Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Taehyung was royally pissed, as he was walking to the huts of the pack leaders. How dared they come up with such bullshit reforms and upset his life so much? He knocked at the door and waited for a couple of seconds.   

Seokjin, one of Taehyung’s best friends but also the pack-leader's mate, was unfortunately the one who opened the door. His sympathetic look made Taehyung understand that he knew why the Omega was there and he was just about to say something. But Taehyung interrupted him. “Where is Namjoon?” he asked, sighing.   

Seokjin seemed to consider his choice of words carefully “he’s in his study – Tae -” he stepped after his friend, as Taehyung had gently pushed him away from the door, to step in, taking his shoes off.   

“Don’t ‘Tae’ me.”   

“I understand you’re upset, it’s - comprehensible – but -”   

Taehyung almost got whiplash at the quick turn he did, his eyes were comically large as he looked at the person he considered one of his closest friends. “Comprehensible? Comprehensible?” he wasn’t happy about raising his voice, but he couldn’t really help himself. “Seokjin, did you truly understand what he is asking of us or are you just pretending to be -?”   

The other Omega sighed, as the door to Namjoon’s study opened. The Alpha came out of the door, his face tense as his eyes fell on Taehyung. “Hey, Tae -”   

“I’m here to talk to you.” The Omega interrupted. “About the reform.”   

“I figured.” Namjoon looked really tired. “Believe it or not, every unmated Omega has come to my office or has called me today.”   

“And did you ask yourself why?”   

Namjoon wasn’t fond of people talking down on him like that. Especially in front of his mate. But it was inevitable. “Do you want to come inside, Tae?”   

Taehyung’s jaw was painfully set. He had been tense since the morning. Since he had heard the news. But he was also at school and couldn’t really leave his job and the kids to get to Namjoon’s house and argue with him. Then he had to cook for his son, have dinner, and help with his homework. Then he waited for his mom to come babysit him. He couldn’t just let his five years old by himself while he went and fought the pack leader. He took the few steps entering the office, leaving the door open for his friend to follow if he wanted. Seokjin came behind him, but he stopped at the door, closing it softly behind himself. He mainly did it not to upset the kids, who were playing videogames in the living room.   

“So -” Namjoon sat down, dead tired of having the same conversation all day.   

“So, I hope that the new reform is a joke.” Taehyung exclaimed, interrupting him.   

“It’s not, Taehyung.”   

“How on earth could you do something like that to us, Namjoon?”   

“You’re taking it way too hard.”   

“I’m - taking – what? The fact that you’re forcing an unmated Alpha into my house?”  

“It’s not as dramatic as you’re making it seem -”   

“Not dramatic? Why don’t you try to put a stranger into your home and bed and see how you like it?”  

Namjoon’s hands went to his face. It was legitimate that the Omegas were upset initially. But if the reform had been harmful in any way, it wouldn’t have passed. Taehyung wouldn’t be the last Omega to convince, but he also knew that Tae had a son. And that complicated things a little.   

“It’s not like that, Taehyung. Nobody is forcing him into your bed.”   

“You did all this because the fertility rate has dropped in the past years. So, you did plan for the Alphas to share our home and eventually our bed.”  

“It’s not like it’s just any Alphas. We selected the most eligible and scent compatible -”   

“It’s forcing strangers in our homes, and I won’t agree to that!” Taehyung got up from his chair, his face was livid. “I have a kid at home and he’s surely not going to have to deal with any stranger in my house. I don’t care if the reform passed or not. If you need to add Alphas to our pack, then let them stay at the inns. There is more than enough space. But I’m saying this once and never again; no Alpha will stay in my house with me and my son.”   

Taehyung had been clear about his words and yet, as the week was ending, the first Alphas had come to the village. He hadn’t slept well the past week, since he had known about their upcoming fate. Siwoon was giving him a hard time too. Ot maybe it was the opposite. Maybe it was him who was nervous and his six-year-old had picked up on it and was nervous too. It was very difficult to handle his hyper-active kid having not slept enough for two days and living with anxiety that, from one day to the other, a strange Alpha would come knocking on his door.   

He hadn’t really seen the Alphas himself yet. Or better, he had only glanced at one for a short time. Jimin had talked his ear off about him being excited and wanting to meet this person that would come to stay at his home like a guest. It was like, even though they were absolute best-friends-soulmates, this thing - this gigantic, horrendously terrible news – had been received by them with totally different opinions. Jimin was always single. He had been single for years and years. Had dated almost all eligible Alphas and Betas of their pack, which weren’t as many, but he had tried. He had also dated someone from another pack occasionally. And now, they were put in that experiment-kind-of thing, where they could potentially meet someone who was chosen especially for them. They weren’t forced to stay together, but this co-living situation would probably trigger something. Alphas would be Alphas, all dominating and stuff, and Omegas would try to be the best version of themselves; becoming submissive housewives and offering themselves to a potential mate. It made Taehyung angry and sick to his stomach. He had had an Alpha already. And it had been the worst experience of his life, leaving him pregnant, cheated on and heartbroken as the excuse of an Alpha decided to just leave him, without even wanting to file for a divorce.   

Taehyung had had a difficult life, constantly waiting for that horrible man to come back and to reclaim him, until he finally got a divorce, years and years later, after his husband had never once showed up. Moreover, his mating mark had hurt for a year or something, because he was pregnant and bonded. The very last thing Taehyung wanted was to have another Alpha, even trying to want to have something with him. This situation had made him so anxious, that he was also having heartburn for two days straight. He had cooked delicious food for his son, but then went on eating crackers and plain rice to try and settle his stomachache.  

As he was just sitting on his veranda after dinner, he saw Jimin rushing to his cabin. Siwoo was playing with his toy animals in front of him and stood up, going to hug the blond Omega. “Uncle Jiminie!” he shouted, before being lifted in the other’s arms.   

“Hi baby. Oh God, he’s - come just before dinner.”   

Taehyung’s good mood immediately soured. Even though the other had only said a few words, he immediately understood what he was talking about.   

“At yours’?” he asked, his fingers trembling a little. He wanted to hold Siwoo and to inhale his soothing scent.   

“Yes, he’s - an Alpha. Yoongi. 27, he’s a pisces, not much taller than me, but he’s - oh God, so cute, he’s - shy and a little introverted. He looks like a confused kitten with black hair and porcelain skin. He’s - skinny but also strong. And he smells so good!”   

Taehyung had stopped listening after the first words of that long description. He was starting to get nauseous. The other immediately understood what was going on in his head. He stopped his rambling and handed over his kid.   

“Daddy, can we watch TV now?” he asked. Taehyung wasn’t making him watch TV too much, because he liked his son to play and to read and to try not to have his brain rot in front of a screen too much, but they sometimes watched cartoons before bed and Siwoo sometimes even fell asleep while his favorite characters were singing or the movie was about to end. And he had taken a big liking in anime. Especially Dragon Ball. Taehyung could recite some episodes by heart from start to finish by now.   

“Yeah, sure, come on”, he said, opening the door for the kid and his friend. It was a late spring day, the days were getting longer and longer, and Taehyung loved to sit outside and breathe the fresh air. The quiet and peaceful evening had been utterly ruined by Jimin’s horrible words. As he put on the cartoon for his son, Jimin was waiting for him in the kitchen, filling two tall glasses of the bubbly rosé they both enjoyed.   

As Tae got closer to him, Jimin took in his serious expression. “It’s not – too bad? You know?”   

“Jimin, I’m - so afraid of all this. You know how it was – with Woosung. And I don’t want any other Alpha around us.”  

“I swear, it’s not like they’re savages. What Namjoon said was true”, Jimin was brushing away the strands of his hair on his forehead. “Yoongi is a musician. His friend who is coming in the next days, Jungkook, is a teacher. They are not as bad as -”   

“They are strangers, who will live in our homes.”  

“Yes. Like roommates. And for a short amount of time if you’re not happy about it.”   

“I’m not, Jimin. And whatever story you’re here to tell me about Yoongi and all that – I want you to be careful and to think twice about what you decide.”  

Jimin smiled, knowing that he had reassured his friend, even if only for a second. Taehyung looked horrible. His usually handsome soulmate looked like he hadn’t slept much. He closed the gap between them and embraced him, wordlessly. Sometimes, the two Omegas didn’t need any words between each other, it had been like this since their childhood.   

“I’ve just found my independence and Siwoo is growing up fine. He doesn’t need to be unsettled like this. I – really don’t like this.”   

“I’m sure that everything will be fine. Yoongi knows all the Alphas who signed up for the program and he assured me that they are all good people. And, if anything should bother you, we’re both going to help out.”  

Taehyung smiled for a brief second. He knew his best friend well. Jimin fell in love easily. And it seemed like he had fallen head over heels for that Yoongi guy he had known for not even a full day. Taehyung sighed, remembering how he himself had been carefree once. Before his mate and son. The words of his friend were sweet, but he wasn’t letting anyone into his home for sure. ___________________  

A week had passed and only five Alphas had come to the town. As Taehyung had got to know Yoongi and some of the other Alphas, he – well – didn’t dislike them. Too much. He disliked the way Jimin had utterly and completely lost his head, enjoying the company of the Alpha way too much. They had gone on a date two days after Yoongi’s arrival and had kissed on the fifth day they knew each other. Jimin kept rambling about an instant connection, but Taehyung was skeptical. It seemed all too easy and too good to be true. As much as Yoongi looked like a cool and laid-back dude, Taehyung didn’t like this situation at all.   

“Daddy, I don’t really like carrots.” Siwoo was playing around with his food in his plate. As usual.   

“Honey, you need to eat your vegetables, we already had this talk.”   

“Yes but they are so – mushy. The carrots in school are so much better.”   

Taehyung rolled his eyes. It wasn’t a secret that he wasn’t the best cook, but he had learned how to prepare decent and nutritious meals for his son. Who wasn’t happy with his food as usual. Even though he ate everything at school, he always fussed about his dinners and vegetables st home.   

“Eat your vegetables, Siwoon.”   

With an unhappy expression, the kid forked a few carrots and a little piece of meat, putting it in his mouth with a frown on his face. “Daddy”, he said after a moment of silence “Daejoon told me that there’s an Alpha living at his home. And he said that there will be someone coming here as well.”   

Taehyung, who was drinking, almost choked on his water. He coughed a few times and looked at his son worriedly. Why were the children at school talking about it? It was truly inevitable though.   

“Nobody is coming to our home, don’t worry.”   

“Daejoon told me that their Alpha, Hoseok, is very nice and he cleans up the house very well and cooks a lot, even though he’s an Alpha. And he writes and composes music with Yoongi.”   

That information was new. Obviously, Jimin’s honeymoon phase with the Alpha made it impossible for him to share much with his best friend. It’s not like his friend had gone awol, but he was taken by his romantic interest and spent a lot of time with him.   

Daejoon, as Siwoon, was another of those rare children who lived with only one of his parents. Siwoon’s mother was a gossip and, quite frankly, a terribly busybody. She was one of those people you don’t want to tell antything, because any information will be spread like wildfire in seconds. Everyone knew her by her fame, that’s why she didn’t have a relationship. So, it did make sense that she would be very happy and excited about an Alpha coming to her home.  

“Mr. Lee has told us about some Alphas coming to our houses. In Omega households just like ours.”   

Taehyung knew that one of his colleagues had been in charge of telling the kids at school that there would be new people in town. Their pack wasn’t exactly small, but they knew each other. Especially since one Alpha would be a teacher at their school, the kids needed to be prepared. And Lee had told Daejoon and Siwoo that an Alpha would come live with them. Was this the reason why his son was behaving a little weirdly lately? He didn’t like his vegetables and fussed a lot, but this was usual behavior for a child.   

“You don’t have to worry about it; nobody is coming here.”   

“But” his son was pouting; he almost looked like he wished for someone to interfere in their life. Taehyung was a little worried about that reaction. It almost looked like he wanted someone to intrude into their home.   

“But what?” Taehyung had finished his own meal a long time ago and watched Siwoo push his food around the plate. Even though he wanted his son to stop talking and to eat his dinner, he was intrigued at what the boy was trying to express.   

“But - it would be nice to have someone in our house.”   

Taehyung remained stunned and silent for a whole second. It would be – what? Nice? Suddenly, he felt really confused and – maybe hurt? His own son wanted a stranger to come and live with them? Was their life so boring or not fulfilling enough for him so that he wanted someone else in their own space? Taking a deep breath, Taehyung knew that he couldn’t really get mad or offended at his own child. Siwoo was only saying those things because he didn’t truly understand their consequences or deeper meanings.   

“It’s not that simple, Siwoo. It would be a total stranger.”   

“But - Mr. Lee said that the Alphas who are sent here are not some sort of crim- crimin-als. They are coming to help us and will be working here so it’s like – they are good people.” Taehyung was a little stunned at how careless Lee had talked to the kids. It’s alright not to fear Alphas, but it wasn’t cautious to tell the kids that they could trust just anyone. Even in their tight community, it was important for kids to be careful and not to trust strangers so easily. There were lots of trades going on and, often, there were Alphas stopping by in their town. It wasn’t safe to have kids just walk up to them and all. It was still a cruel world out there.   

“Yes, but remember what I taught you? About strangers?”   

Siwoo seemed to remember; his pretty face was contorted in a thoughtful expression. “Yes, not to talk to strangers and not to accept any candy from them.” The child listed by heart.   

“Exactly!”  

“But - if those Alphas are coming to stay, then they won’t be strangers anymore, if we get to know them.”   

Taehyung took a deep breath and shook his head. It was going to be a long evening yet.   

Another week had passed, and several Alphas had come, until all the Omega households were hosting one. Taehyung and Siwoo’s house was still blissfully their own. Just as Taehyung had started to relax and to believe that Namjoon had somehow made an exception for him, the horrible thing happened.   

They were coming back from an evening stroll; the sun was setting, and the flowers were in full bloom. Taehyung was enjoying the airy breeze and had dressed them much lighter. It was pleasantly warm outside, and the Omega loved that time of the year. As he was looking at the old oak down the road, Siwoo came back towards him with his little bicycle. Taehyung always let him ride ahead on the sidewalk of their road, where he could see him and know that no harm could come to him.   

“Daddy! There’s someone sitting on our porch!”   

Taehyung’s heart stopped beating in his chest. What?  

“What?” He asked?  

“There’s someone! I think an Alpha! With two big luggages! Daddy, it’s our Alpha!” Siwoo seemed excited. While Taehyung was utterly horrified. His heart froze and stopped beating in his chest. He looked at the house, still a little further away and – yes, there was someone sitting there. He stopped, not knowing what to do or say. Should he – bring Siwoo to Jimin’s? As he was thinking about what to do for a long second, he saw the person standing up. “Are we going, daddy?” Siwoo asked.  

As Taehyung was about to take a step back, he saw the person taking a step forwards. He felt like he was trapped there. “Just - stay behind me and – don't talk to him.” Taehyung said to Siwoo, who was pouting. Getting closer to him, Taehyung started to see the other much clearer. And he was – oddly disappointed in himself for not hating him at first sight. The Alpha was – clearly an Alpha. He was strong, even wearing a black tracksuit, he looked buff and – just huge. His face was something else entirely: a round face with a sharp jawline, he was clean-shaven and had some piercings on his face. Two on his lips and one on his eyebrow, making him look a little intimidating. But then there were those big and black doe eyes, which made him seem cute and innocent. Even that nose, a little on the bigger side, made him very attractive. Moreover, the Alpha had longish black curls, almost to his shoulders, some tied in a high bun. Getting closer, the Alpha didn’t take his eyes off Taehyung and gave him a small smile, looking like a cute bunny for a second. Taehyung was completely thrown aback for a second. Then, the Alpha’s eyes focused on Siwoo, peeking from behind his leg. He looked confused for a second, looking at Taehyung and then at his son, a spitting image of him. His nose scrunched up cutely, giving the child a big smile.  

“Who are you?” Taehyung finally asked, his heart beating rapidly for so many different reasons.  

“Hi”, the stranger suddenly looked back at the Omega. His eyes were impossibly warm. “I’m Jeongguk. I was assigned to you by -”  

“I never asked for an Alpha to be assigned to us.” Taehyung interrupted him. Even the Alpha’s voice was warm and reassuring. And it unnerved him how much his Omega was swooning over that stranger.  

The Alpha’s - Jeongguk’s - brows creased, his smile wavering.  

“Can you – go inside, honey?” Taehyung told his son, who was studying the other’s expression.  

“But daddy -”  

“Please, go inside Siwoo.” At the command, the child nodded, bypassing the Alpha and entering the house.  

“You have a son.”  

“Yes, and that’s one of the big reasons I don’t want a stranger in my house.”  

The other kept looking at him, those eyes had to have damn sparkles inside, because they were mesmerizing. Taehyung could also read the contrasting emotions on his face. He looked confused, angry and then a little conflicted.  

“I understand that – if you say it like that -” the Alpha almost stuttered. “But - it’s not like I’m - a bad person I’m - a teacher just like yourself I -”  

“I can’t know any of that. I don’t know you. And – I’m not comfortable with having you around my kid and myself.”  

Jeongguk looked at the flooring for a second, looking angry. Taehyung’s heart started racing. He didn’t like the idea of making an Alpha angry at him, especially because Jeongguk looked big and strong. He feared for his life for a second.  

“It - makes sense, yes” the other said, shaking his head. For some reason, Taehyung searched his eyes, but Jeongguk seemed too focused on his own shoes, then looked at his luggage. “I didn’t - come here to – I don’t want to upset anyone.” He said in a small voice “I was just – said that – that -” he shook his head again, finally looking into Taehyung’s eyes “that it was something we both agreed on but – it seems like clearly that’s not the case.”  

“I’m sorry to send you back, but -”  

“Back?” Jeongguk grimaced. “I’m - not going back to my old pack. I’ve - got a job here and everything.”  

Taehyung looked at him as if he had grown two heads.  

“I guess I need to find a place to stay, then.” The Alpha looked at his bags and seemed utterly lost for a second.  

Taehyung almost invited him inside for coffee, while they figured this situation out. But, at the same time, he couldn’t know how sincere the other was. It was an unnerving thought. His body was trusting this man, while his brain wasn’t.  

“I guess that I’ll - go back to the train station. There’s - a hotel nearby.” The Alpha said, looking back at his bags. “I’m sorry for – inconveniencing you.” Before Taehyung could say anything, thinking about how much that stay would cost to the other and – maybe figuring something else out, the other had picked up his huge backpack and suitcase and walked down the porch and down the street, where the station was. For one long second, Taehyung thought about stopping him, then he shook his head twice, getting inside the house and locking the door behind himself.  

Chapter Text

As he was getting ready for bed, Taehyung saw his phone lighting up. It was Jimin calling him. At that weird hour. Taehyung furrowed his brows and went to answer, anxiously hoping that nothing had happened to his best friend.  

“Yes?”   

“Tae!” Jimin was whispering.   

