Chapter Text
Yoongi never slept well when they were moon-side, despite the more natural gravity and actual fresh air around them. He'd always considered it a by-product of all the usual modifications that made living and working in lower gravity possible; in normal gravity, things always felt a little…slow.
Joon, of course, liked to tease him that it was because he had to put more energy into everything at almost a full G, something Yoongi found annoying. Joon had gotten oh-so-cocky ever since Yoongi had agreed to register as his bonded partner, despite the fact that he'd been so nervous beforehand that he'd burst into tears when Yoongi agreed. Honestly, such an Alpha: lock down a partner, immediately become a mouthy tease. Where was the adoration Yoongi so clearly deserved for deigning to put up with him? Apparently lost in the paperwork.
In any case, Yoongi's restless sleep meant he was only dozing lightly when the call came in from Seokjin. Tempted as he was to just elbow Namjoon until he did got up and took care of it, there'd be so much less fussing if he just answered it himself.
He took the call in the main room, tucked into one of Joon's robes in one of the low, soft chairs there. 'Least there were some perks to being part of a registered pair.
Seokjin's handsome face filled the square of light, and Yoongi immediately noted his tight forehead and flat mouth. Something was up. "Seokjin," he rumbled. "What's the problem?"
Seokjin blinked a few times, and then gave a snort of laughter. "Yah, does it show that badly?" he asked, fingers lightly smoothing his forehead.
"Does to old friends," Yoongi replied. He shifted up in the chair, mental faculties begrudgingly coming online. "Or were you looking for Joon?"
"I was hoping to get Joon for this, but given you're a pair, it wouldn't really matter, would it?" Seokjin replied. He paused for a breath, and Yoongi wished that the mythical scent attachment for comms was an actual thing, because he would bet that Seokjin smelled annoyed at the moment. That was intriguing; as a station doctor, Seokjin saw far too much chaos to rattle easily.
"Alpha Min," he said, "I have need of you and Alpha Kim's assistance."
Yoongi's turn to blink at him now; since when did Seokjin use formal address? "I'm listening, Beta Doctor Kim," he replied.
That got him a far more normal Seokjin look, but it dropped away almost immediately. "We have an omega here who is about to go into a critical Heat." A beat. "Are you familiar with that condition?"
To his annoyance, Yoongi was not, though he bet Joon would have known. "Unfortunately, I am not," he replied, voice a grumble. "Is it better or worse than a regular Heat?"
"Worse," Seokjin sighed. "While the symptoms and general treatment plan are the same, critical Heats require far more hands-on care." His mouth tightened again. "Modern medical treatments have turned most Heats and Ruts into a voluntary process, and for those willing to engage in that part of their cycle on their own, we have a wide variety of ways to accommodate them. But when an omega—or really, any presentation—is brought to the point that things become critical, modern treatments no longer suffice. It has to be done the old-fashioned way."
Yoongi nodded, following along — and then his brain ran straight into a wall of What Seokjin Actually Meant. "Wait — wait wait wait — are you asking for Joon to come and fuck this omega for you?"
"No," Seokjin replied, a tired note in his voice. "I'm asking for both you AND Joon to come fuck this omega for me."
Yoongi stared, and he could feel his mind wanting to jump, to race forward until it found some sort of shitty conclusion, but this was Seokjin. The same Seokjin who'd been the one to buy him and Joon a very nice bottle of whiskey to celebrate their paperwork. The same Seokjin who'd been there for Yoongi back when he'd been hemming and hawing over allowing the other alpha to get at all close to him, gently encouraging Yoongi to allow this measure of happiness into his life. The same Seokjin who looked not just tired, but frustrated. No, worse than that: there was anger in Seokjin's eyes, a flinty sharpness that was so rare to see in the beta. Something about this whole situation had really gotten to his friend.
"What happened to 'em, Jinnie?" Yoongi asked, voice softer.
Seokjin's mouth somehow flattened out even more. "Him," he said. "Male omega. Only a little bit older than Namjoon, actually. We ran his typing and are still waiting for his official ID to come back, but from the little we've managed to get out of him, he's a teacher of some sort."
Yoongi's eyes narrowed as his racing mind started lining up the pieces. He'd always been good at puzzles of all kinds; it was part of what made him such a good engineer. Young male omega, barely responsive, and traumatized enough to experience an old-fashioned Heat? Yeah, he had an idea of where this was going.
"He's a recovery, isn't he," Yoongi said.
Seokjin's cheek twitched. "I really shouldn't disclose anymore details of the situation until I can speak to both you and Alpha Kim," he said, eyes dropping down below the screen as he gave a series of deliberate nods. "And like I said, we're still waiting for word of an official ID, so I can't really give you a lot of details beyond that. Just— " He raised his eyes again. "You're needed, Alpha Min. You and Alpha Kim both."
Yoongi stroked his chin with his thumb; once upon a time, he would've bitten the skin around the nail there, but he'd finally gotten out of the habit. Being around Seokjin and Namjoon had helped to ease him out of a lot of bad habits—something something good people osmosis something something. He had a feeling he already knew what Joon was going to say about this. But just to check and be sure—
"Are we your only options, Beta Doctor Kim?"
Seokjin's face relaxed a fraction. "I was wondering when you'd ask, Yoongi," he said, tone a little more normal. "And truthfully, the answer is 'no'—there are other alphas in the sector who've had Heat training, and I'm sure the Counselor's Guild could recommend those with more 'experience,' too."
"But?"
"Buuuut—I don't know them," he replied with a shrug. "And for all you two are eternal pains in my ass, I also trust that you wouldn't treat this situation as some sort of joke. That you both would do what needs doing without making it into something even more fucked up."
