Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Yoongi watched the news with pursed lips. Even as the anchor spoke plainly, he couldn’t help his eyes scanning over the headline scrolling across the bottom of the television to confirm.

As he took the words in, realizing that it was not, in fact, a joke, he felt a heavy weight settle in his chest. His first thought was of his pack- of Taehyung, specifically, the only unmated omega among them. He took a drink of water, swallowing around the lump in his throat as his mind raced through the possibilities.

A registry. A fucking national registry.

But not only that, a newly formed government committee to place unmated omegas into ‘suitable households’.

His stomach churned, Seokjin’s well-cooked dinner no longer sitting right within him. He was angry- furious at the audacity of it all. The encroachments on omega autonomy were grotesque on the best of days- the collars to prevent unwanted mattings instead of simply punishing wolves that would force such a thing on anyone was disgusting enough. But now this-

He clicked off the television, feeling a headache coming on. He felt restless, his wolf even more so as the implications of everything began to click into place. Taehyung could be taken from them- would be taken from them if they couldn’t find a way to fix this. They needed to fix it. The very thought of having anyone taken from the pack – especially one of their omegas, had Yoongi’s alpha awakening, a Herculean force needed to prevent his eyes from bleeding red and shifting right there and then in the living room.

Offhandedly, he wondered if Namjoon had seen the news; if he was just as distressed over the situation as he was.  Yoongi startled as his phone rang on the couch beside him. Probably the pack leader in question.

It was only as he was sliding his thumb across the phone to answer the call that the name onscreen finally registered. Taehyung.

“Hello-”

“Hyung. Did you see?” Taehyung spoke before Yoongi could finish his sentence. His voice was shaky, his words thick and rushed as though he had been crying. Yoongi was out of his seat in seconds.

It was unexpected, Taehyung’s call, but no less alarming as his heart pounded in his chest, a primal urge to be there and protect running through him like a pulse. He would have expected Taehyung to reach out to Jimin first, or even Namjoon if it was an alpha’s reassurance that he needed- but the call was a welcome one, Yoongi needing to hear Taehyung’s voice just as much as Taehyung apparently needed to hear his.

“I did,” he responded measuredly, trying to keep his voice calm for Taehyung’s sake. “Are you okay?”

Yoongi closed his eyes, clearly a stupid question.

“No,” Taehyung said, a tinge of genuine brokenness to his voice as he failed to point out how obvious of an answer it was. “Hyung I’m so fucking scared.”

Yoongi’s fingers clenched tightly around the phone as he paced, frantic and desperate from his inability to be there, holding Taehyung, protecting him.

Scared, scared, scared.

One of the pack omegas was scared. He needed to do something.

He forced himself to stop, standing rooted in the center of the room as he clenched his eyes shut tightly. Knee-jerk alpha instincts wouldn’t help him here, his frustration over his inability to physically comfort Taehyung would do nothing but further exacerbate his panic, an omega’s instinct to soothe an alpha in distress just a prominent as an alpha’s need to soothe theirs.

Blinking through the red haze of his vision he forced himself to focus.

“I know baby,” he soothed, the endearment dropping from his lips thoughtlessly. “But it’ll be okay. Hyung will make it okay.”

He didn’t know how, but he put as much conviction in his voice as he could. He might not know how, but he would protect Taehyung. No matter what.

“Alpha” Taehyung pleaded- plaintiff as he begged for something he couldn’t quite put words to.

“Where are you right now?” Yoongi asked. His skin prickled all over, a distressing unrest beneath the surface as his wolf clawed to get out. He swallowed thickly, forcing his feet forward and into his room.

Placing his phone on speaker, he shrugged into a sweatshirt and pair of pants as he waited for Taehyung’s answer to come across the line.

“The apartment. Jimin’s out in Busan with Jungkook visiting family, and the other hyungs are at the farmer’s market.”

Ah, so that explained why Yoongi had been the one he had called. It didn’t bother him, being the seeming last choice. They were a pack, and whoever Taehyung went to mattered little so long as they were all able to protect one another.

He nodded, pulling on a pair of mismatched socks as he grabbed his phone and headed back into the living room.

“I’m coming over,” he said decisively, snatching his keys and wallet from the entryway table with one hand as he struggled to pull on his shoes with the other, his phone balanced precariously on his shoulder.

He half expected Taehyung to tell him to stay, the omega not in the business of inconveniencing others even in moments of distress – regardless of the fact that it was of no inconvenience to the pack. Instead, his next words surprised Yoongi.

His voice was small as he spoke, breakable in the way that had Yoongi wanting to desperately put it back together. To make it alright. “Please hurry.”

“I’m on my way,” Yoongi said, barely remembering to lock up behind himself as he flew from the apartment.

The drive to Taehyung’s apartment took far, far too long. Each traffic light seemed like a personal affront, intentional in their desire to forestall his arrival as long as possible. His fingers tapped anxiously along the wheel; curses muttered under his breath as he debated whether it would have been faster to simply run there.

The whole affair of pulling into the parking lot, parking, shutting off the car, and racing to Taehyung’s apartment – up four flights of stairs because the elevator was too slow – took far longer than it should have. But what choice did he have when one of the pack was in distress? By the time he stopped in front of Taehyung’s door, he was panting, his chest tight and adrenaline pumping as he took a second to compose himself, not wanting to upset Taehyung any further than necessary.

He took a shaky breath, in and out slowly as Jin had so often instructed him to do. His firm knock on the door resounded loudly in the quiet of the hallway, his breath held tightly in his lungs as he waited painstakingly for Taehyung to open the door.

The sight he was met with broke his heart.

Taehyung stood there looking as devastated as he had sounded on the phone. His shoulders were slumped, his body caved in on itself as if to shield him from the outside. Long, curly bangs fell in front of dark eyes, attempting and failing to hide his tear-streaked face, pink nose, and red-rimmed eyes. Yoongi’s heart clenched. He was wearing a large sweatshirt and a pair of silk boxers. The hoodie that nearly dwarfed his frame looked suspiciously like one of Yoongi’s that had gone missing months ago, and it warmed the alpha to think that Taehyung drowned himself in his clothes when he needed to calm down.

“I’ll return it,” Taehyung mumbled, rubbing the frayed cuff of the right sleeve between his thumb and forefinger absently as he looked at Yoongi through watery eyes.

Yoongi shook his head before Taehyung had finished, liking the idea of the omega wearing his things perhaps more than he should, his chest puffing slightly with pride.

Tugging on the sleeve, he pulled Taehyung forward and directly into his chest. He wrapped his arms around the younger man tightly, holding him close and sighing as Taehyung sank into the embrace without hesitation.

“Keep it,” he murmured into the crown of Taehyung’s hair, soft strands tickling against his lips. “Please.”

Taehyung sighed against him, trembling in Yoongi’s arms as he nuzzled his face into the crook of Yoongi’s neck, running his nose back and forth along his scent gland in an attempt to bring himself some semblance of comfort.

Yoongi was aware that they were still standing in the hallway, but he let Taehyung take what he needed from his scent, running his fingers gently through his hair as Taehyung struggled not to shake apart in his arms.

“Sorry,” Taehyung sniffed as he pulled away at last. Yoongi could feel an uncomfortable wet patch in the juncture of his neck and shoulder. The salty trickle of tears along his throat was a discomfort, but one he would readily and happily ignore as long as it meant being there for Taehyung.

He shrugged. “Do you want to go inside now?” he asked instead, smiling softly as Taehyung took his hand in his own. He squeezed back gently.

“Right, sorry, yeah,” Taehyung muttered.

It was a familiar routine stepping into Taehyung’s apartment and toeing his shoes off on the ornate entryway carpet. A gift from Namjoon years ago and which Taehyung took meticulous care of. He set his keys and wallet aside on the entry table, careful not to move Taehyung’s day collar where it rested near the table’s edge.

He was secretly relieved that Taehyung wasn’t wearing it, happy he could have undiluted access to his scent. His fingers twitched at his sides, wanting to pull Taehyung back to him, to run his hand along the back of his neck and drown him in his scent- anything to know that Taehyung was safe. And he was, as safe as he could be in his own home with one of the pack alphas beside him. Still, it didn’t make the knowledge of just how quickly their worlds would soon be turned upside down any less prominent in his mind.

Taehyung’s neck was red near his pulse point, as though he had constantly been tugging on his collar- one of his few nervous habits developed over the years. Even though the collars were specifically measured to not restrict airways, it didn’t make the requirement of wearing them - of their very presence- any less suffocating.

Taehyung settled them on the couch. The space between them was near non-existent as their bodies aligned from shoulder to thigh in the center of the large sofa. It was sweet, Taehyung trying to resist his desire to completely smother Yoongi in a two-man puppy pile, but unnecessary.

“C’mere,” Yoongi said, reaching around Taehyung to slide his fingers beneath his thigh and bodily lift him up and over until he was sitting in Yoongi’s lap.

The reaction was instantaneous as Taehyung folded himself around Yoongi, long limbs a bit awkward on top of him but no less welcome.

“What am I going to do hyung?” Taehyung sighed. His eyes fluttered closed as Yoongi placed his hand solidly on the back of his neck, his thumb stroking soothing circles over his pulse point before tracing along the angry red line just above his jugular, massaging the tender area.

Yoongi worried his bottom lip, considering. They’d need to come up with a plan, the entire pack, together. He squeezed Taehyung tighter, one of his hands sneaking beneath his sweatshirt to place his palm against the small swell of Taehyung’s stomach. Small, skin-to-skin acts of comfort. It wasn’t much, but it was the easiest way he could think to soothe him.

Taehyung whined at the touch, his limbs going limp and boneless despite his racing mind.

“We’re going to work it out,” Yoongi promised. They’d need to have a meeting, as soon as possible. As irrational as it was, a protective side of Yoongi couldn’t help but resent the rest of the pack for going about their respective businesses, effectively abandoning Taehyung during what was perhaps the most life-altering announcement since the mating-prevention collars were introduced to the public ten years ago. He shook the thought off, recognizing, and regretting the unfairness of it even as he felt his hackles rise.

Yoongi wasn’t often susceptible to bouts of possessiveness or cloying protectiveness. He typically had an iron-clad grip on his alpha, something that was both a pro as much as it was a con depending on the circumstances. But it was now all he could do to contain the wave of both urges that swelled within him as silent tears made their way down Taehyung’s flushed cheeks once more.

A noise of distress left him, wanting to help but unsure how. This was where Jimin or Seokjin would best be suited, each alpha more posed to help with the emotional aspects of the pack than Yoongi ever was.

His phone rested heavily in his pocket as he battled with the practical need to call the pack, and the selfish, instinct-driven desire to be the sole one watching over Taehyung. It was disconcerting just how strong that urge was.

“The registry starts up in a month,” Taehyung sighed. Yoongi hated the note of resignation in his voice, as though he were trying to reconcile himself with the inevitable. As if his being taken from them was a foregone conclusion.

No.

“That’s more than enough time for us to figure something out,” Yoongi dismissed.

Taehyung hummed, but Yoongi could tell he was no longer really hearing him; the sound noncommittal as he sagged further into Yoongi’s arms. He knew that the omega was slipping, a small whine pressed against Yoongi’s collarbone signaling that the familiar floating sensation had already begun to fill his mind slowly, creeping along his consciousness like a fog across a bay as he let Yoongi hold him.

“Taehyung,”

Taehyung’s faint stirring let Yoongi know that he had at least heard the call of his name, but it felt so, so very far away as he let his eyes slip shut. Taehyung inhaled deeply, taking in Yoongi’s scent and curling even further into his body. He wrapped his legs around Yoongi’s waist, locking them together tightly as he sank into the comfort. Because Yoongi was safe, Yoongi was pack, Yoongi was home. The thought, and the alpha himself, was all that Taehyung could just barely manage to hold on to.

“It’s alright Taehyung-ah, alpha will take care of you,” was the last thing Taehyung heard before he submerged beneath the pull, his mind slipping, and body going lax in Yoongi’s lap as his hyung held him close.

Yoongi kept him like that, holding him well into the night as his mind wound its way through dozens of possibilities. One thing remained resoundingly clear- he’d take care of Taehyung, whatever it took.

+++

“A month is not enough time,” Jin breathed, his tone shaky as he struggled to hold himself together for the sake of his younger pack mates.

A litany of food was laid out on the kitchen table, a by-product of his stress-induced cooking frenzy. It had so far stayed untouched, none of the pack members, himself included, having had the appetite to eat it.

A sense of impending doom loomed eerily over them all, the palpable distress thickening the air in a mixture of unpleasant scents. Wilted flowers, soured citrus, and rancid dough swelled throughout the room, each wolf bothered by the scents, but each too distracted to bother reigning them in. The incense Namjoon had lit a half-hour ago had been full of kind intent, but only added to the stale, cloying atmosphere.

“That’s not helping hyung,” Hoseok murmured, the sound muffled from his position smothered beneath the collective weight of Jungkook and Taehyung on the couch.

The omegas had clung to each other the moment they had entered Namjoon’s apartment and had refused to let go, even as they had clambered onto Hoseok’s lap on the couch. As the nearest alpha they had come across upon entering, Hoseok was the natural choice, but as the second smallest alpha in the bunch, it had perhaps not been the best decision. As it stood, he would rather die than let his struggling pack mates go, so he had settled in, making it work even though his thighs had long since gone numb.

“Sorry,” Jin sighed, leaning back against the counter behind him. His brows furrowed, “Sorry, I just-”

“It’s hard,” Namjoon said consolingly, settling in at the kitchen table. His face was sullen, frown lines aging him prematurely as he placed his hands beneath his chin, pensive. “But we’ve gotten through everything as a pack, and that’s how we’ll get through this.”

They had been through quite a lot; from Jungkook’s surprise presentation as an omega, to Namjoon and Jin navigating a relationship as two Alphas, to Hoseok’s uncertainty of where he belonged in the pack – they had been through it all. 

“Right, because the seven of us are completely equipped to take on the fucking government,” Jimin said snarkily, glowering at Namjoon.

“We will if we have to,” Namjoon said firmly, gaze unwavering as he spoke. There wasn’t a hint of doubt in his voice, entirely ready to lay anything and everything on the line if it meant protecting the men around him.

Taehyung sighed, not having spoken since the meeting had begun. Yoongi sat beside him on the couch, his hand tightly clasped in Taehyung’s own; where it had remained since the omega had latched on to it thirty minutes ago.

“I think we’re missing the obvious solution,” Namjoon spoke up when no comment had followed his last statement.

“Which is?” Jimin prompted.

Namjoon licked his lips, settling back in his seat as he gazed at the faces of the people around him. Of his chosen family.

“The law places unmated omegas in packs with a surplus of alphas so one will mate with them. If they have a mate, they can stay where they are.”

His words hung heavy in the air between them all, the implications massive in their weight.

“So, what you’re saying,” Jimin began, breaking the tentative silence that followed in the wake of Namjoon’s declaration, “is that we should mate Tae off to someone? Bring someone new into the pack to keep Tae here.”

For the first time since he had nestled himself into the cocoon of Hoseok’s arms, Taehyung sat up.

“That’s a possibility,” Namjoon agreed, looking straight at Taehyung. “Yes.”

“No,” Yoongi argued. His skin crawled at the idea of bringing someone else into their close-knit family of seven, the possibility of bringing someone new into the pack more than a little intolerable.

“No,” Taehyung echoed, his voice tiny. Jungkook pulled him closer into his side, nuzzling his cheek against the side of Taehyung’s neck – the part his collar didn’t quite obscure- as he glanced at Namjoon with irritation.

“I think we can all safely say that that’s off the table,” Jin said softly, even as he settled a less than gentle hand on his mate’s shoulder.

Namjoon tensed at the touch, or perhaps from the collective decision to dismiss his idea, but he didn’t move to argue. While it had been his idea, he had been no less eager to bring someone unknown into their midst.

“I think hyung could be right.”

Six heads collectively swiveled at the quietly spoken words, all eyes trained on Jimin in surprise.

Taehyung’s gaze was the hardest to meet, a combination of shock and hurt as he looked to his best friend. Jimin’s eyes stayed fixed on the table, mouth twisting uncomfortably at the unbridled rage from his mate now trickling down their bond.

Unconsciously, his fingers rubbed rhythmically along his claim mark, attempting to soothe the burn there as much as Jungkook’s upset.

“I’m not saying we should bring someone else into the pack,” he clarified, finally lifting his eyes to meet everyone. His gaze found Jungkook, and then Taehyung, lingering on the omega before trailing down, coming to settle on Taehyung’s hand still clasped tightly in Yoongi’s own.

“We have two unmated alphas in the pack.”

Taehyung let out a whoosh of air, feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of him. A weight settled heavily in his chest as he felt Hoseok tense beneath him and Yoongi beside him.

Jungkook made an aborted sound of protest, the upset noise dying in his throat as quickly as it had sprung forth. Taehyung couldn’t blame them, particularly Jungkook and Hoseok. The dance they had done for ages, Hoseok circling the periphery of Jimin and Jungkook’s bonding, as inherently a part of the pack as anything else now.

Hoseok had been the last to join, long after Jimin and Jungkook had already imprinted on one another. He had fit seamlessly among them, even more so right between Jungkook and Jimin. It was often that, when alone with either the omega or alpha in question, he would be mistaken for their mate.

When Jimin and Jungkook had finally mated, the shift in pack dynamics had been anything but subtle. Hoseok had distanced himself. What had started as a futile attempt at hiding the pain he felt had soon become a palpable wound amongst them all. The celebration of a new pair within the pack mating was a bittersweet affair as they all became painfully aware of the fact that what the three felt for each other went far beyond mere friendship and was now perhaps irrevocably damaged.

It was Taehyung who had stayed over at Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment, night after night, helping ease the unspoken anxiety and sorrow that sat between the two mates as they came to grips with Hoseok’s persistent avoidance of them. It had taken months of cancelled plans, ignored calls, tense pack meetings, and awkward Sunday dinners for things to return to something like normal.

It had only been two months ago that Jungkook had mentioned the concept of polyamorous mate bonds, a quiet comment in a lull of dinner conversation that had held the room in tense silence, the air between them all so fragile a mere breath could send it crashing to the ground.

Ever the helpful pack leader, Namjoon had offered him some resources, and then conversation had moved on – just like that. It hadn’t been brought up in front of the seven of them again, but the atmosphere had decidedly changed, a new, hopeful lightness that clung to their interactions.

Hoseok no longer waited on the outskirts of meetings, like a shadow that refused to venture into the light. Jungkook’s quiet, timid declaration had seemingly reversed it all, Jimin’s gentle and supportive smile at his mate’s words that night had been all the signal needed to convey that they were jointly interested in the possibility.

Hoseok had reintegrated into friendship with the couple like nothing had previously separated them. But now, under the weight of Jimin’s words, it felt like the tightly stitched wound that had divided them for so long was now rapidly, and painfully reopening.

Taehyung’s lips parted, wanting to comment but not knowing where to begin.

A heavy line marred Jimin’s forehead, severe in its downward slope just like the frown that pulled at his lips.

Jungkook’s hands had left Taehyung to run up and down Hoseok’s tight back. Between his two friends, Taehyung now felt more exposed – more alone – than ever.

He squirmed uncomfortably on Hoseok’s lap, wishing he could crawl over onto Yoongi’s to avoid being caught between the silent exchange happening around him. He would have, if not for how stiff the alpha sat beside him.

“I don’t think-” Namjoon began haltingly, only to stop mid-sentence.

It was obvious, more than obvious, that Hoseok and Jungkook both wanted to refuse the proposal. By the clear distress in Jimin’s own eyes, it was evident the alpha was just as displeased by his suggestion.

Taehyung couldn’t blame them, he understood perfectly. Still, he’d be lying if he said that the obvious revulsion they held towards the idea of Hoseok mating him didn’t sting a little. As the other unmated alpha in their midst, Yoongi’s reaction was more subdued, but he similarly hadn’t made a move to endorse the suggestion.

“Hoseok is still relatively new to our pack,” Jin said, filling in for his mate. “It wouldn’t be wise for us to rush into mating him off. I’m sure the government would think so as well if we tried to register them, eyebrows would be raised by the quickness of it all, don’t you think?”

No one pointed out the fact that three years was hardly ‘new’ to a pack. Similarly, no one moved to mention the fact that a registry that would throw omegas and alphas together haphazardly for life bonds without so much as a coffee-date introduction was the definition of quick.

Still, Jungkook settled at the words, leaning back to lie against Hoseok’s chest as the alpha sank back into the cushions behind him, both noticeably more relaxed. And yet, it did little to quell the look of betrayal Jungkook still had levelled on his mate.

Taehyung knew it would be a long night for the two of them.

“It makes sense,” Yoongi spoke up at last. He didn’t flinch as the collective attention of the room now fell to him, but he did sit up just a bit straighter. “Both what Jimin said and Jin hyung. We shouldn’t let someone else come into the pack, and Hoseok isn’t the ideal candidate to mate with Taehyung-ah now. But I could.”

Yoongi had yet to release Taehyung’s hand, and Taehyung could feel his grasp go lax in his hyung’s hold. The words were spoken with calm confidence, but Taehyung couldn’t even begin to fathom them.

His head spun, his eyes blinking rapidly to keep his vision in focus as he let himself slump against Hoseok’s shoulder. He wriggled his toes, trying to get some feeling throughout his body which was alarmingly going numb.

He could feel Jungkook’s concerned gaze on his profile, but he couldn’t bring himself to meet it.

Everything was –

Absurd.

That was the only real word he could put to the idea. Absurd. The Taehyung of eight years ago, or even a week ago, would have been incredulous but overjoyed to hear Yoongi, Yoongi declaring any form of an intention to mate with him. His long-held, none-too-subtle feelings for his hyung still ran deep. But now, faced with the alpha and the implied proposal, he felt sick. His stomach churned and his throat clogged, the feeling of Yoongi’s thumb rubbing circles into the back of his hand felt iron-hot, like a brand.

He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Yoongi would do it if Taehyung agreed to it, would fulfill his duty to the pack, to keep them all together. He would mate Taehyung, carry it out like Taehyung was a necessary burden to bear for the collective well-being of their group.

He was going to be sick.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Namjoon said at last. “In fact, I think it’s the best one we have, all things considered.”

Taehyung looked to Jin, waiting for the alpha to come up with a suggestion, or refute the words as he had earlier, but his hyung was no longer looking at him. Instead, the second alpha’s eyes were trained intently, and solely, on Yoongi.

Try as he might, he couldn’t will anyone to offer up a counter-point or outright deny the suggestion that with each passing moment seemed to be the most reasonable option.

“But-” Taehyung began, flushing as the room’s attention fell to him. He slipped his hand out from Yoongi’s, placing it slowly in his lap. He glanced at the alpha, lip pulled between his teeth in thought as his hands twisted together anxiously. He felt too big for his body, as if all his emotions, all his insecurities and fears were seconds away from breaking free.

“You don’t actually want to mate me.”

He winced as soon as the words left him, realizing instantly how pathetic they were. Of course, Yoongi didn’t actually want to mate him, the very point of the meeting was to find a solution for the problem that was Taehyung’s unmated status. He flushed, humiliated and regretful at having put Yoongi on the spot, and knowing that whatever answer Yoongi could give would only worsen his shameful feelings of self-pity and deprecation.

Yoongi cleared his throat. “We might not even have to actually mate,” he said, avoiding the statement entirely. Taehyung didn’t know whether to be relieved or hurt by the choice. “We don’t know how the registry actually works. It may just be signing a piece of paper and entering a database, I doubt they have the infrastructure to physically check each claim mark at this point, and we could find someone to fake them for us.”

It was all spoken so calmly; it sounded so reasonable. Taehyung searched Yoongi’s face, looking for any sign of uncertainty or trepidation.

“And if it’s not that simple?” Hoseok prompted, contributing to the conversation for the first time since it had started.

Yoongi’s hesitation was noticeable, but it only lasted a second before he was speaking once more, conviction still laced in his words. “Then we mate for real and take it from there.”

Taehyung had never been more thankful for skipping one of Jin’s meals, certain that had he eaten it would now be making its way back up his throat. He felt nauseous; dizzy with the possibility laid out before him. It was funny, really, how something that would have been a dream mere days ago now loomed over him like a nightmare.

“You don’t want that though,” Taehyung said, his heart clenching painfully as he met Yoongi’s eyes. “We can’t hyung, that’s so unfair to you.”

Yoongi’s smile was soft as he reached out his hand to take Taehyung’s once more. The touch was halting, as if Taehyung were a wild animal he didn’t want to spook.

“Anyone would be lucky to be your mate. And the priority is keeping the pack together. We don’t need to have all the details now, but we do need a plan. Fast.”

The silence that followed the declaration was answer enough. No one had any better plans because there were no better plans. A part of Taehyung understood that fact, but he couldn’t quite reconcile it within himself. Anxiety coiled tightly in his gut, threatening to consume him from the inside out.

He couldn’t bring himself to look at anyone else in the room, eyes trained carefully on his knees even as they blurred with tears. It was all too much, too soon. He could feel the beginnings of a panic attack coming on, clawing its way up his throat and suffocating him. The collar felt tighter than ever, and he couldn’t help the tiny noise of distress that slipped from him as his fingers came up to prod at it.

The remote to unlock it sat like a lead weight in his pocket, and if not for everyone now watching his every movement, he would have scrambled to retrieve it.

“I need some air,” he muttered, not bothering to direct the comment to anyone in particular. He knew that if he looked up he would surely see concern and pity directed his way, two emotions he couldn’t stomach at the moment.

Clumsily, he disentangled himself from Jungkook and Hoseok’s hold, shook off Yoongi’s hand around his own and stumbled ungracefully toward the front door. Distantly, he heard Jin’s voice calling out for him, but it sounded far off, and not the mere ten feet or so away from him it actually was.

He didn’t know where he was going, but he needed to get away. He shivered as the cold air hit him, instantly regretting not having grabbed his jacket in his haste. Taehyung knew it would only be a matter of moments before someone, if not the entire pack, chased after him.

Namjoon and Jin’s apartment was located near the outskirts of town, making the neighborhood blessedly empty for the most part. He was thankful for that, the tears he was rapidly blinking away obscured his vision to the point where he was sure to bump into someone had anyone been around.

His heart thumped painfully in his chest, the rush of blood a roar in his ears as he stumbled past apartment complexes and poorly maintained parks. His breathing was ragged, his pulse thundering in his throat as his collar grew impossibly tight. He knew it hadn’t actually tightened, the black choker still the same, solid weight around his neck as it had always been. Still, in his panic, it felt like a vice, a garrot attempting to steal each and every one of his breaths.

On the third street he turned onto, he sagged against the wall of an old apartment building in desperate need of renovation. He crouched to his knees, heaving for breath as he shook out his fingers in an attempt to gain some feeling in them. His hands trembled as he reached for his pocket, moving aside his keys and wallet in annoyance until his fingers finally slid over the thin, smooth surface of the remote.

Sliding it out, Taehyung cursed as he failed to turn it off on the first, or even the second try. He forced himself to take a breath, clenching his teeth as he steadied his hand just enough to slide the button that had the hooks of the collar sliding back. Relief was immediate and palpable as his hand came up to grip the collar, ripping it free of his throat as he let it dangle limply from his hand.

Finally free of his restraint, he sank to the ground, uncaring of how his pants were likely to be soiled in the waste and whatever else was littering the ground around him.

His eyes slid shut, the painful thumping in his head quieting for a minute as he blocked his surroundings out.

Things were not looking good. An understatement if he’d ever heard one. Mating Yoongi to get out from under the thumb of the government. It sounded ridiculous; laughable. And Taehyung would have laughed, if not for the painful swell in his throat. It was beyond wicked how the world could take something he had longed for for ages and twist it into something so mercilessly cruel.

It wasn’t the fact that he doubted his ability to be a good mate, any more than he would doubt Yoongi. Yoongi was everything that Taehyung had ever wanted. He had been pining for the alpha for as long as he remembered. He was certain Yoongi would be good to him, and he’d return it tenfold in kind.

But to be forced- to have to sleep with and claim Taehyung in the most intimate of ways possible all to keep him from being sold off to anyone; ripped from the pack. He groaned, low and guttural as he yanked at his hair in frustration. It was unfair, unfair to Yoongi just as much as it was unfair to Taehyung and every unmated omega that would have their lives forever altered because a bunch of egotistical alphas had the power to do so.

He could fake a mating- it’s not as though he would have to fake affection, his feelings were genuine. It was Yoongi that would take some practice. But if they were wrong, and they’d have to take the leap to make it real, he wasn’t so sure how they’d cope. He didn’t want a world in which Yoongi would grow to resent him, bitter over the fact that he didn’t have a chance to go out and find love for himself. He knew Yoongi wasn’t the type, but mating bonds were forever, and who knew how he’d feel about it all, ten, twenty, fifty years down the line. The very thought of I\it was enough to leave his head swimming.

A breeze blew through the alleyway, rustling the empty wrappers and cans in the narrow pathway and making Taehyung shiver. As overwhelmed as he was, in the cold and alone save for his thoughts, he wished his pack was there with him. He wanted Namjoon’s steadfast calmness, Jimin’s tactile comfort, and Hoseok’s reassuring smile. He wanted Jin’s humor, Jungkook’s determination to crush whatever bothered him, and Yoongi’s quiet shows of support. Running away had been a mistake, one that did little to help the emotions swirling through him.

His head snapped up as he heard footsteps toward the back of the alleyway. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out the shadow of the figure whose back was blocking the sunlight, hiding just who it was. He wondered who the pack had sent to trail him, the height of the man making it likely to be Namjoon or Jin. He hated the idea that he had them chasing after him and had an apology on the tip of his tongue as the man walked towards him.

Only, the words died on his tongue as soon as the man came into sight. It was very much not one of his packmates. The man appeared to be in his early forties with a scruffy beard and awkward lilt to his steps as he staggered over to Taehyung. The man looked drunk, and by the bottle poorly covered by a brown paper bag in his hand, Taehyung would be willing to bet money his hunch was correct.

“You lost little omega?”

Taehyung shook his head, wiping as surreptitiously as he could beneath his eyes to not look even more weak and pathetic than he felt.

Part of his mind alerted him to the fact that he was alone and hidden with an unfamiliar alpha that was less than sober, making him even more unpredictable. He blocked it out, only able to handle so much distress in a day as he rose to his feet, dusting his hands off on his already dirtied jeans.

“You look lost,” the man continued, shortening the distance between them quickly. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing all the way out here…” he paused, eyes sweeping over Taehyung before a slow grin crept along his features. His teeth were yellowed, making his smile as eerie as it was predatory. “And uncollared, too. My, my – you really are lost.”

“I’m not lost,” Taehyung repeated defiantly, though he very much was. He pursed his lips, wishing he had paid closer attention to where he was going when he’d left.

The man’s grin only widened. “Any omega that knew where they were certainly wouldn’t be out here all by themselves with no mate and no collar. We wouldn’t want anyone to take you, now would we?”

The look in his eyes told Taehyung that the man would very much have liked to take Taehyung.

Instinctively, his hand came to rest over his neck, eyes sweeping the ground for his remote that he’d dropped in his panic.

“There’s no need to worry,” the alpha continued, slowing to a stop two feet from him. He was close enough that should Taehyung attempt to make a break for it, he could easily reach out and catch him.

He wore a baggy hoody and even looser pants, but that didn’t give Taehyung any illusions that there wasn’t an alpha’s fitness beneath the clothing.

“I’m only here to help,” he continued, tossing the bottle in his hand aside carelessly. Taehyung flinched at the clatter it made; the paper-covered bottle skittering away a few inches before coming to a stop. “My name’s Hyeon, and I wouldn’t be much of an alpha if I didn’t help an omega out.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine, really,” Taehyung said. His collar sat tauntingly in his hand, a curse that for once would have been his saving grace.

“Do you have a pack?” Hyeon asked, leaning closer. Taehyung could smell the potent combination of soju and cigarettes on his breath, along with something strong and rancid that he couldn’t place.

“I do,” Taehyung said firmly. “A big one.”

Shaking his bangs out of his eyes, the alpha looked at him even closer. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

“Well, you should,” Taehyung snapped.

Hyeon continued as though he hadn’t heard Taehyung. “Have you seen the news lately? Unmated omegas just won’t do anymore. What do you say I take you home with me?”

“Hell no,” Taehyung grunted, panic momentarily seizing him as he lurched for the remote. His fingers touched along its edge, and for a moment he thought he’d make it in time, before his wrists were taken roughly in calloused hands and he found himself slammed against the brick wall behind him.

He hissed, knowing that there would surely be bruises as he looked up into the cold, mocking eyes of the older alpha.

“What do you say I save our wonderful government the effort and take you now?”

Taehyung gagged, feeling bile climb up his throat as the implications of his words sat between them.

“Get off of him.”

Taehyung’s eyes jerked to Namjoon, who had been the first to slide to a stop in the alley. His chest heaved as he panted for breath, his eyes red and nose twisted as he took in the scene in front of him.

Taehyung’s scent must have set him off, his fear was pungent and filled the enclosed space around him. Whereas it served as a distress call to his alphas, and any wolf with a shred of decency in them, it seemed to excite Hyeon more.

Hoseok and Yoongi were the next to come speeding around the corner, followed closely by Jimin and Jungkook, Seokjin a mere second behind them.

Each man looked livid, and Taehyung could feel his knees go weak in relief at the sight of them, Hyeon’s tight, unrelenting grip the only thing keeping him up.

“Fair is fair,” Hyeon said, ignoring the five pairs of red, and single pair of gold eyes trained on him with unbridled rage. “I got here first. If anything, it’s a civic duty.”

Several things happened at once at his declaration. Jimin grabbed Jungkook around the waist, bodily holding his mate back from ripping down the alley to tear the man’s head off. Hoseok froze, floored as he fought between helping hold the struggling Jungkook back or joining the others. No one else had similar hesitation, because Namjoon, Jin, and Yoongi had shot down the narrow path before Hyeon had properly finished his sentence.

Taehyung didn’t think he had ever seen Yoongi move so fast, the shorter alpha leaping on Hyeon and wrenching his hands from Taehyung’s throat, sending the two of them clattering to the ground, a tangle of limbs.

Seokjin was quick to rush to Taehyung’s side, catching him before he could crash to the ground, holding him up with a steady hand around his waist as Namjoon moved to help Yoongi.

Yoongi didn’t need much assistance. If anything, Namjoon’s aid took shape in the form of prying Yoongi off of Hyeon, grabbing his hands from where they were tightly wrapped around the dazed alpha’s throat, his claws having sunk into the skin there where they drew a steady stream of blood.

A cacophony of growls echoed off the walls on either side of them, the smells of enraged and scared alphas a suffocating, heady scent all around them.

“Taehyung’s safe, he’s fine Yoongi,” Jin said sharply, watching as Yoongi struggled to get himself under control.

Taehyung knew the war being waged within the alpha at that moment, caught between his wolf’s relentless need to protect his packmate and kill whatever danger threatened him, and his human side’s rationale that knew murdering a man was the last thing their pack needed right now.

“Hyung,” Namjoon urged, hands tightening around Yoongi’s warningly, even as he continued to keep a close eye on Hyeon who was still on the ground, wheezing for breath.

Hyeon’s face had gone a mottled shade of purple, white fingerprints visible along his neck as he scuttled backwards on his hands and feet. It would have been hilarious if Taehyung weren’t still shaking.

“I’m fine Yoongi hyung, it’s okay.” Taehyung said, when it became clear that Yoongi was still far from done with Hyeon. It looked as though Yoongi were ready to kick him – perhaps a lot more- until he finally registered Taehyung’s words.

He blinked, frowning slightly as his body loosened in Namjoon’s hold. Tentatively, the pack alpha released him, watching Yoongi wearily as he slowly came down from his haze.

“He’s safe,” Seokjin reiterated, motioning Yoongi to come closer.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Namjoon barked to Hyeon, and Taehyung could tell he was using a considerable amount of restraint not to finish what Yoongi had started.

Part of Taehyung meanly wished that Namjoon had let Yoongi continue for just a bit longer. Because really, that was the only justice he could have gotten. It’s not like the police would have done anything about it- at most they would have chastised Taehyung for having taken off his collar in public. Wearily, Taehyung hoped his hyungs wouldn’t do the same.

Hyeon didn’t need telling twice, scrambling to run out of the alley, far faster than he had lumbered in. Now free from Jimin, Jungkook managed one hard shove to Hyeon as he clamored past, the alpha shrieking in surprise before grunting in pain as he ran harshly into the edge of the wall, making an impact into the sharp corner with a loud thud.

Cursing, he didn’t bother to try and retaliate, Jimin and Hoseok’s twin glares warning enough.

Taehyung let out a sound of surprise as Yoongi wrapped him in a tight hug, squeezing him as though he were seconds away from vanishing into thin air. Taehyung was thankful for the touch, his warm arms grounding him as Taehyung returned the embrace. Yoongi was scenting him, thoroughly, and Taehyung sighed at the gesture. He clung back tightly, refusing to let go even as the others quickly joined in.

Everyone was there, surrounding them as they all tried to hold on to some part of Taehyung, needing to reassure him that he was safe.

“We were so worried,” Jimin groaned, as if the weight of his fear over Taehyung had physically hurt him.

“’M sorry,” Taehyung murmured, his words hard to make out from their place pressed into the hollow of Yoongi’s neck and shoulder.

“It’s not your fault,” Jungkook said raggedly, and Taehyung made sure to grab his hand. The omega was trembling, his eyes livid even as he shook slightly. Hoseok’s front was pressed to his back, his arms bracketing Jungkook as his hands rested on each of Taehyung’s shoulders.

“We need to get back inside,” Namjoon said firmly. He was the first to step back, but not without running his wrist firmly along Taehyung’s scent gland, worry furrowing his brow.

Seokjin was the next to step back. He bent down, retrieving Taehyung’s remote from the ground as well as his collar that had fallen in the commotion.

“Let me,” Jimin mumbled, taking the items from Jin’s hand and turning to face Taehyung expectantly.

It took several more moments for Hoseok and Jungkook to disentangle themselves from around Taehyung, Yoongi being the last with one lingering brush of his nose along Taehyung’s neck.

He was thankful for it, his pack’s scent like a welcome, weighted blanket over his nerves.

