do that

[Namjoon]: I know we don’t, but we would like to. You’ve already taken on so much between work and school, and now we’ve taken up some of your evenings as well.

[JK]: but i want you to take up my evenings

[Namjoon]: And I love taking them up. Don’t doubt that for a moment. But what I’m getting at is that you’re very busy and I don’t want you to have to spend your leisure time feeling guilty about cooking.

[Namjoon]: So please consider letting us do this for you. I guarantee that Jin-hyung will be over the moon about it.

[JK]: i guess i kind of just dont want to admit that i cant do it on my own

[JK]: feels like if i say yes that im not good enough to take care of him

[JK]: i know thats stupid

[Namjoon]: It’s not stupid. Jimin-ah is your mate. Of course you want to take care of him.

[Namjoon]: You don’t have to accept our help if you don’t want, but you should know that all of us think you two do a wonderful job of taking care of one another.

[Namjoon]: How much you cook or do not cook won’t change that.

[JK]: thank you hyung

[JK]: it might actually be kind of nice not to have to worry so much about cooking

[Namjoon]: Yeah? Can I talk to Jin?

[JK]: yeah

[JK]: thank you so much

[JK]: you guys have already done so much for us and i just wish there was something i could give you back

[Namjoon]: This is where Jin or Yoongi would tell you that getting to feed you is a gift. I find myself inclined to agree.

[Namjoon]: But also, getting to spend time with you both and be a part of your lives is more than enough. This isn’t a hardship for us. We want to take care of you, Jungkook-ah.

[JK]: thank you hyung

[Namjoon]: Of course. Now, you remember what to do if Yoongles tries to give you a hard time about eating cereal again?

[JK]: give him shit right back and tell him that at least we eat three meals a day

[Namjoon]: That’s right. Very good.

~

[Namjoon to Hoseok ]

[Namjoon]: Any chance I could interest you in a drink later tonight?

[Hobi]: schedule is getting pretty tight

[Hobi]: probably won’t be done until late :(

[Namjoon]: No room in the schedule for a break?

[Hobi]: back 2 back meetings and then dinner with the client 2 go over the details

[Namjoon]: How late is ‘late’?

[Hobi]: probably at least 10

[Namjoon]: I’ll wait up.

[Hobi]: u don’t have 2 do that

[Namjoon]: I am aware. I want to though.

[Namjoon]: You’ve been so busy this week. I’d love a chance to catch up, even if it’s just a quick drink before you head to bed.

[Hobi]: it would b nice 2 spend some time together b4 things get hectic

[Namjoon]: I’d like that a lot.

[Hobi]: ok i’ll try 2 hurry home :)

[Hobi]: will let u know if anything comes up

[Namjoon]: I’ll have a drink ready for you.

[Hobi]: thank u <3

~

[Pack+2 Group Chat]

[JK]: how you know jiminie is baking bread

[JK]: Attachment: CAP6643.jpg

[Tae]: aww look at him all crouched in front of the oven

[Tae]: it looks like he’s having a conversation with it (灬♥ω♥灬)

[JK]: thats because he is

[Yoongi]: Wait, really?

[Tae]: what

[JK]: well with the bread at least

[Tae]: why?

[JK]: because his grandma always used to talk to her bread

[JK]: he says it makes it taste better but i just think its cute

[Yoongi]: What does he say to the bread?

[Yoongi]: Is it just whatever comes to mind, or is there a specific phrase?

[Tae]: yeah i gotta know

[JK]: mostly he just gives it compliments for a minute or two

[JK]: then he eventually tells it to bake well and gets up

[Tae]: oh my god that’s so cuuuuuute ( ; ω ; )

[Yoongi]: That’s…

[Yoongi]: Damn it. That’s so fucking cute.

[JK]: isnt it

[Jimin]: Oh my god why are you TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT THIS (・_・;)

[Jimin]: It’s between me and the bread!

[Tae]: come on even yoongi-hyung thinks it’s cute jiminie （＾ω＾）

[Yoongi]: It is really cute.

[Jimin]: (〃ー〃)

Chapter Text

Taehyung is up bright and early to give himself plenty of time to get ready. He wants to make sure he gets a good long shower in, while still having time to be picky about his outfit and hair – basically he wants to make sure today is perfect because he has a plan .

It’s super simple – only two steps: (1) get a kiss from Jimin, and (2) get a kiss from Jungkook.

They’ve been spending enough time together that he’s pretty sure they’re interested too, unless he’s completely misreading the situation but he’s at least ninety percent sure they wanna kiss him too. So at this point, it’s just a matter of creating the opportunity and shooting his shot.

The opportunity is easy enough. All the hyungs are out of the house today (except Yoongi-hyung, but he’s working so it’s not like he’ll be leaving his room any time soon), meaning Tae basically has the house to himself. It’s the perfect chance to invite Jimin over during the few hours between his last morning class and his afternoon shift at the hotel.

They’ll have plenty of time alone for him to set the mood, but he still has time now to plan ahead.

Jimin will probably want a chance to unwind and there’s a pretty good chance he’ll bring his Switch, so Taehyung makes sure his is fully charged too. After that, he pulls out a whole bunch of extra blankets and pillows and gets to work on the best pillow fort he can muster in the time he has left. Luckily, he has a wealth of experience in proper pillow fort structure from years of practice and lessons from Hobi-hyung, so it doesn’t turn out half bad at all.

Finally, he orders them lunch from his favorite sushi place and it thankfully arrives with five whole minutes to spare. He would have forgotten entirely if Jin-hyung hadn’t texted him a reminder to eat lunch while he was busy trying to untangle a string of fairy lights to complete his project . (Proper mood lighting is important for the pillow fort (and first kiss) experience .

Really, he should be commended for managing to accomplish everything he has this morning.

It’s all so worth it when Jimin walks into the living room looking tired (probably up too late again), and Taehyung gets to watch his face light up as he takes it all in. He looks so soft today, with his face bare and his hair messed up by the wind, dressed in jeans and one of his oversized sweaters.

An adorable look for their first kiss.

“Wow, Taehyung-ah this is so nice! Can I come in? Oh, did you order lunch too?”

“Sushi,” Taehyung answers, popping open one of the containers to show off the food. “And of course you can come in. You think I made this whole thing to sit in by myself? Did you bring your Switch?”

Jimin grins. “Yeah, it’s in my bag.”

The two of them spend the better part of an hour sitting side by side playing games and eating. It’s the perfect chance to try pushing the boundaries a little. When Taehyung picks up a tuna nigiri and offers it to Jimin, he opens his mouth without hesitation and eats it straight from Taehyung’s fingers.

Fuck . Something about how eagerly Jimin accepts being fed makes a wave of hot satisfaction curl in Taehyung’s chest. He wants to do that again .

The quick warm spike of vanilla cream in the air is a clear confirmation that Jimin enjoys it too. If that wasn’t quite enough, the way he picks up a piece and offers it to Taehyung in return clears up any lingering doubt. It’s good to know his advances are welcome.

Taehyung debates going in for the kiss right then, but he wants to hold off just a bit longer – wants to make sure everything is perfect .

So he waits.

They finish up lunch, feeding each other the occasional bite here and there (Namjoon-hyung is going to be so jealous ), then proceed to gravitate even closer together. Eventually, Taehyung ends up reclining against a mound of pillows while Jimin rests his head on another pillow he lays across Tae’s lap – both of them still half playing their games in between bouts of conversation.

Jimin talks a little about his classes – mostly just introductory stuff since it’s still the first few days of the semester – and then he admits to being up too late again. Taehyung can sympathize. He used to go to bed way too late almost the entire time he was in college, always basically dragging himself (or letting Jin-hyung drag him) to his morning classes.

“I know I’ll adjust eventually,” Jimin says. “It’s still only the first week, and really I’m just so grateful to be back in school and working again.”

“You still liking the hotel?”

“Yeah. Lee Siyeon-ssi is teaching me a lot and she’s very patient with me.”

Jimin goes back to playing his Switch for a few minutes before Taehyung sees him lower it back into his lap, teeth tugging at his lower lip while his gaze flicks up to Tae’s face and then down again.

Taehyung sets his own Switch down and catches Jimin’s gaze the next time it drifts up to his face. “Something wrong, Jimin-ah?”

“No, it’s…” Jimin blushes, looking down at his lap. “Nothing’s wrong, really. Everything is so good, I just – Sometimes this all still feels too good to be true.”

“Which part?”

“All of it I guess? It wasn’t much more than a month ago when I didn’t know where our next meal was gonna come from or if I would ever find work again. I wasn’t even thinking school would be a possibility in the next few years and now all of that has completely changed.”

“For the better, right?” Taehyung asks.

“Of course for the better,” Jimin says, chuckling before his tone gets more serious and he adds, “Even if it wasn’t for all of that though, getting to know you all has been pretty great too.”

Oh, this is definitely headed in the right direction.

Taehyung can’t help but grin. “Has it?”

Jimin nods, smiling back up at him. “Yeah, you’re all so nice to me – and Kookie too. I mean, just look at all of this,” he says, gesturing at the pillow fort surrounding them, blushing the cutest shade of pink. “It’s all so…”

“Romantic? I was aiming for romantic.”

Jimin quirks his head at that, looking right into Taehyung’s eyes before giving a slow nod. “Yeah it’s…” He pauses to lick his lips and Tae knows that he’s got him now. “It is really romantic. I – Would it be okay if we…”

Jimin is already half sitting up when he catches himself, pausing mid action and looking up at Taehyung like he’s worried he might be overstepping. As if that would even be a possibility .

“Yeah, I’ve been waiting for the right moment to kiss you all day,” Taehyung says, leaning down. “Can I?”

He doesn’t get a verbal answer. Instead, Jimin’s eyes flutter closed and he sits up just far enough for their lips to meet.

Jimin’s lips are soft and still just a little wet from his tongue, pressing warm and chaste against Taehyung’s while both of their scents spike around them. It feels so right that it nearly knocks the breath out of his chest. He’s finally kissing his new mate, and it brings that warm curl of satisfaction back with a vengeance.

He knew from the beginning that it would be different with Jimin and Jungkook – with omegas – not that he was sure exactly how at the time, but he knew. Still, it’s a surprise when that feeling of satisfaction wanes just enough for him to feel the spark of possessiveness deep inside of him.

Oh .

Their first kiss ends, but Jimin stays close enough that Taehyung can feel the warm puffs of air as he breathes – and it’s soft and sweet but all he can think is that if anyone outside of the pack so much as looks at Jimin the wrong way, Taehyung will kill them. Is this how the hyungs feel about him? Is Jimin feeling the same thing?

All of those are things he can think about later . Right now, he knows exactly what he wants, and that’s to kiss Jimin again.

So that’s exactly what he does, tangling his fingers in Jimin’s hair as he closes the distance and presses their lips together again. The second kiss is technically every bit as chaste as the first one, but it feels so much more intimate – like all the worry and nerves have gone, leaving just the experience of finally having one another like this.

When they break apart again, Jimin huffs out a tiny laugh. “That was… Wow.”

“Yeah,” Tae agrees. “Yeah it sure was.”

“You really did all this for me?” Jimin asks, looking up at Taehyung with pretty half lidded eyes and a little smile on his face.

“Mhmm. I knew I wanted to kiss you today and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.”

“It is perfect. Any first kiss with you would have been, but this is all really sweet and I – I really like you a lot, Taehyung-ah,” Jimin admits, voice lowering to a whisper by the end.

“I like you a lot too, Jimin-ah.”

“Do you maybe… Here, let me just –” Jimin reaches for Taehyung’s hand, lifting it up to his face until his lips brush the underside of Tae’s wrist. He lingers there for a few moments before letting his tongue swipe gently over the skin.

Taehyung can’t help the whine that slips out of him as he scrambles to get hold of Jimin’s hand and return the favor immediately.

Fuck, a first kiss and more intimate scenting? Could this day get any better?

It makes him feel a little better when he hears Jimin let out his own little whimper at the first swipe of Taehyung’s tongue across his wrist. At least they’re both affected. Plus even if he knew it already, it doesn’t hurt to have even more evidence that Jimin really does want all of this just as bad as he does.

After the scenting, Jimin basically ends up in his lap in an attempt to cuddle even closer and they spend the next hour or two huddled up like that, watching videos together on Taehyung’s Switch. Jimin seems excited when Tae explains his plan to get a kiss from Jungkook later today, and he even agrees to not tell Jungkook about the kiss they just shared until later that afternoon. It should give Taehyung plenty of time to complete Step Two and still have it be a cute surprise for Jungkook.

When Jimin eventually has to leave for work, they part with their usual embrace, but this time it’s followed by one more shy little peck on the lips.

The perfect end to a perfect date. Step One has been an absolute success.

~~

Step Two doesn’t exactly go to plan.

Honestly, that’s a bit of an understatement. It all seems like it’s going right at first. Shortly after Jimin leaves, Taehyung gets a ride down to their apartment for his afternoon date with Jungkook. They’d planned out the specifics last night. There’s a new movie out that Jungkook wants to see – some martial arts film that doesn’t look half bad – and Taehyung had agreed immediately because what’s more romantic than dinner and a movie? (Or a movie and then dinner later in this case – but still.)

After the movie, they’re headed out for a walk in the park. It rained this morning, so they’ll have to stay on the path if they don’t want to get all muddy, but it should still be nice. There’s an art supply store close to there that he wants to bring Jungkook to as well if they have time. (He was complaining the other day about some of his paints really needing to be replaced and the price of canvas, so hopefully they have whatever he needs there.) And then finally, after all of that they get to go to dinner together.

There’s so many opportunities in there for a good first kiss. It should just be a matter of picking the right one.

Or so he thinks.

Taehyung arrives only about five minutes late to the apartment, but Jungkook doesn’t look like he’s quite ready either judging by his messy hair and the stained gray tank top he’s wearing.

“Hi, hyung,” Jungkook says when he opens the door. “Sorry, I’m still getting ready but I promise I’ll hurry and we – Wow… umm – You look really good.”

Tae grins at the compliment. His outfit really isn’t anything special, but it is colorful. He’d kept his jeans plain gray, but he’d opted for a light pink button down and pink jacket only a shade or two darker than the shirt. It’s definitely cute – the sort of light, pretty look that’s perfect for his second first kiss of the day.

“Thanks, Jungkookie. You look handsome too.”

Jungkook half smiles before looking down at his own stained shirt and sweatpants. “Umm, good to know your standards are nice and low at least. Now I’m not nearly as worried about what to wear,” he jokes, rubbing at his neck as he steps aside to allow Taehyung into the apartment.

Once he shuts the door behind him, Tae turns and opens his arms at Jungkook, looking for a hug. “My standards are not low. Have you met me? Come on, hugs now please,” he whines, making grabby hands and watching Jungkook scramble to pull him into his arms. “That’s better, thanks. And I did mean it, you know? You look good even when you’re not dressed up – and you have such pretty arms that it’s almost a shame to cover them up.”

“Aww, thanks, hyung. I really am planning to go back to the gym soon. My arms used to look better before I canceled my membership.”

Taehyung has a hard time imagining them even better than they are now, especially when he’s wrapped up so safe and secure in them at the moment. “They already feel so nice,” he sighs, squeezing Jungkook a little tighter. “Hard to imagine they get much better than this. Still though, is going back to the gym something you wanna do?”

“Oh, for sure. I love the gym! We have a really nice one right down the street but I dropped my membership when Jiminie lost his job. I keep meaning to swing by and renew it now that things aren’t so tight, but it feels… I don’t know. Frivolous, I guess?”

“Why would it be frivolous if it’s something you really wanna do?”

“I mean, we still haven’t really built our savings back up and Jiminie thinks it’s important that we work toward having a few months worth of expenses set aside. The sooner we do that, the sooner he doesn’t have to worry anymore and–”

Oh, that won’t do at all.

“Jungkookie,” Taehyung interrupts. There’s no way he’s going to let any of his mates worry about money – not when he’s one of the highest paid professionals in his entire field. Absolutely not. “You guys don’t have to worry about that anymore. We’ll take care of you.”

Jungkook pulls back a little, chewing nervously at his lip. “You guys already are, hyung. You’ve done so much and it’s completely changed our lives and we’re already super grateful.”

“Well I’d like to keep changing your lives, if you don’t mind. I’m not saying not to work and set goals and do anything else you want – but if you want something and don’t feel like you have the money, just tell one of us. If you think that all five of us aren’t basically foaming at the mouth to buy you two anything you could ever want, you’ve clearly been living under a rock. Let’s go get your membership on the way. I’ll pay up for a couple of years and then you won’t have to worry about it for a long time.”

Jungkook smiles. “Okay. Thank you so much, TaeTae,” he says softly, his gaze drifting down to Taehyung’s lips before snapping back up to his eyes.

It’s a pretty clear indicator of interest. He could go in for the kiss now – but he wants to wait for the right moment, just like with Jimin. So instead, Tae just smiles back at him and says, “No problem, Jungkookie. Now were you serious about not knowing what to wear? Want some help?”

They spend the next ten minutes digging through Jungkook’s closet, which is desperately in need of expansion. So many of the clothes are falling apart or damaged in some other way (many are covered in splashes of paint or smudges of charcoal that have become one with the fabric). Plus, in Taehyung’s opinion, there aren’t nearly enough nice soft options for whenever his preheat hits next. There’s a few pairs of extra soft sweatpants, but he can do better than that.

Something to worry about later.

Right now, he’s far more enamored by watching Jungkook slip out of his worn tank top, chest on full display and looking so fucking good it’s honestly unfair.

“How do you have abs if you don’t even have a gym membership,” Taehyung whines, eyes glued to the flat plane of Jungkook’s stomach, admiring the lines of muscle.

Jungkook flushes at the attention. (Shit he looks so, so good.) “I mean, I still do my best to get good exercise,” he mumbles. “Really, this isn’t anything special.”

“Nothing special, are you – God, you’re so fucking hot it’s not even fair. Here, just put a shirt on before we run late.” They have a whole date to get to. He can’t afford to get caught up like this if he wants to stick to the plan. “I’m gonna go get a glass of water while you change. Grab some jeans and run a brush through your hair and we can leave, okay?”

As it turns out, there was really no need to rush, because when they arrive at the movie theater (five minutes early even after stopping to renew Jungkook’s gym membership) it’s closed, surrounded by fire trucks and police cars. According to some people hanging around the scene, there was a small fire behind the concession stand that morning that got far enough out of hand to damage the lobby. While Jungkook is busy asking if anyone got hurt, Taehyung starts looking for other theaters in the area but there’s nothing close by that’s showing the movie Jungkook wanted to see.

Well shit. Not ideal, but he can still salvage this.

“Sorry, Jungkookie. I don’t see anywhere else close by that’s playing your movie. Are you okay with us doing something else today?”

“That’s okay,” Jungkook says with a smile, not seeming even the least bit disappointed. “There’s lots of other stuff to do around here.”

“Anything you’ve been wanting to do for a while?” Taehyung asks. He’s not feeling too picky – he just wants to do something Jungkook will enjoy.

“Well there’s some new trails that opened up last month about a mile north of here but with the rain…” Jungkook pauses, looking down at Tae’s bright white sneakers and then letting out a little laugh. “Actually, I’ll save the trails for Namjoon-hyung. That’s not really your thing, is it, hyung?”

It’s really not, and Taehyung is more than a little grateful that Jungkook realized that for himself instead of him having to turn down the invite. “Not really, but Joonie-hyung will be so damn excited if you ask him to go hiking with you. I prefer the comforts of civilization.”

“Hmm, okay… I heard there’s a new arcade in the mall up the road. Wanna go play some games? Oh and there’s a new pet store too – We could look at kittens, hyung!”

“Both of those sound fun,” Tae agrees. “Pet store first?”

~~

Taehyung is going to scream.

Everything – every single thing – they try to do goes wrong.

First the movie theater is closed, then the pet store is open but they don’t have any kittens or puppies or anything like that. (They do have some fish in stock that Taehyung thinks are pretty cool all the way up until Jungkook explains that most of them are being kept improperly and probably aren’t very happy.) They do manage to have fun playing games at the arcade for a while, but when Jungkook excitedly goes to turn in their tickets, the machine eats half of them.

“Oh no,” Jungkook whines, tearing off whatever he can save from their winnings before the machine shreds them all. He turns to look at Tae sadly, clutching a tiny pile of tickets. “Sorry, hyung. I really did want to win you something cool.”

Taehyung glances around but there’s nobody here to help them, just a service number that probably connects to some automated call center. Jungkook assures him it isn’t worth it and goes ahead with trading in what’s left of their winnings at a different machine. This one thankfully doesn’t eat them at least.

Jungkook turns back to Taehyung with a smile on his face and a little pink turtle plushie. “Here you go. He’s not very big but he does match your outfit.”

“I love him,” Tae assures him, reaching out to hold his new friend. He really does like the turtle. It’s cute and it does match his outfit (and most importantly, it’s a gift). He just wishes Jungkook had been able to get something he really wanted.

They walk around the mall for a bit but don’t really find anything great. Jungkook sees a pair of boots he gets really excited over but they don’t have any in stock of his size, so Taehyung makes a note of the brand for later and tries to stay positive. Just walking around together is still fun and it’s not like Jungkook seems to be having a bad time – so at least there’s that.

Once they leave the mall, the art supply store Taehyung had found ends up being a wash too. Jungkook appears to have fun looking but they don’t carry most of what he uses, which he says is okay because he already knows where to buy them when he needs to.

Taehyung just grits his teeth and smiles.

“You still wanna go for a walk in the park, hyung?” Jungkook asks, smiling like the day has gone fine.

Okay, there’s nothing that can be out of order or closed or malfunctioning in a park.

Taehyung agrees and takes a few deep breaths as they make their way there, bracing himself for whatever is going to go wrong this time. With all the still standing puddles of rainwater on the street, maybe the whole park is flooded, or closed due to an animal attack, or so full of mosquitoes that it’s going to be miserable the whole time.

It’s none of those things. The park is okay – completely normal. Maybe a little muddier than usual but they had already been planning to just stay on the paved path anyways. Yes, the walk in the park is just that. They make easy conversation and hardly pass anyone else along the trail, and they’re only a few minutes in when Jungkook reaches down to hold Taehyung’s hand.

Maybe something is finally going to go right on this date.

Jungkook seems at peace in nature, even if it’s just a few city blocks worth, excitedly pointing out new plants and birds that he sees. It’s not that Taehyung hates the outdoors or anything either. The beach is just more his speed. Laying out in the sun and playing in the water definitely beats mud and bugs and hiking uphill for hours. Still, this is definitely nice – being surrounded by trees and plants and Jungkook squeezing his hand in excitement any time he sees something cool.

Taehyung has finally started to relax by the time they reach the end of the walking path and emerge back into the city. “That was actually pretty nice,” he admits.

“Oh, does that mean you wanna go again?” Jungkook teases, bumping Tae with his shoulder. “We just might get you into hiking yet.”

“No thank you. That was the perfect amount of nature for me. Good company can only do so much heavy lifting.”

“I thought the company was pretty good too.”

“Pretty good?” Taehyung says, giving Jungkook a little shove. “I’m amazing company, thank you very much.”

Jungkook laughs, reaching up to ruffle his hair. “You’re right, hyung. You are amazing company.”

“Damn right I am. Now, are you feeling hungry? Cause I’m ready to eat something.”

“I’m basically always hungry.”

“You still want to go to that noodle place, Jungkookie? It was just a few blocks down, right?”

“That still sounds good to me. I bet you’ll really like it too. They have a bunch of good stuff there,” Jungkook answers, starting to lead the way.

They don’t make it very far before they get stuck waiting at a crosswalk. Jungkook is just a few steps behind, bent down to tie his shoe and still rattling off different menu items he thinks Taehyung is going to like.

It happens too fast for Taehyung to jump out of the way. One second he hears a horn blaring behind him and the next second he’s turning to see what the fuss is about and gets absolutely blasted from head to toe with muddy rain water. He barely blinks the mess out of his eyes in time to catch a glimpse of the huge truck that ran through the puddle on the side of the road and soaked him.

And he is soaked.

The cold hits him first. Today hasn’t been all that warm, especially with the rain earlier in the morning, so the water is cold as it splashes over him. His clothes are left dripping with dirty gray-brown water, flecked with specks of mud and only getting colder as the breeze blows against him.

“Oh no, hyung. Are you okay?” Jungkook asks from behind him.