A bit of the soft, squishy self Yoongi kept for only his closest comrades warmed his veins. "Sounds real soft there, Beta Doctor Kim," he said after a moment, tone warmer than the words.
"Yeah, well, you assholes wore me down," Seokjin replied, voice nonchalant, eyes anything but.
A monitor beeped off to the side, and Seokjin gave it a sour look. "Duty calls," he said.
"And I should go talk to Joon," Yoongi replied. "What's our time frame on this, Jinnie?"
"Sooner the better, Yoongs," he replied. "We can only hold him in Pre for so long before things will start getting even more painful for him."
Yoongi gave a nod. "Call you back in ninety minutes, then."
"A normal ninety minutes, or a Yoongi ninety minutes?"
"Ha ha," Yoongi replied, and hung up.
Yoongi's known Namjoon for a while now, which has him about 95% sure of which way he'll break on Seokjin's request. But Joon also wasn't the type to impulsively take on a responsibility, so Yoongi figured they'd have to sit and talk through it, too.
'Course, he needed to get Joon up first; he was born on a moon not unlike this one, and he always seemed to spend his first night deeply asleep. Annoying to rouse him from it, but also, gratifying to see his amante getting his needed rest.. The pair of them have always had a tendency to overwork themselves.
Once he got the man up—which included serving him fresh juice and a breakfast scramble to truly get him going—a third of his time was gone. But Yoongi had never been the type to beat around the bush, and so before Joon can get into his morning reading, he cut him off with: "Seokjin called this morning."
That got Joon's face out of his reader. "What about?" he asked. "Everything okay up there?" A faint worry lined appeared on his brow, and Yoongi resisted the urge to reach up and smooth it out.
"With him, yes," Yoongi said around a sip of coffee. "But he had a request for us."
The worry line disappeared, an interested light taking its place in Joon's eyes. He was wearing his morning glasses, too, thick black frames worn high on his nose, which made it all the more cuter to see. "What about?" he asked, morning voice as warm as Yoongi's coffee.
Yoongi laid it out for him: omega, critical Heat, Seokjin wanting the both of them to help. "He sounds like a recovery to me, Joon, but Jinnie couldn't tell me anything more," he said, turning his coffee cup in his hands. "They don't even have his typing in yet."
Joon's fingers tapped a rapid beat on the table. "Pretty sure you're right about that," he said. "It'd help explain why he went into critical Heat, too."
"You knew about that? I didn't remember that from our training." That they'd had cycles ago, but that was besides the point; Yoongi was often better at remembering odd tidbits like that than the larger facts.
Joon nodded as he took a slug of his juice, obviously savoring the real fruit sweetness. He'd once told Yoongi he'd gone into xenobotany because of how much he missed non-dehydrated fruit on stations, and given how much fruit juice he'd guzzle when they were moon-side, Yoongi thought it was less of a joke than Joon made it out to be. "It's considered emergency training, more advanced than the basic course we got," he said. "But you know me and follow-up reading."
Translation: Joon devoured subjects he was interested in, and yes, Yoongi was well aware of that, both on a professional and personal level.
He tapped on the counter again, now a more thoughtful beat. "If he was a recovery and near to his usual Heat in his cycle, then bringing him out of freeze without knowing that could've pushed him to this point," he said. "Especially if he went in—stressed."
Yoongi snorted. "I doubted he jumped into a flash capsule for the fun of it."
"Exactly." Joon got a far away look for a moment, and when he refocused on Yoongi, his eyes were intent. "What are you thinking here?"
Which took Yoongi aback; he figured Joon would get to the "yes, we should help" bit first. "Honestly? It wasn't how I expected to spend our vacation together," he replied bluntly. "And if it were anyone other than Jinnie asking, I probably would've told them to go talk to the next in line. Heats are exhausting in this much gravity." He held back from saying that omegas were also, in general, exhausting; that'd be rude to this poor recovery, even for him.
A smile played at the corner of Joon's mouth. "Even though you get to fuck a sweet little omega for his own good?"
Yoongi rolled his eyes. "If I wanted to go on a sex vacation, I would've planned one with you," he said. "Lot more options that way, y'know? Not to mention less trauma."
Joon's face fell into more sympathetic lines. "Yeah, that poor guy—you said he's not much older than me?" He gave a shake of his head. "Possible this might be his first post-presentation Heat, then, and to have it be something like this—" He let out a soft sigh, the kind that told Yoongi his sympathy was at an all-time high.
Yoongi took a sip of his coffee, then set it down on the counter. "Let me turn that question around on you, then," he said. "What are you thinkin' here?" He tilted his head. "Because I'm thinkin' you're in."
"How could I not be?" Joon asked, hands making a shrugging motion. "Or—let me put that another way: I think Jin's trust is placed in the right people here. Space is too big and warm bodies too few to entrust this sort of experience to someone you don't know just because they've got the right course credits in the database. And he knows our commitment to each other, because he was personally involved in it, and in this case that means a lot." He gave another shrug, this time with his shoulders. "You're right, it's not how I was planning to spend our vacation together, but we'll have other moon-side weeks. This poor omega only has the one chance to make it through this with fewer scars than he started out with, and I have faith in the pair of us to do that."
"I think you overrate my nobility," Yoongi grumbled.
"Amante, I would never," Joon replied, that hint of a smile back again. "Just as I would also never underrate your compassion for others."
Yoongi let out a groan at that, getting a laugh from Joon in response. "But don't worry, I wont let the other engineers know your secret," he added with a wink. "Now, when is Jinnie supposed to call us back?"
"He's not," Yoongi replied, sipping at his coffee. "We're supposed to call him back within," he checked the time in the kitchenette, "forty-seven minutes."
"Well," Joon said as he slid off his seat, "then I've got time for another juice."