“Jimin? What’s going on?” Taehyung was fully anxious now.   

“Why did you send Jeongguk off?” His friend hissed. Taehyung took a deep breath and shook his head; the little voice in his head telling him how it was obvious that Jimin called about that. His Alpha, Yoongi, had said that his friend was a teacher. It must have been the gorgeous Alpha he had sent away from his porch. Yes, he had said that his name was Jeongguk.  

“Jimin we already had this conversation and -”  

“Jeongguk is Yoongi’s best friend, he always talks about him!”   

“That doesn’t explain why I should host him in my home, he’s still a stranger to Siwoo and me.”   

“Alright but – you could have at least looked for a place for him to stay he’s - he came here, looking like a kicked puppy. He spent ten minutes crying his eyes out and it was heartbreaking to see. I blame you for that.”   

“He what?” Taehyung couldn’t imagine that big bulky man breaking down emotionally. And he immediately felt guilty about it.   

“Don’t you know that the Alphas who signed up for coming here pretty much left their homes and their jobs and all that? They came here looking for a new start with a roof over their head. And now you even made the guy homeless.”  

Taehyung was pissed that it was his responsibility to look for this stranger; to assure his comfort and happiness. It wasn’t like he had been the one in charge of deciding the other’s fate and future. It was just unfair how they were being pushed together without a chance of appeal. Surely, the town would benefit from repopulation, but this wasn’t just the way of doing it. Or – was it? But why was Taehyung the only one complaining about it all? What about the others? Did they simply accept it all without batting an eyelash at this? He knew for a fact that all the Alphas had been successfully housed. Jimin was even making out with his assigned Alpha already. It was only him who couldn’t stand the idea of housing Jeongguk?  

“Jimin, I know you can’t see straight at this moment, because you were looking for a potential mate and Yoongi just appeared from thin air like this... But I can’t be the only one seeing the fault in this situation. It’s not right to push people together like this. Especially, in my case, I have a child and – Siwoo's been there already. With an Alpha in his home. And it didn’t go very well the first time. Who can assure me that this stranger – this Jeongguk guy, will treat us alright?  

Jimin’s silence for a few seconds spoke volumes. “I understand all this, baby, and you know that I love you” he said “and I know where you’re coming from and understand your fears. But I truly promise you that you’ll get to know him, he works at your school. And you’ll be able to judge his character then. Don’t be too negative about it and take your time to see what happens. Please, you know that I’d never hurt you. I promise that he’s worth getting to know.”   

Taehyung sighed. Never had words scared him so much as those.   

Coming to school, Taehyung had been conflicted. It was just a normal day, just like any other. He had two English literature classes and a poetry one. He dropped Siwoo off and walked to the teacher’s room. There was still an hour before his first lecture, but he had taken some homework to revise during that time. Seojoon stopped talking with him for a few seconds, until the principal came knocking at the door of the teacher’s room.   

Taehyung was facing Seojoon, so he didn’t immediately notice that, along with Mr. Park, another Alpha had stepped into the teacher’s room.   

“Teacher Kim”, the principal asked, to which he finally turned around. His expression must have been one of surprise mixed with horror. Jeongguk was standing there, looking so much the same as on the previous day, but also so much different. His hair was not black and curly, but it was neatly parted in the front, a manbun sitting high on the back of his head. It seemed like those curls couldn’t be tamed as much as he tried to. He was also wearing a tracksuit, but a black and very fashionable one. He had a backpack thrown on his shoulder. His big doe eyes seemed to inspect Taehyung’s for a long second, then he looked at Seojoon, who had also turned around to glance at the newcomers. “Teacher Park”, the principal noticed the other Alpha as well. “I wanted to introduce our new physical education and martial arts teacher, Jeon Jeongguk.”   

Jeongguk, at the mention of his name, bowed deeply in front of them.   

Seojoon bowed back and Taehyung had to remember to breathe for a second. Then he quickly bowed back.   

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jeon.” Seojoon said. Taehyung wanted to say something, but his throat was parched. Even though he had been drinking gallons of coffee.   

Jeongguk smiled at the other Alpha, albeit tensely.   

“I was wondering, Mr. Kim, since you don’t have any classes now, if you could show our newcomer around. I would gladly do so, but I have an online meeting in ten minutes -” Mr. Park looked at his watch “so you could maybe show him the lockers and the gym, I think that everything he needs has been left by the previous teacher at his office at the gym. All the keys and stuff -” the older man had no clue about what “the stuff” was and it was obvious. Taehyung looked at the Alpha, who was suddenly looking at his shoes. He was probably feeling uncomfortable at being put on the spot there with Taehyung, the same man who had literally shood him away on the day before.   

“I - yes, of course.” Taehyung nodded to his superior, who immediately grinned at him, patting Jeongguk on his back.   

“Great! Taehyung-sshi is our dear literature teacher, I’m leaving you in good hands, Jeongguk-sshi. If you need anything else, you know where to find me. Welcome!” The principal smiled bright to the Alpha, who showed him one of his more authentic smiles. Taehyung noticed that his true smile started with the crinkling of his eyes and then made his lips curl. It was very endearing to notice. And, horrible that Taehyung would notice it and think about it for a long second.   

“I don’t mean to impose on your time -” Jeongguk said after the principal had walked away. “I could – also ask the janitor if they could show me to the gym -” he went on, still looking at his shoes.   

“No, it’s - fine.” Taehyung was feeling uncomfortable with Seojoon standing there and looking at them confusedly.   

“You already know each other?” his cheery friend asked.   

“Uh - yeah, he’s - we’ve -” Taehyung didn’t know how much to tell, but the truth would come out anyway, sooner or later. “He’s - the Alpha who was assigned to me.” Taehyung said nervously, seeing how Jeongguk’s head snapped up to look at him in the eyes for the second time on that day. He almost looked like a lost puppy with those big eyes. He truly was very handsome.   

“Oh!” Seojoon’s eyes got as big as saucers. He looked at his friend, then at the Alpha. “Oh my God, you didn’t tell me that -”   

“It’s because he’s not – he's -”   

“I’m not staying at his home.” Jeongguk intervened.   

“Oh, but -” Seojoon looked as confused as he must look.   

“Taehyung-sshi has a small son and – it’s understandable that he can’t have an unknown Alpha at home just like that. I’m - staying at the roadhouse. It’s - very comfortable.” Taehyung was quite surprised at those words. They sounded so right and – wrong at the same time.   

“Yes, sure – uh” Seojoon was staring at Taehyung, who was still looking at Jeongguk. The Alpha’s eyes weren’t angry exactly, but there was visible emotion in them. “Where did you come from?” he asked.   

“From Busan”, Jeongguk answered, seemingly relaxing.   

“Busan! Nice! I’ve been a bunch of times! And you left that stunning seaside to come here? Why?” Seojoon asked genuinely, but the answer to the question was quite obvious if you asked Taehyung.   

“I - uh -” Jeongguk seemed not to know what to say for a solid second. “I just – wanted to – try and see if I could find” he almost seemed reluctant to speak the words. Then he stopped for a second and started again “I wanted a new start, you know.” Those last words sounded way faker than the previous ones. Those he hadn’t spoken. Taehyung felt almost like he could finish Jeongguk’s sentence in his mind. He was there because he wanted to find a mate. That was what the whole program was about. And it seemed like Seojoon was a little clueless, because he didn’t seem to have the same reaction and thoughts as Taehyung.   

“That’s great! Well, I hope you like it here! Listen, uh – let's talk later, alright? I have a class to teach. I’m a math teacher.” Seojoon was always so kind and friendly, Taehyung admired his friend's welcoming aura for a second.   

“Sure, yes, see you later.” Jeongguk said to the Alpha, who was picking up his bag, just before patting Taehyung on his shoulder and walking away.   

In a second, because of Seojoon’s absence, the mood shifted. Jeongguk was looking at his shoes again and sighed for a second. “Listen - uh – I – don't really want to make this whole thing – uncomfortable for the both of us. I’ll - hang out mostly at the gym and – I'm going to – try and stay out of your way I don’t want you to think that I’m - insisting or – cornering you, because I’m not.”   

Taehyung stood still for a second. Those words were so important. And so big. Jeongguk was truly giving him so much space and – he seemed truly like a genuinely good person, like Jimin had said. Taehyung knew that he was very impulsive, and he could sometimes be a very judgmental and horrible person. But – he still didn’t know this stranger.   

“It’s fine, I can show you around.” Taehyung didn’t want the other to feel like he would be avoided at all costs. It was true, their situation wasn’t ideal, but they would still be colleagues and they would inevitably cross paths in the future. The short walk towards the gym was a little awkward. Jeongguk was walking in silence, looking around himself. Only as they got to the small building, the Alpha seemed truly surprised and couldn’t contain his next words.   

“This school is really small. When they told me that it was a small town, I didn’t - really understand how small.” He seemed to comment to himself more than to the other.   

“It is, our pack is not the biggest of the area, there are still other packs in the mountains which are even smaller than ours though.” Taehyung didn’t really know what to say or how to deal with the other. He felt like he had truly committed a crime by not giving him a chance. He caught himself just in time, because he was about to say how welcoming his pack is. And then –. Taehyung would develop a headache if he kept thinking about what had happened on the day before. And yet, he was curious to know if Jeongguk had settled in the inn. He was weirdly invested in the Alpha. Attracted, but also afraid and uncertain of things.  

“I mean.. Busan’s pack is huge -” Jeongguk was saying, still looking around the small gym. He was eyeing the brand-new equipment; ropes, balls, weighs. They had just redone the place, it was obviously well furnished. “And there’s the seaside, obviously, I used to live right next to it.”  

Then why did you come here? The question almost slipped out of Taehyung’s mouth, but he caught himself just in time for the situation not to be weird or awkward. Yet, there it was, the question, and Taehyung was a curious one.  

Jeongguk turned to look at him with a small smile on his lips. “You’re probably thinking why I came all the way here then.” He seemed to be able to read minds and anticipate the questions of the other.  

Taehyung blushed suddenly. “I - mean – yeah, it’s a little strange that you would come all the way here in the mountains. But I guess that maybe you’ve decided that you like a mountain area more than the seaside?” He said idiotically. Even saying those words out loud made him cringe a little inside. He surely was not capable of having small talk with other human beings he was oddly attracted to.  

Jeongguk nodded his head. He looked sad, turning his attention to the equipment and it looked like he was about to say something really important. As he opened his mouth, they were interrupted.  

“Hey, you must be our new colleague!”  

Of course, Taehyung almost rolled his eyes back in his head. It was Mina. Science teacher, gossip, busybody and, generally, a trashy girl with bad taste in everything. Taehyung’s most hated colleague. It’s not like he hated people, but some just got on his nerves more than others. And Mina was capable of just grating the last scrape of patience he ever had.  

Jeongguk’s mouth closed as it had opened, and he turned to the newcomer who was standing in the doorway. Even Taehyung turned to see what absurd outfit it was today. And yes, she was dressed in a pink dress which should have been too short for a teacher. She had put too much make-up on, and the scent of her perfume was strong, almost giving him a headache, even from a distance.  

Mina chose that moment to step forwards, she was eyeing the Alpha with big, predatory eyes and Taehyung felt like, for the first time in his life, he would be capable of punching a human being. That feeling of sudden jealousy almost made him dizzy. Where was all that coming from?  

“Oh -” Jeongguk didn’t know what to say, as he shook hands with the newcomer. He looked a little embarrassed and it seemed to Taehyung like he was looking at her intently. Was he really attracted by – that?  

“I’m Kim Mina, nice to meet you”, the girl said with one of her biggest and most flirtatious smiles Taehyung had ever seen on her face.  

“It’s nice to meet you, Mina-sshi. I’m Jeon Jeongguk.” The Alpha even bowed a little, while shaking her hand. Taehyung was seriously just about to puke or to throw fists, he wasn’t really sure about which to prioritize.  

“Oh, yes, I’ve heard! The new gym teacher! I’ve seen from your CV that you also taught some pilates and yoga classes back in Busan, I was very interested in asking if you’re going to start them here as well.” Of course, she wanted to be partially exposed and show off her lithe body to the Alpha. Taehyung was seriously about to roll his eyes. She had read his CV? What? Where did she even find it?  

Jeongguk, on the other hand, smiled at the question, scratching the hair on his nape. “I mean – I just moved here the other day and – I’ll have to get used to school first.”  

The girl seemed to pout. Kim Mina was a terrible person with a killer pout. She was obviously a rich and spoiled girl turned teacher, but not even that deep inside, she would remain a spoiled girl. Jeongguk seemed to fall for the pout, like any brainless Alpha. “I mean”, he reiterated, “I’ll surely do a few yoga or pilates classes if there is a request for it. I’ll also do some self-defense for Omegas and Taekwondo.”  

“You surely like to keep busy. I wish I could do so much exercise. I only go to the gym four times a week -” she answered.  

Only. Taehyung’s brain was mocking her in a teasing voice. She was so pathetic. At the same time, Taehyung was a little jealous of how Jeongguk’s already big eyes became even bigger after this sentence.  

“Four times a week is a lot”, he answered with what seemed like a big and genuine smile on his face.  

“Is it?” Was she only playing stupid, or was she really rhat dumb?  

“Yes, of course.”  

“I bet you excercise every day to have a body like this.” Mina plunged forwards with her manicured hand and squeezed Jeongguk’s bicep. Strangely, instead of seemingly enjoying the contact, the Alpha almost seemed uncomfortable by the touch. As he should be, Taehyung’s brain supplied.  

“I - uh -” Jeongguk was visibly in need of help and Taehyung didn’t exactly know what to tell him to free him from Mina’s attack and touches. “Kind of -” he seemed embarrassed and stuttered those last words.  

“That’s kind of his job, so it’s pretty obvious for him to be ripped.” Taehyung said, his tone making it obvious that he was a little irritated by Mina’s comment.  

“Yes, but it takes dedication to build mass and muscle. It’s quite sexy.” Mina answered, her pout coming back with what seemed like a vengeance.  

“It’s - actually not that hard -” Jeongguk was saying. It was awkward. Probably Taehyung had made it that way with his comment.  

“Anyway, I’m sure that you’d like to see around the town and – I am free tonight or – if you text me, we can figure sometime out.” She uttered boldly. Now, Taehyung was impressed at her balls to even say something like this. He was quite curious at how Jeongguk would react, but he didn’t really expect the Alpha to have a very contrite reaction.  

“I’m - uh – Taehyung already uh – he's going to show me around town.”  

Taehyung’s ears started to ring at the blatant lie the Alpha had spoken in front of him and in Mina’s face. It was quite comical. Mina’s expression was one of pure shock for a long second. She stood silent, watching from the Alpha to the Omega; her eyes finally moving onto Taehyung and looking at him lowly, like she always did.  

“Yes, I’m going to show him around so – I guess he doesn’t need your help.” Taehyung said, just because he could and felt like it.  

“And uh – you’re surely a pretty girl, objectively, but - I’m gay.” Jeongguk blurted out, completely unnecessarily. It was the nail in the coffin, though. Mina looked completely stunned for a second, but then tried to regain her dignity, failing miserably by laughing in a very awkward way.  

“I - only wanted to show you around, obviously, out of kindness. It’s not like – I mean, I am seeing someone, so – it wasn’t like I was implying anything.” She almost stuttered those last words. Taehyung was so freaking pleased at her expression and the fact that the Alpha had said those bold words to get her off his back.  

Plus, a very interesting detail Taehyung had obtained, was that Jeongguk was gay. It’s not like he didn’t know, because he had been sent to a male Omega’s house for an obvious reason. But Jeongguk could also have been bisexual, and he could have liked women in a sexual way. But he didn’t. And it was a relief to Taehyung’s overwhelmed senses. It was weird how pleased he was at the outcome of that annoying interruption.  

“Yeah, so – I've got to go, but – welcome to our school. I’ll surely see you around. Bye Taehyung.” Mina said, before turning around and leaving.  

The Omega watched her leave for a second, so oddly pleased and confused.  

“I’m sorry I -” Jeongguk turned to look at him. “You - absolutely don’t have to – uh – I – just wanted to – she kind of terrified me and -”  

“No, no, it’s fine I – uh – could show you around if you’d like. Maybe with Siwoo, later this evening.”  

Jeongguk’s expression morphed from embarrassment to surprise in seconds. He did look a little weirded out at Taehyung’s sudden interest in helping him.  

“It’s not like you have to.”  

“I know I don’t. But – it's the least I can do. It’s a small town after all, but you should know the places and see around -”  

“If it’s not too much trouble, then -”  

“Oh, no, absolutely.” Taehyung smiled at the Alpha, who timidly smiled back. A very different smile from the one he had reserved for Mina.  

It had been a weird moment, because Taehyung didn’t exactly understand what had happened, but he knew one thing: Jeon Jeongguk fascinated him.  

Chapter Text

Jimin was obnoxiously slurping on his strawberry-banana protein milkshake. And he was looking at Taehyung with big eyes and a teasing glint in them.  

“Jimin, I swear to God.” Taehyung was done being teased.  

“You have to admit that you did a whole 360 and you did it quickly. How many times did you see him? Twice?  

“I didn’t change my mind. He’s not moving in here anytime soon.”  

“Oh, he’s not?” Jimin’s smile got even bigger, and his eyebrows kept twitching.  

“No.”  

“But you’re going out with him tonight. And you’re wearing that.” Jimin pointed his index finger at his friend, who was suddenly frowning.  

“First, I’m not going out with him -”  

“Oh, please, you asked him out -”  

“I didn’t -”  

“You did!”  

“I - wanted to be helpful and -”  

“Yes, sure, of course, because of your good heart -”  

“Jimin, I swear to God!” Taehyung was so done. And he had finished washing the dishes. “Plus, there’s nothing weird with my outfit.”  

“Those are your slutty pants. And that shirt is way too nice to show the new guy around.”  

Taehyung’s mouth dropped at those words, he looked at himself for a second. “What are you even -” maybe his floral shirt was a little too much for –  

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Taehyung looked at Jimin with fear in his eyes. “Sure, yes, it’s too late to change now.” Jimin said.  

“He’s - early -” Taehyung had lost track of time. Jeongguk was on time. It was him who wasn’t really ready. “And Siwoo is still napping.”  

“I’ll babysit -”  

“Oh no -”  

“Go, open that door already, don’t be weird. Remember, it’s not a date!”  

Taehyung glanced at his friend twice, then took a deep breath and went to the door. His heart was beating a little harder. Why was his body betraying him like this? Was he really that overdressed and overly zealous to see the Alpha? As he opened the door, his heart stopped for a second, after seeing Jeongguk. He looked so good. He was wearing a similar outfit to his own, tight jeans a shirt tucked into them. While Taehyung had black jeans and a floral-printed shirt, Jeongguk was wearing washed out and ripped light blue jeans with a yellow shirt. His hair was tightly pulled back in a bun, there were many earrings dangling from his ears and those facial piercings just made him so hot. He was carrying something in his hand, it was a box of donuts, Taehyung realized.  