Taehyung doesn’t turn around, just stands there in shock for a second before reaching up to wipe off his face. His outfit is probably ruined, but that’s no big deal. He has more clothes than he needs already but…

He lifts up the pretty pink turtle Jungkook had given him and finds it soaked in the same muddy water.

Great. Just great. He’s too soaked for them to get lunch and he’s managed to ruin his gift within hours of receiving it. Fuck.

Jungkook runs around to have a look at him from the front, placing a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. “Wow, you really got it good, huh? Are you okay, TaeTae?”

He is not going to cry.

Taehyung swallows and forces a little smile onto his face. “Yeah, I’m okay. Probably can’t go out to eat like this though…”

“That’s okay. Why don’t we head back home and I’ll wash your clothes for you? You can borrow something of mine and we can just order pizza instead?”

It’s not like they have a lot of other options. Taehyung is already starting to shiver out here in the wind, so they should probably get a move on before he catches a cold and Jin-hyung has a fit. “Yeah,” he agrees, teeth starting to chatter already. “Let’s do that.”

“Aww, hyung, you’re shivering. Here, wear my jacket, okay?” Taehyung starts to decline but Jungkook has already stripped out of the jacket and is busy draping it over him. “There you go. Come one, we aren’t far from the apartment. You can use our shower too.”

The walk back to the apartment doesn’t take more than a few minutes. Jungkook’s jacket does a good job of shielding him from the worst of the cold but he’s still shivering by the time they step back inside. At least his clothes have gotten drier so he’s not dripping all over their floor.

He feels a little better after rinsing off in the shower – or at least warmer.

Other than that, he still feels kind of hopeless. It isn’t fair. This morning with Jimin went so perfect and then everything since then has just been a disaster. Is it really so much to ask for two first kisses to go according to plan on the same day? At least he didn’t cry – but how in the hell is he supposed to salvage this?

Wearing Jungkook’s clothes is nice at least. He’s picked out some of the softer ones that Taehyung remembers from inspecting his closet earlier – a thick pair of sweatpants and a worn t-shirt that reminds him of some of his own favorites (usually stolen from Yoongi-hyung’s closet). They have a little of Jungkook’s pretty citrus scent on them but it’s not nearly as strong as it had been on his jacket, and right now all Taehyung wants to do is be wrapped up in someone’s soothing scent…

Maybe they can cuddle, because if he goes much longer without some reassurance he might just die.

He gathers up all of his wet clothes and heads out to find Jungkook sitting on the couch with his phone in hand. Part of him wonders if Jimin has texted yet – if Jungkook knows what Tae has been trying and failing to do all day or not.

Only one way to find out.

“Hey Jungkookie.”

Jungkook turns to look at him and his mouth drops open just the slightest. “Hyung – Hi- you – Wow you look so good in my clothes.”

The compliment feels good, especially right now when he feels a little like he’s twisting in the wind. Still, he needs to find out – “Thanks; they’re comfy. Have you heard from Jiminie recently?”

“Nah, he’s been pretty quiet today. A busy time at work I’m guessing. You saw him this morning though, right? Did you guys have fun?”

That’s a relief at least. He still has time, though what he plans to do with it is still a mystery. “Yeah, it was nice. I made a pillow fort and we played games. Where’s your washer though?” Taehyung holds up his pile of clothes a little higher and Jungkook quickly gets off the couch.

“Sorry, I got distracted by how pretty you are in my clothes. It’s just down the hall here. I’ll show you.” Jungkook leads the way back to the hallway and opens what looks like a closet door to reveal a little washer and dryer tucked away inside. “Here, I’ll take your stuff. My jacket is already in there, and your shoes too. They’re safe to wash, right?”

“Yeah, they’ll be fine.” Taehyung hands over his pile of clothes and winces when Jungkook starts adding them to the machine one by one instead of just chucking in the whole pile. It basically guarantees that he’ll see–

Jungkook pulls Taehyung’s shirt free from the pile and the pink stuffed turtle tumbles to the floor. “Oh, it looks like this little guy got wet too, huh?” he asks, lifting the turtle up and turning him around to assess the damage. “He doesn’t look too bad. We’ll toss him in with the rest and see how he– Hyung, are you okay?”

Shit, he’s definitely crying.

He was really, really trying not to, but as soon as Jungkook starts looking at the ruined plushie the tears burst out of him like a dam breaking. They run down his cheeks in big fat drops and he slides to the floor, pulling his knees close to his chest and hiding his face in his arms. “Yeah, I’m fine – just give… give me a minute,” he says, voice cracking around more tears.

There’s a little bit of rustling as Jungkook drops the rest of the stuff in the washer and gets down on the floor with him, reaching out and wrapping his arms around Taehyung. “What’s wrong, TaeTae? Is it about your clothes? I’m sure they’ll be okay if –”

“S’not my clothes,” Taehyung mumbles. “Shit, I’m sorry about this.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, hyung. I just wanna know why you’re crying so I can help you feel better.”

Fuck, this is the worst. If the day wasn’t ruined already then it definitely is now. He’s never gonna be able to give Jungkook a good first kiss like this and Jimin is gonna text him and he’s going to know what Taehyung has been trying to do and how badly he’s fucked it up and–

“Hey, it’s okay. Whatever is wrong, I’m sure we can find a way to fix it,” Jungkook says softly, turning his head and pressing a tiny kiss into Taehyung’s hair. “C’mon, no matter what it is, you can tell me.”

It’s not like lying is going to do him any good. Jungkook is gonna find out eventually… Fuck it.

“It’s just – I wanted –” Taehyung stops, taking a few deep breaths while Jungkook rubs at his back.

“It’s okay, you can take your time, hyung.”

“I tried so hard to make today perfect. I wanted – It was supposed to be special but it just feels like everything went wrong and I made all the wrong choices and –” He cuts himself off with a sniffle and then a sigh. “And now I’m sitting here crying and it’s only making it worse.”

“Okay, well first off, I had a really good time today. I know a lot of stuff didn’t go according to plan but I still got to spend it with you and we got to do a bunch of fun stuff.”

“But we didn’t – The movie theater was closed, the pet store was mean to their fish, the arcade ate our tickets, and then we couldn’t even go get dinner like you wanted because I got splashed and ruined the present you gave me!” Taehyung is shaking by the time he finishes, squeezing out more tears that drip down onto his borrowed sweatpants.

“Huh that is kind of a lot of stuff to have go wrong in one day, isn’t it?” Jungkook asks like he hadn’t thought it was weird before this exact moment.

Did he really…

Tae snaps his head up to look at Jungkook with disbelief. He really does look like this is news to him, like he hadn’t even – “Did you really not even notice?”

“I mean, a little,” Jungkook says quickly, biting at his lip while he looks back at Taehyung. “I guess it just didn’t bother me at all? Like I said, I already got to spend the day with you so it’s not like I really cared that much about all the other stuff.”

That nearly makes Taehyung start crying all over again, and he brings his hands up to hide his face.

“Wait! I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t know it was bothering you, but you don’t have to hide. I dunno why today was supposed to be so special but I bet we can still make it good if you just tell me how. Why did you need today to go perfect? What can I do to help?”

There’s a little ding sound from Jungkook’s pocket, but he doesn’t let go of Tae to answer it. Probably Jimin finally texting, which means they’ve run out of time. Only one thing left to do.

He takes a deep breath.

“I wanted to make today special because I wanted us to have our first kiss,” he says into his hands. “Was trying to make it perfect but everything went wrong.”

“Oh, wow, really?” Jungkook says, scent spiking all sweet like orange blossoms in the air. “You didn’t have to do anything like that. I already want to kiss you.”

“But… I wanted to make it romantic.”

Jungkook leans back on his knees and gently grasps at Taehyung’s wrists, thumbs rubbing little circles into the back of his hands. “Kissing you would be romantic no matter what, TaeTae. C’mon, you don’t have to hide anymore. If you let me, I’ll kiss you right now.”

“I don’t want you to kiss me for the first time when I’m crying.”

“But, hyung,” Jungkook coos, brushing Taehyung’s still damp hair off of his forehead. “You’re beautiful like this. Please?”

Tae sniffles, lowering his hands enough that he can peer through his fingers at Jungkook and see the way he smiles soft and patient back at him. It makes a fresh round of tears well up in his eyes, but this time it’s just because he’s already emotional and Jungkook is looking at him like he’s something lovely and precious even though nothing he planned for today has worked.

“You- you really mean that?”

Jungkook’s smile widens as he leans in closer, face only inches from Taehyung’s. “Of course I do. You’re pretty when you cry, hyung. Let me see?”

Pretty when he cries? How is – Whatever. It’s not like he has anything else to lose at this point.

“Fine,” he huffs, dropping the hands from his face, fully aware that he’s probably all flushed and blotchy and the chances that his mascara survived this untouched are basically zero. “Still think I’m pretty?”

Jungkook cups one of his blotchy cheeks and brushes away a tear with his thumb. “The prettiest,” he whispers, leaning just a little closer. “Are you gonna let me kiss you now?”

Today was supposed to be so romantic that it left Jungkook at a loss for words, but instead Taehyung is the one who feels speechless. He wants to answer – really, he does – but Jungkook is just inches from his face and he’s already feeling exposed and raw and he just wants so badly.

All he manages is a tiny, shaky whine.

That earns him a warm little laugh as Jungkook tips his head forward enough for their noses to brush. “Was that a yes, hyung?”

Fuck.

Taehyung feels his heart skip a beat and decides to just go for it, leaning in that last little bit and pressing his lips to Jungkook’s. It’s perfect, soft and warm and so unbearably sweet that he feels another tear slip down his cheek as his eyes close. Jungkook brushes it away and lets out a little hum as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss.

He feels a lot of what he felt earlier with Jimin – the satisfaction, joy, possessiveness – and a familiar wonder at how he ever could have been happy before he knew them. His pack is wonderful. They’ve been everything he wanted and more. It’s just that now he knows that it’s incomplete, that the pieces he didn’t even know were missing are right here in front of him and they’re the perfect fit.

Jungkook lets out a soft little sigh when Taehyung pulls back a couple inches, trying to catch his breath and process the onslaught of feelings bubbling up inside of him.

“Can we – One more, hyung?” Jungkook whispers, already leaning back in and clearly vibrating with want even though he waits for permission, so close to Taehyung’s lips that they may as well be kissing already.

He’s way too goddamn hot.

It sends Tae’s thoughts screeching to a halt, voice shaking as he answers, “Fuck, as many as you want, baby.”

Jungkook whines and backs up just a little, cheeks going pink.

“Oh?” Taehyung can’t help but smile at the reaction. “Do you like that?” Jungkook gives a shy little nod, looking back at him through his lashes. “That’s so damn cute. Wait until the hyungs find out. They’re gonna love that so much.”

“They will?”

“Trust me, you have no idea. But I’ll take that second kiss now, pretty baby.”

Jungkook lets out a shaky breath and leans back in to kiss him again. It’s more thorough this time, one press of lips leading into the next until they’re both smiling into it and then breaking away giggling. Jungkook practically pulls Taehyung into his lap, pressing kisses to his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose.

“Can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t want to kiss you,” Jungkook says with a big smile on his face. “You’re so pretty. Nobody in their right mind wouldn’t want to kiss you.”

“Hey, I knew you wanted to – or at least I was like ninety percent sure. I just wanted to make it really special.”

“It was. So special, hyung.”

He has a point. For as wrong as everything went, this does still feel really special – even if now he has to live the rest of his life knowing that he had his first kiss with Jungkook while he was crying. Although Jungkook really hadn’t seemed to mind. If anything he was kind of…

“So do you have a thing about crying or were you just being sweet?”

Jungkook laughs, biting at his lower lip for a second before looking back up at Taehyung with that pretty blush back on his cheeks. “Is it okay if it’s a little of both?”

Oh hell yes – he can definitely work with that.

“Yeah it’s – That’s more than okay, baby.”

The flush on Jungkook’s cheeks deepens and he groans. “Hyung, that’s mean,” he whines, hugging Taehyung closer and hiding his face in his shoulder.

Taehyung just laughs and presses a kiss to the side of Jungkook’s neck.

Step Two has definitely been a success.

Chapter Text

Hoseok steps out of his shower feeling at least a little more human than before. It’s good to be back home, alone in his bathroom where he can finally just relax… or at least try to.

He’s just returned from a job – a tough one. It had consumed the better part of the past week, with hours spent researching, planning, checking, and then rechecking every detail. It’s the sort of job that only comes along once every few months, an actual challenge, a true heist .

He’s made his reputation by doing that sort of work. Getting in and out of places that are supposed to be impenetrable, leaving no evidence, stealing priceless objects and critical intel. He used to live for those jobs. The work can still be enjoyable, and the sense of accomplishment is there too, but it’s just different now.

Mostly, it’s easy to ignore. Freelance work isn’t something he does a lot of anymore (preferring to do work that helps the pack instead), but the client for this job was an old friend and Hoseok doesn’t like to burn bridges.

Being owed a favor is always an advantageous position to be in.

He should be basking in his victory, maybe pouring himself a drink. Instead, he gets dressed and then plops down onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He knows what’s bothering him. It’s hard to ignore – a nagging little thought running through his mind over and over.

The thrill is gone. Has been for a while now.

Pulling off a hard job used to be almost euphoric, like cracking a puzzle that nobody else could figure out. In the moment it still felt a little like that, but now…

Now it just feels hollow.

At least this job is something he can tell his parents about the next time he sees them. They care deeply about his success, to the exclusion of most other things about his life. Seeing them when he hasn’t had a big job in between visits is the worst, fielding all their questions about why he isn’t working and trying to explain that he is working – just not the kind of work they want for him.

It’s understandable. They invested heavily in making him the best at what he does, but sometimes it feels like that’s what they see him as. An investment. When he manages to meet their expectations, they do at least look at him like he’s their son.

Ugh. No point thinking about this unless he wants to spiral. With any luck, he won’t be heading home anytime soon, as long as his parents keep to their busy schedule of vacationing all around the world for another few months.

He manages to relax (if laying down on the bed feeling empty counts as relaxing) for all of five minutes before he picks up his phone to check the group chat. Maybe someone needs help with something? At least then he could feel useful instead of just… whatever this is.

Nothing interesting from last night beyond their responses to the check-in text he’d sent once he was safely back in his hotel room. The messages from the last hour do at least look a little more promising though.

[Pack Group Chat]

[Namjoon]: There has been a change of plans for today. Jin-hyung and I will be heading out of town for an urgent meeting with a client.

[Namjoon]: Nothing dangerous but very time sensitive.

[Tae]: aww i thought you were planning something fun tonight with jiminie and jungkookie

[Namjoon]: We were.

[Tae]: (´;︵;`)

[Namjoon]: The timing is unfortunate, but I have already sent them a message about rescheduling and they seemed amenable.

[Tae]: you guys need me with you?

[Namjoon]: I don’t believe it will be that sort of meeting. Come see me in my office if you’re worried about the security details.

[Tae]: k be up in a minute

[Yoongi]: You going to need technical support, Joon-ah?

[Namjoon]: Nothing preemptive, but will you be available in a few hours if we need you?

[Yoongi]: I’ll be here.

~

It’s been about twenty minutes since the last messages, but Hoseok decides to check in regardless.

~

[Hobi]: u guys need anything from me? :D

[Namjoon]: Hoseok-ah, I didn’t realize you were home

[Hobi]: haven’t been here 2 long. just got out of the shower.

[Namjoon]: We’re already on our way. Jin says hi. We’re sorry we missed you.

[Hobi]: it’s okay. sounded like it happened pretty quick :D

[Hobi]: anything i can do for u?

[Namjoon]: We should be okay. The meeting is time sensitive, but nothing too complex.

[Hobi]: what were u planning with minnie and jungkookie?

[Namjoon]: Jin and I were going to take them out tonight to celebrate finishing their first week of classes.

[Namjoon]: Really Jin was planning most of it.

[Hobi]: so champagne, dinner reservations, that sort of thing? ;D

[Namjoon]: To the letter, yes.

[Hobi]: don’t worry.

[Hobi]: i can take them out to celebrate :D

[Namjoon]: Aren’t you tired after such a long job? It’s okay if you need a night to rest.

[Hobi]: nah i got plenty of sleep last night. i won’t steal ur fancy dinner date though since you can just save it for another night

[Hobi]: i’ll see what they feel like doing. maybe we’ll go dancing

[Namjoon]: Thank you, Hoseok-ah. I would feel better knowing they are getting a chance to celebrate.

[Hobi]: no problem. u guys just come home safe and i’ll take care of them :D

~

Thank god.

Something else to focus on, with the added benefit of that something being Jimin and Jungkook. Hoseok feels like he’s hardly had a chance to talk to them since they came over to the house last week, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss them.

The occasional peek at the live feed of their apartment had helped, but it was a far cry from actually seeing them.

He’s been giving a fair bit of thought (in his few free moments this last week) to what kind of dates would suit the two of them best. It’s still early in the relationship, but never too soon to start planning a more elaborate date night – or the Jung Hoseok Special, as Taehyung likes to call it.

The thing is, Hoseok is good at collecting details about people. Cataloging preferences and brief mentions of interest is something that comes naturally to him, and it would be a shame not to put that data to good use. So every year he tries to plan at least one highly personalized (and maybe a bit over the top) date night for each one of his mates.

They vary wildly depending on who the day is for. The only constant is to try and make it as special as he can. Taehyung likes more fluidity to the day, while Namjoon tends to feel most comfortable with a schedule of some sort. And while Jin prefers traditional romance, – candle lit dinners and glasses of wine shared on the couch – Yoongi would rather do something romance adjacent.

Last summer, Hoseok found out about a huge auction happening from some failed tech company startup and just knew it was the perfect place to start a date for Yoongi. He did a little research about what would be on offer (with his limited knowledge of computer hardware), and figured there would surely be something there to excite Yoongi.

It was a bigger success than he could have imagined.

By the time they left, the car was absolutely loaded with assorted bits of hardware and Yoongi was more plainly excited than Hoseok had seen him in months. The rest of the night had been spent in Yoongi’s office, drinking the best whiskey Hoseok could find and surrounded by containers of their favorite takeout, all while Yoongi sifted through his haul of computers and parts and explained what he wanted to use them for.

Hoseok had ridden that high for weeks. Nothing feels quite as good as a perfectly executed plan.

Still, while he’s excited (and already making plans) for something more elaborate, tonight isn’t the time for all of that. Jimin likes dancing, and Jungkook likes seeing Jimin have a good time. They can have some drinks and possibly get food on the way home if they aren’t too tired – maybe somewhere with good noodles, since he knows Jungkook is partial to them. If Taehyung is free, it would be ideal for him to tag along as well.

Yes, then all three of them can have fun and he can send Namjoon some photo evidence of all their omegas enjoying themselves. Perfect.

Namjoon is obviously disappointed to have missed the evening they had planned, but Hoseok will do his best to lessen the blow a little.

[Hobi to JK and Jimin]

[Hobi]: so ur first week of class is over. how would the 2 of u like to go out and celebrate tonight? :D

[Jimin]: Omg that sounds so good （。＾▽＾）

[Jimin]: What were you thinking?

[Hobi]: how about dancing and drinks? my treat.

[JK]: a drink sounds so good

[Jimin]: Is Taehyung gonna come too?

[Hobi]: haven’t asked yet but i am about 99% sure it will be a yes ;D

[Hobi]: pick u 2 up at 7?

[JK]: sounds great

~

Taehyung is of course more than eager to come with, preemptively mixing himself a drink to sip on while he goes to pick out an outfit. Hoseok is not invited to assist with picking an outfit out of Taehyung’s closet like he normally would be before a night out. (Which definitely means Taehyung is up to something.)

Still, Taehyung comes downstairs happy, dressed, and ready to go (and maybe a tiny bit tipsy). Whatever he’s hiding, Hoseok doesn’t think it has to do with his outfit. It’s pretty standard for the occasion, tight jeans, his ever-present dangly moon earrings, and a pretty choker – though the cropped top showing off a hint of midriff is a bit of a rarer treat.

Not the outfit. No bag tonight, so he isn’t sneaking anything in. Maybe nothing to do with him at all? Jimin or Jungkook?

Hard to say at this point.

The two of them let Yoongi know they’re leaving and manage to arrive at Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment right on time. Taehyung bypasses the elevator and bounds up the stairs with excitement, Hoseok only a couple of steps behind him. He was already looking forward to tonight, but Taehyung’s enthusiasm and glee are always infectious, leaving his cheeks almost aching from smiling so much. It’s going to be a good night.

Jungkook greets them at the door with a warm smile. “Come on in. Jiminie’s just about ready. You really got him invested in dressing up, hyung,” he says to Taehyung.

Well, that clears up why he hadn’t been invited to Taehyung’s closet. The two of them must have had a call.

“Good, I’ve been wanting to see him all dressed up for weeks,” Taehyung says. “You look so good too, Jungkookie. Those pants fit you like a glove.”

Jungkook smiles. “Thanks. Jiminie picked them out, and also helped me with my hair.”

Hoseok is inclined to agree with Taehyung’s assessment – Jungkook does look really good, though it’s more because he’s just incredibly handsome than because he’s dressed up all that much. The dark wash jeans he wears do almost look like he was poured into them, showing off strong thighs and his (really nice) ass.

“Jimin-ah obviously knows your best features,” Hoseok says with a wink, mostly just to see Jungkook blush at the obvious flirting. “You ready to do some dancing?”

Jungkook nods. “I’m especially ready to watch Jiminie dance while I have a drink.”

“Oh, not much of a dancer yourself?”

“Not like he is. I probably wouldn’t go on my own, but it’s fun together.”

Taehyung pouts and latches onto Jungkook’s side. “You’re gonna dance with me, right?”

“Of course, hyung. Anything you want.”

“Sorry to keep you guys waiting,” Jimin’s voice calls out from down the hall. “I’m just grabbing my shoes and I’m good to go.”

Jungkook takes the cue to go slip his own shoes on as well, Taehyung still clinging to his side and giggling while Jungkook essentially drags him to the door.

Hoseok is as prepared as he can be when Jimin rounds the corner. He’s expecting the makeup and jewelry. After seeing Taehyung’s outfit and knowing that the two of them talked while getting dressed, even the outfit isn’t a surprise. The slightly cropped top with a neckline low enough to show some collarbone and the long line of his throat is still a delight, and Hoseok doesn’t hide the way his gaze lingers there.

“Hey, Hoseok-hyung,” Jimin says with a coy little smile. “You approve?”

He is admittedly a little taken aback at the display of confidence, quirking his head even as a grin stretches across his face. Confidence really does suit Jimin. “I do. You look gorgeous, Minnie.”

At least the nickname still gets a blush out of him.

Taehyung and Jimin both gush compliments when they get a look at one another, hugging and pressing their wrists together without a second thought. Jungkook joins in right after, until the three of them have all been thoroughly scented.

It’s a lot to take in. They’re all so cute, and it’s only multiplied by them being dressed up and hanging off of each other like this – and the wonderful smell of three happy omegas is…

He pulls out his phone and snaps a picture to send to Namjoon. Proof that they are already having a good time and their pack alpha doesn’t need to spend his evening worrying about them. (Also a good distraction to keep his thoughts out of the gutter.)

~~

They go to one of Taehyung and Hoseok’s favorite clubs. Taehyung says they make the best drinks here, and the music is always good. Hoseok is a fan of the music as well, but more than that he appreciates how familiar he is with the building. He knows all the exits and entrances, and Taehyung is friendly with a few of the bouncers – mostly through word of mouth from their security team, since almost all of them have been personally trained by Taehyung at some point.

All in all, it’s a good, safe place to take their new omegas for a night of celebration.

Jimin and Taehyung head for the dance floor right away, while Hoseok and Jungkook take care of grabbing drinks. He learns that Jungkook is partial to beer, and that Jimin shares Taehyung’s love for fruity cocktails. He also learns that Taehyung hadn’t been the only one to make himself a drink while he was getting ready – Jimin had apparently done the same, which explains the extra dose of confidence.

They carry their drinks over to one of the free tables and Jungkook waves out toward the dance floor until Taehyung notices him, nudging Jimin’s side and pointing to the table. Jimin looks up and smiles at them through the small crowd, raising his arms to wave as they head towards the table.

It’s at this point that Hoseok nearly spits out a mouthful of his drink. When Jimin lifts his arms, his shirt rides up enough to let his tummy peek out and there is a flash of something silver glimmering in the light.

Is that a – Fuck. Jimin has a bellybutton piercing.

