Archive of Our Own

Taehyung was nervous, uncharacteristically so. Typically, the omega was able to regulate his emotions, his unflappable façade carefully honed through years of avoiding harm and generally staying out of trouble - no easy task with how noticeable of a figure he was.

He shifted anxiously on his feet, staring over the heads of his pack mates in an attempt to get just a glance of the incoming pack.

“I think I see them” Jin murmured, nudging Taehyung slightly.

He glanced at his friend -more like brother- before looking back over the crowd.

The pack merger had been in the works for years, but even with his position in the Pack Leader’s household, being an omega severely limited the knowledge he had access to.

From his tentative inquiries and not-so-tentative eaves dropping, he was able to at least discern that the neighboring pack had two sons, one adopted and both alphas, and that one was significantly kinder than the other.

Taehyung’s father hadn’t said as much prior to the abrupt announcement earlier that month, but the omega had the distinct feeling the Leader had been keen to foist Taehyung off on one of them even as early as the planning stage of the merger, in the hopes of solidifying ties. If in the process it also rid him of his least desirable son, all the better.

The restlessness at the front of the group increased to a crescendo before it abruptly cut off- the new additions coming into stark vision a moment later.

The new pack was. . . intimidating to say the least. Unlike the friendly, yet apprehensive smiles affixed to Taehyung and Jin’s faces, the newcomers all wore similar visages of solemnity, all varying in levels of severity the closer Taehyung looked.

Despite the ‘new opportunity’ the merger was meant to provide for both sides alike, the Min Pack looked less than thrilled to have arrived.

“Welcome, welcome!” Taehyung’s father called jovially, arms wide in welcome as he moved to meet the envoy.

Taking a deep breath, Taehyung fell into step behind him, Jin and his father -the Pack’s Counsel- falling into place behind him.

Upon closer inspection, the Mins were even more intimidating. Not in size necessarily, Taehyung was surprised to see both sons were rather short. Absently, Taehyung couldn’t help thinking that that wouldn’t bode well for his prospects of mating one of them.

The thought wasn’t the most appealing for a romantic like himself, but Taehyung had been raised knowing his choice of mate would be no choice at all when he was of age. All he could hope for was a kind mate.

From the looks of things. . . he wasn’t so certain his hopes would be answered. The shortest of the bunch appeared to be the eldest son, and from his rather disapproving gaze, Taehyung wasn’t certain he could get a smile from the alpha, let alone a courtship.

The second son looked nothing like the family, having been adopted. His smile was incongruous when juxtaposed with the rest of the pack, and while he wasn’t as tall as the majority of Taehyung’s pack, he was taller than his counterpart.

Min Yoongi and Jung Hoseok. Two very different alphas, and Taehyung’s dad was determined to give him away to one of them.

“How were your travels?” his father inquired when they’d finally reached the group, clasping the other leader’s hand warmly.

“Arduous, if I’m being entirely honest,” the Min’s leader said with a tight smile. He had a scar across his left eye that pulled slightly as he frowned. He looked around at their surroundings as if seeing the encampment for the first time, “You all certainly live. . . ah- remotely.”

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” Taehyung’s father said quietly, a wry smile twisting his lips. And Taehyung supposed that was true enough. The remoteness made travel difficult, making it more likely that if he wanted to see his rare non-pack friends, it was much more likely he would need to go to them instead of his friends -kind as they were – making the rather difficult, mountainous journey themselves.

Living in such relative seclusion did make things like outside doctors and luxuries hard to come by in a pinch, but their compound was large, their pack self-sufficient, meaning in the two and a half decades he’d been there, he was left wanting for little. At least. . . materially. When it came to the non-material, he was perhaps the most desperate of all for more.

“Yes, well,” the Min leader said, seemingly unamused. “We’re here, and eager to get things started. Here” he said, gesturing to his side curtly as his two sons stepped forward immediately, “are my two sons. Yoongi is my eldest and next in line, and Hoseok joined our pack when he was three, and has made himself indispensable.”

“Of course,” Taehyung’s father said with a generous smile, before his eyes slid less generously over towards his own son.

Taehyung tried to keep his posture straight but relaxed, fighting the instinctual desire to tense in preparation.

In his defense, everything had happened so fast that he felt as though he were constantly bracing for impact. Pack mergers were rare, especially for two packs as large as theirs. Partial pack mergers were perhaps rarest of all.

The Mins had lived for years in the valleys, while the Kims occupied the upper mountain regions. A peaceful, yet weary coexistence with one another. The desire to merge had been less out of mutual goodwill, and more out of Min’s realization that the valley was becoming more and more prone to flooding, and it was only a matter of time before the whole pack would be washed away.

Faced with the possibility of their home being gone, the pack faced two options. Relocate from the area entirely or move to higher ground. Higher ground that the Kims occupied in their near entirety.

As a result, half of the Min pack had elected to leave, either setting out on their own or finding new homes while the remainder followed their Head Alpha to the mountains. Taehyung couldn’t imagine the frustration the Min’s leader faced.

Or not. . . he wasn’t certain, but it was Jin that had first come to him with the rumors that the scarred leader was ill, and it was only a matter of time before he would be forced to cede his position to his heirs. In a matter of years, if all went well, Yoongi’s father would step down, Taehyung’s dad following suit thereafter, and leaving the largest pack in the area to the eldest alpha of the Min sons and. . . Taehyung, if he understood correctly. There weren’t many options what with him being the only omega in the Head Household.

He looked over at his hyung anxiously, not for the first time wondering what his fate would have been like if he’d been born as any other designation than omega.

“This is my son,” his father said, the words sounded a bit sour in his mouth as he looked at Taehyung, startling the omega back to attention. “I’m sure they’ll all get along well.”

“And quickly,” Yoongi’s father added on, staring Taehyung up and down appraisingly, “I’d like grandchildren sooner rather than later.”

Taehyung’s eyes widened, pursing his lips tightly to suppress whatever undignified sound had first attempted to escape him at the statement.

To their credit, the other two sons in question looked similarly uncomfortable with the idea. The eldest son -Yoongi, was it?- looked stone faced and like he’d smelled something faintly distasteful, while Hoseok, to his credit, merely looked awkward at the notion.

“Yes well, I’m sure that’s a sentiment we can all agree on,” the Kim Pack Leader said diplomatically, eyes moving back towards his son, “he may not look like much of an omega, but I can assure you he’s more than capable of providing a suitable heir.”

Taehyung’s cheeks colored, although it was nothing the omega hadn’t heard before; in fact, if he really considered, the words were almost kind, displaying a belief in some form of his competency that his father rarely awarded him. Even if it did leave a familiarly bitter taste in his mouth.

“Good man,” the Min leader said, clapping Taehyung’s dad’s shoulder with friendly force before turning his eyes on Taehyung, and then on the rest of the pack behind them. “I have a great feeling about this.”

Taehyung’s stomach churned as his eyes roved over the silently staring Mins. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but it felt far from good. He could only hope that in the coming weeks, that sentiment would change.

+++

Yoongi was unimpressed which, all things considered, was better than the complete and utter disdain he had expected to experience upon meeting the Kim Pack for the first time. Given the remoteness of the location, his father had been the only member of their pack to make regular visits to the new location they would now be calling home. Yoongi, like the rest of the pack, was seeing their new territory for the first time. And oh, what a site it was to behold.

The Kim Pack was large, that much was apparent by just how many had come to personally welcome them. It would have been intimidating, if Yoongi wasn’t aware that soon enough, he would be their de-facto leader. A thought that was rather alarming, the more he thought about it. And so, he didn’t.

Aside from the obvious that was his father’s dwindling physical health, there was also the small matter of finding a mate and raising an heir as would be expected for any Leader. A fact that the Kim Leader and his own father seemed all too happy to discuss in casual conversation, despite the two subjects of their discussion being very aware and very present.

For the first time since the interactions began, he took the time to truly look at his counterpart. Kim Taehyung, the sole heir of the Kim Leader and sole omega of the Head Household was not what the alpha had expected. He was tall, very tall. . . and quiet, far too quiet for the only omega in the Pack Chief’s home. Yoongi expected him to be every bit of the spoiled brat his position would have afforded him, but he looked rather normal – if stunning good looks and hair that looked silky to the touch could be considered normal.

If anything, he looked rather demure next to his larger-than-life father. Yoongi knew he’d heard the commentary on his birthing capabilities as clearly as he had, but to his credit, and Yoongi’s slight befuddlement, he’d responded as though his father hadn’t commented on anything more extraordinary than the weather.

Great. A diplomat. It was no question that a mating would be pushed on the two of them- Hoseok was just as vital a member of the family as Yoongi was but he couldn’t provide a blood heir to the Leader – and Yoongi could only hope his intended match was at least tolerable. He didn’t need to like them – he was certain he wouldn’t – but they would have to learn to live together.

Of course, they couldn’t force Yoongi to take a mate. Despite their reputation, they weren’t barbarians, after all. But that didn’t mean a mate wouldn’t be strongly suggested by the leadership. He could say no, but he was well aware of the heavy consequences he would incur should he reject the path laid out for him.