“Hey”, Taehyung greeted him first, seeing how the other was looking at him intently. Jeongguk’s eyes were even deeper and bigger than he remembered them.  

“I - brought some donuts. I hope you and Siwoo like them.” Jeongguk handed the box over to the Omega. It was six donuts in different tastes, they looked so delicious. Taehyung was quite touched by the gesture.  

“You know you didn’t have to bring anything.” He said.  

“I know, but you’re taking me around and – I felt like I should bring something.”  

“That was very considerate, thank you. We do love donuts.” Taehyung’s smile was sudden and very sincere, Jeongguk seemed to be taken aback for a few seconds. His own smile was smaller and genuine. Mostly, his eyes smiled.  

As they walked in the kitchen, Jeongguk was discreetly looking around. Taehyung was quite proud of his house; it was homey and spacious. There were so many windows, and the general vibe of the light wood and white walls was very calming. Taehyung had always had a great sense of fashion and design and was quite proud at how he had put together every angle of his home. Jeongguk had just complimented his home, when he saw Jimin, sitting at the counter and still sipping at his milkshake.  

“Oh, hi, Jeongguk!” the blond exclaimed. “It’s so nice to see you again!”  

Jeongguk seemed a little surprised, but he greeted the other Omega with a small smile. “Hey, Jimin-sshi.”  

“What’s with this nonsense? I already told you that you should call me hyung.”  

“Uh”, Jeongguk seemed out of place for a second. “Yes, I – remember.”  

“I’m glad that Tae and you are taking some time to know one another -”  

“It’s - I’m”  

“He’s showing me around town. It’s not as big as Busan, but it’s a change, for sure.”  

“Oh, I just love your accent! My parents were from Busan too!” Jimin grinned. “They talked just like you.”  

Jeongguk seemed embarrassed for a second. There was a small blush on his cheeks, it made him look so youthful. “It’s - very prominent, isn’t it? People keep telling me, uh -”  

“It’s just adorable!” Jimin seemed so cheerful. “Yoongi doesn’t have an accent like yours.” The Omega pouted.  

“Yeah, well, Yoongi is from further north; Daegu’s speech is not as – accentuated.”  

“Well, you should better go before it gets dark.” Jimin sighed. “As much as I would keep on rambling, I need to babysit!”  

“Oh, sure, I thought that Siwoo would come along?” Jeongguk seemed unsure of himself.  

“He’s napping. I think that he came down with something -” Taehyung sighed, remembering how low-energy his son had looked all afternoon, just before falling asleep while watching his favorite cartoon. It was so out of character of him.  

Jeongguk looked conflicted for a second. “If you want to stay here then I completely -”  

“No, no, it’s fine. Jimin is going to babysit and we can – I can show you around town. Don’t worry.” Taehyung tried to put his most reassurring smile on.  

“Alright”, Jeongguk’s eyes were so big. And round. And sparkly. Taehyung had to stop looking at him.  

“And if you walk down there, you get to the library.” Taehyung was a little tired after two solid hours of walk. Town wasn’t that big and they hadn’t explored every single alley, but he had helped with the little map Jeongguk had got from the pack leader as he had moved.  

“I wanted to get a library card, actually -”  

“Oh, you don’t need one with your teacher’s badge. You can have all the books you want delivered to school.”  

Jeongguk seemed taken aback for a second. “That sounds great.”  

“Yes, you don’t have to walk all the way there -”  

“I - think I’d rather do that, actually. I’m - a little – bored so – I remember walking here the other day, but I never got down the alley. Otherwise I would have found the library sooner.”  

Taehyung was silent for a few seconds and let those words sink in. Bored? Jeongguk was – lonely? It hit him like a brick, understanding that he was partially the reason that the other felt this way. He should have been there, should have hosted him and provided a different life for the Alpha but he didn’t and – Taehyung caught himself spiralling in a guilt trip just in time. No. It wasn’t his responsibility to care for the Alpha and to keep him entertained. They were still strangers. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”  

“I mean – it's not like I’m - sad or anything. I am working on a few classes to teach and – I try to keep busy. But I also like libraries, the smell of books, to spend hours picking my books straight from the shelves...”  

Taehyung’s heart did a little flip at the words the other had said. As a literature teacher and nerd at heart, those were the exact words that could make him fall for the person who had pronounced them. Because of his sudden silence, Jeongguk turned to look at him questioningly. If it had been a drama, a love song like ‘You are my everything’ by Gummy would have played, just like in ‘Descendents of the sun’. Time had seemed to freeze, Jeongguk’s eyes were so big and sparkly, the air around them was a little chilly, but charged with magic. Those round eyes seemed to look right into his soul, as Jeongguk took a step forwards, getting a little closer to him. At that exact moment, a loud laughter made them look away from each othern towards two children who were running around playing with a basketball. Taehyung’s heart was racing in his chest, his breath was coming a little short. What the fuck. What the actual fuck had happened? Were they – was Jeongguk going to – kiss him? Trying to put his thoughts in order, the Omega looked at the Alpha again. Surprisingly, Jeongguk didn’t seem as affected as he was.  

 “Sorry, did you – say something?”  

Taehyung felt shell-shocked for a second. Then he tried to recompose himself as quickly as possible. He felt like he had hallucinated the whole thing, but it also felt so real.  

“Huh, what?”  

Jeongguk frowned deeply. He almost looked mad for a second. “I thought you had said something.” He repeated.  

“You were – talking about books?” Taehyung miraculously remembered, “I’m a literature teacher, of course I like libraries and books as well.” The Omega wanted to bury himself for the thing he had just said.  

Jeongguk’s expression went from almost angry to teasing. His lips curved in a small smile, while his brows were still knitted. “You teach Korean literature?” he asked, playing with his lipring. For one second, Taehyung remembered just how hot the Alpha was.  

“English literature.”  

Jeongguk seemed surprised at that. “Nice.” He commented hermetically. “You went to study abroad?”  

Taehyung’s mood soured for a second, remembering his college years. “I did, yes. I went to Oxford.”  

“Oxford?” Jeongguk laughed out loud. “No way!”  

“Yes”, Taehyung smiled at the other’s comical expression. “Did you also study abroad?” he asked.  

“What? No, no way. I was -” Jeongguk’s laughter died down a little. “I grew up very poor actually I could never have afforded anything like this.”  

Oh. Taehyung immediately felt his cheeks flush. It was no surprise that he had always been very well off. His house, his clothes, his house, everything was a testimony of his wealth. His family had always been rich and he had inherited everything, being an only child.  

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to kill the mood like this.” The Alpha laughed. “I was thinking – would you like to get a drink or do you want to head home?”  

“No, it’s quite alright. I -” Taehyung looked at his watch. It was kind of late for his standards. But Jimin was babysitting and thus he didn’t feel too guilty. Jimin and Siwoo went along perfectly fine and the Omega could surely take good care of his son, even if Siwoo had a fever, like Taehyung suspected. “I can stay out for a drink. I’ll just text Jimin.”  

“You must be worried for Siwoo.” Jeongguk said, as they started walking towards the main square.  

“Jimin’s very good with him, it’s fine.”  

As they decided where to go, Taehyung looked at the Alpha again. Jeongguk was just a little taller than him, but he was very buff. And handsome. So different from all the other people Taehyung had been attracted to. Siwoo’s father had been an intellectual just like himself. Quite taller, but skinny and scrawnly like the Omega himself. But Jeongguk. He was textbook Alpha in his appearance. His back was straight and his pecs very prominent. Then there were these little details. His skin was pale like the moonlight, scattered with some beauty marks on his face. He was just so manly and, although a gym rat wasn’t usually Taehyung’s type, the Omega found himself blushing often and feeling generally attracted to him.  

“I - didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable with my comment earlier”, Jeongguk said after having sipped at his beer. “It’s just – surprising. You went to Oxford, wow.”  

Taehyung blushed again. “I did. I got my master’s degree there.”  

“That’s really cool.” Jeongguk nodded.  

“You studied physiotherapy, didn’t you?” Taehyung asked.  

The Alpha nodded. “Yes. I was hyperactive as a kid and did all kinds of sports. I got good scholarships and managed to study, in Busan. This is actually – the furthest I’ve been from home.” The Alpha seemed almost shy at the statment.  

“I’ve been around the world, but I’ve never been to Busan.” Taehyung commented, “I always wanted to visit though.”  

Jeongguk’s smile was slow and genuine. He looked a little nostalgic. “Busan’s the most beautiful place in the world. It has everything.”  

Taehyung blinked twice at the words of the Alpha. He thought Jeongguk was going to say something more, but the Alpha seemed interested in watching around the pub. It was a nice place, they even had a karaoke evening weekly. Seeing that the other wasn’t going to say anything, Taehyung heard himself saying: “Then, why – I'm sorry if this is inopportune, but – why did you choose to come here, then?”  

Jeongguk kept looking at the bar as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. He seemed in thought again.

“Hm - well -” He did seem a little reticent and Taehyung almost regretted asking the question. “I thought – with the program – since they promised to match us with compatible Omegas -” Jeongguk seemed like he couldn’t look at Taehyung, his eyes were fixed on something behind the bar. “I thought that I would try that since I’ve been quite – unlucky dating in a more – conventional and traditional way.”  

“Oh, I understand.” Taehyung didn’t, really. He wanted to – he strangely wanted to know each and every detail of the Alpha’s dating life. Who he’d been with, for how long, what happened for their breakup. And it was odd that he would be interested in asking such questions. But he also couldn’t.  

“Yeah, so – because it didn’t really – uh – well because the situation is not – ideal at the moment, for myself nor for you, obviously... I called the secretary of the Busan pack to see if they could arrange a call with the pack leader to – ask if they can – take me back to pack.” Jeongguk spoke those words in a small voice, as if almost afraid that he was saying them.  

Taehyung remained petrified for a second. What? Jeongguk was – planning to go back? His heart stuttered in his chest. At the same moment, the Alpha shifted in his seat and a wave of his delicious scent came to his nostrils. Jeongguk hadn’t reapplied his scent blockers it seemed, because his natural scent was filtering through the chemical blockers and Taehyung could lightly smell his scent of – strawberries? Berries? And laundry detergent? Could an Alpha even smell so sweet? And? Clean? Breezy? Taehyung was certainly going out of his mind. What were they even talking about? Jeongguk was looking at him weirdly.  

“Sorry I – didn't – think that you’d - leave?” Taehyung said “you’ve just – arrived.” Was it selfish of him to say those words to him? Very probably so.  

Jeongguk found the comment funny though, he smiled and took another big gulp of his beer. “Yeah, I mean, it’s - nice here. The scenery is nothing like Busan though. But – I am really not – going to be able to afford my stay at the inn for the whole schoolyear. So it’s not like I can stay here.”  

“I would host you, but – I only have two bedrooms. One’s mine and the other one is Siwoo’s.” Taehyung heard himself say.  

“I didn’t mean that you need to take me in.” Jeongguk said frowning. “It’s just that – I understand how the whole thing has made you uncomfortable and – we also – work together -”  

“It’s not uncomfortable -”  

“It’s - awkward. And – I don’t want this for us. I – would have liked for things to go differently, not to – barge in in your home just like that and – share your bed just – out of the blue. I’m - I don’t really know why I even thought to apply but – so many Alphas did. And only us bunch were selected and got to come here. I – am – more of the romantic guy and – oh God why are we even talking about this?” Jeongguk hid his face in his hands.  

Taehyung was suddenly very intrigued and wanted to know what the Alpha was to say. Why was he behaving this cutely?  

“What? What did you want to say?” He insisted. Jeongguk was the romantic kind of guy? Gym bro? The muscle bunny? Why did he have so many secrets and adorable layers to his personality? Taehyung was so intrigued by him.  

“Let’s just – stop talking about this.”  

It was Taehyung’s turn to tease him now. “Why? You said that you were going back to Busan soon anyway, so you can tell me -”  

“Oh I hope that they take me back – but I’m not so sure since the school year started and I’ve got a teaching job here. They could offer to pay for my stay.”  

“That would – be good, wouldn’t it?” Taehyung said, his stomach almost hurting at the thought of not seeing the Alpha anymore. If Jeongguk would go away then... It was so strange catching himself even thinking something like that. He had hoped for a long time to get rid of him and – now – he wanted for the Alpha to stay?  

“Well - yes – it would still be awkward between us, wouldn’t it?” Jeongguk looked at him with big eyes and somewhat of a flush on his cheeks.  

“I mean – does it – feel awkward now?” Taehyung asked.  

“I - don’t know?” Jeongguk’s expression was so comical. He looked puzzled, but also curious and a little embrarrassed.  

Taehyung burst in laughter at that face. Jeongguk was something else. “Don’t look at me like that.” He managed to say while laughing.  

“Like what?” Jeongguk looked even more confused now, but he had a small smile on his lips. Damn. He truly was something else entirely.  

“I’m not – feeling awkward with you.” Taehyung said. “At first, I was truly – afraid, I must say.” He got serious all of a sudden. “I didn’t know you and – the only option for you to sleep was my own bed with me.”  

Jeongguk licked at his lips in that second, and Taehyung’s brain short circuited. Was Jeongguk licking his lips at the thought of sharing his bed? Maybe it was the beer, but Taehyung’s Omega suddenly felt the urge of – kiss the Alpha. Just to get close enough to – just put his lips on those damn pillowy ones. To play with that piercing with his own tongue for once. What was even happening? He only then realized that the Alpha was speaking again, so he looked back to his eyes. Jeongguk seemed like – a little panicked. Maybe? Or maybe it was in Taehyung’s head?  

“ - because yes, of course it wouldn’t be ideal for you -”  

“Yes, but – it's not like I’d like you to go back to Busan either.” Taehyung had panicked because he had seen the moment of panic in Jeongguk’s eyes so – he had spoken without filtering his own words. What did he even say? Those words seemed to have had a strong impact on the Alpha, whose expression changed drastically. From interested and smiling, Jeongguk had become serious, all of a sudden. He did look real sexy with his eyebrows all tight in a frown.  

“What?”  

“I’m sorry – I – think it’s - maybe time for me to go? It’s awfully late.” Taehyung pretended to look at his watch; he did see the numbers, but he didn’t register them. He did go in full pani mode.  

“Oh, sure, yes, it is quite late.” Jeongguk thankfully caught on Taehyung’s words. Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe it really was late. Not like Taehyung really cared of the time that had passed while they were together. “I’ll walk you home.” Jeongguk stood from the stool and went straight to the desk, probably asking to pay for their drinks. And Taehyung stood there for a second, only watching him. And then felt bad, because Jeongguk wasn’t the one who should pay for their drinks.  

As he stood up and went to the desk, the Alpha had already paid. “Are you all set?” Jeongguk asked with his big black eyes.  

“Yeah, but – you shouldn’t have paid -”  

“Come on, let me at least buy you one drink, will you?” the Alpha smiled teasingly. Maybe it had been the beer, but Jeongguk seemed lighter and more honest.  

“Just one. If we ever get to have another one it’s on me.”  

Jeongguk’s smile, at those words, was devastating.  

“Wait, what?” Jimin was sitting at the edge of the couch, his pj was so cute, it was one of Taehyung’s favorites of his best friend.  

“Oh Jimin, I’m so screwed” Taehyung said fort the utmost time.  

“You already said that. And I don’t really understand what you mean.” The blond appeared to be more confused than else.  

“Jimin, I think that I might – like him. Jeongguk.” Taehyung had spoken THE WORDS. And the world hadn’t burned. Yet. Maybe it wouldn’t. He risked putting aside the pillow he had squished on his face to look at his best friend’s face.  

Jimin’s confused expression went quickly to a slow grin. “And - I already told you that. Days ago. Those Alphas were selected just for us. Matched for us.”  

“God, no.” Taehyung went back to his pillow. “And he said that he’s going back to Busan and I – just – can't -”  

“What?” Jimin’s voice was way too loud for it to be half past midnight. Luckily, Siwoo didn’t have a fever and he was quite a heavy sleeper.  

“Oh no, what is wrong with me?” Taehyung hid his face back in the pillow, as he felt the two strong hands of his best friend on the offending fabric, trying to see his face. It was going to be a long night.  

Chapter Text

Taehyung stirred in his sleep. There was someone licking at his scent gland. With his eyes still closed, he moaned, feeling a light sucking on the sensitive skin. His hands went to embrace the big body leaning on top of his. God. Jeongguk’s body was way too hot. He was so big and fit, so broad and muscular; but, moreover, he was so warm. Taehyung opened his eyes as he felt one hand roaming on his inner thigh. Spreading his legs, he looked at the Alpha above him. His breath was stuck in his throat for a long second. Jeongguk’s big eyes had a dangerous glint in them as he leant down to capture Taehyung’s lips in a deep kiss, while his hand had found the Omega’s entrance, playing around with the slick, inserting two fingers in him. Taehyung moaned in Jeongguk’s mouth, those long fingers felt so good, but Taehyung wanted something else. Something even longer and harder.  

“Please, please, Alpha.”  

Taehyung only saw the Alpha’s amused expression for a second, while the other kept moving his fingers in and out and nibbing at his neck. “What do you want?” his low voice asked teasingly.  

“I want to – oh -” Taehyung forgot how to speak as those skilled fingers scissored him even further, Jeongguk had slipped yet another finger inside. It was good, but not enough. “Please, Alpha, I want you to fuck me.”  

“I am fucking you”, the other responded, increasing his face. Taehyung’s hand slipped between their bodies and grabbed the Alpha’s throbbing and hot manhood. Jeongguk was rock hard. At the gesture, the Alpha giggled, pulling his fingers out and spreading the Omega’s legs further apart.  

“Jeongguk, I swear to God -”  

The sound of the Alpha’s cute laughter made Taehyung sigh, as the Alpha was taking place between his legs. “Why are you so impatient, huh?” Jeongguk whispered, biting lightly at his neck.  

Taehyung’s arms and legs went to pull the other closer. “Mmh”, the Omega complained, lifting his hips to encourage the other to slip inside of him. They had fucked for hours; his hole was stretched enough. As expected, that hot and hard erection immediately slipped in, stretching him so good. Taehyung swore he could see stars as the other pushed in and out, slowly. He was so wet and felt himself getting even wetter at the other’s hot kisses on his scent gland.  

“Are you good now, huh? Is it good?” Jeongguk asked, his curly hair tickling Taehyung’s face.  

Taehyung was more than good. He was finally there. It did feel so good. So. So, good. “Yes”, he panted, as the other started hitting his prostate at a faster rhythm. “Yes, Alpha.”  

“I’m your Alpha, yes, and you’re my Omega”, Jeongguk’s voice was strained. “My very own Omega.”  