"He did also say it was urgent."
Joon grinned at him from the cooler. "Then I will make it a quick glass of juice," he said, "and you can finish your cup of coffee."
Yoongi couldn't argue with that, but he did suck at his teeth, making Joon pause.
"So we're going to do this, then," he said.
Joon gave a slow nod. "We're going to do this," he affirmed. "Unless—you really don't—"
Yoongi shook his head. "Paperwork says we're a pair, Joon," he said. "Where you go, I go."
Namjoon gave him a brief, dimple-y grin, then went back to pulling his beloved juice out of the cooler.
Seven minutes later, the pair of them sat down on the loveseat in the living room, the line of Joon's thigh warm against Yoongi's. Yoongi sent a ping to Jin, and it barely bounced a few times before the INCOMING CALL alarm sounded. Joon answered with a, "Morning, Jin. Sorry I missed you last time."
"I was surprised to get either of you at this hour," Jin replied, voice easy, but there was still a tightness to his face. "I assume Alpha Min informed you of my request, Alpha Kim?"
"He did," Joon said, pushing his glasses up. "How's the patient doing?"
"We're keeping him in light sedation until we have an idea of where to send him, so last I checked, he was buried in his pillows," Jin replied.
Yoongi glanced over at Joon and mouthed "pillows"; apparently, the Infirmary had upgraded since last he'd had to spend time there. The corner of Joon's mouth ticked up, but he kept most of his attention on Jin. "So you have other options than the two of us?" he asked.
Jin's lips thinned, but he kept his voice even as he said, "Of course there are other...options." His eyes flicked between the two of them, and his frame seemed to droop. "Should I take that as your refusal, then?"
"Nothing of the sort, Jinnie," Yoongi said, reaching down to pinch Joon's knee. "But for his sake, it's good to know there are other possibilities. Just in case."
Jin let out a long breath, tension lines creeping in around his eyes for a brief moment, then straightened. "I need you both to make it official then, Alphas," he said.
Joon rolled his shoulders back next to him, his hand finding Yoongi's on his knee. "Beta Doctor Seokjin, of C-Station Wencai, I, Alpha Kim, formally accept this assignment," he said, voice lush and deep in a way that made the hair stand up on Yoongi's arms.
"Same," Yoongi chimed in a moment later.
Seokjin scowled at him. "Yoongi," he warned.
"Fine fine," Yoongi sighed, then repeated Joon's wording, slotting his name in appropriately. He didn't even try to hit Joon's resonant, commanding tone; he wasn't that awake on a single cup of coffee.
Seokjin tapped something at his station, then said, "I, Beta Doctor Seokjin, do accept these Alphas for the proposed assignment—" He then trailed off into official gibberish, during which Yoongi rearranged his and Joon's hands so they were clasped instead of just settled together. It felt better, and it soothed the little curl of anxiety that'd spun itself up in his chest. They'd officially committed to this, now, to more—paperwork. Only they knew next to nothing about what they had just committed to.
A thing he brought up once Seokjin had finished his recitation for the files: "So, Jinnie—any more information on the identity of this omega?"
The tightness that'd been present in Seokjin's face before eased, leaving a pleasant, more normal looking Jinnie in its place. "We got a partial file from the database while we waited for you two to call back," he said, tapping again at the station. "It's not much—seems his employer, Cadmus, has most of his information locked down—"
Joon's hand tightened on Yoongi's, just a fraction; Yoongi filed that away for later.
"—but we have a confirmed ID, at least," he said. He tapped another button, and the screen before them split off into another window that filled with a rotating portrait. Joon's hand tightened on his again, and Yoongi squeezed back in shared affirmation: the omega was gorgeous.
"Jung Hoseok," Seokjin announced. "Lately of the Cadmus Academy, but originally from the Garden Belt."
"Another moon-sider," Joon murmured.
"Probably," Seokjin agreed, "though from what we have, that's just a guess."
Yoongi quietly studied the omega's portrait. Wherever this picture had come from, he'd obviously been caught on the verge of laughter, lips spread in a wide, toothy smile as his eyes began to crinkle. It was a good look on him, one that didn't look in any way practiced, and it did nothing to obscure his delicate features and cute nose. His hair brushed the base of his neck, dark and fluffy looking; what eye color Yoongi could see looked dark, though not as dark as his. Yoongi suddenly wished they had more than a bust portrait of him; he was curious to see the rest of the frame that went with such a pretty face.
"Any information on what he does with Cadmus?" Joon asked.
"He's an instructor and House supervisor, but that's all we got," Seokjin said, a drop of annoyance in his voice. "Cadmus says they'll send further information, but they haven't specified a time frame, since it's apparently," his lip curled a fraction, "extraneous."
"Fabulous institution, I see," Yoongi said, voice dry.
"So since he's a moon-sider by birth, are you going to send him down to us?" Joon asked, obviously fine with carrying on the actually informative part of the conversation.
"Yes, that's the plan," Seokjin replied, tone smoothly professional again. "There's a clinic near to where you both are staying that has Heat and refresh rooms, so we're going to transfer him—and you, if you wish—over to it. I'm also going to request a Counselor accompany him down there to help oversee his mental well-being."
"Since he's likely a recovery," Yoongi put in. Seokjin hadn't confirmed that before, and maybe it wasn't the most pertinent information, but Yoongi liked to know when his hunches were right.
A softness stole over Seokjin's face. "Yes, though I still don't have all the details," he said, voice also quieter. "Finding out he was an instructor was a relief though—it explained why he kept asking about 'his boys' and 'his kids' when we brought him around. He was very worried about them."
Joon's head tilted, and his hand tightened again on Yoongi's. "Has he ever had...pups?" he asked.