It was all very political and far more dramatic than necessary if you were to ask him. Which, rather expectedly, nobody had.

He couldn’t be certain that the same freedom, or at least the illusion of choice, was afforded to Kim Taehyung. He sorely doubted it, given the surprising, but less than subtle push the Kim Leader gave the omega, sending the younger man stumbling closer to Yoongi abruptly.

“While we have much to discuss,” The Kim Alpha began, seemingly nonplussed at the ruffled demeanor of his eldest “those that can get settled should. Taehyung will personally show your eldest to his lodgings, and my advisor can direct the rest of your pack to their new residences.”

“Excellent,” Yoongi’s father smiled gamely, gesturing Yoongi forward with a nod of his head before turning to his youngest. “Hoseok, accompany the rest of the pack, attend to their needs if they experience any hiccups, understand?”

Hoseok nodded solemnly, chest swelling with pride at the duties bestowed upon him, as the two groups broke into even further factions.

Yoongi watched blankly as Hoseok, the rest of his pack, and a small contingent of the Kim Pack broke off to venture further into the territory, outside of the center of the complex where they were all currently gathered.

The two Leaders and respective members of their advisory boards went in another direction, towards a large, imposing building looming not far in the distance.

He waited quietly, hands in his pockets and utterly indifferent as the masses separated.

Well, perhaps not quite indifferent. He felt rather annoyed, all things considered. But given the circumstances were largely outside of his control, he resigned himself to dealing with it.

Or rather, with him.

Despite the futile frustration simmering just beneath the surface, Kim Taehyung seemed delightfully oblivious to it judging by the blindingly boxy smile he was now looking at Yoongi with.

“It’s so nice to meet you!” he said brightly, bowing politely.

The perfect picture of omega submission, he never once looked Yoongi directly in the eyes, choosing to demure instead. A rather interesting sight, given that Taehyung was clearly taller than him, and if he were closer to his pup days, that fact may have bothered him.

“Right,” Yoongi said, refusing to feign an optimism he didn’t feel. Then, deciding not to be a complete asshole to someone who was probably just trying their best, extended his hand to shake.

Yoongi blinked. So quickly he almost missed it - if his eyes had closed a moment sooner he would have - Taehyung appeared to shrink pack from the proffered appendage, before he surged forward to take it just as swiftly.

His hands were soft within his own and his honeyed skin was a stark contrast against Yoongi’s paleness as his fingers skimmed just shy of the alpha’s scent gland.

Speaking of scents. . .

Yoongi frowned slightly, finally pinpointing the reason he’d felt slightly off footed from the moment Taehyung had stepped into his personal bubble.

His scent – or rather – his lack of it.

It wasn’t that Yoongi wanted anyone’s scent particularly far up his nose on any given day. He liked to keep a wide circle around himself. Nevertheless, scents were one of the quickest ways of assessing one’s surroundings, of someone’s intentions. . . not having access to it was a bit disconcerting, particularly when Yoongi was less than trusting on the best of days.

“Your scent-” he began, watching in mild interest as the smile he was afraid was becoming permanently glued to the omega’s mouth faltered slightly, his cheeks burning beneath Yoongi’s gaze.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, and only then did Yoongi realize how outlandishly rude he was being, even for him.

“I only meant-” he said, trying to salvage what was an undeniably sinking ship start to the conversation “it’s-”

He winced, stepping forward as if that would somehow help his case only to watch in shock as Taehyung took a rapid step back, eyes wide with alarm even as the same smile remained uncomfortably rooted to his face, if only just a bit smaller.

“S-sorry,” the omega stuttered at the same time Yoongi blurted “honey!”.

“I’m sorry?” Taehyung tried again, breaking the silence that had followed their twin exclamations.

Yoongi felt mortified in a way he hadn’t in ages, certain all the blood in his body must have found a new home in his cheeks as he tried to gather himself.

It wasn’t as though he particularly cared what some omega thought of him -even one as pretty as Taehyung – but he’d been so caught off guard by his seeming lack of scent, and then even further caught off guard by his own unusually rude reaction. His mother would be scandalized on his behalf if she could only see him now.

In his fumbling, the closer he got, the more he was able to make out what was now the faint scent of honey. Light enough to be near undetectable unless in his immediate vicinity but once he’d caught a whiff. . . he couldn’t help thinking that it was one of the nicest scents he’d ever come across.

It was unfortunate that he couldn’t put any of that into words without looking far stupider than he already did. Not to mention, it appeared as though he’d startled the omega.

“Sorry,” he muttered, ignoring Taehyung’s apology entirely. “Honey,” he cleared his throat and, realizing belatedly that it may seem as though he were calling Taehyung some endearment, hurriedly added, “your scent’s nice”.

Several seconds went by before-

“Oh,” Taehyung breathed, looking far too delighted over the mess that had been his half-baked compliment. His blinding smile was back and brighter than ever, if possible, as he took a shy step forward.

Well, at least he no longer seemed terrified of the alpha. That was a start. Even if he found the intensity of the other’s optimism a bit distasteful.

“Should we get going?” He knew it perhaps wasn’t the gentlest of segues, but he didn’t think he could stand to hear fawning thanks or worse, over-enthusiastic compliments of Yoongi’s own rather bland scent.

The omega blinked, hesitating for only a second before nodding good naturedly.

Yoongi felt relief flood through him, heartened by the fact that he hadn’t seemed to put Taehyung off of him entirely.

He may not be interested in a mate but if they were to share a home at some point, he’d at least like some friendly tolerance of one another.

All things considered, Taehyung had looked genuinely touched by the compliment, as monumentally awkward as it had been.

“This way,” Taehyung murmured, and it was only then that Yoongi registered just how deep the omega’s voice was. It was lovely and, for some reason, he found that fact to be rather annoying.

Taehyung led him in the direction between the two his pack and his father had separated into.

The walk was silent, but if it bothered Taehyung, he didn’t broadcast it. In fact, he seemed wholly oblivious to the standoffish attitude the alpha couldn’t quite seem to shake. Every so often he would point out something or other of note, and Yoongi knew he wouldn’t remember a bit of it the next day. Not in the least because the omega’s voice was just so damn distracting.

“And . . . here we are,” Taehyung said, gesturing to a large dwelling before them.

Like the other pack residences, it was fairly nondescript on the outside but well kempt in a way that signaled the Kims cared quite a lot about maintaining their tight appearance.

The only thing that distinguished the home before them from the other pack residences was the way it was set further apart from the rest, standing tall and significantly larger upon the hill. The only dwelling that surpassed that was that of the Leader, in the very center of town.

He took in the neat black trim, cream walls, and small but well-tended garden in the front.

“This is where I’ll be staying?” Yoongi asked for clarification.

The details of the move were largely unknown to him. He’d been quietly opposed to the merger but knew the decision was ultimately his father’s, and his father’s alone. As a result, he hadn’t bothered to avail himself of the information they had prior to the move. A poor decision for the future leader? Perhaps, but he’d hardly beat himself up over it.

“Er-” Taehyung began – his smile turning just a tad apologetic as he shifted awkwardly on his feet.

He was clearly uncomfortable, and for the life of him, Yoongi couldn’t figure out why.

“They’re technically, our dwelling,” Taehyung said sheepishly.

And there it was. The alpha could fucking kick himself for how irresponsible he’d been not at least getting that cleared up before their arrival.

He was quiet for a long moment, silently processing the information. Why in the world Taehyung didn’t live in one of the wings in the Head Household, and instead lived apart out on his own, was a mystery Yoongi was baffled by but didn’t feel quite invested enough in to ask.

Shit.

“Not that we have to share a nest or anything!” Taehyung rushed to add, eyes wide as his smile crumpled around the edges. “Of course, I’d respect your den, and it’s rather big! There are multiple rooms, we’re not expected to share, not until of course, well-” he trailed off, uncertain of himself. “Sorry,” he ultimately finished with, looking smaller than his height should ever allow.

“It’s . . . fine,” Yoongi said hesitantly, quickly trying to internally adjust to the new situation.

Like Taehyung said, the house was big, and they had time.

Time until . . .

Yoongi didn’t allow himself to finish the thought, refusing to acknowledge, even mentally, the ticking clock on his expected selection of a mate. The mate in question being the panicking omega in front of him.

He cleared his throat. “Really, it’s fine. It’s not as though I expected anything different.”

Not quite the truth, but not entirely a lie either.

“And it’s not like we need to avoid each other,” he added quickly.

He didn’t know the omega well, but he could already picture the unbearable tip-toeing around in his own home, awkwardly avoiding each other out of sheer discomfort. It would be unbearable, and he’d rather tolerate someone in his space and the occasional small talk over the alternative any day.

“I was just surprised, the move is a lot, y’know?” he clarified, trying to ease the tension radiating off of the other man.

“Right, of course,” Taehyung said, shoulders sagging with visible relief. “I can only imagine how tired you all are. If you want, we can go inside. There’s lots to drink, and I’m not the best cook-” he said sheepishly, an apologetic air of disappointment accompanying the words, “but I can also make you something to eat, too.”