Taehyung felt so good, but then – he felt the pleasure starting to disappear. Jeongguk, in his arms and inside of him, wasn’t there anymore. He opened his eyes and – saw the ceiling of his bedroom. “What -” he whispered, suddenly looking around. There – was no Jungkook. Taehyung was bewildered, turning off his alarm-clock. He was breathing heavily, as he looked at the time. It was time to wake up and to head to school. For a second, Taehyung couldn’t believe that – it had all been – a dream? Such an incredibly lucid and realistic dream. He touched his neck, he could swear that Jeongguk was kissing him there, on his swollen scent gland. Then, he realized how hot and bothered he was. He had made a mess, he was so wet between his legs and his cock was painfully hard. Shaking his head, Taehyung went to the calendar app on his phone and looked at the next heat leave he had requested. It was in two weeks. It – really wasn’t possible. And yet. Taehyung felt all hot and he was sweating. His hole was painfully empty and he – just couldn’t stop thinking about the images of his dream in his head. Jeongguk’s pale skin, his big eyes, the taste of his skin and his scent.  

He immediately tried to regain his composure and stood up on shaky legs. A quick shower was necessary. Then he needed to wake up Siwoo, send him off to school – right. Call the school and notify his unexpected leave. Call Jimin to take Siwoo to school. What a mess.  

Jeongguk was finally seeing Yoongi; he needed to get so many things off his chest.  

“Hey, stranger.” Yoongi sat down at the bench next to him. “How are you doing?”  

“Hyung!” Jeongguk immediately reached out, pulling the older Alpha towards himself. “I’m - I think that I’m going a little out of my mind.”  

Yoongi, who had been laughing at the younger’s affectionate antics, stopped for a second and looked at his friend. “What’s going on?”  

“Last night I – Taehyung took me out to see the town.” He stopped at those words, reminding how absolutely beautiful and pure the Omega had looked in that outfit. That flowery shirt made him so soft.  

Yoongi smiled at the Alpha. “Yes, I know. Jimin went to babysit his son last night. And he stayed there almost until 2AM.”  

2AM? Jeongguk was confused for a long second. He had taken the Omega home at around half past midnight. It was sure possible that Jimin and Taehyung had – to talk or – maybe Siwoo had been sick? Suddenly, Jeongguk felt nervous. He didn’t have Taehyung’s number to text him, and showing up at his door would be a little too much. But – Taehyung hadn’t come to school. Maybe he didn’t have classes... But Jeongguk had been anxiously waiting to see the Omega at school, to ask him how his night had been... And yet he had spent the lunch break with Seojoon and Mina and other teachers who he was getting to know.  

“What are you freaking out about?” Yoongi asked.  

Jeongguk’s thoughts were all over the place. “You know how I – was – not happy about the situation. How I’ve called in Busan to have me go back there after – well the whole fiasco with Taehyung.”  

“Yes - did they get back to you?” Yoongi seemed very interested.  

“No, not yet. And – I don’t know if I’d even -” Jeongguk put his hands on his head.  

“Hey, hey, Gguk?” Yoongi got a little closer, embracing his younger friend.  

“I don’t know if I’d go back. I know I – spent hours crying my eyes out the other day -” Jeongguk did feel a little pathetic. But he knew that Yoongi wouldn’t judge him, and it felt so good to let go of his confusing feelings with his best friend.  

“It’s alright to change one’s mind.” Yoongi’s soft voice was a balm to Jeongguk’s troubled soul.  

“I know that – Taehyung told me to stay away from him and – he even sent me away, making it very clear even at school that I was assigned to him and that he – rejected me.” God, it hurt to even say it. “But last night – we went out -” Jeongguk let the memories flood in. He remembered the chilly air and the sweet scent of the Omega, as he had looked at him with those innocent tiger eyes. Jeongguk had just said something about books and – Taehyung's scent shifted so suddenly, getting sweet, like a honeytrap for his Alpha. Those eyes were looking at his lips, they were so adorable, Jeongguk only wanted to get closer and to press his lips to those of the sweet Omega. “I almost – I wanted to kiss him so badly it – felt like – a date.” Jeongguk’s words were much more underwhelming than the truth ever was.  

Yoongi stopped caressing the younger Alpha’s back for a second and Jeongguk’s head snapped up. His big eyes seemed almost guilty at what he had said. “I know I shouldn’t say stuff like that – it’s just – my Alpha is so on edge around him. I – keep seeing him as my own Omega and – it's bad.”  

The older Alpha looked at him with concern and then finally spoke. “Do you think that it’s bad because he asked you to stay away? It’s not like you’re going to – actively pursue him if he asked you not to.”  

“Of course, I’m not going to – insist or anything! You know me!” Jeongguk raised his voice a little and Yoongi smiled at him. It was no secret what kind of an Alpha Jeongguk was. From the outside, bulky, ripped, textbook Alpha masculine and deathly sexy; in the inside, though, as soft as a marshmallow. Shy, cute and very introverted.  

“I know, I know, I wasn’t even thinking that -”  

“I’m going to go out of my mind because – I just can’t stop thinking at how – cute he looked and – his scent, hyung. It’s - so appealing. Much more than any other Omega I had ever scented and – I didn’t even scent him properly. I – never got close to him.” Jeongguk shook his head. “He said -” the Alpha gulped, recalling the scene in his head, “Taehyung said that he didn’t want for me to go back to Busan.”  

Yoongi frowned at those words and Jeongguk shook his head. “I swear, hyung, he said just that. And it messed up my thoughts even more. He told me to stay away, then we had a perfect night together and now I’m - I just don’t know what to do.” Jeongguk felt so relieved to say those words to his friend.  

“I shouldn’t be – saying this to you because – I don’t know enough about the whole thing, but -” Yoongi took a deep breath “do you know that Taehyung didn’t go to school today?”  

Jeongguk’s eyes widened. Of course he knew. But – what did Yoongi know about the reason? “Jimin got a call early this morning and went to his place.”  

Immediately, Jeongguk sat up straight. What had happened to his Omega?  

“It’s - he’s fine, don’t worry.” Yoongi immediately seemed to understand how his friend was feeling.  

“What happened?” Jeongguk didn’t feel like he could wait to know any longer.  

“He went into heat.”  

Jeongguk’s Alpha almost jumped up at those words. His heart stopped beating for a long second. What? His – Omega? In heat? He felt like he needed a second to breathe. He imagined his Omega all sprawled out in his bed, begging for him to fuck him... He stopped immediately his train of thought, remembering where his was and seeing his friend watching him with knowing eyes.  

“In heat?” He asked with the smallest voice.  

Yoongi laughed out loud at this.  

“Shouldn’t he – have taken a heat leave then?” Jeongguk furrowed his brows. Heats, just like ruts, lasted for two or three days and were quite regular and scheduled ahead. It would have been a little strange for Taehyung to go out with an unmated Alpha on the night before his heat.  

“Well, that’s the issue -” Yoongi seemed almost uncomfortable speaking his next words “his heat was due in two weeks and – it came early.”  

Jeongguk’s jaw dropped at these words. He knew from experience that heats and ruts could come earlier, but it was a matter of a few days, not weeks. For Omegas, early heats often happened when they were intimate with some compatible Alphas and their bodies signaled that they were ready to mate and seal the deal. Why would Taehyung’s heat come two weeks earlier? A little voice inside his head whispered that it had come because of him, because of them together. Jeongguk wasn’t normally a delusional guy, but he knew what he had felt on the night before and – they had just clicked. Was that reason enough to affect an Omega’s heat? It honestly seemed a little too good to be true.  

After a long minute of silence, Jeongguk asked: “What about Siwoo? Where is he going to stay?”  

Yoongi smiled at how his friend had taken the situation at heart. He even seemed to think about Taehyung’s son. “He’s going to spend the time at his grandparents. He’s always there on Tae’s heats.”  

“I understand -” Jeongguk was still frowning. Everything he really wanted was to be there with his Omega, to help him through his heat.  

“I must say that – hearing you say what you said about last night – it's hard to believe that you made up everything in your head. From what Jimin told me, Taehyung was quite nervous for our arrival and didn’t want anyone in his house. But then, even to Jimin himself, it was odd that the same person who wanted to keep you at bay, was so nervous about your meeting last night and dressed up nicely. He thinks that Taehyung has been alone for a very long time and that the only true thing keeping him from giving it a shot, with you, is Siwoo. He’s too afraid of having his kid caught in the middle of any of this.”  

Jeongguk nodded his head, recalling how surprised he had been hearing that Taehyung had a kid. When he had seen the boy, for the first time, just after having seen the stunning Omega, he had immediately understood that it was his son. They were a spitting image of each other. Siwoo was very cute, but Jeongguk hadn’t had any chance of interacting with him yet. Siwoo would eventually be his student, but he hadn’t yet been in his class it seemed.  

“It’s understandable that he had his reservations at first. I’d really like it if – he'd give me the chance to get to know me.”  

Yoongi’s smile was very genuine. He had absolute faith that every good thing would happen to his friend.  

As soon as the kids came into the gym, Jeongguk immediately spotted a boy with a mop of brown locks on his head. It was Kim Siwoo in flesh. As his eyes landed on the kid, it seemed that Siwoo recognized him as well. The boy had a small smile on his lips and Jeongguk smiled back at him. Since it was a first-grade class, they worked on mobility and played games. It was a fun class overall, Jeongguk was truly enjoying this small town. There were fewer students and so they could bond more and do more activities. Jeongguk had also learned almost all the kids’ names by heart, and he was getting to know their personalities.  

A few schooldays passed. The first and last thought on Jeongguk’s mind everyday was towards his favorite Omega. He wasn’t seeing the Omega, because he was still on heat leave. Jeongguk didn’t have Taehyung’s number, but he was definitely going to ask Yoongi to ask Jimin for it if he didn’t see him today. Heats lasted two- or three-days max. But four days? If Taehyung didn’t show up, then it meant that he was sick. And if he was sick, then Jeongguk did need to do something about it. He could make soup or – bring something nutritious for him. And he would do just that. On his way to school, Jeongguk stopped at his favorite place and grabbed a protein shake for himself like every morning. Just before going out, he walked back to the desk and ordered another drink to go.  

Taehyung was definitely nervous about going back to school and – potentially seeing Jeongguk. He sighed before entering the teachers’ room. He had spent the last three days thinking of the Alpha nonstop. It was like his brain was wired to just – remember those big eyes, muscles, that unruly hair. Taehyung spent days masturbating, but the itch he needed to scratch was never satisfied. He felt ashamed to think of the Alpha, but he had had another very vivid wet dream, and he was losing his mind about it. He had rarely ever had wet dreams in his life. And now – during his heat, he had been obsessively thinking about the Alpha fucking him in every position. Taehyung was sure that it was only a physical infatuation, nothing else. Jeongguk was fit and sexy, there was nothing else there. Absolutely.  

“Hey”  

Taehyung had reached his locker and was taking out his books, as he heard that infamous voice behind him. It was so unexpected that he jumped a little.  

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you”, Jeongguk said, his heart in his throat at the sight of the other. Knowing that he had just ended his heat, his Alpha felt very protective towards the Omega. And he did look stunning in his ruffly white shirt and green corduroy pants. He looked so soft, Jeongguk loved it.  

Turning to face the other, Taehyung’s heart did a full-on somersault as he locked eyes with the Alpha. Jeongguk looked delectable, as always. He was wearing a Korean hanbok – like tracksuit. He looked so handsome and tall and fit. His eyes were sparkling galaxies and Taehyung felt almost dizzy looking at him. He had fantasized about the man for days, but the reality was so much better than any fantasy.  

“It’s ok” the Omega answered, “hi.” He was nervous as hell, hoping it didn’t show as much.  

“Hi”, Jeongguk smiled a big bunny-smile which made Taehyung take a very deep breath. This was not going according to plan. “I heard that you – were on a leave.” Jeongguk said, not mentioning the heat. “I wanted to ask you if – you were alright.”  

Taehyung felt his cheeks heat up at the mention. For one brief second, an image of him masturbating to thoughts of the same Alpha came into his mind. “Yes, I’ve - been well. I’m a little tired though.” And sore. Taehyung hadn’t had such an intense heat in years. It seemed to never want to stop.  

“That’s good uh -” Jeongguk felt a little idiotic, but he put his hands forward nonetheless, giving the Omega the cup he had picked for him. “I thought you would need some vitamins and protein to regain your strength back. I’m not sure it’s to your taste, though. It has strawberries, banana, chocolate protein powder and chia seeds.”  

Taehyung was stunned for a second. It was quite the perfect order for him. When they meant that him and Jeongguk were compatible, maybe it also meant that they somehow knew each other’s tastes and could just pick the right things for each other? Was something like that even possible? “Oh, you really didn’t have to, but – that would have been spot on my order as well.” Jeongguk’s uncertain smile brightened at the words. He scratched the back of his head as the other took the cup from him. “Thank you.”  

“It’s nothing.” Jeongguk felt like he could combust and die happily. His Omega had accepted his gift. He was on cloud nine for sure. “I need to go; I have an early class in ten.”  

“Sure, yes, me too actually. Thank you again for this.”  

“See you around.” As the Alpha turned his back, Taehyung stood there for a second, looking at him walking away. He was touched by the sweet gesture; Jeongguk had been worried about him and had thought about his health. The excitement he got at this news made some butterflies fly in his stomach. He took a sip of the refreshing and delicious drink, gathered his books and went to class with a huge smile on his lips.  

Siwoo was so happy to be back home again, albeit spending time with his grandparents was very high up on his favorite-things-in-the-world list. He was helping Taehyung make some fruit salad while listening to some music. The Omega was glad to be back with his son too, obviously. They chatted a lot about the things that had happened in Taehyung’s absence. Siwoo told him in detail everything he had eaten at his grandparents’, how his grandpa had driven him around with the tractor when they went to harvest the freshest and most delicious strawberries of their field; then how he had helped grandma knit a very nice yellow sweater that would be for him and so on. He had also talked about school, but then remained silent for a few minutes, frowning while washing the same strawberries he had picked with his grandpa. Taehyung, who knew his son inside out, immediately noticed the change in his demeanor.  

“What are you so silent all of a sudden?” He asked lightly.  

“You know that our new gym teacher is Mr. Jeon? The same Alpha who was assigned to us?” Siwoo asked, stunning Taehyung for a second. Yes, he did know very well.  

“I know, yes.” Taehyung hadn’t really thought about this conversation as he should have. He felt a little cornered and agitated.  

“He’s really cool!” Siwoo was suddenly very animated. “We stretched a lot, like this” he immediately jumped from the chair and started to re-enact the scene. He was touching his toes and then jumping up, making a few jumping jacks, then rotating his hips and Taehyung couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud. “Then we played dodge ball! Minwoo and I were so good at it! It was super fun, dad, Mr. Jeon is our favorite teacher now.”  

“What?” Taehyung feigned to be offended. “Who is your favorite teacher, huh?” He sprinted to tickle his son, who quickly ran away laughing.  

“Mr. Jeon!” Siwoo was hiding behind a chair, trying to see if Taehyung would have attacked him from the left or right side. “But daddy, you’re still not my teacher! So, you can’t be my favorite yet!” he giggled at the Omega’s affronted expression.  

“Yes, but I should always be your favorite, no matter what!” He said, faking an attack to the left and then sprinting to the right, grabbing his son as he wanted to run off, shrieking and laughing.  

After a few minutes of tickling, the two went back to their fruit salad bowls. Their happy and excited scents surrounding them.  

“Mr. Jeon is also going to start taekwondo classes soon. Minwoo’s mom said she would think of enrolling him.” Siwoo said after another minute. Of course, his son was asking him too, since Minwoo was his best friend, and they were attached to the hip. “And she said that she would ask you as well.” Now this wasn’t a surprise. Siwoo had always been very active, and Taehyung already thought about choosing an activity for him. But taekwondo? Taehyung wasn’t really a fan of martial arts and the possibility of his son getting hurt.  

“Didn’t the two of you think of a climbing course? Wasn’t that the plan?” Taehyung asked. He had had endless hours of talk with Minwoo’s mom about it, they had even talked to the guy who owned the climbing gym half-an-hour from Daegu. Had the two friends already forgotten about all that?  

“Yes, we did, at first” Siwoo seemed a little embarrassed, “but we think that learning taekwondo from Mr. Jeon would be so so much better!” There were stars in his son’s eyes, and he was way too excited about this prospect to ever let the idea go. Taehyung knew that his son had already made up his mind.  

“Hm, ok, I’ll talk to Minwoo’s mom then.”  

“And to Mr. Jeon!”  

“Yes, to him as well.” Taehyung smiled. He knew that convincing Minnie to let her son participate in a combat sport would be extremely though; but he would succeed. Somehow, the fact that Siwoo had taken such a liking in the Alpha was terrifying, but also exciting at the same time. He was sure that Jeongguk was a great teacher, everyone at school seemed to think so. Seojoon had spent almost the whole break talking about him at lunch. Even though Taehyung didn’t really know him yet, he had a good feeling about entrusting his son to the Alpha. It was thrilling, but also truly terrifying.  

Taehyung had talked to Minnie the next day. It was a weekend, which meant no school. He had invited her over for coffee while the kids were playing around in the garden. Minnie had seemed totally surprised by Minwoo’s request and had wanted to hear Taehyung’s opinion first. Then, she had asked for five minutes of Jeongguk’s time a few days ago, when Taehyung was still in heat.  

The Beta recalled and retold her meeting with the teacher. At first, she was against the idea of letting her son attend such dangerous classes, but then, five minutes with the Alpha had made her completely change her mind. Jeongguk was very professional and kind. He had explained how taekwondo was good for kids as the martial art offers a wide range of benefits. It helped improve strength, balance, flexibility, and agility, while also instilling discipline, respect, and self-confidence and so on. Obviously, the kids wouldn’t fight each other, it was a very safe environment. Taehyung smiled along all this. He had done his research on the night before, reading countless articles online, making sure that he knew what he was facing.  

“You should talk to him too, if you still have any doubts”, Minnie had told him “he’s also a looker, I’m warning you. And so very kind. I understand now why Minwoo is always rambling about his new favorite teacher.”  

Chapter Text

If Taehyung had had Jeongguk’s number, he would have probably texted him. But he didn’t. Which was a good and a bad thing. Good because he wanted for the Alpha to be the one to make contact first, bad because he still wanted to talk to him and wasn’t sure that Jeongguk would ever make the first move, after being warned to stay away from him. He would need to talk to him about the Taekwondo course, he would ask him on Monday.   

Now, on Sunday, a few days had passed since he had last seen him, and Jeongguk was still on his mind. Taehyung decided to stop cleaning around the house since it was such a beautiful day. Jimin was on a weekend-gateaway with his new Alpha and Taehyung felt a little abandoned by his friend.

“Siwoo”, he called, knowing that his son was busy drawing at the living-room table. “Do you want to get some ice-cream and to take a walk in the park?” he asked, knowing that the kid would come running at the question.   