Seokjin's eyebrows went up, and Yoongi bit the inside of his lip to keep from chuckling; it was such an Alpha question to ask. "He's capable, but no," he replied, and then he smirked at Joon. "And he won't get any out of this Heat, either, not without removing a certain implant and re-balancing his hormone levels." His eyes sharpened in an amused way. "Which, if I could do that without issue, I wouldn't need you two."
Yoongi felt that, at this point, Seokjin could use a taste of his own medicine. "So this Counselor you're sending down—is it Jimin?" he asked. "I know how much you enjoy dealing with him." That is, how well Seokjin dealt with the competent and very flirty omega, which was—not well at all.
Seokjin's lips pursed in an immediate frown. "I don't know if it will be Counselor Park who ends up going down," he said, "though I will have to contact him, unfortunately."
"He always seems to enjoy his chats with you, Jin," Joon filled in smoothly. "He's told me so over lunch."
"Counselor Park and I have very different definitions of what is enjoyable," he groused back, that annoyed line reappearing on his brow. "Now, if you both will excuse me, this case has unexpectedly taken up much more of my day than I intended it to. I'll send the signed paperwork down to you both so you can have a copy for—"
"And perhaps some information on critical Heat?" Joon asked.
Seokjin just gave him a look. "I'm sure Counselor Park has even better resources than I do, being an omega and all," he said. "Since he's such a good lunch partner, why don't you ask him?"
And with that, the call blipped out of existence.
Joon looked over at Yoongi, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I didn't think he'd take that lunch comment so hard," he admitted.
"He takes everything involving Jimin 'too hard'," Yoongi replied, grinning. "I wonder if he'll figure out why one day."
"You think he's pretty irritating, too," Joon replied.
Yoongi gave a shrug. "He's an omega, that's kind of how they work," he replied.
Joon's eyes found his. "Are you—" he started.
Yoongi leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. "It's fine, Joon," he said. "I agreed to this of my own free will. Because more and more, it sounds like you're right, that this'll be this poor kid's first actual post-presentation Heat. And if that's the case, he's gonna need more than just you to take care of him."
Joon pushed up his glasses with a smirk. "Because that'll be such a sacrifice, based on that picture."
If it were anyone else, Yoongi would've brushed that off, but—
"Kinda wish we'd gotten a full-body shot," he said, voice a little wistful. "See if he's that delicate looking all the way down."
"He still had beauty marks, on his lip and cheek," Joon said, squeezing his hand. "And only a ship stud piercing. That's an old-fashioned kind of delicate there."
Instead of continuing to contemplate the pretty omega, though, Yoongi's attention was drawn back to another hand squeeze Joon had given him. "You know something about Cadmus Academy?" he asked, sitting up a little straighter.
Joon mirrored his posture, eyes turning serious behind his glasses. "Yeah, I've heard of them," he said. "Hard not to when you're my kind of academic."
Which was Joon's kind way of saying that he'd gone to an actual school, rather than Yoongi's position=hopping station training.
"They're a ship academy," he continued. "And not just a little tutor's yacht kind of situation, either, but the kind built to serve colony ships: big, multi-environment, mostly self-sufficient, with facilities on-board for all students, faculty and staff. From what I understand, they got started alongside the asteroid mines, did well, and have steadily moved up in the facilities they offer and the clientele they serve."
Yoongi's eyebrows went up. "And you turned down that kind of job for station work?"
"Exclusive academies like Cadmus tend to be very—exclusive—about their employees, too," Joon replied. "As cushy as those ships can be, it is the same ship for what I've heard are long contracts. Station work is just as important and has a lot more freedom built into it." He bussed the back of Yoongi's hand. "And has far more cute engineers."
Yoongi rolled his eyes. "Save it for the omega."
"Oh right, right: Min Yoongi, Omega Tamer, has no need to practice flirting."
Yoongi held in a groan. After their initial Heat training, they'd been required to let the station public know that those who'd graduated could help out those who wanted a natural Heat for some reason. Yoongi had been—popular—in those requests, a fact that he'd at first found very gratifying to his ego, and then steadily more tiring. He had no idea why he'd been so popular, though both Joon and Jinnie came up with a thousand theories, each more teasing than the last. After all, if they wanted someone they felt would be less of an issue, instinct-wise, then there were betas in the class, too—which also covered someone "smaller," a feature Jin often returned to. Once he'd done his mandatory time, he'd pulled his name and not touched an omega since, which, somehow, didn't save him from teasing. Probably he needed better friends for that.
Joon's amusement meant his dimples were now showing, and Yoongi took advantage to collect Dimple Tax, pressing his right index into the one opposite him. "You were popular, too," he replied, and the whine in his voice was surely from being roused early and only having that one cup of coffee.
"Ah, but I heard you were a genius," Joon replied, eyes and voice completely sincere. It made Yoongi groan and poke at his other dimple.
"There's no such thing as a Heat genius," he grumbled. "Or a Rut genius. You can't be a genius at a natural process."
Joon pressed a kiss now against his far too bony knuckles; despite their difference in height and stature, their hands were almost the same size, a thought that always set a little warmth bubbling in Yoongi's heart. "You say that, but you can be," he lifted his eyes, looking almost guileless, "a natural at it."
Yoongi forced his lips and cheeks to bunch, holding in the half-laugh that'd vindicate Joon. "Why did I keep you again?" he said, a burr in his voice.
Joon shifted Yoongi's fingers in his hands, and the kisses he dotted them with got longer, wetter, heating the nerves under Yoongi's skin and all throughout his body. His scent rose between them, amping from its normal faint musk and wood to a smell of fresh sap, light musk, and for some reason, dark chocolate. Yoongi could smell his citrus peel scent, bitter and bright, moving to match as Joon steadily set fire to his nerves. He paused for just a moment to look up at Yoongi, an almost coy look on his face as he said, " 'Cause you like me."