He bent obediently as Jimin placed the collar around his throat, carefully snapping it into place before locking it and arming the alarm with the remote. Taehyung took the small device when it was offered back to him, sliding it into his pocket with a tired sigh.

The pack fell in line behind Namjoon easily as he led them from the alley, the alpha deftly herding the rest of the pack out onto the street. A somber silence surrounded them, and Taehyung couldn’t help shrinking in on himself as a dark cloud of self-loathing loomed overhead. He had been the one to put himself in danger, it was him who had run from the den and had made his pack worried for his safety. It sat as an uncomfortable weight in his stomach, and Taehyung found himself whimpering at the realization before he could properly stop himself.

He startled at the warm hand that slipped inside his own, calloused fingers squeezing meaningfully as a soft shoulder brushed against his. His eyes met Yoongi’s, and his heart stuttered at the concern and sincerity he found there. Yoongi was looking at him softly, his eyebrows scrunched in a clear sign of anxiousness, even as he exuded as many comforting pheromones as he could. The solid grip of his hand around Taehyung’s was grounding, a wordless testament of ‘it’s going to be okay’.

He forced himself to look away- overwhelm threatening to take over him with each step. It was impossible to miss the furtive, worried glances the rest of the pack threw over their shoulders as they went, every second a new set of familiar eyes making their way across the expanse of Taehyung’s body as though to check that he was still there and wholly intact. It was impossible to ignore.

The day was unseasonably humid, and Taehyung suddenly felt too big for his skin. He felt hot and restless, just as he had back in the den, only now running away was far from an option, given how well it had worked out the first time around. He sighed as they trekked up the familiar steps to Namjoon’s home, filing in line one after another, and he wanted nothing more than to fall into one of his alpha’s arms. Yoongi’s, specifically. To build a nest and curl up in Yoongi’s lap with the rest of the pack beside him as a shield, to comingle their scents and pile together and just be – sheltered from the rest of the world that suddenly seemed so intent on ripping them apart.

The world may not be something he could run from, but at least he could take shelter with his pack. As soon as they’d crossed the threshold the pack sprang into action seamlessly, as if a starting gun had shot off and Taehyung had been the only one not to hear it.

Jin disappeared down the hall towards the bedroom, Namjoon to the linen closet, and Jungkook to the laundry, their footsteps hurried but quiet on the carpeted ground as they shuffled back with arms weighed down by a myriad of clothes, towels, and blankets. Jimin and Hoseok were stripping chairs and couches off their cushions, and even with his hand still firmly clasped in Taehyung’s, Yoongi had quietly begun moving pieces of furniture back and to the perimeter of the living room.

He could feel tears gather in his eyes; touched. They all moved around one another with the intimacy of those that had been together for years and had over the course of them learned how to fit together flawlessly. The nest-building was quick work with the six of them working in tandem, and Taehyung, filled to the brim with emotion, felt ready to burst.

They’d all been in one of his and Jungkook’s nests enough times to know their intricacies, but even so, Taehyung couldn’t help being astonished at how expertly Jin knotted the towels together to form a perimeter, about how carefully Jimin arranged the cushions. And then he noticed Jungkook- the youngest member diligently arranging the cushions by size instead of color – and the tears really did fall.

During heat cycles it was a fight they’d had numerous times back in the early days, an alpha having to pull them apart more than once after Jungkook’s face had gone red with the effort of explaining why color coordination was more soothing, and Taehyung having thrown a bed pillow across the room with the force of his insistence that size was obviously the most logical way to maximize comfort. And to now see Jungkook wordlessly and seemingly without complaint arranging things just the way Taehyung liked, had Taehyung shaking where he stood.

“Hey, shh, it’s alright,” Yoongi murmured, pulling Taehyung into his chest.

He could see Hoseok stiffen across the room from him, the instinctual need to comfort a distressed omega warring with his need to finish the nest. Taehyung felt so damn weak. He should be the one building the nest, he should be the one making sure everyone else was okay. He should-

“Baby,” Jimin said softly, his lips puckered in a distressed pout as he came to stop in front of Taehyung. “Don’t cry, it’s okay.”

The words only made his tears fall more quickly, but Jimin was undeterred as he reached his hands up to gently cup Taehyung’s face.

“It’s going to be okay,” he murmured, leaning forward to brush his lips against Taehyung’s in a soft kiss- so sweet even tainted by his salty tears.

Taehyung sighed into the contact, melting against him as he felt Yoongi wrap his arms around him from behind, his front a solid weight against Taehyung’s back.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Jimin murmured, resting his forehead against Taehyung. “We’re going to take care of each other, and it’s going to be okay, understood?”

Jimin’s eyes crinkled in the ghost of a smile as Taehyung nodded slowly, the alpha brushing a finger beneath his chin and clucking affectionately before he pulled away.

Taehyung hummed as Yoongi’s arms tightened around him, the soft kiss he placed beneath Taehyung’s jaw a comforting echo of Jimin’s words.

“Hyung, don’t cry,” Jungkook mumbled, walking up beside his mate and taking Jimin’s hand in an iron grip. He didn’t even realize he was doing it, his anxiety at seeing his fellow omega in such distress consuming him. To his credit, Jimin didn’t even flinch, simply running his thumb along the back of Jungkook’s hand soothingly as the omega looped his arm around Taehyung’s shoulders in a tight hug.

“We’re going to take care of you, hyungs will kill anyone that gets in our way.” It was almost comical how incongruous the words were with the two soft kisses Jungkook pressed to Taehyung’s lips, but he could only smile softly at the youngest’s words.

The sentiment was shared among the rest of the pack, each member echoing the words with their own support in the form of reassurance, soft scenting touches, and even softer kisses. They were being so fucking gentle with him, and Taehyung couldn’t help but bask in the loving attention they so freely gave him.

They all stripped down to their underclothes, Yoongi taking Taehyung by the hand and leading him carefully into the very center of the nest. It was so, so soft, and Taehyung didn’t know what was more comforting – the silk sheets that Jin had brought out just for these occasions, or Yoongi’s warm, naked chest beneath his cheek.

Jungkook clung to his back like a koala, and even with his eyes closed, he could easily decipher each hand and arm that reached out for him as they made themselves comfortable in the nest. And it was like that, surrounded by the scents and touch of his pack, with Namjoon and Yoongi’s gentle purring in his ears, that he finally found sleep.

+++

It was almost painful, having to slowly move himself out from beneath Taehyung. Not physical, the omega weighed next to nothing to him despite the few centimeters of height he had on him. No, it was an emotional, bone-deep ache that Yoongi had to clench his teeth around to let the sleeping omega out of his grip for a moment. But even so, he knew that after a ten-hour long pack pile, the pack, especially the omegas, would wake up ravenous. And with hunger came crankiness, and Yoongi knew that the last thing they needed was a grouchy Jungkook and even poutier Taehyung on top of everything else.

Extricating himself from the nest was a slow-going affair, every few inches there would be a grasping hand or hooking foot seeking to keep him there even in unconsciousness. Finally, he managed to free himself from the soft pile, missing its warmth even as the AC chilled the sweat on his body.

It took another minute of hunting around for him to find his clothes from the day prior, and he dressed quickly before hurrying into the kitchen.

It was only a matter of time before the others woke up, so he concerned himself less with being quiet and more with speed as he began hurriedly laying out the ingredients to assemble a few rolled omelets.

The work was familiar and as his hands moved on instinct, he allowed his mind to wander. He grimaced as the memory of the day before crossed his thoughts with nauseating clarity. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so viscerally furious- the last time he had been so palpably terrified.

He swallowed down the bile that rose with the memory of Taehyung in the grip of the alpha- and he had to clench his eyes shut beneath the new wave of anger that threatened to take him. Namjoon should have let him kill the fucker. He should have let Yoongi rip out his throat and then his beating heart for good measure and –

He sighed, cracking an egg into the bowl with more force than necessary as he sought to reign in his emotions. He supposed moments like that were why he had so easily ceded the role of pack leader to Namjoon. While he was certain in his competence as a leader, and confident in his role of alpha- it was the tough in-the-moment decisions for the good of the pack like that that he didn’t envy the younger man for. It was easier, deferring to someone else that he knew had their collective best interest in mind. Always.

Yoongi also knew how tiring carrying that weight was, which was why he always did his best to help lighten it whenever he saw Namjoon struggling. He was content being second in command; assured in his ability to step up and act as leader if needed, but wholly alright with not needing to be the bearer of that responsibility.

But there were still times where he wished he had fought for control. Fleeting, though they may be, they were still there in moments like this when he wished he had the sole authority, where he could decide to snuff out the life of someone that dare lay their hands on one of the pack’s own, to unflinchingly merit out justice when he knew the authorities would not.

Namjoon’s decision may have been the most logical – and deep inside Yoongi knew that it had been the for the best – but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

“Look at you taking on chef duties. Try to fix your face, that sour look is going to curdle the eggs.”

Yoongi startled at the voice behind him, only to relax just as quickly as he registered his hyung’s words.

He snorted, inelegant and loud in the quiet den as he began to beat the eggs. “Somehow I think they’ll be fine,” he sighed, not bothering to turn to Jin even as the alpha saddled up beside him.

“And what about you?” Jin asked, sweeping the discarded eggshells into the trash.

“What about me?” Yoongi huffed, whipping the eggs with a bit more force than strictly necessary.

“Are you fine?”

Yoongi sighed, his eyes slipping shut for a small moment before he shuffled over towards the stove. “You know I’m not, none of us are. How can we be until we’re all safe?”

“Maybe fine was the wrong word then,” Jin acquiesced, pulling out a barstool from beneath the counter and perching on top. “We’re all stressed and worried, but we’ll make it through this. We always have, and we’re not going to stop now.”

“I know,” Yoongi murmured. He let his shoulders sag, suddenly tired despite the best sleep he’d had in a week. He set the bowl aside, moving over to the coffee machine that Jin and Namjoon had bought more for him than anyone else to begin brewing a pot.

The thing was, Yoongi did know. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that they’d all fight tooth and nail for one another, to stay together. Failing had never been, and never would be, an option. Not when they had one another.

“It’s just going to be an uphill battle. And Tae-” he trailed off, letting the words linger in the air as he gathered his thoughts. “I know it’s nothing personal,” he mumbled, wincing as he realized how pathetic his next words would sound. “But he literally ran away at just the thought of pretending to mate me. I don’t know how this is going to go.”

“It’s nothing personal.” Jin’s eyes were soft, pitying almost, and Yoongi couldn’t bring himself to look at them. “Hey,” he prodded, bending so he could get a better look at Yoongi. “You know that right?”

His fingers tapped an anxious staccato on the linoleum of the counter; his eyes bore holes into the floor. “Yeah, I know.”

“He’s scared,” Jin stressed. The words were like a punch to the gut as he remembered that first, frantic phone call from Taehyung, of the horrible fear in his voice that had seemed to claw its way around Yoongi’s heart and squeeze. “We all are. I know this will be especially hard for you-”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped, his eyes finally rising to meet Jin’s gaze head-on.

And there was that dammed pity again. “Yoongi,” Jin said softly. Too soft. Yoongi was a rather levelheaded alpha all things considered, but even so, there was nothing more intolerable than receiving pity from someone of the same class. It was a sign of weakness, and he had to resist the urge to grab the back of his neck and hide his stomach on instinct, immediately defensive.

Jin clucked his tongue, looking entirely unimpressed by Yoongi’s narrowed gaze. “Stop that. You know what I mean.”

“I really don’t,” he muttered, setting the pan harshly down on the stovetop.

“The omegas don’t know, and maybe you’ve even fooled Jimin. But it’s been obvious since the moment you imprinted on him-”

“Shut up,” Yoongi hissed, whipping around so fast that he almost sent the bowl of eggs hurtling to the floor. Jin blinked at him, having caught the bowl easily enough as he watched Yoongi carefully. “Someone could-”

“They’re still asleep,” Jin said. He was aggravatingly calm. “But Yoongi, maybe it’s time you told him.”

“No.” The response resonated in the quiet kitchen, a firm rebuff that ordinarily wouldn’t have allowed for a response. But Jin was nothing if not determined.

“He deserves to-”

“It’ll just make things weird,” he interrupted, a well-rehearsed list of excuses already coming back to the forefront of his mind. “And if we really do go through with this whole fake mating thing, it’ll just make him feel guilty. He doesn’t need that right now. I’ve been handling it fine for years now, it’s not going to be an issue.”

“But-”

“I’m tired,” he said instead, the words not close to encompassing the absolute exhaustion he felt. “Let’s just drop it. Please?”

Jin looked at him, long and hard with that infuriatingly penetrating gaze that never failed to make Yoongi uncomfortable. After a long beat of silence, he sighed, seemingly admitting defeat. “Fine, I’ll drop it. For now,” he stressed. Not an entire concession, but Yoongi would take the small victories. “If you’re tired you could always come back to the nest-”

“I’m hungry!”

Jin’s lips twisted in a wry grin at Jungkook’s cry from the living room. He reached up, grabbing a mug from the top shelf, and handing it to Yoongi with a small smirk.

“Asshole,” Yoongi muttered at the subtle jab to his height, but his own small smile softened any real bite the insult may have had.

“And you love me for it,” Jin sassed, blowing him a quick kiss.

“Yeah, yeah- aish, get off me you big idiot,” Yoongi wheezed, struggling in the tight hug Jin wrapped him in, his feet barely skimming the ground as he was unceremoniously lifted up.

“Just offering my baby alpha some cheer!”

“I’m literally the second eldest,” Yoongi mumbled, relieved to be set back on his feet. “Now are you going to help me feed the cubs or not?”

“Aye, aye captain,” Jin smirked, endeared by Yoongi’s disheveled state. “Let’s get to work.”

+++

They didn’t talk about it. Not for the rest of the day, or the next. Taehyung knew it was mostly for his sake but had the sneaking suspicion the others needed a break as well.

They’d spent the better part of three days in Jin and Namjoon’s apartment together, the space big enough to serve as their impromptu home base whenever needed. With the others around him, he had felt safe. Even with everything at play in the background, he’d felt calm. Now, winding his way down the city streets, he felt wired and on edge.

His hands twisted in his pockets restlessly as he passed by a string of shop windows and cafes. Yoongi’s hoodie, while warm even as threadbare as it had become, was hardly enough to stand against winter’s slow creep. But that had done little to deter him from wearing it. For the last 72 hours, he’d seldom been without it, save for those quick showers and moments in the nest where it became too hot to bear. Yoongi’s scent was a welcome one, even if the thought of Yoongi brought him so many conflicting feelings.

The thought of mating Yoongi had circled him for the last three days, high and lazy like a vulture. Each time he saw his hyung cook, every time the alpha wrapped his arms around him and told him they’d find a solution, his omega made it quite clear that Yoongi would make a phenomenal mate.

But he knew that already. He’d always known that. It was why he’d imprinted on him all those years ago, after all.

An uncomfortable bitterness swelled within him as he walked. It was a particular type of cosmic irony, the solution Jimin had proposed. As though all he’d ever wanted was being spoon-fed to him from a silver platter- the catch being the poison laced throughout it.

He wanted Yoongi. He had wanted him for so long, that he could hardly remember a time with the alpha in his life that he hadn’t. But not like this, never like this. He knew Yoongi would make it work, for Taehyung’s sake just as much as the pack- the alpha selfless to a fault at times. But that didn’t make Taehyung feel any less guilty. Any less envious.

He’d woken up before the others that morning, the sun’s light just creeping in between the curtains. He’d laid there, head pillowed beneath Yoongi’s chin and Jin’s arm wound tightly around his waist as he’d thought.

He had let his eyes sweep across the slumbering faces of his packmates, had taken them each in one by one. Until his eyes had stopped to linger on the thin, ornate line of velvet tight around Jungkook’s throat. That had been when Taehyung had woken the others, needing to be alone with his thoughts.

For the most part, he kept his head down as he walked. It was particularly hard seeing the seemingly endless number of mates he passed along the streets. The dainty lace, silver, velvet, and diamond collars adorning their throats- all present signals to the rest of the world that they had been chosen. That they had been wanted.

Taehyung could hide it from the others, but he could do little to run from the envy that tended to consume him in moments like this.

He sighed, gritting his teeth against the cold as he shouldered through the crowd. He kept his head low, made his body as unobtrusive as possible as he walked.

The last thing he needed was a nosy alpha that felt too comfortable in their power to take whatever they wanted, even if he was wearing his collar.

Jimin had been adamant about it before he’d left that morning. The alpha had personally locked and tightened it around Taehyung before he’d been allowed to leave- and that only after he’d elicited a promise that Taehyung would keep it on no matter what.

Taehyung resisted the urge to rub at his neck, to draw attention to his collar, even as he fought the overwhelming desire to rip it off.

He wondered what it would be like to have a chosen collar. One gifted to him by the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. A signal to the rest of the world that he was taken by choice, and not merely as protection out of necessity.

It might have not made much sense, changing one collar for another, but the freedom that came with that seemingly small change was undeniable. The pleasure, too.

As ill-advised as it likely was, Taehyung allowed his mind to wander. Allowed himself to think of how things could be if the circumstances were different.

He let himself wonder what things would be like if Yoongi wanted to mate him. What kind of collar would he give to Taehyung? Something ornate and delicate? Or something big and elaborate, to show the whole world just who his mate belonged to.

Taehyung let himself imagine Yoongi’s proud smile at introducing Taehyung as his mate, that same smile he wore when he’d first introduced his parents to his pack, or whenever he played one of his new songs for any of the pack members. But unlike those times, his smile would be solely aimed at Taehyung.

He could certainly dream.

“Sorry,” he murmured as he bumped into someone, too distracted to properly look where he was going.

He forced himself to concentrate, to focus on where he was and his surroundings. He couldn’t bear the humiliation that would come if he ended up in a similar position as he’d gotten himself into the day before.

Hyeon. He hoped that the man would think twice before he targeted another omega. He hoped the damage that Yoongi had inflicted would last.

That familiar tightening in his throat was slowly lodging itself back into place. The thoughts were inescapable as they bombarded Taehyung from every direction. Billboards had already been erected- reminding packs to register their omegas. Like they were dogs waiting to be microchipped and returned to their proper owners. It was incredible. It was terrifying.

Bitterness was now a heavy and reoccurring taste on his tongue.

He sighed, ignoring the billboards, mated pairs, and pretty collars that surrounded him. Instead, he tucked his hands back inside his pockets, turned around, and headed back to the den.

Chapter Text

Yoongi felt as nervous as Taehyung looked. It was impossible to ignore- the way Taehyung anxiously fidgeted with the handle of his mug, the way his lips were bitten raw, and his usually sweet honeysuckle scent had a faintly wilted edge to it. He hated it. It felt like a physical pain seeing Taehyung in such distress and it had him feeling just as restless, his wolf just as anxious within him.

“Tae,” he said quietly, gently venturing a hand across the table to him. He left it face up on the table, his palm an open offering that he hoped Taehyung would take.

A flash of pain flitted across Taehyung’s face as if Yoongi’s uncertainty in if his affection would be welcome was somehow worse than the nerves currently overtaking him. Yoongi held in a wince, knowing well that if anyone in the pack ever felt unsure of whether or not they could go to Yoongi, he’d be just as distressed.

Instead, he relaxed his features, offering a soft, confident smile that held as much sincerity and certainty as he could muster. It seemingly did the trick as Taehyung’s posture loosened, his lips quirking in the tiniest of smiles as his hand slid warmly into Yoongi’s own.

“It’s going to be okay,” Yoongi continued in that low, calm drawl of his that always soothed the omegas when they were feeling particularly restless during their pre-heats. He couldn’t count how many times he’d been in the den, working late into the early hours, only to see Jungkook or Taehyung stumble past him from the nest, bleary-eyed and grumpy with their inability to sleep, their bodies keeping them prematurely awake in preparation for the heated, restless days ahead of them.

It seemed to work if the way Taehyung’s scent muted itself slightly was any indication, the sourness that had overtaken it ebbing away as if exiting along with the long sigh Taehyung let out.

Taehyung met his eyes briefly, only for them to flick back down to his mug that he was still fiddling with listlessly.

“You don’t know that,” he mumbled quietly, looking small and pitiful in his seat.

“I do know that, actually,” Yoongi said firmly, squeezing Taehyung’s hand meaningfully. “Don’t you trust hyung?”

“Of course,” Taehyung said immediately, so sure of that fact that Yoongi couldn’t help but smile.

“Good, then trust that I- that we, are going to take care of you. We’re going to stick together. We’re a pack, no law is going to change that, we won’t let it.”

Taehyung’s face contorted with a mixture of emotions, swirling between sadness, hurt, distress, anger- before finally settling on guilt.

“What if we do have to mate, like for real hyung, and you end up hating me?”

Yoongi’s hand tightened around Taehyung’s. He held on steadfastly, knowing well Taehyung’s propensity to run away when he was uncomfortable or in distress. It had been far worse when he was younger, the pack working themselves up into a frenzy whenever Taehyung would leave in the midst of an argument, quicker than the rest of them. He hadn’t done that in years- days ago being the first time he had in ages. Even so, Yoongi didn’t want to risk the omega making another quick escape, particularly with the state of current events.

“I could never hate you Taehyung,” he said truthfully. “I love you too much.”

Instead of reassuring his packmate, Taehyung only looked more pained.

“But-”

“There’s no but’s,” Yoongi insisted, halting Taehyung before he could finish voicing the doubt written across his features. “That’s a fact. No matter what happens, no matter what comes, that won’t change my feelings.”

Taehyung was quiet for a long moment after the words, his hand warm and trembling within Yoongi’s own.

He looked up at Yoongi from beneath his lashes, a subtle yet defiant pout on his lips. “Don’t you want a real mate?” Taehyung asked at last.

Yoongi hesitated, his tongue darting out briefly to wet his lips as he considered. He knew he had to tread carefully. “I haven’t thought much about it honestly.”

It wasn’t a lie per se- the truth was, he hadn’t thought about it. He didn’t see the point. What good would it do him to fantasize endlessly about having Taehyung as his own, pining after his packmate that was agonizingly close, and yet so far? Holding Taehyung, loving him as a packmate, and getting the privilege of being loved back in return was enough for him. It had to be.

“Never?” Taehyung prompted, clearly dubious. “Not even once?”

Yoongi’s tongue slid along his teeth as he reconsidered. “I’ve thought about it,” he eventually allowed.

“Have you courted anyone?”

“No.” He’d wanted to. Countless times Yoongi had considered going all out, formally announcing an intention to court and mate Taehyung. Yet, since his imprinting, countless courting seasons had come and gone, countless missed opportunities.

“But you’ve wanted to?” Taehyung pressed. His eyes had narrowed in that shrewd way they tended to when he was on the hunt for answers. He could be truly relentless when he’d set his mind on something.

“I have,” Yoongi admitted, not wanting to lie to his packmate. “But that doesn’t matter now.”

Yoongi could sense the shift in Taehyung and knew immediately that he’d had a misstep. The omega had resumed his agitated fiddling and sat tense across from him.

“Tae-”

“It matters, hyung.” It was hard to gauge the source of Taehyung’s distress with his refusal to meet Yoongi’s gaze, looking anywhere but the alpha before him. “It matters because if we have to mate you’ll never get that chance and-”

Taehyung hesitated, his body giving a small shudder at the firm and insistent way Yoongi’s thumb soothed across the small scent gland on his inner wrist. It was the smallest on the body but still managed to effectively give Taehyung pause.

“Listen to me,” Yoongi instructed, his voice dipping low. He wouldn’t use an Alpha’s Command on Taehyung, but he pushed as much calm and direction into his tone to have Taehyung’s eyes going slightly glossy. “You’re not depriving me of anything. Anyone, including me, would be lucky to be your mate. It’s going to be fine, Tae-ah, trust me.”

Silence lingered following his words, but after several moments and a shaky intake of breath from Taehyung, the omega nodded, acquiescing.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Yoongi prompted, needing to make sure.

Taehyung offered him a small smile. “Okay, I’ll believe you.”

“Good,” Yoongi said, sitting back in his seat. “Now that that’s settled, let’s talk about something serious.”

At Taehyung’s curious gaze Yoongi elaborated, “We need to decide what we want to eat. That beta over there has been glaring at us for ten minutes, if we wait any longer to place an order I’m sure he’ll spit in it.”

It was perhaps a slight exaggeration, but the small smile and quiet laugh Taehyung let out as he finally picked up their discarded menus was well-worth it.

+++

Taehyung couldn’t help the way he hunched in on himself as they left the café. The calming aura that had settled over him in the quiet space beside Yoongi’s calming presence slowly seeped out of him as they began the walk to the train station.

Yoongi had taken him well into the city for their talk, hoping that the change in scenery would be good for Taehyung, but now, surrounded by the hustle and bustle and less than subtle stares, Taehyung longed for the familiarity of his apartment or one of his packmates’.

It was disconcerting just how quickly Taehyung had adjusted to a certain level of social reclusiveness. One that he knew his packmates worried over.

It wasn’t that Taehyung disliked going out, but as the years went by and as the laws became increasingly more militant in the restrictions placed on omega autonomy, he couldn’t help it.

The employment sector had come first. Hundreds of thousands of omegas had been fired or laid-off from jobs deemed too ‘public’ or ‘aggressive’ for their capabilities. Outside of teaching or some form of caretaking, omegas were extremely limited in their career choices.

It had been a blow when his manager, a kind beta woman with a sympathetic smile and soft eyes had approached him to quietly inform him that a particular Wednesday what seemed like a lifetime ago would be his last day as a fashion intern.

The blow had felt physical at the time, his smile slowly slipping off his face as the astonishment slowly faded into a more insidious numbness. Jin had been the one to pick him up that day and had similarly been the one whose chest he had sobbed into at the revelation that he’d likely never become the independent designer he’d wanted to be.

There was a chance he could build a small, local clientele, but even the risk that came with that was likely too much. Namjoon- ever the solution-oriented alpha, had gently suggested he continue to design and create and have an alpha be the front of his collection. Well-meaning, perhaps, but the thought of someone else being credited for his work, for his passion, was almost too much to bear. It had been a year since he had last picked up a sketchpad, and just the thought of it filled him with equal parts longing as it did heartbreak.

Next came the lessening of penalties for crimes against omegas. The laws became lax, the restrictions looser in what was or wasn’t allowed. Victim blaming became the norm, any harm done to omegas came with a newfound scrutiny of the omega themselves. ‘Did you look the alpha in the eye,’ ‘where was your mate,’ ‘did you leave the house without letting a packmate scent you,’ ‘did you bare your neck in public’? Such short questions that quietly eroded one’s sense of self to the point where reporting a crime became an exhausting waste, a perpetrator all but guaranteed to walk free.

And then had come the collars. Taehyung remembered the day when he’d first gone to the local registration agency to pick up his initial set. Hoseok had stood beside him, his hand tightly around Taehyung’s as he filled out the paperwork, steadfastly by his side as the measuring tape that felt more like a noose was fitted around him, offering gentle but pained smiles as the plain silver collar was clicked into place.

The change happened gradually, and then all at once. Taehyung feeling like a shell of himself most days, anxiety a now-familiar friend anytime he strayed too far from his pack, especially when he went out unaccompanied.

Not that he could leave his apartment by himself often. Jimin was filled with nothing but good intentions, but he could be smothering in his insistence that Taehyung not leave without one of them by his side. He couldn’t help being just a bit bitter at Jungkook’s relative freedom.

The younger omega may have similarly been limited in his job opportunities, but he could roam the streets with the knowledge that should something happen to him, there was an increased chance that some justice would be metered out, solely for the presence of the thin, velvet mating collar around his throat.

“Will you get me a collar then?” Taehyung blurted out before he could help himself.

Yoongi looked at him, startled by the sudden outburst. “Do you want a collar?”

Taehyung shrugged, bringing a hand up to run along the smooth metal of his anti-mating collar. It was chafing, and he hadn’t had a chance to run to the store to get more of the specialty lotion Yoongi had recommended him.

“Anything’s better than this thing,” Taehyung murmured. “The sooner I can be free of it the better. Besides, if we’re really going to go through with this, I’ll need one, right?”

Yoongi hummed noncommittally, looking straight ahead as they made their way through unfamiliar streets. “You’re right,” he said at last. “We can go pick one up next week when I’m off work.”

Taehyung blinked at him owlishly. “We?”

Yoongi shot him a look out of the corner of his eyes, his lips tipped up in a small smile. “Of course. You’ll be the one wearing it, I want to make sure it’s something you like. You know my taste in fashion is terrible.”

“It’s not,” Taehyung argued, quite liking the way Yoongi dressed. It had been one of his dreams to design clothes for Yoongi, knowing the pride that would surge through him to see his alpha wearing one of his designs.

He swallowed. Yoongi wasn’t his alpha, but oh how he wished he was. He’d need to remind himself of the fact, knowing how easily the lines could blur the further they crept into this new territory.

“I like the way you dress,” Taehyung continued, his eyes sweeping over Yoongi approvingly as if to prove a point.

The alpha looked away bashfully, and Taehyung couldn’t help smiling at the redness creeping along his ears. And it was true. The black jeans, grey sweater, and matching beanie suited him well. He looked equal parts soft and strong, a duality that Taehyung loved about him.

“Thanks,” Yoongi huffed, still unable to meet his eye, even though he was clearly pleased by the compliment, standing just a bit straighter beside the omega. “But you should still be there. I want to get you something nice, whatever the price.”

Taehyung frowned at that. “I’m not going to pick anything expensive.”

Yoongi’s hand tightened around his own, glancing at Taehyung briefly before turning back to face the street before them. “If you were my mate, I’d want to spoil you. If you’re going to be my mate to appease the government, I’m going to cherish you just like I would in any other circumstance. Plus, I make enough. Just let hyung do this for you, please?”

To say that Taehyung was stunned was an understatement. His mouth opened and closed for several seconds as he tried to find his words, still somewhat unable to properly comprehend Yoongi’s own. Warmth spread throughout him, starting in the center of his chest and expanding out to the rest of his body at the sentiment.

He swallowed thickly, touched by the open sincerity in Yoongi’s voice. “Okay,” he said quietly, his heart fluttering as Yoongi released his hand only to wind an arm around Taehyung’s waist, pulling him into his side.

Still, he didn’t look at Taehyung, but the gesture was enough, drawing a quiet laugh from the omega.

One that didn’t last for long.

“Is he yours?”

Both men halted on the pavement, looking up at a tall alpha that was now blocking their path and staring between them scrutinizingly.

“My what?” Yoongi said blankly, immediately tensing against Taehyung’s side.

The alpha raised an eyebrow pointedly at the lack of response.

“Your omega?” he clarified after a second, enunciating each word distinctly, clearly believing Yoongi to be slow.

“I don’t fucking own him,” Yoongi said, his arm tightening against Taehyung.

“So no, then,” the man continued as if confirming to himself. He smiled, wide and full of blindingly white teeth. It looked good on him, one that could even be considered charming if not for the circumstances.

He glanced at Yoongi’s grip around Taehyung, before dragging his gaze lazily up the omega’s body until he was meeting Taehyung’s eyes.

Taehyung stiffened. Ordinarily, he would attempt to avoid direct eye contact with a strange alpha he didn’t know, but he felt pinned beneath the sharp, assessing stare. He swallowed, remembering Yoongi’s solid presence beside him. The alpha wouldn’t let anything happen to him, even if the man did have a good head or so on Yoongi.

“Listen,” he said slowly, startling Taehyung as the words were so clearly directed at him. He was used to being ignored, of having any and all questions directed to whatever alpha or beta was beside him, not being seen as good enough to address directly. “I’m looking for a mate.”

“Good for you,” Yoongi snapped.

He continued as if the alpha hadn’t spoken, his words not missing a beat.

“My name is Wonho, and I’m not a bad guy, I promise. I’m looking for a mate. My pack is big, and I’m next in line to be head alpha. I could take care of you.”

Taehyung felt slightly woozy at the clear proposition, his scent no doubt spiking with his discomfort. The scent of an omega in distress was a triggering one for alphas, heightening both their senses and protective instinct. He could pick up on the shift in Yoongi, but like the alpha in the alleyway, it seemingly had no effect on the man before them. Bastard.

“He has a pack,” Yoongi hissed, subtly positioning Taehyung behind him, even as he kept a strong hold on his packmate.

“I have a bigger one,” Wonho said confidently, barely sparing Yoongi a glance.

Yoongi bristled, a wave of dominating pheromones rolling off of him, not at all helping Taehyung’s lightheadedness.

The spike turned a few heads in their direction, but ultimately traffic continued to part around them as though they were nothing more than a minor obstacle in their commute to work. Which, Taehyung supposed was likely true, given how common it was for alphas to battle over unmated omegas in public. It was a common practice, even if the government’s official stance on it was a disparaging one.

“You’ll be well taken care of,” he continued, not batting an eye at the way Taehyung placed an uncertain, shaky hand on Yoongi’s shoulder from behind him. “I’m not some asshole that’s going to take you by force.”

The floor. The bar was now firmly on the floor. Taehyung’s stomach churned, equal parts stunned by, and numb to, the fact that an alpha not forcing a mating was looked at as a rare, favorable personality trait.

“You’ll be six feet under if you even think of trying,” Yoongi growled, shaking. “He’s not interested,” he continued, “now fuck off.”

Wonho’s smile sharpened, the first hint of redness bleeding into his gaze as his charming exterior began to melt. “Why don’t we let him tell me that. What’s your name sweetheart?”

Taehyung pursed his lips, loathing the way the alpha tilted his head to get a better look at him as if sizing up an item on auction that he was considering purchasing.

“I’m happy with my pack,” Taehyung said at last, hating how his voice shook. He cleared his throat, speaking up louder this time. “I’m happy where I am, the answer is no.”

“You’re unmated,” Wonho drawled, nonplussed by the rejection. “Clearly your pack doesn’t want you to stick around enough to keep you that way.”

“You fucking b-”

“Pretty soon the government’s going to take the option out of your hands. Isn’t it better you find someone now, than the alternative?”

“Please leave, before you get your ass kicked,” Taehyung said assertively, knowing that Yoongi was mere seconds away from obliterating the man. He was fully confident in the alpha’s ability and had half a mind to let his hyung.

Wonho’s face tightened. “I’d like to see him try.”

“Let’s go, hyung,” Taehyung said, his nails digging into Yoongi’s shoulder harshly as the alpha made to lunge at the man.

His breathing was ragged, trembling in his effort to keep calm. He released a shuddering breath, pulling Taehyung back to his side furthest away from Wonho and tucking him into his side.

“We’re leaving,” he said, “you better stay the fuck away.”

Yoongi began to lead them away, ready to exit the scene as quickly as possible only to halt at the next words called out after them.

“Feel free to reconsider omega, because if I see you again, I might not be as nice.”

Taking Taehyung’s hand in his, Yoongi whipped around. Before the omega could so much as blink, Yoongi’s arm shot out, his fist landing squarely against the alpha’s jaw with a devastating crunch and sending the man flat on his ass.

“Let’s go,” Yoongi said, holding onto Taehyung tightly and plowing through the crowd towards the station up ahead.

Wonho’s enraged cries got swallowed by the noise of the city as the crowds swarmed them once more, effectively shielding them as they made their way into the tunnel.

They hopped on their train quickly, having just caught it. It was only as their car’s doors slid firmly into place that Taehyung could finally breathe easy again.

“Sorry,” Yoongi muttered as he led them towards the back of the nearly empty car. He had blood on his knuckles, and he couldn’t help his grimace as he wiped the remnants off on his pants.

“It’s okay,” Taehyung soothed, leading Yoongi to sit beside him on the bench. Immediately, he melted into the arm Yoongi slung around his shoulders, tucking his face into the alpha’s neck and breathing deeply.

Adrenaline radiated off of him but masked beneath the pungent scent of that and his rage, lay an underlying concern that had Taehyung nuzzling into the sensitive skin there in an attempt to calm his packmate.

“It’s not,” Yoongi sighed, clearly still frustrated. “I know how much you hate violence.”

“I do,” Taehyung confirmed, laying his head on his shoulder. And it was true, he detested violence, but this was a bit different. He couldn’t quite lie to himself, unable to entirely tamp down on the way his omega preened at the display of just how well the alpha could defend him. Protect him. “But this is different, you were doing it to keep me safe. And that asshole deserved it.”

“Still…” Yoongi protested, sagging back into the seat.

“Don’t worry about it hyung,” Taehyung said, hooking his ankle with Yoongi’s under the bench. “Let’s just go home.”

There was a long stretch of silence before Yoongi eventually nodded, squeezing Taehyung tighter in an attempt to comfort them both as he murmured, “Alright.”

Taehyung couldn’t remember falling asleep on the ride, but the next thing he registered was Yoongi gently shaking him awake and leading him out of the station and out onto a familiar street leading to the alpha’s apartment.

“Why are we stopping here?” Taehyung yawned, blinking owlishly up at the tall building before them.

“It was closer,” Yoongi explained, laughing under his breath as Taehyung leaned into him, causing him to list to the side on the pavement.

He didn’t know why he was so sleepy- perhaps it was the mounting anxiety he’d experienced lately, or the encounter with the alpha in the city, or even the calming pheromones Yoongi radiated that had lulled him to sleep on the train. But, whatever it was, Taehyung’s eyes grew heavy, his limbs even heavier as Yoongi all but carried him to his apartment.

Any other time Taehyung might have apologized for the unapologetic way he draped himself over the alpha’s back, both of their steps significantly slowed as Yoongi adjusted his pace to accommodate Taehyung’s weight.

Instead, he let himself be lead, laughing with Yoongi each time they stumbled, and smiling sweetly each time the alpha caught him. It was calming letting Yoongi take control- freeing in a way that was both familiar and exciting as he ceded the tiring task of getting inside entirely to his hyung.

The ride up to his apartment was quiet, the elevator silent save for the muted ding let out with each floor they passed. The lack of conversation didn’t bother Taehyung. Instead, he used the moment free of needing to walk to nuzzle more comfortably into Yoongi’s neck.

He sighed with the dramatics of a child when the elevator finally arrived on their floor, whining softly as Yoongi took his hand in his and all but dragged him down the hall.