“I-”

“Or!” he added hurriedly, wringing his hands together tightly, “or we can go into the pack center and get pre-made food. Or maybe you want to see your family again, I can show you where your brother will be staying. . .”

Yoongi was curious how far Hoseok would be from him, but he was lying if he said he wasn’t starving from the journey.

“I’m sure your cooking is great,” Yoongi said absentmindedly, honestly willing to eat anything if it would satisfy the hunger that had determinedly been making itself known since they’d set out for the Kim Pack’s territory.

“Oh. . .well,” Taehyung said haltingly, eyes wide in surprise, “I don’t know about that, but I’m happy to try!”

Happy seemed to be an understatement with the eager determination in the younger man’s eyes.

“Really, it’s not that big of a deal,” Yoongi tried, wondering just what he’d gotten himself into. “If you want, I can-”

“No, no, no,” Taehyung cut him off, shaking his head with force, “you just got here, I can’t have you cooking for me” he exclaimed, seemingly genuinely distressed by the mere thought of the alpha taking the task to hand himself.

“It’s really-”

“Let me show you inside,” Taehyung said, cutting him off. As if realizing his rudeness, he quickly backpedaled, a blush high and bright on his cheeks. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to demand, just that-” he fumbled for his words, grasping for something to say that was seemingly beyond him. After another moment of struggling he added, “If you’d let me, I’d really like to show you around your new space and cook you something nice to eat.”

Really, how could Yoongi say no to that, particularly when the omega was looking back at him with such wide and expressive eyes, silently pleading with the alpha to let him do this one small mark of kindness for him.

“Alright. . . if, you’re sure.”

“I am,” Taehyung said, smile blinding and brilliant as he gestured for Yoongi to enter the home ahead of him.

One thing that Yoongi noticed as he followed the man inside was that the home was clean – pristine, even.

So clean that Yoongi felt mildly grubby in comparison, even though he’d dressed relatively well. He wondered how long it took to scrub the floors so that he could see a vague glimpse of his reflection. How long had it taken to hang each photo perfectly straight? Where did all personal belongings go? Aside from a blanket tucked neatly into the corner of the couch, Yoongi had yet to spot anything.

It was nice, not too ostentatious by any means, but had a feeling of bereft that he didn’t quite like.

He peered around the mid-sized kitchen, feeling out of place as he wedged himself in the corner by the sink, while Taehyung made a beeline for the fridge.

The tiles were blue, the cabinets had neat green trim, and the curtains for the window above the sink were pulled back to reveal sunshine and endless expanses of land that the pack owned. He managed to catch a glimpse into one of the cabinets Taehyung opened, revealing mismatched mugs and plates mixed with the odd piece of pottery or two. It was the only indication that the home had actual occupants, instead of serving as some glamorized display house.

“You can sit down,” Taehyung said quietly, throwing a soft smile over his shoulder as he readied himself at the stove. “You must be tired.”

Loathe as the alpha was to admit any form of weakness, even in the form of general fatigue, he obligingly walked over to the table in the opposite corner of the kitchen and plopped himself down on one of the wooden chairs. It was with no small degree of restraint that he managed to refrain from examining the ornately carved legs of it, biting his cheek in way of reminder that not everyone was as interested in carpentry and interior décor as he.

Or, perhaps someone was, given that the table, deep blue cloth, and sparse decorations around the room were perhaps lacking personality, but clearly picked out with a careful eye for detail and precision.

“How does jjajangmyeon sound?” Taehyung called over his shoulder, a pan already in hand.

“Sounds amazing,” Yoongi answered honestly, stomach clenching to remind him of his yet-to-be-addressed hunger.

Taehyung’s answering smile was bright – so bright in fact that Yoongi wasn’t certain his small but honest reaction warranted such joy. It felt almost wrong being on the receiving end of such a beatific look, like he was unworthy in the face of divinity. Shaking the thought off, he coughed awkwardly, looking around the room for some form of inspiration.

“Did you decorate this place?” he asked after a moment.

The omega paused briefly – he seemed very prone to bouts of hesitation – before turning back to the stove, a newfound tenseness stiffening his shoulders.

“I did,” he affirmed quietly. “If it’s not to your liking, we can redecorate, of course.”

Yoongi’s brows furrowed, wondering if he’d somehow implied displeasure by the simple question.

He was slightly perturbed that Taehyung would so readily tailor his home to his tastes. He wasn’t certain if that degree of acquiescence ran throughout all omegas of the Kim Pack, or just this one in particular.

“No, I really like it. You’ve got an eye for detail.”

“Oh,” Taehyung breathed. The single word was quiet and full of so much wonder Yoongi once again felt wholly undeserving. “Thank you.”

His ears had turned an endearing shade of red, and the alpha couldn’t help wondering if Taehyung was always so easily flustered, or if Yoongi were merely having a particular effect on him due to the newness of the situation and just how heavy it was.

He wasn’t certain how they would go about discussing their potential mating. He was hardly eager to acknowledge that the omega was basically being presented over to him as a gift of sorts, and he could only imagine how Taehyung was feeling about it as well.

The whole situation was strange, least of all due to the quirkiness of his companion.

He let his fingers trail along the trim of the table, mulling over his options.

“How many rooms are there?” he asked after a moment, realizing that they were still a ways off from taking a proper tour of the place.

“Three,” Taehyung said quietly, pulling two mugs from the cabinet in front of him. “A bedroom, a guest room and one for. . .”

His cheeks colored as he trailed off, and Yoongi could surmise it was likely set aside as a dedicated heat room or rutting den, depending on needs. While they were a bit rare, space being a luxury in their formerly overcrowded pack area, Yoongi tended to prefer the separate, dedicated space. It was easier to clean and easier on the senses; part of him was quietly pleased by the knowledge.

However, from the stiffness that had returned to the omega’s shoulders, he belatedly realized he’d once again let silence go on for too long.

“How would you prefer to share the space?” he asked, deciding on the blunt approach.

“I’m fine with whatever you like,” Taehyung responded immediately, setting the kettle to boil.

Yoongi frowned, uncertain what to make of the response.

“Do you prefer to sleep separately-” the alpha ventured, unable to read the younger man’s expression with his back turned.

“I don’t have a preference,” Taehyung hurried, checking on the noodles. “Any room is open to you of course. I know it may be expected-”  he cut off, turning off the stove and fiddling with the knob for a second to evidently buy himself more time.

Once the noodles had been removed and successfully plated, he turned back to Yoongi, no longer able to shy away from the question.

“Obviously my bed is open should you choose, my nests may be a bit. . . different, from what I’ve gathered,” he said haltingly, face screwed up in mortification as he struggled to get the words out, “but I can adjust to your preferences!”

Yoongi struggled to contain his expression, feeling particularly perturbed by the idea of an omega adjusting their nest to what suited him best. An omega’s nest was a near sacred space, only to be entered with express permission. The barrier of entry was even higher for alphas, those the omega deemed worthy the only allowed in. It was something all pups learned to respect from a young age. So, to say he was surprised by Taehyung’s decided lack of possessiveness of his own was putting it mildly.

“I’d never-” Yoongi rushed to say, caught off guard mid-way as Taehyung slid a bowl in front of him. Despite the omega’s earlier disclaimer, it smelled delicious.

“I mean it, really,” Taehyung said earnestly, “whatever your pre-”

“My preference is your preference,” Yoongi said firmly. He felt a dull headache coming on and his stomach flipped eagerly at the smell of hot food in front of him. “I don’t have any opinions on nests, if it’s half as nice as you’ve decorated the place, I’m sure it’s fine. But I have no expectations here,” he said, holding out his hand gently in a show of peace. “If you’re not comfortable with me in your space so soon, I’d like to respect that. We’ve just met and may have a long while together, we should make sure we’re both comfortable.”

Taehyung froze, standing uncertainly in front of the table as he considered the words – wide-eyed and incredulous.

“I-” he began, only to be cut off by the whistling of the kettle. Flustered, he turned to remove it from the open flame and poured the water into two blue mugs with flowers dotting the rim.

With hesitant steps he carefully brought the mug back to the table, sliding one over to Yoongi before setting the second on the space across from the alpha, before he too took a seat at the table.

The silence was suffocating as the steam from the tea floated up between them, settling slowly as though a visual representation of the stilted awkwardness.

“I think,” Yoongi said, gently pulling the food before him closer to himself, careful under Taehyung’s watchful gaze. He cleared his throat, trying not to feel as though he were being evaluated as he prepared a bite, “it may be best if I take the guest room for now. Only if you’re okay with that, that is.”

Taehyung’s face was inscrutable even as he nodded slowly. There was an upset air about him, but Yoongi didn’t know where to begin in sleuthing out its source; the possibilities were endless.

“That’s perfectly fine,” Taehyung said, even as his posture remained on-edge. He licked his lips, and Yoongi tried not to notice the plumpness of them.  “I’ve just recently switched the bedding and cleaned; it should be ready for you to settle into.”