He can actually feel the way his scent tries to spike at the sight and finds himself really glad for once that keeping his scent subdued is his natural state.

“How long has Jiminie had his bellybutton pierced?” Hoseok asks, keeping his voice even and wondering what he should do with this information now that he has it… Probably not say a word and just pray that he gets to be there the moment that Yoongi sees it for the first time, or Namjoon.

Jungkook grins and takes a sip of his beer. “He did it right after we moved here. I was getting another tattoo at Special-f(x) before I had applied to work there and Amber-ssi saw him looking at the jewelry. She explained that it barely hurts more than getting your ears pierced and offered to do it half off since I already had an appointment.”

Taehyung and Jimin arrive at the table and are all smiles as they thank them for the drinks, asking if the two of them are coming out to the dance floor soon.

“Yeah, let me finish this beer quick,” Jungkook says. “I was just telling Hobi-hyung about when you got your bellybutton pierced, Jiminie.”

“It’s so cute!” Taehyung says, reaching down to lift the hem of Jimin’s shirt and show off the silver piercing with a little star dangling from a short chain. “Did it hurt a lot?”

“No, it wasn’t bad at all. Did take a little bit to heal, but it was worth it I think.” Jimin wiggles his hips back and forth with a grin, swaying the little silver star side to side on its chain.

It’s nice to see Jimin like this, smiling and seeming comfortable in his own skin. He and Taehyung get along great anyways, but when both of them are a little tipsy it’s a whole other can of worms. They joke and laugh while sitting next to one another at the table and then practically drag Hoseok and Jungkook out onto the dance floor, all swaying hips and excited giggles.

For as long as Jungkook avoided the dance floor, he doesn’t look uncomfortable in the slightest once he’s moving – especially when Jimin pulls him in close with a little smirk and leans in for a kiss.

Hoseok just manages to pry his eyes away from the two of them, only to come face to face with Taehyung giving him a knowing little smile and stepping in close. “They’re really something, aren’t they, Hobi-hyung?”

“That’s one way to put it,” Hoseok says, pulling Taehyung into his arms so they can sway there on the floor together. “It’s nice to see Jimin so confident. You did a good job getting him to dress up like that.”

“Damn right I did. He looks so hot – and Jungkookie in those pants – fuck. If Joonie-hyung got a look at him he would pass out.”

“What about Yoongles? You’re not gonna tell him about Jimin’s piercing, are you?”

Taehyung laughs. “No way! I would pay so much money to get to watch his eyes bug out the first time he sees it. You know how he feels about piercings and – Oh! Do you think Namjoonie-hyung might finally feel okay about me getting a tattoo if Jungkookie could do it for me?”

“It still might be a hard sell, but I bet he would at least be more okay with it,” Hoseok answers honestly.

Taehyungie has floated the idea a few times before and Namjoon had practically gone white as a sheet before a growl started up in his chest. He hasn’t said no exactly. (It was something more like ‘I would really prefer if you didn’t’, which basically meant he would have an entire panic attack if Taehyung did decide to go through with it.)

Namjoon is careful about throwing around his authority as their leader, and always wary of being too much of a stereotypical alpha, but his reaction was strong enough that Taehyung decided against it for the time being. The second time didn’t go much better, but Taehyung seems intent on wearing him down. Though maybe now he won’t have to.

In a move that surprises no one, Taehyung is already scheming.

“I bet that if I get Jungkookie to ask with me, there’s no way that Namjoon-hyung will be able to turn us both down.”

He has a good point, but… “Why don’t you start with something smaller first? You like Jimin-ah’s piercing, right? Something quick and easy that doesn’t hurt too much and even Namjoonie could bear to watch, just to get him comfortable with the idea of you going there and getting work done.”

“Hyung, you’re a genius. I’m gonna talk to Jungkookie right away!”

Taehyung is gone in an instant, off to go find the other two omegas. Hoseok takes a second to locate them in the ever-shifting crowd of people on the dance floor, feeling a brief moment of worry before he catches sight of Jimin’s blonde hair through the crowd.

He and Jungkook part easily to make room for Taehyung, all warm smiles and rapt attention while they watch him explain his plan.

Hoseok has done his best to prepare for falling fast. The memory of his own courting with the pack is still fresh in his mind. He remembers the way the five of them had all clicked so easily that it had been a hell of a surprise at the time. Still, he finds himself shaken by just how much fondness is swelling in his chest right now, how much he wants Jimin and Jungkook to decide to stay and join their pack.

Maybe now that he’s done with his job, he can find some more time to spend with them. (Though the whole pack is getting busy right now, with lots of plans falling into place.) At least this night is a good start even if things do get busier for a little while. He should probably get back to it, maybe grab a couple of pictures to send off to the group chat so Joonie knows they’re still alive and well.

He weaves his way through the crowd to join the three of them, asking if they’re feeling up to another round of drinks – which they all enthusiastically agree to.

“Alright, I’ll go grab another round for us then.”

“I can come with you, hyung,” Jungkook says.

“Let me take care of it. You’re supposed to be celebrating.”

Behind Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung lock eyes for a brief moment before nodding, each of them stepping forward to take one of Jungkook’s arms.

“Let Hoseok-hyung take care of it,” Jimin says, batting his eyelashes at Jungkook.

“Yeah, stay and dance with us,” Taehyung whines. “You’ve hardly danced with me at all yet!”

Jungkook’s cheeks go bright pink as he nods, gaze flicking back and forth between the two of them. “Okay, sure. Whatever you guys want.”

~~

It’s a little more challenging to carry all four of their drinks on his own, but Hoseok manages to make it work and all three of the omegas welcome him with open arms. The four of them drink and dance, sometimes together sometimes splitting off. Honestly, he’s having more fun than he thought he would – not that he wasn’t looking forward to this, just that he thought it would be harder to get his mind off of work, but seeing the three of them enjoy themselves makes all of his problems feel smaller for now.

Still, he’s feeling tired enough to eventually take a bit of a break and catch up on the group chat, just to make sure everything is going well for Namjoon and Jin. Maybe he should have tried to get in a bit of a nap while he’d been home, but trying to get his brain to quiet down had felt impossible then.

At the very least, he should sleep hard tonight after all of this.

He spots an open booth and decides it’s the perfect spot to take a break. For a minute or so, he just closes his eyes and lets the noise wash over him – music and chatter and the ever-present shuffle of bodies. The constant churning of different scents is always the most off putting part of places like this in his opinion, but thankfully tonight isn’t too bad, mostly because the crowd is relatively small.

When he opens his eyes again he feels a little more centered, so he gets to work finally posting some of the pictures he’s been taking to the group chat, and getting a status update from Jin.

It sounds like their meeting is over now and everything went well. Yoongi was able to offer the technical support they needed and the client is apparently very pleased. He doesn’t press too hard for details. Mostly he just wants to make sure everything is okay.

With that done he starts scanning the crowd looking for the three omegas. They’re fairly easy to find this time, close enough to the edge of the dance floor that he hardly has to search for them.

He spots them just in time to see some tall, dark haired (probably alpha if he had to guess) guy worm his way up against Taehyung’s back, obviously being far too familiar judging by the annoyed look on Taehyung’s face and the way he tries to step away. The guy steps with him, keeping himself practically plastered to Taehyung’s back. Hoseok is just preparing to stand up and go put that asshole in his place, but he’s beaten to the punch.

By the time Taehyung’s eyes go wide and he’s turning around to see who’s touching him, Jungkook has already stepped forward and shoved the guy back hard enough to knock him to the floor, teeth bared as he glares down at the man. His lips move but Hoseok can’t quite make out what’s being said. Either way, Jungkook wraps an arm around Taehyung’s shoulder and leads him away.

He keeps his eyes on them for a couple of minutes, making sure they aren’t being followed. The guy must have slithered off to go bother someone else, because Hoseok doesn’t spot him anywhere when he scans the crowd again. Taehyung and Jungkook go back to dancing, looking as relaxed as they did before.

Except, if those two are there, then where’s Jimin? He’d been there when that jerk had gotten into Taehyung’s space, but he disappeared after that. Where did he–

Hoseok just barely manages not to leap out of his skin when an arm slips warm around his shoulders as he’s preoccupied with scanning the crowd. (Poor situational awareness. He should be paying more attention.) Thankfully, it’s only Jimin sliding into the booth beside him, cheeks tinged pink from alcohol and a mischievous looking smile on his face that suits him remarkably well.

“Wanna take a selfie with me, hyung?” Jimin asks, batting his lashes shamelessly.

Just hyung now, huh?

Jungkook really hadn’t been lying about how much a couple of drinks could loosen Jimin up. Jinnie would absolutely love this side of him, and Hoseok can just imagine how much it would shake Namjoon or Yoongi to be flirted with so brazenly. He might have to orchestrate an opportunity to see that for himself.

For now, he takes the chance to enjoy having this more confident Jimin all to himself, sliding his arm around the omega in return. “You look so pretty, it would almost be a shame not to. Are you taking it or am I?”

“Very smooth.” Jimin grins, reaching for his pocket. “I’ll take the picture – just a sec.” Once he has his phone out and the camera opened, he fishes something else out of his pocket.

A driver’s license.

Hoseok puts two and two together pretty easily. “Does that by chance belong to the guy who Jungkookie put on the floor a few minutes ago?”

“Yeah, the one who grabbed Tae’s ass.”

Hoseok feels a flare of rage that he is at least ninety percent sure he keeps out of his scent, because how dare anyone lay even a finger–

“That’s why we’re going to send this to Yoongi-hyung,” Jimin says, holding the card up.

Oh, that’s smart. Hoseok is a sucker for a good revenge plot, but he’s apparently even more of a sucker for Jimin being a little cruel on Taehyung’s behalf.

Also, did Jimin just call Yoongi ‘ hyung’ ?

“I like the way you think,” Hoseok says as Jimin lifts up his phone to take the picture.

They end up taking a few photos together. The first couple are just both of them grinning and holding up the driver’s license for the camera, but after that Jimin asks if he wants to take a couple together for fun instead. The rest are a mix of cute smiling selfies and some where the two of them make silly faces for the camera.

Jimin is laughing and smiling and Hoseok wants to see him like this more often, carefree and open without worry hiding behind it – he wonders how much of it is the alcohol and how much is Jimin feeling safe and comfortable with them.

“I’m gonna go dance some more,” Jimin says after a few rounds of pictures. “You coming too?”

“Not just yet. Gotta answer a couple of messages and then I’ll be right behind you though. Did you already send that picture to Yoongles?”

“Yeah. I’ll send you copies of ours too.”

“Yes please – and thank you for looking out for Taehyung.”

“Of course.” Jimin starts to get up out of the booth before sitting back down and leaning over to press his lips to Hoseok’s cheek in a gentle kiss. “Thanks for taking us out tonight, hyung,” Jimin says, blushing a pretty pink. “I’m having a lot of fun.”

Hoseok can’t help but grin. “I’m having a lot of fun too, Jimin-ah. Even more now.”

Jimin lets out a little laugh. “Good, that’s – I’m glad it was okay. Gonna go find Tae and Kookie now.”

With that, Jimin exits the booth and heads back out to the dance floor. A minute or so later, Hoseok’s phone dings with an incoming message from him with all of their photos attached. Some are a little blurry with the dim lighting of the club, but a few of them came out good.

He sets his favorite one (both of them giving peace signs with goofy faces) as his wallpaper right away and then sends off a few messages. First, he drops one of the selfies into the pack group chat because they are way too cute to keep to himself. After that, he messages Yoongi.

[Hobi to Yoongi]

[Hobi]: did u get a message from jimin?

[Yoongi]: That selfie of you two that he captioned with “ruin this guy’s life please”?

[Hobi]: yep thats the one :)

[Yoongi]: Why am I ruining this guy’s life?

[Yoongi]: Wait nevermind. Jimin just explained.

[Yoongi]: Consider it done.

[Hobi]: thank u <3

[Hobi]: u should have seen it. jungkookie put that guy on the ground so fast i didn’t even have a chance 2 get up

[Yoongi]: Fuck that’s hot.

[Yoongi]: Okay, that guy’s bank account is empty now and I ran up enough charges that he is going to spend months trying to dispute them all.

[Yoongi]: I snooped a little and he’s a creep on social media too. He’s sent nasty messages to a bunch of omegas, so I’m sending screenshots to his mom.

[Hobi]: fuck thats hot ;)

[Hobi]: always a joy 2 watch u work

[Yoongi]: Nothing I love more than ruining someone’s life from the comfort of my own home.

[Yoongi]: Shouldn’t you be dancing right now?

[Hobi]: yeah was just taking a little break but i should go soon

[Hobi]: oh but first ur never gonna guess what jiminie said 2 me :)

[Yoongi]: What was it?

[Hobi]: when he showed me that guys license he told me we were going 2 take a picture together

[Hobi]: and send it 2 yoongi hyung ;D

[Yoongi]: He actually said that?

[Yoongi]: Jimin doesn’t call me hyung.

[Hobi]: not to ur face apparently

[Hobi]: gonna go dance now. just thought u might want 2 know <3

~~

Hoseok does eventually make his way back out onto the dance floor, feeling a little more energized and ready to dance again – especially after earning a kiss on the cheek from Jiminie.

It’s Jungkookie who finds him first, greeting him with a grin. “Hey, Hobi-hyung. You feeling okay?”

“Yeah, just wanted to take a breather and make sure Yoongles wasn’t getting into any trouble while I’m away,” Hoseok answers.

Jungkook seems happy enough with that answer, leading Hoseok over to where Taehyung and Jimin are dancing and then pulling him in close enough that he can catch Jungkook’s scent clearly over the rest of the crowd. The crisp smell of citrus easily cuts through the other scents swirling in the air around them and Hoseok finds himself leaning closer as they dance, just to keep the rest of the scents at bay.

Maybe he wasn’t as up for all of this as he thought. Even the buzz of energy from the kiss to his cheek is fading away far too quickly – not that anything is going to stop him from making sure Jiminie and Jungkookie get to celebrate their first week of classes being done. No, he’ll push through the rest of this and then crash when he gets home. The next few songs pass in an easy blur. He just lets himself operate on autopilot and keeps his focus on Jungkook’s bright citrus scent – at least until it disappears.

He’s not sure exactly when he let his eyes slip out of focus but when he focuses them again, he’s face to face with Jimin, who’s reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, hyung?” he asks, smiling warm and easy.

Shit, he shouldn’t be letting them see him like this. Gotta keep it together. He pulls his face into a smile, making sure it travels all the way up to his eyes. It’s not all that hard. He is actually having a pretty good time underneath how exhausted he feels, it’s just hard to stay focused when he’s surrounded by so many sounds and scents and lights.

“Yeah, I’m okay. How about you, Minnie?”

The nickname doesn’t put Jimin as off balance as he had hoped. Instead the omega looks him over, slow and deliberate before stepping in closer and slipping his arms around Hoseok’s shoulders. The song playing now is slow enough that the gesture seems appropriate, and having Jimin close enough to drown out the other scents is a very welcome bonus. “I’m feeling good,” Jimin answers. “You just looked a little lost when Kookie got stolen away from you. Feeling a bit tired?”

“Maybe a little, but I’m having fun. Where did Jungkookie end up anyways?” Hoseok asks, looking over Jimin’s shoulder to scan the crowd, but having no luck.

Jimin spins the two of them around and tilts his head toward where Hoseok can now see Taehyung and Jungkook standing just as close as he and Jimin are. Taehyung is grinning from ear to ear, saying something to Jungkook as he happily sways with him.

“As soon as a slower song started, TaeTae came to grab him – said it was the perfect chance for Kookie to dip him,” Jimin says with a little laugh, resting his head on Hoseok’s shoulder as they sway to the music.

It’s nice, having Jimin soft and warm against him like this – makes flirting practically a requirement. “And are you looking for someone to dip you?”

“Not really, but I did want a chance to dance with you and maybe also to thank you for taking us out like this. Kookie was bummed when Namjoon-hyung called to cancel.”

“Well, this is a bit of a far cry from champagne and a nice restaurant but there was no way I was gonna let your first week of classes go completely uncelebrated.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. This has been a lot of fun, even if you do look like you need a break. Honestly, I’m getting kind of tired too.”

Hoseok isn’t entirely sure if Jimin is saying he’s tired for his benefit or not. The omega is harder to read like this, after a few drinks and when Hoseok can’t get a good look at his face to try and interpret his expressions. The only real option left is to take Jimin at face value. “Yeah? You think you’ve had about enough for one night?”

“Probably. These early morning classes are brutal, I swear. Hopefully next semester I can get some that start later.”

“I’m sure you can,” Hoseok agrees. “Wanna wrangle the other two after this song and get out of here?”

“Mhmm. Could use a break from all the noise, and you said you like the nighttime best, right? I bet the moon is out nice and bright by now.”

Hoseok swears he feels his heart skip a beat. Jimin is clinging to him so sweetly, half mumbling all cute and soft right by his ear and he remembers Hoseok’s favorite time of day. It’s almost too much, especially right now when he’s starting to feel a bit raw between work and the lack of sleep, plus this whole outing. He can feel the growing desire to tilt Jimin’s head up for a kiss swelling in his chest – wants it so bad he aches with it – but he doesn’t make the move, just sways there with Jimin wrapped nice and secure in his arms until the song ends and they break apart to go gather up Jungkook and Taehyung.

Those two don’t take much convincing either. Taehyung is apparently completely satisfied now that he’s danced with Jungkook, and he gushes about how perfectly Jungkook had dipped him.

“He’s had lots of practice,” Jimin says, grinning. “I taught Kookie to slow dance years ago.”

“That’s because Jiminie gets all fussy when he’s in preheat and slow dancing always makes him feel better, especially when you do cute stuff like dipping him or picking him up.”

“I do not get fussy.”

“You literally do, hyung. Last time you cried because we ran out of–”

“Okay, that’s enough stories!” Jimin says, giving Jungkook a playful shove. “Don’t tell them all my embarrassing habits too early, okay?”

“Aww, that’s so cute,” Taehyung says. “You guys are adorable.”

“You’re adorable,” Jimin counters with a grin. “Bet you’d look even cuter with Kookie carrying you. Has he told you how much he loves giving piggyback rides?”

Taehyung’s eyes go wide and then he’s off running toward Jungkook and practically leaping onto his back. It’s a smooth redirection, Hoseok has to admit – and the fact that he’s impressed only makes the urge to kiss Jimin well up in him again, but this isn’t the night for it. He’d rather wait until he feels like himself again and can make sure it’s something special and good for both of them.

The four of them make for the exit, Jungkook a few steps ahead of them with Taehyung clinging to his back, and Jimin side by side with Hoseok. Now that they’re leaving, he finds himself already not looking forward to saying goodbye to Jimin and Jungkook, no matter how badly he wants to go home and fall into bed. He knows it’s just his emotions playing up because he’s pushed himself too hard this last week, but knowing that doesn’t make him feel it any less. He can’t wait for the day when the two of them start sleeping over and he can just pull them into bed for cuddles when he feels like this.

Hoseok is too busy in his own head to catch the disturbance first. Hell, he doesn’t even really notice until Jimin quirks his head and turns on his heel in an instant.

Footsteps, coming up on them fast from behind.

He turns in time to see that guy from before – the dark haired alpha who had dared to put his hands on Taehyung – approaching them quickly, his face set in a glare directed straight at Taehyung and Jungkook, but then settling on Hoseok. He definitely looks pissed, and drunk enough to sway slightly in his cheap suit and scuffed shoes.

Barely a threat.

“Hey, one of your fucking omega brats took my wallet,” the man shouts.

Hoseok goes to move forward and deal with the guy but Jimin beats him to it, stepping in front of him with a growl. “Back the hell up,” Jimin snarls at the man. “None of us have a damn thing of yours, you creep.”

“Bullshit. I had my wallet before that brute shoved me to the floor,” the guy says, pointing behind them at Jungkook and taking another couple of steps forward.

As if on cue, Jungkook rushes forward to stand beside Jimin. “I don’t know what your problem is, but you need to settle down.”

Hoseok starts to step forward but Taehyung’s hand lands on his shoulder, holding him in place and smiling toward Jimin and Jungkook. It’s clear what he wants almost immediately.

He wants to see them in action.

As much effort as it takes to reign in the way his alpha wants to protect them, Hoseok has to admit he’s curious too. Taehyung has probably come to the same conclusion as he did – that the man is basically harmless, just an angry drunk who thinks he’s found an easy target. (Pretty unlikely, especially considering the families Jimin and Jungkook grew up in.)

The alpha scoffs, leaning over to look past Jungkook at Hoseok. “What’s this? Got some omega fighting your battles for you?”

Hoseok shrugs. “Seems like your problem is with them, not me. Though I’d suggest you find a better use for your time.”

“Oh, you’d suggest, would you?” The alpha’s face is completely red by this point. He starts to step forward, eyes still fixated on Hoseok.

“You come any closer to him and I’ll break your fucking jaw,” Jungkook snarls, sidestepping to keep himself between the man and Hoseok.

“I’d be careful,” Jimin says, picking at his nails and looking almost bored. “You’re lucky to have gotten a warning.”

“Like I’m afraid of some fucking omega with an attitude problem. I’d get out of my way if you don’t want your pretty face busted up.”

Jungkook doesn’t move a muscle.

“Last chance,” Jimin says. “Just turn around and go ask the bartender if someone found the wallet you lost. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.”

“Shut up! I know one of you has it!”

It seems like the guy has finally had enough. He charges for Jungkook first but in the time it takes him to close the few feet of distance, Jungkook dodges off to the side while Jimin steps in to deliver a swift blow to the man’s neck, sending him falling to the ground and sputtering for breath.

Next to Hoseok, Taehyung is nodding his approval.

The motions had looked fluid from both of them – practiced. It was a good strategy. Get the attacker so focused on one of them that they stop considering the other to be a threat, then use that against them the moment it actually counts.

They leave the guy there, coughing in the hallway and struggling to catch his breath. He’ll be fine in a few minutes, with little more than a nasty bruise. It’s not nearly what he deserves, but at this point Hoseok is just concerned with getting all of the omegas safely into the car.

Once they’re outside and have the car in sight, Jungkook is the one to break the silence. “So do you actually have that guy’s wallet, or…?”

“Nah,” Jimin answers. “I ditched it almost right after I took it. He didn’t have any cash in there, so there’s a good chance someone might have actually turned it in at the bar but I doubt he even checked.”

“How about his ID?” Hoseok asks.

“Left it in the bathroom for someone to find.”

“How did we do, TaeTae?” Jungkook asks with a grin. “Good enough for you not to worry?”

“Have you been asking if they can handle themselves, Taehyungie?” Hoseok asks. He’s wondered as much himself, and while he does feel a little better after what they just saw, he would still prefer an assessment from Taehyung.

“Yeah. Security is all well and good, but things can still happen. What I really need to do is have them spar with me one of these times, but let’s see…”

Taehyung takes a moment to think as the four of them climb into the vehicle, and Hoseok directs the driver to take them back to the apartment so they can drop those two off.

“C’mon, what’s the verdict?” Jimin says, nudging at Taehyung.

“Well it was a good move, but it didn’t really give me a good idea of how you two handle yourselves separately or in situations where you can’t win in one surprise hit. I’m guessing the two of you are a force to reckon with when you’re together so–”

Jungkook practically bounces with joy. “Does that mean we get to spar one on one with you, hyung? When do you wanna do it? Can I go first?”

Hoseok can’t quite hold back a bark of laughter at Jungkook’s excitement. “Whenever you do it, just make sure that Joonie isn’t nearby. If he walks in and sees one of you pinned to the mat, he might actually have a heart attack.”

“I think he’s got work meetings a couple days this week. Hold on, let me check his calendar…”

The ride to Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment is just long enough for the three of them to start working out a date to spar when Namjoon and Jin will be out of the house. Hoseok mostly leaves them to it, feeling himself check out more and more with each passing moment.

He tunes back in long enough to hug them both goodbye and accept their thanks for the night out. The three omegas exchange quick kisses goodbye which is just the cutest goddamn thing, but he’s going to have to process that later when his brain doesn’t feel like it’s falling out his ears.

Taehyung talks most of the way home, excited and animated so Hoseok really just needs to nod and make little indications that he’s listening. It’s soothing, really. Just him and Taehyung’s pretty voice in the back of the car while the city passes them by.

When they finally get home, he doesn’t even bother to change – just falls straight into his bed with all of his clothes still on, asleep almost before his head hits the pillow.