Once the door closed quietly behind them a newfound sense of calm settled deep into his bones. Even with the stress of the day, he didn’t realize quite how wound up he had been until they were properly ensconced in the comfort of the apartment. One that smelled like Yoongi. That smelled like home.

He watched passively as Yoongi bent down to remove his shoes, not making any further movement even as the alpha looked up at him curiously.

Knowing he should follow suit, but lacking the energy to do so, he merely held up a foot in Yoongi’s general direction, leaning back against the door for support.

“Spoiled,” Yoongi huffed, chuckling even as he bent down to obediently remove the offending shoe, oh so fond of the omega before him.

Taehyung hummed noncommittally, entirely agreeing with the point. On certain days, Taehyung was as headstrong as they came, stubborn to a fault and the many frustrations of his pack. And on others, all that Taehyung longed for was soothing words, soft touches, and a general pampering – things that his pack were oftentimes all too eager to give him.

Today was one of those days as he let Yoongi ease his shoes off before standing, taking Taehyung’s hand once more and leading him further into the apartment.

“Are you hungry?” He asked, making to head into the kitchen to prepare something, only for Taehyung to gently tug him back.

He shook his head, the act of speaking far more tiresome than it needed to be.

Yoongi smiled softly, indulgently as his thumb soothed over the back of Taehyung’s hand. “Okay,” he murmured. “Sleepy?”

Taehyung nodded, and the small confirmation was all Yoongi needed to begin leading them through the small space towards his bedroom.

Feeling every bit the doted on omega as he was, Taehyung sat primly on the bed’s edge as he let Yoongi rustle around in his dresser for a pair of Taehyung’s pajamas.

Clothes were shared items among the pack, both as a comfort and necessity as more often than not one or more packmates would end up at another’s home on any given night. It was logical, then, to keep a spare set of everyone’s preferred items at each apartment. Although keeping track of which piece belonged to which member was oftentimes a moot point with how often they tended to wear one another’s clothing, enjoying the familiar scent of their pack.

Nevertheless, after a few seconds of searching Yoongi was able to produce a well-worn set of silk pajamas reserved specifically for Taehyung’s use, holding them out to the exhausted omega.

They looked comfy. Taehyung knew they were comfy. And yet, it would expend an unacceptable amount of energy to put them on himself. In that line of thinking, he flopped back onto the bed, holding his legs out and wiggling meaningfully to the center of the mattress as he flexed his toes expectantly.

“You’re unbelievable,” Yoongi muttered. Even so, that didn’t stop him from dutifully beginning the process of undressing Taehyung.

His breath hitched as Yoongi’s fingers found the fly of his pants, so jarringly close to his crotch that Taehyung couldn’t stop the dangerous thoughts from creeping along his consciousness even in his sleep hazy mind.

It was by no means the first time Yoongi had helped him dress or undress, but it was rare that it was this intimate- alone, in Yoongi’s room, on his bed. Something he hadn’t thought about when they’d arrived, but now all that he could focus on as Yoongi dragged his zipper down with decided slowness before he began working the material down Taehyung’s thighs.

He flushed, throwing an arm over his eyes in an attempt to feign sleep as he sternly told his omega to calm the fuck down. It wouldn’t do to get worked up over something so small, so innocuous.

Yoongi was silent as he worked, successfully slipping the denim off of him before he began the process of working the silk pajama bottoms up his legs and over his hips.

“I need you to lift up for me pretty.”

Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut, hating the way his heart fluttered at the nickname. It wasn’t the first time Yoongi had used it with him, and Yoongi was hardly the only member in their pack to do so, but each time it dripped from his tongue in that slow Daegu drawl, Taehyung couldn’t help the effect it had on him.

He let Yoongi manhandle him into a sitting position, obediently maneuvering his arms out of his shirt and letting the silk of his pajama shirt be placed over his head and down his torso. He jolted as, in the process of smoothing the shirt down his body, Yoongi’s finger grazed his nipple, sending a shock through his tired system.

“Sorry,” Yoongi smirked, sounding anything but.

Taehyung ignored it, feeling the beginnings of a blush rising high on his cheeks as he glared petulantly at the alpha, flopping back down onto the bed to properly display his dissatisfaction.

Nevertheless, the bed felt far too empty without his hyung as he wiggled himself beneath the duvet, and it was only a matter of seconds before he was reaching out for the man.

Yoongi laughed, eyes scrunched up in mirth as he removed his pants, the ease with which he shed the clothing doing nothing to diminish Taehyung’s blush. Next, he shed his shirt, keeping his undershirt on much to Taehyung’s thankfulness and loathing, before he was slipping under the covers beside him.

Yoongi’s arms opened instantly to him, and Taehyung let out a long, slow sigh of contentment as he laid on his chest, letting his arms and legs wrap around him in a smothering hug.

Yoongi let him cling, long accustomed to Taehyung’s koala-like bedsharing habits as he pulled the covers up higher over the two.

“Go to sleep,” he murmured softly, pressing an even softer kiss to the crown of his head. “It’s been a long day. I’ll make us something to eat when you wake up.”

“Bibimbap,” Taehyung requested tiredly, smiling into Yoongi’s shoulder as he squeezed Taehyung’s hip in confirmation.

“Okay pretty,” he said, the words the last thing Taehyung registered before he drifted gently off to sleep.

+++

“Feeling better?” Jimin hummed, carding his fingers softly through Taehyung’s hair.

The omega blinked up at him sleepily, eyes droopy as he pressed his head more firmly into Jimin’s side. The pack was babying him more than usual, and while he felt guilty for their newfound worry over him, a small, selfish part of him enjoyed all the spoiling.

He'd realized yesterday with a start, that the exhaustion he’d been feeling as of late was more than just stress. It was early, but the tiredness, coupled with his cravings and general inability to settle without the presence of one of his packmates nearby all clearly pointed to the approach of an upcoming heat. It wasn’t near enough to affect his scent yet, but it was only a matter of a day or two before his hyungs would all be able to pick up on it.

As it stood, Jungkook was the only member to have noticed anything amiss, having scented Taehyung earlier in the day briefly before pulling back with a scrunched nose and knowing eyes. He appreciated that he hadn’t pointed it out yet, recognizing that with all the hecticness of the last few days, Taehyung could do without giving the hyungs another reason to fret over him.

Not that he didn’t like the spoiling, because of course he fucking did.

“Careful now,” Hoseok said, walking slowly into the living room. His lips tilted up in the tiniest of smirks, and Taehyung only had a second to recognize the mischievous intent behind the look before the alpha pounced.

Taehyung flailed beneath him, squawking as the alpha’s body weight settled heavily on top of him.

“Needed to wake you up,” Hoseok explained from above him, even as the length of his body continued to smother Taehyung. “Can’t have you falling asleep before the meeting.”

Jimin chuckled above him, the sound making his legs shake from beneath Taehyung even as he whined pitifully at the sudden interruption.

“You’re heavy,” Taehyung stressed, gasping as Hoseok pinched his side meanly. “Hey!” he yelped, giggling in spite of himself as Hoseok buried his nose into the crook of his neck. “Aren’t you meant to take care of me?”

“You get spoiled plenty,” Hoseok argued, continuing to scent Taehyung. “Especially by me.”

Taehyung couldn’t deny it, even as he nipped at Hoseok’s ear spitefully. The truth was the alpha did spoil him, always up for a playful wrestling match and the first to offer Taehyung tea when he couldn’t fall asleep. Not to mention the gifts.

Hoseok had made a rather lucrative career as a dance instructor in Gangnam, and he had no qualms with spending his rather hefty funds on anything, and everything the pack may desire.

“I want to be smothered!”

The three on the couch looked up at the interruption, Jimin immediately cooing at the look of consternation on their youngest packmate’s face.

“Come here you big baby,” Jimin laughed, opening his arms wide.

Taehyung only had a second to react as Jungkook bounded over to him, uncaring of Taehyung’s position in his mate’s lap as he plopped himself down onto Jimin’s free thigh. With Jungkook’s leg thrown over his shoulder, one of Jimin’s hands still settled firmly over his belly, and Hoseok’s entire body on top of him, Taehyung was well and truly smothered.

“I didn’t know we were having a pack pile.”

Once again Taehyung looked to the door, unable to stop the wide smile that stretched across his lips at the sight of Yoongi. He looked the same as ever, casually dressed in loose sweats and a sweater, his hands tucked into his pockets – but he never ceased to make Taehyung’s heart beat just a bit faster whenever he was near.

“Oof,” Hoseok mumbled into his ear, quiet enough that only Taehyung could hear. “Hyung just bought this couch, don’t go getting slick on it now.”

Taehyung hissed, kneeing Hoseok in the stomach so that the alpha toppled off of him. Even with his face pinched in pain, Hoseok couldn’t help laughing, his eyes full of mirth as he looked up at Taehyung from his newfound position on the floor.

Taehyung could feel the heat in his cheeks and his blush only intensified at the amused raise of Yoongi’s eyebrows at the scene.

It wasn’t a particularly well-kept secret within the pack. Save for Yoongi himself and perhaps Namjoon, the others were well aware of his feelings for the second eldest alpha. Even so, the gentle teasing from his packmates never failed to both embarrass and terrify him, perpetually afraid of Yoongi finding out his feelings.

Over the years Taehyung had managed to get his more embarrassing reactions to his hyung under control. Despite how effortlessly attractive Yoongi was, and Hoseok’s teasing, Taehyung was at least assured in his ability not to shamelessly slick up in front of Yoongi. Still, it was a constant struggle. Particularly now, with Yoongi’s soft gaze and tender smile as he looked at the four of them.

“Where are the others?” Yoongi asked, walking over to the couch.

He stopped in front of Jungkook first, pulling the omega close to run his wrist along his neck before bending down. Taehyung could feel his breath catch in his throat as Yoongi leant over him, hoping beyond hope that the alpha was unaware as he leaned in to nuzzle the side of Taehyung’s neck.

The omega couldn’t help silently preening at the scenting, secretly pleased that Yoongi had gone for the more intimate route of scenting him.

“They should be coming soon,” Jimin mused. He watched Taehyung with an indulgent smile, his grin only widening as Taehyung looked away in embarrassment.

Taehyung lifted his legs compliantly as Yoongi settled onto the far end of the couch, only to grab the omega’s calves and settle his legs onto his lap.

Yep, spoiled indeed.

“I was going to sit there,” Hoseok whined.

Yoongi stared back at him implacably and Taehyung could hear Jungkook snicker beside him.

“Looks like you’ll just have to smoosh in next to me,” Jimin grinned, patting the spot on his other side.

“I’m sure you’ll like that much better anyway,” Taehyung quipped, enjoying Hoseok’s embarrassed glare far more than he perhaps should. Good, payback was a must.

Despite the calm and camaraderie, there was still an ever-present undercurrent of nervousness in the air. One that only heightened as the rest of their pack finally made their way into the den.

“You all look cozy,” Jin cooed as he followed Namjoon into the living room.

Even with the softness of the words, Jin’s face radiated a nervous energy that instantly had the others on edge. While Namjoon didn’t comment, he certainly sensed the change, placing a heavy hand on Jin’s shoulder as he guided his mate to the armchair beside the couch.

The seven of them together should have eased any residual fears from Taehyung’s mind. However, the grave purse to Namjoon’s lips and slight dip between Jin’s eyebrows had Taehyung sitting up to lean against Jimin, his legs tensing in Yoongi’s lap.

“What’s wrong,” Jungkook asked after the silence became too much for the omega to bear.

Taehyung nodded, both needing to know whatever weighed on the pack leader’s mind and dreading the possibility of finding out.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Namjoon began slowly. He glanced back down at his mate before perching himself on the arm of the chair. “But, as you know, I met with my government friend today.”

Taehyung did know. It was the entire reason they’d called the meeting. Namjoon may not have been the wealthiest man, having forgone a lucrative career in finance for the education profession, but his family had connections. Connections he’d never hesitate to use or exploit if it meant the wellbeing of his pack.

“What did he say?” Jimin asked, that same trepidation that had been in Jungkook’s voice laced in his own. Taehyung hated it.

“He explained the registration process to me. But, that’s not going to be our problem. Not really.”

“No?” Taehyung ventured quietly when Namjoon didn’t follow with further explanation.

Namjoon shook his head. “No.”

“Well, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Yoongi snapped, clearly agitated by the alpha’s vagueness.

Namjoon shot him a sharp look, his eyes narrowed in that purely alpha way that was intent on assessing a potential threat, a challenge.

There was a moment of charged silence in which Yoongi’s thumb began to rub short, irritated circles into Taehyung’s ankle, more for the sake of calming himself than the omega beside him, as they waited.

“Well?” Jimin quietly prompted.

Namjoon’s stern gaze swiveled to him, before relaxing minutely. As the youngest alpha of the pack, Jimin occupied a unique position. His hyungs made sure to respect his status as an alpha – straying away from direct challenges, scenting in the more minor, less threatening scent glands- but he was still able to get away with far more than any older, higher status alpha was.

“It’s like the registration for the collars,” Namjoon finally elaborated. “At least at first.”

Another silence hung in the wake of the words, but Jin was quick to intervene before Yoongi could properly bite Namjoon’s head off over the agonizingly slow release of information.

“Both mates will go in to have their mate bites photographed and put in a database. Other than that, there’s no physical verification that’ll need to take place at the initial registration.”

“Okay,” Hoseok said, stretching the word as he seemed to consider with the rest of them. “So that’s a good thing, right? Yoongi hyung and Tae can just use a bit of special effects and be done with it?”

Taehyung’s breath caught, whipping his head to Jin for confirmation- hopeful for the first time since the announcement.

“Yes,” Jin confirmed, and Taehyung sagged back against the couch in relief. Yoongi similarly relaxed beneath him, and Taehyung was pleased to smell the harsh note that his scent had taken on slowly retreating. “However,” he added, instantly putting the others back on edge. “It hasn’t been announced yet, they’re planning to do it closer to the date registrations begin, but there will be a few more restrictions.”

“Like what?” Taehyung asked wearily.

Jin looked at him apologetically, as if he knew how the next words would affect Taehyung, and the omega began to feel faintly nauseous.

“The purpose of the registration is to match unmated omegas with packs to crack down on their autonomy and increase the population given its steady decrease over the last few decades,” Namjoon said, taking over for his mate.

Taehyung nodded, none of the information was new to them. Over the last few decades, male omegas were slowly being born less frequently. While they weren’t ‘endangered’ by any means, the trend was noticeable enough for the government to decrease access to birth control and lower penalties for forced mating in an attempt to bring the numbers back up. So far, it had been less than successful.

Namjoon licked his lips, nodding more to himself than anyone else. “Right well, in that vein, they’re all but abolishing heat suppressants and scent blockers. Unless an omega is considered an essential employee or from a high-standing family, starting next month they’ll be all but impossible to get.”

“Oh,” Taehyung breathed, feeling the news like a punch to the gut.

Heats were agonizing to go through alone, particularly when one was constantly in the presence of alphas.

In the early days of their pack, when they were just starting to figure each other out, it wasn’t uncommon for Namjoon or Jimin to help the omegas out with their heat as both the respective leader of the pack and alpha closest to the omegas in age. But, since the alphas had both mated, and Hoseok clearly had a thing for Jimin and Jungkook, and Taehyung’s feelings towards Yoongi were… complicated, it had been ages since he’d had a heat mate.

He had initially been hesitant about taking suppressants, fearing all kinds of side effects given the government’s less than stellar regulation of them. But now, he couldn’t imagine his life without them, dreading the four heats he was forced to have a year.

“Yeah,” Jin sighed. “Alphas with omega mates are also unable to work during their omega’s heats. Omegas’ cycle will have to be tracked and then registered with the ministry, and alphas will be obligated to be with them through the duration. The same goes for alphas with omega mates and rut suppressants. They’ll be harder but not impossible to get, and omegas won’t be allowed to work during their ruts.”

“Not that they’re able to work much at all,” Taehyung muttered bitterly.

Namjoon rubbed his forehead, clearly distressed by his pack’s unease. “They obviously can’t force mates to couple during these times, but it’s clearly encouraged and designed to orchestrate it.”

Taehyung chanced a glance at Yoongi from the corner of his eye, but the alpha was merely frowning down at the carpet before them. Not for the first time since the news, Taehyung felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

“Hey,” Jimin murmured, wrapping an arm around Taehyung’s middle and settling his chin on his shoulder. “What are you thinking?”

Taehyung winced, twisting his fingers irritably in his lap. “If we go through with this plan, hyung’s going to lose work. We both are, and I can barely keep up with rent some months as it is.”

Freelancing as a tailor wasn’t much, but he had a good reputation and enough of a loyal clientele that he could eek by. Even if he didn’t have a business so to speak to register and regulate, the work he’d lose out on with the nuisance of monthly heats would be significant.

“Your rent won’t be a problem,” Hoseok said firmly, his voice radiating so much authority that Taehyung couldn’t help but take the assurance to heart. “All of us are more than willing to help cover it-” he said, pausing momentarily to allow for the avid nods and murmurs of agreement from the rest of the pack. “And you’ll always be free to move in with any one of us.”

“We also haven’t ruled out the thought of buying a single den,” Namjoon added, reminding them all of the plan he’d posed months ago.

Between the seven of them- particularly with Hoseok’s accumulated small fortune, and Namjoon and Jin’s family money, they could easily afford to build a complex big enough to house them all, with their own space and additional space should their pack ever expand. Not that any of them were anywhere close to considering pups at the moment. They’d held off on doing so, out of the work required more than the desire to do so, but now it was seeming like a possible necessity in the coming weeks.

“My door’s always open,” Yoongi threw in, squeezing Taehyung’s calf.

“Needless to say,” Jin smiled kindly, even though there remained a keen sadness in his eyes, “housing won’t be an issue. But you both and Jimin and Kook losing work is not a plus by any means.”

“This fucking sucks,” Jungkook said, throwing his head back against the couch.

“Does it?” Taehyung couldn’t help asking petulantly. “You’ve been off of suppressants for years. Other than a few more ruts for Jimin, you’ll be fine.”

“Tae-” Hoseok began reproachfully, and Taehyung instantly felt himself retreating.

An apology sat on the tip of his tongue, weighing heavy in his mouth, but he couldn’t quite get himself to utter the words. He was bitter, beyond bitter. And even if he knew he was being unfair, he couldn’t help it.

“No, it’s fine,” Jimin sighed, even though his peach scent soured slightly. “It still sucks, but Taehyung’s right. It won’t be the same for us.”

The omega sighed. Even if it validated his childish thoughts, the concession still wracked him with guilt.

Yoongi cleared his throat, directing the room’s attention to him. “I’ll be fine,” he assured, answering Taehyung’s early concern. “I have more projects than I know what to do with, it’ll be nice to have some time off.”

“That being said,” Namjoon interrupted before Taehyung could find any genuine relief. “You both should go to the pharmacy as soon as possible. Multiple doctors if you need to. Shore up as large of a supply of suppressants while you still can. The rest of the public doesn’t know yet, but when it’s announced closer to the end of the month, you can be sure there’ll be a mad scramble and following shortage before the law actually takes effect.”

Taehyung nodded in resignation. Already he could feel overwhelm threatening to overtake him at the idea of stocking up. But really, what good would that do him. Maybe he could get enough for a year. For two? But long term it would hardly be a drop in the bucket. Particularly when he spent his heats alone.

“I’ll stock up too,” Jungkook said, “For Tae hyung.”

And… if that didn’t make Taehyung feel like complete and utter shit.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, hanging his head low.

Jimin sighed, relaxing slightly at the quiet words and Taehyung’s defeated posture. “Like I said, it’s fine. We’re all in this together.”

“Still-” Taehyung said thickly, unable to look anyone in the eyes.

“It’s alright hyung,” Jungkook reiterated, taking Taehyung’s hand in his. “Really.”

Touched, all Taehyung could do was nod mutely.

“Is there anything else?” Yoongi asked wearily after an indefinite amount of time had elapsed.

“Just that penalties for working during a heat and for anyone found sleeping with a mated omega that’s not their’s will be raised.”

Taehyung laughed bitterly at Jin’s words. Because of course. Not to mention, he noted with more than a little resignation and self-pity, that if he couldn’t find a heat partner before, with the façade of his mating to Yoongi it would now be close to impossible.

“Well, that’s great,” Taehyung hummed, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m assuming that alphas caught cheating on their partners with unmated people won’t face any repercussions,” he said archly.

Namjoon grimaced, “No, not that was mentioned.”

The familiar urge to flee was setting in once more- an intense itch to run away from the walls that felt as though they were steadily closing in on him. His chest felt tight, like he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs even as his breaths came out in quick, quiet bursts.

“Hey,” Yoongi murmured, shaking his leg gently to get his attention.

It was a struggle just to look at him, but when Taehyung turned to face him, the question was clear in his gaze. Are you okay?

No.

Yoongi was looking at Taehyung so softly it made his heart clench painfully in his chest. He just wanted it to stop. He could tell that his pack was well aware of his discomfort. Jin, who had the most sensitive nose of the bunch, was trying his best to remain stoic in the face of Taehyung’s runaway scent, but the omega couldn’t help feeling sheepish with the way he scrunched his nose, subtly leaning closer to Namjoon to no-doubt concentrate on his mate’s soothing scent.

There was a certain fragileness to the air as everyone tried to remain as steady as possible, the underlying fear of Taehyung running away still present among them. And if that didn’t make him feel even worse.

He startled as Yoongi’s hand worked its way under his knee, taking a solid grip of his leg and tugging meaningfully.

It took Taehyung a second to understand the request, but once he did, he was happily scrambling to comply, lifting himself off of Jimin and crawling over until he was settled comfortably in Yoongi’s lap.

No one blinked at the sudden transition, but Taehyung couldn’t help his cheeks heating and the pleasant, calming warmth spreading throughout him as Yoongi’s arms instantly wound their way around his waist. He squeezed softly, letting Taehyung know that he was here. That they were in this together. That knowledge alone was enough to have some of the more prominent feelings of overwhelm slowly retreating to the recesses of his mind. They would surely return later, but for now, Yoongi’s hold on him and the steady beat of his heart against his back was enough.

“For now,” Namjoon said, redirecting Taehyung’s attention back to the alpha, “we’ll need to sort out some logistics. Jin hyung and I can handle finding someone to fake the marks and we’ll arrange registration dates for the pack. Let’s all try to get our hands on some suppressants in the interim. Sound good?”

Nothing about the situation sounded ‘good’, but it was the best plan they could hope to have so they all nodded mutely in understanding.

“Well,” Jin said, standing to his feet and looking around the room. “We’ve still got a little time, let’s not all try to look so sad, hmm? Food?”

“Fuck yes!” Jungkook said, startling the room into small fits of laugher, entirely caught off guard by his enthusiasm.

An indulgent smile stretched across the eldest alpha’s lips as Jin nodded, “That’s what I like to hear. Why don’t the littlest ones pick out a movie, I’ll get dinner started.”

“I’m not little,” Jimin huffed but reached for the remote all the same.

“Definitely not where it counts,” Jungkook smirked, earning a squawk and admonishment from Jin from the depths of the kitchen.

“I will not tolerate that heathenish language in this house!”

Yoongi snorted from beneath Taehyung, echoing Taehyung’s own giggles. Language was perhaps the least heathenish thing to occur in the Kim household. On any surface.

Slowly, the atmosphere unwound into something less tense, and Taehyung found himself relaxing back into Yoongi’s hold.

“You okay?” his hyung asked quietly, nudging the underside of Taehyung’s chin with his nose.

Taehyung tipped his head to the side obediently, letting his eyes droop closed as Yoongi began to scent him once more.

“Not really no,” Taehyung murmured, listening to Jimin and Jungkook squabble over what to watch. He smiled at Hoseok’s attempt at refereeing between the two, only further adding to the mounting chaos.

“Sorry, that was a stupid question,” Yoongi sighed, his breath fanning hotly against Taehyung’s throat. “But it’s going to all work out. We’ll make sure it does. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“I know,” Taehyung said truthfully, even if he didn’t see how. His unflinching trust in the alpha and his fear of their unknown future were constantly at war with one another. But, here in Yoongi’s embrace, he could decisively say that the alpha was winning. “It’s just hard.”

“I know” Yoongi echoed. “But it’ll get better.”

Taehyung nodded, not feeling as though he had the energy to continue the conversation.

“Let’s all spend the night here,” Yoongi said, spreading his palm to span across Taehyung’s stomach.

The omega sighed at the gesture, his lips tipping up in a small grin in spite of himself as he said “Okay.”

And it would be okay. At least, that’s what he could convince himself as the familiar sounds and scents of his packmates surrounded him. With Yoongi’s arms around him, his packmates bickering beside him, and the smell of a filling, home-cooked meal now wafting in from the kitchen, he felt safe. If only for a moment.

It would have to be enough.

Chapter Text

Taehyung sat stiffly in the uncomfortable chair; both his hands clenched tightly into fists as they rested on his knees. He tried to remain calm, even as his breaths left him in quiet, quick bursts. He didn’t know which was the more dominant emotion- anger, frustration, fear. Regardless, they all swelled within him, swimming amongst each other discomfitingly in a way that left him winded.

His doctor gazed back at him implacably, entirely unaffected by the life-altering news she had just shared with him. For that, Taehyung felt a new swell of rage.

It wasn’t her fault. He knew it wasn’t her fault. Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop the wave of loathing that welled up within him and directed itself to the emotionless alpha woman sat before him.

“What do you mean?” he managed to grit out through tightly clenched teeth.

She stared at Taehyung dubiously. “I mean,” she began slowly, looking at him as though he were slow, and she was only just taking note. “That I can no longer prescribe those suppressants. They’re out of stock.”

“What about the generic brand?” Taehyung pressed, unable to quite comprehend what she was saying.

His doctor blinked at him. “Out of stock.”

“Everywhere?”

“Everywhere.”

Taehyung sat back in his seat, disbelieving. “What about the other brands? The less effective ones?”

“Listen, Taehyung-ssi.”

Taehyung’s nose wrinkled, hating the way she peered down at him from over the rim of her glasses. As if he were an unpleasant specimen she needed to classify.

“There’s a nationwide shortage, priority is being given to those that need it most.”

“And let me guess,” Taehyung snarked, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “The ones that need it most are rich and politically connected.”

She sighed, clucking her tongue admonishingly. She reminded him of a schoolteacher more than anything else, assessing his work and determining that it came up woefully short. “I can’t speak to where the suppressants are going, just that you do not fall within the category of need.”

“According to who?” He snapped.

“According to me.”

Taehyung scoffed, unable to help himself. If his mother could see him, he was sure a sharp reprimand for his impoliteness would be ready on the tip of her tongue. And, ordinarily, he might even feel bad with his rudeness. But he didn’t know this woman. He didn’t particularly like this woman.

It had been a shock to him when he’d arrived at the hospital only to be told that his usual doctor had elected to retire early. Taehyung had frowned, stiffening beside Jin with anxiety as the alpha placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He couldn’t quite believe it. Not only had Dr. Yun been far from retirement age, but he had a zest for the medical profession that Taehyung didn’t see often. It was even harder to believe that the doting doctor would retire in quiet, without so much as notifying his lifelong patients. It uneased him.

Which was why, sat before this young alpha who so casually and carelessly dismissed his concerns, his unease remained greater than ever.

Suddenly, she sat forward, making Taehyung reel back reflexively in alarm. Her lips turned up in the faintest of smiles at his startling, her first since he’d entered the office twenty minutes ago. “Can I be candid with you, Taehyung-ssi?”

He nodded wearily, suspecting that he wouldn’t like whatever was next to leave her mouth.

He was correct.

“This is a good thing,” she said earnestly, making Taehyung’s stomach churn like curdled milk. “You’re young and in your prime. I suspect you’ll be mating soon one way or another as well. Coming off your suppressants now will ease the effects later down the line. See this as a benefit, not a hindrance.”

Taehyung felt ill at the sugary-sweet tone with which her words had been spoken in. Her passive smile was disconcerting, the vacantness in her gaze downright alarming as she so easily dismissed him.

“Thanks for the advice but I have to disagree,” he muttered, standing.

Any other time he would have been embarrassed by the way the chair skittered into the wall behind him with his abrupt movements. Any other time he would have felt ashamed of his runaway scent as her nose wrinkled at the overwhelming smell of wilted honeysuckle that filled the tiny examination room.

Manners be dammed. He didn’t spare her so much as a second glance as he stormed out of the office, letting the door slam behind him with a bang as he exited out into the sterile hallway.

Jin startled at his quick exit, his head whipping up from his phone to take in Taehyung’s frenzied arrival.

“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately, hurrying over to the distraught omega. “Tae, tell hyung what’s wrong.”

Taehyung shook where he stood. His rage hadn’t subsided any despite the satisfying noise of shock that had followed in his wake at his abrupt exit. He took a long, steadying breath as he fought against the familiar stinging behind his eyes.

“They don’t have any suppressants they can prescribe. Of any kind, anywhere. They’re all apparently low in stock and only being prescribed to ‘those who most need it’.”

“That’s bullshit,” Jin seethed. He rolled his eyes at the scandalized look two passing nurses shot him, waving them away with a dismissive hand as he focused his attention back on Taehyung. “Is she certain?”

“Oh, she’s certain,” Taehyung hissed, fuming. “But apparently it will be a good thing to let my body adjust considering how I’ll be mated ‘one way or another’ soon according to her.”

Jin’s lips pressed into a tight line, his shoulders straightening. His eldest hyung wasn’t the type to outwardly express anger often, tending to retreat internally when it came to conflict of any kind. Taehyung could tell that it was taking the alpha everything he had not to storm back into the office and demand a reassessment and apology.

Taehyung sighed as he felt the familiar urge to comfort a distressed alpha slowly chip away at the visceral anger swirling within him. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he peered up at his hyung.

“Let’s just go, there’s nothing they can do to help us here.”

Jin looked as though he wanted to argue, but after taking a second, intent look at the omega, he thought better of it.

He looped an arm around Taehyung’s shoulder, pulling him into his side with an affectionate nuzzle to the crown of his head. “Alright then,” he said as he began to lead them to the elevators. “Why don’t we go get some ice cream before heading home? Hopefully, the others had more success than we did.”

“I’m not a child hyung,” Taehyung whined, his tone arguing much to the contrary.

“Oh, so you don’t want ice cream then?” Jin asked lightly, a knowing quirk to his eyebrows.

“I didn’t say that” Taehyung huffed, holding his head high even as a flush crept along his cheeks. “And you’re buying.”

The alpha smirked, tightening his arm around Taehyung once more as he led them from the area. “Of course.”

+++

“I’m sorry hyung.”

Taehyung smiled softly, even as he felt a familiar tightening in his chest. It wasn’t Jungkook’s fault. It wasn’t any of his packmates’ fault that there were seemingly no more suppressant refills to be found. Taehyung did a mental tally, noting with despair that he had perhaps one week left of suppressants until he would have them fully cycled out of his system. One last blissfully heat-free week until he would have to reckon with the consequences of being partnerless.

It made his stomach churn.

“It’s not your fault,” he said honestly, reaching over to rustle the younger omega’s hair. Jungkook looked pitiful, as though the world’s injustices were somehow his doing as he stared up at Taehyung with wide, sad eyes.

He tried for a bigger smile, the effort futile and his attempt ending up somewhat distorted as the shape of his lips resembled a pained grimace more than anything else.

“Really, it’s fine Kook-ah. I’ll be fine.”

“Definitely,” Jin confirmed around a large mouthful of noodles. It was equal parts astonishing as it was impressive that he could maintain such a healthy appetite in moments of distress. One that Taehyung certainly envied as his stomach roiled like waves beneath a ship.

“There are plenty of natural remedies too.” Jimin supplied optimistically.

Taehyung nodded dispassionately. Sure, there were plenty of old wives’ tales about natural heat suppressants. From sleeping on top of lemon rinds to specially blended ginger and hibiscus tea twice a day. The number of them was as prolific as they were useless. Each one something that Taehyung had tried or heard about before quickly dismissing. A crock of shit, as his mother would say.

He sank down in his chair, his fingers twiddling restlessly with his unused pair of chopsticks.

“It’ll be okay,” Namjoon said, planting a hand firmly on the nape of his neck. He had been repeating those words like a mantra over the last few days, and sometimes, Taehyung could almost believe them.

Now was not one of those times. Despair blanketed him like a cloak, and as ensconced in the depths of his dark thoughts as he was, he couldn’t see a way out.

“Let’s turn that frown upside down!” Hoseok said confidently, looping an arm around Taehyung. The alpha radiated a calm kind of confidence that had Taehyung relaxing into his side in spite of himself.

“Let’s have a movie night!” Jimin agreed eagerly, sitting forward in his seat. “And it’s my turn to pick!”

Jungkook groaned from beside his mate and Taehyung prepared for the usual squabbling between the two. Hoseok smiled indulgently at the pair, a softness in his eyes that warmed Taehyung throughout. It may take a while longer, but they would work out. Of that fact Taehyung was certain.

He waited for the familiar envy to rise within him- something he had grown familiar with even in his unparalleled joy for his friends. He wanted them to be happy together, they deserved that and so much more. Taehyung would hand them the moon and hang stars in their hair if they asked, and he knew they would do the same. He just wished he had a person. A mate that he would be irrevocably connected with and loved in his whole by. He had that with his pack to an extent, but he knew it wasn’t the same. One look at Jimin and Jungkook’s connection, or Jin and Namjoon’s gentle way of existing with one another, proved that.

He swallowed down the confusing cloud of emotions, grinning as he tuned back into the usual argument over what to watch. Jimin was resolute in his choice, sticking to his selection even in the face of Jungkook’s pout that they were all so soft over. Truly an impressive feat.

“You’re all spending the night again I presume?” Jin asked, setting his chopsticks aside as he began to clear the table. Taehyung rose to help him.

“Of course,” Jimin replied flippantly, only pausing briefly in his lengthy explanation of why his choice was superior.

Jin groaned, “Will I ever get my home back?”

“Nope,” Jungkook quipped, pronouncing the ‘p’ heavily with a cheeky smile. “And you love it that way.”

“I love sleeping in my expensive bed with my sexy mate,” Jin argued, taking the plates Taehyung handed him with a small smile.

Jungkook looked up quickly, indignant. “Our nests are just a comfy hyung!”

“Of course, they are pup,” Jin hurried to reassure, scratching behind the omegas ears sweetly in a way that had Jungkook preening. “But I also like sex with my mate.”

“Oh please,” Hoseok scoffed. “That’s never stopped you. I was definitely awake when Namjoon knotted you the other day. On my favorite shirt too!”

It was amusing the way Jin flushed from his roots to his chest, the blush likely going even further down but obscured behind his loose shirt. A shirt that looked suspiciously like Taehyung’s.

“At least we gave you the courtesy of thinking you were asleep,” Namjoon defended from his spot at the head of the table. He gestured dismissively at Jimin and Jungkook beside him. “The number of times they’ve gone at it on the kitchen table is ridiculous.”

“On this table?” Yoongi asked, lifting his head up from where it had rested on the polished oak. His nose wrinkled, staring down at the wood as if he could see traces of slick. “The one we eat on?”

Taehyung chuckled; his lips pulled wide in a smile as he took in the alpha’s look of thinly veiled disgust.

“We washed it,” Jungkook defended meekly, his face just as scarlet as Jin’s. “It’s clean.”

“That’s beside the point, it’s gross” Yoongi whined, standing abruptly. He sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly at the youngest packmates before taking a handful of silverware from Taehyung. “Let hyung help you.”

Taehyung’s grin softened, his chest tightening with a sweet warmth Yoongi so often filled him with.

“Sometimes Kook just needs a knot,” Jimin said proudly. “What kind of alpha would I be to deny him?”

Yoongi gagged, shaking his head as he headed for the kitchen. “I don’t need to hear anymore!” he called over his shoulder. “That’s more than enough!”

“Oh, don’t pretend you wouldn’t watch,” Hoseok teased. “When you have a mate, you’ll understand.”

Taehyung paused, eyes widening as Yoongi stuttered in his steps before righting himself, his shoulders decidedly tense.

No one spoke for a long moment, the only sound in the kitchen being that of dishes being set into the sink.

The atmosphere shifted as they were all sharply brought back to the current reality- of Taehyung’s predicament and the solution only Yoongi could provide.

“Sorry, I-” Hoseok began, only for Taehyung to cut him off abruptly.

“Jimin, why don’t you go set up the movie?”

After a pause in which Jimin’s eyes raked worriedly over Taehyung, before falling to Hoseok and his look of utter contrition, he nodded. “It’s going to be great!” He said, attempting to affect a chipper tone even as he fell woefully short.

Jungkook snorted. “It’s going to be a bore hyung.”

“Will not!” Jimin called as he strode into the living room, more vehement than before. “You’ll eat your words soon enough!”

“Mhmm,” Jungkook hummed skeptically.

Taehyung relaxed, sinking back into his chair as the reignited argument lessened the tense atmosphere around them.

“I’m really sorry,” Hoseok murmured beside him, looking stricken.

“It’s okay hyung, really,” he said softly, hating the anxious spike in the alpha’s scent.

“Still, I-”

Taehyung silenced him with a kiss, a gentle press of lips that had Hoseok humming against him.

“It’s fine, really,” Taehyung stressed after he pulled back, only to place a quick peck on his hyung’s cheek for good measure. “Please don’t be upset.”

Hoseok looked as though he still had a few protests at the ready but ultimately held them back, mollified by Taehyung’s reassuring kisses and delicate smile.

“Kook and I are going to make a nest, come help us,” he instructed. He grinned knowingly as Hoseok sat up straighter in his seat. The best way to redirect an alpha was to assign them a task, their nature of wanting to help and provide made the opportunity to offer assistance a reassuring labor of love.

“I’ll go grab the pillows,” Hoseok said dutifully, standing and offering a hand down to Taehyung.

He didn’t need the help standing but still let the alpha help him to his feet, knowing that the doting gesture was more for Hoseok’s nerve’s sake than his own.

“Thank you, alpha,” Taehyung murmured, watching Hoseok preen at the title. Taehyung bit his lip, suppressing a smile. Alphas were always so easy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Taking care of and comforting his pack was an inherent need, and he tried to take care of that need with a fastidiousness that he rarely directed towards other duties in his life.