“That sounds perfect,” Yoongi said, meaning it if there would truly be no hassle with him getting moved in and settled. He was more than willing to take whatever option got him into a wash and warm bed the quickest.

Taehyung nodded, watching as Yoongi took a tentative bite of food, eager to fill his stomach.

It was good. He wasn’t certain if it was exceptional, or if he was just hungrier than he’d initially assessed, but all the same it was more than he could have asked for as the pleasant taste settled on his tongue. He said as much after he’d managed to swallow down a few more mouthfuls.

The flush that Yoongi was learning to be rather well acquainted with once again graced the omega’s cheeks as he murmured his thanks, unable to quite contain the bright smile playing at the corner of his lips.

As if noticing Yoongi’s stare, he was quick to raise his mug to his lips, ignoring the steam still rolling from within in an unsuccessful attempt to mask his pleased grin.

Despite the steam being a more than adequate signifier of the heat within, Taehyung still managed to swallow a generous sip, only to yelp a moment later as the scalding heat settled in his mouth.

He pulled his tongue between his teeth, cheeks coloring even darker in his mortification as he gently blew at the scalding liquid.

Yoongi snorted, unable to entirely muffle his laugh, any more than he was able to conceal the begrudgingly fond gaze he fixed the omega with.

Taehyung was a walking oddity, and yet he had an innocent charm about him that on anyone else it would have annoyed the alpha, but somehow, inexplicably, the younger man only came off as exceedingly endearing.

That, or the journey had truly exhausted him more than his body had initially let on.

He took another bite as Taehyung seemed to compose himself once more, no longer timid in the display of his smile. It felt too tender to not be something intimate, and Yoongi distracted himself with cooling down his own tea until his heart could get itself under control.

“Jin hyung is coordinating moving everyone’s belonging to the right place,” Taehyung said after another moment, mercifully changing the subject. “If you want to wash up and get some rest, I can wait up for your things. It’s not quite winter, but the nights are already getting long. It’ll be dark soon enough.”

Yoongi looked up, getting a peak out of what he could see from between blue curtains and saw that, just as Taehyung had said, it was already nearing dusk.

The day had somehow simultaneously been too long and so short that it was baffling.

“That would be great,” Yoongi said earnestly, relieved to have one less thing to worry about.

They spent the rest of his meal in relative silence, Taehyung seemingly content to let Yoongi eat while he took careful sips of his cooling tea.

Despite his protests, Taehyung insisted on taking care of his dishes, outright refusing to let Yoongi help clear any of the meal while he hurried to leave the kitchen spotless once more. It was astounding how quickly he was able to make work of the dishes and cleaning utensils, barely giving Yoongi time to work up the effort for a second round of protests before he was finished and back at the alpha’s side.

“Let me show you to the bathroom,” he said softly, voice sweet and lulling in a way that Yoongi couldn’t help wondering if it was intentional or not.

He dutifully followed the omega through the home, taking note of some of the pictures that lined the walls. While each picture was widely varied in size and subject matter, it was clear that each had been taken with the utmost of care even if by a professional amateur. He wondered if Taehyung had been behind the majority of them.

The occasional photograph would have Taehyung himself in them, and Yoongi found himself interested in those the most. They often had one or two other young men in them, all with laughing eyes and bright smiles that seemed far louder than the omega Yoongi had gotten to know thus far.

He made note to ask about them sometime, perhaps when they settled in more.

He was led to a second bathroom, between the guest bedroom and what he presumed to be the Cycle Room, and equally as nicely decorated.

It smelled pleasantly of lavender, but not in an overbearing way as was often the case. He’d barely turned to take in the space before Taehyung was materializing at his side once more, several fluffy towels now in hand.

“Feel free to use any of the soaps or shampoos,” he said, carefully balancing the stack of cloths on the sink’s edge. He wiped an errant strand of honeyed hair behind his ear, glancing around the restroom once more as if to check that everything was in order. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded once to himself before casting inquiring eyes back on the alpha. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

Yoongi looked him over, recognizing that, despite his broader chest and minimally more muscular physique, Taehyung was noticeably taller than him with longer extremities. The thought of being dwarfed in the omega’s clothes was a minorly mortifying one, but greatly outweighed by the desire to be in something fresh and clean.

“Sorry to ask but, could I bother you for a set of clothes?”

The omega’s eyes widened, evidently horrified that he hadn’t thought of the suggestion himself. “Of course!” he exclaimed, frowning severely for the oversight. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking-”

“Really,” Yoongi said, beginning to feel a bit put out, “it’s alright. If it’s any trouble-”

“No trouble at all!” Taehyung interrupted, already fleeing from the room and down the hall, ostensibly to the bedroom.

Before he could properly process the hasty exit, Taehyung was already making his way back over to the alpha, a bundle of clothes in hand.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Taehyung sighed, setting the haphazardly folded pile onto the towels. “Please forgive me for the oversight!”

“Really,” Yoongi sighed, trying to keep the usual bite out of his words. It was clear the omega was more than a little on edge. Whether because of the peculiarity of the situation, or if it was his normal demeanor, Yoongi didn’t know, but he was loathe to exacerbate it if he could help it. “It’s no big deal, thank you for letting me borrow some.”

Taehyung waved away the thanks, still a bit flustered as he hurried to fold the clothes into a neater stack.

“I think these will do,” he murmured, casting a furtive glance over the alpha to make sure. “If you’d like anything else, please let me know. I’ll be in the kitchen so I should hear if you call, but please feel free to make yourself comfortable anywhere here.”

“Thank you,” Yoongi said quietly, eager to wash up now that he had everything needed. He hadn’t had a moment of quiet to himself since they’d set out that morning, and the prosect of steam, warm water, and solace was more appealing than he cared to admit. “I really appreciate all of your kindness.”

Taehyung’s answering smile was smaller than the others, but no less sincere as a fraction of the tension seemed to melt from him. He took a small breath, straightening a little as he nodded, taking a step back so that the doorway now stood between them.

“Have a good wash,” he said quickly, throwing one last grin over his shoulder before he turned and disappeared down the hallway and around the corner from which they’d just come.

Yoongi stared after him for a moment longer, unsure where to begin in formulating his opinion of the kind, strange omega that he would now be cohabitating with.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the heady lavender and the sweetest, if ever so faint, scent of honey.

+++

Taehyung’s leg tapped restlessly against the back of the sofa, trying not to think of the likely naked alpha currently in his bathroom, or all the things he had yet to do around the territory. He had meant to stop at the nursery to see if any of the caretakers needed help. The gutters were getting clogged, and he had hoped to have that taken care of. So much to do. . . so little progress.

The steady stream of the shower was a reassuring sound, letting him know he still had a few moments longer to get himself together. He was no fool, he was well aware that he’d probably made a less than stellar impression on his potential-future-mate. But what’s done is done, and all he could do was strive to make the best of things.

His heart jumped to his throat as a knock sounded from the front door, effectively jarring him from his thoughts.

He stood, taking a steadying breath as he quickly strode over to the door.

“Hyung,” he said, relief lightening him considerably as he came face to face with Jin. “You’re here.”

“Bearing gifts,” Jin said amusedly, holding up four small suitcases, two in either arm. “I hear these relatively light loads are for your mate.”

“Shh,” Taehyung hurried to shush the omega, peering frantically behind himself to ensure that Yoongi was still indeed in the shower. “He’ll hear you.”

“He won’t,” Jin scoffed, but even so, he made a point to lower his voice as he stepped over the threshold and into his friend’s home. “Besides, shouldn’t you both be getting used to the idea?”

“It’s been less than three hours,” Taehyung refuted, guiding Jin into the living room where he sat the suitcases to the side and out of the way.

“Same thing, that’s been more than long enough for me to get a feel for the alphas joining us,” he dismissed, and there was a certain note of mischief to the words that had Taehyung’s eyebrows raising.

“And by ‘get a feel for’ you mean?”

The older man smirked, “All I can say is the prospect of selecting a mate no longer seems so hopeless with the wealth of new possibilities now joining us. Particularly those in the Head Household.”

The omega didn’t know whether to be surprised, or impressed, that the elder had managed to make such progress so fast to the point where he was already entertaining the prospects of mating.

“Really, now?” he asked, thoroughly intrigued.

“That Hoseok- the adoptive second-in-line alpha?”

Taehyung nodded, remembering the seemingly friendly alpha from earlier.

“He’s not half bad,” Jin shrugged, attempting, and drastically failing, to feign nonchalance.

“Mmm, not half bad?” Taehyung mused, eyebrows climbing further up his hairline. “To look at or-”

“Shut up,” Jin said, pink tinging his cheeks even as he pretended to be busy straightening the sparse luggage Yoongi had brought with him for the journey. “He’s got a nice smile is all I’m saying,” he huffed, and then, “it’s not as though I’m getting any younger anyway.”

Taehyung clucked his tongue, looking disapprovingly at the elder as he sighed “hyung, you know you’re not old.”

“Not old,” he stressed, “but older. If I don’t find a mate through this merger, it may never happen.”