After a minute, Siwoo was indeed in front of him. “Can I ride my new bicycle?” the kid asked, sprinting away at his father’s nod. “I’m ready in a minute dad!” He said running upstairs.  

It truly was a perfect spring day. The sun was shining, Siwoo was sprinting around with his bike, Taehyung was enjoying the sunrays on his skin while eating his ice-cream. He had indulged himself with a scoop of strawberry and blueberry, his favorites. While eating the deliciousness, his mind wandered to the Alpha. His scent was so confusingly similar to that of fresh berries. But it was also clean and delicate like fresh linen and laundry.   

“Mr. Jeon!!” Siwoo suddenly yelled, making Taehyung almost drop his ice-cream. “Mr. Jeon!”   

Taehyung turned to the direction where his son was waving his hand and – surely – there was the Alpha, looking around him, an earpod in his hand. He looked confused, and – sweaty. Taehyung almost forgot how to breathe at the sight of Jeongguk. The Alpha had been jogging. In white shorts and a sleeveless shirt, the Alpha was just stunning to look at. There was a lot of ink on him, Taehyung discovered only then. Tattoos on his whole left arm, shoulder, right leg... In that moment, the Alpha saw them, smiling and waving his hand in Siwoo’s direction. The kid didn’t hesitate for a second, he took off with his bike towards the other, his grape popsicle held in one of his hands, with which he was stirring the bike.  

Taehyung took a deep breath, cursing himself not to have dressed a little – better. It wasn’t like he was horrible to look at, but he had opted for a grey tracksuit and a black t-shirt for his stroll. It was designer clothes, which made him look chic even though it was a sporty outfit. Since Jeongguk was a sports addict, those clothes could be a good option to lure him in. Even though Taehyung had just got a much nicer and newer Nike tracksuit. He could have worn that. With his Air Jordans. Instead of his ratty Adidas shoes. A little self-conscious about his whole ridiculous train of thought, he made his way to the Alpha and his son, who were chatting amicably.  

“Hey”, Jeongguk called, his bunny smile was perfectly on point and made Taehyung’s heart flutter.  

“Hello” Taehyung greeted back. Coming closer had been a bad idea. Up-close, he could see the designs on those tattoos, he could admire the veiny arms, the defined muscles and abs (because the top was quite see-through; he could salivate over thick thighs, sweaty skin and musky berry scent. Jeongguk’s hair was tightly slicked back and bound in a cute ponytail. It was a terrible, terrible idea to look at him. Taehyung felt the sudden heat of that hot spring day all at once rise from his chest to his cheeks. “Sorry, did we disturb your run?” He asked for his son, who suddenly seemed guilty.   

“Oh no, not at all!” The Alpha laughed. “I had just stopped to take a sip of water.” He indicated the water fountain nearby.   

“Mr. Jeon, daddy needs to talk to you about the Taekwondo course.” Siwoo looked at the Alpha and then at his father with an angelic smile on his lips. “He decided to enroll me too!” He looked way too excited for Taehyung to do anything else than smile at his son.   

“Oh”, Jeongguk looked a little taken aback, “sure, sure. We can uh -”   

“I was thinking of finding you at school, I surely don’t want for you to talk about work on your day off.” Taehyung said.   

“I’m off tomorrow”, Jeongguk shook his head. “But you can still call me on my phone.”   

“I don’t want to disturb you if you’re not working...” Taehyung answered, while the Alpha was already shaking his head.   

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I’m going down to Busan for the day, you’re not disturbing.” To – Busan? Taehyung panicked for a second. As if sensing this, Jeongguk went on talking. “It’s my hyung’s birthday. I’m going to have a piece of cake and to spend some time with my niece and nephew. I wanted to get there today, but they went to visit my parents for the weekend.”  

“You’re from Busan? That’s so cool!” Siwoo interrupted.   

“Yes.” The Alpha was endeared by the younger’s comment.  

“Isn’t it on the seaside? Didn’t we want to go last year with grandma and grandpa?” Siwoo inquired, turning to his father.   

“Yes. We didn’t go then, no.”   

“We will have to go once, dad! Will you take me to Busan, right?” Siwoo asked.   

Jeongguk laughed, seemingly a little taken aback at the younger’s enthusiasm.   

“We sure need to visit your favorite teacher’s hometown once.” Taehyung put the emphasis on favorite teacher, to let the Alpha know.   

“He sure is!” Siwoo said, looking at the Alpha with the biggest eyes. Then, he saw one of his classmates in the park and asked Taehyung to hold his melting popsicle. “Dad can I say hello to Minji?” He asked, before getting approval and sprinting away.   

“Favorite teacher, huh?” Jeongguk seemed flattered and embarrassed at the same time.   

“It’s high betrayal if you ask me”, Taehyung pursed his lips as if offended, making the Alpha laugh out loud. He was so handsome when he smiled. And cute at the same time. The sound of his laughter could generate puppies and kittens in Taehyung’s messed-up brain.   

“You’re not his teacher yet, though, aren’t you?” Jeongguk finally asked.   

“And that’s the same thing he said.” Taehyung shook his head. “What is your secret? You’ve got all the kids at school smitten. Siwoo won’t stop talking about stretching exercises and games and taekwondo and so on. I swear my kid was normal before taking your classes. Now he was doing warm-up exercises before riding his bike. It’s ridiculous.”   

Jeongguk’s grin never let his face. “It’s important to warm-up before any physical activity.” The Alpha seemed to take those words at heart. He’s a good kid, you’ve done a terrific job raising him.”   

Those words were so important and warmed the Omega’s soul. There wasn’t any other compliment that mattered as much as being told that one was good at parenting. Taehyung looked at the other so fondly. He was a little desperate to plant a nice kiss onto those plump lips. To distract himself, Taehyung turned in his son’s direction. The kid was amicably chatting with his school friend.  

“So - I can give you my number – for all the questions you have in regard to the course.” Jeongguk fished out his phone from the back of his running shorts.   

“Sure, yes.” Taehyung wanted to use that number for so many other reasons, but he nodded his head, taking his own phone out. Exchanging numbers felt so exciting, like when you were in middle school and traded numbers with your crush. Taehyung did feel a little pathetic at the thought. But was also secretly very proud of his son who had given him the perfect excuse.  

“You can – also call later tonight if you want. I’m not doing much at night anyway.” The Alpha seemed to suggest.   

“Siwoo’s bedtime is at nine. Are you still awake then?” The Omega asked, already anticipating the answer. He also realized that they were flirting. Yes, this was full on flirt. With Jeongguk looking at him with thousands of stars in his eyes.   

“I think I’m still awake at nine, yes. Although it has been my bedtime until recent as well.” The Alpha answered, playfully flashing his tongue at the other and making him laugh.   

“Alright, talk to you later, then.” Taehyung really felt himself as the little girl with a crush. And it did feel exhilarating.   

The Alpha nodded, “I’m taking off, then. Still need to finish my run.”   

“Sure, yes, don’t get distracted.” Taehyung waved his hand as the Alpha put the earplug in his ear and took off running. It seemed to Taehyung that he was always looking at the other leaving. But what a delightful sight it was. Jeongguk’s pace and stance while running was something to admire and cherish. Taking a deep breath, he quickly licked at the grape popsicle and at his own cone, which were dangerously melting, then went to his son.   

Jeongguk had just made himself a cup of kimchi ramyun with sausage and egg after dinner. Surely, he ate healthily and all, but cup ramyun was his guilty pleasure. His Sunday had been quite perfect. He had woken up late, jerked off lazily in bed while thinking at some Omega who was haunting his dreams recently, then he had lunch, designed leaflets for his upcoming self-defense and Yoga classes, had gone for a nice run where he had met the Omega of his dreams, then had taken a shower, eaten a lot of vegetables and was now lounging around the room with the steamy hot noodles. He had to decide what to watch on Netflix while waiting for nine pm. He was quite excited, feeling like someone who would meet his crush soon.  

He ate his noodles and watched two and a half episodes of Dragon Ball when his phone finally rang. It was ten past nine pm. He grabbed his phone and cleared his throat before answering.   

“Hello, this is the police station -” he answered jokingly. After a second of silence, he burst in laughter.   

“Oh, come on!” Taehyung seemed less amused on the other side. “I really thought that you gave me the wrong number for a second.”   

At the Alpha’s laugh, Taehyung snorted. “You’re so dumb, Mr. Jeon.”   

“Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”   

“It’s alright. It was funny.” Taehyung’s deep voice was akin the sound of angels singing and playing the harp. “I just put the little pest in bed. I’m sorry for the delay.”   

“No, it’s fine I was uh – watching TV.”   

“Anything good?” The Omega asked.   

“I’ll tell you if you don’t make fun of me and of my tastes.”   

Now Taehyung was intrigued. “I would never, scout’s word.”   

“You were a scout?” Jeongguk asked.   

“No, but – it doesn’t matter. Tell me or I’m hanging up.”   

Jeongguk smiled. “I’m doing a big rewatch of Dragonball. Am still on Z though.” The Alpha felt a little nervous at exposing himself like this. Taehyung was a very fashionable man, he dressed in designer clothes and had surely a very refined taste. But Jeongguk, being Jeongguk, was a nerd at heart. He loved his mangas and animes. And he hated being teased at his nerdy taste.   

“With Siwoo, we’re watching Z too. We’re just some episodes before the whole Cell saga.”   

Jeongguk couldn’t believe his words. Taehyung was – not only not making fun of him – but he also – was watching the same thing? More or less the same episodes? And he knew what was coming next – meaning that he had already watched it himself. “We love anime. Especially Dragonball, but also One Piece and Pokémon and so on. Don’t worry, we’ll be the last people to tease you about it.” Stunned, Jeongguk was silent for a second.   

“What? You thought that I’d make fun of you? I’ve grown with banana milk and anime.” Jeongguk swore that he could fall in love with the Omega just by hearing those words. They were much more similar than he had already discovered. And that was so thrilling.   

“I surely hoped you wouldn’t. We are much more alike than I thought. Maybe the matchmaking worked, after all.”   

Taehyung sighed at those words. “Are you excited to see your family tomorrow?”   

Jeongguk nodded, putting his phone on speaker and on his chest while lying in bed. He closed his eyes, while talking to the Omega of his dreams, pretending that he was right there, close to him. “Yes, my sister-in-law is cooking a lot of good things, I can’t wait to have her dwaeji gukbap, it’s the best thing ever.”   

Taehyung frowned at the dish. He had never had that t pork soup with rice. “I don’t think I know it”, he shook his head. Maybe it was a typical dish of Busan?  

“Oh, no, seriously?” Hearing these words, Taehyung giggled. “What? Why are you laughing, huh?”   

“Your accent is adorable”, the Omega said. Jeongguk blushed at the words and his face in his hands.   

“You seriously haven’t had dwaekji gukbap? I’ll have to bring you some, then. I could also make it, but I don’t have a kitchen here.” The Alpha mused.   

“You can make it for me and Siwoo once. I’m sure he’d love to have his favorite teacher around to cook for him.” Taehyung teased.   

“You’re never letting that go, huh?” Jeongguk answered playfully.   

“No, I don’t think so.” The Omega laughed.   

“It’s fun, though, I’ll let you tease me with this.”   

“Thank you.”   

“What were you two doing tonight?” Jeongguk asked.   

“Hm, we had dinner”   

“What did you have?”   

“Oh, I made some fried chicken and fries. We always eat extra unhealthy on Sundays.” Taehyung laughed, thinking that Jeongguk had had super healthy food. “What about you?”   

“Some vegetables, chicken and rice. And kimchi ramyun just an hour ago.” The Omega smiled. Jeongguk was having comfort food as well. “But your dinner sounds much better than mine.”   

“Yes, but neither Siwoo nor I have muscles and will ever have them.” Taehyung’s laugh was contagious. “Well then, we watched Dragon Ball, like every night, and then Siwoo got ready for bed, and I took a quick shower.   

Jeongguk tried hard not to think about the gorgeous Omega naked, taking a shower. “Are you feeling better after your – leave?” Jeongguk asked softly. “I know that the next few days can be a little tiring.”   

Taehyung was really flattered and surprised at the attention he was getting. “I was a little tired yesterday, but I’m good today. It was a good day, so sunny.”   

“Yes, sure. I surely enjoyed my run and the sunshine.”   

“About my heat – uh”, Taehyung said “it was quite early. Much earlier than anticipated.” Jeongguk felt a mix of embarrassment and curiosity.  

“Oh -” the Alpha answered, “Is it very unusual for you?” he asked softly.   

“It is, yes. I really wasn’t expecting it.” Taehyung answered.  

“Will you see the doctor about it?” Jeongguk inquired.   

“I’ve already booked an appointment for next week.”   

“That’s good. I will also have to find a doctor here. Maybe you could recommend one.”   

Like this, they spent three hours talking about all kinds of things, until Taehyung realized that it was past midnight. He was in disbelief and looked at the clock twice. “Jeongguk -” He said, “I haven’t realized, but we have been talking for hours. And it’s ten past midnight.”   

“Huh?” The Alpha sounded out of it. “What? Seriously?” Whenever he said ‘seriously’, his Busan accent would come out strong and it made Taehyung giggle.   

“Yes, seriously. We should go to sleep; I need to wake up soon.” His heart hurt at those words, but he needed to sleep at least his five and a half hours.    

After hanging up, both realized that they had talked for three hours, but have not for one minute discussed Siwoo enrolling in the Taekwondo class.   

Junghyun’s birthday party was a blast. Jeongguk went to Busan in the early morning and spent the whole day with his nephew and niece. They went to buy decorations for the house, to get a quick lunch, to walk around Gwangalli beach and then to decorate the house. Jeongguk was happy and carefree, everyone seemed to catch on to this. He was endlessly teased, even though his Omega hadn’t really accepted him warmly, the things he told his family made them all believe that there was high hope. Jeongguk didn’t speak about his feelings openly, but his face and demeanor couldn’t be mistaken.   

Going back to Daegu, Jeongguk was a little drained because of the long day he had had. He was looking at Taehyung’s contact on his phone. It was a little after nine, so Siwoo was probably in bed. Was it a good idea to call him? Or to text? As he was looking out of the window, his phone suddenly vibrated.   

Jeongguk smiled at his phone seeing that there was a notification. Taehyung had written to him. As he opened the message, it said:   

KTH- Hello! I hope you had a good day in Busan. Did you realize that we didn’t talk about the taekwondo class the other day lol  

Jeongguk almost laughed while reading the text.   

JJK- I was just about to text you!  

JJK- I did have a good day; I brought some food for you too! It was very nice to be with my family, I had missed them a lot!  

JJK- Lol yes, sorry. We didn’t talk about the class, I remember!  

Taehyung was typing for a long time. Jeongguk realized how he was the one sending many little messages, while the Omega preferred to send out a long one it seemed.   

KTH- Oh?! You brought me food??? Why don’t you bring it over tomorrow for lunch? We can have it on the rooftop at school, it’s nice to eat there now that the days are warmer! And I’m glad that you had a good time with your family. As for the classes... We can still talk about it... Are you home?  

JJK- I'm in the train! It’s quite empty though...   

JJK- Do you want me to call you now?  

KTH- Let me call you in a few minutes.   

Jeongguk took a deep breath. He looked around the carriage and it sure was empty, there were two girls chatting at the other side of the wagon and a guy with headphones. He didn’t like people who disturbed others on public transport, but talking to the Omega would be the right thing to do. It was crazy how eager he was to talk to the other, to see him. Jeongguk hadn’t felt like this in such a long time. He kept looking outside, it was a little after nine and it was just starting to be dark. Soon the days would be warmer, and days would be longer. Jeongguk adored summer, it just was his favorite season, even with the insufferable heat.  

As his thoughts started to wander, his phone rang. Perfect timing.  

“Hello” Jeongguk answered with the biggest grin on his face.  

“Hi”, Taehyung was almost whispering. “Sorry, I was just preparing Siwoo’s clothes for tomorrow morning.”  

“Did you have a good day?” Jeongguk asked, his body relaxing hearing the Omega’s voice.  

“I did, yes, it was a little tiring though.” The other sighed.  

“Hm, why?”  

Taehyung’s mind immediately went to how he had wished all day to see and talk to the Alpha. And he did feel a little pathetic at it. “Oh, well nothing in particular. Sometimes, my son’s a handful and he’s a very picky eater and has tantrums.”  

Jeongguk had a hard time imagining the angelic Siwoo he had known for a few hours throwing a tantrum. But it sounded exhausting to the Omega. “Oh I’m sorry about that”, he answered.  

“No, it’s ok. I’m not the best cook, but I’m doing my best to cook him nutritious and healthy meals. And he’s just never happy and keeps comparing the food he has at Minwoo’s house, where his parents literally have a catering business. It’s just – unfair, you know?” Taehyung exploded with those words, wondering where it all came from. He didn’t complain that much, usually. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m being so whiny.” He reiterated. “It wasn’t that bad.”  

Jeongguk’s smile was tiny and very genuine. “Don’t apologize. I understand how you can feel because of it. I’m sure you’re not that bad of a cook.”  

Taehyung laughed at this. “I only learnt to cook because of Siwoo, I never cooked much before. And I’m still bad at seasoning and using different spices.” Jeongguk wasn’t even able to answer, because the other asked another question. “Do you cook?”  

“Yes, I can cook.”  

“Wait, don’t be too quick about it.” The Omega answered, making the other laugh. “Do you like to cook? Is your food edible? Or is it just chicken and rice?” Taehyung teased.  

“Hey! I don’t only have chicken and rice at all times!” Jeongguk laughed.  

“I know, I know, I was just making fun of your big Alpha muscles.” Jeongguk took a deep breath at this. It inflated his ego hearing that the Omega always joked about his muscles. It meant that he thought of them? Or even liked them?  

“I will cook for you once and I’ll let you decide, huh?” the Alpha almost seemed shy at asking. But they had been savagely flirting, so he felt like he could do it.  

“Oh, I will gladly let you cook for me once or even twice if you want to.” Taehyung joked. It was funny how they even matched in that aspect. He was an Omega who should be able to cook but he was not; Jeongguk was an Alpha, he shouldn’t have had to worry about cooking, but here they were. He was supposedly a good cook. And damn if that didn’t make him even more attractive.  

“Of course I will.” Jeongguk liked where the talk was going.  

“Did you have fun at the birthday?” Taehyung asked.  

“Yeah. The weather was great and we had lots of food. I spent the whole morning decorating with the kids. I’m dead tired from all the running around.”  

“Your family sounds like a fun time.” Taehyung commented.  

“It is, we are a loud bunch. How about you? Your family?” Jeongguk was dying to know as much as possible.  

“Hm, well my family is much quieter, if you leave out Siwoo.” Taehyung chuckled. “I don’t have siblings so – I've been raised with my parents on a farm outside Daegu.”  

“You’ve been a famer boy? What?” Jeongguk laughed. “Sorry, it’s hard to imagine you like that.”  

“Why?” Taehyung laughed along “because I’ve been to Oxford?”  