Chapter Text

Yoongi wakes up at noon to Taehyung slipping under the covers with him and cuddling up to his chest all warm and cute and smelling like sweet maple. “Hyuuuung, are you gonna get up and have lunch with us?”

Instead of answering, Yoongi just pulls Taehyung in closer, nosing down his neck and starting to suck a lazy mark over his scent gland, a tiny groan escaping him at the taste. Why bother getting up when everything he wants is right here?

The smell of maple gets thicker in the air as Taehyung eagerly accepts being marked and scented. “Jin-hyung is frying chicken,” he offers, voice turning to that pretty, breathy tone that Yoongi loves so much.

Chicken does sound good, but not nearly as good as passing back out wrapped around Taehyung. “Don’t wanna,” he mutters against the omega’s neck. “M’comfy.”

There’s a brief moment of silence before Taehyung speaks again. “Hobi-hyung is still asleep,” he whispers.

That gets Yoongi feeling alert in no time.

Shit, the back to back jobs and then going straight into a public outing yesterday…

Hoseok never sleeps this late, at least not unless he’s really overdone it. Usually that only happens after one of the big stupid jobs his parents like to sign him up for, but he’s been working day and night for the last week now on this latest gig. If it’s finally over, he should be in to visit at some point today – and there’s no way in hell that Yoongi is going to be asleep when his mate needs him.

“Okay, I’m getting up.” He presses a kiss to Taehyung’s cheek and then sits up, wincing at the way his head throbs with the motion. He needs caffeine and probably a handful of ibuprofen too…

Taehyung wastes no time snuggling into Yoongi’s spot on the bed, burying his face in the pillows and pulling the covers up to his shoulders. “Care package from Jin-hyung is on your desk,” he says, voice muffled by Yoongi’s pillows. “Grab me on your way out?”

Yoongi lets out a huff of laughter and rolls his eyes, reaching down to ruffle Taehyung’s hair before standing up. “Sure thing.”

His ‘care package’ is a tiny little tray that includes a still steaming cup of coffee as well as two ibuprofen in a fancy little saucer next to it. There’s also a handwritten note that simply reads: ‘Two ibuprofen is plenty’ that’s signed with a heart. (He and Jin may have had some disagreements in the past about the appropriate dosage of over-the-counter painkillers.)

He swallows the pills and heads to the bathroom with his cup of coffee to get ready for the day. If nothing else, the coffee is at least brewed nice and strong, just the way he likes it. As he’s brushing his teeth, he opens one of the cabinet drawers to check for the bottle of ibuprofen he’d stashed behind his other extra toiletries and finds it missing.

Figures. Seokjin must have been snooping again. Better make sure that’s all he found.

His bathroom counter has a fair few drawers in it – plenty of hiding spaces. When he opens the middle one on the far left side and lifts out the false bottom he installed a couple years ago, he finds all of the important things still there. Yoongi doesn’t take a lot of drugs, but sometimes an intense project will require a few sleepless nights, or a really killer migraine will strike out of nowhere, and he likes to be prepared for those moments. Keeping a healthy supply of stimulants, benzos, and a few good painkillers on hand just makes him feel more secure, even if he doesn’t need them all that often.

It’s one of those things his mates know about and tend to ignore because they know it isn’t a fight they can win. Keeping a far more obvious stash of something relatively harmless does tend to satisfy Jin’s need to snoop if he gets particularly worried about Yoongi’s health at any time.

Which does kind of bring up a good point. Why is Jin snooping now?

Actually, it’s not much of a mystery. Hoseok has been overworking himself and Jin doesn’t have a good way to deal with that yet. The beta prides himself on his ability to navigate all of their moods and needs, always able to offer assistance with their troubles and smooth over disagreements – except when it comes to Hoseok.

The two of them get along great, and in a lot of ways Hoseok really seems to look up to Seokjin. There’s not a doubt in Yoongi’s mind about the deep love they have for one another. It’s just that Hoseok is notoriously difficult to talk to when he gets all laser focused on a job, and Jin hates that there’s nothing he can do to stop Hoseok from running himself into the ground time and time again.

Well they all hate it, to be fair – but with Jin it really seems to get under his skin by the end.

So sometimes he needs to take out some of the mother-henning on the rest of them until the worst of it passes. At least if Hoseok really is still passed out, then this round should be just about done. Yoongi will give it a few weeks, buy another big bottle of ibuprofen, dump a third of it out, and hide it somewhere else for Jin to find when he needs to.

For now, he takes a quick shower and finishes getting ready, making sure to scoop up Taehyung on his way out to the kitchen. The omega smells nice like this – all covered in Yoongi’s scent after cuddling up in his bed. They still make it to their destination eventually, but they do pause in the doorway for Yoongi to kiss him breathless about it real quick. Just a minor detour.

In the dining room, he deposits Taehyung right into Namjoon’s lap and gives them each a quick kiss before heading off to the kitchen, where he finds Jin humming to himself as he sets up a breading station for his fried chicken.

“Good morning, Yoongi-yah,” he says, vigorously beating a couple of eggs. “Did you sleep well?”

Yoongi makes his way up to the counter where he can get a good look at Jin, dressed in black slacks and his apron, the sleeves of his white button down all rolled up to his elbows like he’s walked straight out of one of Yoongi’s wet dreams or–

This isn’t new. Seokjin always looks good. Focus.

“Slept fine,” Yoongi says, voice still a little scratchy since he hasn’t been up long. “You were in my bathroom.”

“You were doing your best to destroy your liver again, weren’t you?” Jin asks, measuring out flour and seasonings into another bowl.

“It’s literally ibuprofen. I’m going to be fine.”

Jin stops what he’s doing, looking up to meet Yoongi’s eyes with an amused smile that practically screams ‘I dare you’. He’s clearly ready to fight about it, but Yoongi isn’t going to back down no matter how hot Jin looks when he’s trying to be intimidating like this.

“Regularly taking handfuls of any medication is bad for you, darling. I promise you that two ibuprofen is more than enough to handle your morning headache – which you wouldn’t have if you would go to bed at a regular time. Speaking of which, how is your head now?”

Maybe it’s a bit reckless, but Yoongi isn’t one to back down from a challenge and it seems like Jin might need this.

He shrugs and lifts himself up to sit on the counter. “Feels fine. Chewing up a couple of percocet took care of it, no problem,” he lies. His head is definitely still throbbing, because even if two ibuprofen is enough (doubtful), they sure as shit don’t work very fast.

Jin’s eyes narrow and he very deliberately sets down his whisk before stepping over to put himself right in front of Yoongi. Even sitting a couple inches taller than Jin like this, he still feels small under the beta’s piercing gaze. Yoongi knows that he’s being sized up – that Jin is trying to decide whether to take the bait.

“Need any help with lunch?” Yoongi asks, turning his head toward the stove where a pot of oil sits over the burner. “Looks like your oil will be up to temp in no time. Maybe you need a second pair of hands.”

Jin does not look amused, leaning over to shut the burner off and returning his attention immediately to Yoongi. Shit, he really is serious. Well, no point turning back now.

“Yoongi-yah,” Jin says, his voice coming out calm and even – a clear contrast to just how sharp his gaze is. “I would suggest you not joke about things like that.”

“Who says I’m joking?”

“Hey, do you need any…” Namjoon’s voice calls from the doorway to the kitchen. Yoongi leans over to look past Jin just in time to see the other alpha quirk his head with a little smile. “Am I interrupting something?”

Yoongi shakes his head at the same time that Jin says, “Yes, actually.”

Taehyung peeks his head around the doorway just behind Namjoon with a curious little smile on his face. “Ooh, is Yoongi-hyung in trouble? Can I watch?”

Oh great, now he’s got an audience for this.

Not like that should be all that much of a surprise – Taehyung has always been a bit of a voyeur, but he’s usually especially keen to watch when Yoongi manages to get himself into trouble. Shit, he can’t start thinking about that or he’ll be blushing in no time.

Jin turns just far enough to snap his fingers and point toward the dining room. “Out – both of you. Expect a slight delay in lunch.”

Only a slight delay. That’s promising.

Neither of them question the order. Namjoon turns on his heel to leave without even a backward glance, urging a slightly pouty Taehyung to do the same. With Jin’s arm raised, it’s probably Yoongi’s only shot at making a run for it, but the likelihood that he gets away with a move like that is pretty low and he’s kind of curious to see how this goes. Still, it could be worth–

“Don’t even think about it,” Jin says, turning back to Yoongi in a flash. “Now, do you want to tell me why you’re trying to pick a fight right now?”

“You were the one snooping in my stuff.”

“And then I had Taehyung-ah bring you a cup of coffee and something for the headache I knew you would have because you were up far too late last night.”

“Don’t forget the note,” Yoongi adds. “It’s rude to snoop in my room, you know.”

Jin raises an unimpressed brow. “You know what else is rude? Joking about taking those pills when you are entirely aware of how much I hate that you even have them.”

“Look, when you’re the one with the splitting headache, you can decide how to deal with it.”

“You mean by taking a reasonable amount of over-the-counter medicine, just like you did?”

Yoongi shrugs. “If that’s what you want to tell yourself.”

“You’re not fooling me, Yoongi-yah. I’m absolutely certain you didn’t take any painkillers other than what I sent with Taehyung-ah.”

“Oh yeah? How do you think you know that?” Yoongi is genuinely curious. Jin doesn’t seem to have an ounce of doubt about this, and it’s not like Taehyung was watching him in the bathroom – or would rat him out like that even if he did.

“We’ve been mated for this long and you really think I don’t know when you’re lying? No faith at all in your only hyung?”

The thing is that, for as impressive as Jin is (and he is really fucking impressive), he’s not superhuman. He’s got great intuition and he knows most of their tells. He’s the only one who can properly navigate Taehyung’s needs when his mental health really tanks, and whatever connection he and Namjoon have is deep enough that they can communicate almost entirely through glances and microexpressions that Yoongi can’t even begin to interpret.

Probably most impressive (to Yoongi at least) is that Jin seems to be able to see straight through Hoseok, even if he doesn’t know how to fix what’s happening. None of the rest of them can do that. Hell, even Yoongi can’t read Hoseok all that easily, and he considers him the person in the pack that he feels the closest to in a lot of ways. There’s plenty of times it’s still a mystery to him what’s going on in Hoseok’s head – but Jin seems to have the best idea of any of them.

All of this is to say that Jin is very attuned to all of them and incredibly good at intuitively understanding their needs…

But he isn’t a mindreader.

Yoongi can and has lied to Jin on plenty of occasions without being found out. He doesn’t enjoy lying to any of his mates, but there are times when it’s what he has to do – and other times where it’s just so much easier than telling the truth. (Like when he needs space and doesn’t want to worry Namjoon and Jin, so he just tells them he’s got a big project to work on instead.)

For whatever reason though, Jin seems to have his number this time. How exactly he knows is a mystery for another time.

“Fine, you got me,” Yoongi admits. “I didn’t.”

Jin’s posture relaxes just the slightest but he’s still stiff, and still fixing Yoongi with those intense eyes. “Thank you for telling the truth. Would you care to tell me why you were so intent on lying to me in an attempt to pick a fight?”

“Because I think you’re on edge and need a little push,” Yoongi answers honestly. Not much more point in lying now when Jin will already be expecting it – better to change gears and see if that works instead.

“I am not–”

“You are, hyung.”

Jin’s gaze softens minutely as he pauses to consider Yoongi’s words. After a few seconds he lets out a slow breath and leans forward, pulling Yoongi into his arms. “You might be right.”

Yoongi returns the hug carefully, still prepared for retaliation. “I am right.”

That finally earns him a reaction.

Jin leans into his neck swiftly and delivers a harsh nip just off from Yoongi’s scent gland – a warning. It hurts a little (not enough, honestly) but even more than that, it makes Yoongi crave an actual nip so much that he catches himself tilting his head to offer his throat properly, stopping the motion before he gets too far.

Jin notices. Of course he does. “Already looking for a nip? You really are determined to have this fight, aren’t you, love?” His voice goes almost cloyingly sweet as he speaks, but Yoongi recognizes that tone as the same one he hears when he’s about to get absolutely wrecked.

“It seems like that might be what you need,” Yoongi answers, doing his best to sound unaffected even as his teeth practically ache with want.

Jin stays at Yoongi’s neck, nosing his way from shoulder to jaw without sinking his teeth in again – not that it stops Yoongi from shivering with anticipation anyway. “Awfully charitable of you to go offering yourself up to help me work through this, but I believe you have other obligations today.”

Damn, he hadn’t thought about Hoseok.

“Shit, sorry,” Yoongi apologizes. He’d gotten so focused on trying to help Jin feel better that he had entirely forgotten that Hoseok would probably be up soon. “I really didn’t mean to start something and then leave you to–”

“No apology necessary,” Jin interrupts, leaning back to look Yoongi in the eyes again with a little half smirk on his lips. “I know that wasn’t what you were trying to do, but I also don’t intend to let you get away quite so easily.”

Yoongi swallows. “Later?”

“Only if you want.”

“I do,” Yoongi answers immediately. “I mean – I will.”

Jin smiles. “Later then. Come find me once you’re finished with Hobi-yah if you’re feeling up to it, and we can pick this discussion up right where we left off. If not, it’ll keep until tomorrow. And of course if you change your mind, I will accept a sincere apology instead.”

“Wouldn’t count on it.”

“Of course not, but you still have the option. Now, I believe I have lunch to prepare.”

Yoongi reaches and grabs Jin’s shoulder before he can turn back toward the stove. “Wait, hyung. Can…” He falters, feeling a little off balance and unsure if he’s allowed to look to Jin for comfort after picking a fight and having to pivot so fast. Still, if Hoseok does end up needing him all day, Yoongi would hate to know that this ended here. “Can you stay for a minute?” he eventually asks, voice small.

Jin’s demeanor changes in a flash, smile going warm and fond as he leans in to wrap his arms around Yoongi, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Of course, darling. Always.”

“Didn’t wanna leave it like that,” Yoongi says, returning the embrace and breathing in the calming wave of mint rolling off of Jin.

“You can always have this, Yoongi-yah – no matter what I intend to do with you later.”

“Can’t wait,” Yoongi answers with a laugh. “Kiss?”

Jin pretends to think it over for a moment, but they both know he can’t turn down a request like that. Yoongi ends up thoroughly kissed and scented before being drafted to assist with finishing up the lunch that he had helped to delay.

~~

Lunch is pretty uneventful – though Taehyung does seem shocked when Yoongi appears to have escaped Jin’s wrath relatively unscathed (except for the bruise above his scent gland). He asks what Yoongi did to get himself into trouble but Jin shuts down that line of questioning with a simple, “You will find out later.”

Yoongi sticks around long enough to help with the cleanup and then heads off to his room to do some work while he waits. He makes sure his phone is not on silent and sets up a program to give him a popup if a message comes through on any application – making absolutely sure that he won't miss it if Hoseok decides to try and get a hold of him.

It’s hard to say exactly what the other alpha will need from him. This sort of thing isn’t really something he’s good at, or something that anyone else in the pack ever comes to him for. Namjoon and Jin tend to lean on one another before anyone else, and while Taehyung does tend to seek out Yoongi first when he’s upset, it’s usually just long enough to calm down a little before he really talks the problem through with one of the others. But somehow – even though Yoongi is the worst at it of all of them – Hoseok always prefers to come to him for comfort first.

Even after a little practice he still doesn’t feel like he’s very good at it, especially when he compares himself to someone like Jin.

Then again, for as much as Jin can help the rest of them, his approach doesn’t seem to work for Hoseok – so maybe whatever piss poor excuse for comfort Yoongi can fumble his way through is somehow just what the other alpha needs. Still, Hoseok doesn’t usually work himself this hard more than a few times a year, so Yoongi doesn’t feel the most experienced.

Either way, he doesn’t intend to fuck this up if he can help it, so he does the best he can to prepare for anything.

He’s already got snacks and drinks that Hoseok likes. Those are basically always in his room since they end up hanging out in here plenty. (He keeps an emergency stash for Taehyung too, but those do tend to actually get used on bad days instead of just casually.) Snacks aside, he stacks everything else he could possibly need near his desk. Spare blankets and pillows just in case they need a poorly made nest, a cushion for if he wants to sit on the floor, a heated blanket–

The pile topples over and he has to spend another couple of minutes rethinking how he wants to arrange things. (Tossing the spare blankets onto the bed and throwing the cushion on the floor is a good start.)

Shit, he really should just put all this stuff in a laundry basket for easy access or something next time. Would save him the trouble of digging through his closets and getting sidetracked by whatever other nonsense he finds while he’s at it.

Once he has everything together and ready, it’s just a matter of waiting. He should probably feel anxious. Maybe if it was one of the others he would be, but…

Not with Hoseok.

He double checks that he has everything set up to make absolutely sure he doesn’t miss any notifications, and then he gets to work digging into a list of names Namjoon gave him a few days ago. Some of them are potential buyers while the others are possible targets, but none of them are too time sensitive – easy work to set aside at the drop of a hat.

The soft sound of his door closing behind him some time later is enough to let him know he’s no longer alone. Sure enough, when he turns around he finds Hoseok making his way across the room toward him. He’s proven over and over again how easy it is for him to slip in completely unnoticed, so Yoongi is grateful that he made a little noise closing the door.

Hoseok’s hair is wet like he’s just had a shower but he hardly looks awake even after all the sleep he’s had, dressed in sweatpants and an old t-shirt and looking drained.

“Hey, you finally made it out of bed,” Yoongi says. “You manage to sneak past the other three or did you get jumped on your way here?”

Hoseok shakes his head and stops a few feet short of Yoongi’s desk. “Didn’t see anyone,” he answers. (Damn, he even sounds exhausted.) “Stayed out of the living room, so that probably helped.”

Yoongi hums in agreement and decides not to bother beating around the bush. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really, no.”

It’s the answer Yoongi expected, but he would rather check than assume. “Wanna come here then?”

Hoseok doesn’t hesitate for even a moment once the offer has been made, closing the distance between them and heading right for the cushion he spots on the floor at Yoongi’s feet. He drops to his knees with a soft thud and lays his head on Yoongi’s thigh without a word, a soft little sigh leaving him as he relaxes. It takes another couple of seconds for him to remember to let his scent out, but he still does it without being asked.

It was one of the few requests Yoongi had made when they started doing this. It’s easier to know he’s taking care of Hoseok properly when he isn’t hiding his scent. Hoseok doesn’t have the same type of control over his scent that Namjoon does. Their leader focuses more on what type of scent he’s putting out and on controlling spikes so he doesn’t overwhelm or worry anyone. On the other hand, Hoseok is really good at hiding his scent entirely, but not very good at moderating it beyond that.

Meaning that if something starts to go wrong, Yoongi should be able to smell it.

For now, it’s just a slightly bitter coffee – not burnt like it gets when Hoseok is really upset, but still not quite right either.

He reaches down and cards his fingers through Hoseok’s wet hair, letting the silence hang undisturbed for a minute or so before gently asking, “Can you tell me what you need?”

“Just this,” Hoseok answers. “Don’t wanna think for a while. You can work.”

“Do you want me to work?”

Hoseok gives it a few moments of thought before giving a slow nod against Yoongi’s thigh. “Do you need me to move or anything?”

“Nah, you can stay right where you are. Gonna shuffle a few things quick. You want a blanket or anything?”

“No, I’m good.”

Yoongi doesn’t accomplish a lot of actual work, even once he scoots his keyboard and mouse close enough to use comfortably. He does a few minutes here and there but mostly his attention is on Hoseok, who kneels unmoving at his feet for the better part of an hour, head resting in his lap. He catches himself looking up at the monitors that constantly run the live feed from Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment, but they’re both at work right now so it’s just their empty apartment on the screen.

At the very least, this doesn’t seem to be one of Hoseok’s really bad times. Not much of a surprise considering those tend to have a couple of weeks of buildup where he locks himself in his office and spends every waking moment working – planning and checking and rechecking over and over until he’s driven himself right up a wall. When it gets bad enough he ends up exhausted, irritable, and so stressed that he turns paranoid of basically everyone and everything.

Yoongi has only seen it get truly bad twice now – both times after huge jobs Hoseok worked for his parents – but it had been heartbreaking to see his mate like that.

Compared to those moments, this is a walk in the park. Even if Yoongi isn’t accomplishing much as far as work goes, Hoseok seems to be feeling better – or at least he smells like he is. The bitter edge of his scent has gone almost entirely, leaving rich coffee in its wake.

Probably okay to move him now.

Yoongi reaches down to touch Hoseok’s hair again, running his fingers through the drying strands and brushing a thumb over his cheekbone. “Gonna move us, okay? You’ve been kneeling for almost an hour and I want you to stretch your legs. Preference?”

Hoseok hums in agreement and slowly lifts his head to look around the room. “Couch?”

“Okay, couch it is.” He tosses one of the extra blankets toward the couch and then helps Hoseok off of the floor, letting him take his time and trying not to be too concerned when he winces as he straightens out his legs. Once Yoongi gets his mate onto the couch, he quickly heads back to his desk and grabs a bottle of water and the little basket of snacks he keeps tucked away in his drawer.

As soon as he sits down on the couch, he offers the water bottle to Hoseok. “Here, drink some and then you can get comfy.”

Hoseok doesn’t argue, just takes the bottle of water and downs half of it in a few big gulps before depositing it on the coffee table. Yoongi puts the snack basket off to the side for now and gets comfortable himself, lifting his arm to make room for Hoseok to lie down and drop his head in Yoongi’s lap again.

Once they’re both settled in, he reaches for the blanket and tosses it over Hoseok. It’s not too heavy – just something to help him feel less exposed and to keep the chill away.

They still don’t talk. Yoongi doesn’t think Hoseok is really ready for that yet, so he doesn’t bother asking. Instead, he does his best to mimic the way Hoseok sometimes massages his scalp, all the way down to letting his blunt nails trail over the skin every now and then. It’s probably nowhere near as nice as when Hoseok does it for him, but even if it isn’t perfect, it’s good enough to have Hoseok letting out a low little sigh of satisfaction as his eyes slip closed, scent going just a touch sweet.

*******

Hoseok doesn’t really feel much of anything right now.

After all the excitement of their dancing date last night, he slept over twelve hours and woke up in a bit of a haze. He doesn’t really remember showering, but he knows he did because his hair drips wet spots that soak into Yoongi’s jeans where his head rests, and the scents of the club last night don’t linger on his skin anymore. Even just thinking about the club makes his brain turn to static – hell, trying to think too hard about anything right now seems to have that effect.

So he trusts Yoongi to take care of him and lets himself float instead.

He sleeps a little more on the couch, or at least it feels like he sleeps. One moment there’s nothing but the hum of Yoongi’s computers in the room, and the next there’s the soft sound of someone talking from the TV. The volume is down so low that he can hardly even make out the words, so he turns his head to look at the screen.

It’s just a video of some guy sitting at a table littered with various computer parts, pointing and talking about each one in turn. There are subtitles but even with them on, Hoseok has no idea what the guy is talking about. Specs or something else that’s way too technical for him probably.

“Does it bother you?” Yoongi asks, fingers gone still in Hoseok’s hair. “I can turn it off.”

“No, it’s good. Turn it up just a little?”

“You wanna learn about new motherboard options?” Yoongi asks with a small puff of laughter, even as he obeys and turns the volume up.

“Didn’t I tell you I took up building computers as a hobby?” Hoseok tries to joke. It comes out a little flat but Yoongi laughs anyways, returning to the rhythmic motion of massaging Hoseok’s scalp.

“I’d be careful joking about that. Do you know how bummed I would be if you built your first one without me?”

Hoseok turns his head back away from the screen and gives Yoongi a little smile. “I’d never do that without you.”

“Yeah, I know you wouldn’t betray me like that.” Yoongi returns the smile. “Is it loud enough now?”

“Mhmm, don’t have to try to make out the words now.”

Yoongi gives a little hum of acknowledgement but otherwise returns to silently watching the video and rubbing at Hoseok’s scalp. It’s soothing. He’s used to being the one doing this for his mates, but having the gesture returned is rare (mostly because he doesn’t sit still and let any of them take care of him long enough for it). Now he lets himself enjoy it, drifting in and out of sleep easily between the calming voice from the video going into mind numbing depth about a bunch of computer jargon and the rhythmic motions of Yoongi’s fingers.