The omega scoffed, disbelieving of the frankly outlandish statement. “If you’re getting past your mating prime,” he said, rolling his eyes at the very idea of it, “then there’s no hope for any of us. Least of all me.”

“What’s that supposed to me?” Jin said, his eyes narrowing in that scrutinizing way of his that never failed to make Taehyung feel like a misbehaving pup.

“You know what it means,” Taehyung groaned, eyeing the bags and wondering if it would be getting ahead of himself to place the luggage in the guest room so that Yoongi wouldn’t have to.

“I don’t, enlighten me,” Jin said flippantly.

Taehyung eyed him dourly. They’d had this conversation more times than he could count, and by now he was starting to wonder if his hyung’s persistent protests were merely to be difficult more than anything else.

“No one in the pack wants me, and for good reason. I have no scent, my heats are weak, I can’t produce proper slick. . . it’ll be a miracle if I can provide an alpha heir.”

“Yah!” Jin said, thoroughly aghast. “Not this again, what’s gotten into you?”

Taehyung shrugged, unable to meet his friend’s worried gaze as he went about adjusting the couch cushions that were already perfectly in place.

“Taehyung,” Jin murmured, the omega’s voice dipping into that sympathetic register that both had Taehyung wanting to sink into his friend’s warmth, or tuck tail between his legs and run for the hills. “You know none of that is true.”

“I don’t,” he huffed, eyes scanning the room for something else to clean with little success.

“You have a scent,” Jin argued, ticking the point off on his finger as he went. “And it’s lovely.”

“It’s weak, you can’t smell it unless your nose is basically in my scent gland.”

Jin snorted, giving Taehyung an exaggerated once over before he crooned, “and what a lovely neck it is, any alpha would be lucky to get close enough.”

“Hardly,-”

“And who wants strong heats anyway?” Jin continued, giving the omega no room for arguing. “Who knows, when you get a mate, that may all change, you never know how your body will adapt to whichever alpha you take on. For all you know your heats will last two weeks and you’ll slick so much the absorbent sheets will go out! Why not enjoy it while you can?”

Taehyung wrinkled his nose at the thought, trying not to imagine such an unappealing situation.

For as hyperbolic as it may sound, his friend wasn’t exactly incorrect. Depending on the compatibility of the pair, and if one’s secondary gender leaned more dominant than recessive, sometimes a mate’s body would undergo minor adjustments to increase compatibility with one’s bonded mates. Sometime heats would get stronger to attract a dominant partner, sometimes an alpha’s dominating scent would diminish to accommodate their partner if too potent. It was all a matter of chance.

Even still, Taehyung had no way to be certain that his father or pack as a whole would be any more welcoming to him should his heats become ‘normal’. In all likelihood, he’d be just as much of an outsider as he presently was, only with the added humiliation of an alpha not even being enough to ‘sort him out’.

“It’s not like any of that matters now,” Taehyung sighed, unwilling to continue the argument that always seemed to have the same forgone conclusion.

The sound of the water shutting off silenced whatever comeback had been readied on the tip of the elder’s tongue, both omegas instead turning their heads in the direction of the washroom.

“Oh,” Jin breathed, as if just now aware he’d be able to meet the Min heir. “What’s he like?”

“He’s. . . nice,” Taehyung began, unsure if it was truly an apt description. He wasn’t certain if the initial aloofness and stilted conversation had to do with an inherent standoffishness of the alpha or was merely a proportionate reaction to his own excessive levels of awkwardness. Only time would tell.

“Is he now?” Jin said, seemingly genuinely surprised. “His brother said he was, erm- unique?”

“Unique,” Taehyung echoed, tasting the euphemism on his tongue. “How so?”

“I believe he said he was like hard candy- a tough exterior but gooey inside.”

“Right,” Taehyung said, trying to imagine the stoic alpha from earlier with a ‘gooey’ anything. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jin smiled, looking nearly as uncertain as Taehyung felt but obviously trying to put up an optimistic front for his friend.

“Well,” he said after a moment, smile just a bit softer, “I should get going. I imagine there will be a lot of adjustments to see to, I don’t want to interrupt your first night together.”

Part of Taehyung wanted to beg his hyung to stay, very eager to have the first night interrupted if it meant preventing any of the painfully uncomfortable interactions of earlier from reoccurring. Nevertheless, he knew he had a pack’s worth of reputation to dispute and having his hyung third-wheel his potential mate’s first night in his – their – home, would probably not do himself any favors.

“Okay,” he mumbled, trying not to look as dejected as he felt. He cleared his throat, trying for a decidedly more chipper tone as he asked, “how is everyone else settling in, how’d the move go?”

“All things considered, better than I’d prepared for, but with a healthy amount of bumps. I take it the Min’s are a bit more  . . . reserved then what we tend to be. It’s not often my jokes don’t land.”

“Mmm, sounds like they’re perfectly normal then,” Taehyung teased, grin widening at his hyung’s indignant squawk.

“Brat,” he chastised, turning his nose up comically at his fellow omega. “I’ll have them doubled over in laughter yet!”

“I’m sure,” Taehyung said good humoredly, gently ushering his hyung towards the front door. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

“You better,” Jin snorted, reaching out a hand to brush off non-existent dirt on his dongsaeng’s shoulder. “We’ve got a meeting with the joint pack heads and council, meaning you, me, our lovely fathers, and the heads of the Min’s will get to spend hours on end together hammering out the transition.”

“Sounds lovely,” Taehyung muttered, already feeling drained by the prospect.

“We’ll get through it somehow,” Jin said good naturedly, tugging Taehyung forward and into a warm hug.

The omega settled into it, content to let his hyung’s strong arms envelop him as he pressed his face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his fresh sea-breeze scent.

“It’ll be better than you think,” Jin reassured once more, squeezing him just a bit tighter, before stepping back. “Try and get some rest tonight.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung nodded, hoping he sounded more optimistic than he felt. “You too, hyung.”

With one last smile and a friendly wave, Jin opened the front door and disappeared through it, effectively leaving Taehyung to his thoughts.

The night had indeed collapsed into dusk, and a gust of cool evening air that had blown in with the closing of the door gently ruffled the omega’s hair as he took a moment to gather his thoughts, staring at the deep green of the door before him.

Distantly, he heard the opening and shutting of a door before the padding of feet out into the living room a moment later.

He took another second to collect himself, before turning around to face the newcomer with a determined smile.

Whatever half-formed greeting he’d been prepared to make promptly died on his tongue as he took in the alpha.

Yoongi stood before him, just the same as earlier, but decidedly wetter.

Despite the towel wrapped around his shoulders, dark strands were still plastered to his forehead, water dripping steadily from the ends. Even with the towel’s best efforts, some of the dampness had settled into the alpha’s borrowed shirt, making the material effectively hug his chest.

And what a broad chest it was.

The omega could feel his mouth going slightly dry at the sight, unprepared for the sudden attractiveness of the powerful alpha in the midst of his unassuming living room.

He swallowed, forcing himself to look away from how his large shirt ultimately wasn’t as large as he assumed it’d be on the shorter man, thoroughly stretched over his strong arms and muscled chest.

“Was everything alright?” he eventually asked, forcing himself to make eye contact with the man.

“It was perfect, thank you,” Yoongi said readily, without the stiffness that had so often accompanied his statements earlier. He looked around subtly, finally noticing his bags as he nodded in their direction. “Am I alright to take those into the spare room?”

“Of course,” Taehyung said, quickly stepping over to where they sat. “Let me help you.”

Yoongi made as though to refuse the help, but seemed to think better of it, closing his mouth around the half-formed sentence a moment later and allowing Taehyung to pick up one of his bags, stubbornly grabbing the other three himself.

Taehyung wasn’t thrilled at the alpha having to do any work to settle himself in, but a small, often silent part of himself, couldn’t help feeling pleased at the alpha’s refusal to let him do the lion’s share of the work. It was a consideration very rarely afforded to him.

The walk to the bedroom was short, and the luggage light. Taehyung wondered just what the alpha had deemed relevant enough to pack up and take with him on this new, undeniably massive, chapter of his life.

He bit his lip, tamping down on his curiosity, as he placed the bags carefully on the carpet beside the dresser.

“Is there anything else I can get you? Water? More blankets?”

The alpha offered a strained smile. “No thank you, I think I’ll be fine for now.”

“Oh, okay,” Taehyung said, unsure what to do with himself. It wasn’t late enough in the evening to go to sleep, but he didn’t want to invade the alpha’s space after what had surely been a long day. “Well, if that changes, just let me know.”

“Thank you,” Yoongi offered again, motionless save for his gaze that tracked Taehyung’s movements to the door.

“Right, well, I’ll leave you to it then,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound as awkward as he felt as he stepped over the threshold.

He shut the door behind himself before the older man had a chance to respond. He cringed at the abruptness of it but would rather slam his hand in the door with intention before he went back through it to explain himself.

Taking a deep breath, he resolutely turned and made his way back to the living room. Tomorrow was always a new day. He just hoped, against all odds, that he could at least get through the night as painlessly as possible.