“Of course,” Hoseok said eagerly, leaning in to place a quick kiss on the crown of Taehyung’s head before hurrying off to get the pillows in question.

Taehyung stared after him with an indulgent smile before turning back to collect the rest of the plates.

“That was nice of you.”

He startled, turning around to find Yoongi standing surprisingly close. When had crept over?

He shook his head, looking down with a bashful smile. “It was nothing, he was beating himself up over nothing.”

“True,” Yoongi mused, before looking at Taehyung with a heavy stare. “But I know it upset you.”

“I’m upset for you more than anything else,” the omega answered honestly, purposefully keeping his voice quiet so as not to alert the others. “You deserve to have a mate you love.”

Yoongi’s answer was immediate. “I love you.”

Taehyung sighed, his finger running along the edge of the fine porcelain in his hands. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” his hyung sighed, “but it doesn’t change that fact.”

“Hyung-”

“Tae,” Yoongi said seriously, looking at Taehyung with open and honest eyes. “I’m alright with this. Trust me. If anything, I’m worried about you.”

He offered a small smile, shaking his head at their antics. “We’re both worried about each other.”

“So, let’s not worry at all,” Yoongi answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world. And perhaps it was. “Let’s just look ahead. We have each other, and we have the pack. We’ll be okay.”

Taehyung worried his bottom lip between his teeth anxiously, watching as Yoongi’s gaze followed the movement before releasing it. He took a deep breath. “Okay hyung.”

“Okay?” Yoongi asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at Taehyung’s easy acquiescence.

Taehyung smiled, “Okay.”

“Good,” Yoongi said, before rocking up onto the tips of his toes to place a solid kiss to the center of Taehyung’s forehead. His lips were warm, and Taehyung preened beneath the pressure. “Now let’s go watch this terrible movie.”

“It’s not terrible!” Jimin shouted, and Taehyung’s smile widened.

+++

“Ready?”

Taehyung glanced sidelong at Yoongi, taking in the alpha’s calm visage out of the corner of his eye. For such a monumental occasion, Yoongi looked disturbingly nonchalant as he stared up at the large jewelers before them.

Taehyung swallowed, glancing back at the ostentatious display window in front of them as he shifted from foot to foot. He didn’t feel ready, but then again, he likely never would be.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” he answered, not meeting Yoongi’s gaze as his hyung looked at him with mild concern.

“Tae-”

“I’m fine, really,” the omega rushed to answer. His smile was a tad too broad, his eyes a tad too wide as he hurried to reassure his packmate.

Lately, he was beginning to feel like a bit of a burden. He knew everything his pack did was out of tremendous love and concern for him, but he couldn’t help feeling bad at the palpable worry they had around him since the public announcement.

Their concern, well-intentioned as it was, had become cloying as of late, and he didn’t know how to properly dispel it. It didn’t help that his own anxiety was the trigger for the pack’s, but he had yet to find a proper cure for it. Or at least an interim solution.

“We can come back,” Yoongi offered diplomatically, but Taehyung was already shaking his head.

“No; no time like the present!” Taehyung said enthusiastically, well-aware of the clock ticking down on their impending registration.

A make-up artist had been hand-selected by Jimin. Someone he trusted and by extension that the pack trusted. He has assured Jimin that faking a pair of mating marks would be easy, and most importantly that he could be discreet.

It had been uncomfortable taking the teeth molds that the man had insisted on for the sake of accuracy, but Taehyung had to applaud his attention to detail. It would take close inspection and a round of heavy-duty chemicals to spot and remove the marks, and Taehyung felt some relief over that fact.

Still, the impending date remained a constant reminder in the back of his head, the fact that they had less than a month left to prepare making itself an unpleasant source of unease the closer they crept towards the date.

Yoongi slid his hand into his, a warm and welcoming touch as his thumb stroked soothingly along the back of his hand.

“Let’s get something flashy,” Yoongi said decisively, breaking Taehyung out of his thoughts. “Jimin will be pissed that we showed him up. Namjoon too.”

Taehyung laughed, caught off guard by how blasé Yoongi was about the suggestion. He could just imagine the chaos that would ensue. Alphas were very sensitive about how well they cared for their mates. If Yoongi gifted Taehyung with a decidedly fancy collar- fancier than the overpriced monstrosity Jungkook proudly wore or the diamond-lined band Seokjin donned, then Jimin and Namjoon would see it as a challenge of their capability to provide. Mean, perhaps, but Taehyung couldn’t help but see a bit of amusement in it.

He snorted, thinking of the aftermath. “You’ll be lucky if Jimin doesn’t mount Kook in the middle of the den to prove himself. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.”

Yoongi’s nose wrinkled at the thought before ultimately shrugging. “I won’t lie, it might just be worth it to see the look in his eyes.”

Taehyung paused, taking a moment to consider it more fully before nodding sagely in agreement. “I think you’re right hyung.”

Yoongi smiled, wide and gummy as he squeezed Taehyung’s hand in his own. “Then it’s settled, we’ll get you the best collar we can find.”

Taehyung’s shy smile was far smaller than Yoongi’s but no less relieved as he allowed the alpha to lead him into the tall, imposing store.

“Hello!”

Taehyung faltered at the enthusiastic greeting, leaning back slightly as an eager beta leaned towards them.

“Are you looking for anything particular today?” she asked, directing the question solely to Yoongi.

“We’re looking for a collar for my soon-to-be mate,” Yoongi said, nodding his head towards Taehyung. The words sent a jolt through the omega, his heart fluttering as though the statement had any real truth to it. “He’s calling the shots today so whatever he wants I’ll buy.”

The woman’s eyebrows rose as she glanced between the two, clearly caught off guard. Taehyung couldn’t blame her entirely. He could only imagine the types of alphas she engaged with in such a pricey establishment. There were probably countless alphas she encountered each day that treated everything around them as though they owned it, entirely at ease with letting their mates take a back seat. It was no wonder she expected Yoongi to be the same. Still, Taehyung couldn’t help the bit of personal satisfaction he received as she was forced to properly acknowledge him.

“Of course,” she said hesitantly, glancing at Taehyung as she composed herself. “Well then, what can I help you with?”

Taehyung didn’t miss the slightly diminished enthusiasm in her tone but ignored it. It didn’t concern him whether she respected him or not. It might not be real, but Taehyung would be damned if he wouldn’t enjoy collar shopping with Yoongi.

“We have some lovely new additions here,” she murmured, gesturing for them to follow her. The beta directed them over to a large, locked display case. She reached down, flipping on a light to bathe the displayed collars in a pearly glow, each more radiant than the last.

Taehyung took them in with care, his eyes roving over one after another before they finally caught on the prices displayed beneath them.

“Hyung,” he choked, trying to remain calm even as he took in the absurd string of zeros attached to each tag. “These are-”

“Almost as beautiful as you, yes?” Yoongi said calmly, sliding his hand into Taehyung’s own. His smile was soft, and his eyes didn’t show any hint of the unrest that Taehyung was currently experiencing.

“How sweet,” the woman simpered, her eyes fixed on Taehyung expectantly. “Do you see anything you like?”

“I-” Taehyung began, a slight frown on his lips as he glanced back down to the collars with a newfound sense of weariness.

He looked up at the gentle squeeze to his hand, meeting Yoongi’s gaze directly.

“Anything you’d like,” he repeated meaningfully.

Taehyung nodded, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he steeled himself to turn back to the case with a more discerning eye.

The pieces truly were magnificent, he could only imagine the caliber of materials used to justify such a hefty price. He knew Yoongi took home a decent earning – a provider his omega supplied unhelpfully. But this… it was downright obscene.

Diamonds glimmered prettily, catching on the light, and sending a cascade of rainbows out from the glass display. While pretty- gorgeous, even, they were too flashy for his liking, likely more at home on Jungkook or even Jimin’s neck than his own.

“Do you have anything . . .” Taehyung began, flushing as the beta and Yoongi both turned to him. He cleared his throat, “Do you have anything more muted. Maybe, err- green?”

His blush only deepened at the poorly masked look of annoyance the shopkeeper regarded him with.

“Muted?” she said flatly, as though the word was something foreign on her tongue. And, he supposed in her profession, it likely was. With such a hefty price tag that accompanied each piece, he could only assume that most patrons wanted a suitable ‘bang’ for their buck. Nevertheless, Taehyung could only imagine how out of place he would feel walking around with the sheer number of diamonds weighing him down. Pretentious would be the mildest way of putting it.

“Just a bit more reserved,” he murmured, feeling more self-conscious than ever the longer she stared at him.

“Surely you have something less in your face?” Yoongi tacked on when the beta continued to make no move. He looked to Taehyung, offering that same soft smile that never ceased to have butterflies taking flight in his chest. “Green looks wonderful on you.”

“I’m sure we have something,” the woman said, sounding aggrieved as she led them away from the main display.

She stopped at the far wall where a taller, cherrywood-crafted case stood proudly. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew a small key only to insert it into an equally tiny lock on the side of the case.

Taehyung watched with interest as she reached in and retrieved a small shelf adorned in dark silk, a number of collars nestled in neat rows within the soft material.

“Oh,” Taehyung breathed, his eyes catching on one collar in particular.

He brought a hand up, unsure whether he was allowed to touch as his fingers hovered uncertainly over a mid-sized collar on the right.

“An interesting choice,” the woman hummed as one perfectly manicured hand reached in to clasp the collar in question. Deftly, she set the shelf back into its place before turning to face Yoongi and Taehyung once more, the collar held daintily in her hands.

“It’s beautiful,” Taehyung breathed, taking in the fine brown collar with the prettiest of emeralds nestled in the center. It may not have been the flashiest, but the long tag dangling from its side signified that it was no less richly crafted.

It was perfect in its refinedness, gorgeous in the little details. The closer he looked, the more he could note the faintest of designs carved into the material- tree branches and leaves that could only be seen up close, only adding to its quiet elegance.

“Would you like to try it on?”

Taehyung glanced back up at the beta, biting his lip as he nodded slightly.

“This way, please,” she murmured, motioning for him to stand in front of the floor-length mirror just to their right.

Taehyung did, feeling put on display himself as he gazed back at his reflection under the stark white lights. He held his breath as she stepped behind him, her hands coming to rest on either of his shoulders as she slid the collar over the front of his throat.

“You’ll need to remove your current collar,” she said, nodding towards the metal monstrosity currently around his neck.

He swallowed, his breathing going shallow. Even if she was no threat to him, the act of removing his collar in public did not come lightly, thoughts of the last time he had done so, and the disastrous results coming back to him unbidden.

“I’ve got you,” Yoongi said quietly, his hand still a steady weight in Taehyung’s own. The alpha’s body was between Taehyung and the rest of the shop, his eyes fixed steadily on the woman and her hands hovering near Taehyung’s neck. “It’s safe.”

He hesitated for one second longer before nodding, reaching a hand into his pocket, and withdrawing the remote to unlock it. He clicked the disarm button, the tell-tale sounds of the lock sliding back followed shortly after. Lifting a hand up, he quickly removed the collar before placing it gently in Yoongi’s outstretched and waiting hand.

“Excellent,” the beta hummed- was Taehyung imagining the annoyance in her voice?

He tried to steady his breathing as she pressed the collar to his throat, the material soft against his exposed neck as she fastened it into place.

“There we go,” she finished, tightening it minutely before stepping back to a polite distance away.

Slowly, Taehyung slid his eyes back to his reflection only for his breath to catch in his throat as he looked at himself.

The collar was gorgeous, complimenting his honeyed skin as it rested delicately against him, looking as though it belonged there. His eyes slid closed, revealing in the sensation of having the confining prison of his anti-mating collar replaced with something so beautiful. Something with meaning.

Or, as much meaning as a collar representing a pretend mating could be. Nevertheless, it was beautiful and felt right around him. Curious, he looked up once more, his eyes meeting Yoongi’s through the mirror. What he saw there stole his breath away. Yoongi’s gaze was dark, utterly fixated on Taehyung’s throat with just the faintest hints of red outlining his irises. He looked transfixed, as if the thought of looking away from Taehyung had never once crossed his mind as he stared intently at the collar.

Taehyung licked his lips, suddenly feeling parched as he tried to find his words again. “Hyung? What do you think?”

As if a spell had been broken, Yoongi blinked, his eyes returning to the familiar molten chocolate they usually were.

“It suits you,” he said, sounding just a bit breathless himself. “Almost as beautiful as you Tae-ah.”

“Oh,” he said dumbly, butterflies, birds, and fucking pterodactyls taking flight in his chest at the reverie with which the words were spoken.

“So, you would like it then?” the woman interrupted with just a hint of impatience, interrupting the fragile, sweet air between them.

“Tae?” Yoongi asked, directing the question to the omega despite the shopkeeper having meant it for him.

“Is it really okay hyung?” Taehyung asked nervously, resisting the urge to run his finger along the collar.

“Of course,” Yoongi said immediately, nodding resolutely as if to further emphasize the words.

Taehyung’s answering smile was radiant. “Then, yes,” he said softly, his eyes never once wavering from Yoongi’s own, “we’ll take it.”

+++

“Well look at the newlyweds!” Hoseok crowed as soon as Yoongi and Taehyung stepped over the threshold to the den, hand in hand.

Taehyung flushed under the scrutiny as everyone quickly turned to the new entries, but he couldn’t help the wide smile stretching across his lips.

“You got collared!” Jimin exclaimed, vaulting over the back of the couch, and ignoring the startled cry from Jin as he came to a quivering stop before the two.

“Ohh, fancy,” Hoseok observed as he too approached, hooking his chin over Jimin’s shoulder as he angled to get a closer look.

“It’s gorgeous,” Jin echoed from his position on the couch, the softness in his voice competing with the gentle look he was regarding them with. He looked slowly between them as a fond smile settled on his lips. He looked as though he had much more to add just beneath the surface but withheld.

Interesting, Taehyung thought. What else could the alpha be thinking?

“It must have cost you a small fortune,” Namjoon observed shrewdly. He removed the thin pair of spectacles perched at the edge of his nose, squinting his eyes to get a closer look.

“Yes, very expensive. What a great alpha.” Hoseok mused, chuckling at the endearing way Jimin’s shoulders squared beneath his chin.

“It’s so pretty!” Jungkook added to the mix of compliments. Taehyung brought his hand up to his face. It did little to hide his chuckles at Jimin’s now narrowed eyes, but it was the thought that counted.

Beside him, Yoongi’s chest puffed with pride, the alpha not even attempting to hide his radiant grin and rather smug expression.

“Yes, very pretty,” Jimin echoed, his eyes none-too-subtly darting to the collar resting gently along his mate’s throat- assessing.

“Don’t even think of starting a dick measuring contest over a collar of all things,” Jin huffed, observing the way Namjoon’s eyes had also drifted to his own throat.

It wasn’t normal for alphas to wear collars, most often opting for a matching ring, but Jin was of the peculiar variety that preferred both, wearing them interchangeably depending on his mood.

“We’re not pups anymore,” he clucked, rising to walk over to the others. “Let’s just be happy for them, hmm?”

“I am happy,” Jimin said petulantly, but his shoulders did relax a fraction at the gentle admonishment.

“Don’t worry,” Jungkook said sweetly, draping his body over Hoseok and Jimin both, “it’s pretty, but not as pretty as mine.”

Taehyung snorted but held back from contradicting the statement. Barely. He might have vehemently disagreed, but he hardly needed a prissy Jimin or a pack-wide dick measuring contest as Jin had so eloquently put it.

“It’s not a competition,” Jin sighed.

Jungkook whined, “But if it was-”

“I’d win,” Taehyung said primly, unable to help himself.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Yoongi chuckled, though there was a fondness in his eyes and a prideful spike to his scent that told Taehyung all he needed to know.

“So, it went well then?” Namjoon inquired, gently steering the conversation to more neutral waters. “No issues?”

“Nothing major,” Taehyung answered truthfully. While his interactions with the beta woman hadn’t been spectacular, he would hardly let them dim his experience any.

“Good,” Jimin said, slowly disentangling himself from Hoseok and Jungkook’s holds. “It’s about time we had some good news.”

Taehyung nodded, the words sobering him up slightly. It had been a pleasant interlude in what felt like a string of small catastrophes lately and he hoped to hold on to the feeling for as long as possible.

Slowly, the group migrated back to the living room, each flopping onto various chairs, loveseats, or laps as a quiet calmness settled around them.

Yoongi had yet to let go of his hand and Taehyung couldn’t help the way his wolf savored that fact. It wasn’t a big deal or even a novel occurrence within the pack, but whenever it was with Yoongi he couldn’t help it feeling a bit more meaningful. Special.

Individual clusters of chatter started up around them, and Taehyung was more than content to listen, feeling warm and subdued.

“Why is it so hot?” Jungkook groaned after a few minutes. He climbed down onto the floor, laying flat on his back with his limbs splayed out in every direction like a starfish. “Hyung,” he pleaded, looking up at Jin beseechingly, “can you turn on the AC?”

“It’s winter,” Jin scoffed, “absolutely not.”

“It’s actually kind of cold,” Namjoon murmured, peering over at Jungkook curiously.

“Is it?” Taehyung asked, his head tilting in confusion as he did an internal inventory. It wasn’t just a warm atmosphere around them, the room was unarguably hot. “It doesn’t feel like it, I thought someone had turned the heater up.”

Yoongi shifted beside him, angling his body to get a better look at Taehyung as he frowned.

“Ah,” Hoseok said knowingly, prodding at Jungkook with his feet. “It’s not hot, you both are just closer to your heats than expected.”

Taehyung froze at the words, disbelieving even as Yoongi nodded in agreement, as if it made perfect sense.

"I can’t be,” he argued weakly, even as he realized with startling clarity that it had to be. With each passing day, the urge to be with his pack had only grown. What he had first mistaken as a natural need to calm his anxiety in the face of current events he now understood to be the familiar need to bunker down and nest as his heat neared. “Fuck,” he groaned weakly, resigned. “It’s a week early.”

“I’m sorry hyung,” Jungkook sighed, looking up at Taehyung apologetically.

Taehyung offered a rueful smile. It wasn’t the younger omega’s fault. Or, it was his fault, but Taehyung couldn’t blame him for it. Even if Taehyung’s heat was naturally being brought on by Jungkook’s own fast-approaching one, it would have been easily staved off had Taehyung not currently had to begin rationing his suppressants.

“It’s not your fault bun,” Taehyung reassured, even as he felt a frustrated scream bubbling up in his throat. Because really, what was the universe’s timing. He shook his head, wondering just how long he would have before it came on in full.

He grimaced at the thought of spending a full heat alone again. There were no other options, what with the others mated. He couldn’t even be around them when its onset came. They’d tried it in early days, right after Namjoon and Jin had mated. Taehyung hadn’t needed their help, just their comforting alpha presences near him as his body felt like it would burn itself up from the inside out. Far from reassuring him, it had only driven both alphas into their ruts. The animalistic, violent sex he could hear from a mere room over for the duration of his heat had far from helped.

“It’s only a couple of days and then it’s over,” Hoseok offered, trying to be as reassuring as possible. “I’ll help you stock up on all the essentials before it hits.”

Taehyung smiled at the offer, appreciating it.

“You can always find a partner,” Jungkook supplied. Unhelpfully. “And we can still keep searching for suppressants in the meantime.”

“I can’t,” Taehyung argued, feeling defeated at the reminder.

“He’s right,” Namjoon said heavily from beneath Jin on the loveseat. “It’s too dangerous, especially so close to the registration. Alphas will be scrambling to take a mate in the coming weeks, they don’t want to look like they couldn’t have secured a mate on their own. They’ll look weak.”

“Thanks, Joon-ah,” Hoseok said dryly, eliciting a small, chagrinned smile from the pack leader.

“It’s not actually a sign of weakness of course,” Namjoon said hurriedly, glancing side-long at Yoongi. “It’s just their insecurity and perception. But regardless, I don’t think Taehyung should risk it. Not with someone outside of the pack.”

It was phrased as a recommendation, but Taehyung had little doubt that Namjoon would forbid him in way of an Alpha Command should he seriously consider it.

“Agreed,” Jin nodded, looking at Taehyung sympathetically.

Taehyung swallowed, having to look away at the pity he knew would be reflected in the alpha’s eyes.

“We’ll do everything we can to find more suppressants,” Namjoon tried. “I have some contacts I’m waiting to hear back from. I wouldn’t get your hopes up, but it’s a possibility.”

These days, Taehyung had nothing but hope. Given the alternative was collapsing into a ball of despair at his world crumbling around him, hope and the love of his pack were his sole lifelines.

He needed, “Understood.”

“Aish,” Hoseok said, sitting up and rummaging into his pocket. “Let’s order food, my treat! Our lovely Taehyungie just got a beautiful collar, let’s celebrate.”

The proposal was met with a muted response, the most enthusiastic of the bunch came from Jungkook who routinely had the largest appetite.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Hoseok chuckled, raising his phone out of reach of Jungkook’s grabby hands, “Taehyung gets first pick.”

Jungkook sighed, acquiescing easily even as he watched Hoseok pass the phone over to Taehyung with resigned eyes.

Preening at getting to pick, Taehyung took the phone gently in his hands as he began perusing the many delivery options.

Yoongi’s presence was steady at his side as he pressed the length of his body against Taehyung’s, staring at the choices in interest.

Settling on a familiar restaurant that he enjoyed but oftentimes couldn’t justify paying the prices of, Taehyung quickly selected a series of his favorite things. Yoongi’s low laugh at the sheer number of dishes Taehyung selected just for himself was a puff of breath against his neck and had the omega shivering at the sensation.

“Good choices,” Yoongi mused supportively by his side, murmuring thanks when Taehyung passed him the phone once he’d finished.

The phone passed from member to member quickly before it finally found its way back into its owner’s waiting hands.

“Seriously,” Hoseok whined as he looked over the order, though no real malice made its way into his tone. “You all are trying to eat me out of house and home.”

“You’ll be fine,” Jungkook scoffed, grinning cheekily up at Hoseok from his spot on the floor. “You’re richer than Jimin, Taehyung, and me combined.”

Taehyung wanted to argue that it wasn’t hard to surpass his own meager funds by any means, but regardless, Hoseok certainly did do very well for himself.

“Brat,” Jimin huffed, flicking Jungkook’s forehead admonishingly, “I provide for you just fine.”

“True,” Jungkook sighed dreamily, “that you do.”

Hoseok feigned gagging even as he completed the order, tossing his phone back onto the couch where it landed with a dull thud.

“You two are sickening,” he deadpanned.

“You love us,” Jimin snickered, blowing obnoxiously loud kisses at him, an act Jungkook eagerly mimicked.

“I don’t know why,” Hoseok sighed like a man bereaved, looking up at the ceiling as though he’d find the answer written there, an amused smile playing at his lips.

“Because I’m gorgeous and Jimin has a huge-”

“No!” Jin interrupted, scandalized.

“Closet,” Jungkook finished, smirking at Jin’s unimpressed eye-roll. “He has a great sense of fashion, really hyung, get your head out of the gutter.”

“Brat,” Jin huffed, leaning into his mate’s side heavily. “You’re lucky any of us feed you.”

“Mhmm,” Jungkook said airily, dismissing the idea.

Taehyung giggled. It was true, if anything, the alphas in the pack were constantly falling over themselves to make sure he and Jungkook ate enough, the primal need to make sure their omegas were warm, well-fed, and taken care of. It was a rare day when one of the members didn’t try to shove something into his hand, even if it was only for him to save for later. It was exceedingly endearing.

Despite a few grumbles, Jin didn’t argue further, settling back down in his seat.

Taehyung’s heart was so full for the men around him, the warmth he felt for his pack all-consuming as it welled within him. Well… perhaps the warmth wasn’t all from his pack. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, feeling the same subtle heat Jungkook had bemoaned earlier.

“I think I’m going to step outside for a second,” Taehyung announced, standing up. “Just a bit hot,” he clarified at Yoongi’s concerned look, smiling reassuringly. “I’ll only be on the porch.”

“Down boy,” Jin joked as Yoongi made to stand and follow him. “I know you’ve collared him but give the man some space.”

Yoongi flushed, shooting a sharp glare in his hyung’s direction even as he retook his seat.

“Thank you,” Taehyung said, leaning down to kiss Yoongi’s forehead, smiling as he felt the alpha relax beneath his lips. “Just going to get some fresh air before the hell that is my heat sets in.”

“It won’t be that bad,” Jungkook said, even as he hitched his shirt up to cool his slowly heating skin. A smirk played at his lips as Hoseok and Jimin’s collective gazes homed in on his exposed, toned stomach, fully aware of, and pleased with, the power he held over them.

“Uh-huh,” Taehyung agreed facetiously, stepping over the younger omega as he made his way to the sliding doors that led to the tiny plot of green behind the house that masqueraded itself as a proper backyard.

The effect of the chilled winter air hitting his skin was immediate as it cooled the omega. It was nice, so nice that Taehyung didn’t properly realize just how hot the den had become until he was sliding the door back in place behind him.

Dusk was quickly approaching, the sky a pretty orange as it faded into something deeper above him. The sounds from the den were muted behind him, and he used the newfound quiet to breathe deeply, taking it all in.

He moved to the side, just out of eyesight of his packmates but still close enough that they could register him should he need them, and vice-versa.

He leant against the railing that separated the tiny concrete porch and small smattering of grass and shrubs that littered the yard in a chaotic but planned mess, courtesy of Jin and Namjoon’s combined amateur landscaping efforts.

The wrought-iron railing was cool against his forearms as he gazed out at the setting sun, smiling softly to himself even as his stomach churned.

While his pack offered a great distraction, he couldn’t quite ignore the anxiety that accompanied his impending heat. Despite Hoseok, Jungkook, and Namjoon’s reassurances, he knew his coming heat would be four days of sheer misery. No matter how comfortable a nest he could make, there was no stopping the pain that came with a heat spent alone. Endlessly craving a warm body beside him, on top of him, inside him. One that he would not get. It would be maddening, but at least it was a madness he was somewhat acquainted with.

Unthinkingly, he trailed his fingers along the edge of his new collar. It would take some getting used to, even hours later it still hardly felt real. His anti-mating device sat inside Yoongi’s car, where it had remained since they had left the store. It had been a novel experience walking downtown with the alpha, the addition of his new collar and Yoongi’s imposing, steady presence beside him serving as just as good, if not better, of a deterrent as his government-issued collar ever could.

There were finer details that would need to be worked out. Even if his new collar and whatever faked claim mark they could fashion would serve as a deterrence to any ordinary, decent alpha, it wouldn’t protect him should someone decide to ignore those two things. An actual claim mark prevented any additional, unwanted mating from registering with one’s wolf. Taehyung hoped that appearances and a healthy cover of Yoongi’s scent each morning would be enough. The mere idea of putting his other collar back on filled him with sinking dread. But, even so, he’d rather wear it daily than risk encountering the likes of Hyeon again.

So clouded were his thoughts that he didn’t register the sound of the door behind him sliding open. Only when a hand landed warmly on his shoulder did Taehyung realize he was no longer alone, yelping quietly.

“Sorry,” Yoongi sighed, coming to stand beside Taehyung. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay,” Taehyung hurried, thankful for the darkening sky’s ability to mask his blush. He glanced back at the now closed door. How had he not heard it?

“How are you doing?” Yoongi asked quietly, leaning his weight onto the railing as he turned to face the omega.

Taehyung shrugged, unconsciously moving a bit closer to the alpha as he considered.

“As well as I can be given everything going on,” he answered honestly. His fingers fiddled mindlessly with the large emerald adorning his collar. He smiled softly, “Today was nice.”

“It was,” Yoongi agreed, an echoing smile on his face. “I’m happy we could find something you like.”

“I love it,” Taehyung emphasized. “Really, hyung, thank you.”

“Ah,” Yoongi said bashfully, and Taehyung could just make out the tips of his ears pinking beneath the compliment. “Anything for you.”

Taehyung’s wolf sat up and took notice at the words, and Taehyung had to tell it to respectfully get a fucking grip. Yoongi was speaking as a packmate, not a potential mate. Taehyung knew the lines would only continue to blur in the coming weeks as they sorted everything out, but he would need to make sure all of him understood the way things had to be. He didn’t have much of a choice.

He startled as Yoongi pressed a hand to his forehead, the alpha raising a delicate eyebrow as he flinched under the touch.

“Sorry,” Taehyung muttered, embarrassed as he peered at Yoongi from beneath his hand. “What are you-”

“You’re almost warmer than Jungkook,” he noted, his breath materializing before them in the frigid air. “It’ll probably hit right when his does, if not a little sooner.”

“Great,” Taehyung muttered, feeling his mood sour once more.

Yoongi offered an apologetic smile as his fingers moved back to gently card through Taehyung’s hair.

The omega’s eyes fluttered shut, humming in satisfaction at the contact. It was nice, calming in a way he so desperately needed as he leaned into the touch.

“It’ll be alright,” Yoongi offered, and Taehyung couldn’t help laughing softly at the hollow reassurance.

“I’ll survive at least,” Taehyung said, knowing that was the best he could offer. “It’ll still be far from alright.”

Yoongi nodded in understanding. It had been a long while since Taehyung had last had a heat. They weren’t a walk in the park on the best of days, but the first one after an extended break was always so much worse.

“If you had a partner-” Yoongi ventured tentatively before stopping.

“Namjoon hyung’s right,” Taehyung said, shaking his head. “It would be too dangerous to bring someone in, even if I could manage to find someone that would want to spend it with me.”

“Right,” Yoongi said, licking his lips as he outwardly struggled to find his words. “Bringing someone new isn’t feasible, but. . . what if they weren’t.”

Taehyung’s eyebrows furrowed, “Weren’t what?”

“New?” Yoongi finished. His cheek dimpled as he bit the inside of it, clearly nervous even as his fingers continued to run through Taehyung’s hair soothingly.

Taehyung blinked, staring back at Yoongi with even more confusion than he had mere seconds ago.

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Yoongi said, clearing his throat as he slowly withdrew his hand. He licked his lips, meeting Taehyung’s gaze head-on even as his shoulders squared with the faint traces of his anxiety. “We’re already going to be mated to the world’s eyes, and it’s not like I can work during your heats going forward anyway. It would make sense for us to spend them together, wouldn’t it?”

“Make sense,” Taehyung parroted back, uncomprehending. His eyes were wide as his mind ran rampant at the possibilities. At the dangers. His wolf, the unhelpful bastard, was practically howling at the prospect, and it was all he could do to press any outward displays of misplaced excitement far, far down.

“Of course, you can say no,” Yoongi hurried to add, clearly afraid that he had offended Taehyung. “But I know it won’t be pleasant for you, and if there’s any way that I could help, I’d like to.”

“You would?” Taehyung asked dumbly, still not quite believing what he was hearing.

“I would,” Yoongi confirmed. As wide as his eyes were, there was also clear conviction and sincerity housed within them. Taehyung didn’t know what to make of it.

He licked his own lips, his mouth feeling uncomfortably dry. “But, why?”

The alpha’s smile came just a bit easier as he explained, “Because it hurts me to see you suffering, and if there’s anything I can do to help alleviate it, I want to. Besides,” he added, eyes darting away for a second before finding Taehyung’s once more. “It’s not like the pack hasn’t helped each other with ruts and heats before.”

Taehyung wanted to point out that they’d never helped one another but refrained. That would only invite a discussion as to why, and Taehyung would rather die than admit that he had imprinted on the alpha long ago, and being taken care of him during his heat would only make him and his besotted wolf fall even further in love with the man.

He cleared his throat again, “Really, you don’t have to worry about me,” he rushed, “I’ll be okay.”

“I know you will,” Yoongi said, looking even more uncertain of himself. “But-” he hesitated before shaking his head slightly, “sorry, I’m making you uncomfortable.”

“No,” Taehyung said, the vehemence behind the word catching Yoongi off guard. He took the alpha’s hand, clutching on to it tightly as he struggled to explain himself. “It’s not that at all hyung it’s just-” his brows furrowed as he fought to find a suitable way to express his convoluted thoughts.

“What is it?” Yoongi asked, his eyes softening at Taehyung’s clear internal struggle. “You can tell me.”

That. . . wasn’t helping his wolf any. The gentle, caring way with which Yoongi spoke only spread the fire flooding him at the earnest way his hyung wanted to help him.

“I just don’t want to ruin things between us,” he admitted at last, the words so quiet that Yoongi had to strain to hear them. “You’re doing so much for me with everything already, I don’t want to make things harder for you. I don’t want to make things weird for us.”

Yoongi smiled sympathetically as he took Taehyung’s hand with both of his, clasping it between his own. “It won’t.”

“How can you be sure?”

Yoongi let out a breath of a laugh, “Well if I can still look Jimin in the eyes after the many times I’ve unwillingly witnessed him trying to breed Jungkook- in my bed once at that!- I think we can manage just fine. I mean, in a couple of weeks we’ll be mated on paper so. . .”

That pulled a laugh from Taehyung, remembering with equal parts fondness as revulsion the early days of Jimin and Jungkook’s mating, where they sought to ‘strengthen’ their newly formed bond by coupling on any and every surface available, regardless of an audience.

“It’s not quite the same, hyung,” he pointed out.

“It’s not,” Yoongi agreed easily enough, “but I know us, and I know that we love each other too much to let it ruin our relationship and the pack.”

Taehyung found himself nodding before Yoongi had even finished. It was true, the pack, the others, always came first. Always. And he came first for them as well, without question. Any discomfort that came their way, it would always be worked through, for all their sakes’. Hoseok’s reintegrating into the heart of the pack after the way Jimin and Jungkook’s mating had all set them slightly off-kilter was testament to that fact.

“I’m sure there are better ways you could spend four days,” Taehyung eventually muttered, having few remaining arguments. And really, why was he arguing? His wolf wanted it, he wanted it. But he was still having a hard time justifying it if only for the inconvenience it would bring Yoongi. And then, there was of course the small matter of potentially revealing just how madly in love with the older he was.

He could get over the majority of embarrassing things that would likely come out of his mouth during his heat. As humiliating as it would later be remembering how he’d beg to be knotted and bred, that was far from abnormal in the midst of being heat sick. Professing his undying love for the alpha would be another thing entirely.

Yoongi shrugged easily enough, “Not really.”

Taehyung swallowed thickly. Why was he making this so easy?

“What if I say or do something-” Taehyung began, his face contorting as he tried to find the right word, “weird?”

“Taehyung,” Yoongi said seriously, making Taehyung bite his lip nervously. “It’s your heat, it’d be weirder if you didn’t say anything questionable.”

He snorted a rather unflattering laugh at the words because they were entirely true. Yoongi smiled. “I’m just nervous.”

“I don’t want to pressure you,” Yoongi said, his voice earnest. “But I wanted to give you the option. Things are hard and are only going to get harder, I want to make them as bearable as possible for you.”

“And you’re certain you wouldn’t mind?” Taehyung asked, needing to make sure.

“Positive,” Yoongi confirmed.

“Okay,” he breathed, hating the way every ounce of him thrummed with excitement against his will. “Then. . . yes. Thank you, hyung.”

It was Yoongi’s turn to look away, unable to meet Taehyung’s eyes once more even as he smiled softly to himself. “No need to thank me,” he murmured, before adding a bit louder, “it’s settled then. Just let me know when you feel it coming on, and I’ll come right over.”

“Okay,” Taehyung croaked, still unable to believe what he had just agreed to. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to take it back, the thought of spending his heat with Yoongi far more appealing than it had any right to be.

“Okay,” Yoongi repeated.

Silence lapsed between them following the agreement, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. No, instead it was – anticipatory.

Both men startled at a loud bang on the door before it slid open, bathing the two in light.

“Food’s here!” Jimin called, waving them in. “Get back inside, you may be nearing your heat but you’ll catch a cold!”

Taehyung chuckled, knowing the probability of that to be fairly unlikely, but he compliantly followed his best friend in nonetheless, Yoongi hot on his heels.

Once inside, his eyes locked with Jin across the room. There was that same, unspoken something behind the look he had regarded Taehyung and Yoongi with earlier, but before Taehyung could ask, a loud crash resonated from the kitchen.

“Sorry,” came Namjoon’s morose call shortly after.

Unable to help himself, Taehyung giggled. The sound was perfectly at home amidst the chorus of laughter from the others and the pained noise Jin let out at the realization that yet another plate had fallen to the clutches of his clumsy mate and the hard surface of their polished kitchen floor.

Like that, surrounded by his pack and their bubbly laughter, Taehyung forgot all about Jin’s focused, perplexing stare. Yoongi looped an arm around his waist, and he leant into it, loving the solid chest against his back. For a moment, he could forget it all.

Just a moment.

Chapter Text

“You’re going to want to kiss me after this,” Hoseok crooned, putting a heavy hand on Taehyung’s shoulder as he smiled beatifically down at the omega.

Taehyung swallowed around his mouthful of japchae, staring up at his packmate quizzically.

“Um,” he began, chancing a sideways glance at Jin as if his hyung held the answer.

The alpha shrugged, popping a rice cake into his mouth as he too waited for whatever news Hoseok was clearly bursting to tell.

“We’ll kiss you if you’d like,” Jungkook piped from his end of the table. His head rested on his mate’s shoulder, his smile tired and eyes droopy despite the eager response.

Each day crept closer to his heat, and it was only due to the copious amount of sugary sweets Taehyung had used to satisfy his pre-heat cravings throughout the day that momentarily spared him from a similar exhaustion.

Hoseok blew the youngest omega a kiss, his smile stretching wider as the man pretended to catch it, reach over, and place it gently on Jimin’s lips.

"Maybe later," the alpha mused, before returning his bright smile to Taehyung. "But for now, I've got a present."

Taehyung blinked at him slowly, skeptical. The last time Hoseok had left him a ‘present’ it had been a sink full of dirty dishes that Jin had instructed him to clean. Instead, the alpha had ‘gifted’ them to Taehyung, sneaking out the back door before the omega had had a chance to protest with a boisterous laugh.

“I’m not doing your chores again,” he warned, twiddling his chopsticks between his fingers.

Hoseok huffed, rolling his eyes as he reached into his pocket. “That was once.”

“Twice,” Taehyung pointed out airily.

“Semantics,” Hoseok sniffed dismissively. “Ta-da!”