When he wakes again, it’s to the sound of some sort of wrapper being opened. Yoongi is obviously trying to be quiet about it – the television is still loud enough to cover most of the noise, but Hoseok doesn’t mind being woken up. He cracks his eyes open and sees a chocolate bar in Yoongi’s hands. It takes a few seconds for him to recognize the logo as one of his favorites, but he smiles when he does.

Yoongi sees him open his eyes and gives a little smile in return, then breaks off a piece of the chocolate bar and holds it up to Hoseok’s mouth without a word.

It’s delicious, rich and dark with little flakes of sea salt that crunch between his teeth. Something about being hand fed makes his chest feel full of warmth too. He knows it’s not biological in the same way as it is for omegas, but it still makes him feel cared for, especially when it’s Yoongi doing the feeding.

He doesn’t know what he would do without Yoongi.

The whole pack is wonderful and he loves every one of his mates so much, but when he feels like this – overwhelmed, unsure, and not like himself at all – Yoongi is the one who always manages to bring him back down to earth. He likes that he never has to doubt Yoongi’s intentions. Sometimes when he gets real bad he can end up feeling a little paranoid, and it makes it hard to accept the comfort his mates try to give him without wondering if they’re pandering to him, or just going through the motions to get him out of their hair or wishing they didn’t have to bother.

Yoongi hasn’t ever made him feel like that. He doesn’t make a huge fuss. He doesn’t fidget and push like he’s restless and ready to move on, and he doesn’t coo or act overly sweet as if Hoseok is some fragile pup. He’s just here, warm and comforting and not all that different from how he usually is when they’re together – maybe a bit quieter and a little softer, but not enough to be jarring.

Hoseok eats another piece of chocolate when it’s offered. He’s starting to feel more grounded by the moment, like his body has weight again and his thoughts aren’t running through molasses. The first thing he realizes is that he’s a bit warm under the blanket, so he pulls it off himself.

Yoongi doesn’t comment. Whatever video he’s been watching on the TV ends but he doesn’t start another one, just keeps snapping pieces off the chocolate bar for the two of them. He doesn’t watch Hoseok for a reaction, only looking down long enough to feed him (with a cute little smile on his face every time) before letting his eyes go back to roaming the room.

It’s probably time to talk. The thought doesn’t feel nearly as overwhelming as it did earlier…

“I might have overdone it a bit,” Hoseok confesses.

Yoongi lets out a snort of laughter and breaks the last of the chocolate bar into two pieces. “You think?” he says, flashing that gummy smile and popping one piece into his mouth before feeding Hoseok the last of it. “If it makes you feel any better, Taehyung was talking at lunch about how much fun he had. Sounds like Jimin and Jungkook have been gushing about it too.”

That’s a relief, but still…

“I wasn’t at my best by the end of it. Started to burn out about halfway through.”

“I doubt any of them noticed.”

“Jimin did.”

“Huh.” Yoongi looks off to the side, considering for a moment before looking back at him. “Was it bad? That he noticed I mean?”

That gives Hoseok pause.

Was it bad? He definitely hates the thought of anyone seeing him slipping like that, especially when he’s trying to hold it together. Last night was supposed to be nice, easy fun. They weren’t supposed to have to worry about him, but then… Jimin hadn’t made a big fuss about it.

“I guess it could have been worse,” he concedes. “Still would prefer not to draw attention, but at least he was sweet about it.”

“It was nice of you to take them out, even if you did tire yourself out. Was it still fun for you or did you really have to push through the whole thing?”

“It didn’t get too bad until the end, honestly. Before that I was just a bit tired, but by the time we were on the way home I wasn’t the most present.” Hoseok feels a little guilty about that now. He hardly remembers the ride home with Taehyung or what they talked about.

He should always be listening, no matter how exhausted he feels.

“Pfft, you know how many times I tune out when Taehyung or Joon try to talk to me before noon?” Yoongi says with a laugh. “You’re always so on top of things. If anyone’s earned a break, it’s you, Hoseok-ah.”

Hoseok shakes his head. “If I had just kept it together for another twenty minutes, I wouldn’t have to feel bad now.”

Yoongi takes a moment to consider this, then shrugs. “You’re doing that thing again.”

“What thing is that?”

“Setting unreasonably high expectations for yourself that nobody else would ever expect you to meet.”

“Yeah well…” Hoseok trails off with a sigh. He knows that he’s his own worst critic, knows that he has four incredible mates who love him just the way he is and will keep loving him no matter what mistakes he makes. It’s just that none of that makes it any easier for him to accept when he screws up and he doesn’t know how to make himself feel less horrible about it – so the best solution he can come up with is to Just Not Make Mistakes. “Hard to turn it off,” he mumbles.

“I’m not saying you have to. Just reminding you that you’re the only one who thinks you need to be at one hundred percent all the time.”

“Not all the time,” Hoseok says quietly, reaching up to cup Yoongi’s cheek, feeling the warmth of it under his fingers.

“Yeah,” Yoongi agrees, voice sounding a little strained. He smiles down at Hoseok and turns to press a tiny kiss to the inside of his wrist. “Thanks for that. If you were always at your absolute best in here I would really feel like a failure. Besides, it’s kind of nice to feel needed every now and then.”

“You’re crazy if you think that the entire pack doesn’t need you.”

Yoongi lets out a tiny puff of laughter, glancing off to the side before looking back down at Hoseok with the prettiest goddamn smile on his face as he says, “Not like this. You’re the only one who… Just… Thank you for trusting me.”

“I should be the one thanking you,” Hoseok says.

Now Yoongi lets out a real laugh, enough to jostle Hoseok in his lap. “Yeah I really suffered having to watch youtube videos with my mate lying in my lap being cute as hell.”

“Oh, I’m cute now am I?” Hoseok flutters his lashes excessively and smiles, starting to sit up in hopes of maybe getting a kiss for his efforts.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know,” Yoongi answers, helping Hoseok up and pulling him sideways into his lap.

They both lean in for the kiss at the same time, Yoongi’s scent spiking the moment their lips finally touch. Hoseok can feel his own scent going warmer in response, resulting in an intoxicating mix of cinnamon and coffee that nearly leaves him boneless in Yoongi’s arms. Luckily his mate doesn’t seem to mind, judging by the way he cradles Hoseok closer and licks eagerly into his mouth the moment it opens.

It’s like coming home, being held and kissed so thoroughly, like Yoongi needs to map him out again and make sure he’s still the same. Hoseok can definitely indulge that easily enough…

He tilts his head and offers his throat – the same side Yoongi had marked with his claiming bite well over a year ago. Yoongi’s scent tips over into sweetness at the gesture and Hoseok makes good on his plan to indulge him, allowing himself to be scented and marked as much as Yoongi wants. He’s gentle with Hoseok, not using his teeth at all and instead slowly sucking a series of deep bruises into the skin. He takes his time, mouth working at Hoseok’s neck for several minutes before the attention eventually winds down to Yoongi just pressing tiny pecks over the marks he’s left.

Hoseok smiles at the soft little kisses, pressing one of his own to Yoongi’s shoulder. “Satisfied?”

“Very,” Yoongi answers, nosing at Hoseok’s jaw for a few moments. His voice is quieter when he speaks again, almost a little worried. “You don’t have any more jobs lined up right now, do you?”

Ah. Makes sense why Yoongi sounds a little timid. The two of them always tend to be cautious when discussing each other’s work. It can be a touchy subject for a multitude of reasons, especially considering they both have the nasty habit of working themselves into the ground – something that they already get enough of a talking to about from their other mates. Yoongi sometimes stays up for days at a time, forgoing meals in favor of taking stimulants and chugging energy drinks until he either crashes, or one of them goes in to bring him down with a few nips and a stern talking to (at least if it’s Namjoon or Jin doing the nipping).

Hoseok on the other hand… Well his episodes don't usually look quite so dramatic. Really, he just holes up in his office for a couple of weeks and buries himself in work. Probably wouldn’t even be much of a big deal if he wasn’t so incredibly exhausted by the end of them… and irritable… and possibly a little unreasonable.

At least he sleeps and eats a little.

“No, nothing coming up unless Joonie has something he’s been eyeing,” Hoseok answers.

Yoongi laughs, worry gone in an instant now that he knows Hoseok doesn’t have any other work planned right now. “Like Joon-ah doesn’t have a mile long list of all the things he’s got his eye on. Still, he only drops those in your lap when you’re fishing for work or a really good opportunity comes up.”

“Yeah, and something tells me he would be hesitant to do that right now.”

“That’s an understatement. Jin-hyung’s got himself all worked up worrying about you too.”

“Is that why he nipped you?”

“Wasn’t a proper nip, really – Wait, how do you know about that?”

“You've got a mark,” Hoseok answers, leaning in to press a little kiss over the bruise.

“No shit, but how did you know it was Jin-hyung?”

“Because if it was Joonie he would have gone right for your scent gland and if Taehyungie nipped you something would have to be really wrong. Plus Jinnie and I are the only two who give warning bites like that.”

“Alright, it makes sense when you lay it all out like that,” Yoongi says, letting out a drawn out sigh. “Still weird when you do that though.”

Hoseok leans back enough to see the tiny frown on Yoongi’s face and smiles back at him. “So, you gonna tell me what you did to work up Jinnie-hyung?”

“He threw out my pills again.”

“Not the good stuff, right?” Yoongi has a stash of drugs in one of his bathroom drawers. It’s pretty well hidden, at least from the rest of their mates. Not from Hoseok, of course – he can spot a false bottom on a drawer from a mile away. (Sort of comes with the territory for anyone in his line of work.)

“No, he still hasn’t found that. He’s just on edge and grasping at straws again,” Yoongi explains. “He sent Taehyung in to wake me up with a cup of coffee and two ibuprofen in a goddamn saucer with a note that two was plenty. And then I might have made it worse…”

Hoseok can’t help but laugh. Jinnie makes being petty look like an art form sometimes. “How did you manage to make it worse?”

“When he asked me about it, I told him I chewed up a couple of percocet instead of taking what he sent.”

“A bold lie considering he’d be able to smell it if you did,” Hoseok says.

“Shit, is that how he knew? Can you smell that too?”

“Yeah, they give your scent this weird hint of something floral. It’s not very strong – pretty sure it’s only the two of us that can smell it, but it’s pretty unmistakable if your nose is good enough to catch it.”

Yoongi frowns. “Fucking hell, I knew he had to have some way of knowing. I’m not that bad of a liar.”

“Don’t tell him I told you. It was supposed to be our little secret.”

“Oh, I’m not telling him shit,” Yoongi says firmly. “Keeping that one in my back pocket.”

Hoseok laughs at Yoongi’s clear displeasure. He’s cute when he’s grumpy. “So anyway, Jinnie tried to pick a fight with you and you took the bait, huh?”

This seems to stop Yoongi in his tracks, head tilting to the side as his face screws up in thought. “You think he wanted to fight about it?”

“I mean, he did send you coffee along with his smug little note. If I wanted to bait you into a fight, that’s what I would do too. Nothing gets you worked up like someone trying to help you against your will and being overly nice about it,” Hoseok says with a shrug. “Jinnie definitely knows that too.”

After a few seconds, Yoongi’s eyes narrow. “You’re fucking right. God damn it. He seemed so adamant that I was the one who was looking for a fight that I just…”

“Accepted it and couldn’t back down from the challenge?” Hoseok supplies.

“Pretty much.”

“Aww, Jinnie played you good, didn’t he?” Honestly, it’s hard not to be impressed by how effortlessly Jin can orchestrate exactly the outcome he wants in most situations.

“Here I thought I was being nice, trying to give him a push so he could let off some steam.”

Hoseok smiles wide and leans up to press a kiss to Yoongi’s cheek. “Oh, that’s so cute. I’d say it still counts as you being nice if you were trying to do him a favor.”

“Well I’m sure as shit not gonna be nice about it later,” Yoongi grumbles.

“Oh? Are you guys gonna play?”

Yoongi flushes, mumbling, “Yeah, after this I’m supposed to… I mean, only if you feel okay about me going. If not, it can wait until tomorrow.”

It’s worth giving a moment of thought. Hoseok definitely feels more like himself now, but he’s not sure he’s ready to be parted from Yoongi just yet, unless… “How do you think Jinnie-hyung would feel about an audience?”

“Oh my god.” Yoongi leans forward and buries his face in Hoseok’s neck, hiding what is probably a very cute blush. “You and Taehyung-ah are going to be the death of me.”

“Is that a yes?”

Yoongi makes a non-committal grunt (even as his scent goes sweet enough to betray his interest) and nips at the skin of Hoseok’s shoulder before letting out a sigh. “Yeah, I guess it fucking is.”

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Are you really gonna make me say it?”

“I’d feel better if you did. I already know I’m interested, and I’m almost certain you are too, but the last thing I would want to do is misjudge and let you do something you didn’t really want to do.” Hoseok explains, pressing a gentle kiss into Yoongi’s hair. “So yes, I’m going to make you say it.”

“Ugh, I know you’re right,” Yoongi groans. “Look, I’m interested, alright? I would… I want you to be there.”

That’s plenty good enough for Hoseok. “Thank you. I’ll even take care of asking Jinnie, okay?”

“Yeah, fine. Whatever.”

[Hoseok to Jin and Yoongi]

[Hobi]: hi jinnie hyuuung.

[Hobi]: how do u feel about an audience later? ;D

[Jin]: Hello, Hoseok-ah :-)

[Jin]: I was intending to ask Yoongi-yah something similar, actually. I take it you’re interested in attending?

[Hobi]: only if ur ok with it.

[Jin]: Yoongi-yah, darling, do you want to talk about this first?

[Yoongi]: I’m okay with it. Whatever you want. We can wait if you prefer to be alone.

[Jin]: Actually, I was rather interested in indulging Taehyung-ah’s request from this morning.

[Hobi]: oh all 5 of us then? :)

[Hobi]: joonie will want 2 join in also.

[Jin]: My thoughts exactly.

[Jin]: Opinion, darling?

[Yoongi]: That’s fine.

[Jin]: When were you thinking? I’ll need a little time to set up and gather the others.

[Hobi]: we’re good whenever

[Yoongi]: Yeah, just let me know what you want.

[Jin]: Perfect. Meet me in the kitchen in half an hour and we can negotiate the details. Hoseok-ah, you’re welcome to come if you would prefer not to be parted from Yoongi-yah. Otherwise you can wait in Taehyung’s room with him and Joon-ah.

[Hobi]: sounds good hyung. :D

Chapter Text

Hoseok decides that he can handle a few minutes away from Yoongi if it means making sure that Jinnie has his full attention while they figure out the details of what’s about to happen. Yoongi still walks him up to Taehyung’s room and kisses him goodbye at the door almost like they won’t be seeing each other again in just a few minutes.

“You’re allowed to change your mind, you know,” Yoongi says gently. “If you decide this is too much right now and you just need–”

“Yoongi, honey, I’m okay,” Hoseok assures him, wrapping Yoongi in his arms and squeezing. “I was feeling pretty shit this morning but I feel much better now, thanks to you. So please believe me when I say that I am really excited to see Jinnie wreck you. Hell, I might even be as excited as Taehyungie is.”

Yoongi huffs out a laugh and lets Hoseok go after one more quick peck. “Okay. I’ll see you soon.”

Hoseok waggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Yeah, you sure will.”

After one long eyeroll, Yoongi finally leaves him at the door and heads down the hall to go find Jin.

As much as he wishes he didn’t, Hoseok does feel just a little more on edge the moment that Yoongi is out of his sight. It’s a weakness, he knows – depending on others. He’s grown up hearing a million speeches about only relying on himself and not giving anyone the chance to let him down, but he also knows that’s bullshit. His love and trust in his mates is something he treasures and something he knows is absolutely his, not a lesson someone else fed him or a rule he grew up following. Something he truly wants.

And even if he does trust Yoongi the most, he still has a lot of trust in his other mates too. He’s going to be okay.

Hoseok opens the door to Taehyung’s room without knocking, finding him and Namjoon already snuggled up in the nest perched atop the omega’s huge mattress. It was already a permanent installation when Hoseok had moved in. Having to take down his nests had always made Taehyung anxious, sometimes even enough to send him spiraling into a depressive episode, so as soon as they had the space Namjoon had encouraged him to simply stop taking it down. He still builds other nests in the house sometimes, but it’s easier for him to take them down when he knows he always has this one to return to.

It’s been a while since they were all in here. This will be good for them, spending a night in the nest together – with the added bonus of keeping it properly scented for their omega.

Namjoon sees Hoseok first, catching his eye with a warm little smile before he reaches down to jostle Taehyung, who practically shoots up from where he’s lying across Namjoon’s lap.

“Hobi-hyung! You came too,” he calls out, scrambling to the edge of the nest nearest the door and holding out a hand toward Hoseok. “You gonna watch with us?”

Hoseok shuts the door behind him and heads over to the nest right away, stopping just in front of Taehyung. “That’s the plan,” he answers, ruffling Taehyung’s hair. “Am I allowed inside?”

Taehyung pretends to think about it for a moment before grinning and tilting his head up. “Kiss?” he asks, puckering his lips.

“Kiss,” Hoseok agrees, leaning down to press his lips to Taehyung’s and listening to the happy little sigh it earns him.

“Okay, you’re allowed in, hyung.”

There have been a few changes since the last time Hoseok was in the nest, blankets switched out and new items of clothing weaved into the walls. He makes sure to compliment them, half because he really does appreciate all the work Taehyung puts into this space and half because he wants to watch their omega smile, scent going sweet with pride.

Namjoon tries to keep his cool as Hoseok steps into the nest, but it’s obvious what he needs so Hoseok climbs right into his lap and offers up his throat. One side is already covered in several bruises from Yoongi, but the other is pristine and practically begging to be marked up to match. It might be a little over the top, but Hoseok is nothing if not an overachiever. Few things win Namjoon over quite as well as freely given gestures of submission – he’s said before that they make him feel like they trust him to take care of them – and Hoseok offering up his throat like a request should tick all the right boxes.

“Hello, pup,” Namjoon whispers, sounding incredibly pleased and wasting no time nosing his way from Hoseok’s jaw to his shoulder. “Are you feeling better?”

“Mhmm, Yoongles took good care of me.”

Namjoon opens his mouth, letting Hoseok feel the barest hint of teeth before pulling back and pressing a kiss to his scent gland instead. It’s such a fucking tease that it has him letting out a tiny whine, tilting his head even further to try and make it clear what he wants.

“Eager pup,” Namjoon whispers, pressing another teasing kiss to Hoseok’s neck. “Let us smell you if you’re feeling better?”

Damn it. He must have stopped letting his scent out somewhere between Yoongi’s office and here. He really is trying to get better about it but it’s hard.

“Aww, hyung, it’s okay,” Taehyung assures him, seated right next to Namjoon and smiling at the two of them. “I can see you frowning.”

“Sorry,” Hoseok says, shoving aside his frustration with a little laugh and letting his scent out for his mates. He’s rewarded almost immediately with the press on Namjoon’s teeth in his neck, letting out a sigh of contentment at finally getting what he wants.

Taehyung’s smile widens as he leans in close to the two of them. “You smell so nice, Hobi-hyung. When Namjoon-hyung is done with you, will you scent some stuff in the nest? Please? Yours is always the hardest to get in here.”

“Yeah. Anything you want, Taehyungie.”

Namjoon wastes no time starting to mark him up, biting a few little bruises into his neck before latching onto his scent gland and sucking a mark there too, right over the scar of his claiming bite. The whole time he whispers little bits of praise, just low enough to be for Hoseok’s ears only. “Smell so nice for us. Such a good pup. So pretty offering up your throat for me.”

Hoseok lets it wash over him, focusing on keeping his scent flowing even as it goes sweet at Namjoon’s attention. Taehyung can only watch for so long before the desire to participate takes over and he’s latching onto Hoseok’s back, scenting the other side of his neck.

The three of them have formed a bit of a cuddle pile by the time the bedroom door opens again, with Hoseok feeling pleasantly floaty sandwiched between his two mates. Still, seeing Yoongi enter the bedroom gets him yearning right away.

Hoseok needs him in this nest like five minutes ago. He reaches out a hand to beckon Yoongi closer.

As soon as Yoongi sees Hoseok, he makes a beeline for the edge of the nest, waiting for Taehyung’s approval to enter, and looking back at Jin as soon as he’s secured his invitation.

“Go on,” Jin says, closing the bedroom door. “Let’s all get properly scented before we begin.”

It’s a bit of a production getting everyone scented – made a little more logistically challenging by Yoongi being unwilling to let Hoseok go at any point, but their mates eagerly encourage the behavior, seeming to enjoy working around the two of them. They hover about, sneaking kisses and sweet little scenting nips from all angles, all while cooing about how precious the two of them are. It’s just what Hoseok needs, being surrounded by his pack, safe in their nest with Yoongi’s arms wrapped securely around him to keep him grounded in it.

Even once the five of them have all been scented, there’s still more to do. Taehyung offers up various items to each of them, some that he has all five of them scent and others that just go to one of them. It’s a comforting ritual, a good way for all of them to come together and make the space theirs again – and it works perfectly. By the end, the whole room smells like them and Taehyung looks incredibly pleased, his maple scent the strongest of them all, rolling off of him in sweet, cloying waves.

They’ve done well.

Jin seems to think so too, sitting up proudly on his knees and looking over the entire nest with a pleased expression on his face, before turning to look at Yoongi and then Hoseok. “Are you both alright to be separated now, or do you need a little more time?” he asks, scooting close enough to cup Hoseok’s cheek.

Hoseok leans into the touch, feeling all warm and syrupy good after so much scenting and cuddling. “I’m ready,” he answers. “You ready, Yoongles?”

“Yeah, just… come here quick,” Yoongi answers, tilting Hoseok’s face up for one more kiss. “Love you.”

Hoseok lets out a giggle and gives a peck to the very tip of Yoongi’s nose. “I love you too. I’m gonna get up now, okay?”

Yoongi does eventually let Hoseok get up, looking a tiny bit nervous all the way up until Namjoon pulls Hoseok into his lap, back to chest so they can both watch. Taehyung is eager to join in, climbing in between Hoseok’s legs and watching with rapt attention as Yoongi finally turns to Jin, his back to the three of them.

Jin smiles, warm and welcoming as he urges Yoongi closer. “Come here, love. Let’s have a look at you.”

“You guys are gonna stay in the nest, right?” Taehyung asks softly, still sounding a little floaty from all their scenting, but with an edge of worry to the words.

“Yeah,” Yoongi assures him, looking over his shoulder with a (slightly nervous) smile, still taking his sweet time scooting closer to Jin. “We aren’t going anywhere, sweetheart.”

Jin nods. “That’s right. We’ll be right here the whole time. On that note, ground rules for you three: Your commentary is both welcome and encouraged, especially any compliments you may have for Yoongi-yah.” At this, Yoongi finally moves forward into Jin’s arms, mostly just to bury his face in the beta’s neck. Jin smiles at this, wrapping Yoongi in his arms and pressing a kiss to the side of his head. “There you are. Very good, darling. Now, as I was saying, you three are welcome to comment but I would prefer you not distract Yoongi-yah when I’m talking to him. Does anyone need a refresher on verbal or non-verbal safewords?”

All three of them shake their heads.

“Perfect. Taehyung-ah, my supplies?”

“Oh, yeah – One sec.” Taehyung scrambles out of Hoseok’s lap to pull out a plain black drawstring bag from beneath one of the pillows at the top of the bed. He hands it off to Jin and then climbs right back into Hoseok’s lap.

“Thank you. Alright, Yoongi-yah. Are you ready to finish our discussion from this morning?”

“Are you going to admit that you baited me into the whole thing?” Yoongi asks, pulling back from the embrace.

Jin gives a tiny smile. “That depends. Are you going to admit to your part in it as well? Why don’t you tell the rest of our mates the lie you told me this morning?”

Yoongi doesn’t answer. Hoseok can imagine the glare that’s probably on his face, all sour defiance like he doesn’t know exactly how this ends.

“No? I suppose that means I’ll have to help you, doesn’t it?” Jin scoots back to give Yoongi some room, leaning back against the wall of the nest. “Clothes off, Yoongi-yah. Don’t make me ask twice.”

There’s a brief moment where Hoseok thinks Yoongi might fight the order but after a few tense seconds, he reaches down and pulls his t-shirt over his head. The pants come next. He doesn’t appear to be in any sort of rush at all, taking his time shuffling out of each and every article of clothing and probably making one of those cute little frowns the whole time, even though his scent is sweet enough to give away exactly how much he wants this.