"Lucky for—" Yoongi started, and then Joon sucked a pair of his fingers between his lips, and whatever he was about to say ended on a groan. Paperwork hadn't taught Joon how sensitive Yoongi's hands were, time had, but the paperwork did make sure that Joon often reminded him of that fact.
Joon raised his head, lips wet, and barely leaned in before Yoongi met him. In a few moments, they went from sitting next to each other on the loveseat to Yoongi's head on the headrest, wet fingers tangled in the ash blond of Joon's hair as Joon leaned in over him, his hand warm on Yoongi's thigh.
The kiss broke for a moment so that Joon could lean back and rearrange the both of them, and Yoongi couldn't help a laugh between his faster breaths. Joon paused in settling Yoongi's legs under him to ask, "'What?"
"Aren't we supposed to spend the next several days fucking an omega?" Yoongi asked, even as he reached for Joon's hips to tug them closer so he could grind up against him. "Seems like we should be, mmm, saving this."
Joon grinned and leaned in just out of range of Yoongi. "You don't have to come if you don't want to, amante," he murmured in a low, hair raising voice, hips rocking lightly back into Yoongi.
"Oh that's not happening," Yoongi growled, yanking Joon down into an open-mouthed kiss, hips rocking back into him. They kissed and ground against each other for a few moments longer before Joon pulled back with a whine.
"We stick to this loveseat, it'll take forever for me," he sighed. "Best take this back to bed? Then you can get some more rest," kiss, "and I can do some," grind, "research."
"Throw in a shower," Yoongi replied, hips rolling back, fingers still clenched in the light fabric of his shirt, "and you've got a deal."
"Could splurge, even, and have a bath."
"Even better," Yoongi replied, giving him a soft smile. Then he reached up and whacked his shoulder. "So get off me, we have plans now."
Joon rolled his eyes, but also slid to the side, catching his footing before reaching down to help Yoongi off the couch—and right into his arms, because as much as Joon said the size difference didn't have an effect on him, he also went out of his way to show those words were lies. Not that Yoongi minded, especially at times like this; Joon leaning into his alpha when he was in the mood was hot, and it was part of the reason he enjoyed their relationship so much. Back in his omega taming days, there'd always been two sorts: those that fell into their instincts, and those that had to be coaxed into them. He'd found the latter more and more irritating over time, because it'd become obvious that it was all part of the game for them, and Yoongi really didn't have time for that with people who'd chosen to have a Heat. If they wanted to play courting games, then they should've gone with someone who was also interested in playing them; Yoongi never had been.
He wondered, briefly, if that beautiful little omega, that Jung Hoseok, would be the type to need games. Or would a critical Heat cut through all the usual trappings and leave him just bare to instinct? It'd be easier for Yoongi if that were the case. Bad enough he had to do this in full grav—
And then Joon stripped off Yoongi's shirt and pressed his wrist gland to his neck, and all thoughts flew out of his head.
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
After his call with the alphas, Seokjin busied himself with the work that'd been delayed by the recovery situation. Or rather, assumed recovery situation, though given that it'd been an anti-pirate Guild that'd delivered the capsule to the station, the chances were certainly better than average. It didn't truly matter for the patient's health, but it did ease his curiosity some, knowing that. And it allowed him to get back to his work with a far less clouded mind.
Nearly two hours later, with all of his usual preparation done for the next shift, he checked in on Jung Hoseok. The slight omega was curled up on his side, shoulders hunched and face buried in the pair of pillows Seokjin had given him, soft gray blanket askew over his form. Seokjin's lip curled in a dismissive way as he remembered the alpha's shock at that, as if he would be so inconsiderate to not give an omega in Pre nesting material of some sort. Honestly, sometimes those two just didn't think.
He checked the read-outs over the bed and let out a soft sigh; even under sedation, Jung's body temperature had continued to rise. All within normal parameters for Pre, but it meant that the omega would be in fullblown Heat by the next moonrise. Seokjin needed to get him moon-side as soon as he could, then.
Which meant he needed to call the Counselor sooner rather than later—certainly sooner than Fatou showed up to relieve him at least. He took a snapshot of Jung's readings for his desk terminal, and with a roll of his shoulders, headed back into his office.
Counselor Park answered his comm on the second buzz, and to Seokjin's surprise, his lovely form filled the viewer. Counselors were allowed voice-only communication; it was considered key to their job, even. But there he was, in all his lovely, long-haired omega glory, beaming through the viewer at him.
"Medical Officer Kim!" he chimed, voice warm and gentle as a moon-side breeze. "What a pleasure it is to see you again! I hope all is well in your office."
"Counselor Park," Seokjin replied, keeping his voice cool. "A pleasant station morning to you, too."
Park beamed at him. "Why thank you, Seok - I mean, Medical Officer Kim."
Internally Seokjin groaned to himself, because it would be nice to hear Jimin call him "Seokjin." It'd be even nicer to hear him say "Jin" or—improbable as it was—"Jinnie." The problem was, Park knew that, and so Seokjin had to stand fast against such work informality lest it be…exploited.
He glossed over the thanks and continued on with, "I have a case that needs one of your Counselors, preferably one who can go moon-side today."
Jimin's liquid eyes—how did he look so good even in this form, by the patchy light matrix of his desk viewer—widened. "Oh dear," he said, voice softening. "I hadn't heard of a major accident happening on the station today." One small hand curled up from his robe, delicate fingers touching his full bow of a mouth. "Unless…it has something to do with that Guild ship that stopped by briefly today? I thought they stopped at the dock for a very short time for a Guild ship."