“Yeah, partially -”  

“My parents have a huge farm and many workers there. Many of the fruit and vegetables in Daegu but also around Korea come from there. It’s a big business.”  

Jeongguk understood and nodded into his phone. “So, you are a famer boy, don’t try to deny it.”   Taehyung’s laugh was so adorable. Jeongguk could feel his Alpha almost purr as a response.  

“If you put it like that -” The Omega was still laughing. “I did grow up always helping out. And eating tons of strawberries. Like – my parents had to keep me away from them at all times.”  

“Just strawberries?” Jeongguk’s heart stuttered for a second.  

“Strawberries are definitely my favorites.” Taehyung realized, only after having spoken those words so freely, that the Alpha smelled of strawberries. He felt awkward for a second, but it was not like they had scented each other. So, he could maybe pretend that he didn’t know or hadn’t noticed?  

“That’s - “ Jeongguk seemed taken by surprise. Maybe he would tell him about his own scent. Was he really that bold? “That’s good to know. I like all kinds of fruit. But strawberries are definitely good.” Of course, the Alpha wasn’t really a kind of douche or self-centered type. Taehyung took a deep breath at that and his slip-up.  

“I’m not the best cook, but I can bake a great strawberry pie. My mom’s recipe.” Taehyung wanted to brag a little.  

“Then I’ll cook and you’ll bake.” Jeongguk smiled. At that moment, he could see the lights of Daegu in the distance. He had talked to the other for quite a long time, as usual. And they still hadn’t discussed taekwondo. Jeongguk didn’t want to somehow ruin the mood by addressing it... but maybe he should?  

“Oh, no!” The Omega exclaimed.  

“What?”  

At the other’s giggle, Jeongguk repeated the question. “What?”  

“We were forgetting about the class! Again!” Jeongguk forgot to breathe. He had just thought of the same thing. How was it possible that they could be in sync like that?  

“I was just thinking of the same thing, Tae, I swear. It just crossed my mind.”  

This made the other laugh even more. He was so cute. “I talked to Minwoo’s mom already, I’ve - noticed and she told me as well, that the boys are best friends and will most likely join class together. So – I'd known that you would reach out to me as well.”  

“Yes. I – did some research on my own and – we were already thinking of enrolling the kids to do some sports or other activity.” Taehyung commented.  

“I’ve - like I told you already – I was a hyperactive kid and I did several sports. Martial arts were my favorites, I got a black belt in taekwondo and jiu jitsu, I’ve - fought some fights myself, before badly injuring my knee.” Now that was a surprise to the Omega.  

“Oh, you were a fighter?” He couldn’t picture the Alpha doing that.  

“Only for a few years. I wasn’t that good. I lacked some more aggression. I’m not – that kind of Alpha.” Taehyung nodded, perfectly understanding. Alphas were supposed to be tougher. And he loved the idea of Jeongguk not being a stupid hothead like almost all the Alphas he had known in his life.  

“I’m sorry about your knee. Does it still trouble you?”  

“Not really, but there are things that I only do moderately. Like running. And I feel it when the weather changes.”  

“I’ve also broken a bone. And I feel the same as you.” Taehyung sighed. “My wrist.”  

“Oh no, how did that happen?” Jeongguk was now worried. Omegas were more fragile. It had to have hurt the other a lot.  

“Gym class.” The Omega chuckled “I was running and slipped, landing poorly on my hand.”  

“Oh no! Not during gym class!” Jeongguk joined his laughter. It was just so easy to laugh with him.  

“Yes, but – it wasn’t obviously the fault of our teacher at the time.”  

“Oh, that’s a relief.” The Alpha smiled, while getting off the train. The walk to his inn wasn’t that long, about fifteen minutes. “But - I just realized that we’re losing track again. We’re terrible.” He commented, having the other exclaim a very cute “oh no!”  

“I’m not afraid of Siwoo getting hurt – honestly. He’s a good kid and doesn’t really – do anything crazy. And if anything would happen, well then, I hope it’s nothing major. But I’ve had my share of small injuries in the past and – as much as it pains me as his father – I know that things just happen in life and I’ll always be there for him if so.” Jeongguk was very touched by these words. Taehyung was definitely an amazing parent. So caring and giving. The Alpha wanted some of that affection so much.  

“You’re an amazing dad. I already told you. But – you are. And – rest assured – I'll do everything that’s in my power not to have any of the kids get hurt. As for taekwondo – the kids are never going to fight each other or anything like that.”  

Taehyung admired the fact that Jeongguk didn’t only speak of his son. He said ‘any of the kids’, showing that he was so much more mature.  

“I know you’re an amazing teacher. You’re a favorite of two kids at least for a fact.” Taehyung sighed.  

“Yes, two at least”, Jeongguk enjoyed their friendly banter.  

“I’m ok with Siwoo joining your class. He’s going to have lots of fun, I know it for sure.”  

“Thank you.”  

Like the night before, it took them hours to get off the phone. But, at least, they had talked about the course this time.

Chapter Text

It had been a few days since Taehyung hadn’t seen the Alpha. They had talked on the phone for hours and hours. And in the morning, they had finally met.   

Taehyung’s grin was maybe a little too big, but Jeongguk’s smile was almost the same. They didn’t chat for a long time, having to go to class respectively, but Jeongguk had told him that he had some food for their lunch. So, they planned to meet at the cafeteria to reheat the food and then head up to the roof. Taehyung did feel like a kid with a crush and he truly was. Eating with Jeongguk had been so different. The Alpha had been so sweet. He had brought a whole bag of food and had made him taste so much. There was definitely some things Taehyung had never had, some Busan specialties, and the food was amazing. It was home-cooked and just delicious. The mandu and apple kimchi were simply perfect.  

They ate a lot, laughed. Jeongguk even helped detach some perilla leaves with his own chopsticks. It was a sort of romantic date. But they also had set a timer, because they still had to teach later. It was hard to say goodbye, Taehyung had felt so good and so right with the other. He had felt listened to, pampered, fed. It was a reassuring feeling he had never had in his previous relationship.   

He thought about that for a long time, even while waiting for Jimin to come over his place for coffee. His friend had been gone for the whole weekend with Yoongi and had a lot to tell.   

“And here you are, darling, I’ve got you a nice souvenir from Seoul!” Jimin walked in with a magnet for Taehyung’s fridge and another bag from a famous toy store. He always spoiled Siwoo.   

“Thank you, baby” Taehyung enjoyed his friend’s embrace. Jimin gave the best embraces and was so warm and welcoming. And he also smelled a little – different. A lot like the Alpha who was staying with him.   

“I missed you Taetae. My baby.”   

“I missed you too. And I think that we have to talk a lot about everything that happened on your trip and as to why you reek of Yoongi.”   

Those words made Jimin’s cheek flush. “We did have lots of fun in Seoul. He’s - just perfect!”   

Taehyung grinned at his friend’s contagious happiness. “Am I making hazelnut lattes for us?”   

“Yes - let’s have a gossip session, I so need to know everything!”   

“Uncle Jimin!” Siwoo’s voice interrupted the two-hours conversation between the two friends. With their hazelnut latte, they had moved to the couch and had munched on cookies earlier; but it was now time for dinner and Taehyung was starting to make jaepchae. Siwoo was so happy to see the other Omega and super excited at the game he had got him from Seoul. Taehyung felt so much lighter after the talk and was happy that Siwoo seemed to enjoy the dinner his father was making. It was a relief not to have to have a discussion for once.   

As the doorbell rang, Siwoo turned to his father with questioning eyes.   

“I invited Yoongi over, you remember? Jimin’s Alpha.” Siwoo seemed a little confused, but his eyes went big.   

“Yes, I remember. Are we having a big dinner all together?”   

“Yes, can you help me set the table?” It was a little awkward at first, because Siwoo was a little quiet, but then the conversation started to flow and he became more and more talkative. It felt like something had shifted and everyone was having a good time.   

As Yoongi mentioned Jeongguk in the conversation, the child’s eyes immediately lit up. “My teacher Jeongguk?” he asked.   

“Yes, your teacher.”   

“Do you know him?” Siwoo asked the other Alpha.   

“Sure, we both came here at the same time.” Yoongi smiled “He’s been one of my oldest friends. We are as close as your dad and Jimin.”   

Siwoo seemed in awe at this. “Jeongguk-sshi is so cool! He’s my favorite teacher! He’s so strong and he has the best games for us!”   

Taehyung looked at his Omega friend pointedly. They had already talked about that in the afternoon. Taehyung had opened up about his feelings towards the Alpha and about Siwoo’s obsession with him. “They are doing great stuff during gym class, the kids are all obsessed with him.” He explained to Yoongi.  

 “Well, I understand” the Alpha laughed “he’s so good with kids. In Busan too, he’s always been the most beloved teacher I think.” His smile was genuine.   

“We should have invited him over too.” Siwoo went all serious suddenly. “If you’re all friends and daddy, you know him too, then why didn’t he come over?” he asked whining.   

Taehyung felt the whole crisis coming. And he wasn’t ready to have that conversation in front of Yoongi of all people. “Honey, I’m sure he had other plans tonight. And it was a very last-minute dinner. We can re-arrange for another time to have him over.”   

“Yes, but he’s not here tonight.” Siwoo was stubborn. And he would go on like this for a long time.   

“No, he’s not.” Taehyung took a deep breath. “You’ll see him tomorrow; you do have gym class. And the taekwondo class will start in a few days too.”   

Siwoo seemed to consider at this, getting a little quieter. Taehyung knew that his son was dramatic sometimes, he got it from him. But it also hurt to see him so upset. Thankfully, Jimin, as the angel he was, started to tell Yoongi about the toy they had got him, and Siwoo’s smile got back on his face slowly.   

The rest of dinner passed without any word at the other Alpha; Taehyung was glad that even Yoongi seemed to understand and to steer the conversation in another direction. As Siwoo got to bed and the grown-ups could freely talk, Taehyung was happy that they had all stayed over for a drink after dinner. His son was the love of his life, but he could also be a handful sometimes. But they hadn’t argued about the worst thing yet. Siwoo hadn’t yet asked him the question that Taehyung feared the most.   

“Sorry for – uh – mentioning Jeongguk before. I didn’t realize it could trigger some strong emotions in Siwoo.” Yoongi said, immediately breaking the ice.   

Taehyung sighed, sitting down on his armchair, facing the couple on the sofa. “Don’t apologize, I – thank you for understanding the situation. It’s - been quite hard for me to deal with it. Jeongguk he – is a very good man. But – I just can’t - let him in like I was supposed to or like Siwoo would want for sure. Every day I am afraid that he will ask me about letting Jeongguk move in with us. And I know he wouldn’t just settle for a no.”   

Jimin took a sip of his soda. “I’m - just saying. And – let's not fight, honey -” Taehyung gave him a look, taking a deep breath. “Shoot.” “You do have your painting studio in the attic. And I know for a fact that you aren’t using it as much these days. And it’s a perfectly good room, with a small bath and a big pull-out couch.” Taehyung looked at his friend as if he had grown another head. “In that way he wouldn’t have to move in – your bed – as you always said. And you could offer him a place to stay. Because – I think that it’s quite expensive for him to live at the inn.”   

“Jeongguk he’s - he asked for an appointment with the pack-leader of Busan. He could maybe go back there.” Yoongi said.   

“I know that.” Taehyung nodded, then turned to Jimin. “I can’t be mad at you for even suggesting the idea of the attic. I’ve thought about it. Since he said that he would maybe go back.” Taehyung took a big gulp of wine. He was so conflicted about it all.   

“You could try – to have him over. For a week or so -” Jimin went on.   

Taehyung interrupted him. “It’s - I can’t be around him that much. He’s just – too much to handle. And, there’s Siwoo. He’s already way too invested in him. If Jeongguk would decide to move back home after he started with school and the taekwondo classes, then he would be just devastated. It’s terrifying.” Jimin was silent at this, Yoongi too. “We have a strong physical and – even emotional connection. I know that it would be easy to be with him. He’s my ideal type, it seems that he’s into me too. But – it's not that simple as it is for you two. I have Siwoo. And he will always come first for me. I can’t have Siwoo get invested in him or – get hurt. In any way.”   

Jimin stood up and went to awkwardly sit in his friend’s lap, giving him a hug.   

“I - need to – keep a distance from him until – I know for sure what’s on his mind. If he plans on leaving, then – I can’t - keep encouraging him like that.” Taehyung felt so scared. “But - I also – feel like – I can’t really resist him.”   

“It seems like a good plan.” Jimin was still bear hugging him, and Taehyung locked eyes with Yoongi, who was looking at them with a fond smile on his face.   

“I promise that – everything you said here and what happened will remain between us. Jeongguk is my best friend and I love him to death, but – he won’t know about this.”   

Taehyung smiled at him. He was truly a good man. He suddenly understood every good word Jimin had said about him and was glad to have invited him over. __________  

Jeongguk wanted to text Taehyung last night. They had talked for three hours for two days in a row. Last night he had stared at his phone’s messaging app at around nine. He hoped that the Omega would reach out, just like on the night before. But it hadn’t happened. And he couldn’t bring himself to text him first. Maybe – they had really just called each other because of Taekwondo and – maybe it hadn’t been an excuse like Jeongguk’s mind suggested. Maybe Taehyung didn’t - really want to talk to him after all? Seeing the Omega at the lockers like every day was definitely the highlight of his day.   

“Hey” Jeongguk got close to the other. They had this funny dynamic. Taehyung was always taking out many books from his locker and piling them, while Jeongguk made him jump every day.   

“Why do you always sneak up on me, huh?” The Omega asked, turning around with a small smile. He was dressed all creamy and greens, as his usual. There was so much softness, but also a rough edge on him.   

Jeongguk immediately understood that something was wrong. He had the intuition of a virgo, he could just sense things in a glance. “Are you ok?” The Alpha asked, making the other shift on his feet.   

“I - yes, I am. Why?” Taehyung’s breath almost got stuck in his throat. He had just thought that he wouldn’t - be too flirty with the Alpha today. He had to regain some balance. And the other immediately understood that something was off. With only a glance. He knew that the connection between them was crazy, but that was almost insane.   

“You seem – a little – off?” Jeongguk’s head tilted on the side. “Sorry, I’m -” he shook his head “I am too much sometimes. I slept funny.” The Alpha scratched his head, a faint blush raising on his cheeks.   

Taehyung wanted to be colder and to feel cooler towards the other. But – Jeongguk was just so – irresistible. “I’m sorry you had a bad night. Was it something you ate?”   

“I had -” Jeongguk chuckled in a way that made the Omega’s heart flip.   

“Let me guess?” He teased, “chicken and rice?” “And vegetables”, Jeongguk added, making the other laugh out loud.   

“What about you?”   

“I uh – had dinner with -” Taehyung almost felt bad at saying it. “With Jimin and – Yoongi also came along. I made jaepchae.” It seemed like the comment didn’t faze Jeongguk at all. It’s not like Taehyung expected for him to be jealous or something. But – it felt a little weird telling him that they had all had a good home-cooked dinner while he wasn’t invited. “They got home from their little weekend getaway and Jimin came to have coffee in the afternoon and then stayed for dinner. So we invited Yoongi, because Jimin had promised him dinner but he was still with me.”   

“So you got to know Yoongi a little better? Isn’t he awesome?” Jeongguk asked with a smile on his face.   

Taehyung adored the fact that Jeongguk hadn’t seemed jealous, left out or irritated for a second. Moreover, he seemed like he was genuinely happy that Taehyung had spent some time with his best friend. “He seems like a very good guy, yes. And Jimin’s - just over the moon happy. It’s important for me that he takes good care of my friend.”   

“That’s a wise approach.” Jeongguk commented. “Listen uh – I need to go prepare the gym. See you later at lunch?” He looked at him with the biggest eyes.   

Taehyung was so smitten by him. “Sure, until later.” ______________   

Jeongguk was enjoying his evening. He was having dinner with his Alpha friends, and was catching up with their lives. He didn’t have the greatest relationship with all of them, but Yoongi and Hoseok were his old-time friends and they had known each other since their childhood years. It was six Alphas, with Jeongguk, who had come to Daegu to live with the unmated Omegas. All of them, except for him, had found a timid welcoming at first, but were now settling well in the city and with their Omegas.   

Jeongguk was happy for all of them. He didn’t feel jealousy towards the fellow Alphas; moreover, they reminded him of home with their banter and dialect. He did feel back home with some of his friends. They had steak and fries; milkshakes and they generally laughed a lot. Some of the Alphas Jeongguk didn’t like too much made a few comments about his situation. They ended up talking about it for a few minutes. Especially a guy who was probably quite jealous of Jeongguk or was generally bitter about him, insinuated that there was something wrong with the Omega who had kicked him out of the house. Jeongguk didn’t agree. He spent a lot of time justifying Taehyung’s choice and his understanding towards it. In the end, everyone, except for that one guy agreed on the fact that they felt sympathy towards him and that they would keep meeting up for him to feel less lonely.   

As he was going home, Yoongi accompanied Jeongguk, since he lived quite close to the diner. “Hyungsik can be a real asshole sometimes, I swear, I don’t understand why he insisted with all that bullshit.”  

“Everyone can speak their own mind, hyung. I understand how it may look like from the outside, but it’s sad how he immediately went to attack Taehyung for what happened.” Jeongguk sighed.   

“Yes, but he’s just stupid. I hope that the Omega he was sent to is really ok with having him at home.” Jeongguk giggled at Yoongi’s brutal words. He was a savage and Jeongguk loved him because of it. And they were a little tipsy, it was even funnier.   

“He’s a little impulsive, but he’s not a bad person hyung.”   

Yoongi glared at him for a second, he was terrifying sometimes. “Are you seriously telling me that he doesn’t go to your nerves?”   

Jeongguk thought about it for a second. “Well -” he started, “it’s not like he’s my favorite person, because we are very different. But I’m sure he has his talents and good traits.”   

Yoongi stopped in the middle of the sidewalk; his glare was still on point. It made Jeongguk giggle even more. “You’re drunk, Jeon Jeongguk. And you’re way too innocent for this conversation.”  

Jeongguk was happy to start his first taekwondo class for kids. The first class was only an hour away and he went to the gym, to prepare the mats and the doboks, the traditional uniforms. The school had supplied him with everything he needed and he was glad that there were the funds. He was also gaining quite some money for holding the courses. Everything was going well, except for the bill at the inn. He had put some money aside in Busan and that was helping; but he didn’t want to burn through the money from his savings. He wanted to pay for everything with his paycheck. But it wouldn’t work forever. It was much more expensive than an apartment. Maybe he could rent out something or a room with someone if he stayed. It was a little stressful.   

“Mr. Jeon!” Minwoo and Siwoo came running into the gym about twenty minutes before the class. He turned around in his uniform, his black belt nicely tied. With a warm smile, he greeted the kids, who came wearing their gym clothes. Since it was their first class, they would check the sizes and get the uniforms; then he would teach them how to tie the knot of their little white belts. They would talk for a while about what the course is going to be, then, he would teach them some first positions.   