+++

Yoongi stirred to soft rays of sunlight tickling his face. Begrudgingly, he cracked an eye open, immediately spotting the offending crack between the curtains before stubbornly closing it again to get a last, lingering moment of rest.

If he were being honest with himself, he’d slept better in one night than he had in a week back home. Perhaps it was the newness of the situation – the calm of settling in before the chaos he was so used to in their home territory – or maybe it was the delicious scent of sweet honey and spiced cloves lingering on the bed sheets and pillows. If he buried his face in them, hoping to chase the faint whiff that he did manage- well, no one had to be the wiser.

His brief moment of early-morning respite was quickly interrupted by a quiet knock at the door. He froze, mind racing through who it could be before his brain helpfully supplied that there was only one other person in the home.

Glancing down at himself, he deemed himself presentable, even after having shed the shirt he had been leant sometime in the middle of the night.

He cleared his throat, his voice still sleep-roughened as he called, “Come in.”

There was a moment’s hesitation on the other end, before the door was slowly pushed open, a bright-smiling, bed-headed omega peeking around its end a moment later.

“Good morning,” Taehyung said, voice soft so as not to disturb the quiet stillness of the morning. His smile turned a tad apologetic but was nevertheless just as stunning as all the others. “I would have let you sleep, but our fathers were pretty clear on the time we’ll all gather. I made breakfast though!”

Just as he’d spoken, Yoongi finally got a whiff of something delicious smelling coming from the general direction of the kitchen.

There was no clock in the room, so he had no way of placing the time, but from the level of light he could see, it was still relatively early in the morning. How much earlier would the omega have had to awaken in order to prepare a meal?

“Thank you,” he said sincerely, “I truly appreciate all the hospitality, but I don’t want you to put yourself out. If we’ll be living together, I should pull my weight. No need to cook.”

The younger man’s face fell instantly, the crestfallen expression hitting Yoongi like a brick. He held in a wince, wondering if his attempt to be considerate had only served to make him look like more of an asshole.

“Sorry,” Taehyung said, fingers tightening around the door’s edge, “I just thought, since you’re still getting settled and we have an early start-”

“Right, of course,” Yoongi said, well and truly feeling like an idiot. “That was very kind of you. I’m sorry, I’m not used to people treating me so sweetly, I’m a bit awkward.”

There, he said it. Plain and true honesty that he hoped would explain away his seemingly routine faux pas. It felt excruciatingly awkward, but the softening of the omega’s eyes and tentative, shy smile he shot Yoongi’s way almost made it worth it.

“You think I’m sweet?”

The alpha blanched, surprised by the question even as his mind supplied ‘yes’ without hesitation.

Thankfully, he didn’t vocalize the thought as readily, but nevertheless found himself nodding in response.

“Very much so, I can’t applaud your hospitality enough.”

“Thank you,” Taehyung said, shuffling from foot to foot as though to restrain himself from dancing.

Cute.

Yoongi wasn’t used to seeing such awestruck reactions to casual compliments, and wondered if they were few and far between for the omega. He would be shocked, if that were the case. As it were, he wondered how anyone could constantly be in his presence without mentioning how his face looked like it was carved from marble, his laugh as rich as sweet syrup, and his scent – while faint – was calming and charming in a way that easily had the alpha craving more.

He suppressed a frown at that last thought, wondering if the omega was truly just that organically captivating, or if his rut was approaching sooner than thought.

“Well, I know you probably have your own morning routine to get to,” Taehyung said, speaking before the silence could last a tad too long.

He quickly disappeared behind the doorway, only to reappear a moment later, this time holding a tray laden with tea, fruit, meats, and an accompanying flower for decoration.

Despite his best efforts to school his expression, he couldn’t help the way his eyebrows shot up his forehead at the realization that Taehyung had made him breakfast in bed.

To say he was unused to such treatment, despite being the Pack Alpha’s son, would be a gross understatement.

He didn’t know if he felt touched or uncomfortable – likely a chaotic mixture of both as he watched Taehyung carefully set the tray on the bedside table with wide eyes and parted lips.

“I’ll just leave this here,” Taehyung murmured once he’d ensured the tray was in no danger of falling. “Call if you need anything!”

The alpha could only nod mutely as he watched the younger man flee from the room as unexpectedly as he had arrived.

He stared at the now closed door for several, confused moments, before looking back at the prettily laden meal beside him. His stomach rumbled with interest, even as his body warred with equal amounts of confusion and endearments. Two very different emotions for a very strange set of circumstances, and perhaps an even stranger omega- his potential mate.

Very strange indeed.

+++

The Pack Council Room of the Kim’s was large and open- reminiscent of a throne room despite the core furniture being one large circular table, with a number of plush chairs surrounding it. The room was lined with rich, dark wood paneling, and the floor draped with large, plush pelts and carpeting which must have been hard won.

It was a lovely space and, despite the heavy topics of discussion surely frequented within it, the fire in the corner and freshly picked flowers lining the wall brought a sense of comfort to all those gathered.

Despite cohabiting, Yoongi had seen relatively little of Taehyung since the previous night. They’d been joined by the Head of Council’s son – Jin, was it? – for the walk to the Pack Building, and other than their morning exchange around breakfast, had had little other conversation.

Even now, the omega sat across from him at the table, sandwiched between his father and the omega from earlier.

He was similarly situated, sat between his father on one side, and Hoseok on the other. His father’s own Council sat on the other side of the Min Leader, and the Head of Council’s son, Namjoon beside him.

There were others at the table with them – trusted officials and household representatives from both packs, but Yoongi had yet to be acquainted with the majority.

“Welcome, welcome!” The Kim Alpha spoke, bringing the meeting to an official start. “It is so good to all be gathered here today after so long. This is truly a historic merger, and it is quite refreshing to be at the forefront of it!”

Murmurs of agreement and approval came from all directions, but Yoongi couldn’t help but focus on the leader’s son, and the almost mechanical stillness with which he sat, gaze focused blankly and straight ahead as his posture remained ramrod straight and perfect.

If he hadn’t known better, with his stillness and chiseled good looks, Yoongi might have mistaken the man for a statue.

“From our previous visits between the two territories, we’ve been able to sort out much of the details, but of course, there are a few things left to be settled- and what better way than to do those in person!”

The alpha clapped to emphasize his words, and if he hadn’t already been staring at the younger, he may have missed Taehyung’s subtle flinch at the action.

Yoongi nodded, only half paying attention as his brain still struggled to wake up with only minimal caffeine.

He already knew what was coming. It had merely been alluded to the day before, but the reality of the situation was they were currently convened to properly discuss mating.

Living together was all well and good when it came to merging packs, but to truly bring them into the same fold where one would be considered inextricable from another required establishing bonds. Mating.

Yoongi knew it was coming, it was the primary reason so many representatives from so many households were joining them. A very common trait, if one were looking for it, was the decided lack of claiming marks on the majority of the younger generations’ necks- his included.

“It is truly inspiring,” the Leader continued, “that we have such a large, robust younger generation to shape our future. And I think I can speak for everyone when I express my eagerness and support for prosperous bonds among them.”

“Absolutely,” Yoongi’s father spoke, throwing a wide, but somewhat more subdued than his Kim counterpart, smile to the table at large. “I can speak for both of my sons,” he continued, clapping a large, pointed hand on Yoongi’s thigh beneath the table, “that they are ready, willing, and eager to establish permanent partnerships.”

Yoongi wouldn’t have picked any of those adjectives to describe his general sentiments surrounding events, but given his general lack of choice, he made no move to refute the falsehood.

Subtly, he cast a look over at Hoseok, noting his brother’s equally stiff smile, only minutely softer when it was directed in the Kim Counsel’s son’s direction. Interesting.

“Excellent,” the Kim Leader hummed, casting a look at his own son with much less confidence than Yoongi’s own father had regarded him with.

“I’d love to see unions between all the branches,” the Min Leader added, casting another look around the room. Representatives from eight families were present, and Yoongi wondered how this generation of the two packs would fair with the intermingling. “But perhaps we can start with the obvious choice,” he said, nodding to indicate Taehyung before him.

“Of course,” Jihyun said, looking at the omega he’d ostensibly raised with more distaste than perhaps warranted, even as a placid smile fixed itself to his lips. “Taehyung is an omega in his prime, surely fit to be an excellent mate to your heir- there are, of course, things that can be improved on, but I imagine this as a first union would be pivotal in settling the packs together.”

“Oh?” his father asked, giving Taehyung another, more critical once over as he asked measuredly, “what improvements?”

“Oh, nothing major,” the man said, in a way that definitely indicated he believed it to be more displeasing than his words let on. “You all probably haven’t had the opportunity to get acquainted much, but my son here is a bit of a late bloomer. Weak scent, weak heat. . . a little quirky,” he added with an even further strained smile if that was possible, “but the right alpha – as your eldest surely is – would be more than able to sort him out within the first month.”