Taehyung stared at the clear plastic bag the alpha had withdrawn and now held aloft towards him. It was filled with an assortment of pills, ranging from oblong to round- gel to chewable, all a wide range of colors.

“You got him drugs?” Yoongi demanded from across the table, looking cross.

"What? No!" Hoseok refuted before he paused. The indignancy written across his face softened, melting into a sheepish smile as he dropped the bag on the table beside Taehyung’s plate. “Well, yes. But the good kind.”

“You can’t be-” Namjoon started.

“Okay I obviously went about the big reveal the wrong way,” Hoseok sighed, interrupting the pack leader before he could begin a proper admonishment. “They’re heat suppressants.”

Taehyung gasped; eyes wide as he stared down at the bag in newfound interest.

“Really?” Jin asked, leaning forward to inspect the bag’s contents as well.

“How?” Namjoon demanded. “We tried everything.”

Hoseok beamed, chest puffing out at the clear note of awe in the head alpha’s voice. “I called some people, they called some people, and eventually I got a few here and there.”

“That’s amazing!” Jimin said, Jungkook nodding in enthusiastic agreement beside him.

“They’re all different,” Yoongi observed, reservation clear in his tone as his eyes took in the small bag. “Are you sure it’s safe to take so many different varieties?”

Taehyung glanced at him. The alpha looked far from happy about the revelation, and Taehyung felt some of his own enthusiasm diminish.

“Well, most generic brands are all made of the same chemical makeup of the original suppressant put on the market in the sixties. They’re just distributed by different companies at different prices with new branding.” Namjoon supplied

“Right, that,” Hoseok nodded seriously. “My friends assured me that they’re legit. But just take the same-colored ones each week before moving on. There’s enough in here for two months I think.”

“That’s two more months of freedom hyung!” Jungkook said, his enthusiasm not once receding.

Taehyung nodded mutely, thinking of the possibilities. He couldn’t help chancing a glance over at Yoongi, the alpha’s face a perfect mask of neutrality. He’d kill to know what the man was thinking.

The omega couldn’t help the tug of disappointment in his own stomach. He’d never allow himself to admit it aloud, but a part of him- namely his wolf- had been excited at the prospect of spending his heat with the alpha.

Even amid the bundle of anxiety and dread of saying or admitting the unthinkable during his heat- part of him still craved experiencing that uninhibited intimacy and raw connection with Yoongi for three days. The sense of loss swirling within him at the knowledge that he would no longer be able to, was unexpected.

Logically, he knew that two months of freedom was only a delay of the inevitable. There was no reason their agreement from the other night wouldn’t still stand when the limited supply naturally ran out. But what if in those two months the alpha changed his mind? Taehyung wasn’t certain he could handle that type of rejection.

“Thank you hyung,” he said at last, realizing that Hoseok had been staring at him expectantly, waiting for some kind of reaction.

He forced a smile, the expression not too hard to conjure up amid his genuine appreciation he had for his hyung’s clear love, care, and effort. He stood, dropping a small kiss on the alpha’s lips before sliding the bag off the table and pocketing it.

“Really,” he continued, forcing himself to think of all the positives the supply of suppressants would bring him. He could work, Yoongi could work. He would be allowed to delay the painful process of his body reacclimating itself to a heat after ages of avoiding it. “Thank you hyung, you’re amazing.”

“See,” the alpha boasted, looking proudly around the table. “I got a kiss and I’m the best alpha.”

Yoongi snorted, “Sure you are Seok-ah.”

“I beg to differ,” Namjoon hummed amid Jin and Jimin’s twin squawks of indignation.

“Sorry, did you hear something?” Hoseok directed to Taehyung, a pleased smirk on his lips. “I can’t make out anything over the sound of my own greatness.”

Taehyung snickered, eyes crinkling in amusement as he finally returned back to his meal. He felt oh so warm, and he was sure it had nothing to do with his impending, soon to be postponed, heat.

+++

“So, good fortune, huh?”

Taehyung eyed Jimin. The question was innocent, but the tone was heavy, laden with implications the omega didn’t quite like.

“Yeah,” he began slowly, leaning his head back against the bed.

They sat in Taehyung's messy room, eating out of take-out boxes on his floor that Taehyung had magnanimously cleared at Jimin's whining. His room wasn't nearly as messy as it could be, all things considered, but Jimin's refusal to hand over the delicious-smelling food until he'd cleared a space for them had been a past-due impetus for him to finally begin the cleaning process.

“You don’t need a heat partner, that must be nice.”

Taehyung sighed, turning so that his body could rest on the soft carpet and his feet on the padded surface of his bed.

“It definitely prevents hyung from being inconvenienced,” Taehyung conceded, opening his mouth expectantly.

Jimin giggled, compliantly dropping a rice cake between his lips. “Spoiled.”

“Happily so,” Taehyung agreed, opening his mouth for another.

A few minutes ticked by in contented silence as Jimin continued to dutifully feed Taehyung. It was nice- until the alpha opened his mouth again.

“You’re disappointed, aren’t you?”

Taehyung spluttered, choking on his mouthful. To his credit, Jimin looked genuinely apologetic as his friend wheezed, thumping his chest harshly until the food dislodged, his lungs feeling a bit worse for wear for a few seconds longer before easing with his breathing’s return to its natural rhythm.

“What?” he croaked, swinging his legs down so he was seated straight. “Disappointed?”

Jimin leveled him with a knowing look before his eyes slid away, shifting around to take in the room at large as he seemed to gather his thoughts.

“Tae,” he said at last, leaning over so that they were shoulder to shoulder. “Jungkook may be my mate, but you’re my soulmate. You know you can’t hide anything from me.”

“I don’t-”

“You imprinted on Yoongi hyung ages ago,” the alpha interrupted matter-of-factly, cutting off the indignant falsehood that Taehyung had been preparing.

“I-” he began, swallowing down the rest of his response. He looked away, Jimin’s touch against his shoulder like a fire beside him as he struggled to find something adequate to say. He sighed, shoulders slumping as he finally glanced at his friend. “How long have you known?”

Jimin hesitated, considering for a moment before he said at last, “The summer before Jungkook and I mated.”

Taehyung squawked, “So basically this whole time?”

“I guess?” Jimin asked, shoulders raising sheepishly.

The omega balked. “And you didn’t say anything?”

“What was there to say?” Jimin retorted, appearing equally baffled. “I figured you’d tell hyung in your own time. I just didn’t think it’d take years.”

“I-” he began, flushing beneath the weight of the alpha’s disapproving stare. “There was no reason to tell him. Hyung doesn’t need to feel guilty about not returning my feelings. It wouldn’t be fair.”

His blush intensified at the wide-eyed stare Jimin fixed him with. “So, you mean to tell me,” the alpha began, pinching the bridge of his nose as though the next words physically pained him, “that you planned to never tell hyung?”

Taehyung shrugged, muttering, “Pretty much.”

“Are you insane?”

Taehyung winced. It was rare that Jimin raised his voice, his friend rivaling Hoseok for the position as the most laid-back alpha in the bunch. From the way his eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline and the sharpness to his tone, Taehyung could tell Jimin was less than impressed with his antics.

He breathed sharply through his nose, squaring his shoulders for a fight he didn't want to have. "As I said, there's no reason."

“So, what were you going to do then,” Jimin demanded, waving his hand, the motion jerky with the force of his irritation. “Never tell him, watch him frolic off into the sunset with some other omega and then just deal with the pain of your imprint breaking?”

Said out loud, his multi-year-long plan sounded anything but stellar. “Pretty much,” he whispered, shrinking back under the alpha’s glare.

“I can’t believe you right now,” Jimin scoffed, jaw clenched as he stared holes into the space just over Taehyung’s shoulder. “How in the world did you get such an astronomically stupid plan fixed in that smart brain of yours.”

“It was the best one I could think of,” he defended weakly, embarrassed.

Jimin rounded on him again, eyes wide as if what Taehyung had said was too ridiculous to comprehend. “Better than just telling him?”

He nodded, the force of his humiliation settling around him as he was confronted with the sheer infeasibility of his plan.

“Tae. . .”

The reproach in his voice had Taehyung frowning, shrinking in on himself as he tried not to take the disapproval too much to heart.

Recognizing the effect he was having, Jimin sighed, his gaze softening as he looped an arm around the omega’s shoulders. 

“Look,” he began, voice quieter even if a hint of reprimand lingered, “I know it’s scary, but the worst thing that could happen is hyung would say no. Which is a whole lot better than you watching him run off with someone else. At least if you told him we could help you work through it as a pack. You wouldn’t be alone.”

While he was more than aware of the possibility of Yoongi rejecting him – the thought had been his primary motivation in keeping his feelings hidden – hearing it spoken aloud by his best friend hurt in a different way. Made the likely probability all the more real.

“Well,” he muttered at last, “it’s not like it matters now. Because of all this bullshit with the registry I’ve essentially trapped hyung. He can’t go out and fall in love like he deserves. It wouldn’t make sense to tell him now. It’d just make the situation even more uncomfortable for him.”

“Oh Tae.”

He closed his eyes against the pity clear as day in the alpha’s voice. The blow was somewhat softened by the gentle fingers carding through his hair, causing Taehyung to lean heavily into Jimin’s side as he silently let his friend continue.

“We’re a pack, things get messy. But no amount of discomfort could break us. You remember everything with Hoseok hyung. . .”

Taehyung’s eyes widened. Despite how they’d all watched it unfold with their own eyes, it was rather taboo to talk about Hoseok’s temporary retreat from most aspects of pack life following Jimin and Jungkook’s mating. Even though the rift had been repaired and salve applied to lingering wounds, given the tentative nature of whatever was building between the three, the pact respectfully avoided discussing the subject directly. Jimin most of all, the alpha holding his feelings on the matter very close to the chest on principle. To hear him willing allude to it was certainly new.

Jimin sighed. "It was weird and uncomfortable as hell. It hurt all of us. But we came out the other side and things are-" he trailed off, considering the situation for a moment before his lips tilted up in a small smile. "Things are nice now. There's a lot left to figure out, but we made it through. Even if Yoongi hyung said no – and that's a big ‘if’, I don't know how he feels- it'll be okay."

“He doesn’t feel the same way,” Taehyung refuted immediately. “He would have said something by now.”

“You don’t know that,” Jimin said stubbornly, and Taehyung couldn’t contain his exaggerated eye roll. “You don’t,” the alpha insisted. “He agreed to help you with your heat.”

“You’ve helped me with my heat, and we’re hardly mate material,” Taehyung dismissed, pointing out the obvious.

The next eye roll was Jimin’s. “We’re a pack, of course I helped with your heat. Which means,” he said, eyes widening as though he’d just caught on to something, “hyung not helping with your heat before means something."

Taehyung frowned, his mood plummeting even further. “Yeah, that he has no interest in me like that.”

"No, idiot," Jimin scoffed, chuffing Taehyung on the back of his head in admonishment. "It means that maybe he didn't want things to get messy by sleeping with you when he had very un-pack-like feelings for you."

“I’m sure.”

Ignoring the sarcasm dripping from Taehyung’s words, Jimin continued obstinately. “It would make sense, wouldn’t it? Yoongi hyung helps you with everything but not your heat? He probably wanted to make sure he wouldn’t confess his undying love for you in the throes of passion. Imagine, hyung asking you to be his mate mid-knot.”

“Don’t be gross,” Taehyung whined, cheeks scarlet as he positively refused to let Jimin’s words conjure a picture in his mind. “That’s not it at all. If anything, it’s a good thing hyung can’t help me with my heat so I don’t end up doing exactly that.”

“Well, even if you did, you could deny it later. Chalk it up to heat sickness.” Jimin offered. “You wouldn’t be the first.”

He groaned. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

"You know what I think," the alpha began, biting his cheek as he eyed Taehyung carefully. "I think you were looking forward to sharing your heat with hyung and are too stubborn to admit it. I think you should tell hyung, and if you need a little heat-courage to get you there, then so be it."

“Absolutely not,” Taehyung hissed, feeling sick at just the thought. He sighed, waving it off with a small, sad shake of the head. “And it’s a moot point now anyway, I’m back on suppressants now.”

“And when they run out?” Jimin prompted, raising one immaculately sculpted eyebrow. “I assume hyung will still be willing to help you with your heat.”

Taehyung tactfully avoided his gaze. The thought had certainly crossed his mind in the last few days, but he’d carefully dismissed it each time, not wanting to allow something as silly as hope or excitement to affect him.

“Hoseok hyung could find more suppressants.”

“And he might not,” Jimin pressed gently, offering a sympathetic smile at the way Taehyung’s shoulders slumped at the possibility. “And if he can’t, it’ll be okay. At least now you’ve got a heat partner. One that you’ve imprinted on.”

“Right,” he said testily, feeling more uncomfortable with each additional minute spent on the subject. “One that I can’t tell because he’s literally stuck with me now.”

“But what if he says yes?”

“But what if he doesn’t?”

Jimin squeezed the back of his neck, leaning down to look pointedly into his eyes. “And what if he does?”

He held his gaze, registering the confidence and open optimism there that he couldn't quite force himself to possess. He shrugged, looking away. "Well, it's not like it matters now. I've got enough suppressants, for now, let's just focus on that."

The alpha continued to stare at him, his thumb rhythmically stroking along the back of Taehyung’s neck before he released a long, defeated sigh. “Fine. But let the record show that I think you’re being an idiot and should just tell him.”

He snorted, laughing at the words before reaching out and grabbing his remote, turning on the television with the press of a button. “Fine, consider it officially on record.”

+++

“We’re not going to take down the government,” Namjoon sighed, exasperation clear in his voice.

“But why not?” Jungkook said, red in the face from the exertion of arguing with his six hyungs for the better half of two hours.

“Because,” Jin said slowly, brows furrowed as he glanced at the omega with genuine concern. “That’s insane.”

“It’s not,” he argued, “this whole policy is what’s insane!”

“Trust me, we know,” Taehyung sighed, leaning over the railing as he watched the rest of the pack struggle against the weeds that had managed to crop up between the plants Namjoon had raised with surprising success. “But that doesn’t mean we can storm the castle and kill the king like the old days. It doesn’t work like that.”

“There are talks,” Jungkook began, earning a groan from his mate that he pointedly ignored, “of possible rebellions. Tactical assaults.”

The lines around Namjoon's mouth only deepened in severity as he looked gravely down at the pack's youngest member. "Have you been going to those clubs again?" he demanded. "Those shady ones shut down years ago?"

Taehyung watched Jungkook drop the spade, fumbling with the tool for a few moments as he sputtered at the accusation. Eventually, he caught it, grasping it tightly in hand as he held it to his chest as though it could defend against Namjoon’s largely unimpressed stare.

“There’s no reason for them to be outlawed,” he said, unable to meet the alpha’s gaze as he taped despondently at the hard ground beneath them. “They’re just for people to get together freely, they have bouncers, they’re safe.”

Jin scoffed, “Hardly.”

Taehyung was inclined to agree. Before Jimin and Jungkook’s mating, when he and the younger man had been a pair of wide-eyed, naïve omegas, they’d been to one of the clubs in question. There had been strict pat-downs before they’d been allowed entry into the shabby building, but it had seemed worth it for the freedom of dancing freely without the weight of their collars. The cameras and security guards lining the dance floor had been a mere afterthought to the happiness the freedom brought them.

It had been a bit nerve-wracking, being surrounded by so many different classes without the protection of one of his own alphas or his anti-mating collar. But it had also been liberating. When they’d inevitably been shut down due to increased government crackdowns, Taehyung had felt sad, but not nearly as distraught as Jungkook had been from their loss. Taehyung had viewed them as just a nice but fleeting temporary reprieve from their everyday lives. Jungkook, however, had seen them as so much more. As what the world could be. As how things used to be.

"It doesn't matter," Namjoon barreled on. "I thought we said they were off-limits."

"No," Jungkook insisted, "you said they were off-limits when Tae and I were going by ourselves. We're not."

“Whoa,” the omega in question rushed to rebuff, “there is no ‘we’ here. I haven’t been in years.”

The pack leader’s gaze swiveled back to an increasingly skittish Jungkook before looking briefly at Jimin. “Well?”

“Don’t look at me,” Jimin huffed, frowning disapprovingly at his mate. “This is all news to me.”

“So, you lied,” Jin accused.

Taehyung winced. Being reprimanded by any of the alphas was never fun but disappointing the eldest was a special kind of upsetting that Taehyung could sympathize with Jungkook over. From his pale complexion, the disapproval certainly had an effect on the youngest.

“No,” he said weakly, his eyes darting around the backyard for a moment before settling back on Namjoon and Jin. “Hoseok hyung went with me.”

All eyes shot to the aforementioned alpha, Hoseok smiling sheepishly at the revelation.

“Well,” the alpha wheedled, “Kook’s right. You said the omegas couldn’t go alone but,” he shrugged, trying and failing to keep his confident smile in the face of Namjoon’s disapproving glower, “I’m not an omega. It was fine.”

“It’s not fine,” Jimin hissed, glaring sharply at his hyung. “It absolutely is not fine. When were either of you going to tell me about this?”

Silence blanketed the pack, heavy and uncomfortable as it filled the small yard around them.

Taehyung could taste the tension on his tongue, so heady was the scent of Jimin’s fury and Jungkook and Hoseok’s subsequent dismay. He didn’t begrudge the two for the fight all but guaranteed to break out later.

 For now, Yoongi was quick to head it off. "We don’t need to get into that at the moment.”

“Yes, the fuck we d-”

“Jimin,” Yoongi said sharply, leveling the younger alpha with a look that had him closing his mouth obediently.

Fury was still evident in Jimin’s eyes, but he didn’t move to say anything further.

Once he had Jimin’s silence, Yoongi continued. “Going back to Jungkook’s first point- there’s no way for us to take down the government. It’s too big. Even with Namjoon and Jin hyung’s inside connections, there’s nothing we could do. What even would we do? What’s the goal here?”

"Even if you assassinated or arrested every alpha in charge of making these laws, it would take ages for the laws to change. And that's a big 'if'. Meanwhile, alphas could still do whatever they wanted." Taehyung added.

He didn’t like the reality of the situation any more than the next person- he hated deflating whatever hope their youngest pack mate had even more so. But it was a non-starter to give him false illusions of an all but impossible future.

“I’d rather risk a hundred alphas out there on my own than the government telling me what to do with myself,” Jungkook rushed, looking at Taehyung earnestly.

“That’s easy for you to say, you’ve got a mate.”

“And you’ve got a pack!” Jungkook shot back, far from demoralized. “Before these collars and all this other bullshit, omegas still existed. I think everyone forgets that! There were bad alphas, of course there were. But the surge in forced claims and all of that started after the new restrictions were put in place.”

The omega leaned forward, dropping the spade back to the ground as he plowed on.  “Packs did their job in protecting their own, other alphas with consciouses stepped in when they could. Law enforcement actually helped before they started getting money on the side from the government. We could go back to that.”

"I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that would be ideal," Namjoon said wearily, sitting back on his hunches as he stared at Jungkook softly, sadness lining his gaze. "But that's just a fantasy, pup. There's nothing we can do to make it happen."

“We could delete the registry.”

Taehyung stared at Hoseok, surprise parting his lips as he took in the sheer outlandishness of the alpha’s suggestion.

“Right, because we’re equipped enough to do that,” Yoongi said in astonishment.

“We’re not,” Jungkook allowed, not looking at Yoongi but instead staring intently at Hoseok. “But we could be.”

“I-”

“What have we got to lose, hyung?” he asked, cutting off whatever protest Namjoon had been planning to make.

“Everything,” Jimin sighed at last. “We could lose everything. Honestly, we shouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“Which is why we’re not having it,” Namjoon said resolutely.

Taehyung sighed, staring down at the withering leaves beneath him. Unease settled in his gut, bitterness lingering on his tongue. It wasn’t as though he saw Jungkook and Hoseok’s suggestion as any less absurd than the rest of the pack, but he couldn’t deny the faintest traces of hope that he had misguidedly allowed himself to entertain at the possibility.

Jin and Namjoon had government connections, Hoseok had money, Jungkook, evidently, had ties to rebellious undergrounds, his pack had more tenacity than any other he’d ever come across. If he were reading a book, they would be the exact kind of ragtag rebels that would attempt such a ridiculous stunt for the sake of humanity.

But this wasn’t a book, and they weren’t some team of unlikely but successful heroes. This was their reality and-

“Hold on-”

He looked up, the shock in his eyes mirrored by five pairs of others as they all looked at Jin.

"I'm not saying it'll work, or is smart, or even close to advisable," the alpha hurried to clarify at his mate's disbelieving stare. "But I'm also not in love with the idea of sitting back and watching as one right after another is taken away. We'd be insane to think this is where it stops."

“And the solution is what, stage a government takeover?” Yoongi demanded, laughing at just how absurd the suggestion sounded.

“Of course not,” Jin dismissed, seemingly unconcerned with the younger alpha’s sarcasm and open skepticism. “But we shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss some form of resistance.”

He glanced to Taehyung, his eyes lingering on the omega for a long, pensive moment before meeting the gazes of the rest of the pack. "We've gotten lucky up until this point, with faking the mark, the registry, all of it. We can't keep putting fucking band-aids on bullet wounds. Eventually, something's going to give, and I don't want to just wait for everything to be taken from us. I'd like to do something."

"What are you saying, hyung?" Jimin asked, at last, filling the quiet that followed in the wake of the eldest's words.

Jin sighed before squaring his shoulders and nodding sharply at Jungkook, “I’m saying, that if knucklehead one and two really have been attending some of these so-called ‘underground’ meetings whispering about rebellions and revolts or whatnot, I’d at least like to hear what they have to say.” He smirked, taking in his mate’s weary face and Jimin’s scowl at the mention of his mate and Hoseok’s antics. “Don’t worry Jimin-ah, you can rip them new assholes later.”

Jimin chuckled, the words finally dispelling the overwhelming tension that had slowly filled the space around them. “Oh, trust me, I will. With pleasure.”

Jungkook and Hoseok shivered.

+++

“There’s no reason to be nervous.”

Taehyung clung to Yoongi tighter, the alpha’s solid grip around his waist the only thing keeping him from demanding whether or not Namjoon had gone insane.

The pack leader winced, his hands tightening around the wheel as he amended his statement. “Alright, it’s understandable to be nervous, but it should be fine.”

With Jungkook's heat finished, and Taehyung's still blissfully postponed, the next event on their collective horizon was the impending registration.

With Jin's family's connections, they had managed to secure an early, private registration for the pack. The officially extended invitation stated that the government was willing to allow easy, early access to 'trusted' packs as a trial run for the national rollout in a few days' time. Taehyung didn't know whether their inclusion in 'trusted packs' was a blessing or a curse. From his understanding, they had just barely qualified, and only after a significant amount of ass-kissing on Jin and Namjoon's parts.

At the moment, it certainly felt like a curse as anxiety settled in his chest like a paperweight, filling his lungs to capacity at the realization of what awaited him.

Jin and Namjoon had gone that morning, bringing back their paperwork to the den with forced cheer as they attempted to reassure Taehyung that it was no big deal. Painless.

Jimin and Jungkook had been the next to go, leaving Taehyung surrounded by doting alpha’s while Hoseok’s friend dutifully applied makeup to mirror the bite mold Yoongi had taken days’ prior, no questions asked.

The makeup felt uncomfortable, tacky as it stuck to his sweaty skin, only getting sweatier in Namjoon’s tiny car.

They were the last pack members to register, Hoseok having gone by himself an hour before and returning grim-faced but with successful registration papers in hand. Jimin and Jungkook had promptly hugged him, the three retiring to Jimin and Jungkook's apartment shortly after, but only following several hugs, kisses, and reassuring platitudes for Taehyung that did little to ease the distressed omega.

 “What if they catch on and I get arrested,” he whispered, burying his head in Yoongi’s neck as the alpha brought him closer.

"That's not going to happen," Yoongi said firmly as his thumb rubbed soothing circles along Taehyung's hip bone.

“If there’s a hiccup, say you’re sick, run out of there. I’ll keep the car running. They’d have to come find us, which should buy us some time,” Namjoon said, repeating the plan they’d already worked out earlier.

Buying time synonymous with Yoongi actually mating Taehyung, of course. The knots that had twisted in Taehyung’s stomach the minute ‘Plan B’ had been laid out to him earlier that week had not left. If anything, they were ten times bigger as they writhed and wriggled inside of him, only adding to the nausea Namjoon’s haphazard driving caused.

He breathed deeply through his nose, inhaling Yoongi’s calming scent. It was spiked with a tinge of anxiety, but still comforting nevertheless, and Taehyung forced himself to cling on to that the same way he physically clung to the alpha.

“What if they run after me?”

“Like I said,” Namjoon explained, taking a turn a bit too quickly for Taehyung’s liking. “There are no guards like there will be when they roll it out next week, and the building’s layout is very straightforward. Hyung will be right beside you, and I’ll be right outside. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

“But-”

"Tae-ah," Yoongi said, silencing him with a quick kiss. The contact was fleeting but unexpected enough that it effectively quieted his nervous questioning. "It will be fine."

He nodded, not having the energy to protest further despite the flurry of nerves racing through him. Doubt still lingered, but he forced himself to store it away, choosing to hold tightly to his hyungs’ words of comfort.

Jungkook had suggested Yoongi give Taehyung an Alpha Command to stop worrying, to send him into a more primal headspace of sorts where the omega would have no choice but to singularly listen and trust the alpha. Yoongi had immediately refused, but now, blocks away from the registration office, Taehyung wished that they had given the suggestion more consideration.

“It’ll take twenty minutes and you’re free,” Namjoon continued. His voice shook with traces of his own anxiety, but he had an impressive ability to reign in his scent. If it weren’t for the white-knuckled grip he had on the steering wheel and faint tremble to his words, Taehyung could almost convince himself that the alpha was entirely unaffected by the situation. “Just a short interview, some photos, scans of your IDs, and you’re good.”

“Right,” Taehyung agreed, words thick in his mouth. His tongue felt too big, he was producing too much saliva. His face felt hot. Why did everything feel so hot?

Yoongi eyed him, a look of momentary surprise reflecting in his gaze before he quickly masked it.

His seatbelt dug uncomfortably into his waist and shoulder as he continued to impractically drape himself over his hyung, legs hanging over the alpha’s lap and upper body sprawled as much as feasibly possible over Yoongi’s. The thought of having to let the older man go filled him with dread, even as its inevitability crept closer with each street passed.

Eventually and far too soon for Taehyung's preference, they pulled up in front of the municipal building. It struck Taehyung how ordinary-looking it appeared. It towered over them, but it hardly looked like it housed the fates of hundreds of thousands of people.

“We’re here,” Namjoon pointed out needlessly, flicking on the car’s hazards.

They were parked in a clearly designated 'no parking zone' but the pack leader was more than willing to risk whatever ticket or fine may await them if it meant being ready and available for his packmates. It was like a movie- a get-away driver at the ready.

Taehyung sat silently as Yoongi took the initiative of reaching over and unbuckling his seatbelt silently. He bit his lip harshly as Yoongi gently removed his legs and arms from around him before undoing his own seatbelt.

“Ready?”

Taehyung couldn’t help laughing at such a ridiculous question, shaking his head simply as he clasped his hands tighter in his lap.

“Sorry,” the alpha muttered, peering up at him from beneath his bangs. “Silly question.”

“It’s alright hyung.” Somewhat of a lie, but it was as alright as it would ever be. The makeup would only last so long, and what little courage he had mustered would likely run out well before that. It was now or never. “We should get going.”

He met Namjoon’s gaze through the rearview mirror, offering a shaky smile at the softness in the leader’s eyes.

“I’ll be right here,” Namjoon said resolutely, holding Taehyung’s gaze.

“We won’t be long,” Yoongi said confidently.

Taehyung didn’t know how he managed to be so composed, even now, but he appreciated it immensely as the alpha slid his hand into his, holding on tightly as he opened the car’s door.

It was rather difficult holding hands as they slid across the seats, out of the car, and onto the sidewalk in front of the building, but they managed. Taehyung was grateful for the contact, grasping onto his hyung's hand like a lifeline.

The door shut behind them quietly, sealing off the warmth of the car’s inside, and leaving them standing in the cold.

“Taehyung,” Yoongi said quietly, turning so that they were facing each other. He took Taehyung’s other hand in his, letting their arms swing slightly in the space between them. “I know you’re scared love, but I’ll be here. Every step of the way. Trust hyung to take care of you.”

Slowly, he released his bottom lip from the tight hold his teeth had on it, letting out a slow breath as he tried to compose himself.

“I do trust you hyung. Sorry, I don’t know how to not be nervous. I’m scared.”

“I know pup,” the alpha soothed, taking a step closer so that he could rest his forehead against Taehyung’s. He could feel Yoongi’s warm breath against his face; mint and coffee mingling in the air between them. “It’s okay to be scared. But in thirty minutes this will all be over and done with. And then we can go back to the den and cuddle. Jungkook, Jimin, and Hoseok should be back by then – they can help with a nest. We can watch that French film you wanted. No complaints.”

He chuckled, liking the idea very much. “Jin hyung will definitely complain.”

Yoongi smirked, winking as he said, "Leave hyung to me."

Taehyung breathed a sigh, laughing at the alpha’s confidence. “Alright, sounds good.”

“Good,” Yoongi echoed, leaning forward, and sealing their plans with a kiss. His lips were chapped, tasting of melon-flavored lip balm and espresso. Taehyung loved it. He wanted nothing more to lean closer, pull him tighter, and taste him deeper, but resisted. Yoongi wasn’t his, not like that, no matter what the pieces of paper they’d soon have would say.

“Let’s go,” he said as they pulled away, impressed by the steadiness in his own voice.

Together, they turned to face the large building, shivering as a particularly strong gust of wind passed them by.

Yoongi was the first to move, taking a decisive step forward as he pulled Taehyung along with him, opening the door and ushering the omega inside.

A lone doorman stood beside the door, nodding as they entered. Taehyung could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prick up with nerves as the alpha greeted them quietly. He was hyper-aware of the lack of his anti-mating collar around his neck. Yoongi’s solid presence beside him and his new claim collar were the only things keeping him composed.

Despite not being long ago, the days when Taehyung could walk freely and confidently around without anything on his neck symbolizing his status felt ages away. Even if Jungkook’s ludicrous, far-fetched ideas ever managed to materialize, Taehyung wondered how long it would take him to readjust to the old ways of living. To freedom.

An impassive-looking alpha woman sat behind the desk, staring at them blankly as they approached.

“Min Yoongi and Min Taehyung here for registration,” Yoongi said confidently, his voice loud and booming in the quiet entry hall.

That was yet another thing he’d have to adjust to. Once they were registered, he would officially take on Yoongi’s last name. A new license would be issued, new papers drawn up with the alpha’s surname. In another world, in another set of circumstances, Taehyung would happily take it on. Now, it left a bitter taste in his mouth at the reminder of yet another bit of autonomy taken from him.

They waited with bated breath as the woman typed quickly on her computer, eyes scanning the screen briefly before she nodded, peering down at them from the rim of her glasses.

“You’re slightly early, but that’s fine,” she said, the disapproval in her tone bellying her words. She inclined her head to a hallway off to her right. “Down that hall, second door on the left. They’re expecting you.”

"Thank you," Yoongi said, Taehyung muttering a similar thanks as they turned and made their way toward the indicated hallway.

The second door on the left was as unimposing and ordinary as a door could be, but a sense of foreboding radiated from it as the pair stood before it.

It was too risky to say anything further so close to the registrar’s, but Yoongi’s hand squeezing tightly at his own was enough as the alpha offered Taehyung a few precious seconds to compose himself before slowly turning the handle and opening the door.

“Welcome!”

Taehyung was slightly taken aback by the over-enthusiastic greeting as they entered, even if it was clear by the registrar’s gaze focused solely on Yoongi that the welcome had not been directed at him.

The alpha inclined his head politely, offering a subdued smile at the middle-aged man behind the desk. Taehyung couldn’t be sure given that the man was sitting down, but the alpha seemed short, even shorter than his hyung as he gestured for the two to sit.

Taehyung smiled appreciatively as Yoongi pulled his chair out for him – acting the part of the dutiful alpha wonderfully – before letting himself be gently scooted forward towards the desk. Yoongi took his own seat a moment later.

The chairs were uncomfortable, the arms too tiny for them to comfortably rest their forearms on and the seat padding insufficient. But that was only a minor discomfort compared to that of the situation they found themselves in.

Two sets of papers sat on the table before the registrar, twin blue ink pens resting beside each.

“Like the rest of your pack, I expect this to be a rather easy process,” the man said, smiling blandly at them. “I just have a few routine questions for you both, a brief examination, some pictures, some fingerprints, and a couple of signatures and you’ll be on your way out of here.”

"Right," Yoongi said, answering for the both of them. Even if they hadn't previously agreed that Yoongi would do the majority of the talking for appearance's sake, Taehyung would have wanted him to anyway, unsure he could speak without getting sick. "We're ready whenever you are."

“Great,” the alpha said, his grin sharpening at the edges. “My name is Lee Shin, and I’ll be recording this for the record.”

Taehyung watched as he flicked on a small, nondescript device on the desk, the red light blinking innocuously back at them the only signal that the official interview had begun.

“So, how long have you two been mated?” He asked.

The question was expected, well-discussed, and Yoongi had a ready answer. “Six months.”

“Mmm,” the man hummed, jotting the response down on the first page of what looked to be about a dozen or so before him. “And how long was your courtship?”

“A year,” Yoongi said, the lie sliding smoothly out from between his lips.

“And the two of you were in a pack before then, correct?”

“That’s right,” It was the first truth given since they’d walked into the building.

The alpha nodded, making a few more notations. “Excellent.” He glanced up then, his eyes raking over Taehyung briefly before directing his gaze back to Yoongi. “And your omega only has that one day-collar?”

Taehyung could see the way Yoongi’s jaw worked as he restrained himself from reacting to the term, disapproving of his packmate’s objectification even more so than Taehyung himself was.

“That’s correct.”

“That’s surprising,” The man mused. “Your pack is relatively well off from our records, your other paired packmates have a number of collars.”

He let the sentence trail off, regarding the couple with a raised brow as he let the implication hang in the air.

Taehyung stirred restlessly in his seat, unsure how to respond. It was meant to be a relatively straightforward interview. He glanced at Yoongi, taking in his less than amused expression. If doubt was already being cast on the solidity of their bond not even two minutes into the recording. . .

“We’re relatively understated compared to the others,” Yoongi said blandly. “And, as you said, we are relatively new in our mating. More will come with time.”

The promise of further collars in the future seemed to be the answer Shin was looking for because, after a perfunctory checkmark on his paper, he moved on to the next question.

“Are your heats and ruts in alignment at the moment?”

“Not at the moment, no.” The reply was tense, and Taehyung could see the subtle way Yoongi’s flexed around the seat’s ledge beside him. “We’re both on suppressants.”

That earned a frown from the registrar. “And the reason?”

Taehyung bit his tongue against the urge to snap that they didn’t need a fucking reason. He crossed his arms, bowing his head in order to not meet the clinical eyes of the man across from them.

“I work and I don’t like my mate spending his heats alone.”

Nice and succinct. Yoongi was keeping his cool far better than Taehyung felt himself capable of.

"Well, you may want to reconsider your schedules," Shin drawled, eyes dragging over to Taehyung for a moment. "Suppressants are prescribed very liberally at the current moment. Their release and production will be tightened up soon."

“We’re aware,” Yoongi forced out, his foot tapping impatiently against the carpet, just out of eyesight of their interviewer. “We have plans to adjust accordingly.”

“I see. . .” Another scribble on paper. “When you inevitably start your cycles again, please be prompt in reporting it to our office. Our personnel are limited, please do not make us have to find you ourselves.”

Taehyung felt sick at the very thought but managed to keep his thoughts from spiraling long enough to register his hyung’s “Of course.”

The next few questions were perfunctory, ones Taehyung didn’t necessarily see the point in having to answer in person, but easy enough to sit through all the same.

“Alright, now that that’s out of the way, let’s see about some photos.”

Yoongi stood at the man’s indication, extending a hand out for Taehyung which the omega gratefully took.

A camera stood in the corner of the room, pointed at a blank expanse of wall that Shin gestured for them to stand in front of.

“I’ll just need a photo of each of you, and then a close-up of your marks.”

While the wrist held the smallest scent gland, the way Yoongi’s thumb insistently pressed into Taehyung’s sent a wave of calm through the omega even as he felt weak on his feet.

They were stalling, for Taehyung’s sake more than Yoongi’s, and from the impatient way Shin motioned for them to come closer, they didn’t have long.

He took a deep breath, nodding once at his hyung to let him know that he would be fine before the alpha finally released his hold, striding over to the wall to face the camera.

The flash of the camera was off-putting, bathing the small area in light before disappearing. Yoongi blinked against it, remaining otherwise stoic as another picture was taken before Shin urged him closer.

“Alright now,” he murmured, stepping around the camera and into Yoongi’s personal space. “I’m going to angle your head now.”

Taehyung held his breath against the sudden surge of tension in the room as the interviewer brought his hands close to the alpha’s neck. Yoongi’s eyes were sharp on the man, his fists clenched at his sides as he watched his approach.

The interviewer was certainly brave. Taehyung wasn’t even on the receiving end of the look Yoongi was giving the man and yet he felt the familiar urge to cower and submit. It was expected- no alpha would be fond of another touching one of their weakest points, particularly in the presence of an omega. Part of Taehyung wondered how Jimin had handled it. He’d be sure to ask Jungkook later.

His breath sat uncomfortably in his chest as Shin leaned closer, eyes narrowed as he inspected the mark on Yoongi’s throat. The bite had looked convincing when he’d first seen it, even as Taehyung had been there to see its application. He just hoped it passed the registrar’s inspection.

Each tick of the clock sounded like a thunderclap in the small office as seconds passed by until Shin finally leaned back, nodding to himself.

"Alright, sorry about that," he said with an amused smile as he stepped back behind the camera, "but protocols are protocols. Now, if you could tilt your head back and to the side- perfect!"

Relief filled him as Yoongi was allowed to step back, only for renewed anxiety to flood him at the realization that it was his turn.