And see, this is why he couldn't allow Counselor Park too close, because the man found out everything. If Seokjin gave him an inch, he'd somehow find out or figure out the remainder of his life just through that.
"It does," he said, tone the kind that made nurses double check their assessments. "So—"
Park suddenly pouted, and just that cut him off. "What?" Seokjin asked, unable to hide his confusion.
"I thought you'd have something to say about me finding that out," Jimin said, pout turning his lips into the most adorable bill. "You usually have something to say about how I get all my information."
Seokjin gave him a more expressively annoyed look and asked, "Is that better?"
Park heaved a sigh, but his pout did level out. "Somewhat."
"Fine. As I was saying, I need one of your Counselors to come down and look at a recovery patient. He's—"
He paused, because going into the details would only make the call longer, and he just wanted to wrap this up before the end of his day. He finally decided on: "He's going to need extra care."
"Certainly, I can check the schedule," Park replied, keying something at his own desk. "Should I mark him as needing a particular species or presentation? It's short notice, but we do have a Pentes and a Wayne on staff now, as well as all three presentations in various flavors, of course."
"An omega would be best," Seokjin said, keeping his voice low. "Someone familiar with trauma-based cycling."
Park's eyebrows rose, but he didn't look up from whatever screen he was working at. "I think I have just the person for you, Medical Officer Kim," he said. "Should I send them down to the Infirmary?"
"As soon as possible, Counselor Park," he said. "The patient is going to need to be moved moon-side as soon as possible, and I would like the Counselor to see him up here first."
"Of course," Park replied, raising his luminous eyes and smiling that faint, gentle smile of his. It should be irritating, that little curve to his mouth, but because this was Park Fucking Jimin, it looked downright beatific. He sometimes wondered how anyone in the Counselor's office got their work done with Jimin walking around looking like—himself.
"There," he said, pulling Seokjin from his inner rant. "Your Counselor will join you shortly, Medical Officer."
"I look forward to it, Counselor," Seokjin sighed. There—one more mental item checked off his list.
He should've known what was about to happen when Counselor Park replied with, "I truly hope you do," rather than any other sign-off. And yet, because he'd once again let his guard down, he was caught by surprise when Jimin knocked on the frame of his office about a half-hour later.
Seokjin blinked at him, stylus poised over a report. "Counselor Park," he said, not bothering to stand, "are you meeting your subordinate here?"
Jimin smiled at him, and Seokjin hoped that the screen before him wouldn't pick up the increase in his heart rate. Park Jimin was a little on the small side, even for a moon-side omega, but he made up for it by having enough beauty and presence to fill a room. His long, silvery hair was pinned back with a shimmering flower pin—likely some planet-made antique—though he'd kept enough loose to frame his round, pleasant face. His eyes were a cat-like green above an adorable nose and, currently, brilliant smile. He wore the traditional purple Counselor's robe over rough station pants and shoes. Jimin always looked like he belonged on a set rather than a station, and Jimin in his Counselor's robes in particular looked like he'd just stepped out of some sort of royal drama.
"May I come in, Medical Officer?" Jimin asked, folding his hands in his sleeves.
"Uh—of course, Counselor," Seokjin replied, indicating the chair in front of him. "You can tell me a little bit about who you've assigned to the case, so—"
"That would be me, Medical Officer," Jimin broke in as he swept in to sit himself—perch himself, like some sort of bird—on his office seat. Along with him came a faint, sweet scent, like a distant garden; scent blockers were common courtesy in most places on a station, given the recycled air. Didn't keep Seokjin from wondering exactly what Jimin's scent was and how it would pair with his own hot house, much as he always did.
He pushed those thoughts away and tried to keep his face neutral as he eyed Jimin. "You… are the Counselor for the case?" he asked, holding his tone as still as possible.
"You needed an omega," Jimin replied with a delicate shrug. "And I both have the schedule free and have made an extensive study of cycle-related illnesses." A challenging light came into his eye. "If your recovery is an omega, then I can think of several that might afflict him. I assure you, I am the best option in this case."
"And your office can spare you?" Seokjin pushed back, though it felt a little weak to him. "I'll need you moon-side with the patient."
Jimin gave him one of those gentle smiles, the kind that seemed like a non-verbal "Oh, silly Seokjin." "Trust me, my office won't mind. My seconds have been trying to get me off the station for my usual leave for a while now. This is a good opportunity to combine such things."
Seokjin felt himself frown, and it was no act as he pointed his stylus at Jimin. "If you've been derelict in your moon-side leave, I will make it a prescription and keep you down there for another full week," he said. "There's a reason it's mandatory for all Lupes, Counselor."
To his surprise, Jimin colored faintly, blush blooming like tiny flowers all over his face. "I - I am aware, Medical Officer," he said, voice softer. "I had just been—" He paused, small teeth sinking into his full bottom lip in a way that made something whine inside Seokjin. "Just been hoping I could—overlap—and share it with someone else." His eyes suddenly seemed pleading.
Ah, well, Seokjin could hardly fault him for that; Lupes were the type to always want to share their off-time with others. "If that's the case, then it's nothing you should leave to chance, right?" he replied, bringing his voice to a warm neutral. "I'm sure just about anyone on this station would be ecstatic to spend their vacation with you, Jimin."
Jimin's eyes widened, lips parting slightly around a noticable intake of breath, and Seokjin realized then what had escaped him. Before Jimin could follow up, he quickly pushed on with, "But as you're the Counselor for my patient, maybe it'd be best to plan that for—after."
That faint grin was back on Jimin's face, but he gave a nod of agreement. "After," he said. "Now, tell me what you've got."
Seokjin sketched out what he knew and the plans he'd made so far, Jimin nodding and taking notes on his own pad as he did so. When he'd finished, Jimin reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you confident in your choice of alphas, Medical Officer?" he asked.