Yoongi felt acid settle in his throat as he considered what ‘sorting out’ meant in this regard. He didn’t particularly see the problem with poor heats and though he’d very quickly – and rather humiliatingly – noted Taehyung’s demure scent, it was hardly a concern.

Quirky certainly seemed like an apt description from the sparse amount of time he’d spent around the omega, but it was no real matter to him, as long as they could live in relative peace- well, that was all he could really ask for.

“He’s also a hard worker,” Taehyung’s father rushed to add at the silence emanating from the other Pack Leader, “excellent at cleaning and the like. You’ll be able to put him to work quickly!”

Yoongi couldn’t help the scowl that made its way onto his face, instantly disliking the man. Their initial interactions had less than endeared him to the Kim Leader, but he had hoped it was just an initial wrong-footing. That hope seemed to be in vain as he digested the alpha’s words.

While he’d been avidly avoiding the risk of awkward eye contact, he couldn’t help glancing at the omega in question. Despite his height, he looked positively small, sat next to his father, hunched in on himself and eyes downcast as he dutifully listened to those discussing his existence as if he weren’t currently right there.

The tips of his ears were pink, and his plump bottom lip was pulled firmly between his teeth, as though he had to prevent any potential sounds or protests from slipping past.

Well, perhaps not protests. From the little he knew of the man, he seemed exceedingly accommodating, perhaps to a fault. He severely doubted Taehyung would move to argue if given the chance.

“Well, I’m more than certain that were they to bond, Yoongi could get his heats sorted and the like. That being said, are there any known fertility issues? I of course mean no disrespect by the question but given the circumstances. . . I’m sure you can understand.”

Yoongi’s scowl worsened as a leaden weight settled in his stomach. He had a strained relationship with his father, but he loved him, nevertheless. Still, that didn’t make his question any less unconscionable to the alpha. He lowered his eyes, too ashamed of his father’s clear disregard for the man’s feelings to properly look at him.

“No, no issues to be worried about,” he heard the Kim Pack’s Alpha say, his voice tight even as a faux congeniality laced his words. “He’s perfectly fit and breedable.”

Yoongi’s face twisted at the words, looking up at the ‘fit and breedable’ omega before him to gauge his reaction, only to watch the man shrink back before him.

Fucking perfect, he thought. He’d been told on more than one occasion that his face could be quite intimidating, often broadcasting any hint of displeasure he experienced. Normally, he didn’t give a flying fuck what people thought of him, save for those in his close inner circle, but this felt different. The weight in his stomach only became heavier as he considered his options.

Despite the omega’s clear efforts, he’d done little to present himself as a suitable partner in return, which perturbed him. He wasn’t necessarily concerned with being the perfect mate, but he hardly wanted his intended to be afraid of him.

Moons above, it was going to be an awkward coexistence for the immediate future.

“I see. . .” Yoongi’s father hummed, considering. He had his hands neatly crossed in front of him, his eyes narrow and keen in the way Yoongi recognized to mean that he had something even further unpleasant to say, but wanted to take care of his phrasing. “Well, it is a rather big commitment for us all, I’m sure. We want some guarantee of success for this union before we perhaps overinvest.”

Taehyung shifted restlessly in his seat, seemingly sensing the coming unpleasantness just as Yoongi had.

“Oh?” the other Head of Pack asked, his already strained smile sharpening just a bit. “What did you have in mind?”

Yoongi’s father licked his teeth, considering his words once more before charging forward with the question. “Well, when is his next heat due? Before we make anything permanent, let’s see how one goes, hmm?”

His father glanced at him, clearly seeking his agreement in the face of the tense silence around the table. All he could muster was a stiff nod. Despite how quick and near imperceptible the gesture had been, his father took it as all the agreement he needed to carry on.

“I mean no insult, of course,” he repeated. “We are very invested in making this work, we would just like to ensure all the puzzle pieces we’re assembling here fit together as nicely as possible, yes?”

“Of course,” Jihyun repeated, barely sparing a glance at his son, “that shouldn’t be a problem.” Then, as if realizing for the first time that his son was very much one of the two parties being discussed, turned back and asked him, “when’s your next heat due?”

Flustered but knowing that declining to answer wasn’t an option answered, “In a fortnight.”

“Well, then I suppose we can hammer out some of the lower unions now, and in a fortnight’s time, I’m sure you’ll be very satisfied with the prospects for the union of our heirs. How does that sound?”

“Excellent,” the Min Alpha beamed, clapping his son on the knee once more. “I’m sure you’re right.”

That seemed to appease the other man, relaxing somewhat in his seat once more as he nodded.

Yoongi looked to the omega across from him, unsurprised to see his gaze still steadfastly focused on the table.

He felt his stomach churn, unsettled by the thought of what was to come in the next two weeks. It wasn’t as though he were opposed to seeing him through his heat, he’d helped more than a few unmated omegas in their pack throughout the years. As the Leader’s son, it was more expected than not, and a needed and appreciated aid. And yet, the present situation was nothing like those instances.

He didn’t know how Taehyung typically spent his heats, but from the timidity he was so clearly radiating, Yoongi wasn’t certain it’d be a welcome help. And that was without mentioning the clear litmus test their fathers, and by extension the rest of the room, would conceive of it as. A small scowl twisted his lip, forcing him to direct the expression to his lap as he tried to get his frustration under control.

He wasn’t particularly invested in the ‘breedability’ of the omega – well, outside of acknowledging how objectively beautiful he was – and the thought of spending his heat with the intention of ‘making him bloom’ felt like both an unwelcome and uncomfortable responsibility.

If he were being truthful, he wasn’t even certain what they meant. Despite the elders’ best efforts to guide them through their schooling in all subjects, the nature of mating bonds and the physical effects were still largely known through anecdotal evidence and theories.

At the end of the day, it had something or other to do with compatibility and, judging by the way Taehyung hadn’t managed to look at him straight on in the last hour, he wasn’t certain they had much.

The meeting dragged on for a colossal three hours that he would never get back as they discussed ‘lower unions’, territory expansion, and housing divisions.

Despite not paying much attention to unfolding events, he was rather pleased to hear that the housing transition had been relatively smooth for the remainder of the pack, new dwellings being built and spaces redesigned months in advance.

He was less surprised by the pairing of Hoseok and the Kim Counsel’s son and, from what he could gather, the son in question also seemed unopposed.

For his brother’s sake, he certainly hoped himself and Taehyung would prove to be compatible. If not, the ‘natural’ next arrangement for the Leaders to make would be for Yoongi and Jin given that Taehyung had no siblings. He shuddered to think of the sheer messiness such a change would bring. He could only imagine the effect it’d have on Taehyung as well.

“Now seems like a good time to adjourn.”

Yoongi couldn’t have agreed more, despite not having the faintest idea whether they’d covered every agenda item or not. Moons he hoped so, otherwise they’d find themselves in another seemingly endless discussion.

His limbs were stiff as he rose and his smile equally mechanical as he followed his father around the room, offering pleasantries to those he hadn’t had the opportunity to meet on previous trips to the territory who would now be his packmates.

Such an odd thought.

Naturally, they circled to the opposite side of the room, now stood before the Kim Pack Alpha and Taehyung.

It appeared that, despite the time, the omega had still yet to find anything above shoulder height interesting enough to raise his gaze, his eyes firmly fixed on the ground as he stood at his father’s side.

Making small talk with Taehyung’s father was somehow worse than anticipated, truly finding the man and his outright disregard for his son disgraceful. He was more than content to let his father do the talking, guiding the four through conversation as they exited the room, and then the building, until they were all gathered out front beneath the sun’s harsh rays.

“Why don’t you both return home and get settled,” Yoongi’s father offered magnanimously. “It’s been a long day; further matters can wait.”

“Agreed,” Jihyun said heartily, “it’s best for you all to spend some additional time together alone as well, hmm?”

“Certainly,” Taehyung murmured, quick to agree with the man.

“Right,” Yoongi agreed, far slower as he looked at the omega.

To his credit, Taehyung looked far less petrified than he had at their first acquaintance, and the alpha hoped he would slowly ease into being in the other’s presence.

The adjournment was awkward, but if the two Pack Leads noticed, they didn’t let on as they strode in the other direction, stilted conversation engaged between them.

Despite it only being mid-afternoon, Yoongi was tired, and knew that as the day wore on, he’d only be more so.

Reluctantly, he turned back to face his partner.

The silence was palpably uncomfortable as they stared at one another- Taehyung wide-eyed and mute, and Yoongi dour-faced and equally quiet.

Evidently, the omega seemed to be waiting for him to break the ice first and so, with no small amount of diffidence, Yoongi said, “is there anywhere you need to be?”

It. . .could have been better said, but he’d tried all the same.

“N-not really,” Taehyung stuttered, looking around as though some very important matter was due to suddenly materialize. When he saw none, he turned back to the alpha, slightly befuddled. “Is there somewhere you’d like me to be?”

He shook his head, wondering when the last time he’d found himself being so pathetically awkward around another person had been. If Namjoon had been there to see him, the Head Counsel’s son surely would have laughed at him.