Yoongi took his hand, leading him over to the wall, politely not commenting on the way Taehyung’s hand shook in his own. He knew his palm was damp, likely an unpleasant thing to hold, but Yoongi’s face was diplomatically neutral, his calming aura steady beside him. The alpha was too kind.

“Remove your collar please.”

The instruction was expected, but unease filled Taehyung nevertheless at the request. Yoongi stepped into his line of vision, a solid barrier between him and Shin as Taehyung blinked down at his soft expression.

“It’s almost over,” Yoongi murmured, low enough that the interviewer could not hear as he brought his hands up to Taehyung’s throat. He caressed the exposed skin there tenderly, tugging his collar down to stroke along his scent gland softly.

Taehyung allowed the movement, gratefully letting another wave of imposed calm wash over him. He sighed as the alpha’s fingers crept to the back of his neck, finding the clasp there and gently undoing the collar, removing it from his body a second later and placing it in his pocket with a tremendous amount of care before taking Taehyung’s sweaty palm back in his own.

“If you would step away now-” Shin began, sighing when Yoongi did as told but without releasing his grip on Taehyung. “Fine, if you must,” he muttered, fiddling with the buttons on the camera.

The reflexive urge to smile in the face of a camera sat incongruously with the nausea that swept over him as the flash alighted his features. At his last license renewal, he had taken great care to how he’d composed his features for his photo- to the point of Jimin laughing at him for begging the haggard employee for just one more retake.

Now, he couldn’t care less how he looked, just as long as it passed, and they could leave the cursed office.

To his great embarrassment, he whimpered as Shin approached him with his hand extended, shying away from the strange alpha’s grab for his throat.

Unlike the understanding he had met Yoongi with, he scowled at the reaction, his eyes hardening as Yoongi jerked Taehyung back and away from him.

“Hyung?” Taehyung asked softly, heart racing at the way Yoongi positioned himself between Taehyung and the other man. He could see the rise and fall of the alpha’s chest, the curl of his upper lip in a scowl as he struggled to get control over his need to protect the scared omega.

"Now, now, we're almost done, no need to act so brashly," Shin clucked disapprovingly as his eyes met Yoongi's in a challenge. "We're almost done here, we'd hate for there to be a problem now, wouldn't we?"

The threat in his words was clear, a shiver running through Taehyung at the implications.

He swallowed, patting Yoongi gently on the shoulder, letting the pads of his fingers run briefly along Yoongi’s scent gland before stepping away slightly.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, knowing that the only way out was straight through. He cleared his throat, speaking louder, “I’m ready.”

Shin ignored him, of course. Instead, he continued to look at Yoongi, a silent question in his eyes.

“We’re ready,” Yoongi snapped, his voice far from polite.

Despite the rudeness, Shin looked pleased, waiting calmly as Yoongi forced himself to step off to the side, his gaze never wavering from the man.

“Excellent,” Shin hummed, reaching for Taehyung once again.

His lungs ached with the need to breathe as Taehyung let his head be tilted this way and that in order to expose the full expanse of his mark. He closed his eyes, praying to anyone that would listen that his sweat hadn’t distorted it at all.

“Alright, stay right here-” Shin instructed, waiting for Taehyung to finally stand still in place.

He stared at the ceiling as the next set of photos were taken, focusing on a peculiarly shaped crack until he heard the registrar’s pleased confirmation that they were finished with the picture portion of the process.

Yoongi was quick to step in when Shin moved away, Taehyung’s collar already in hand. The omega breathed a sigh of relief, never so happy to be collared in his life as Yoongi quickly but it back in place, his hand stroking over the gemstone at the center as he diligently ensured that it sat correctly in place.

“Thanks, hyung,” he murmured, breathing just a bit easier despite the situation.

Their fingerprints were taken next, a breeze in comparison, before they were each handed a stack of papers to sign with matching pens.

Taehyung felt dizzy from the gamut of emotions he’d run in the few minutes they’d been in the office. The words swam before him, largely unregistered in his mind as he signed and initialed where indicated.

Distantly, he understood that they were agreeing to the validity of their mating and a slew of other things including a confirmation that should they be caught falsifying any records they would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The words 'prison' and 'government assigned pack' stood out to him, but he forced himself not to focus on them, the very thought threatening to make him spill the contents of his stomach on the ugly carpet beneath them.

His stomach clenched painfully, a wave of pain taking over him and thoroughly catching him off guard. He did his best to ignore the sensation, a small whimper escaping him despite his best efforts.

Yoongi eyed him curiously, his brows furrowed in concern as he looked away from the papers before him.

“I’m fine,” he whispered, answering the question in dark eyes before Yoongi could open his mouth to ask it directly.

The alpha looked less than reassured but returned back to his paperwork all the same. The sooner they were able to leave, the better.

He wondered if it was hunger pains, the tightening in his gut possibly attributed to his decision to decline Jin’s kind meal that morning. The few bites Jimin had practically forced past his lips far from enough. He'd ask Namjoon to take them out for food afterward.

He blinked, staring down at the page unseeingly as he felt the sensation creep lower, past his stomach and to his groin. He swallowed thickly, scribbling in his initials in a haphazard scrawl as he hurriedly flicked to the next page.

It was then that he felt the first trickle of slick, choking on his own tongue at the ludicrousness of the situation as the horrifying realization finally dawned on him.

He was going into heat.

Taehyung glanced up at Shin. The registrar was thankfully distracted, concentrating down on his phone as he waited for the two of them to finish signing. Yoongi, however, was far from distracted, his gaze already fixed back onto Taehyung the moment the omega glanced over at him.

So, he had realized too. It was only a matter of time before Shin caught on. Yoongi flew through the document, getting through the last three pages in record timing, no longer bothering to give a cursory read to what they were ostensibly agreeing to. It hardly mattered, Namjoon would have long memorized and notated what they had accepted.

It didn’t make any sense. Taehyung had been diligent in taking the suppressants, he had thought they were working.

Unless. . .

He had heard of black-market suppressants being intermixed with sugar pills, padding the stock, and swindling desperate omegas that couldn't afford over-the-counter medications. Taehyung knew of the practice but hadn't even contemplated the possibility that the supply Hoseok had managed to procure would fall prey to it.

And yet, there was no other explanation that he could conceive of. There was no denying it. He had taken the suppressants that morning and he was now sitting ramrod straight in his chair with heat pooling in his stomach and slick slowly trickling in his underwear.

He swallowed, quickly finishing the rest of the pages, and sliding them across the table with Yoongi’s.

Shin looked up, finally setting his phone aside as he pulled both stacks of papers to him.

“Excell-” he paused, delicately sniffing the air before letting his gaze home in on Taehyung.

“Are we done here?” Yoongi asked, leaning forward slightly. Taehyung could smell the surge in his pheromones, a defensive posture in an attempt to overpower Taehyung’s scent and distract the alpha before him.

“It seems the suppressants haven’t quite done their job,” their interviewer observed, ignoring Yoongi’s question, and making the alpha bristle. He pulled another paper towards him, clicking his pen and making a notation. “I’ll just note the date for our records, how fortunate.”

Taehyung leant back in his seat, uncomfortable with the way Shin stared back at him. There was a note of hunger in the man’s eyes as he deliberately sniffed the air.

“No need to be shy,” he attempted to reassure, a devilish smile crossing his lips that had Taehyung tensing and Yoongi’s eyes narrowing. “It’s only natural, this is a good thing.” He glanced to Yoongi, his smile widening. “I can see why you chose him; his scent is delectable.”

“Are we done?” Yoongi asked again, a growl rumbling in his chest even as he shook with the force of his restraint. Taehyung could see just how hard he was controlling himself, exerting a great deal of strength in order to resist leaping over the desk and strangling the other alpha.

Shin merely stared back in amusement, nonplussed as he glanced back down at their papers. "Everything looks to be in order," he said at last, flipping to the last page of each set of documents and signing his own name as a witness before stamping them both with the official seal sitting at his side.

He opened a drawer in his desk, grabbed both papers, and placed them inside with a careless ‘plunk’.

“If you both would just wait here, I’ll only be a moment in the other office to get your IDs printed.”

 Yoongi nodded tersely, watching with sharp eyes as Shin rose from his seat and exited the door. Thankfully, he passed on Yoongi’s side, making the omega relax fractionally at the distance put between them.

“Fuck,” Yoongi muttered as soon as the door closed behind the alpha, glancing at Taehyung worriedly. “How bad is it?”

He grimaced, adjusting slightly, and feeling the dampness in his pants. “It’s not great.”

“The pills must have been fakes,” Yoongi huffed, echoing Taehyung’s thoughts. He ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it slightly as he angled his body towards the omega. “We’re almost done here. We can have Namjoon take us straight to your apartment afterward. Do you need anything? Should we stop anywhere for parts of your nest? Do we need any heat foods?"

Taehyung took in a shuddering breath. Fuck. It was really happening. He had somehow let his mind distance itself from the reality of spending a heat with his hyung, justifying it by the newfound, and apparently defunct, suppressants he had secured. Now, there was no escaping it, the full brunt of the situation settling in and threatening to overwhelm him.

“Hey, hey,” Yoongi said, drawing his attention as he pressed their foreheads together, “look at me.”

Taehyung did, focusing his rapidly hazing vision on the alpha before him.

“It’ll be alright, hyung’s here.”

He nodded, groaning softly as another wave of warmth washed over him. It was far from the unbearable heat he knew would be consuming him from the inside out in a mere matter of hours, but it still had him shivering in his seat.

Yoongi’s hand settled on the back of his neck, gripping him firmly as he continued to murmur reassurances to the panicking omega. “We’ll be home soon, it’s okay.”

“It’s okay,” Taehyung echoed, hoping that if he said it aloud it would become true.

Reluctantly, they moved back to their previous positions as the door swung open, Yoongi tilting his body so that it was more fully blocking Taehyung from Shin’s line of sight as he reentered the room.

“Looks like we’re all done here,” the alpha hummed, retaking his seat as he brandished two IDs, sliding them across the desk to Yoongi.

Taehyung glanced at his pictures, his nose wrinkling in distaste at his less than stellar picture. He supposed there were worse things. Hoseok certainly had several less than posed pictures of him in his extensive camera roll. All things considered; it could have turned out worse.

Yoongi took the IDs, sliding the omega’s to him despite Shin’s surprised glance.

“Thank you,” he said curtly, standing quickly and helping Taehyung to his feet. “May we leave?”

“Certainly,” the registrar allowed, gesturing magnanimously to his door. “I know you have lots to take care of.”

The alpha nodded, taking Taehyung’s hand tightly in his as he hurriedly led him from the room.

Yoongi was quick to rush them through the hallways, back into the foyer, and out the front doors, glaring at any curious onlooker as heads swiveled the more apparent Taehyung’s heat-sweet scent became.

"I got a ticket," Namjoon sighed as soon as they entered the back seat of the idling car, "the officer-" He paused, glancing back at the pair through the rearview mirror. "Your heat."

“They must have been fucking sugar pills,” Yoongi explained, pulling Taehyung across the backseat, and pressing the omega into his side.

In spite of himself, Taehyung couldn’t help instantly melting into him, his face finding Yoongi’s neck on instinct and pressing there, letting the pleasant scent of his packmate wash over him.

“Right,” Namjoon said, signaling as he pulled away from the curb. “Should I take you both-”

“Taehyung’s apartment,” Yoongi answered quickly, pulling the seatbelt over the younger man as Taehyung refused to move from his spot plastered against his side.

“Okay,” Namjoon said, worry evident in his tone despite his attempt to calm it for Taehyung’s sake. “We’re not too far.” He was quiet for a second, focusing on the road before him. “How’d it go?” he finally asked, as if the question were an afterthought.

“We go approved,” Yoongi answered gruffly, his fingers momentarily clenching along Taehyung’s waist. “I guess it was the best we could have hoped for.”

“Good, good,” Namjoon muttered distractedly, less than subtly rolling the driver’s side window down.

Taehyung shrunk into Yoongi, embarrassed. It was far from the first time his hyung had smelled his slick and heat scent, but it was no less embarrassing for the clear distraction it posed for the pack leader as he drove.

It was strong and only grew with each passing minute as he felt his body preparing itself for the knot it needed. The knot he would be getting from Yoongi no less.

Fuck.

“Don’t worry pup,” Yoongi murmured, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head, the low rumble of his voice making Taehyung’s mind fuzzy around the edges. He closed his eyes, letting Yoongi continue to pepper comforting kisses across his forehead. “It’s going to be alright.”

It would be alright. His packmate and alpha were telling him it would be alright. He sighed deeply, breathing in the scents around him as he allowed his mind to fall into that hazy place it inevitably found itself in during his heats. It would be okay. It would be okay. It would be okay. Yoongi was here, and he trusted the alpha to make it so.

He just hoped he could get through the unexpected days to come without confessing, knowing he was already fighting an uphill battle.

Perfect.

Just. Perfect.

Chapter Text

Each second that passed had Taehyung drifting further into that fuzzy headspace that sought contact and the warm presence of an alpha despite the heat in his veins creeping towards being just shy of unbearable. Contact, at least, was something that he was in no short supply of. Yoongi’s arm was solid around his waist as they stood outside of his door, Namjoon’s large palm a calming weight against the back of his neck as the two alphas spoke to one another in hushed tones.

He knew that whatever they were discussing had to be important, but he was too floaty to care, feeling simultaneously outside of his body and inside every nerve ending all at once.

He watched through cloudy eyes as Namjoon slid the set of official documents Yoongi handed him into the inside pocket of his coat, listing even more heavily into Yoongi’s side as the seconds drew out.

"It'll be okay, pup," Namjoon said, squeezing his nape one last time as he leaned in for a quick kiss.

Taehyung whimpered into the contact, wanting to pull his leader in even closer, even longer, if for nothing more than to have his solid, comforting aura linger for just a bit more.

Namjoon chuckled against his lips, smiling indulgently as Yoongi gently tugged Taehyung away from the pack leader.

Absentmindedly, he noted a small spike in Yoongi’s scent, a note of . . .  was it possessiveness? Taehyung wasn’t certain, but whatever the change was prompted Namjoon’s smile to only grow- gorgeous. All of his pack mates were gorgeous, and Taehyung wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by them.

He needed them. Needed the others. Needed his alphas and his omega nestmate and his nest and their scents and –

And suddenly Yoongi's scent was all-encompassing, drowning him in the heady mix of woodsy and citrus, a siren song to his increasingly worked-up wolf.

“Alright, alright,” Namjoon said, dimples on full display as he held up his hand, taking a small step back. Taehyung whimpered at the distance placed between them, only to settle as Yoongi’s nose grazed along his scent gland, his long fingers curling around Taehyung’s wrist to scent him there as well.

“I’ll let you get him inside,” the leader continued, and it was only then that he realized Namjoon’s delightful, strong scent had shifted from the concerned sourness that had invaded it at the unexpected onset of Taehyung’s heat, to something steady and comforting once more.

It was a form of reassurance that Taehyung hadn’t known he’d needed until that moment.

Yoongi murmured a quiet thanks to the alpha, not waiting to watch him get back to his car before he was already guiding Taehyung inside.

It had been a while since the omega had been in his hyung’s house, he was ill-prepared for the flurry of familiar smells that greeted him as the door opened, assaulting his senses with Yoongi, Yoongi, Yoongi.

“What do you need, pup?” Yoongi asked, watching Taehyung with careful eyes as the omega continued to cling to him as they crossed the threshold.

“Nest,” Taehyung mumbled, not registering the word as it left his lips, but feeling the need swell in his core.

Instinct guided him as he reluctantly left Yoongi’s embrace, kicking his shoes off as an afterthought as he made his way through the house.

He wasn’t thinking as he went – his hands functioning on autopilot as he grabbed the best cushions from the couch, took Yoongi’s sweatshirt draped over the back of his kitchen chair along with a discarded scarf on the coffee table.

Yoongi was diligent at his side, taking the softest blanket in his house from Taehyung as well as the couch cushions when the omega’s arms no longer had space to hold them in.

The alpha winced when Taehyung crossed to his laundry room, immediately making a beeline for his dirty laundry hamper. It had been a while since he’d done laundry, but he wasn’t afforded the opportunity to be embarrassed by that fact at the relieved sound Taehyung let out. He didn’t hesitate to reach into the basket, withdrawing a handful of Yoongi’s shirts and a pair of his discarded boxers.

While his cheeks were almost certainly tinged red with embarrassment, Yoongi couldn’t lie and say that a potent sense of pride didn’t fill him at seeing how eager Taehyung was to surround himself with his scent.

They continued that way through the next set of rooms, Taehyung picking up the softest possessions with Yoongi’s scent, and Yoongi dutifully carrying them throughout the house until they arrived at his bedroom.

There, Taehyung got to work, stripping the bed, and gently depositing everything onto the soft carpet underfoot. Yoongi knew better than to help an omega build a heat nest unless explicitly asked, so he remained in the room’s entrance as Taehyung set to constructing everything, content to watch the omega work and drink in his intoxicating, heat-sweet scent.

While he had been largely able to ignore it earlier – too concerned with ensuring that his packmate was safe, secure, and settled – it was now impossible to block out. His scent was enticing on any day, but now, mixed with the first hints of slick and the added sweetness of his heat, it was downright mouth-watering.

He needed to reign himself in. Imprinting on Taehyung and being ‘legally’ mated to the omega didn’t actually make him his. A fact that was getting harder to remember with each passing second as the reality of helping Taehyung through his heat crept closer and closer.

It was startling, how strongly and fiercely possessive he felt over his packmate. Namjoon’s smile had been knowing in a way Yoongi didn’t know what to do with as Yoongi had tried to smother Taehyung with his scent. Namjoon was mated, happily so, and knew that Yoongi was seeing Taehyung through his heat. And still, his wolf had prickled at the closeness of the pack leader. It had been everything he could do to get Taehyung inside without snapping his teeth or posturing to the taller alpha. He could only imagine the mortification that would strike when he faced the leader again clear-headed and lucid.

Despite how quickly he was working, Taehyung was just as meticulous as ever, only stopping once the outside of the nest was properly in place. The omega looked up, blinking at Yoongi as if just coming back to himself.

“Do you have any heat mats?” Taehyung asked, his voice had a newfound breathiness to it that Yoongi found irresistible.

Heat mats. That Yoongi could do, the alpha springing into action, spurred on by the need to provide.

While he liked to provide for his packmates at all times – his hard-wired instincts of an alpha always present despite being more controlled than most – the need to do so was on overdrive. Not only was there an omega in heat, a packmate in need; his imprinted was asking for his help, and he would move heaven, earth, and hell in a handbasket if it was what the omega asked for.

His steps were hurried as he rushed through his house to his spare closet reserved for all the miscellaneous things, he didn’t know what to do with.

The heat mats in question were tucked away on the top shelf, in a careful, air-tight box to protect the water-resistant material from dust.

After imprinting on Taehyung, he had largely been celibate and, with his other packmates mated, there was no longer a need to use them. He supposed it paid to keep everything, particularly in moments just like this.

The mats were light and spongy in his hands as he grabbed the set, designed perfectly to be placed at the bottom of nests to soak up any extra bodily fluids. While things were bound to get messy – the combination of slick, sweat, and cum always a slippery mixture, the mats at least ensured that nothing got too out of hand.

He was back in his room in record time, presenting the mats to Taehyung gently. The omega was quick to take them, placing them atop the carpet unceremoniously before unrolling the mats and then proceeding to build the rest of his nest on top of them.

The rest didn’t take long and with a few more careful adjustments Taehyung was finished, looking up at Yoongi with wide, plaintiff eyes.

Recognizing the unspoken, likely unconscious, question for what it was, Yoongi was quick to crouch down so that he was eye-level with the omega; a wide, tender smile on his lips.

“The nest is amazing Tae,” he said softly, watching the pleased flush creep along his dongsaeng’s face.

“Really?” Taehyung asked, fiddling with the fringe of one of Yoongi’s favorite blankets.

“Really,” the alpha reassured, leaning easily back against the doorframe, attempting to come across as non-aggressively as possible despite every cell of his body yearning for him to take, take, take the beautiful, doe-eyed omega before him.

Taehyung’s blush deepened as he swept an errant curl behind his ear, even as his chest swelled with pride.

“What do you need now?” Yoongi asked softly, gently distracting Taehyung from his embarrassment as he remained on the other side of the room.

The omega licked his lips, a flash of pink against crimson lips as he considered. "The fan, please," he hesitated, as if considering the words for a moment before adding, "And you. Please?"

Yoongi’s smile was indulgent and overly fond as he flipped the switch to his bedroom fan, knowing just how hot and heat-sick Taehyung was sure to get before his fever broke. As soon as the quiet whir of the fan started up, he was quick to enter the nest.

Despite the nest being relatively small – he only had so much room to work with – Taehyung still sat a respectful distance away from the alpha, his hands clasped tightly in his lap even as he shifted restlessly on his knees across from him.

He waited quietly, trusting that the younger man would speak up when he was ready.

He was ready a minute later, the seconds seemingly too much to bear as he finally broke. “Can you. . .” he began haltingly, toying with his own shirt. “Undress. Just to the boxers!” he rushed to clarify, as if Yoongi wouldn’t be inside of him in a matter of hours.

It was cute, how shy he was being. It wasn't as though they hadn't seen one another naked a number of times, the majority of which were entirely innocuous. Pack runs were a monthly occurrence, and it was good practice to get undressed before any shift, the cost of replacing ripped clothing was seldom worth the modesty.

Without hesitating Yoongi undid his clothing, stripping with an unabashed air only afforded to one's packmates as he removed each article, dutifully keeping his boxers in place. He made to toss his discarded clothing outside the ring of the nest, only for Taehyung to frantically grab them, and carefully place them at his side within the nest.

Now, more embarrassed than ever, the omega avoided his hyung’s eye, muttering out a quiet explanation, “The more of your scent the better.”

Yoongi was thankful that Namjoon wasn’t there to see them. Were he there, the pack leader would have almost certainly pointed out the obvious note of pleasure spiking in Yoongi’s scent and the accompanying puffing out of his chest.

“Um, I’ll just-” Taehyung began, motioning vaguely. Even if Yoongi didn’t know where things were headed, Taehyung’s next movements were explanation enough as the omega stripped down to his briefs, exposing miles of tanned skin for Yoongi’s appreciative gaze.

It was agony sitting so close but unable to touch, but Taehyung deserved every ounce of his patience. Whatever the omega needed from him to make him comfortable, he would give it. Unquestioning, always.

“Tae,” he said quietly, when the omega seemed content to gnaw anxiously at his lip, shooting furtive glances at his hyung every few seconds. “It’s going to be okay. You don’t need to be embarrassed. Everything will be alright, I promise. Nothing has to change.”

The omega looked like he was preparing to argue, but any dispute within him seemed to deflate all at once, his shoulders relaxing as his lips turned up in the ghost of a smile.

“I’m just nervous,” he confessed quietly, the words hesitant even as Yoongi could see just how on edge his packmate was. Sweat beaded along the omega's temples, and a deep flush had begun to creep across his torso. Taehyung was wielding considerable self-restraint; most omegas would have happily sunk down into the depths of their heat, content to let their instincts take over if only to relieve themselves of the growing discomfort heats brought.

“About what?” Yoongi asked, equally as patient. Equally as on-edge.

“I love you hyung. And I don’t want things to be. . .  weird.”

It took a moment for Yoongi to calm his racing heart, to soothe his over-eager wolf that jumped at the words. He knew Taehyung meant them platonically. As a packmate, the same as he loved Jimin, Seokjin, everyone. It wasn’t the all-consuming, possessive, head-over-heels in love that Yoongi felt every second of every day when it came to the younger man. His fragile heart, however, refused to get the message. It was another second before he could find his voice to speak.

“I love you too,” Yoongi said, the words as easy as breathing. “I know you’re worried, but things won’t be weird. I promise. Trust hyung, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Taehyung said, the word coming out as an easy sigh. He could do that. Trusting his alphas was second nature, trusting Yoongi instinctual. Even before he imprinted on his hyung, he’d always had an unflinching trust and unshakeable faith in him. The years had only increased his unwavering belief in the alpha. “Okay.”

The two words were spoken plainly, but Yoongi could immediately sense the truth to them, taking pleasure in the natural relaxing of the omega’s shoulders.

Taehyung’s scent softened, the note of anxiety that had been lacing it for the last twenty minutes ebbing away like the tide.

It was Taehyung who crossed the small distance between them, leaning into Yoongi’s side until the alpha willing laid back, pulling Taehyung down with him.

Most of his encounters with the omega's heat were during the first few days leading up to it, knowing the younger man's preheat cravings and habits like the back of his hand. The cuddling – full-bodied and octopus-like as Taehyung draped his long limbs around any part of Yoongi's body that he could comfortably reach – was to be expected. Taehyung's legs were warm and heavy as they hooked over Yoongi's waists and thighs.

To his credit, he didn’t so much as blink as he felt thin trickles of slick sticking to the back of Taehyung’s thighs press to the tops of his own. He breathed deeply, taking in the intoxicating scent as he let Taehyung’s arms drape over his waist and stomach.

Yoongi pressed a kiss to the top of his head, pulling the man closer as he nuzzled along the side of his face. He took a deep breath, releasing it in a deep, soothing, rumble of a purr that had the omega whimpering against him, nuzzling closer.

Taehyung’s lips parted, small gasps leaving between them as Yoongi scented him, the alpha’s smell heady and comforting in the small nest.

His eyes felt heavy, his belly warm, and his thighs sticky as his heat crept closer. The overwhelming desperation that had befallen him in the registrar’s office had diminished, ebbed slightly by the need to build a nest and secure a space for his heat’s onset.

If they were wise, they'd use the time to prepare food, bring the necessities they would need for the coming three days into the bedroom, and stock up on extra towels, ice packs, and anything else they may need to ease the heat.

But they didn’t do any of that.

Taehyung was delightfully warm and content. Yoongi was willing to do whatever it took to keep the omega soft, safe, and pliant against him. As a result, they wordlessly resigned themselves to bunkering down for a nap, each quietly relishing the idea of having this new sense of intimacy without the cloying, demanding needs of heat, arousal, and instincts entirely dominating the experience.

Like that, they drifted off to sleep. The last conscious thought Yoongi had before the lull of rest claimed the two wolves was how desperately, and hopelessly he wished this were real, and not some ridiculous, last-ditch scheme designed to make the most out of a bad situation.

For now, he could pretend.

They both could.

+++

The first thing Yoongi registered as he was dragged from sleep was wetness. Specifically, a growing patch along his right thigh and an accompanying heaviness atop it. After prying his tired eyes apart, it only took a cursory glance to surmise what was going on, before he promptly closed them, a quiet curse falling from his lips.

It was the beginning of the end. It had to be because there was no way he could last the coming three days. He didn’t know anyone that could. As it were, he was already struggling to keep his wits about him, the image of a frantic, panting, delicious-smelling Taehyung desperately riding his thigh to completion enough to have him questioning his sanity. Even as the omega’s nails dug into his hips, whimpers leaving his throat as his movements sped up, Yoongi couldn’t quite convince himself that it was real.

“Hyung.”

His eyes shot open, his entire body responding to the neediness in his packmate’s voice instantaneously.

“What do you need?” he asked, his voice low and sleep rough as he placed his hands on the omega’s hips, helping to guide his movements.

While he had fallen asleep in his briefs, he was now entirely naked. Miles of tanned skin were now on full display as his flushed cock jutted out, beads of precum falling from the red tip, a smear of the opaque liquid already across his lower stomach from where the head had made contact during the course of his increasingly frantic movements.

"Inside" Taehyung whimpered, an endearing, frustrated furrow to his brows as he tried to get the relief that was nowhere in sight.

Yoongi didn’t hesitate to move his hand behind the Taehyung, smoothing along the cleft of his ass before parting his cheeks. His hand was already coated in a light sheen of slick when he finally reached the omega’s entrance, two of his fingers perfunctorily circling his hole before sinking in.

The reaction was instantaneous as Taehyung immediately sagged with relief, a gasp falling from his lips as he took Yoongi's fingers with ease, clenching around them tightly even as he demanded more. The alpha was all too willing to give it to him, adding a third finger and pumping them into Taehyung, only to let his hand go still as the omega fucked himself down onto the digits, angling his body until Yoongi’s fingers were hitting just right.

He knew it was only a matter of time before fingers wouldn’t be nearly enough but for now, Yoongi was more than happy to watch Taehyung ride his hand to completion, clenching down around him and spilling onto Yoongi’s chest with the first orgasm of his heat.

The alpha groaned as the wet release landed on him, covering his chest as slick slid down his wrist, the scent of the omega permeating the air and making him dizzy. He had woken up hard – his body responding to his packmate’s heat before his hazy mind – but now, he was positively throbbing in his boxers, his cock hard and ready to knot Taehyung as many times as the omega needed. Taehyung smelled sweet, willing, and fertile. The potent combination enough to have his largely well-handled instincts reeling.

Still, he waited, letting Taehyung collapse onto his chest, smearing the mess he’d made between them as he pressed his nose into his hyung’s sensitive scent gland, breathing deeply.

The calming effect was immediate, soothing the restless omega even as the alpha’s addictive scent had his already spent cock stirring in interest, his hole clenching at the prospect of being filled.

It took several more moments for Taehyung to come back to himself, his breaths slowly evening out until he felt as close to coherent as he’d remain for the duration of his heat.

"Hi," he managed, at last, the word soft and sheepish as he peered up at Yoongi from beneath his fringe, his head resting on the alpha's sturdy shoulder.

“Hi,” Yoongi breathed, smiling down at his skittish dongsaeng.

“Sorry about . . .” Taehyung started, only to fumble with the words. He waved a hand as his eyes shifted anywhere but between their exposed bodies, “that. I woke up and you smelled so good and I didn’t want to disturb you so-”

The omega’s blush had migrated from his face to encompass the rest of his torso, unable to hide the full face of his embarrassment.

 His brows furrowed, “Was that still alright?”

“It was more than fine,” Yoongi reassured, thinking back to the conversation they’d had not long ago about what Taehyung would need out of his heat, what Yoongi was okay with giving. Everything, really.  He ran his fingers through Taehyung’s sweaty curls. “Anything you need, I’m here.”

Taehyung nodded as relief flooded his expression, Yoongi’s casual reassurance seemingly all he needed to relax. He shifted again, and it was only then that he realized just how fine his hyung was doing.

“Oh,” he breathed, eyes widening at the press of the alpha’s cock against his thigh. It felt massive. He’d seen his hyung naked before, it was hard not to in a pack as small and close as theirs, but that didn’t mean he was any less impressed up close.

He pressed closer- just a test- and was rewarded by a quiet hiss released between clenched.

“Do you-” he tried, uncertain what he was even offering.

All he knew was that his hyung was right there – solid and impressive against him with a stated willingness to help Taehyung with anything he needed. And, if his scent was anything to go by, Yoongi was liking the prospect just as much as Taehyung.

Sensing his meaning, Yoongi chuckled quietly. “That’s alright pup, there’ll be plenty of time for that. Just rest while you can.”

That was not the answer he’d been expecting, as kind as it was.

While his refractory period was considered normal among heat standards, it now felt non-existent as slick made itself known at his entrance once more. This was his alpha, entirely willing to give Taehyung whatever he needed. And now, in the midst of his fever with red eyes trained carefully on his own, he wanted to take. Wanted to demand to be cared for in the way he knew Yoongi wouldn’t hesitate to do if asked.

So, he asked.

“Alpha,” he said, now fully hard and wet against Yoongi’s thigh.

“Oh,” Yoongi huffed, echoing Taehyung’s observation from earlier as he discretely sniffed the air, his already crimson gaze darkening even further.

“Want your knot,” Taehyung stated plainly. Then, as an afterthought, “Please?”

Yoongi took a sharp inhale, releasing it shakily as his hand squeezed reflexively at the nape of Taehyung’s neck, prompting an answering whimper from the omega. The sound went straight to his cock as a drop of precum made a lazy trail down its length as Yoongi struggled to compose himself.

The alpha looked physically pained by the question. If it weren’t for the full force of his scent making Taehyung dizzy with the potent combination of desire and pride coming off of it, Taehyung may have feared he was regretting his decision. Thankfully, there was no fear to be found. If anything, Taehyung felt powerful. It was a heady sensation, knowing just how desperately one of the most powerful alphas that he had ever met wanted him so badly. Needed him just as much.

“Yeah?” Yoongi asked, needing to confirm. The question came out hoarse, jumbled as it made its way out between his canines that had sharpened with his excitement.

Taehyung looked enticing, smelled delicious, and felt incredible. On instinct, his eyes slid to the omega’s smooth, bare neck. He had to close his eyes once more, his lips pursed tightly together as he resisted the urge to claim the man. An urge he knew would only get worse with each passing hour.

“Yeah,” Taehyung confirmed.

The one-word answer was all Yoongi needed. The next thing Taehyung knew was that he was no longer resting on his hyung's shoulder. Instead, his perspective was shifting as he was gently lifted up and off, only to be set carefully on his back, his hyung climbing on top of him a second later.

His legs fell open on instinct and the alpha settled in the space between them a moment later. His clothed cock pressed to Taehyung’s exposed length, the soft fabric of his boxers sent shockwaves through the omega’s system as it came into contact with his wet tip.

Yoongi rested his forehead against Taehyung’s, their breaths mingling in the warm, close proximity.

“How do you like it?” Yoongi breathed, eyes intent.

His body was warm, but not nearly as warm as Taehyung's, the omega's skin red and feverish from the inferno warring within him. Even so, he could make out the clear blush on his tan skin at his question.

Any other time, Taehyung would have been far too embarrassed by such a forward question to give a proper response. And yet, the heat did wonders at ridding him of his inhibitions as his legs came up to wrap around Yoongi's waist, drawing the alpha in even closer.

On instinct, he rutted his hips up, mindlessly seeking more friction even as his mind frantically tried to piece together the words needed to properly express his desires.

Taehyung reached a hand out, tugging at Yoongi’s underwear wordlessly, and purring in satisfaction as the alpha compliantly helped him remove the last article of clothing between them.

The omega’s mouth watered at the sight, taking in his hard, flushed cock and the dampness dripping from the tip. He was as large as Taehyung remembered, but this was the first time Taehyung could afford to unabashedly look, to appreciate the alpha’s cock for the treasure it was.

He muffled a snort, amused by how besotted his wolf was with his hyung. Not that there was a real distinction between himself and his wolf, but blaming his omega was easier than acknowledging the ridiculous, sentimental, and overly horny thoughts racing through his mind.

Taehyung eyed his erection where it hung nice and heavy between the alpha’s legs, nestled within a patch of neatly trimmed hair. Enticing. He wanted to taste him, to lick up his precum, take him deep into his throat until the pleasant weight rested on his tongue. He wanted to breathe him in, to gag on his cock, and swallow his release down until there wasn’t a drop left.

“Fuck,” Yoongi breathed, nose taking in the heightened sense of arousal in the air and the excess slick Taehyung leaked at the new, overwhelming possibilities.

Later, Taehyung told himself, shaking off the thoughts. He didn’t know if he’d ever get the opportunity, but the thoughts were certainly things he could pack away to take out and turn over at a later date alone in his bedroom, beneath the covers, with his hand in his pajama bottoms. Another time.

For not, Taehyung wrapped his arms around his hyung's neck, pulling him down until he could nuzzle at the alpha's nose, brushing his lips against his cheek plaintively.

The alpha instantly knew his meaning, knew what he was wordlessly seeking, too afraid to ask.

Yoongi’s heart pounded in his chest as he turned his head to the side, his lips pressing against Taehyung’s parted mouth, breathing him in as he brought him into a heady kiss.

It wasn't the first time the two had kissed, far from it. But this was different, not the innocent, firm brushing of lips between packmates meant to soothe, show affection, or comfort. This was new, warm, and overwhelming as Yoongi's tongue teased along the seam of Taehyung's lips, parting them further to delve inside. He tasted like honey, the syrupy sweet taste of the omega overwhelming him in the best way.

Taehyung whimpered into the kiss, letting Yoongi's tongue slowly take him apart, exploring every inch of him so thoroughly that Taehyung forgot to breathe. Yoongi leant back, allowing the omega to take in a much-needed breath before leaning down and joining their lips together once more.

Taehyung’s hands were warm against the alpha’s back, clutching him to him desperately as he continued to rock against him, his cock pressing insistently into his hyung’s thigh. Yoongi let him, enthralled by the way Taehyung chased his release, eyebrows furrowed cutely as his mouth went slack against Yoongi, helpless moans all that escaped between his lips as the older man continued to consume him, taking him down, down, down even further into the fuzzy surrender of his heat.

He gasped helplessly as a possessive hand came up to gently caress his throat, the alpha’s warm, large hand applying just enough pressure to have Taehyung’s eyes rolling back as his back arched, releasing against the alpha’s lower stomach.

Yoongi groaned, eyes clenched shut as he felt Taehyung’s cum wash over him, landing on his own cock and easing the already precum-slickened glide of his length against the omega.

He cursed beneath his breath, feeling pride and power wash over him at the dazed look Taehyung gave him, his cheeks a pretty shade of pink and his lips bitten red, and kiss swollen. He’d done that. He’d taken care of the omega, pleasured him, and brought him to orgasm twice before he’d even gotten his cock into him. He could only imagine what it’d be like to get Taehyung hanging off of his knot. His stomach clenched in anticipation.

Taehyung buried his face into Yoongi’s neck, breathing him in as he came down, even as his spent cock remained hard between his legs, his second orgasm not nearly enough to cool the fire in his veins.

“Need you,” he whined, tonguing at Yoongi’s scent gland, and sending shivers down the alpha’s spine.

Yoongi curse, Taehyung would truly be the end of him. Carefully, he nudged the younger man's legs apart, urging his hips off the ground as he took his cock in hand. Taehyung's hole was nice and slick, the cute pucker of his entrance drawing Yoongi's eyes to the spot that his cock would be buried within in a matter of seconds.

He lined himself, his chest tight as Taehyung’s slick coated his tip, making the head shiny as he teased it along his clenching hole.

“Please,” Taehyung gasped, using his legs to urge Yoongi even closer, desperation running through every fiber of his body.