“Very good,” Jin says. “Your clothes can get tossed out of the nest, then I want you to turn around and face the others.”

Yoongi obeys, dropping his clothes onto the floor and then turning on his knees until he’s on display for the three of them, all pretty pale skin and flushed cheeks, his cock already hard and curved toward his stomach. He makes eye contact only briefly before biting at his bottom lip and looking down at the bed.

Taehyung’s scent spikes at the sight. “You look so pretty, hyung,” he says, sounding a bit breathless. “Look how hard you are already.”

“The prettiest,” Namjoon agrees.

Jin is busy removing objects from the bag Taehyung had handed him. Hoseok doesn’t see everything but it’s impossible to miss the paddle that he takes out last, a simple, dark stained wooden piece that Hoseok has seen him use before. There’s the smallest twitch from Yoongi, like he wants to turn and see whatever they’re all looking at, but he stops himself right away.

With everything assembled, Jin sits up again. “Right behind you, darling,” he whispers, giving Yoongi a warning as he scoots up next to him and reaches up to rest a hand at the back of his neck. “Still don’t feel like talking?”

“You first,” Yoongi says flatly, not moving a muscle.

“Very well then.” Jin turns to look at them instead. “Joon-ah, there’s a cushion behind you just outside of the nest. May I have it, please?”

Namjoon reaches back and hands the cushion to Jin, who sits down on it right away. It’s relatively thick, good enough to raise him up enough for Yoongi to be comfortable when…

“Come on, Yoongi-yah. Over my lap, eyes on the others. Let them see how well you listen for me.” Yoongi goes willingly, staring stubbornly ahead the whole time he arranges himself over Jin’s thighs on his hands and knees before finally turning his head to look at the three of them, blushing. “There we go. He did very well, don’t you think so, Hoseok-ah?”

“He did,” Hoseok agrees. “He’s always so good for you.”

Jin grins, stroking a hand down Yoongi’s spine. “Do you hear that, love? Hobi-yah thinks you’re well behaved. Why don’t we put that to the test, hmm? Are you ready?”

“Have been for a while now,” Yoongi answers.

There’s a satisfying crack as Jin delivers the first blow with the paddle, causing Yoongi to gasp as his eyes slam shut. “You might listen to orders just fine, but it’s that mouth of yours that keeps getting you into trouble,” Jin says, delivering another few smacks in quick succession.

They aren’t soft hits. Hoseok can see the way Yoongi’s ass is already starting to go red from just a few blows, even if he seems to be breathing through them just fine for the time being. It usually starts like this, relatively calm until Yoongi finally breaks and starts begging.

Jin pauses, resting the paddle at the small of Yoongi’s back. “Color, love?”

“M’good – Green,” Yoongi corrects. “Can go harder.”

“I’ll go exactly as hard as I want, darling.” Jin picks the paddle back up and gives two very light smacks to Yoongi’s thighs, following it in the same spot with the hardest blow yet – enough to have Yoongi hissing in pain. “All I need you to do is take what you’re given.”

“Can you look at us, Yoongi?” Namjoon asks, already hard against the small of Hoseok’s back.

Taehyung nods in agreement. “Yeah, hyung. Let us see you?”

Yoongi does as they ask, eyes opening back up to look at each of them and finally landing on Hoseok. He looks fucked out already. Yoongi has always responded well to this sort of play, especially with Jin, who manages to strike the perfect balance between taking what he wants and giving Yoongi what he needs, straddling the line between kindness and cruelty with enough precision to entirely take Yoongi apart.

Hoseok smiles back at his mate. “You look so pretty, honey.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” Jin says, raining down another few strikes before setting the paddle aside and reaching for something else – a bottle of lube.

Yoongi’s eyes flick nervously side to side for a moment before he twists his head back to look at Jin. “Hyung…?” he asks, sounding uncertain. When he sees the bottle in Jin’s hand, he seems to deflate just a little. “Are we already…”

“Just a tiny break, love, don’t worry.” Jin leans down for a kiss and reaches back to scrape his fingernails over the tender, red flesh of Yoongi’s thighs, their kiss swallowing the high whine Yoongi lets out. “Spread your legs wider, please. Gonna get you all stretched and then hyung is going to spank you until you cry.”

It’s impossible to miss the relief on Yoongi’s face when he turns toward them again, obediently spreading his legs and only flinching a little at the first few cold drops of lube dripped onto him. Jin doesn’t bother with his fingers, just reaches over and produces a shiny, dark gray metal plug that he holds up for the three of them with a smile.

Taehyung shifts in Hoseok’s lap at the sight, another wave of sweet maple rolling off of him. “Is that what I think it is, hyung?”

“One of your favorites,” Jin says, giving Taehyung a little wink. “Do you think Yoongi-yah will like it as much as you do?”

As it turns out, Yoongi does like it. Very much.

Hoseok doesn’t think much of the plug until Jin has worked it inside of Yoongi and then produces a small oval remote that he holds up for Yoongi to see. “You’ve been so quiet, love,” he muses. “Taking your hits like you aren’t loving every moment of it. You know hyung prefers you nice and loud, and I’m betting this will help you right along.”

Yoongi swallows audibly and lets out a shaky breath. “Don’t have to,” he whispers.

“You’re correct, yes – but I would very much like to do this, so don’t you worry your pretty little head about it. Right now all you need to do is be good and take what hyung gives you,” Jin says, a wicked smile on his face as he turns to look at Taehyung. “What do you think, darling? Should we start him off slow?”

Taehyung shakes his head. “It doesn’t even really get good until you hit level three or four.”

Jin presses a button on the remote and Yoongi lets out a gasp, hands gripping the blankets beneath him hard enough for his knuckles to go white, rutting his hips forward like it might help him escape the sensation. “Fuck, I – It’s… Hyung,” he whines out.

“Too much?” Jin asks, one hand settling on Yoongi’s nape as he waits for an answer that doesn’t come, Yoongi far too busy making choked off little noises and fighting the clear urge to thrash. Jin doesn’t waste a moment, using his free hand to deliver a harsh slap to Yoongi’s ass. “That wasn’t an answer, love. Is it too much?”

Yoongi rocks forward with the force of the blow and whimpers out a tiny little, “Yes.”

“Perfect.” Jin smiles and rubs at Yoongi’s neck for a moment before asking, “Color, darling?”

“Fuck, I’m – Green, hyung. Green – Just please.”

Namjoon starts mouthing at Hoseok’s neck, scent going warm and a little spicy with arousal at the sound of Yoongi’s begging. He’s not the only one either. Taehyung is starting to squirm in Hoseok’s lap too.

“Do you even know what you’re asking for?” Jin asks. Hoseok is willing to bet Yoongi doesn’t have a clue, stuck between wanting more and wanting less all at once. That suspicion is all but confirmed when he doesn’t even try to answer the question. “No? That’s alright. Hyung knows what you need.”

“Need…” Yoongi repeats, his voice cracking. “God, it’s – I can’t…”

“It’s good, isn’t it, Yoongi-hyung?” Taehyung asks with a little giggle. “Fuck, you look so pretty like this.”

He’s right. Yoongi looks gorgeous shaking in Jin’s lap as he tries to process the pleasure, hips stuttering in aborted little jerks while his mouth opens on a series of hitched breaths and pretty little moans. Jin is merciless too, pressing the plug deeper and not lessening the vibration for a moment, the low hum of the toy just audible over all the sounds Yoongi makes.

Namjoon’s lips press more insistently against Hoseok’s neck at the first hint of Taehyung’s slick in the air, lovely and mouthwateringly sweet maple that fills the room almost instantly. Hoseok feels a warm curl of satisfaction at the arousal of his mates, enjoying the way he can feel Taehyung’s squirming picking up in a sort of desperation and the slow rhythmic grind of Namjoon’s cock against his lower back. It’s just…

He’s not sure he wants to do anything about it – or at least not in the way the two of them seem to need.

Watching doesn’t sound bad. Even light participation is appealing, but he’s suddenly very aware that he’s sandwiched between his two incredibly horny mates when he would maybe rather be on the sidelines of all of this instead. Maneuvering his way out without making too much of a fuss will be difficult, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. He just needs to–

The lips on his neck stop moving as Namjoon noses his way down to Hoseok’s scent gland, his hips going still as well. “Can’t smell you anymore, pup,” he says softly. “Are you alright?”

Shit. He hadn’t meant to do that. Should he explain or just try to play it off?

Before he can come to a decision, Jin speaks up. “Hobi-yah, do you think we could borrow you?”

Hoseok isn’t sure if he should be worried or not but he takes the offer, climbing out from between Namjoon and Taehyung and leaning down to give each of them a kiss. Namjoon looks concerned all the way up until Hoseok lets his scent back out, feeling calmer already at the thought of being closer to Yoongi again.

“Where do you want me?” Hoseok asks, turning toward Jin.

“Just here, in front of Yoongi-yah,” Jin instructs, patting a spot next to him. “I thought you might like to be close, and you can make sure he stays nice and engaged for me, yes?”

Hoseok nods his agreement and sits down, reaching out to grab Yoongi’s chin and tilt his face up to look at him. He’s beautiful, pupils blown wide and the beginning of tears in his eyes, breaths coming short and shallow as he tries to ride out the overstimulation. “You’re so pretty, Yoongi,” Hoseok whispers, leaning down to press a kiss to Yoongi’s cheek. “Are you gonna cum for us?”

Yoongi just lets out a broken whine.

“Oh, he will,” Jin says. “Don’t you worry about that. Here, why don’t I show you?” He presses the little remote for the vibrator into Hoseok’s hand with a smile. “Go ahead and turn it up a level. Wanna make him cry before I give him what he wants.”

When Hoseok presses the little up arrow on the remote, Yoongi jolts in place, letting out a series of short little whines as Jin fiddles with the plug, pulling it out just a little only to grind it back inside of him. “Please – Fuck, I can’t… It’s – hyung I’m gonna–”

“Yes, you are, darling. Come on now. Look at Hoseok-ah when you cum. Show him how pretty you look when hyung makes you cry.”

The tears are already falling when his eyes lock onto Hoseok’s, hands reaching out to grip the worn fabric of Hoseok’s sweatpants hard enough that his knuckles go white. His cheeks are stained a deep pink and he’s making the prettiest little moans while he looks up at Hoseok with desperation in his eyes, cock hanging heavy and flushed between his legs.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Yoongi cums with a sob just a few seconds later, eyes slamming closed as he rides the orgasm out.

“There you go,” Hoseok coos. “So beautiful, Yoongi.” He looks over to Jin, waiting for the signal to turn down the vibrations. Jin lets Yoongi suffer with the overstimulation for a minute, watching him shake as he tries to shift his hips in a way that might give some relief, but having no luck.

When they finally do turn the vibrations down a few levels, Yoongi collapses, his head falling into Hoseok’s lap while Jin collects the paddle again in preparation for what comes next.

Hoseok wants to touch him. He looks to Jin for permission and once he receives a nod in return, he tangles his hands in Yoongi’s hair, rubbing at his scalp and leaning down to press a few small kisses to the top of his head. “Did so good, Yoongles,” he whispers. “Are you ready for more?”

All he gets in response is a tiny groan.

“That wasn’t an answer, darling,” Jin says, resting the paddle against Yoongi’s lower back. Yoongi drags himself back up and Hoseok lets him go, watches his eyes drift back over to where Joonie and Taehyungie are watching, hands roaming over one another. “Looks like you’re putting on a good show, Yoongi-yah.”

“The best,” Taehyung whines. Namjoon’s hands are up under his shirt, probably taking full advantage of how sensitive his nipples are while he mouths at the omega’s neck.

“Are you ready?” Jin asks, tapping the paddle lightly against Yoongi’s backside.

Yoongi nods, voice already sounding dazed as he whispers a little, “Yes, hyung.”

~~

Jin teeters just on the edge of cruelty, working Yoongi over in a series of swift blows that are every bit as hard as the last ones had been, only this time Yoongi isn’t quite so stoic about them. He shakes and whines even as he presents himself for more, scent gone almost sticky sweet by this point – probably helped along by the way Taehyung’s scent spikes whenever Namjoon teases him particularly hard.

Hoseok feels content observing from where he sits, occasionally pressing the little up arrow on the remote still in his hand and watching Yoongi squirm against the vibrations. After a few seconds he shuts it back off, keeping the focus on what Jin is doing but reminding Yoongi that they can make him cum anytime they like.

There’s a rhythm to this. Jin will give Yoongi a series of blows and then allow him a little break, long enough to rub his hands over the bright red flesh of Yoongi’s ass or stroke down the length of his spine.

It gives Yoongi time to breathe and ride out each new wave of pain, and Jin gets an opportunity to check in if he needs to – but sometimes it’s just a chance to make Yoongi talk.

“Look at you,” Jin coos. “Want it so bad you’re practically presenting for me, darling.”

“Wan’it,” Yoongi echoes, pushing his ass out farther. “Please, hyung?”

“Fuck,” Namjoon groans. “He’s being so good for you, hyung. I wanna see… Taehyung – pup, I’m gonna move us a little, okay?”

The two of them shuffle a few feet over, enough that they probably have a great view of Yoongi’s bright red backside, and the plug still nestled inside of him. The sight seems to have Namjoon at the end of his rope, already working to strip Taehyung of his clothes.

“Oh, wow,” Taehyung says, eyes going wide as he allows himself to be disrobed. “Yoongi-hyung, you’re marked up so pretty.”

“You really are,” Namjoon agrees. “Spread your legs a little wider for Jin-hyung, baby.”

“For me, or for you?” Jin asks with a low little laugh, watching as Yoongi follows the request and spreads his legs even more. “Aww, look he’s so far gone he’ll listen either way.”

“Shit, that’s so hot,” Taehyung says. “Need you to fuck me, Namjoonie-hyung, please. Can’t wait anymore.” He all but throws himself forward onto his hands and knees to present for his alpha, wiggling his hips impatiently. “Hyung, now – Oh, fuck.”

Namjoon sinks all the way inside with a single thrust. “God, pup, you’re so tight. Look so pretty like this – you and Yoongi both.”

Yoongi lets out a whine at the sound of his own name, drawing all their attention back to him. “Please,” he whispers. “Don’t wanna be done.”

“Oh, don’t worry, love. We aren’t done yet,” Jin assures him, taking the paddle back up and beginning another round of blows that send Yoongi whining and begging all over again.

“S’good, hyung – Aah, fuck! Want it – So much, please.”

After a few rough hits in succession, Jin catches Hoseok’s attention with a raised brow and flicks his chin upward a couple of times. It’s a fairly clear instruction, so Hoseok obeys and gives a few presses to the little up arrow on the remote.

Yoongi lets out what sounds like a sob, looking up at Hoseok with wide, wild eyes as his body jerks against the sudden spike of pleasure.

“Look at you,” Jin says. “Don’t know whether you want to get away or beg for more, do you?”

“I don’t… Please,” Yoongi whines.

“You think you’re ready to tell your mates why you’re getting spanked, darling?”

“Come on, Yoongs,” Namjoon says, still buried to the hilt inside of Taehyung. “Tell us why Jin had to put you over his knee.”

Yoongi nods his head in quick little jerks. “I can – I’ll talk! I’ll tell – fuck, just let me–”

“What do you want?” Jin asks, reaching back to press the plug deeper inside of Yoongi. “Come on, you can tell hyung, can’t you?”

“Wanna- cum, please – Hyung, feels good,” Yoongi answers, rutting his hips back into Jin’s hand, his entire body shaking with how close he is already.

Jin catches Hoseok’s eye and waits until Yoongi is just on the edge before giving him the signal to turn off the toy.

Yoongi’s eyes go wide and his gaze snaps from Jin to Hoseok, fresh tears springing up in his eyes. “Fuck, I was – Why?” he asks, wiggling his hips to try and chase a sensation that simply isn’t there anymore.

“Aww, he asked so nice too,” Taehyung says, voice breathy while Namjoon thrusts slowly into him. “Aren’t you gonna let him cum, Jin-hyung?”

As Taehyung speaks, Yoongi’s gaze slides down from Hoseok’s face to his lap, mouth dropping open a fraction as he slowly lurches forward. It takes Hoseok a second to realize what Yoongi is trying to do. He hadn’t really been aware of just how turned on he was, but it’s obvious when he looks down – his dick hard and straining against the fabric of his sweatpants (long enough for a little wet spot to have formed in the fabric).

“Oh, honey. I don’t think that’s on the menu right now,” Hoseok says softly, catching Yoongi’s chin and redirecting him into a quick kiss so he can swallow up all the pretty whines falling from his mate’s lips instead.

There’s a loud crack that has Yoongi whimpering into their kiss so sweetly that Hoseok can feel his cock twitch in his pants.

“That eager to get something in your mouth?” Jin asks, following the words with another hard smack that has Yoongi pulling away and gasping.

“Sorry, hyung. I just wanted–”

“I know what you were after, but if you want something in that pretty mouth of yours, you have to earn it first, Yoongi-yah. Tell your mates why you’re in trouble.”

He could earn it… Does Hoseok want that right now? Shit, is there ever going to be a time when he doesn’t want Yoongi’s mouth on him? He always looks so pretty with his lips stretched around Hoseok’s cock, and it doesn’t hurt that he knows it’s one of Yoongi’s favorite things to do.

Yeah, he definitely wants that.

“C’mon, Yoongi-hyung,” Taehyung says. He’s sitting in Namjoon’s lap now, still stretched over the alpha’s cock and whimpering as Namjoon sucks another bruise into his neck. “Be good and tell us– oh, fuck…” He trails off as Namjoon’s hips drive up hard, shaking as he lets out a moan.

“Look at them,” Jin says, gripping Yoongi’s hair and turning his head to face Namjoon and Taehyung. “You look so good like this that they can't help themselves.”

“You do,” Namjoon agrees, giving another hard thrust. “So fucking gorgeous with Jin’s hands on you and your ass all marked up. You’re perfect.”

“Please, hyung.” Yoongi tries to turn away from the praise, but Jin keeps his head held in place. “Wanna–”

“You can get what you want after you talk,” Jin answers, one hand tangled in Yoongi’s hair and the other holding the paddle at the ready, tapping it lightly against Yoongi’s thighs just to watch how he flinches. “Tell them why you’re in trouble.”

“I was – It went– fuck,” Yoongi whines as Jin brings the paddle down right across one thigh.

“It’s not that hard, love. Try again.”

“I umm… I lied?” Yoongi says.

Jin smiles, setting the paddle aside. “That’s right. Very good. Tell them what you lied about.”

“I told you I took percocet for my headache.”

“You did, yes. You were looking for a fight, weren’t you?”

“Not just me,” Yoongi breathes, looking a little dazed but eventually managing to finish his thought. “You too – You were trying to bait me into it.”

“I’m not sure that justifies a lie of such magnitude. What do you think?”

Yoongi starts to answer, but cuts himself off with a gasp as Jin scrapes his nails over one abused side of Yoongi’s ass. “Fuck – hurts, hyung,” he cries, his eyes filling with tears.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Jin says, resting a hand on the other cheek and preparing to repeat the motion. “Color, darling?”

Yoongi’s voice comes out quiet but certain, “Fuck… Green, green, please.”

Jin rakes his nails down the other cheek and Yoongi lets out a long whine, tears spilling down his cheeks as his body tries to jerk away from the pain. It doesn’t do him any good. Jin follows the motion easily, making sure Yoongi takes every bit of his punishment. His scent spikes with just a hint of bitterness as he processes the pain, evening out to a perfectly sweet cinnamon by the time Jin finishes scratching at him.

“There you go, love,” Jin soothes, rubbing his hand gently over Yoongi’s backside now. “You’ve done so well, taking everything I give you.”

Between the praise and the subtle shift in Yoongi’s scent, it’s clear that Jin is intending to start bringing Yoongi down soon – maybe just a bit more and then an orgasm or two before moving straight into aftercare. It should be quite the occasion with all of them in the nest together.

Still, before that… Hoseok can’t quite stop thinking about Yoongi’s mouth on him. He would look perfect right from the start, tears already falling so sweetly and lips bitten all pretty red, his eyes half glazed over from the mix of pain and pleasure.

He reaches out to touch Jin’s shoulder, saying softly, “Do you think he’s earned a reward?”

Yoongi makes a soft little noise of interest, looking up at Hoseok and then back down to his lap with clear desire in his eyes.

Jin gives the request a moment of thought before turning to Hoseok with a warm smile. “I think that can be arranged. After all, it’s your mouth that got you into trouble,” he says, giving a few light taps to Yoongi’s ass – not enough to hurt or even really make a sound, but enough to let him know it could if Jin wanted. “Would you like that, darling? Putting your mouth to work making Hobi-yah feel good?”

“Please, wanna,” Yoongi says, voice all breathy.

“Here’s how this is going to go,” Jin instructs. “You can get your mouth on him, then you’re going to take ten more strikes for me and we’ll be finished. After that, you can have anything you want. Does that sound agreeable?”

“Yes, hyung.” Yoongi is already starting to shift closer to Hoseok, reaching out for his pants only to be stopped by Jin grabbing at his wrist.

“Ah, not just yet. You still have a couple of choices to make.”

Yoongi hangs his head, mumbling out a tiny, “Sorry.”

“It’s alright, love. You aren’t in trouble for being eager, especially not when Hobi-yah looks so ready for your help. He’s pretty like this, isn’t he?”

Hoseok hasn’t really considered how he must look, achingly hard in his pants and yearning for Yoongi’s touch so much that it’s made his scent go sweet. His face feels warm, cheeks probably flushed with want. He kind of likes the thought of looking appealing right now – for all of them, but especially for Yoongi.

“So pretty,” Yoongi agrees, sounding a little breathless and looking at Hoseok like he’s hung the moon. When his gaze drifts down again, he licks his lips and lets out a little whine. “Hyung, please, I wanna–”

“I know, darling. I’ll make my questions quick. First, do you want to cum when I’ve finished with you?”

Yoongi is speaking almost before Jin finishes the question. “God, yes. Please.”

Hoseok is grateful for that answer. He wants to see Yoongi cum again too, maybe even while he’s got his mouth on Hoseok, whining all pretty and drooling around his dick with the pleasure of it.

“Like this?” Jin asks, reaching back to mess with the plug still buried inside of Yoongi. Hoseok had nearly forgotten about it, having set the remote aside a bit ago.

Yoongi shakes his head. “Wan’ you,” he says, looking back at Jin.

“Then you’ll have me. Last question, love. Do you want your last ten strikes with the paddle?”

Again, Yoongi shakes his head. “You, just you,” he answers.

Jin smiles at that, clearly pleased with the answer. “Alright, just me then. Go ahead and claim your prize. I’ll give you a little warning before I start.”

Yoongi doesn’t waste a moment, turning back to Hoseok and beckoning him closer, hands sliding up his thighs. He seems intent on getting Hoseok’s pants off but pauses just before reaching the waistband, looking up at Hoseok and whispering, “Kiss?”

Hoseok complies immediately. “Kiss,” he answers, leaning down to do just that. Yoongi’s lips are warm and comforting, and the kiss is soft enough to have him feeling floaty – nearly making him forget just how achingly hard he is.

“Shit, they’re so cute,” Taehyung says.

They break their kiss and Hoseok looks over to where Taehyung and Namjoon are sitting. (He’d been so focused on Yoongi that he sort of forgot they were there.) They’re lying near the side of the nest now, both covered in a thin layer of sweat and still tied together by Namjoon’s knot. Taehyung’s scent is all sweet and content, his eyes still hungrily taking in the scene before him while Namjoon mouths at his neck, only looking up occasionally.

“Off,” Yoongi says, tugging at Hoseok’s pants before reaching for the hem of his shirt. “This too. Wanna see you, please?”

“Yeah, of course. Anything you want, honey.” Hoseok strips out of his clothes, loving the way Yoongi’s eyes rake over his body before fixating on his cock and leaning forward to lick a long stripe up the entire length. “Fuck,” Hoseok gasps.

He’s sensitive after being hard for so long – a fact that Yoongi takes full advantage of. He takes his time licking at Hoseok’s cock, making pleased little hums every time he flicks his tongue over the head and collects the wetness gathering there. It shouldn’t feel this good, but Hoseok has felt off all day and having Yoongi’s attention on him like this is just so fucking nice. He doesn’t bother trying to hold back his sounds, letting Yoongi (and the others) hear every little sigh and sharp intake of breath, or the choked off gasp he makes when Yoongi finally closes his lips over the head of his cock and sucks.