"I trust them both," Seokjin replied, unable to keep the questioning tone out of his voice. Jimin knew both Yoongi and Namjoon—apparently well enough to go to lunch with Namjoon, even! Why would he have doubts? "And they've both had the necessary Heat training."
"And they're also pair bonded," Jimin replied, voice serious. "Isn't that going to be a little overwhelming to this poor Omega Jung, sending in two alphas at a time?"
Ah, Seokjin could see the issue now. "Both of them have handled Heats independent of each other," he replied. "I figured we could rotate them as Omega Jung needs, which allows his body to recover from their attentions."
"Their knots, you mean," Jimin replied with a grin. "Especially if you're going to give them Rut-likes to help them keep pace with him."
"I had considered it," Seokjin sighed, "though Alpha Kim might not need it. Alpha Min, though? In that gravity? He'll certainly need something."
Jimin made a note and nodded. "I'll speak to the fertility techs about it. then," he said, "as well as discuss it with your alpha friends." He raised his head, still openly grinning. "As someone who's been though Heats, I can let them know such treatment will be appreciated."
Seokjin frowned at him. "Just because I'm a beta, Counselor Park, does not mean I'm unfamiliar with Heat," he said.
Jimin's eyes brightened, and he leaned forward a little. "Why Medical Officer Kim, you should've let me know that before! We could've had a toy party."
There was nothing Seokjin could do to keep the blush from scalding his cheeks now, something Jimin for sure noticed. "It has been some time," he admitted. "Mandatory medical school training."
Jimin beamed at him a moment before—for some reason—making another note on his device. "Not so for me, Medical Officer," he said, voice oddly cheery. "Though I also did that same mandatory medical school training."
Seokjin frowned, trying to think of why that would be the case, and Jimin seemed to know before he even looked up, as he chuckled. "Part of my Counselor track," he said, filling in the information easily. "I have both technician and C-level nursing licenses. Should the Infirmary ever need someone to fill in, I could do so in a pinch."
Part of Seokjin quailed at the thought of a whole day with Park Jimin dogging his steps; another part of him sang. He went with the up-the-middle option of, "Our staffing needs are currently adequately met, Counselor, but I will keep that in mind. Besides—" he toyed with his stylus a moment, then pushed on with, "—I'm sure your office could hardly spare you."
"Which, again, is the reason I have seconds, for just such situations," Jimin replied, cheerful lilt everpresent in his voice. "Just think of it, Medical Officer: you and me, going over charts, taking in case details, maybe even," he pressed his hand to his heart, "dealing with a minor emergency together." Jimin's too bright eyes found his, one hand reaching across the desk towards him as he said, "Can you just imagine, asking me for a med, STAT?"
Seokjin wanted to reach for him, to cup Jimin's small hand within his greater one and breathe out some ridiculous medical thing back. It would be so sweet to, just for a moment, join Jimin in one of his worlds, the kind of places he went to so easily and always made seem so enticing. To say not just "Yes," but to let him know that he'd—
Ah, and there was the problem, wasn't it? Because if he admitted that—admitted that he thought about Jimin at all, and then further admitted he'd had dreams about him—then there went any semblance of a barrier between them. Jimin was too smart, too quick, and too keen to admit anything of that sort to; it was part of his job, and Jimin wasn't a Head Counselor for nothing.
Seokjin forced his eyes back down to this own screen. "I am sure your seconds wouldn't appreciate you taking time just to play nurse with me," he replied, keeping his tone even.
"You have no idea—"
"And right now, we've got a patient to attend to," Seokjin said, quickly cutting him off. "You want primary care for him down there, or should I assign him to the center?"
Silence stretched for a long moment, and then, without warning, Jimin stood up and walked out of his office.
Seokjin watched him go in disbelief—where was he going in his Infirmary and what was he planning to do there?—but before he could ask, Jimin called back, "The omega, he's in the usual recovery space, yeah?"
"Of course," Seokjin yelled—and then realized what he'd done. He pushed up out of his chair and headed out to his—still his—patient's bed to find Jimin lowering his screen with a little nod.
"What are you doing?" Seokjin asked. "I believed you about your certifications, you didn't—"
"You asked if I wanted primary care for the patient," Jimin cut in, voice clipped and professional. "I couldn't agree to that without taking my own look at his readings. You realize, based on these vitals, that he's going to be in heat by," he frowned, "moonrise?"
"Of course," Seokjin replied, trying not to let the offense show in his voice. "It's why I contacted the alphas in question as soon as I diagnosed him as being in critical Heat; sedation can't hold him in Pre, just give us a little extra time to work with. And I know it hurts to be caught in-between the phases."
Jimin gave him another look, some of that softness back in his face. "That it does," he said, eyes going back to his pad. "And it's good to hear that not be dismissed, as well."
Seokjin shrugged, feeling a little awkward. "Pain is always a sign of something," he said, wishing the words felt less mealy in his mouth. "In an environment like this, it'd be utter foolishness to ignore what it could be a sign of."
A smile curved one side of Jimin's lovely mouth. "Well said." He pressed a few more keys on his screen, and then let it fall into his sleeve as he crossed his arms over each other and met Seokjin's eyes.
"Beta Medical Officer Seokjin, I, Omega Counselor Jimin, agree to take primary care of this omega, listed as Jung Hoseok," he intoned. His voice might not have the sheer presence of Namjoon's, but Seokjin found himself more inclined to Jimin's dulcet tones. "As such, I will need you to send my key down to the clinic technicians, as well as all files on him."
"The information we got back from his typing was incredibly sparse," Seokjin grumbled. "His employer, Cadmus Academy, has been stingy with the information they'll release."