Twin groans of pleasure echoed throughout the room as Yoongi finally moved forward, sinking into him with agonizing slowness as his cock disappeared into him inch by maddening inch. It was torturous, the slowness, but Yoongi's gaze was drawn to their connection, enthralled by the way Taehyung opened up so beautifully beneath him, gorgeous and pliant as he took him in with ease, his slick and cum easing the way.

“Alpha,” Taehyung whimpered when Yoongi was finally all the way inside, his lips pressed to his hyung’s shoulder as he gently nipped the skin there to calm himself from the all-consuming pleasure taking hold of him.

It felt incredible, to finally have Yoongi inside of him. It didn’t drench the flames licking up his spine and settling in the pit of his stomach, but it dialed it down to a manageable simmer, his breath coming back to him all at once as his body adjusted to the girth of Yoongi’s cock, how deliciously it was splitting him open.

“Move, please,” he pleaded, urging Yoongi deeper into him with the heels of his feet pressed insistently into the older man’s lower back.

The alpha didn’t need asking twice, his hands taking a firm grip of the omega’s waist as he pulled out until his tip was resting at the first ring of muscle before snapping forward, rucking his dongsaeng further up the nest.

Taehyung grip tightened around the alpha’s shoulders, pulling his chest flush against Yoongi’s as his hyung set a bruising pace. It was everything Taehyung needed and more as he went limp against the alpha, letting the older man give him the full force of his cock as he pounded into him, fucking him rough and fast until it bordered on just the right side of pleasure-pain.

He may have been shorter than Taehyung, but his body engulfed the omega, raw power radiating off of him as he pressed Taehyung into the nest.

The sound of skin against skin resounded throughout the room, Taehyung’s hands sliding down the alpha’s sweat-slicked back to rest on the center of his back, clinging onto him. Each thrust sent Taehyung startlingly close to his third orgasm of the day, each breach of the alpha’s cock sending toe-curling pleasure throughout him.

It was Taehyung who dragged Yoongi down into another kiss, more of a meeting of lips as he panted against his hyung, breathing him in and trying to drown himself in the other’s scent as Yoongi dragged him down closer. His hips pressed into the alpha’s, his slick wetting the top of his alpha’s thighs as he rocked back against him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

“Hyung,” he hiccupped, feeling delirious with pleasure as he could feel the tell-tale swell of Yoongi’s knot within him.

It was borderline too much as Yoongi continued to fuck into him, his knot stretching him nice and wide, filling him to capacity as it caught on his rim with each desperate thrust.

Yoongi hitched Taehyung’s legs up higher, holding them open and pressing them to his chest as he pressed into him deeper, grinding his cock against his prostate as he forced the widest part of his knot into the omega. He groaned deeply when Taehyung’s hole sucked the rest of him in, his hips pressed flush against his ass as his knot finally locked them into place.

The press against his prostate coupled with being stretched to his limits was his undoing, the omega orgasming with a helpless cry as he tumbled over the edge into bliss. His hole clenched impossibly tight around his alpha’s knot and his nails dug into his back, dragging down and leaving angry red marks in their wake. It was amazing, overwhelming, and delicious as Taehyung spilled against his hyung, back arching and toes curling as he cried out.

Yoongi wasn't far behind, the sight of the omega's blissed-out expression and the feeling of him around him wringing his own orgasm from him, his knot popping as he released deep into the omega.

He shuddered against him, nuzzling into the side of Taehyung’s neck as he shook with the force of it, filling his omega to the brim.

Taehyung gasped at the feeling, eyes clenching tight as another wave of pleasure wracked him as he felt the alpha’s release filling him up. His cock gave a pathetic kick, a small stream of milky fluid leaving him in the weak imitation of orgasm, too drained to do anything else even as pleasure filled-in every empty gap within him.

The omega laid back, letting his alpha scent him as his arms came up to loop loosely around his neck.

In the back of his mind, he recognized that he'd been thinking of Yoongi as his alpha since they’d crossed the threshold of his hyung’s apartment. Something he knew he’d be doing for the remainder of his heat. He sighed into his alpha’s soft hair, resigning himself to the knowledge that his wolf would stubbornly continue the habit, at least until he could reign it in in the aftermath of his heat. It would just be so, so much harder.

He didn’t let the difficult challenge ahead of him take away from his current bliss, shutting his eyes as Yoongi nuzzled him, letting himself take comfort from the soothing gesture.

Yoongi couldn't help the deep rumble that left him, an instinctual pleased sound as he smelled his omega's sweet scent of joyful, sated, sweet contentment. It filled him with pride, warring with the potent thrum of pleasure coursing throughout him, each wave wracking him as his knot slowly deflated.

He could see the tired drop of Taehyung's eyes and pressed a smile into his neck as the omega's tired arms collapsed to his side, utterly pliant and trusting against the alpha.

Gently, he urged the younger man’s legs down from around his waist, pressing them softly into the nest beneath them as he attempted to arrange their tangled limbs into something a bit more comfortable.

“Sleep,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Taehyung’s temple, the word a gentle command.

His smile widened. His omega was so good, his body easily obeying as he gave into the heaviness threatening to drag him down. And, just like that, with Yoongi nice and solid around him, the alpha full and warm inside him, he drifted off to sleep.

+++

The next several hours of Taehyung’s heat preceded in very much the same way, Taehyung would wake up -whether he started without Yoongi or not was truly the only variable – and Yoongi would assist him in whichever way the omega needed. Taehyung had made use of his fingers, his tongue, his cock, and of course his knot several times throughout the day, and it was just the first 24 hours.

By the seventh round, Taehyung's problem had only grown. Not the heat. No, Yoongi was doing a spectacular job at keeping that at bay. Instead, Taehyung's wolf had unapologetically latched on to the powerful idea that Yoongi was there and at his disposal. That the alpha was his.

The desire to be bred was a heat staple, something always simmering in the back of the omega’s mind regardless of whether he had a heat mate or not. It was present, but easily enough kept at bay. But with Yoongi, how carefully he took care of Taehyung, how nice and full he kept the omega, satisfied in every sense of the word- it was hard for those familiar urges not to return tenfold.

It was obvious that Yoongi noticed something different, but the alpha was kind enough not to comment- true to his word and nonjudgmental. He was endeared by the way Taehyung bit into his pillows to prevent himself from screaming something embarrassing, fucked the omega into the nest with an indulgent smile as he watched him fruitlessly resist his own desires.

It was cute.

“Tae-ah,” Yoongi said, pressing his chest to Taehyung’s back, and running his nose along his shoulder blade. “What is it?”

Taehyung whined, Yoongi’s movements driving his cock deeper into him even as his knot slowly went down. He knew exactly what Yoongi was referring to, the distressing spike in his scent each time he caught himself on the precipice of saying something embarrassing before he managed to reign it back in.

“It’s nothing,” he mumbled, three of Yoongi’s sweaters bunching under his clenched fists, his grip on them tight.

“It’s something,” Yoongi refuted, hissing as his shifting changed their angle, pressing even closer.

“It’s embarrassing,” Taehyung argued, even as his hips began to mindlessly grind down into the cloth beneath them, his body telling him before his mind that he was surprisingly, and infuriatingly, already ready for another round.

Yoongi’s hands settled at his waist, helping to guide him down and increase the limited friction he was currently able to receive.

“I promise you it’s not,” Yoongi said, struggling to get the words out.

Taehyung was mesmerizing, the way he clenched around him, the way his scent surrounded them, it was addicting. He didn’t know how he could go back to the world of platonic packmates. But that was a thought and a problem for a later Yoongi to deal with.

He waited patiently, letting Taehyung bring himself to another orgasm before he prompted him again.

“I just,” Taehyung began, his shoulders tensing beneath Yoongi only for them to relax the second the alpha began scenting him again. “It’s, you know, omega stuff. . .”

Yoongi chuckled, his breath puffing out across Taehyung’s sensitive neck and ruffling the hair at his nape. "Believe it or not, I do know a thing or two about omegas.”

Taehyung frowned, not sure what to think about that.

The alpha snorted, Taehyung was really too cute. And transparent to a fault. “Not like that,” he said, emphasizing his point by a small thrust of his hips that had Taehyung’s toes curling, Yoongi fully hard once more. “We have two omegas in our pack, you being one of them. I’ve known you for over a decade.”

Taehyung flushed, entirely from embarrassment now, even as his heat persisted.

“I wasn’t jealous,” he argued, his blush only deepening.

Yoongi laughed, low and full now as he pulled out of Taehyung slowly, so as not to alarm the omega. A string of cum connected the head of his cock and Taehyung’s slicked entrance for a moment, before breaking. He couldn’t resist reaching out to play with the stretched ring of muscle, running his thumb along Taehyung’s wet hole for a moment and delving in teasingly before removing it at Taehyung’s frustrated whine.

“Sorry,” he murmured, laying down beside his dongsaeng and gently prompting him to turn to face him.

Taehyung complied, pliant and trusting as ever even as his face was cherry-red and mortified.

"I think I know what this is about," Yoongi said, tipping his head up with two fingers beneath the omega's chin until they were looking at one another in the eyes. He stared at Taehyung intently, his eyes scanning his face as if he could find the answers spelled out there. Perhaps they were, Yoongi had always had a seemingly inherent ability to translate the younger man's thoughts, even better than Taehyung sometimes himself could.

Taehyung licked his lips, suddenly nervous even as Yoongi helped guide his thigh up and over the alpha’s hip, tugging him even closer until they were chest to chest in the small space.

“Yeah?” he asked, the question a croak as he stared down into dark eyes.

Yoongi’s smile was soft and sweet as he stroked his thumb along the inside of Taehyung’s thigh. He hummed, seeming to gather his thoughts for a moment before he looked up again, meeting Taehyung’s nervous gaze directly.

“Yeah,” he murmured, the sound deep and low, sending shivers down his spine.

Taehyung gasped as he felt Yoongi’s hand wander, sliding up the inside of his thigh before migrating to caress his ass. His heart quickened as his fingers danced along his crack, dipping in to circle teasingly at his entrance.

“You’re afraid you like my knot too much,” he murmured, playing with his rim. “You’re afraid you’ll slip up, tell me how much you want me to pup you, how much you want to be bred. Am I right?”

He spoke the words so plainly, like they weren't the most embarrassing things Taehyung could imagine himself saying. The question was oh so right, and Taehyung felt oh so embarrassed at the ease with which Yoongi voiced his innermost desires, his fingers burying themselves deep.

His eyes fluttered shut, clenching around Yoongi’s unfairly long fingers, his face flushed at the unmistakable squelch of his slick as the alpha moved inside of him.

Yoongi leaned in close, his breath tickling the omega’s ears as he spread his fingers wide, filling Taehyung up, but not nearly as much as he needed.

“Tell me,” Yoongi murmured, the whispered command stirring something deep in the omega.

He whined, the sound humiliatingly loud in the silent room as he worked his hips back, attempting to get Yoongi’s fingers even deeper, growling in frustration as the alpha contented himself with merely playing with his rim.

“Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you,” his hyung instructed softly.

Taehyung whimpered, whining in frustration as his body heated all over again, a combination of the alpha’s teasing and his own embarrassment.

“Please, alpha,” he pleaded, licking his lips. His cock stood flushed and ready, pressed against Yoongi’s side as he moved against him, no longer able to hold himself back as the next wave of his heat crept over him. “Please.”

Yoongi’s eyes darkened at the title, the dangerous flash of red that had made itself known throughout the last twenty-four hours spent in the nest reemerging.

Still, despite how clearly affected he was by Taehyung's pleas, by the smell of his slick and clear willingness, he held firm, holding the omega close but giving him none of the contact he so desperately wanted. His arm wrapped around his dongsaeng’s waist, holding him firmly in place and abruptly halting his increasingly frantic movements.

Taehyung huffed, staring at Yoongi petulantly as his gaze darkened, his upper lip curling of its own volition as a warning rumbled around in his chest.

Yoongi only chuckled at the display, amused by the omega’s posturing, and unswayed.

“If you want something,” he continued in that infuriatingly patient way of his, “I need you to voice it.”

“Fine,” Taehyung snapped, gold flaked eyes glaring. “Yes, I want it. I want you to fuck me, breed me, pup me. I want to be filled up until I can’t move, stuffed with your cock, and hanging off of your knot. Happy?”

Yoongi’s nostrils flared, his gaze darkening as he stiffened beside him, evidently unprepared for just how much the words would affect him.

Taehyung smirked, pleased to have tipped the alpha off-kilter at least an inch before he was promptly flipped over and onto his stomach.

He gasped at the sudden movement, groaning loudly as a hand grasped his neck, pushing him face-first into the pile of Yoongi's pajamas and pillows beneath him.

“Ecstatic,” Yoongi answered, the words a whisper against the shell of his ear as Yoongi covered him, their bodies flush together. His cock rested hot and thick between Taehyung’s cheeks, the wet head leaving a tiny pool of precum at his cleft.

Taehyung moaned, loud and unabashed as he shamelessly rutted back against the alpha, every inch of him screaming for his hyung to hurry up.

His eyes crossed as Yoongi squeezed, not enough to cut off his breathing, but tight enough that his strength – his dominance – was unmistakable, sending Taehyung toppling headfirst into that hazy headspace of submission and pleasure once more.

“Pleas-”

He didn’t need to finish, Yoongi thrusting into him with ease before he’d even completed the thought.

They groaned in unison, the undeniable pleasure circulating through both of their systems as Yoongi set a bruising pace, fucking him into the nest with a ruthlessness he had yet to display during his heat.

It was as though the floodgates had opened with Taehyung’s admission, unlocking a possessiveness in the alpha that Yoongi had previously kept on a tight leash.

His touch was all-consuming, setting Taehyung on fire as he stretched him out on his cock, the sensation of him hitting his prostate and dragging along his walls until just his tip teased open the omega’s entrance positively maddening.

“Please,” Taehyung sobbed into the nest, nails clutching at the sheets as Yoongi’s hands left bruises on his hips.

He gasped as teeth sank into his shoulder, dangerously close to his neck where a claim mark would be, making Taehyung cum yet again

His release did little to slow the alpha’s pace as Yoongi continued to fuck him, licking at the imprint of his teeth pressed into salty skin. Taehyung reveled in the sensation, loving the thought of carrying the alpha’s bruises and bite marks for days, his scent lingering on the omega long after his heat ended.

Yoongi nosed at his neck, his gums aching to give in and claim his packmate. Taehyung was pliant and so good beneath him, submitting so easily to him in a way that had his wolf howling. He wanted to take, mark, claim. The desire was a mantra in his mind as he pressed into the omega. His omega.

His head spun with the scent of Taehyung's pleasure, his sugary sweet slick, and his sweaty skin. He growled, the sound animalistic and raw as he fought the desire to mate Taehyung then and there. His omega was so easy for him, he smelled delicious- willing and breedable. It was almost too much for Yoongi to bear.

“Gonna breed you,” he slurred, punch-drunk with desire as his hips slowed, the beginning of his knot dragging along Taehyung’s walls. “Gonna fuck you full, is that what you want?” he demanded, punctuating the words with a squeeze to Taehyung’s nape.

“Yes, fuck, yes,” Taehyung groaned, sounding dazed as he clenched down hard around the alpha. “Please, please, please – alpha. Want your pups.”

“Yeah?” Yoongi breathed, mesmerized by the man beneath him.

He used his free hand to spread Taehyung’s cheeks, gaze locked on where his cock buried itself in the omega’s tight hole. It was addicting, watching how easily he took him in. It shouldn’t feel as good as it did, his cock looked too big juxtaposed to the tight ring of muscle currently sucking him in, but Taehyung stretched beautifully around him, his slick helping to ease his knot inside.

Taehyung knew it wouldn’t actually happen, but just the thought had him spinning with arousal. Whines and pathetic whimpers filled the space around him, and it took a moment for him to realize that the desperate sounds were coming from him.

He felt incoherent, throat hoarse from begging as he moved back against the alpha, meeting his thrusts. His eyes rolled back as he felt Yoongi’s knot swell within him, borderline painful as he stretched him to his limits.

It was almost too big, and Yoongi had to hold Taehyung’s shoulders for leverage as he kicked his hips forward roughly, groaning as the rest of his knot forced its way in.

Taehyung sobbed at the sensation, collapsing bonelessly against the nest as another orgasm wrenched its way out of him, adding to  mess on the clothes beneath him.

True to his word, Yoongi filled him to near-bursting, the warmth of the alpha’s release filling him in the best way possible as he felt his stomach swell slightly from the sheer amount of it. He whined, tears escaping out of the corners of his eyes as he shook with the pleasure of it.

Yoongi was gentle in the aftermath, peppering kisses along his back and shoulders as gentle thumbs stroked softly across his waist. He shivered at the touch; the skin of his hips extra sensitive with the first faint tinge of bruises from the alpha’s grip.

He could feel himself floating away, dazed, and sated as Yoongi settled down against him, warming his already over-heated skin.

Taehyung hummed at the feeling, leaning into Yoongi’s touch as his hyung carded gentle fingers through his damp hair.

“Sleep,” Yoongi prompted, placing a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

He sighed, the quiet promise all he needed to send him into a soft, likely short-lived, sleep. His heat was a dull simmer in his veins, and Yoongi was a solid presence at his back. His eyes drooped shut as his dreams took him quickly.

+++

Taehyung sighed, rolling his neck beneath the warm spray of water as Yoongi diligently lathered body wash across his shoulders.

His heat had finally gone down, and he was now well into the soft, needy, cuddly phase that followed the overwhelming, insatiable period of arousal. He was tired, every inch of his body deliciously sore as he allowed himself to be doted on at the alpha’s insistence.

He hadn’t had many heat partners, but even the ones he had had never took care of him as thoroughly as his hyung seemed intent on doing.

The unease of the aftermath hadn’t managed to taint the quiet moment yet, but Taehyung could see it like a storm crowd hanging on the horizon.

Despite the expected pain of heat, it had undeniably been the best he had ever experienced. The older man had helped lower the guard he had so fastidiously erected and had made sure to take care of each and every one of his needs. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so secure outside of the den. It only worsened the already gargantuan problem of his hopeless love for his hyung.

“I can hear you thinking,” Yoongi murmured, gently urging the omega to tip his head back as he worked shampoo into his hair.

“That’s a new talent, have you alerted the press?” Taehyung sassed.

Yoongi snorted, nipping at Taehyung’s shoulder in a gentle reprimand.

“What wrong?” the alpha pressed, undeterred.

Taehyung squirmed in front of him, only stopping at Yoongi’s gentle insistence. He sighed, shoulders slumping as he let himself be turned around and his head guided back beneath the shower’s spray.

“What is it?” Yoongi prompted again, looking at Taehyung with soft but concerned eyes.

The deep-seated hatred he had at making his hyungs worry was the only thing that enabled him to voice the truth, as hard as the actual act was. "I don't want things to be weird."

“Ah, that,” Yoongi said, sounding less than surprised. “Tae-”

“I know you said it wouldn’t be,” Taehyung rushed to say, his shoulders bunching up to his ears as he hurried to get the words out.  “But that was before my heat actually set in. It’s happened now and-”

“And nothing’s changed,” Yoongi finished for him, his tone leaving no room for argument. His fingers stroked softly along Taehyung’s cheeks. “Baby,” he murmured, the pet-name making the omega’s cheeks pink. “Trust me, I love you too much to mess things up between us. I helped you with your heat, and I’m happy to do so again if you’d like. But none of that has to change anything between us.

Taehyung bit his lip, wishing for all the world to say what he really felt. That what his hyung so easily claimed was the exact problem now plaguing him. He wanted things to change- he’d gotten a taste of what it would be like for Yoongi to well and truly be his, and he didn’t want to go back.

He smiled, the gesture a bit fragile at the corners but no less sincere. “Thank you, hyung,” he murmured, letting Yoongi pull him in closer.

Their bodies touched from toe to chest, but none of the heightened, sexual energy from earlier accompanied it this time. Instead, Taehyung felt sated, safe, and sleepy as he let the alpha run soothing hands across his back, down his harms, and along his hips. He sighed as he was pulled in close, tilting his head to the side so that Yoongi could scent him.

He let the sensation wash over him, calming him more than words ever could as Yoongi pressed against him, feeling the alpha’s low rumble against his chest.

After a few silent moments, Yoongi tilted his own head to the side, gazing up at Taehyung tenderly at the unmistakable invitation. Taehyung was all too happy to take it, eagerly leaning in to run his nose along Yoongi’s scent gland, to nuzzle into the space between his neck and shoulder and leave his scent lingering on the older man. He knew what they had done the last three days had already undeniably tethered his scent to Yoongi for at least a week, but he liked this softer moment between them. Savored it.

“I promise that I’ll always be here for you Tae-ah. No matter what. Nothing and no one will change that.”

Taehyung nodded, lingering just a bit longer until he was satisfied. He leant back, still captured in the loose circle of his hyung’s arms as he stared down at the alpha.

He smiled softly, leaning in to place a feather-light kiss to kiss-swollen lips. “Thank you hyung. I promise too, I’ll always be here. No matter what.”

+++

“So, I’m guessing it went well then?” Jin said, a mischievous hint to his smile as he poured two cups of tea.

Yoongi’s nose wrinkled, making his displeasure known at the spike of satisfaction swirling throughout the oldest alpha’s scent.

He shrugged, “It was a heat, I helped him through it. What more is there to say?”

Jin snorted, passing Yoongi an over-full cup, and settling into the chair across from him. “Well, if I’d been pining after an omega for a decade, imprinted on him for just as long, and then got to knot him over, and over, and over, and o-”

“Okay, I get it,” Yoongi hissed, looking frantically around the living room. He huffed, settling back in his chair only after remembering the rest of the pack had gone out for groceries. “It was nice, we worked well together, what else do you want me to say?”

“So boring,” Jin mused, blowing lightly at his tea. “If I were with my omega-”

“But you wouldn’t be because you’re head over heels for an alpha,” Yoongi reminded, cheeks warming at Jin’s persistence. He cleared his throat, clasping both hands around the almost too-hot cup as he dodged his hyung’s probing gaze. “It was great, I don’t know what more you want me to say.”

He paused, briefly thinking back to what the alpha had just said, before adding on, “And he’s not my omega.”

Jin snorted inelegantly, further emphasizing his point with an exaggerated eye-roll. He set his cup aside, only to throw up his hands a moment later. "Really, Jimin was right, you too are hopeless."

“Jimin?” Yoongi asked, brows furrowing at the mention of the youngest alpha. He frowned, an unpleasant thought filling him as he looked at his hyung, betrayed. “You told him?”

The alpha’s eyes widened, seemingly realizing what he had just said. “No!” he said with more force than necessary, sitting up straighter. “I didn’t.”

“Then what was he right about?”

The older man paled, his nose wrinkling as he tried to parse out his thoughts. Yoongi watched him carefully, daring him to lie.

“Just. . .” he began, only to peter off. Broad shoulders sagged in defeat as Jin shot him a pained, rueful smile. “That you and Taehyung are hopeless, lovesick fools when it comes to one another. The both of you.”

He crossed one leg over the other, sitting back in his seat as he tried to process the words, now more confused than ever.

Eyes narrowed, he titled his head minutely, a challenge. “Explain.”

Jin sucked in a breath, his lip curling back briefly at the order before he blinked away any ridiculous instinct for alpha posturing, settling back in his chair once more. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Yoongi glared. “Hyung-”

“Okay, okay,” Jin hedged, holding up his hands in a show of peace.

Yoongi relaxed fractionally; he had geared himself up for a fight.

“Well,” the eldest alpha sighed, an aggrieved expression on his face, “I guess it would have come out eventually. We’d all have rather it been of your own doing, but you’ve both proven yourself to be more than stupid wh-”

“Hey!”

“When it comes to admitting your own feelings,” Jin continued without hesitation.

Yoongi paused, his mind running through the words once more as he looked at the man before him, his confusion growing exponentially.

“Both of us?” he asked, baffled. “You mean me?”

Jin ran his tongue along his teeth, a pinched look to his expression as though he had just tasted something sour. “No, my dear, dear, stupid, alpha dongsaeng. I mean both.”

He bristled at the jibe but tried to keep a clear head. Even as he turned the sentence over and over again, he couldn’t make sense of it. Frustrated, he set his tea down, crossed his arms over his chest, and ordered once more, “Explain.”

Jin groaned, head thudding back against his seat and eyes rolling back to peer helplessly up at the ceiling. Eventually, his gaze flickered back to Yoongi.

“You’ve assumed it was a one-sided imprinting this whole time,” he murmured, looking at Yoongi closely.

Yoongi nodded slowly. He felt short of breath, his heart pounding at the implication. Because he couldn’t possibly mean-

“Well, you were wrong.”

The words made his head spin, his world toppling over itself as the earth-shattering revelation hit him like a punch in the gut. He felt winded in both the best and worst way, his mind trying to make sense of it all.

“Wha-”

He was interrupted, not by Jin and his affectionate but maddening insults once more, but by the sound of the door’s creaking hinges and handle banging against the wall as it flew open, five packmates tumbling over themselves to get inside.

"Oh good, now I can be yelled at in real-time for spilling the beans," the alpha mused, humor lacing his tone only for his rueful expression to morph into one of concern as he took in his disheveled packmates more closely.

“Hyung!” Jimin shouted. He rushed in, dragging Jungkook into the den as he ran, the others hurriedly filing in behind them. “Turn on the news!”

Yoongi didn’t need to watch Jin reach for the remote, or see the horrified expression cross his face as he clicked on the right channel.

All he needed was to look at the teary face of Jungkook, the haunted expression on Taehyung’s face, and the determined, grave set to Namjoon and Hoseok’s jaw.

Whatever it was, their humble little lives were in for another loop.

He pursed his lips, opening his arms wide. The corner of his lips tipped in the ghost of a smile as Taehyung didn't hesitate to make a beeline for his lap, the omega's weight that settled on him a welcome one. He pressed his nose to dark curls, inhaling deeply and frowning at the clear pheromones of distress that met him.

Taehyung was worried, the whole pack was, and it was all he could do to scent the younger man -all but drenching him with it – as he tried to tune into the conversation as one packmate after another struggled to explain and be heard.

Gently, he guided Taehyung’s face to his neck, peering over his shoulder at Jimin’s pale face and the photos flashing across the television screen. What he saw there made his blood run cold. On the screen, in a sea of other photos, were three pictures of Jungkook, Hoseok, and Jin staring back at him. The phrase 'Wanted on Suspicion' stared back red, and angry, above them.

Chapter Text

The last twenty-four hours felt like a lifetime as the pack struggled desperately to not only formulate a half-baked plan in response to the government unceremoniously naming three of their own as criminals but to execute it as well. Laughable.

Or at least, it was to Taehyung, who couldn’t help the occasional breathy chuckle of disbelief as he tried to comprehend the hordes of information flying towards him minute by minute, their situation constantly changing.

Sometimes Jimin would join him in his laughter, equally flabbergasted by the unexpected change of events -a change that was particularly discomfiting given that things had finally felt as though they were regaining their footing.

Mostly, however, a stony silence made its place at home around the pack as they struggled to get things in order. Jin’s occasional, half-hearted attempts at jokes landed flat, Yoongi’s words of reassurance rang hollow, and the usually comforting, powerful scent of their Pack Alpha soured around the edges in response to everyone’s growing distress.

Jungkook tried, and failed, to emit soothing omega pheromones, only to collapse into Hoseok’s arms in a weeping pile of distress. The alpha’s shirt grew damp and salty beneath his tears as Jungkook muffled his sobs against his chest. All that could be clearly heard through his increasingly frantic hiccups were a string of heartbreaking whimpers and shaky 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry hyung".

It didn’t matter how ardently Taehyung scented him, how comfy he tried to keep their nest amidst the rest of the pack hastily packing up the house around them – nothing worked to soothe the pack’s youngest, and Taehyung had never felt so helpless before in his life.

Relief filled his body on instinct the moment Yoongi walked back through the door, his body singing with the arrival of his alpha. He didn’t have time to reprimand his lovesick wolf, too focused on taking in every last detail of his hyung, eyes roving fretfully over his body to check for any signs of harm.

He rose from the nest on instinct, his hands smoothing themselves down Yoongi’s broad shoulders before the alpha could even so much as remove his shoes.

“Hey,” he grunted, and Taehyung thought he could see the hint of a smile in the rise of his cheeks beneath his mask.

He was covered from head to toe, dressed inconspicuously in all black with an added mask, sunglasses, and bucket hat to hide himself. His baggy clothes borrowed from Namjoon made him look bulkier, and the borrowed ring begrudgingly loaned by Jimin signaled that he had a mate and a pack – something that wouldn’t prompt questions in the charged atmosphere outside their home.

“Are you okay?” Taehyung asked anxiously, unable to help the whine that slipped and slid through the letters of each word, winding their way nervously around them.

Dark eyes softened as the large shades were pushed back against his forehead. “I’m fine,” he said, pulling Taehyung down into a fierce hug. Strong arms locked around the omega, anchoring him in place as he slowly felt the thunderous galloping of his heart slow to a steady trot.

“It’s okay,” Yoongi soothed, running his hands through soft strands of hair as Taehyung buried his face in his neck, drinking in his comforting scent directly from the source.

“Ahem,” Taehyung didn’t need to look up to know it was Jimin behind him, only let himself be shifted slightly so that Yoongi could remove the ring and hand it to their packmate.

The omega didn’t let himself get carried away in thoughts of Yoongi wearing his own ring. One Taehyung picked out for him, something that had seemed like such a tangible reality mere hours ago, but now felt far, far out of reach. He smothered a whimper into his hyung’s shoulder, shuddering as the fingers in his hair tightened further.

“How’d it go?” Namjoon asked, joining the impromptu party in the entryway as Jimin went back to return to his sobbing mate and Hoseok.

“Well enough," Yoongi grunted, shifting Taehyung to one side but never moving his solid arm from around him, pressing him even closer to his scent glad as he tried to convey as much comfort and calm as he felt capable of in the moment. 

“Any issues?” Namjoon asked, reaching out and taking the proffered backpack Yoongi had returned with.

“Just some surprised looks, a lot of impatience in holding up the line with how long it took. I suspect a lot of people had the same idea.”

“I’m sure they did,” Namjoon mumbled, unzipping the bag and peering inside.

Yoongi reached into his pocket, returning the handful of debit cards entrusted to him from their pack. They didn’t have much of a plan, but whatever they did would need money. Yoongi had been unanimously appointed as the best choice to get it, the others being far too recognizable from their photos.

Initially, Taehyung had insisted on accompanying the alpha, his still post-heat sensitive wolf appalled at the idea of leaving their alpha alone for such a dangerous task. It was only the pack’s insistence and Yoongi’s refusal that bordered just shy of a proper Alpha Command that Taehyung forced himself to stay back. His sour scent had more than communicated his displeasure at the time, only partially soothed by Namjoon’s chuffing and the playful, comforting kisses and nips Yoongi left along his lips before he’d been forced to leave.

The mere two hours he had taken to drain their cumulative bank accounts and get a small supply of emergency items and necessities had felt like agony. The only saving grace is the pack all lived relatively close to one another, so going to each home and gathering the small list of items and clothing each pack member had asked for took far less time than it otherwise may have.

Taehyung sighed against his shoulder, knowing that even with the piles of personal items and clothing crammed into the three other duffle bags in the house’s narrow entryway would be far from sufficient to build a proper nest wherever they ended up. He cast a forlorn, longing glance at his nest, wondering if he'd be able to take anything currently in it.

He knew he should be paying attention, knew he should be on edge – and part of him certainly was – but with the rhythmic way Yoongi was digging his thumb into his scent gland, running his wrist along the side of his neck, all Taehyung could do was fall into him with a tired sigh as Namjoon and Yoongi went over their combined finances, and what little assets they would be able to take with them.

“What about the cars?” he heard Jin mumble, the eldest alpha sidling up to the three. “At least three of ours will be marked, maybe all of them. From the news coverage, they’re certainly not wasting any time.”

Namjoon and Yoongi shared a glance, something imperceptible passing between them before Yoongi hesitantly nodded.

“I can take care of that.”

Taehyung pursed his lips, not at all liking the sound of that.

While they’d all known each other for over a decade at that point, Taehyung was well aware that they’d all had lives before the pack had formed. While Yoongi was the most upstanding alpha he knew, he similarly knew that he hadn’t always been as well-off and well-provided for as he was currently.

Perhaps he wasn’t the full-fledged criminal anyone else would have made him out to be, but he knew how to survive, and he’d done more than his fair share of deeds that he was less than proud of before he’d joined the pack. Before he’d had the help and resources needed to get on the supposed straight and narrow. It was only for the very pack that had saved him that he’d ever risk resorting back to his old means of survival.

“Hyung,” he began, breath hitching as he muffled the words into Yoongi’s cheek. “Wh-”

“Taehyungie,” Jin cooed, coming up to Taehyung’s other side and winding a strong arm around his middle. He propped his chin on the omega’s shoulder, nuzzling beneath his jaw and pressing a small kiss there before releasing a quiet, but calming rumble.

“I-”

“Your alphas will take care of everything,” Jin interrupted, trying to preemptively soothe the omega’s mounting anxiety. Slowly, he snuck a hand beneath Taehyung’s borrowed shirt, smoothing his hand over the flat of his belly and letting it rest there as a comforting pressure, relaxing the younger man in spite of himself.

“I don’t mean to be insensitive,” Jimin said, coming up to the group and casting a concerned, sad look at Taehyung still wrapped up in his packmate’s arms.

Looking slightly behind the youngest alpha, Taehyung could just catch a glimpse of Jungkook mercifully dosing in Hoseok’s lap. Hopefully getting a little respite from his turbulent thoughts, if only for a moment.

The look of tenderness Hoseok was giving the youngest as his fingers lightly stroked through his hair was equal parts soft as it was heartbreaking, and Taehyung felt the tightness in his chest slowly returning as he clung onto Yoongi tighter.

“But what exactly is the plan here,” Jimin continued, snapping Taehyung back to the conversation. “We’ve got our money, some personal items. But it’s only a matter of time before they pull up our whole pack registry, all of our cars are going to have marks. It’s a miracle they haven’t broken down any of our doors yet.”

“It’s probably because they have other packs to get to first, ones that are more involved,” Namjoon noted, sharing a worried look with his mate. “Things are bad, but they could be worse.”

“Jimin,” Jin began slowly, shooting a wary look to the nest behind him. “Has Jungkook had any contact with his people on the inside? Does he know what’s going on?”

A muscle in Jimin’s jaw tightened momentarily before he reached into his pocket, passing over a phone to Namjoon who took it carefully, brows raised with curiosity.

“He let me have his phone; he was getting too worked up. I turned it off in case it was being tapped but. . .we really should throw everything away. Take down what contacts we can, but all our phones are a liability now.”

Taehyung sighed, knowing Jimin was right even as he hated it. One thing Namjoon had made clear is they couldn’t afford to move in half measures. The government had been slowly scaling up to the present chain of events, and being underly cautious was likely the easiest way to ensure their downfall. Which meant relinquishing far, far more than imaginable. Precious pictures, funny messages, access to all the content he liked. . . he could live without it, but it didn’t make losing it any less painful.

Namjoon glanced back at the sleeping omega in his packmate’s arms before pocketing the phone, his lips set in a thin line. “I’ll see what I can get off this and figure out what we’ll need to do to dispose of it. Let him sleep, it’s going to be a long next couple of days.”

“The sooner you get rid of that thing the better,” Jimin muttered, unwilling to meet anyone’s gaze.

Reluctantly, but determinedly, Taehyung disentangled himself from Yoongi and Seokjin, moving cautiously into Jimin's orbit as he nuzzled the side of his head. It was a bit awkward, being noticeably taller than the alpha, but with enough gentle purring and persistence, he managed to wheedle his way between Jimin's arms to better nose at the underside of his chin.

"Don't be mad at him," Taehyung murmured beneath his breath, pressing the words along Jimin's scent gland in an effort to soothe the wound-up alpha. "He was trying to help."

“He was trying to get himself killed,” Jimin hissed, the words choking in his throat as he tightened his arms around his best friend. “So much worse could have happened. If he’d been with others, if he’d been taken-”

“But he wasn’t and we won’t let that happen,” Jin said solemnly, clapping a firm hand along the back of Jimin’s neck.

The youngest alpha tensed, body reacting to another alpha performing what was ostensibly an act to force submission, before his entire body relaxed, going almost boneless as he allowed the eldest’s calming, soothing pheromones to wash over and ground him.

“It’s going to be okay because we’ll be together,” Namjoon said, seeming distracted as he looked down to scroll through Jungkook’s phone, but Taehyung knew he was giving them his genuine attention.

“You don’t know that,” Jimin said, the words suspiciously wet as he attempted to stave off the tears that had been wanting to fall all morning.

“I do,” Namjoon said, solid as a promise. And Taehyung believed him.

They all relaxed subtly at the reassurance- if only slightly. Namjoon was leader for a reason, and the confident assurance of the head alpha had them all instinctively trusting that things would be okay, even as their minds raced with the plethora of horrific possibilities that awaited them with a single misstep.

“Well, if we do anything, it needs to be soon,” Yoongi said, eyeing where Taehyung rested within Jimin’s embrace.

A certain anxiousness radiated off of the alpha, even as Taehyung recognized the tell-tale signs of his attempt to suppress it. Even so, his fists rhythmically clenched and released at his sides, his eyes darting over to the quietly observing omega with more and more frequency.

“Agreed,” Namjoon said, not looking up from his phone as Yoongi took a short, but noticeable step closer to the pair.

Jimin snorted, the sound muffled from where his face was pressed into the side of Taehyung’s head, nuzzling the omega in an effort to soothe himself.

“Relax,” he murmured, cracking a lazy eye open to peer fondly at his hyung. “I’m not going to run off with him,” Jimin said, thrusting a rather flustered Taehyung in the older alpha’s direction.

Taehyung sputtered, a nice shade of red rosying his cheeks as Yoongi stared sharply back at his dongsaeng. However, the effects of his stern gaze were slightly weakened by the pink dusting along his own face.

It was a bit incongruous – the fluttery feeling staking hold in his chest at his hyung’s antics somehow managing to coexist with the sickening sense of dread that had accompanied him since the news of their pack’s ‘wanted’ status had come.

And yet, despite the very warranted distress, his wolf still insisted on languishing on whether the alpha returned their feelings. A pressing hum in the back of his mind that had steadily been working itself up to a roar in the aftermath of his shared heat.