“God, Yoongi, it – You feel so good,” Hoseok breathes, fighting the urge to thrust into the wet warmth of Yoongi’s mouth but wanting more so badly that it nearly hurts. “Please, baby.”

“Are you being a tease, darling?” Jin asks. He clearly doesn’t expect an answer, speaking again almost immediately. “You may wish to brace yourself; this is your warning. Color, love?”

Yoongi pops off Hoseok’s dick. “Green. I want it, hyung, please.”

“And you’ll have it. Show Hobi-yah what you do if you need to stop,” Jin instructs, watching Yoongi carefully to make sure he gives the correct response.

Yoongi taps twice at Hoseok’s hip and then takes his cock back into his mouth, sinking down farther now and beginning to bob his head at a leisurely pace. Even that feels like heaven with how frayed and raw Hoseok feels in his body today, like every sensation is turned up to eleven.

“Very good,” Jin says.

It’s all the warning Yoongi gets before Jin lands the first slap on his ass.

As expected, Jin isn’t gentle. The smack echoes in the room, sending Yoongi lurching forward and farther down on Hoseok’s cock with a muffled whimper. A few seconds later, the second hit lands and Yoongi’s eyes shut, tears slipping down his cheeks.

“Don’t close, baby,” Hoseok says, reaching to cup Yoongi’s cheek. “Wanna see you take it.”

“Eyes on him, Yoongi-yah,” Jin says. “Let him see.”

Yoongi obeys with a whine that sends delicious vibration along Hoseok’s dick, gaze soft and shining with tears – beautiful.

Jin doesn’t waste any more time, landing each and every slap hard enough to have Yoongi shaking, whimpering around the cock in his mouth and nearly choking whenever a hit sends him careening forward again. Still, he takes every one of them without complaint. Tears fall freely from his eyes but he still keeps them trained on Hoseok, letting him see everything.

He loves this, getting to read all the expressions on Yoongi’s face when he’s been worked over like this, too far gone to hide the series of reactions that play across his features. The way his eyes widen at the pain, the brief flash of something like fear, and then his expression softening as he realizes that it feels good.

Hoseok gets to see it all.

“You were right, you know,” Jin says. “I did try to bait you into picking a fight.” Another slap echoes through the room. “If I had known you were going to come and offer yourself up so sweetly, I wouldn’t have bothered. I think you needed this just as much as I did.”

There’s a brief moment where Yoongi squeezes his eyes shut in shame before he remembers his orders and looks back up at Hoseok, bobbing his head a little faster almost like an apology.

It’s too much, making Hoseok let out a low hiss. “Slow, fuck – It’s okay, just… slow, honey. There you go. Just like that.”

“Eager little thing, isn’t he?” Jin asks.

“Yes,” Hoseok answers. “Eager and so, so good – beautiful like this.”

“Yes, he is. One more, Yoongi-yah; almost there.” The last slap is every bit as hard as the others, and Yoongi lets out a muffled cry, his grip on Hoseok’s thigh tightening as the last wave of pain washes over him. “There you go, love. All done,” Jin coos, stroking a hand up and down Yoongi’s back. “You did so well for me; took everything hyung gave you like you were made for it.”

Things get a little hazy after that.

Without the loud sounds of Yoongi being spanked to jolt him back to the present, it’s easy to just float and enjoy the feeling of Yoongi’s talented mouth on him, soft and wet and so delightfully warm. He works at the slow pace Hoseok has requested, still taking him in as deep as he can, throat convulsing around his cock when Yoongi hits the limit of what he can take. It’s perfect, helped along by the slow hum of praise that Jin rains down on Yoongi as he fucks him – telling him how lovely he is, how hot and tight he feels, how lucky they are to have him.

Hoseok cums first, a broken whine leaving him as Yoongi swallows down every last drop, still suckling just the slightest like he’s making sure he hasn’t missed any. Even as the feeling edges into overstimulation, Hoseok doesn’t stop him, not willing to give up the closeness. Eventually Yoongi stops sucking but he doesn’t let Hoseok go either, just holds him in his mouth and whines as Jin fucks into him from behind.

He never quite manages to go soft, Jin’s thrusts forcing just enough movement from Yoongi to keep him hovering between overstimulation and pleasure. And Yoongi just... doesn’t stop. Not even when he whines out a broken moan around Hoseok’s cock and cums for the second time that night, body trembling and eyes slamming shut.

Jin isn’t far behind him.

When Jin pulls out, Yoongifinally lets Hoseok’s dick go and practically leaps forward to tackle him in a hug, peppering kisses all over his cheeks, nose, and mouth. “So good, Hoseok-ah,” he croaks in between kisses. “Perfect. Thank you, thank you.”

“You did so good too,” Hoseok whispers, occasionally catching Yoongi’s lips with his own. “Took it all so well. Thank you for letting me stay close.”

“It wasn’t too much?”

Hoseok shakes his head. “Was perfect, Yoongi. You were perfect.”

The rest of the pack close in around the two of them. Jin comes first, guiding them onto their sides – still facing one another but with room for the others to cuddle up to them – and then wraps himself around Yoongi’s back.

“You both did so well,” Jin says, draping one arm over Yoongi, his hand coming to rest on Hoseok’s waist. “Can we do anything for you? Want something to drink?”

“I’ve got water here,” Namjoon offers from somewhere behind Hoseok.

Yoongi gives him a questioning look but Hoseok just shakes his head. “We’re fine,” Yoongi answers.

“Yeah, they’ve gotta get all the cuddles out of their systems first,” Taehyung says. “Let’s just bring the water and snacks into the nest for when they’re done, then we can hurry up and join the cuddle pile.”

After some brief shuffling, Namjoon finally slides in behind Hoseok, wrapping an arm around him and pressing that warm body flush to his back. “You did so well, pup,” Namjoon whispers, pressing a kiss to Hoseok’s scent gland. “Both of you were so lovely to watch.”

Taehyung makes a little snort of laughter. “I think you mean all three of them,” he says, cuddling up to Namjoon’s back and throwing one arm over both him and Hoseok.

“Thank you, darling,” Jin answers. “But Namjoon is right – you were both lovely.”

Hoseok relaxes into the praise, finally feeling ready for the comfort of his pack to surround him completely, so long as Yoongi is here with him at the center of it all.

Really, he couldn’t be any luckier.

Chapter Text

For as busy as they’ve been lately, trying to find a chunk of time where Namjoon-hyung is out of the house and both Jimin and Jungkook are available to come and spar ends up being a huge pain in the ass. They could just go for it while everyone is home, but Taehyung doesn’t want to risk any of the alphas getting fussy while he’s trying to do the important work of seeing how well their new mates can handle themselves. Without Jin-hyung home to keep everyone calm, it’s just easier to do it outside of the house.

He invites Hobi-hyung to come along, partially because his attention to detail will be helpful – but mostly because he wants to see how Jimin and Jungkook stack up against him.

Most of Tae’s mates aren’t terribly useful in a fight. They’ve gotten better through years of drills and Taehyung teaching them, but Hobi-hyung is the only one he would really classify as capable. Jin-hyung can talk his way out of damn near anything but when the time comes to fight he’s basically hopeless. Almost everything Taehyung has trained him to do is about buying himself time for someone else to help him, or cheap tricks to try and get away.

Namjoon-hyung has learned enough that he’s not entirely defenseless. He’s got such a long reach that he has a natural advantage in lots of fights, so long as his opponent isn’t particularly skilled. His best tool is being a quick thinker though, and Taehyung has done his best to train Namjoon to use that to get away – convincing him that he’s more useful alive and putting that brain to use on the sidelines than fighting losing battles.

Yoongi-hyung isn’t a good fighter technically, but he’s vicious in a way that absolutely delights Taehyung. He fights dirty, like a cornered animal with no regard for his own personal safety, and once he gets going he doesn’t want to stop. It’s almost like he gets a little blood drunk on it, pupils blown all wide and manic with a cruel grin plastered on his face…

It’s fucking hot, honestly.

But that aside, they were all surprised to realize that Yoongi is a hell of a good shot with a pistol – way better than any of the rest of them, though Hobi-hyung isn’t bad either. Tae has never liked guns all that much. Too loud and impersonal. Not that he doesn’t ever use them, just that they’re far from his preferred method.

Hobi-hyung could wipe the floor with any of the other three easily. He’s no match for Taehyung, but then again nobody is. Still, he’s been training since he was a kid and it shows with plenty of skill, resourcefulness, and a feel for how the situation is going to shake out.

Jimin and Jungkook have been through training too, which is part of why Taehyung is so excited to finally get to see what they’re made of.

“So, which one of you is better?” Hobi-hyung asks as the four of them make their way inside the space Tae had managed to rent out.

It’s a small local gym that a few of their security guys frequent. They’d been all too happy to get him the contact information, saying it was usually only open for a few hours every evening. It’s nice enough, with plenty of space in the center of the room for them to lay out a couple of mats and not be in danger of running into any of the machines.

“Kookie is technically better than me,” Jimin says. He looks good like this, dressed in tight sweatpants and an old tank top. It’s the sort of thing Tae is used to seeing Jungkook wear, but not so much on Jimin. Even for his dance practices he tends to favor something a little looser, which makes this a bit of a treat.

“Yeah, but if Jiminie gets the drop on someone, they’re usually done for,” Jungkook says with a smile. “It’s so cool every time.”

“Are you pretty good, Hoseok-hyung?” Jimin asks.

Instead of answering himself, Hobi just looks over to Tae with a little wink and tilts his head, waiting for the assessment.

“Yeah, he’s pretty good,” Taehyung answers. “Better than a lot of our security guys, but not all of them.”

“And Taehyungie can still wipe the floor with me,” Hoseok adds, grinning.

Jungkook is practically vibrating in place by the time they lay the mats out, clearly itching to test himself. Taehyung almost wants to make him wait a little longer, to take Jimin on first just to watch him squirm, but he decides to be nice instead.

“Come on, Jungkookie. I can tell you’re ready to go.”

“What gave you that idea?” Jimin jokes as Jungkook practically bolts to the center of the mats with a huge smile on his face.

“I’m so ready, hyung. What are the rules? When do we start?”

“We should have brought popcorn,” Jimin says.

Hobi laughs. “It won’t last long enough for popcorn.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah, he’ll be lucky if he lasts a minute.”

Their words don’t seem to discourage Jungkook in the slightest. He’s still bouncing eagerly at the center of the mats while Taehyung strips out of his jacket and drops it next to Jimin.

“Alright, Jungkookie. The only rule is that you don’t hold back. You won’t be able to hurt me and it’s important that I get a good feel for how hard you can fight when you need to. We start now. Come at me and do your best to take me out.”

Jungkook is eager and aggressive, all explosive energy that Tae has no trouble turning against him. He isn't the least bit discouraged when Taehyung lays him out flat barely ten seconds into their first round either, his eyes going wide and his mouth forming an open mouthed grin. “That was great, hyung! Can we go again?”

The first round usually goes about that quick, especially if it’s one of his mates. None of them are willing to give it their all the first time around, even though he tells them they couldn’t hurt him if they tried.

At least it’s fun.

He lets Jungkook try a few more times. Even though he’s outmatched, he still comes at Tae like he’s going to beat him every single time, switching up his tactics with each attempt and giving Taehyung a good idea of his skill level overall. He lasts longer almost every round, adapting and learning even when it’s clear he stands no chance of winning.

After about ten rounds, Jungkook is breathing hard and Taehyung feels like he has a good feel for his ability. “Alright, that’s enough,” he says, offering Jungkook his hand and pulling him up off the mat. “You did good, Jungkookie.”

It’s an understatement really. Taehyung is honestly impressed.

Hobi-hyung claps. “You really did, Jungkookie! I’m pretty sure you’re better than me after getting a look at you those last few rounds.”

“He is,” Taehyung agrees with a smile. “He could definitely take you, hyung.”

Jungkook seems incredibly pleased with himself, grinning as he plops down next to Hoseok and then turns to Jimin. “Your turn. Don’t bother going easy on him, Jiminie.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Jimin answers, laughing as he stands up and heads for the center of the mat. “Do you want a break or anything before we start, TaeTae?”

“Nah, I’m good to go. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The two of them were right. Jungkook is definitely the better fighter, but Jimin fights dirty – going directly for Taehyung’s throat and eyes like his life depends on it and even biting down hard on Taehyung’s arm when he goes to put Jimin in a chokehold. It almost reminds him of a little bit of Yoongi-hyung, though a little less unhinged and with a higher skill level to back up all of the ferocity.

Tae still pins him over and over, but Jimin doesn’t give up any easier than Jungkook did.

Some of their movements are similar enough that it’s clear they learned from a lot of the same sources, and probably practiced together too. They’ve both got a solid foundation, which is a relief. Of course the security team (headed up by one of their best, Wonho-ssi) will continue watching over them and their apartment, but all the planning in the world can’t stop every possible mishap. It’s comforting to know that if they ever were caught out, they’re far from defenseless on their own.

“Okay, I’m satisfied,” Taehyung says after pinning Jimin to the mat yet again.

Jimin softens immediately and reaches out for Taehyung’s arm, fingers tracing over the slowly darkening bruise forming under the imprint of his teeth. “I’m sorry about that,” he says with a lopsided little smile. “Didn’t mean to leave a bruise.”

Tae snorts out a laugh and pulls Jimin into a hug. “Don’t apologize. I told you not to hold back and you didn’t – plus it didn’t really hurt that bad.”

“Are you sure?”

“Taehyungie has a pretty high pain tolerance,” Hoseok says, smiling with his arm around Jungkook’s shoulders. “So, what’s the verdict? Feeling better about their ability to handle themselves? I know I am.”

“Well, considering that Jungkookie could take you in a fight, and you and Jiminie are probably a dead even match, I would say yes. I feel way better now.”

“We’re not done forever, right?” Jungkook asks. “You’ll let me try again sometime?”

Taehyung laughs as he lets go of Jimin. “Sure. I’ll even help you get better if you want.”

“That would be so cool! Thank you, hyung.”

“Ooh, private lessons with the one and only Kim Taehyung,” Hobi says. “There are people who would pay a lot of money for that privilege.”

“Just one of the many perks of being my mate,” Tae says, smiling and giving a little wink. “I’ll pin you to a mat anytime you want. Now, are you each ready to go a round with Hobi-hyung?”

Jungkook’s entire face lights up at the offer and he practically scrambles back to the center of the mat, clearly eager to prove Taehyung’s assessment right.

* ******

Namjoon has never actually been inside of Special-(f)x before. Taehyung had talked about it a year or two ago when he’d been briefly invested in getting a tattoo, but Namjoon had been able to talk him out of it. The thought of anyone putting a needle in his omega had been extremely distressing at the time, but something tells him they will be having that conversation again sometime soon.

He has to admit that Jungkook’s collection of tattoos does make him feel slightly more amenable to the whole thing. There’s also a very real possibility that if everything works out and Taehyung is willing to wait, Jungkook could be the one doing the work, which is also… less troubling somehow. Plus it’s Taehyung’s body, not Namjoon’s. He’s allowed to be worried, but he has to accept that it isn’t a choice he gets to make.

Still, he would feel better if he could take a look inside the shop first, and picking up Jungkook for a lunch date before his afternoon classes is the perfect opportunity.

It’s brighter than he expected. His imagination had provided him with images of a dark, unsanitary, threatening atmosphere, but Special-(f)x isn’t like that at all. It’s pretty spacious inside (especially for being tucked in between two other storefronts), with the large front window pouring sunlight inside the shop. The walls are lined with art samples and photographs of what he assumes are tattoos that were done here in the shop, and several glass cases full of all sorts of jewelry for piercings.

“Namjoon-hyung, you made it,” Jungkook says, emerging from a door behind the counter with a bright smile.

“Of course I did, Kook-ah. It’s pretty nice in here. Not really what I expected.”

Jungkook makes his way out from behind the counter to throw his arms around Namjoon in a hug. “Yeah, this place is great, and Amber-ssi is so nice! She’s the best boss.”

“Oi, you don’t need to say things like that just because I’m in earshot,” a female voice calls from behind the counter.

Jungkook breaks away from their hug and Namjoon gets a look at her, all short cropped dark hair with her arms absolutely covered in tattoos. She’s giving him a pretty hard stare with her arms crossed, but her gaze softens immediately when she looks at Jungkook – clearly fond of him.

“This is Namjoon-hyung,” Jungkook says excitedly. “He’s the–”

“I know who he is,” Amber says. “Jungkook, I need you to finish the cleanup in the back room quick and then you’re free to go, okay?”

“Sure thing. I’ll be right back, hyung. Shouldn’t take me more than a couple of minutes.”

“Take your time,” Namjoon says, giving Jungkook’s shoulder a quick squeeze before the omega darts off, heading back through the door behind the counter.

Amber waits for Jungkook to disappear and then steps out from behind the counter, making her way up to him with that same hard stare. Namjoon knows when he’s being sized up, so he simply stands his ground until she stops just a few feet in front of him.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he offers, reaching out his hand to shake. “Jungkook speaks very highly of you.”

Amber waits a few seconds before returning the gesture, shaking Namjoon’s hand firmly. Even this close, she’s not putting out any scent. Namjoon wouldn’t even know she was an omega if Jungkook hadn’t told him first. “Listen,” she says, dropping his hand. “Jungkook has been through enough already without getting mixed up with you people. I know what line of work you’re in and if you let a single thing happen to him – if you hurt him or Jimin, you will be answering to me. You understand?”

Namjoon gives her a nod. “I understand. We won’t let anything happen to either of them, I swear.”

Amber narrows her eyes at him. “You had better be serious about him. The way he talks about you… If you’re even half as good as he says you are, we won’t have any trouble – but if you’re playing with him–”

“I assure you, we are not,” Namjoon states plainly. “We have every intention of courting Jimin and Jungkook in earnest, and we have already made sure to assign security to their home. If anyone ever tries anything, we’ll hunt them down.”

“And you won’t stand in the way of his schooling, or his job here?”

“Not at all.”

Finally, her demeanor softens. She doesn’t quite smile, but at least she’s not staring him down like he might do something terrible at any second. “Alright then.”

“As simple as that?” Namjoon asks, quirking his head.

“As simple as that. You understand my position and I understand yours. As long as you’re good to them, you’ve got nothing to worry about from me or anyone else in this shop.” With that, she turns to make her way back behind the counter just as Jungkook emerges from the doorway again.

“Okay, Amber-ssi. All of the equipment is cleaned up and I laid out everything for your appointment after lunch. Do you need anything else before I go?”

“No, that should be all. You two have a nice lunch.”

“Thanks,” Jungkook says, darting out from behind the counter to take Namjoon’s hand and lead him toward the door. “Come on, hyung. I’m starving! Do you still want to try that place just down the street?”

“Yeah, I checked on my way over and their patio is open, so we can sit outside too.” Namjoon gives one last backward glance as they leave the shop, only to catch sight of Amber laughing and shaking her head at the two of them. He gives her one last nod and turns back to Jungkook, who is smiling in the midday sun and positively beaming with excitement.

*******

[Jin to Jungkook]

[Jin]: I admit I’m intrigued by the ingredients you set out tonight. What are you planning to make, Jungkook-ah?

[JK]: oh are you watching the cameras hyung

[Jin]: I was just pulling up a recipe for dinner tonight and thought I may as well take a peek.

[JK]: so youre about to start cooking too

[JK]: im not really sure what im doing yet honestly

[JK]: there were a bunch of people set up on campus selling vegetables today and i just bought whatever looked good

[Jin]: Care to show off what you got? Maybe we can brainstorm together :-)

[JK]: sure

[JK]: wanna video call

[JK]: maybe we could cook together on the call if you want

[Jin]: That sounds lovely. Give me just a moment to set up.

[JK]: sure i gotta bring my laptop to the kitchen too

~

What starts as a single video call ends up becoming a bit of a delightful habit – at least on the nights that both of them are cooking around the same time. Occasionally, Seokjin will set up his tablet and let Jungkook simply watch him prepare something while they talk and the omega does whatever other tasks he needs to do.

Either way, it’s less about the food (no matter how much Seokjin loves cooking), and more about the time he gets to spend learning more about Jungkook. They talk about his classes and trade stories from their respective jobs. Jungkook always proudly tells him how his coworkers fawn over the lunches he brings whenever they’re made from something Seokjin has brought him.

At least once a week he stops by their apartment with a care package from Borahae or something he’s made at home. After hearing from Namjoon about how little food the two of them had been living on before and how frequently Jimin had skipped meals, he had practically leapt at the opportunity to make sure they had plenty of hot meals at the ready.

Occasionally, Jimin will join the two of them on their video calls, watching from the kitchen table as Jungkook cooks and offering commentary on what’s happening or just random anecdotes from his day. There’s even one night where Seokjin is late preparing dinner, and when Jimin and Jungkook call him that evening, it’s from their bedroom where the two of them are all cute and curled up under the covers.

It’s all so achingly domestic.

Seokjin adores it, but it also makes him yearn. He wants to see the two of them more, for them to be comfortable enough to stay the night and let him cook them breakfast, for them to come over for lunch in between classes, textbooks spread on the kitchen table as they work and eat. It will come in due time, he knows. Right now every visit they make to the house is an exciting occasion, the sort of thing none of the pack want to miss a moment of – and this part is a delight too.

Really, things are moving at a perfectly acceptable pace. He’s simply feeling anticipation and excitement for the more comfortable parts of courting, when the two of them really begin to settle in.

“You’re frowning,” Namjoon comments, setting his tablet down and turning to face Seokjin in their bed. The two of them were just answering a few emails and taking care of some other business before settling in for the night.

Seokjin hadn’t meant to let his mind wander quite so far.

“Am I?” he asks, setting his own tablet aside.

Namjoon raises a brow and opens his arms, making a pleased hum when Seokjin accepts the invitation immediately, cuddling into his side. “You’ve got that little wrinkle in your brow – the one you get when you’re thinking too hard.”

“I do not have even one wrinkle, thank you very much.”

“Of course, you’re right. My mistake, clearly,” Namjoon says, pressing a kiss to the top of Seokjin’s head and then lingering, nosing at his hair. “You gonna tell me what you’re thinking about?”

“I’m finding myself imagining what it will be like when Jimin and Jungkook really settle into the pack, when they start to feel more at ease with us. It’s already happening, I know. These few weeks since they visited for dinner the first time have been wonderful.”

“But?”

Seokjin lets out a little sigh and leans up to press his face into Namjoon’s neck, inhaling his comforting, warm sandalwood scent. “I just don’t want to feel like I’m rushing, I suppose,” he admits. “All of these moments along the way are precious and I would like to treat them as such.”

“You are the one always telling me we shouldn’t wish these days away,” Namjoon jokes, tone light and warm as he strokes a hand up and down Seokjin’s arm.

“Yet here I am doing the same thing.”

“To be entirely fair, I think there’s a pretty big difference between excitement for the future and wishing away the present. You can look forward to those moments while still being present.”

Seokjin makes a little groan of acknowledgement. He knows that Namjoon is right, but he’s having a bit of a moment here and a little wallowing is par for the course.

“Kind of like right now,” Namjoon continues. “I’m excited for the part of this where you kiss me and tell me I’m right, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love having you all curled up and pouty too.”

The audacity. He does not pout .

Seokjin pulls back far enough that he can look up at Namjoon’s smiling face, eyes all warm and fond. “Who taught you to sass like this, hmm?” he asks, raising a brow at his mate.

“Pretty sure it was you,” Namjoon answers.

He can’t really argue that... “Sounds an awful lot like something I would do. At least that means you had a good teacher.”

“The best teacher.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Seokjin says, leaning in and pressing his lips to Namjoon’s. “You are right. I know you are.”

“I am, but it’s okay if you still need to worry,” Namjoon says softly, still close enough for their noses to brush. “Or you know, pout.”

Seokjin licks a big wet stripe over Namjoon’s face in retaliation and the two of them devolve into fits of giggling and playful wrestling. Funnily enough, he does feel a lot better when it’s all said and done, no matter how easily Namjoon is able to pin him to the bed.

*******

[Yoongi to Jimin]

[Yoongi]: Why are you still awake?

[Jimin]: Working on some homework (￣▽￣)”

[Jimin]: Why are you still awake?

[Yoongi]: Working on a project.

[Yoongi]: You look frustrated.