"Cadmus, hmm?" Jimin tapped at his lips. "I may have a way to work around that."
He then grinned at Seokjin's undoubtedly far too impressed look. "Don't seem so surprised, Medical Officer - a Counselor always has to have their ways."
"That, Counselor, I am well aware of," Seokjin replied, a little laugh in his voice to disguise oh, how deeply did he know, and how he'd maneuvered that as a barricade between them. "Is there anything else you need?"
A beat, and then Jimin asked, "Could I take a look at a summary file of some sort on your alphas? I need to see if they're going to need something from the clinic."
Given his social overlap with Joon, and that Yoongi was always one of Joon's favorite topics of conversation, Seokjin doubted that Jimin actually needed something as small as a summary. But he nodded his agreement. "I'll have the computer prepare a basic overview."
Jimin smiled that gently beatific smile of his again, and Seokjin had to stop himself from collapsing against one of the door frames. "Then it seems as if I have some quick packing to do," he said. "Next moon-side shuttle will be departing in, what, ninety minutes?"
At which point Seokjin should be off shift, but since when did medical needs fall within strict hours? "I'll wrap things up with him here and arrange portage to—the bay? Your office?"
"My office would be better, yes," Jimin agreed. He then pouted slightly. "Walk me down to the bay, Medical Officer? I'd appreciate full oversight on the hand-off."
As a responsible Medical Officer, how could he disagree? He just had to be on his guard about it. "I'll have to wait for my shift relief," he said. "Medical Officer Fatou should be arriving within the quarter, though."
Jimin's pout turned into the gentle radiance of his smile. "Excellent," he said, and then held out his hand. Without thinking, Seokjin took it in his own, wrapping those faintly chilled fingers in his own. Almost immediately, as if blown in on a moon-side breeze, the scent of a far-off garden grew closer—and it distinctly seemed to have a hot house of specialty flowers on its grounds.
Jimin's smile brightened even further, turning his eyes to adoring crescents. "I'll see you soon, Medical Officer...Seokjin."
"Yes, Counselor...Jimin," he found himself responding, partially entranced by his smile, partially by the new scents floating around the both of them.
Jimin's smile got, somehow, brighter for a moment, as he gave Seokjin's hand a firm shake. Then, with incredible ease, he pulled away, tucked his hands back into his sleeves, and glided out the door. With him went gardens, moon-side breezes, and a certain brightness to the room that had crept up on Seokjin, only to be missed when it was gone.
He resisted, through long training, the urge to rub his hands over his face. This, in a nutshell, was why he did his best to avoid Counselor Jimin. Except, of course, the bit where he'd just agreed to accompany him to the bay with this patient. Like—a very little bit like—
No, he told himself firmly, it is not at all like. It is purely a matter of professional responsibility and courtesy.
Funny how even as true and accurate as the thought was, it still felt a little bit like a lie, simply because he was doing this alongside Park Jimin, simply because Park Jimin had asked.
He sighed and went back to his office; the moon-side shuttle wasn't going to wait for him to finish arguing with himself, and he not only had to give Jimin all his requested credentials, but also generate files for the alphas and wrap up his end-of-shift duties as well. Thankfully he'd been expecting to move Omega Jung ever since he'd seen that he was moon-side born, so the transfer to portage would only take a few minutes once the porter arrived. He made a quick note to call for one of those once Fatou came in, and then settled in to finish the rest of his shift off.
He had just scrawled his name down a final time when there was a knock on his office frame; he looked up to see Fatou there, but also, someone unexpected over her shoulder. He looked to be as tall as Seokjin, though not nearly as broad, with an improbably fashionable swoosh of sandy hair, a charming white smile beneath it.
"Station morning, Fatou," he said, hitting the last check on his pad. "Who's this?"
The handsome man started to speak, but Fatou cut him off with a, "Says he's a porter come to help transport a patient. Says you called for him."
Had he? Seokjin had thought he'd put that task for after Fatou arrived, but he'd also just burned through everything on his usual end-of-shift checklist in a blink, so. Probably just hit that one as well. "Well, you're right on time, then - "
"Beta Vante," the man replied, holding his hand out. Seokjin just gave him a look from behind his desk, and he quickly dropped it.
Fatou had moved into the office, so Seokjin quickly closed down his profile on the station so she could take the desk. They exchanged the usual quick sign-offs, and then Seokjin stood and moved towards this—Vante.
"New on the station?" he asked as he headed over to Omega Jung's bed.
"I am," Vante replied, voice hearty. "Does it show?"
"A little," Seokjin said he pulled up the menu to initiate Jung's transfer. "The trawler's in the other room, by the way—it just needs to be powered on."
Vante's presence disappeared from the room, and Seokjin found himself letting out a breath. New guys always needed to learn to bring their energy down a few notches when they got on station, especially a settled station like this one.
He finished the transfer sequence, then fished a hypo of out of the drawer next to the bed and pressed it lightly to Jung's neck. The omega twitched a few times, tension flickering across his face, and Seokjin couldn't resist brushing a hair off his forehead. "Soon," he murmured, "soon you'll be on the other side of this."
The soft hum of the trawler announced Vante's return to the room, and Seokjin shifted to the other side of the omega's bed to start the process.
Soon, I'll be through this transfer to Jimin, he thought as he and Vante eased the bundle of omega from one bed to the other. And then I can just—put this day behind me and get some rest. And a drink. A drink after this morning would be amazing.
All he needed to do was survive this extra time he'd just booked himself with Jimin. He could do that, no problem, no sweat. It'd be fine.
Slowly Vante maneuvered the bed out of the room, and Seokjin followed, trying his best not too look too much like he was going to either an execution or—possibly far worse: a sort of quasi-date with Park Jimin.
Really. It'd all be fine.