Something he had hoped to explore in the coming weeks.

Something that very necessarily needed to be sidelined for the time being.

His omega – apparently – had other priorities.

He blushed at the raised eyebrow he received from Jin, trying rather fruitlessly to reign in his scent – what smelled very inconspicuously of mating pheromones were beginning to radiate from him clear as day, and he was never more thankful for Namjoon’s unwavering attentiveness to their feelings, relief softening his shoulders as the pack alpha steered him and his mate away. Jimin, after sending Taehyung a quietly devious smile, followed behind them.

For his part, Yoongi didn’t move to comment on Taehyung’s increasingly sweet scent, instead merely opting to tighten his arms around the omega in return.

The unspoken hung heavily between them. It was discomfiting. Honesty was a treasured thing between them, and even though they were well-acquainted with insecurities getting in the way of the upfront nature with which the pack tended to operate, there was usually a threshold that once crossed, a confrontation would inevitably bring all to light.

It happened with the peculiar dance Jimin, Jungkook, and Hoseok had been playing at and, under different circumstances, the omega supposed Yoongi and himself would have had the same reckoning. As it stood, a small part of him wondered how they had managed to not yet arrive there. A separate small, but now growing, part of him wondered if they would now ever be given the chance.

Suddenly, a desperate panic began to claw at his insides, scorching his throat with the burning desire to come undone as the realization that he may never get the opportunity to fully convey the full expanse of his feelings to Yoongi hit him with the force of a tidal wave.

Wide, plaintiff eyes found Yoongi’s, and the suddenness of the emotion found there must have been enough to concern the alpha, as it had him tensing around Taehyung in return, his arms never leaving their secure hold around the younger man.

“Hyung, I-” he began, unsure where to start.

Yoongi hummed, the sound low and calming as he looped his arm more securely around Taehyung’s waist.

"C’mon,” he nudged, inclining his head in the direction of the back porch. “Why don’t we get some air?”

Taehyung nodded dumbly, feet moving of their own accord as he allowed himself to be steered around his nest and through the home until they reached the door.

The worn hinges creaked as the alpha opened the door, ushering Taehyung outside before following soon after. Once the door was shut behind him, he took a deep breath, the cool air helping to abate some of his growing tension.

He was relieved to note that Yoongi had yet to let go of him, the alpha a strong, comforting presence at his side.

The day was silent and still around them, as if the neighborhood – perhaps even the whole country – were collectively holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next. It made his chest tight and throat dry, waiting to exhale.

“You know,” Yoongi began after a moment, breaking the steady silence, “things tend to have a way of working out.”

Taehyung looked at him dubiously from the corner of his eye, mouth set in a firm line. It was a phrase Yoongi often said. Ordinarily, it would have brought comfort but now had the tiniest chime of doubt to it- nearly imperceptible to anyone that didn’t know the alpha as well as Taehyung did.

He laughed, the sound not quite right as he took another lungful of air. "They do," he allowed eventually, "but I'd say these are pretty novel circumstances hyung."

“They are,” Yoongi permitted, his fingers tapping gently against Taehyung’s hip, “but that doesn’t mean they won’t work out.”

“Half of our pack is involved in an illegal coup, and the other half are dodging mating laws. I’d say we’re the definition of between a rock and a hard place.”

“We don’t know how serious or far along Jungkook’s group has gotten,” Yoongi refuted calmly, still managing to somehow keep his wits about him. “And so far, there’s been no issue with our mating registration. And-” he hesitated, looking unusually hesitant as his teeth dimpled his bottom lip, mulling over whatever he had been about to say.

“And-” Taehyung prompted when the silence persisted.

Yoongi took a deep breath, the rise of his chest jostling Taehyung slightly as he continued, “and, if it comes down to it. . . perhaps our mating doesn’t need to be fake.”

Taehyung took a second to process the words, unsure if he was understanding the alpha correctly.

Unwilling to risk being incorrect and whatever humiliation may follow, he asked "What do you mean?"

Another beat of silence.

Another deep breath.

“I mean, maybe we mate for real. Claim each other properly.”

Taehyung’s breath hitched, his heart lodging painfully in his throat before he finally managed to croak out, “Hyung, you know I’d never want you to have to-”

“Jin hyung told me,” Yoongi blurted before Taehyung could finish the thought, stopping the omega in his tracks.

“Told you what?” he asked, his voice unusually pitched as his pulse raced. He forced himself not to whip back around and stare at Jin through the frosted glass of the door, hoping Yoongi didn’t mean what he thought he did.

“I know you imprinted on me,” he said, confirming Taehyung’s dreaded suspicions, a certain finality to his voice.

The omega tried with little success to swallow around the lump in his throat, shifting on his feet. Yoongi’s hand on his waist was now scorching, and Taehyung didn’t know if he’d soon be burned.

Sharp, cat-like eyes focused on him, taking in his every move as though looking for some sign he may have been wrong. From the way his gaze never wavered, Taehyung suspected he’d found none.

Instead, all the omega could do was laugh helplessly, turning slightly in the alpha’s arms until he was facing Yoongi, forcing his hyung’s arm to drop and hang listlessly by his side.

He supposed it was inevitable that the alpha would find out. He just wished he’d spent a bit more time preparing himself for that inevitability, and the rejection that was sure to follow.

“How long?” Yoongi prompted after another minute of silence.

Taehyung licked his lips, absently longing for his lip balm at home before he quietly replied. “Long enough.”

“Tae-”

“I can’t believe he told you,” he muttered. He didn’t feel betrayed so to speak – Jimin was right, it likely was just a matter of time – but he was far from thrilled at the way his long-kept secret had been revealed.

“He told me because I was apparently being a dumbass,” Yoongi mumbled shyly, pink tinging the tops of his cheeks.

That gave Taehyung pause, the omega looking at him with surprise. “How so?”

The alpha cleared his throat, uncertainty radiating from him even as he forced himself to continue meeting Taehyung’s gaze.

“Because I never noticed. But if I had, I could have saved us both a lot of time and longing.”

“What do you mean?” Taehyung demanded, the words coming out a bit sharper than he intended. He couldn’t help it, his heart thundered in the face of the small glimmer of hope the alpha’s words evoked, putting out the possibility that Taehyung hadn’t even let himself begin to consider.

“Ah,” Yoongi muttered, rubbing the back of his head bashfully as he barely restrained a wince. Embarrassment tinged his sweet scent with the faintest hint of worry. Taehyung wanted nothing more than to reach out to the alpha but instead forced himself to remain in place until he had the answers he now so desperately needed.

“It means,” his hyung continued, now seemingly unable to meet the omega’s eyes, instead fixing his gaze somewhere along the side of his head, “that I imprinted on you ages ago but never said anything because I was certain you didn’t feel the same.”

“Hyung,” Taehyung breathed, feeling as though the wind had been knocked from his lungs with the force of the revelation.

“I know it’s stupid,” Yoongi continued, unable or unwilling to let the omega finish his statement. “I know I’m an alpha, and I should have been straightforward and forthcoming. And that I’ve likely hurt you and wasted so much time,” he said, voice catching on the words. “And I’m so, so sorry for that Tae-ah.”

“Hyung,” Taehyung tried again, only to be interrupted.

“But if you can forgive me,” the alpha continued, finally meeting his dongsaeng’s gaze once more, “and if you’ll have me, I’d love to mate and claim you properly, and hopefully make up for all that time lost,” he pleaded.

“I can’t forgive you hyung,” Taehyung said, mouth dry as his tired mind struggled to process the unbelievable, wonderful revelation. "Because there’s nothing to forgive. I didn’t say anything either, so I guess that makes us a couple of idiots, huh?”

“But-”

“No buts,” Taehyung shushed even as his heart pounded in his chest. Relief and amazement made his head foggy, his body thoroughly confused with the elation suddenly singing through it after an afternoon spent tense and worried.

That same anxiety that had enveloped him earlier had far from disappeared, but it managed to take the backseat for just a moment as his omega screamed at him to claim, claim, claim now. After all, what was he waiting for?

“Hyung,” he breathed, taking a step forward, arms reaching out to encircle the alpha’s shoulders as his hyung did the same around his waist. “This is-”

His sentence was cut short, the unspoken magnetism drawing the two together suddenly severed as the door opened behind them.

“Namjoon hyung’s got a plan,” Tumbled out of Hoseok’s mouth before his head could be seen popping out from behind the patio door. “Or at least he thinks he does.”

“Half of a plan!” Came the head alpha’s clarification from somewhere in the house.

Taehyung smiled, feeling the most reassured he had all day even without knowing what said half-plan was, his faith in his hyung unshakeable.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Hoseok tacked on a moment later, looking pointedly at their position, the pair having yet to separate.

Even with the rosy hue that bloomed across his cheeks with each second Hoseok regarded them, Taehyung couldn’t be bothered to let go. Instead, he settled for leaning against the alpha when Yoongi regrettably released him, only to circle a solid arm around his waist a moment later.

“You should be,” Yoongi snarked, but the slight whine in his voice let them know he wasn’t truly upset, even if the same couldn’t quite be said for Taehyung. They were finally getting somewhere. Nevertheless, he understood the need to prioritize – and their potential (real!) relationship would need to take a temporary backseat to the small matter of figuring out how they would all survive.

The trio trickled into the living room where the rest of the pack was already standing in a semi-circle around the table. Namjoon stood in the center, staring down at his phone with furrowed brows and a twisted mouth. It wasn’t a look that inspired confidence, but Hoseok’s pure, unadulterated optimism had Taehyung breathing a little easier.

“What’s the plan?”

“I said there’s no plan,” Namjoon sighed, shooting Hoseok a scolding look as Taehyung felt his tenuous optimism instantly deflate.

“Better than what we had previously,” Hoseok said cheerfully, undeterred.

"Mmm," Namjoon said, some of the tension in his shoulders gradually draining as Jin put a supporting hand on his shoulder, thumb stroking over the tight muscle rhythmically until the leader let out a slow breath.

“Well, let’s hear it hyung,” Jimin said, face carefully neutral so as not to betray anything.

If Taehyung had to guess, Jimin felt the least hopeful of the seven of them, still caught within the visceral fear of something happening to his mate. Taehyung didn’t envy him. He only held an imprint on Yoongi, he couldn’t imagine the fear he’d be in if they had been mated. If Yoongi had been a publicly wanted ‘criminal’ as Jungkook now was.

“It’s more of a delay tactic than a plan,” Namjoon elaborated, hoping to properly temper his packmates’ expectations.

Taehyung couldn't remember a time when their leader had looked so uncertain, so afraid.  It didn't sit right with him. Subtly, almost unconsciously, Taehyung sidled up to the alpha, letting his scent sweeten just a tad in an attempt to comfort their leader.

A dimpled smile his way was thanks enough, but the strong arm Namjoon wrapped around him, pulling him into his firm chest was even better. He let the alpha hook his chin over his shoulder, enveloping him in his arms as he finally regarded the rest of the pack.

“There’s a vacation rental that used to be my grandparents out of the way. It’s pretty remote, and to be honest, I haven’t been there since I was a kid. I’m not even sure it’s still standing.”

“Wonderful,” Jimin muttered, only to shrink back at the severe look Jin shot him over his mate’s shoulder.

Namjoon licked his lips, continuing after a momentary pause. “Anyway, since they built it themselves, it was never registered. It’s hard to get to, which is the main reason none of us bothered to do anything with it.”

“So, you. . . what, hyung,” Jimin said, making Taehyung tense in preparation for a fight. The last thing they needed was conflict, but the tight set of Jimin’s jaw said he was more than ready for it. “You want us to flee to the woods and live like hermits? What about cell service, internet? How are we supposed to know if we’re in danger if we can’t connect to the outside world?”

“Well, considering the outside world is after three of us, I’d say getting away from it isn’t such a bad idea,” Yoongi pointed out, voice gentle but unwavering.

Jimin swallowed, physically suppressing the urge to argue further.

“It’s far from foolproof,” Namjoon acknowledged, “and it’s going to be far from a picnic making it work-”

Taehyung's nose wrinkled, imagining the uphill battle they were in for. No plumbing, no electricity, no heat. Not to mention it had been a long time since they'd all shared the same den as a pack full-time.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Jin sighed, but not unkindly. “But we’ll make it work.”

Jimin’s mouth opened, as if to ask ‘how’, but thought better of it.

“We’ll make it work,” Yoongi reiterated, reaching a hand out to their youngest alpha which, after a beat of consideration, Jimin hesitantly took.

“It’s just an option,” Namjoon clarified, looking around the group meaningfully. “It’s a pack decision, if anyone has a better idea, let’s consider it."

The silence in their makeshift semi-circle spoke volumes. No one had a better idea, and that realization alone was humbling.

For his part, Taehyung did try, flipping their set of circumstances over and sideways in his mind in pursuit of an answer.

They had to run, that much was certain. There was no place safe for them left in Seoul. Not at the moment.

Taehyung didn’t know what Jungkook’s group had been toying with, what kind of plan for progress or revolt they’d been considering. But evidently, they hadn’t gotten far enough, or their pack hadn’t been made privy to any plan that could work.

"Well, that settles it then," Hoseok said somberly, a sense of finality blanketing the pack. His lips played at a smile, or a close approximation of one as he tacked on, "With a little cleaning and a nice nest, I'm sure it'll feel cozy. Cottage core, no?"

Taehyung snorted, amused in spite of himself. It was amusing, even if the chances of them bringing enough material for a basic nest, let alone a nice one, was unlikely.

“We’ll have to pack light,” Namjoon said, voicing Taehyung’s thoughts. “It’s a bit of a hike so we’ll probably have to make a few trips before stashing the car somewhere, but we should focus on the essentials.”

Taehyung sighed, knowing his sewing machines, fabric, his studio. . . all were far from ‘essentials’ despite how much of his heart he’d poured into his craft over the years. He felt strong arms pull him closer and a gentle kiss pressed to his temple, soothing gestures that could only do so much.

“It’ll be okay,” Hoseok said, his voice broking no room for argument.

All that was left to do was trust in their abilities, and hope for the best. He trusted his pack, implicitly. The hope, however, could use a little work.

Hope. . .  such an ephemeral thing.

He prayed that between the seven of them, they could manage to capture it.

+++

Taehyung hated the woods. In theory, he loved them - loved painting them, loved looking at them, even loved a nice stroll with his hyungs when Yoongi and Namjoon could convince him to join them on a trek.

But ordinarily, he hated the woods. Hated their gaping vastness. Hated their looming darkness. Hated their ever-present ability to swallow up the unsuspecting with no intention of letting them return. But he especially hated them now- cold and unforgiving as his pack huddled together, their GPS no longer receiving a signal while Namjoon tried -and failed - to hide how not even he could make heads or tails of the map his family had long ago provided.

Which meant, at least for the foreseeable future, they’d be camping. Hoseok had unsurprisingly put up the biggest protest, arguing that the car made the most sense to spend the night in. He had, however, been outranked. It wasn’t often that Namjoon played on dynamics and played the leader card, but if there was ever a time to, Taehyung supposed coordinating escape was as good a time as any.

Which was ultimately how they’d ended up with half of their packed things on their backs with a handful of prayers that the car, and the rest of their things, would be waiting for them in the morning.

Taehyung had hoped for more time back home, but an update on Jungkook's confiscated phone revealed that at least two of the packs of his 'acquaintances' had been raided, and it was only a matter of time before their Pack Homes were targeted next for the registry.

Now, sat on the forest floor in the dim light of a campfire that took embarrassingly long to construct – they’d left the lighters in the car – the omega couldn’t help dwelling on all that he’d missed. His material things, certainly, but also the sparse friends and family he had left waiting in Seoul.

Their goodbyes had all been sparse, reaching out to their childhood packs and family to let them know not to worry, and that they'd all been okay. The plea to not cooperate should any authority contact them in search of their whereabouts had been implicit. It was a small mercy that they all had relative confidence that no one would betray them. Although, keeping their plans secret from all but themselves was perhaps the biggest safety net of all.

Jimin stared moodily into the fire, Jungkook and Hoseok flanking both his sides in an attempt to soothe him. Taehyung wasn't sure how much could be done.

He'd been trying to avoid the thought as they all had, but on the whole, it was glaringly obvious. . . They were out of options.

It was funny, really, how growing up he'd often longed for escape, for running away into the unknown without a trace. What he failed to account for was just how hard it was to truly disappear.

"Maybe we should branch into two groups," Jin said quietly, shattering the silence.

Taehyung blinked at him, watching as the alpha nervously picked at a loose thread on Namjoon's jeans from where he was sat between his mate’s spread legs, resting back against the alpha’s chest.

"What do you mean?" Yoongi asked sharply, eyes narrowed.

Jin winced but managed to look Yoongi in the eye as he said, "Not all of us are wanted yet, and the ones that are - just on suspicion. We go two ways; it gives the rest of you a chance to go somewhere safe and further without having to worry about getting stopped. It’s-”

Taehyung flinched violently at the sharp growl that reverberated around them, bouncing off the trees that encircled the pack.

Six sets of wide eyes landed on Namjoon who singularly had his attention focused on his now stunned and silent mate.

"No," he rumbled, voice leaving no room for argument.

That didn't stop Jin for long, "it guarantees more of us are safe. We've been looking for someplace we're not even sure is still standing for hours, without a real plan for what to do when – if – we even get there! You all aren’t-”

"It doesn't guarantee shit," Yoongi growled, shaking slightly at just the idea of such an absurdity. “It’s only been a day, and we’re moving as quickly as we’re thinking. It’ll work out.”

“You don’t know that,” Jin said, the solemnity of his words more effective than shouting could ever be.

“You’re just tired hyung,” Jungkook tried, his voice quiet.

Jin met his eyes, sadness bordering on despair shuttering his gaze as he took in their youngest packmate. The struggle was clear as day in his eyes, and Taehyung knew if the alpha could shoulder the entire burden himself, he would in a heartbeat. They all would.

“I’m tired,” Jin conceded, “but I’m not sure I’m wrong.”

“So, separating us all from our mates then,” Jimin challenged, a newfound fire in his eyes, “that seems like the right idea to you?”

The eldest faltered, “I – I don’t know. But what I do know is that it hardly makes sense for all of us to be in danger when-”

“We’re a pack,” Yoongi said gruffly, eyes locked disapprovingly on his hyung, even as Taehyung could smell the sadness wafting off of him, “it’s what we signed up for.”

“And if something happens to you all?” Jin demanded, not shying away now that the argument had well and truly started. “Then what? How can any of us expect to live with ourselves if we were to get you locked up or worse? Simply for being in the same pack. If they place the omegas somewhere else-" he said, voice shaky.

“That won’t happen,” Namjoon said tightly, his eyes unconsciously drifting over Jungkook and Taehyung’s distressed faces, colored with equal parts sadness and devastation.

“We can’t just close our eyes and put our hands over our ears and pretend it’s not a possibility,” Jin refuted. “We’ve been playing fast and loose this entire time with no real plan because there’s no real way to plan around any of this. We need to maximize-”

“No, hyung,” Namjoon said, a heavy finality to his words, the shimmer of a Pack Leader’s command on the edge of his voice. He didn’t use it, but the look in his eyes said he would if need be. “We’re not splitting up, and that’s final.”

As if to emphasize his words, a crack of thunder sounded far in the distance in a foreboding prophecy of a storm to come.

“Fucking perfect,” Jimin muttered, wrapping a tight arm around his mate as the other wrapped around his own knees.

Jin sighed, slumping forward as he placed his face in his hands, his fingers threading tightly through his hair. It was only after a moment of mournful staring that Taehyung noticed the tremor in his hyungs broad shoulders, belatedly understanding that the alpha was crying.

It had been a long day, and from the looks of things, it was clear that their days would only grow longer. Taehyung couldn't blame Jin for his thoughts, uncertain where his own despair would lead him if left to his own devices.

Namjoon sighed, looking around at their small pack as he rubbed his mate’s back, understanding there was little he could do to soothe the older man even as he began gently scenting him with his wrist.

“It wasn’t projected to storm today,” the leader muttered as he squinted above at the now steadily darkening skies.

“It might not come this way,” Jungkook supplied hopefully, though there was no real gusto to his words.

“I still think we should sleep in the car,” Hoseok muttered even as he avoided Namjoon’s sharp gaze.

A moment of silence lapsed between the group as the seven considered their situation. After another moment, Namjoon finally spoke.

“Two of us can go a little further in and keep looking while there’s some light left,” he determined, using one hand to fish a pair of flashlights out of his nearby backpack. “The rest of us can set up a tarp in preparation for the rain. At the very least we’ll have something somewhat dry to sleep under tonight.”

Taehyung nodded supportively, even as the possibility of sleeping out on the forest floor filled him with unease.

“I’ll go,” Jimin volunteered, only for Namjoon to shoot him down immediately.

“No, it should be Taehyung and Yoongi.” He said with certainty.

The omega looked around uncertainly, sensing the tension among them. He could only guess at the leader’s rationale. If he had to wager a bet, he assumed Namjoon didn’t trust at least one of the others not to run in an ill-advised bout of self-sacrifice if given the chance. It felt like a physical pain to even consider the possibility, and Taehyung could only imagine the toll it was taking on the alphas who felt a primal need to protect their packs by any means necessary– Namjoon most of all.

Taehyung didn't dream of arguing, primarily because he knew, loathe as he was to admit it, that Namjoon's logic was probably right. At that present moment, tensions and emotions were far too high. Namjoon was doing all he could to soothe and rein the stronger ones in. The least Taehyung could do was support him in that.

Yoongi was on his feet in an instant, extending a hand down to Taehyung to grasp. The omega did so immediately, enjoying the calming weight of Yoongi’s palm in his own as the elder tugged him to his feet.

Namjoon passed them each a flashlight solemnly, his arm tightening around Jin’s waist as he did so as if he thought his mate could up and bolt at any moment.

Properly guilty, Jin reclined further into his mate’s chest, his hand covering Namjoon’s in a soothing gesture to signal that he fully intended on staying put. Even with their disagreements, Jin had a fundamental respect and loyalty to Namjoon – both as a mate and pack leader. Taehyung supposed that was one of the primary reasons they’d been able to not only make things work but thrive as a mated pair of alphas. Jin could and would voice his opinion as loud as need be but, at the end of the day, he’d aligned himself with Namjoon and the alpha’s leadership, and he’d be the first in line to recognize the Pack Alpha’s decisions.

“We’ll be careful,” Taehyung reassured, pleased to see Namjoon’s grateful smile.

“We won’t be too long,” Yoongi added, sliding his hand into Taehyung’s once more with a comforting squeeze.

"Good luck," Hoseok said at the same time as Jimin instructed, "Scream really loud if you need us."

“We will, we will,” Taehyung agreed easily, patting the alpha’s head as he passed them and exited the little circle the group had created with Yoongi by his side.

“Stay alert,” Namjoon cautioned, smiling tightly as he added, “we’ll be right here.”

Offering a few more nods and a final wave of acknowledgment, the pair ventured deeper into the woods in a new direction.

Every few feet Yoongi would stop to whittle a nearly imperceptible mark in nearby trees, presumably to help guide them back were they to get lost, but Taehyung wasn't certain of his ability to spot them if left on his own even fully knowing they were there.

“This is hopeless, isn’t it?” Taehyung muttered after fifteen minutes of the same pattern. “It’s probably long gone.”

“Don’t say that,” Yoongi admonished, dragging Taehyung further into the trees. “It’s there, it’s only a matter of finding it.”

“We’ve been searching for hours,” Taehyung whined, pouting further as he saw the corners of Yoongi’s mouth tip up in a small, unwilling smile.

“It’s a large area, it makes sense that we’d be looking for hours.”

“Right,” Taehyung groaned, trying – and failing – to not feel despair up to his eyeballs.

His feet hurt, he felt dirty, and wanted a shower and a warm bed. He'd settle for a nest and an alpha's warm chest if need be but, from the looks of things, neither would be options anytime soon.

“Want me to carry you?” Yoongi asked, a smirk making the offer more of a taunt than anything.

He huffed a laugh, smiling in spite of everything as he inquired, “Is that a serious offer?”

“I don’t know,” Yoongi teased, pretending to consider the question seriously. “If I remember, you and a few other ill-informed packmates had the nerve to call me old. I’m not sure if my elderly back can support a robust young pup like yourself.”

“Hyung,” Taehyung pouted, attempting to affect his best set of plaintiff puppy eyes. “You know we didn’t mean it.”

A sly smile tugged at the alpha’s lips as he played along “I don’t know Tae, you seemed really sincere at the time. If anything, a spry youth like yourself should be giving me a lift.”

“So unfair,” Taehyung muttered, earning himself an incredulous, indulgent laugh from the elder.

“Don’t pout,” Yoongi chuckled, only to laugh louder as Taehyung’s pout proceeded to deepen dramatically.

“I’m not pouting,” he huffed, looking away dismissively.

“Oh, of course not,” Yoongi agreed dryly, pulling the omega closer to his side.

Taehyung liked this – the easy banter the two fell into, even in the midst of a less-than-ideal situation. Yoongi had traded holding his hand for wrapping a steadying arm around his chest, and Taehyung enjoyed the warmth of his body pressed against his own.

“So, about earlier,” he ventured tentatively. He was reluctant to break the comfortable silence that had befallen them as they walked, but his churning thoughts were becoming increasingly harder to silence the longer they were left unsatisfied.

“What about it?” Yoongi asked, that same hint of earlier playfulness lining his tone.

“You know what,” Taehyung muttered. Despite their mutual confessions earlier, he still felt uncharacteristically shy, not knowing what to do after finding what he hadn’t even dared dream of to be a newly confirmed reality.

“I can hazard a guess,” Yoongi allowed easily enough, “but I’d prefer if you guided me there yourself.”

Sighing in defeat, Taehyung took a second to gather himself, glad for the dimming daylight and how it mercifully hid his reddening cheeks.

“So, you like me back,” he said after a moment before instantly cringing at how reductive it sounded.

He heard the alpha laugh under his breath, and it was only Yoongi’s warm presence at his side that kept him from melting into a mortified puddle right there on the forest floor.

“I’d say that’s a bit of an understatement but, yes, I like you,” Yoongi confirmed charitably. Then, with a teasing smile added, “One could even say I like like you.”

“You imprinted on me,” Taehyung said, ignoring the jest.

“I did,” Yoongi agreed without hesitation.

“That’s. . .  that’s good,” Taehyung mumbled.

He stared at the leaves disappearing beneath his feet with every step, the dull crunch natural background music to their trek.

“I’m glad you think so,” Yoongi smiled, and he sounded so sincere Taehyung’s heart clenched.

For the first time, he realized that maybe the pain, uncertainty, and heartache he’d experienced all this time wasn’t his alone.

“I imprinted on you too, hyung,” he said, not caring that it was no longer new information. “And I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I want to be your mate. Not because we’re hiding, or need a cover story, but for real.”

Yoongi’s smile was breathtaking as he looked back at the omega, an uncharacteristic wetness lining his lashes as he took both of Taehyung’s hands in his own. “I’d like that too. I’m sorry I made us waste so much time. We could have-”

“Been having amazing mated sex months ago, I fully agree,” Taehyung said, smiling smugly at the surprised laugh Yoongi let out at the words.

“Yeah, that,” the alpha agreed, now the shy one as he cleared his throat. “I guess we can always make up for lost time.”

“On the forest floor?” Taehyung joked, looking down at their surroundings dubiously. “Maybe the moment really is well and truly lost.”

“Brat,” Yoongi scolded, pinching Taehyung’s side in retaliation as he pulled the omega closer.

Taehyung chuckled, low and easy as a content smile slid in place, his smile widening as Yoongi reached up to wind his fingers gently through his hair, before finally, finally tugging him down into a tender kiss.

Their lips slid together easily, like they had a thousand times before except now with newfound meaning. Yoongi tasted sweet and familiar - like home and safety all wrapped up into one warm bundle of a human that Taehyung never wanted to leave his side.

He smiled as they pulled apart, happy and breathless as his fingers itched at his sides to pull the alpha back in for more. A fantastic sounding idea, truly, only before he got the chance, something in his peripheral vision grabbed his attention.

“Hyung-” he breathed, relief suddenly filling him to the brim.

"Yeah?" Yoongi asked, eyes still not traveling from their position fixed on the omega's lips, seemingly still caught up in wanting a second taste. He'd been waiting for years, after all.

Smugly filing that observation away for later, Taehyung grabbed his alpha by the shoulders and turned him so that they were facing the same direction. It took the elder a second to make it out in the now rapidly fading light, but there, a few yards away, was the unmistakable, rundown but standing house looming in the shadows. With the unique curvature of the trees around it, and the sheer denseness of the forest itself, it was easy to miss.

“Fuck, it does exist,” Yoongi said, sounding far too relieved for someone that had claimed to be certain of its existence from the start.

“Mhmm,” Taehyung noted, feeling his body tingle with a rush of adrenaline borne out of newfound hope.

“Come on,” Yoongi instructed, slotting his fingers between Taehyung’s own as he began tugging them back in the direction from which they came. “Let’s go get the others, with any luck, we’ll beat the rain.”

Taehyung cast an uncertain glance at the grey clouds above. He wasn’t so sure they’d beat the impending storm, but at the very least, they’d have something a bit drier to weather it with.

+++

They did not, in fact, beat the storm.

Taehyung grimaced as he stood on the leaking front porch, squeezing his shirt out forcefully as he watched the small puddle at his feet slowly expand.

“This sucks,” Jungkook muttered, only to shrink back, looking around to see if anyone had overheard.

“It does,” Taehyung agreed, bumping shoulders with the other omega affectionately. He knew their youngest blamed himself for the events unfolding and didn’t want to appear ungrateful to the others. “And that’s okay, we expected it to.”

“Did we?” Jimin huffed, walking past the two with arms laden with a few of the bags they’d managed to bring with them.

Taehyung eyed the muddy boot prints accompanying their pack in and out of the cabin and knew that in any other circumstance, Jungkook would be beside himself with the mess they were making. As it stood, cleaning items hadn't been their highest priority in packing. They'd have to see what little they had and make it work.

“Could be worse,” Jin tried bravely as he beckoned the omegas inside.

They'd finally gotten all that they could carry inside the little abode, and by some miracle, Namjoon had gotten the small stove in the corner working, providing limited, but much-needed heat throughout.

The cabin was bigger than Taehyung expected with two rooms, a tiny kitchen and living room, and a porch in the front and back. Bigger than expected, but still a bit tight for the seven of them.

As they’d gone through the house, taking stock of what was still in good condition and what had been left to nature and time’s devices, the pack learned that they’d have more than their fair share of work cut out for them. Taehyung wasn’t averse to a challenge per se but a quiet, decidedly pessimistic, side of him couldn’t help wondering if any of it was worth it.

“There are two holes in the living room ceiling,” Namjoon observed once they’d gathered in an impromptu meeting in the kitchen. He glanced at Jungkook, and then Taehyung uncertainly. “I don’t think nesting’s the best idea tonight, not when everything will get messy.”

Jungkook had opened his mouth to protest but then closed it in consideration. Taehyung felt the need to be close to his pack in his bones and knew Jungkook felt it just as strongly. And yet, the prospect of a soiled nest when they had no present means of washing anything, with the possibility of an indefinite amount of time in the less-than-ideal accommodation was equally off-putting.

"We'll divide up the rooms," Jin suggested kindly, glancing at Namjoon for a brief second before going on, "Jungkook, Jimin, and Hoseok can take the larger room. Yoongi and Taehyung can take the second. Namjoon and I will sleep out here.”

“But-”

“No buts,” Namjoon sighed, cutting Jimin off. It was only the deep exhaustion in his voice that stopped the alpha from pressing further.

“It’ll be colder out here,” Jungkook tried, only to be silenced with a warm, tired smile from their eldest and a brief hug from Namjoon.

“We’ll be fine, it’s easier this way so no arguments.”

Taehyung had his fair share of arguments to bring up. If need be, he was sure four of them could shove their way onto one of the two twin beds. He glanced around at the small group, wondering whether or not he should try and force the issue, before he felt a gentle hand rest on his head, soothing fingers running absently through his hair. Jin looked down at him with soft eyes, as if having read his very thoughts. The alpha shook his head lightly, his scent calm and steady despite the circumstances.

“If you’re certain,” Yoongi said from his other side, looking at the pack leader and his mate with clear reservation written across his face.

“I am,” Namjoon said calmly, his face the implacable mask it often fell into when he knew an unpleasant task faced him that he was nevertheless determined to get done.

“Well, alright then,” Yoongi murmured, glancing at Taehyung to see if he had any plans to mount further protests.

Taehyung kept silent, knowing that once their leader made up his mind, there’d be no persuading him.

And yet, a small, near minuscule, part of him couldn't help rather liking the idea of sharing a room, sharing a bed, alone with Yoongi. The circumstances and lodging could certainly be more ideal, but the idea of being wrapped up warm and safe with the alpha was still exceedingly appealing.

Slowly, with no small amount of reluctance, the group dispersed to the various corners of the tiny home. There was an unsettling quietness that hung in the air, and Taehyung almost jumped a foot in the air as he felt Yoongi’s hand slide into his own, gently leading him down the hall.

“It’s not so bad,” Yoongi murmured, trying for an optimistic tone that sounded skeptical more than anything. “With a little paint and nails, and your eye for decoration, we can get it fixed up in no time.

The corner of the omega’s mouth tilted up in the ghost of a smile, squeezing Yoongi’s hand in half-hearted thanks at the compliment.

They reached the door, and Taehyung peered around its edge dubiously as he took in the dust-covered, musty room for the second time that night.

The bed had certainly seen better days, and the threadbare blanket atop it appeared to have more holes than actual material. The soft, pink blanket Jin had packed and provided them with was nice but would do little to keep the cold out for both of them.

“So, should we. . .” Taehyung began, looking around for inspiration.

Sleeping in jeans and a t-shirt seemed less than appealing, but the idea of being cold with bare skin touching the scratchy bed seemed even less so.

“Let’s sleep in our day clothes,” Yoongi decided, seemingly having read the omega’s mind. “Not ideal, but we can sort out a better arrangement tomorrow.”

Looking sidelong at the alpha, Taehyung realized how tired he looked. He’d been one of the strongest pillars of support for the pack over the last twenty-four hours, but in the dark of the room, Taehyung could see the start of his sturdy mask beginning to slip.

"Come on, hyung," Taehyung said quietly, gritting his teeth and determinedly leading them both toward the bed.

He sat down gingerly, a dust cloud still blooming out on either side of him as the bed squeaked tellingly.

Absently, and perhaps rather inappropriately for the given moment, Taehyung considered just how loud it would be should the two decide to get up to anything besides strictly sleeping. A blush crept along his cheeks at the thought, a shiver running along his spine at the memory of Yoongi’s hands on him, of the alpha above him, inside him.

He cleared his throat, not quite meeting his hyung's eyes as he patted the side of the bed beside him, using his hand to sweep away the dust resting there somewhat futilely.

Yoongi’s smile was soft as he slowly approached, sitting delicately beside Taehyung as he assisted in getting the worst of the dust away.

Once the mattress was decidedly less gray, Yoongi looped an arm around the omega’s shoulder and gently laid them back, throwing the blanket over the both of them as best he could with his other hand.

On instinct, Taehyung burrowed himself closer to the alpha, tangling their legs together as he angled his body so that they were facing one another.

They stared at each other for a moment, the dull moonlight filtering in through the window and the soundtrack of rain just outside was an incongruously soothing backdrop to the moment, the silence stretching between them more than comfortable.

Yoongi was the first to break it.

“You know, it’s not actually the end of the world as we know it," he said in a whisper, moving to gently brush an errant strand of soft hair behind the omega's ear. "We'll figure it out."

“Yeah,” Taehyung murmured, feeling strangely breathless as Yoongi placed a careful hand on his waist, tugging him even closer as his thumb soothingly stroked over the narrow strip of skin exposed between his pants and shirt.

More silence.

Taehyung took the time to study his hyung’s face. He’d long ago committed each line of his face, each freckle and lash to memory. Still, it didn’t stop him from finding the elder even more gorgeous each time his gaze swept over the familiar lines and slopes of his visage.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” Yoongi murmured, looking at Taehyung just as intently as he himself was being stared at.

The omega’s breath hitched, heart fluttering despite the fact that- “nothing’s ever stopped you before.”

A breath of a laugh escaped his hyung, his eyes crinkling fondly at the corners as he huffed, “That’s true.”

With that in mind, only a second ticked by before the alpha was leaning in, giving Taehyung ample time to back away if wanted before his lips finally settled tenderly against his own.

The kiss was sweet- somewhat salty from the sweat of the day and the rain they’d been unable to avoid, but still undeniably delicious.

Taehyung sighed into the contact, scooting even closer somehow as his arm came up to rest over his hyung’s shoulder. He placed his hand in the center of Yoongi’s strong back, feeling him solid and warm beneath his touch as their lips slid languidly together.

Yoongi’s tongue was gentle and exploring as Taehyung melted into the kiss, parting his lips and moaning softly into the contact. It was different than the casual, loving intimacy of packs. This was a different form of intentionality, laden with feelings both said and unsaid as Yoongi’s grip tightened on his waist.

Eventually, they parted, breathless, and warmed more effectively than their blankets could ever hope to compete with.

“We should get to sleep,” Yoongi murmured, only to lean forward to place a sweet kiss on the omega’s nose at his disappointed pout. “It’s been a long day, there’s plenty of time for kisses tomorrow.”

“Promise?” Taehyung asked, endearingly shy as the alpha smiled back at him.

“Tripple promise,” Yoongi said, dropping a quick kiss to the omega’s lips as if to lock the promise in.

“I’m not sleepy yet,” Taehyung argued weakly, even as he felt the day’s fatigue settle around him like a sweater.

“I somehow doubt that,” Yoongi said, smirking as Taehyung yawned barely a moment later. “Let’s sleep,” he prompted, laying down on his back and bundling his dongsaeng up in both of his arms.

The omega muttered something indecipherable, but even as he felt a pitiful protest mount within him, his eyes were already beginning to slide shut in betrayal as the alpha’s warmth seeped into him.

"Go to sleep Tae-yah," was the last thing the omega heard before he was slipping effortlessly into a much-needed sleep.