“Hey guys”, the kids bowed a little to him with big eyes and the biggest smiles on their cute faces. Jeongguk was endeared. “Did your parents – oh, hi.” Jeongguk saw a very familiar Omega entering the gym in jeans and a cozy brown sweater.   

Taehyung had a small smile on his face. It looked so genuine and warm; maybe a little tired. Jeongguk hadn’t talked to him since the morning during their break. He had missed their three-hours talk. “Good evening. I brought them along. Minwoo’s mom is taking them back later.”   

Jeongguk nodded. “I have their uniforms here. Just help me with the sizes.” Taehyung stepped closer, probably a little too close to look into the box on the floor. His flowery scent hit Jeongguk’s senses like a truck at full speed.   

“Do we get a uniform like yours?” Siwoo seemed in awe.   

“Yes, it’s just a little smaller in size”, Jeongguk’s comment made the boys giggle.   

“Do we get a black belt too?” Minwoo asked.   

“Not yet the black one; let’s start with white, huh?” Jeongguk ruffled his hair, while the two friends were still giggling.   

“I think that an s for both would be alright.” Taehyung took was checking the difference between the XS and the S.   

“It shouldn’t be too tight, right? Seeing how you wear it.” Taehyung’s eyes did a dangerous all-over check of Jeongguk’s body, to which the Alpha gulped. Taehyung looked at his thoat for a second, then at his eyes and then he looked at his lips. It was almost a fatal blow to Jeongguk, who was lost in those feline eyes. It seemed yet again, that he could only take a tiny step forwards and he would be able to kiss him. Jeongguk felt the exact moment when the Omega’s scent got sweeter, his pheromones luring his Alpha in, trapping him like a mesmerizing hypnosis.   

As the door of the gym opened, Jeongguk took a step backwards, taking a deep breath. The kids immediately went to greet the newcomers and the Alpha turned to the Omega, who was still holding the uniform in his hands, blushing.   

“The S then, for both of them.” He said with a small voice.   

“Will you help them dress? They can leave their t-shirt under the jacket. I’ll teach them the knot later.”  

Taehyung’s eyes were conflicted; he seemed almost dizzy. Jeongguk could perceive that his own scent had gotten deeper, his own pheromones calling to the other. It was very simple; their inner wolves recognized each other and longed to get together. And it would be harder and harder to resist. The Omega turned to the lockers and then again to the Alpha. He did look concerned about something.   

“Can we – talk later?” he asked hesitatingly. Jeongguk was surprised for a second, as another couple of parents were greeting them from the entrance.   

“Of course we can talk.”   

“I’ll - will you text me when you get home later?”   

“Yeah”, Jeongguk smiled a reassuring smile to the other.   

“Ok”, Taehyung smiled back, walking to the two boys and going with them to the changing room.   

Jeongguk’s heart was racing. Taehyung wanted to – talk to him. And he didn’t look that – happy about it? Maybe – he would ask for Jeongguk to stay away from him. Or – to keep their distance. It broke his heart just to think something like that.   

The course passed in a blur. The kids were perfect. They were much more mature than their ages and they listened, learned to tie the knots, they all were enthusiastic and listened, did the warm ups and exercises on point. They also laughed and, much sooner than expected, the hour and a half was over. As the parents came to pick them up, everyone said bye with the biggest smiles on their little faces, grabbing their bags from the changing rooms.   

In one little corner of his mind, there was a little voice reminding him of Taehyungs words before. He wanted to call the other, to listen to what he wanted to tell him and so much more. But it was way too early. Siwoo had yet to go home and to have dinner and then they would watch anime and only then nine pm would arrive. Jeongguk sighed, talking to the other parents for a while. Everyone seemed glad that the kids were still so energetic and happy.   

“Goodbye, Mr. Jeon”, Siwoo and Minwoo greeted him almost at the same time.   

“Goodbye, see you” Jeongguk’s smile was as big as the kids’ as they went away with Minwoo’s mom.   

At around nine, Jeongguk was buzzing with excitement. Taehyung wanted to talk to him. When his phone rang, maybe half-an hour later, Jeongguk had been watching TV without really paying attention. His eyes kept looking at his phone; already twice he had checked if his ringtone was on. Seeing the screen finally light up with the name of the Omega made the Alpha almost jump from the couch. He waited a couple rings before picking up, because he didn’t want to sound as desperate as he really was.  

“Hello”, he said feigning nonchalancy. His heart was beating a little too loud in his chest.  

“Hey” Taehyung’s velvety deep voice was like a balm for his tired body. “Sorry, Siwoo didn’t want to sleep tonight. He was way too riled up after his first taekwondo class. I think that I’ll be able to do the same moves if he teaches me more things in detail like earlier.” Jeongguk burst in laughter at this.  

“They all did great.” He commented. “I’m very lucky with such an attentive and fast-learning class.”  

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it too.”  

“It’s great. I love teaching martial arts to kids.” Taehyung’s chuckle made Jeongguk sigh. As much as he wanted to keep chatting like this, there was a question on his mind all afternoon, and he had been dying to know for a long time now. “Uhm, you had something you wanted to talk about earlier?” Jeongguk tried to sound as if the thing had just come to his mind right there and then, but he felt like his tone had given him away. Well – who cares, his brain supplied. At least, he would learn the truth.  

“Yeah, so – earlier this morning, in between classes I uh – got this phonecall.” The Omega sounded more serious now. What? Who could have called him? About what?  

“Ok?” Jeongguk was very confused. This was clearly not what he thought the other would tell him.  

“It was the pack-leader of Busan.” The Omega said, to which Jeongguk frowned. He had asked for an appointment and nobody had reached out to him. But – they had called Taehyung? What?  

“I’m so – confused.” Jeongguk said honestly.  

“He asked me if things were alright with us and – if I wanted for him to approve you moving back to the Busan pack.” Those words hit hard. Jeongguk took a deep breath, feeling utterly betrayed by his own native pack. His brain was split between two crucial points. The first being why in the hell nobody had called him; the second – and probably most pressing one was what had Taehyung told him? Obviously, things between them didn’t go as well. He wasn’t living with the Omega. Were they really ready to simply have him come back like this? With the school year just starting?  

“And -” Jeongguk’s brain was a little confused and clouded. “What did you tell him?” He asked, almost unable to breathe at this moment.  

Taehyung took a long moment to answer. It was clearly a very bad sign. Then he sighed into the receiver. Jeongguk closed his eyes, already anticipating the dreaded answer he would get.  

Chapter Text

Jeongguk was still waiting. Anxiously. The pack leader of Busan had called the Omega and had talked to him.   

“He asked me as to why you have requested to go back, if anything happened between us and if you – well -” Taehyung seemed almost uncomfortable at the words. Jeongguk could only think what the other was about to say. “He asked me if you had done something.”   

Jeongguk took a deep breath. The situation was uncomfortable for everyone. It didn’t feel right that Taehyung had to justify his actions to the pack leader himself. As if he had done something wrong. Which he didn’t.   

“What - did you tell him?” Jeongguk asked after a long minute of silence. It didn’t feel to him like Taehyung wanted to talk freely and he was sad about it.   

“That it wasn’t your fault.”   

“And not yours either. I hope you know that.” Jeongguk intervened. He hated this thing.   

“I know. Don’t get all upset about it.” Taehyung sighed.   

“So - uh – what happened? Did he tell you if they are taking me back?” Jeongguk didn’t really want to ask, but he had to know what the result would be.   

Taehyung seemed conflicted for a second. He stuttered his first words. “Do - do you – want to go back?” he asked. It was a nerve-wracking situation for Jeongguk.   

“Did he tell you that I could?” Jeongguk was really unable to make up his mind. Was it really ok to be this egoistical? Should he say yes and free them from this misery? Should he stay and keep watching the Omega from afar wishing for him to be his own mate?  

Taehyung sighed. “He said that it would be your decision, if you want to go back you can.”   

It was a little surreal. Jeongguk had longed to hear these words the same day the Omega had rejected him. But now? Was he ready to go back? He did have his hyung in Busan, his nephews and so on. But – it was a bittersweet life. Having known the Omega of his dreams and walking away just like that.   

“Jeongguk - I – wanted to tell you something.” Taehyung went on talking. “I can host you in my house. I – wasn’t sincere when I told you that I didn’t have the space. There’s - my attic where – you could move into. It’s not as nice as the rooms downstairs, but – it’s something and -”   

Jeongguk was surprised at those words. He didn’t expect for the other to say something like this. And it somehow didn’t feel right. “I don’t understand -” he started “you’d let me move into your home?” he reiterated.   

“Yes.”   

“And you’re - telling me this right now because you think you’re forced to do that?” Jeongguk asked. It did feel like Taehyung was forced to host him and it didn’t sit right with his Alpha to think that.   

“What? No. Jungkook – I – would really like to talk to you face to face, not like this. Would it be ok for you to come over? Siwoo is asleep and I can’t really come and see you.”   

Jeongguk was nodding his head. Taehyung was right. It wasn’t something to say on the phone. “Can I come over now?” he asked, already sitting up and grabbing his keys. He had showered and eaten. He was lounging around in his sweats, but he could quickly change the pants for the jeans he had worn in the morning. The black t-shirt was clean; he had put it on just after the shower.   

“Sure.”   

Seeing the Omega sitting on the porch was unnerving. Taehyung smiled at him; he looked so cozy in his brown clothes, and so so handsome. Jeongguk’s heart almost skipped a heartbeat seeing him there.   

There was a small light on the porch and the Omega had prepared what looked like a pitcher of tea or some drink and there were some saltines in a small plate. If there wasn’t something heavy to talk about – that would have looked like a date. And Jeongguk would have liked that date a lot. But now even Taehyung’s soft features seemed a little tense. And Jeongguk hated it all.   

“Hey.” The Omega’s smile was something Jeongguk’s Alpha wanted to see all his life.  

“Hello. Did you prepare all this?” Jeongguk sat down, noticing another plate with chips.   

“Yes”, Taehyung seemed almost embarrassed, as he poured the tea in the two tall glasses. “Come, sit down. I hope you like a gin-tonic.”   

Jeongguk laughed out loud at this. “Oh, I thought that it was ice-tea.”   

 Taehyung went along with his laughter. He sounded so cute. Jeongguk wished to kiss him so much. His beautiful feline eyes were glowing. “It’s gin with a pink tonic. It tastes like grapefruit. Is it too much?”   

Jeongguk smiled. It all sounded perfect. And he told the Omega so: “no, absolutely. I’m all in for a pink grapefruit gin-tonic tonight.”   

Taehyung’s laughter was infectious. As they both were holding the glasses in their hands, Jeongguk went to make a toast, touching the other’s glass. “To what are we toasting?” he asked the Omega.   

“To you moving in?” Taehyung’s smile was gentle. There wasn’t any nervousness there. Differently than on the phone, his Alpha could see the other, the openness and sincerity in his eyes. “I didn’t trust you before, Jeongguk. You know that, because I told you. And I got to know you these past days. I – can't tell that I fully know you and all, but – I am sure that I wouldn’t want for you to go. Neither would Siwoo.”   

Those words were so important for Jeongguk. And Taehyung was saying them with absolute sincerity. His scent hadn’t wavered once with nervousness or other. “Are you sure?” he needed to ask one more time.   

“Would you like that?” Taehyung looked at the other for a second.  

Now Jeongguk had almost trouble breathing. The Omega was sitting so close, his scent was so inviting and sweet, the grapefruit-gin was refreshing and was maybe making him want to kiss him so badly. “I think I would, yes.”   

Taehyung’s smile was sweet and sincere. He made another little toast, to Jeongguk moving in with them on the next day.  

Jeongguk was unboxing his last box in Taehyung’s home. He didn’t have much with him anyway. A lot of clothes, mostly gym-attire. A box of his books, his skincare and some gym equipment. Taehyung’s attic was amazing. The space was quite big; as big as Taehyung’s and Siwoo’s rooms downstairs. It was basically a huge room with an ensuite bathroom. It was clear that that space was much loved by the Omega and his son. Jeongguk felt almost guily occupying that space. Taehyung went there to paint; his son and him had movie-nights upstairs. It was bittersweet for Jeongguk to feel like he had taken something from the other; but, at the same time, he was incredibly happy to be close to Taehyung. The Alpha felt that Taehyung was quite cold when it came to his relationship with him. And he had obviously invited him to live with them because of his good heart and who-knows-what the pack leader had told him. Maybe they threatened him or some shit. Jeongguk’s mind could wander and, as a typical virgo, make up the worst scenarios. There was also the conversation they had had about Siwoo. Taehyung had told him that he needed some time to talk to the kid, and Jeongguk was pretending to put his stuff and books on the shelves, because he was waiting for that conversation to be over. And was also hoping for the kid not to be contrite. Even though he knew that Siwoo had a soft spot for him. It would be alright, wouldn’t it?  

As he was thinking about this, he was suddenly interrupted by a timid knock on the door. Had he only imagined it? As he stopped and turned to the door, he heard the sound again. Someone was knocking. Definitely.   

“Yes?” he asked timidly, his voice way too high for his own liking. He was sounding too eager.   

As the door opened, Siwoo peeked in. He saw Jeongguk and his expression got from serious to a surprised one.   

“You’re really here?” the child asked.   

Jeongguk was confused for a second. “Yes, uh -” he said, scratching the back of his head.   

Luckily, Taehyung appeared behind the child. “Yes, I told you he was here. And you’re going to see him a lot. For breakfast, and dinner.”   

“And movie night?” Siwoo turned to his father almost pleadingly.   

“What is movie night?” Jeongguk asked, a little overwhelmed by the sudden interest.   

“We are inviting him, right?” Siwoo turned to his father with pleading eyes.   

Taehyung seemed embarrassed. Jeongguk was too. He looked at the Omega. His cheeks were of a cute pink. And he turned to look at him.   

“I’m sure Jeongguk wants to settle before. We are surely very overwhelming at first.” He looked apologetically at the Alpha, who was already shaking his head.   

 For the whole night, Jeongguk felt like in a dream. He had grown up in a busy family, spent his childhood with his hyung. Who soon got married and had moved out of the house. He had been lonely for many years. Then he had moved out, after his father had died and his mother had moved in with her sister. After many disappointments in his dating life, Jeongguk decided to spend some time by himself. To finish his studies and to grow personally. A lot of time had passed, and the Alpha was used to being alone. He had found a perfect balance in his life and was happy by himself. Sure. He could do whatever he wanted with his money, take his own decisions of what to do in his free time, but there was something missing when the lights turned off at night. When he had a moment of happiness and then remembered that he hadn’t nobody to share the moment with. Because the true happiness came from sharing it with others. For the first time in a long, long time, Jeongguk felt almost overwhelmed by the sudden feeling of – having a family. There, sitting in the dining room at the table, waiting for Taehyung’s dinner to be ready, with Siwoo rambling for a very long time, Jeongguk couldn’t wipe a small, idiotic smile from his face.   

“And do you like carrots?” the kid asked, starting interrogating the Alpha.   

“Oh, yes, I love carrots.”   

Jeongguk repressed a smile at the kid’s contrite expression.   

“Siwoo has a problem with carrots, but he has to eat them anyway. Don’t you?” Taehyung amusedly turned to stick out his tongue in the child’s direction.   

“I don’t like how daddy makes them. They get all mushy.”   

“Sure, sure, blame it on the cook.” The Omega turned to the stove and intently stared at the food that was being cooked.   

Now, Jeongguk adored the Omega, but he had his own reservations about the dinner the younger was trying so hard to cook. Taehyung was watching those poor overcooked vegetables like they would cook faster and better if he stared at them for a long time, spatula in his right hand. Also... Now Jeongguk wasn’t a chef, but the spices the Omega had chosen for the vegetables... well ... they were maybe not the right ones? And the chicken breast had been cooking for way too long. But the Alpha wasn’t ungrateful. On the contrary. He had asked to help and all, but Taehyung had told him that the meat had been marinading since morning and everything was set. So Jeongguk had thought that nothing could go wrong during the prep. Right?   

Taehyung seemed pleased, after another five minutes. Finally, Jeongguk’s virgo brain supplied. The food had been plated and it didn’t look too bad.   

“Here you go, I hope it’s good.” The Omega looked so proud of his cooking skills. And Jeongguk smiled brightly as the food was placed in front of him. It – was quite adorable that Taehyung had cooked for him. And the Alpha was grateful. He felt pampered and served by the Omega. That simple dish of vegetables and chicken felt like a courting gift to his Alpha, who was purring happily on the inside.   

“Enjoy your meal!” Taehyung said, before sitting in front of him.   

“Thank you so much”, Jeongguk put the first forkful in his mouth and – as much as he was excited, he kind of agreed with the kid. The consistency of the carrots was just... off. But Taehyung’s little smile was adorable. And that was enough.   

“The food is excellent, thank you for cooking for me – uh – for us.” Jeongguk reiterated. Remembering that Taehyung was a father first.   

“It’s not the best -” Siwoo whispered.  

“I heard that.” Taehyung sighed. “I’m not the best cook. The carrots are a little mushy, yes. I don’t get how they are tough one second and overcook the next.”   

Jeongguk’s heart ached for the other. He had probably tried his best and it was alright. Jeongguk could take over that aspect of their life; it wasn’t such a horrible news after all. “They are perfectly fine”, the Alpha commented after taking a generous bite. It wasn’t the truth, but Taehyung’s shy expression was totally worth the lie.   

Chapter Text

Things were going… kind of well? Jeongguk had settled into the apartment, and nothing had gone wrong. He had stopped paying rent at the roadhouse and finally felt like he could breathe again. Surely, he could afford to do some shopping now. He had brought most of his clothes with him, but he quickly realized he wasn’t in Busan anymore. His jacket was too thin, his clothes too short, and his shoes not ideal for the woods and the park where he went on runs in the mornings—or whenever he felt frustrated.

Living with Taehyung and Siwoo was something else entirely. He certainly wasn’t used to having someone around this much anymore. When he woke up, Taehyung was generally already making breakfast for them. Jeongguk wanted to help, but he felt like he was intruding too much into the Omega’s life sometimes, so he just sat back and ate. They had had a talk on the first day, establishing more or less what the house rules were. Taehyung had quickly understood that Jeongguk was a great cook, and since the younger had offered, he gladly let him take over dinner—always a headache for him. But the Omega liked preparing breakfast, especially because he could do so in the quiet hours of the morning, when his son was still asleep. He loved finishing the final touches and then heading upstairs to wake Siwoo, who was always adorably cute in the morning.