[Jimin]: My accounting classes involve a lot of Excel and I’m not very good at it (´;︵;`)

[Yoongi]: Want help?

[Jimin]: You know how to use Excel?

[Yoongi]: Yeah. I pirated it way back in middle school and used it for a bunch of stuff. Still use it occasionally for working with mid-sized datasets.

[Jimin]: You sure I won’t be a bother?

[Yoongi]: Wouldn’t offer if I didn’t have the time.

[Jimin]: Okay. Thank you （。＾▽＾）

[Jimin]: How do you wanna do this?

[Yoongi]: Just share your screen and we can hop on a video call.

~

As it turns out, Yoongi knows a lot about Excel. Most of what he says flies right over Jimin’s head at the start and he kind of expects to spend the whole call feeling incredibly stupid, but Yoongi adjusts to Jimin’s skill level without a fuss. He’s a good teacher too. For someone who pretends to be so grumpy all the time, he seems to have endless patience for all of Jimin’s questions and doesn’t get frustrated when he has to explain something a few times before it clicks.

He doesn’t even look bored walking Jimin through it. The lighting in his room is pretty poor, to the point where Jimin can’t really make out anything behind him, but his face is illuminated well enough by the glow of all his monitors. He’s handsome like this – actually, he’s handsome all the time, but Jimin is focused on the here and now. Something about the glow of the monitors as he sips on a glass of some kind of amber colored liquor just suits him, and the tiny little smiles he makes whenever Jimin gets something right threaten to send his heart racing every time.

“Don’t worry about it,” Yoongi says after Jimin apologizes for being slow. “Learning the syntax for formulas is a pain in the ass when you first start, but once you know a few good formulas and keyboard shortcuts, you’ll be quick enough to leave ninety percent of people in the dust.”

“I appreciate you being so patient with me, Yoongi-ssi.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes even as he fights back a smile. “Not appreciative enough to drop the formality though?”

“Nah, gotta make you earn hyung status,” Jimin teases. (Yoongi has more than earned it, but this has become something of a game between them and Jimin intends to follow it to its natural conclusion, whatever that ends up being.)

“Hoseok-ah seemed to earn it pretty quick,” Yoongi grumbles, no real heat behind his words. “Oi, don’t forget your keyboard shortcut. It’s gonna take you ages to grab that whole column with the mouse. Do you remember what it is?”

“Uhhh… Hold on, let me think.” Jimin racks his brain. “Control… something?”

“Control and space,” Yoongi instructs. “There you go. Much faster that way.”

“Thank you. I’ll get it eventually, I’m sure.”

There’s a little ding sound from Yoongi’s end of the call, and the alpha turns toward another screen. “Give me just a minute, Jimin-ah.”

“Okay, no worries.”

Jimin keeps working on his project. It gives him a chance to puzzle out some of the formulas he needs on his own. Yoongi teaching him a little about how syntax works helps quite a bit, and anything he isn’t sure about he just looks up online.

“Okay, sorry about that,” Yoongi says a few minutes later, his attention back on their call. “Had a hit on someone we’ve been looking for and I like to follow up on them right away just in case the trail goes cold real quick.”

“It’s fine. Gave me a chance to try and work some of this out on my own. Although…” Jimin’s stomach has been growling for the last half an hour or so, and he’s gonna be here for a bit. “I think I’m gonna grab something to eat. I’m starving.”

“A midnight snack, right on the dot, huh?” Yoongi says with a chuckle. He glances down at his nearly empty glass and tips the last of the liquor into his mouth before looking back at the camera. “I might do the same, actually. Meet back here in a few?”

“Yeah, sure.”

It becomes a bit of a habit for them to get on late night calls when they’re both awake long after everyone else has called it a night. Yoongi apparently almost always has the live feed from their apartment pulled up on one of his monitors, so it’s typical for him to notice when Jimin is up late.

He knows that it should probably be weird that Yoongi could be watching at any moment, and honestly most people would probably find it a little creepy – but Jimin doesn’t think so. He’s spent so much of his life in the view of some video camera or another in the Jeon compound that it barely even registers most of the time. When one of the pack does actually text him to comment on something they see him or Jungkook doing, it’s usually just an observation or someone poking a little fun. Never anything malicious or rude.

And maybe there are times he actively enjoys thinking that they might see him.

It’s fun to think that one of them might be watching when he’s walking around the apartment in little more than an oversized t-shirt and tiny shorts, or when he and Jungkook make out in the middle of the kitchen before disappearing to their bedroom. (That camera is almost always off.) He wonders how many of those moments Yoongi has watched – how many of them he might have found appealing.

Either way, Yoongi definitely notices when Jimin is up late alone most of the time. When he doesn’t, Jimin texts him instead. Usually they manage a couple of calls a week, and a Midnight Snack ends up being part of the process for both of them (even though some nights it’s long past midnight when they finally eat).

There are nights they hardly talk at all, both opting to work on whatever they have going on while taking the occasional break for a bout of conversation or to simply complain about whatever project they’re working on. Jimin is kind of surprised by just how much he enjoys the calls. Yoongi can be kind of quiet, but he never seems to mind when Jimin goes on about something for too long. Once or twice Yoongi even admits outright that he doesn’t really feel up to talking a lot, but asks to hear about Jimin’s day while he works.

It’s sweet, really – even if when they do talk they end up locked into dumb debates half the time. He kind of likes that too, how easy it is to just fall back on giving Yoongi shit if things start to feel a little too vulnerable or there’s a moment of awkward silence.

Jungkook seems to think it’s cute too.

“Who were you talking to last night, hyung?” Jungkook asks when Jimin stumbles out of the bedroom in his pajamas, teeth and hair brushed but still not feeling entirely awake.

“Wha’do you mean?” Jimin mumbles, walking over to the couch and dropping himself right into Jungkook’s lap. His mate has clearly been awake for a while already, his hair wet from the shower and the smell of some sort of food still hanging in the air. (Jimin sleeps through breakfast more than he cares to admit.)

“Aww, morning, baby,” Jungkook coos, pulling Jimin in closer and nosing at his jaw. “I woke up at like one in the morning last night and went to the bathroom. I could hear you talking all soft in the living room but I was too tired to come check on you.”

“Oh, it was just Yoongi-hyung,” Jimin mutters, leaning into Jungkook’s neck.

“He helping you with your homework again?”

“Not really. We both had work to do, but I told him a few stories while he installed parts into one of his computers. Then he told me a couple while I had a snack.”

“You two have been doing that a lot lately, huh?” Jungkook asks, obviously pleased. “Almost as much as you do with TaeTae.”

“And like you do with Jin-hyung.”

“Yeah, it’s been fun talking to him while I cook, and it’s nice to get to spend more time talking too. Namjoon-hyung and Hobi-hyung don’t seem as interested in doing video calls.”

“I think they just both prefer to hang out in person. Plus, Namjoon-hyung always seems so busy. It was really nice going out to lunch with him earlier this week.” Jimin says, nuzzling in closer and debating for a moment before adding, “All of this has been really nice, actually.”

“Yeah? You feeling good about it, hyung?”

“I mean, it’s a lot to take in, but it’s all been so good that it’s just… Sometimes it still doesn’t feel real, you know?”

Jungkook squeezes him tighter. “I know exactly what you mean. They’re all so nice to us and I like them so much, but everything changed so fast that I still feel like I might wake up one day and it will have just been a nice dream or something.”

Jimin can relate. It all feels too good to be true sometimes, but…

He wants this for them, and especially wants to give it to Jungkook – a whole pack surrounding him so he’ll always be taken care of. It’s hard for Jimin to believe that he could deserve something like that too, but if it means that Jungkook can have it then he will just keep trying to be worthy of it all. Fake it till you make it, right?

He pulls back to look at Jungkook, cracking a little smile. “You’re not dreaming, Kookie. I promise.”

Chapter Text

Taehyung has plans.

Jungkook and Jimin have been coming to the house basically every week for their date nights with the seven of them together, but today they are coming just to see him. The rest of the hyungs will be out of the house for an important meeting with the guys who do their international transport. (Hongjoong and his boys. Taehyung has met them before and they’re all decent enough.) It’s a celebration, Namjoon-hyung explains – a sort of thank-you for all the work the crew has done for them.

Either way, they don’t need Taehyung there and it’s the perfect opportunity to get the house to himself. They even got Yoongi-hyung to agree to go.

Jin is surprised when Taehyung opts out but as soon as he knows the reason why, he's all smiles about it. The five of them have been considering ways to help Jimin and Jungkook feel more at home in their house, and making it less of An Occasion is exactly what they need.

It’s not like they’ve never come over outside of one of their big date nights, but most of those have been quick visits on the way to do something else. Plus, if they wanna start moving things along, someone needs to actually talk to Jimin and Jungkook about it – and Taehyung is just impatient and reckless enough to be willing to wing it.

His mates are so lucky to have him, honestly.

Things have been going well, but he’s still the only one who’s even gotten a kiss from the two of them, and they’ve been at this courting thing for a couple of months now. To be fair, everyone has been busier than usual recently. Between those two being back in school and still working damn near full time, plus a whole lot of projects coming to fruition for the pack all at once, it’s been a little hard to find as much time as they want. Plus a first kiss isn’t something most of them are likely to try for while surrounded by the whole pack. (Jin-hyung could probably make it work though.)

But that’s about to change. Things look like they’re slowing down for the hyungs, so Tae needs to pave the way for their future.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to cook anything before I go?” Jin-hyung asks as he cleans up the dishes from breakfast. “It wouldn’t be any trouble.”

“It’s fine. We’re gonna order takeout.”

Jin has been fussy all morning. So has Namjoon-hyung. They keep offering to help him get things ready, or try to reschedule for tonight so they can be home too – but that’s exactly what he doesn’t want.

“I could whip up a few snacks to tide you over until then?”

“Hyung, please,” Taehyung groans.

“Is Jin-hyung still giving you trouble in here?” Yoongi yells as he pokes his head into the kitchen.

“Yes. He thinks I’m trying to rob him of the opportunity to cook for them when he already sends them food from Borahae and cooks dinner for the seven of us every week!”

Jin raises a hand to his chest in shock. “I do not think you’re trying to rob me of anything. I’m simply offering–”

“You’re fussing, hyung,” Yoongi says. “Don’t make me and Hoseok-ah quarantine you like we’re doing to Joon-ah. Come on, Tae. If you leave him be, it will be harder for him to spend the whole morning trying to mother-hen all over you.”

“Rude, Yoongi-yah,” Jin says, pointing a dirty frying pan still dripping with soap bubbles at Yoongi.

“You were the one who said it would be good for him to talk to Jimin and Jungkook,” Yoongi points out. “That means you have to let him do it his way.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung agrees, heading for the living room. “That means no cooking, hyung.”

“Fine. Don’t come crying to me if you’re all hungry before dinner,” Jin says, turning back toward the sink.

Yoongi smiles and rolls his eyes. “He says, like he wouldn’t absolutely fucking love if you three did just that.”

~~

The hyungs do eventually leave, and Jin-hyung only gives about a hundred glances back toward the house on their way to the car. Taehyung experiences a brief moment of nervousness thinking about the four of them out on business without his protection, but they’re being escorted by the very best of their security team, hand picked and personally trained by Taehyung.

He reminds himself that there’s nothing to worry about and then waits patiently for his guests to arrive.

They show up right on time, Jungkook’s voice calling out a “Hyung, we’re here!” from the foyer.

“Coming!” Tae is up in a flash and sprinting to go and greet them. They’ve already made it to the kitchen by the time he gets there, but Jimin’s outfit stops him in his tracks.

Those are his work clothes.

Jimin must see his expression fall, giving a slow little glance down at himself in his black slacks and white button down with the Onyx Heights logo on it before looking back up at Tae with an apologetic little half smile. “Yeah, one of the servers called in so I’ve got to cover a shift starting at five.”

Taehyung pouts. “No one else could do it?”

“Not tonight. I’m sorry! I really did try to get out of it, but I couldn’t say no when Siyeon-ssi called me,” Jimin explains, stepping forward to pull Tae into a hug. At least he's not wearing scent blocker for work yet, the smell of warm vanilla rolling off him in comforting waves. “We still have a few hours together though! You and Kookie will just have to do dinner on your own.”

Dinner isn’t really the issue. There’s a lot Taehyung had wanted to talk to them about after dinner when they’d had a chance to loosen up a bit, maybe even have a beer or something. Whatever. He’ll just need to avoid making Jimin feel any more guilty than he already does and adjust the plan and get everyone settled in sooner…

Nothing a little chaos can’t fix.

“It’s okay, Jiminie,” he assures him. “Actually, that still leaves us plenty of time for you guys to help me out.”

Jungkook perks up at that. “Oh, what do you need help with, hyung?”

“Yeah,” Jimin says, pulling back from their hug with a more genuine smile on his face now. “We’d be happy to help with anything you want.”

If he can’t get them settled into the whole house, he can at least get them extra familiar with his own space. Plus helping out should help them (especially Jimin) relax quicker.

“Well, I woke up this morning and all I could think was that my bedroom has been the same for months.”

Both Jimin and Jungkook’s eyes light up at that.

“Redecorating?” Jimin asks.

“And moving furniture?” Jungkook adds.

“Yes to both of those things!”

It’s not until they’re actually upstairs that he realizes how smart of a plan this was. The two of them both blush so damn cute when they step into his room and get a look at his nest again, almost as much as they had the first time he showed them around the house. He knows how personal nests are for most omegas, and it’s not that his isn’t personal – just that Jimin and Jungkook are his mates (even if they don’t really understand how literally he means that yet), so of course he wants them to see it.

His plan works far better than it ought to, considering he literally just made it up on the spot. Jimin and Jungkook seem a little unsure when they first step into the room, wary of staring at his nest and stepping gingerly around his furniture, but all it takes is a little direction and they settle right in.

“So I was thinking about maybe moving the bed out of the center of the room and off to the corner by the big window,” Taehyung decides. “It would be nice to be able to see outside some nights, even if I’ll have to close the curtains when my next heat rolls around so I don't feel too exposed.”

“That’ll look nice,” Jimin says. “What about your desk then?”

“What do you guys think?”

“It would fit really nice up against the other wall here,” Jungkook suggests.

“That’s a great idea,” Taehyung says. “Let’s move the dresser out of the way first and we can brainstorm where to put everything else while we work. Thank you guys for your help.”

They all work well together, and Taehyung makes sure to respond very enthusiastically to basically every suggestion Jimin and Jungkook offer. It’s easy when he wants them to leave a mark on his space, wants their influence to be clearly visible every time he walks into the bedroom. Jungkook helps him shuffle around the artwork on the walls (including his own painting) and Jimin rearranges the books on his shelf that he had just tossed haphazardly on there over the last few months.

They move the bed last. It takes all three of them to shove it into the corner, which is perfect because it means that they both get a chance to get a closer look at his nest. They both peek in quick, polite glances as they work. He tries not to expect anything, to just enjoy the fact that the two of them are here and the plan seems to be working, but he can’t quite keep himself from hoping.

Hoping that they like it.

It’s Jungkook who finally breaks the silence after they’ve got the bed all moved. He stands up straight and gives one more long look at the nest before turning to Taehyung and nervously licking his lips. “I don’t know if I’m… if it’s polite to say or not, but your nest is really good, hyung.”

“He’s right,” Jimin agrees, sounding a little breathless. “It’s so pretty, and it smells like the whole pack.”

Taehyung isn’t even in heat, but his chest still swells with pride. His mates approve of his nest – called it pretty even! He doesn’t care if he’s fishing for compliments, not when it feels this good to hear them. “You guys really like it?”

Jungkook nods. “Yeah, it’s great! I wish we had the space for something permanent like this.”

“That would be so nice,” Jimin says.

Hmm… Maybe he can make this work to his advantage.

“Do you guys wanna hang out inside it for a while?”

Both their eyes go wide, Jungkook’s scent spiking all pretty floral orange at the offer and Jimin’s cheeks going a light pink. “Are you sure, hyung?” Jungkook asks.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, I mean…” Jimin pauses, reaching out toward the nest but stopping short of actually touching the wall. “We aren’t a part of the pack. Won’t we disrupt your scents?”

Taehyung raises a brow. “If you think I don’t want your scents in my nest, you’re wrong – like so, so wrong it’s not even funny. You both smell perfect.”

“I wanna,” Jungkook says, reaching for Jimin’s hand. “You coming with me, Jiminie?”

“Sure, that sounds really nice.”

Tae climbs in first and the other two follow just behind him. They’re a little shy about it, like they’re afraid to disturb things too much, but eventually the three of them cuddle up with him in the middle and Jimin and Jungkook on either side of him.

They give him a fresh round of compliments about how comfy it is and how safe it feels and Taehyung allows himself a little time to just bask in their approval – or at least he does until a quick glance at his phone reveals just how long they spent rearranging his room. He’s gotta move this along if they wanna talk before Jimin has to leave for work. It’s a shame they don’t have more time. Maybe if they have a few minutes to spare, he can have them both scent a few things for the nest, at least enough to get their scents to linger for a while.

“Do you guys mind if I ask how you’ve been feeling about courting so far?” It’s the best opener he can think of, and at the very least neither of their scents go sour at the question (though he’s got a sneaking suspicion that Jimin’s scent control is even better than Namjoon-hyung’s). Still, it’s easy to pick up the slight increase in tension in their bodies with both of them so close to him.

“Sure,” Jungkook answers. “What do you wanna know?”

“Well first I wanted to check in and see how things have been so far. Like have we done anything you don’t like? Or has anyone been pushy in a way you don’t feel comfortable with?”

Jimin shakes his head and sits up so he can look at Taehyung. “Not for me. Everyone has been so nice and nobody has really pushed either of us much at all.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook agrees. “You’re still the only one either of us has even kissed, hyung.”

“I’m aware. Was kind of curious how you both feel about changing that soon?”

The two of them exchange a look before Jimin asks, “With one of the hyungs in particular or…?”

“Nah, more of a general thing,” Tae says. “Sorry, I should have explained better first. I know the hyungs have been pretty busy these past few weeks, but we’ve just been wrapping up a bunch of jobs so they’re gonna have a lot more time soon. I know they’re eager to spend more time with you two and it seemed like a good idea to check in first and make sure we’re all on the same page about where things are headed. Putting you on the spot during one of our big date nights sounded kind of mean, so I thought today when it’s just the three of us might be easier.”

Jungkook sits up now too, leaving just Taehyung laid back against the wall of the nest. “So you and the hyungs have been talking? Like about what you want?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“And you guys definitely want to…” Jungkook bites his lip for a second, clearly a little nervous. “You want to keep courting us, right? We haven’t done anything wrong?”

Taehyung sits right up at that. How is it even possible that Jungkook could think they are anything less than completely interested and entirely invested? “Baby, of course you haven’t done anything wrong!” Tae assures him, reaching out to take his hand. “You guys are perfect. We’ve just had a lot of date nights with the seven of us together now – and we totally wanna keep doing that too – but there might be more opportunity for extra one on one time now that people’s schedules are opening up more.”

Relief washes over Jungkook’s face right away as he smiles. “Oh, that would be awesome. What do you think, Jiminie?”

“Well yeah, I mean–” Jimin blushes the cutest shade of pink, looking down at the bed, “If they want to then I think that would be really fun.”

“Oh they definitely want to. Joonie-hyung has been dying to take Jungkookie hiking, and Jin-hyung tells me at least once a day about how you’re going to bake with him at some point.”

“Did Yoongi-hyung tell you we scented the last time we had a date together?” Jungkook asks, grinning.

“Jin-hyung told me first but then I cornered him in his room and he spilled the beans pretty quick. You should have seen how red he got!”

Jungkook’s expression falls a bit. “Oh, was he embarrassed about it?”

Jimin laughs. “Probably more like embarrassed about how much he liked it.”

Oh good, at least one of them gets it.

“Exactly. He’s so gone for both of you and it’s the goddamn cutest.”

“Both… Both of us,” Jimin whispers under his breath. “Wow.”

Okay n evermind. God, they need to spend more time with these two if they’re really this dense.

“Of course both of you,” Taehyung says. “Are you both missing the part where I am literally telling you that all of the hyungs want to spend more time with you?”

“Even Hobi-hyung?” Jungkook asks.

Taehyung lets out a sigh. “Yes. All. Of. Them.” He really does not understand what is not computing here, but he is going to get through to them even if it takes all goddamn night. “I don’t know why this is surprising. Don’t you both basically have a standing lunch date with Hobi-hyung every week? I’m pretty sure he’s mentioned it…”

“Well, yeah we usually get lunch on Thursdays before my shift starts,” Jungkook says.

Jimin nods. “And he usually gets lunch with me on Tuesdays before I go to afternoon classes. But meeting up for lunch is different from… what it sounds like you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, I thought they were still just…” Jungkook trails off, seeming uncertain.

“Just what?” Taehyung asks.

Jungkook looks over at Jimin, then slowly back to Tae before speaking again, voice quiet. “Like, I don’t know – getting a feel for whether they like us or not?”

Taehyung tackles Jungkook back against the nest, earning a little squeal from him and a laugh from Jimin. “We have been dating for like two months. What the hell do you mean, ‘if they like you’?” Jimin is still laughing behind them and Taehyung turns to point an accusing finger at him. “Don’t laugh. You’re just as bad as Jungkookie is!”

“We haven’t done this before, hyung,” Jungkook whines below him. “How are we supposed to know how it works?”

“Well I’m literally trying to tell you how it’s working.”

Jimin comes over and lies down next to Jungkook, cuddling into his side with a smile and looking up at Taehyung like – god they’re so fucking cute together – no, focus. “Then tell us, TaeTae.”

“Okay, listen up then. We all really like you. Everyone is head over heels. These are now established and indisputable facts. The hyungs have had really full schedules for a while now but we just closed a ton of deals and have more time now – time we would like to spend with the two of you. You’ll probably get more invites to come over, or more requests for us to come visit you. Are these things that you would be okay with?”

The two of them nod.

Progress .

“Okay,” Taehyung continues, “And how do you feel about kissing them? Would that be moving too fast or are you both feeling comfortable if things start to move forward a little?”

Jungkook seems ready to answer, but then turns to Jimin. “What do you think, Jiminie?”

“You know,” Taehyung says, “You two don’t have to answer together. Like you know if one of you feels ready and one of you doesn’t just yet, that’s completely okay, right?”

Jimin bites his lower lip for a few seconds. “It’s okay. I think I’m… I feel comfortable with it too – moving forward.”

Taehyung raises a brow. It’s something, but it’s not exactly enthusiastic. He reaches out to touch Jimin’s shoulder. “Do you want to though?

“Of course I want to,” Jimin answers. “I’ve been thinking about it and – Kookie and I have talked about it a bit too.”

“Yeah, we both really like all of you too,” Jungkook says with a nod.

“Okay, that’s great. I just wanted to check because you seem a little hesitant, Jiminie.”

“I want to,” Jimin says again. “I guess I’m just wondering when? Like next time we all hang out or–”

“Nothing like that. Nobody is gonna jump you the moment you walk through the door,” Taehyung explains. “There’s no rush to kiss everyone the next time we hang out or anything. Just a little shift toward the possibility of more intimate interaction.”

The tension practically bleeds out of Jimin and he finally smiles all warm and easy again. “Oh, I would like that a lot. What do you think, Kookie?”

Jungkook nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, I wanna spend more time with the pack and kiss everybody too. That sounds awesome.”

Well at least they managed to reach some sort of understanding by the end, even if their complete lack of confidence in the entire pack’s attraction to them is a bit disheartening. That’s nothing that a few weeks of more individual attention and a little extra intimacy can’t fix. Taehyung has to remember that just because he knows all of the ways to tell that the hyungs are basically head over heels, that doesn’t mean that Jimin and Jungkook know them well enough for that yet.

Even if it’s so obvious it may as well be a flashing neon sign.

~~

The three of them don’t get to talk much longer after that. Jimin’s phone goes off with a reminder for him to start heading to work only about ten minutes after their conversation, and all Taehyung can do is be grateful that he somehow managed to get through to them before that alarm – because leaving that talk half finished would have driven him crazy.

Jimin offers to just catch the bus, but Tae isn’t hearing that for even a moment, calling one of the security guys to pull a car up and drop him off at work. He and Jungkook walk Jimin down to the front door, each of them getting a kiss before he leaves. It’s still a bummer he couldn’t stay, but at least they handled the important stuff first.

And it’s not like he’s ever going to complain about getting to spend time alone with either of them.