Jeongguk, who liked to jog early, had agreed to the arrangement. He would quietly step out of the house daily—even before Taehyung woke up—and then come back half an hour later, just as the other was starting to move sleepily around the house. The first time it happened, Taehyung had been flustered. Jeongguk, dressed in running shorts and all sweaty, was a sight to behold, and his heart was too weak to handle that so early while the coffee was still brewing. After a few days, though, he’d mastered a poker face and easy conversation, because after coming back in, Jeongguk went straight to the sink to down a tall glass of water—and Taehyung could observe him drinking from up close. And yes, that Alpha was even attractive while ungraciously gulping water and making a satisfied noise afterward.

After breakfast, Jeongguk washed the dishes while Taehyung helped Siwoo get dressed and did his own skincare. Later, they all walked to school together. Luckily, the building wasn’t far, so they didn’t need Taehyung’s car. Depending on their schedules, they would meet again in the afternoon or evening, and Jeongguk would then cook what they had agreed on earlier in the day.

Jeongguk still hadn’t picked Siwoo up from his classes—Taehyung’s parents helped a lot and had a well-oiled routine—so it wasn’t necessary. But the Alpha liked helping wherever he saw something that needed fixing. Just the other day, he had fixed a light, taken out the trash, and done some cleaning. After dinner, he enjoyed time together in the living room, when Taehyung helped Siwoo with his homework or they all watched Dragon Ball.

The best part of the day, though, was when they said goodnight and went to their rooms. Since Jeongguk left the door ajar, he could faintly hear Taehyung reading bedtime stories to Siwoo. The Omega’s voice was always gentle and sweet, but he also made different voices, making both his son—and the Alpha, sitting on the attic stairs—giggle and smile.

Tonight, after laying in bed for a while, Jeongguk couldn’t fall asleep. Usually, lack of sleep wasn’t a problem. But now, he just couldn’t seem to calm down. Thinking about it, he had slept a lot the previous night, so maybe he wasn’t tired yet. He decided to go downstairs and make himself a cup of tea. Chamomile was the solution to all problems—and luckily, they had picked some up the day before while grocery shopping.

As he came downstairs, Jeongguk noticed the kitchen light was already on. It was too late to go back now—the Omega had already seen him.

“Oh—hi,” Jeongguk said awkwardly.

“Hey. Is everything okay?” Taehyung looked kind of surprised and tired.

“Yes, yes. I just—” Jeongguk scratched the back of his head. “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d get a cup of tea.”

Taehyung seemed amused by the idea and took another mug from the cupboard. “I had the same idea, it seems.” His smile was still there, but it looked a little off. Now that he thought about it, the Omega had been behaving oddly all day.

“Are you okay?” Jeongguk had learned to just ask. Go for the jugular. Worst case? The person lies. But Taehyung wasn’t just anyone.

The long sigh he got in return was answer enough. “Yes,” the Omega nodded. “It gets easier and easier,” he said cryptically while pouring the hot water into the cups. Jeongguk got closer but still waited patiently for the rest of the story. “Siwoo’s dad left five years ago today.”

Oh.

“And it’s not like I’m obsessed with remembering sad dates or anything. I just… remember. And it sucks thinking about it.”Taehyung put the chamomile bags in the cups and stared wordlessly.

“I understand—” Jeongguk began, then paused. “Well, not really understand. But—I’m like that with sad dates too.” He nodded, wishing he could change the tired, empty look on the Omega’s face into a smile.

“It’s not exactly… a sad date. I’m actually glad he left.” The Omega looked him in the eyes, and Jeongguk was momentarily stunned by how pretty those feline eyes were. “I’m always counting the years because I’m afraid he’ll come back. And claim us again.” The last sentence was so softly spoken that Jeongguk had to think for a moment before responding.

“You know I’m your legally assigned Alpha.” He wasn’t one to posture, but he felt the need to stand up straight, to be a little intimidating. “I don’t know the guy, but he’d have to get through me first before he could get to you or Siwoo.”

Taehyung looked a little impressed, his eyes lingering on Jeongguk’s chest. “If he’s still the same, you could take him down easily,” the Omega said—partly to feed the other’s ego.

At those words, Jeongguk seemed to grow bigger. His chest puffed out even more. Taehyung felt antsy. The best cure would’ve been to reach out and let his hands roam across that firm chest. But he couldn’t—because life was unfair and sucked.

“Not to brag, but I’ve never lost a fight.” It was funny—sweet, shy, emo-dork, bunny-teeth Jeongguk sounding all Alpha-like and cocky. Taehyung was both impressed and floored by this new side.

“The tea is ready,” Taehyung said, a bit at a loss for words. “And I hope it doesn’t come to that. But—”He was still glad Jeongguk had said what he did. It made him feel safer. But he didn’t know Jeongguk that well. How could he entrust his life to a stranger? “But thank you for your words. They mean a lot. Everything in my life revolves around Siwoo, and… just the idea of losing him is the most terrifying thing I could imagine.”

Jeongguk stepped forward. He wanted to hug the Omega, but it felt awkward. They hadn’t hugged before. Taehyung looked up at him with bright eyes. “Do you need a hug?” Jeongguk asked.

Taehyung looked up, about to answer—when a voice interrupted behind them.

“Daddy?” Siwoo was trembling. “Daddy, I peed in my bed.”

Taehyung sighed, walking over to hug his son, who started to sob. “It’s alright, Siwoo, don’t worry. Shh…”

Jeongguk wanted to help but sensed how delicate the situation was. He let Taehyung comfort his son. Once Siwoo had calmed down, Jeongguk stepped forward.

“It happened to me a lot of times too, you know?” The child looked at him in wonder. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Did you really?” Siwoo asked, eyes wide.

“Yes. Especially when I drank a lot of shikhye like you did before bedtime,” Jeongguk smiled.

“I did drink a lot. And I had a nightmare.” Siwoo nodded solemnly.

“Let’s go take a quick shower, and then back to bed with you,” Taehyung said gently, stroking his son’s head. “I’ll read you another story, alright?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Taehyung turned to Jeongguk, grateful. “Can you help me with the bedsheets while he’s washing up?”

Jeongguk smiled. “Sure. Show me where everything is.”

It was late. Well, not really—just past midnight—when Siwoo finally went down a second time, dressed in his fluffy Minion pajamas and nestled in crispy clean bedsheets. Jeongguk was standing in the doorframe as Taehyung sat up from the bed and put the book away. He switched off the light and stepped into the hallway, where Jeongguk was waiting.

“Should I reheat the tea in the microwave?” Jeongguk whispered with such a serious expression that Taehyung couldn’t help but giggle and laugh out loud. He grabbed the Alpha by the wrist and pulled him back out to the kitchen.

“I have never reheated tea in the microwave,” Taehyung smiled, looking tiredly at Jeongguk, who had already removed the bags from the cups and was setting the microwave.

“Oh, I have—sometimes,” the Alpha said. He noticed how the Omega suddenly looked tired. “Do you want to go to bed? Should we reheat the tea for tomorrow night, then?” Jeongguk asked.

Taehyung laughed out loud again and slapped the Alpha’s chest in front of him. “Stop it, you’re so terrible.”

Jeongguk loved making the other laugh like that. Taehyung was certainly the most stunning Omega he had ever seen, and his laughter was something precious to behold. "I would like to lie down, actually. But maybe watch something on TV too? I’m still feeling a little restless.”

The Alpha nodded just as the microwave pinged. The tea was steaming again.

“Do you want to come with?” Taehyung asked.

“Yes. Where?” Jeongguk replied.

“To my room?” Taehyung turned to the Alpha. He should have invited him to his room—and bed—a while ago. Now it felt different, but he was doing it nonetheless. Jeongguk seemed to be thinking the same thoughts.

“If you’re sure about it?” the Alpha asked, looking suddenly a little nervous. Taehyung was about to comment on it when Jeongguk handed him the mugs just outside his room. “I just need to—uh—I forgot to take my supplements,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

Taehyung watched as the Alpha went up to the attic. Supplements? He shook his head. Jeongguk was a health freak, that much was clear. It was probably just some kind of vitamin he took every night and had forgotten.

Taehyung placed one mug on the nightstand opposite his side of the bed and then walked over to his own. As he was sitting down, Jeongguk came back downstairs, looking around awkwardly.

“Do you want me to sit here?” the Alpha asked.

Taehyung looked at him from the bed. Was it possible that Jeongguk was scared of him now? What had happened to the flirty Alpha from earlier? “Come here,” Taehyung patted the duvet next to himself. “I don’t bite, I promise.”

Jeongguk sighed and sat down on the bed. It was much more comfortable than his own upstairs, for sure. And everything smelled sweet—like the sweet Omega next to him. Jeongguk swallowed and leaned back. “What are we watching?” he asked, turning to the other, who was sipping his tea and turning on the TV.

“What are we in the mood for?” Taehyung asked.

“I don’t know. Some anime or comedy?”

“You don’t strike me as the comedy guy.”

“I like horror movies, but I think you’re already a little upset tonight.”

Taehyung made a sound of agreement. “Stand-up comedy it is, then.”

Taehyung woke only a few minutes before his alarm went off, disturbed by a ray of sunshine on his face. He felt weirdly calm—and warm. There was a delicious smell of Alpha. Jeongguk. Right behind him. Jeongguk had put an arm around him and was spooning him. There was an absurd sense of peace and safety in Taehyung’s Omega instincts. As if he had dreamed of belonging in that embrace all his life. And the alarm would ring in a minute.

But why?

Taehyung wished he could stop time—or at least stop the clock—but he didn’t want to move. Jeongguk had said he was a light sleeper. He just wanted to stay in that moment a little longer. Right on cue, the treacherous alarm rang and the Alpha behind him shifted. Taehyung reached out to stop the noise, while Jeongguk’s arm pulled him a little closer.

“Mhm,” the Alpha grunted. “Don’t go.”

Taehyung tried to hide his smile, but it was useless. Jeongguk could probably smell the pure contentment and happiness in his scent. In response, there was definitely a happy Alpha scent wafting from behind him.

“What are you doing?” Taehyung snickered as Jeongguk pulled him even closer. His back was now fully pressed to the Alpha’s chest.

“You smell very good,” Jeongguk whispered into his neck. His hand caressed Taehyung’s side gently, and the already delectable scent was growing even richer.

Taehyung was so warm and pliant—and Jeongguk could just reach out and— “Shit,” the Alpha said abruptly, scrambling backward until he nearly fell off the bed. “Shit, sorry.”

Taehyung turned around, catching the panicked expression on the Alpha’s face. Suddenly, he became acutely aware of how close they had been—how quickly the situation had escalated. “I’m—I’m sorry,” he said, sitting up, not really sure what to say.

“I didn’t mean to—I’m a hugger. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I slept so well,” Taehyung tried to play it cool, even though his heart was still racing. He was only half-awake, but he vividly remembered how much he had wanted to push even closer, until his whole body was flush against the Alpha’s. His cheeks flushed at the memory.

Jeongguk looked confused and embarrassed. “Me too—uh—I just… need to take my supplements,” he mumbled, then bolted out of the room.

Taehyung frowned. “What’s with these supplements?” he muttered aloud, tossing the covers aside and sitting up in bed.

For a few seconds, he told himself it was just curiosity. Maybe he wanted to take supplements too—with the season changing, some vitamins couldn’t hurt. Maybe it was to prevent the flu?

As he made the bed, he was hit with Jeongguk’s clean Alpha scent. He stopped for a moment, holding the pillow the Alpha had slept on. He buried his face in it and grinned, giggling. Jeongguk had slept with him. In his bed. Had held him close and told him he smelled good. Taehyung felt like a teenager with a crush. Suddenly remembering he needed to make breakfast for Siwoo, he bolted to the kitchen—still with a big, stupid smile on his face.

Jeongguk wasn’t feeling well. He had spent the last hour teaching with a headache. Luckily, the kids had finished playing soccer, and he’d asked them to put the balls away. They did, then said goodbye and headed off to their final class. All that was left for him to do was close the gym—and then he had the afternoon off. Thank God. He really needed to lie down for an hour or so. Maybe he was coming down with something. His phone buzzed in his pocket.

“Yoongi-hyung,” he answered.

“Hey, brat. How are things?”

“Everything’s okay. I just finished up at school for the day.”

“I know, I remembered. I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me?”

Jeongguk sighed quietly. Yes, he missed Yoongi and wanted to spend time with him. But he had planned to eat at school—take his ibuprofen after lunch and stop by the nurse’s station for his weekly supplements. Still, if he went out with Yoongi now, they’d eat, and he could take his meds right away.

“Or not?” Yoongi added.

“No, no—sorry, hyung.” Jeongguk blinked, realizing he had spaced out for a solid second.

“It’s fine if you have other plans.”

“No, I’m free. I’d love to grab lunch. Let me finish up here, and I’ll head to wherever you are.”

“You don’t look good,” were the first words out of Yoongi’s mouth when they met.

“I’m—” Shit. Was it that obvious? “I think I’m coming down with something. My head is killing me.”

“You should’ve gone home and gone to bed,” Yoongi scolded, just as the waitress came over with menus.

“Have I seen you here before, sweets?” the girl asked.

Jeongguk, who was busy debating between a Caesar salad and a soup, felt a sharp kick to his shin.

“Ow—?” He looked up to see Yoongi glancing pointedly at the waitress, who was clearly staring at him.

“Sorry, what?” he asked, realizing she had spoken.

“I asked if you’re new in town. I haven’t seen you around,” she repeated, chewing her gum obnoxiously.

She was pretty—by heterosexual standards, Jeongguk guessed. Why was he always ending up in these situations? “I’m, uh—I’m...” He stammered. I’m new, yes. Assigned to one of your town’s Omegas,” he replied, hoping that would be enough.

Her scent soured slightly, but she didn’t back down. “Oh, I see. To whom?” Everyone in this town was a busybody. Everyone wanted to know his business.

“Can I order?” Yoongi cut in, noticing his friend’s discomfort.

“Sure, honey,” the waitress replied, turning to take his order. “And what can I get you, sweets?” she asked Jeongguk.

“I’ll get the Caesar salad,” he said, handing over the menu.

As she walked off—swaying her hips in a very short dress—Jeongguk watched her for a second, then turned to Yoongi. “What’s with this town and privacy?” he muttered.

“You’re clearly very popular,” Yoongi laughed.

“You just told me I look like shit.” Jeongguk sat up straighter, wincing as his head throbbed again. “Fuck, my head’s killing me.”

As they ate, Jeongguk’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Taehyung.

Taehyung: Hey, where are you?

Shit. He’d forgotten to tell the Omega he was going out for lunch. They usually ate together, and the other was probably already there, waiting. Jeongguk quickly excused himself and called Taehyung, apologizing to Yoongi with a glance.

“Hey,” Taehyung answered. “Are you on the roof?” There was a playful lilt in his voice, and Jeongguk immediately felt guilty. Since that morning, Taehyung had been smiling at him in this soft, special way—and it drove Jeongguk’s Alpha senses crazy how good and pliant he smelled. Like heaven on earth.

“I’m sorry, Tae. I forgot to text you. I went to lunch with Yoongi. I don’t have any more classes today.”

“Oh. Sure, yes. Don’t worry.”

Jeongguk felt like he’d screwed up. Yoongi was giving him a look—half amused, half guilty.

“Sorry,” he repeated. “I’ll make it up to you with a nice dinner. How about that?” He remembered how fond Taehyung was of his cooking. Hopefully the headache would ease up soon with some medicine.

“About dinner... I wanted to talk to you about that,” Taehyung said.

“Sure.”

“Uh—” Taehyung hesitated.

“What is it?” Jeongguk asked, curious. He wished he could see the other’s face to better understand the hesitation.

“My parents want to meet you,” Taehyung said quickly. “They’re a big part of mine and Siwoo’s life, and... now that there’s an Alpha living at home, they’re curious about you.”

Jeongguk felt like he’d been hit by a train.

His parents? Of course, they were involved—he’d known he’d have to meet them eventually. But tonight? “Tonight?” he asked after a beat. He felt slower than usual today—his head pounding.

“Yeah. My dad just texted me earlier. Is that okay?”

Was he nervous? Yes. But could he back out? Not really. “Sure. I mean—do you want me to cook something special?” he offered, trying to sound casual.

“No, no. My mom is spending the day cooking. She’s bringing food, as she always does. It’s more about you being okay with them coming over.”

Jeongguk nodded, smiling at Yoongi’s confused expression. “Sure, yes. I’m fine with that, of course.”

“Alright, that’s such a relief. See you later then? I’ll grab lunch before my next class.”

Jeongguk smiled, thinking of the handsome Omega. He missed him already—and his sweet scent. “See you later, Tae.”

As he hung up, Yoongi looked at him, puzzled.

“Tae’s parents are coming to dinner.”

“Tonight?” Yoongi raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Jeongguk went back to eating.

“Why didn’t you tell him you’re sick?” Yoongi asked, concerned.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll take ibuprofen and have a good nap.” Jeongguk genuinely believed he’d recover soon.

As Taehyung exited the cafeteria, the nurse stopped him at the door.

“Sorry, have you seen Jeongguk today?” she asked.

Taehyung smiled at the elderly woman. “He was here earlier, but he’s off the rest of the day. Did you need something?”

“He asked me to get his medicine—it just arrived.”

“Medicine?” Taehyung tilted his head.

“Uh, yes. Some supplements. He told me he was running low. Thought I’d deliver them today since it’s the weekend tomorrow and we won’t see each other until next week.”

Taehyung blinked. “You can give it to me if you want.”

“That would be great. Come by the infirmary later.”

Taehyung wasn’t usually a snoopy person, but he really wanted to know what kind of supplements Jeongguk was taking—maybe he could use some too.

He opened the package and frowned at the complicated name. Definitely not vitamins.

Sighing, he turned the small box over in his hands. Twenty pills.

Without thinking, he grabbed his phone.

“Hey Siri, what is Ruthioprine?” he asked, looking out the window of his car. He felt like he was doing something wrong. But he also needed to know.

Ruthioprine is a rut-suppressing drug taken by Alphas in cases where they need to delay their rut cycle,” the robotic voice replied.

What? Taehyung sat in silence for a moment, staring at the small package in his hand. A rut suppressor? Wasn’t it dangerous to suppress a rut—just like suppressing a heat? Was it even legal? This had to be a prescription drug, right? It couldn’t possibly be just a simple supplement. Why was Jeongguk taking it? They had never talked about his rut. Even though it was clearly something they needed to discuss eventually. Jeongguk had seen him go through heat... so of course, Jeongguk would have a rut too. What would happen if he stopped suppressing it? Taehyung wasn’t sure how dangerous the medication might be, but he did know an Omega who had suppressed his heat—and the side effects had been terrible. He picked up his phone.

“Hey Siri, is suppressing a rut dangerous for an Alpha?”

Suppressing a rut can have many side effects. If needed, an Alpha should always be treated by a doctor and must follow the prescribed timing and dosage of the medication.

Taehyung frowned. He placed the package of pills back into the little bag and set it on the passenger seat. Now, he definitely needed to talk to Jeongguk. Or... should he pretend not to know? Hm. What was he supposed to do?