“No, no,” he reassured, glancing around in case he were mistaken. “I was just wondering, well- if you’re free, maybe we could do something. . . together?”

He wasn’t particularly interested in hanging out, but he knew the longer he delayed the inevitable, the harder things would be. They were staring down a possibly life-long future together, they may as well get used to being in the other’s presence sooner rather than later.

“Do something?” Taehyung asked as a light dusting of pink slowly crept up his cheeks. “Like what?”

“Just, I dunno, hang out. Considering we’re living together and everything, it might be good to get to know each other.”

The omega blinked, seemingly confused for a moment before he brightened once more, flashing a sweet smile at the alpha. “Oh! Of course! I’m sorry, I thought you meant – well, never mind that. That would be nice, very nice. I’d love to.”

Yoongi nodded, this time better prepared for the intensity of the younger man’s eagerness, even as he wondered what he had originally been thinking.

“Great,” he murmured, trying not to sound as under-enthusiastic as he truly was. “What shall we do, then?”

“Oh!” Taehyung said, once again seemingly caught off guard. “Sorry, I hadn’t really planned anything, I-”

“That’s alright,” he rushed to intrude, attempting to head off a string of additional apologies before they began. “It doesn’t have to be anything formal, it’s not-”

He hesitated. He had intended to say that it wasn’t a courtship, so there was no need to agonize over what to do or say. But, then again, he realized that despite the less than rare but still unusual circumstances, they were technically in the Courting Stage, the phase of a relationship prior to mating.

The alpha bit the inside of his cheek. He hadn’t even considered courting or the need for gifts. Traditionally, the alpha was supposed to display their desirability in the courting process through things like gifts, dates, displays of power and competence. At the moment, he was positive all he’d clearly displayed to the omega was his propensity towards disgruntlement, not the best of fronts, certainly.

“It’s not-” Taehyung prompted when the alpha didn’t continue his sentence.

“It’s not like you need to worry about impressing me or anything, it’s just casual.”

“Right,” Taehyung said, voice slightly tight. He no longer looked confusingly, but endearingly, flustered and instead had the expression of someone that had swallowed something sour but was too prideful to spit it out. “That makes sense.”

“We also don’t have to,” Yoongi said quickly, “if you’d rather wait to be courted more formally to get to know one another-”

“Courted?” Taehyung said incredulously, pulling the alpha up short. “Wha- what do you mean?”

The alpha groaned internally, wondering why he hadn’t paid more attention to Namjoon when his friend had tried to explain the pack dynamics of the group they’d be merging with. Was courting outdated by their standards? Was it too soon?

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to presume. If you’d rather not court, and let things happen differently, I’m fine with that as well.”

“No!” the omega yelped, taking an eager step towards the older man as he hurried, “of course I’d love to court, it’s just. . . we’re more or less already decided on as a pair should I-” he hesitated, cleared his throat, and then continued, “should I impress you and prove myself a viable mate. I didn’t expect you to want to go through the trouble of-”

His words cut off abruptly, his mouth instantly snapping shut as he looked at the alpha rather alarmed.

It took Yoongi a second to process the reaction, and another second longer to place the reason for it. Once he realized, a hot flush crept along his neck.

Without his strict permission, he’d begun to growl at the omega’s words. Nothing loud enough to attract attention were someone else in the area to begin with, but certainly enough to be heard.

He took a steadying breath, forcing the curl of his lip to straighten into somewhere between a smile and a grimace as he said, “I know what’s been said in there just now, and yesterday as well but-” he tried to wrap his head around just what he wanted to say. They were barely so much as acquaintances despite their potential bonding, and he didn’t want to cross boundaries he hadn’t even had an opportunity to see.

Nevertheless, he plowed on, the need to defend the omega somehow stronger than anticipated. “Our packs are merging; if we mate it’ll be all the better for them. But we’re not just heirs to be the next Leaders, we’re ourselves, too. If we’re gonna spend the rest of our lives together potentially, and lead two packs together- ” Stars, the very idea was daunting! “then we need to be equals here. There’s no ‘impressing me’ or proving yourself to be ‘viable’ or-” he stopped just short of breedable, not at all willing to go down that conversational path so soon. He swallowed. “I’d like us to take things as naturally as possible if you’re on board.”

For as uncomfortable as it’d been to say, it had apparently been as equally so to hear, given that Taehyung stood silent and uncertain before him.

The quiet continued to stretch on, so long in fact, that the alpha felt the rare, compelling urge to fill it. “I hope you know all that crap that was said has nothing to do with my opinions, I just want things to go smoothly and work out for the best.”

“Ah, I see,” he murmured, still looking mildly shell-shocked. His lips that had been prettily parted in surprise, twisted into another confused frown. “But if that’s the case, then I really am sorry I don’t have anything more impressive to show at the moment. I know you said you weren’t expecting me to impress you, but if we are to mate. . . I want you to be satisfied with me.”

The words brought back the same lead weight in his stomach from earlier, shifting listlessly in his gut as he tried not to pull his hair in frustration. At himself or events, he wasn’t quite sure.

“I’m sorry if it came out that way, but that’s not how I meant it,” he said genuinely, looking the omega steadfastly in the eyes. “I just meant that I want to spend time with you, it doesn’t have to be anything in particular. If anything, shouldn’t I be the one that needs to impress you during the courting phase?”

If possible, caramel-colored eyes widened further as he rushed to say, “but you’re already so impressive! I’ve heard so many positive things about you.”

He strongly doubted that, knowing tales of his penchant for grumpiness often preceded him. But he was touched all the same.

“Ah, thank you,” he said, unused to such open flattery. “And you’re just as impressive, which is why it’d be an honor if you let me court you.”

Taehyung hesitated for a long, thoughtful moment as he considered the alpha before him. He was the most serious Yoongi had seen him in their short acquaintance and for the first time he appeared truly introspective instead of the typical eagerness to please that the alpha was unhappily becoming accustomed to.

Just as he was beginning to feel a bit restless in the face of such prolonged silence, Taehyung finally spoke.

“Really, you’d really like to – to court me? Are your certain?”

In all honesty, he hadn’t been. He’d expected courting to be a natural step in the process before he’d even arrived to the Kim’s territory. Despite the unconventionalness of it all, he didn’t see why that expectation would change. If anything, the shock at the idea from the omega only made him want to pursue it more.

He didn’t have strong feelings towards courting one way or another, other than that it seemed like a bit of a hassle from what he’d witnessed over the years. Endless effort in an attempt to impress and fend off the other alphas in the pack who may be competition all while trying to prove the most desirable to an omega who may never requite their affections.

No, Yoongi had never been that invested in the concept of courting but, with the almost awed, disbelieving way the omega had posed the question, he now wanted nothing more. If only for a chance to see him not constantly in a state of falling over himself to please or cowering to comply.

So, with that in mind, he said-

“I’ve never been more certain of anything. Is that a yes?”

+++

Taehyung was in a daze as he sat at his own kitchen table, occasionally slipping furtive glances in the alpha’s direction where he stood in front of the stove he had commandeered.

After a day of exploring even more of the territory they hadn’t had the chance to the day prior, they’d returned home for a much-needed meal.

Taehyung had made a beeline for the kitchen once they’d arrived, intent on cooking one of the limited recipes in his arsenal, when Yoongi had firmly encouraged Taehyung to take a seat and let him take over for the night.

His protests had largely gone ignored as the alpha insisted it was only fair after the dinner he’d prepared them the night before and the breakfast he’d surprised him in bed with just that morning.

For a minute Taehyung had been afraid that he’d overstepped and somehow offended the older man, but the small, playful smile Yoongi had shot him as he shooed him away from the stove managed to ease a small bit of his mounting anxiety. That, and send a sweet thrill through him that he would certainly never admit to.

It wasn’t often alphas went out of their way to do things for him given his outsider status within the pack, despite being the Leader’s heir of all things, and he relished the opportunity.

Jungkook occasionally helped him around the house and when they were younger would see him through his sparse heats but since he’d mated with Jimin, outside of the occasional help in the garden or friendly scenting, things had certainly changed.

Not that he regretted it, by any means. He loved Jimin and had never seen Jungkook in a romantic sense, and so he had been thrilled when two of the closest people to him had paired off. Still, it didn’t mean his omega didn’t spend countless, dramatic hours bemoaning the fact that they had no alpha and zero prospects of one.

. . .Until now.

He understood the unusualness of the situation. Truly, he did. But nevertheless, the prospect of being courted – courted! – not just by an alpha, but by a powerful one that had no first-hand knowledge of all his shortcomings at being an omega. He just hoped he could dispel the less than flattering things his father had said about him, making his pending heat a looming fear on the horizon that he only managed to put out of his head with the tantalizing smell of the food Yoongi was currently cooking.

“It’s not exactly the fanciest, but dinner is served,” Yoongi said, effectively pulling  the omega from his thoughts as he slid a delicious smelling plate towards him.

“It looks delicious,” he said honestly, hoping that his dishes over the last day were half as good as the alpha’s looked.

“Thanks.” The alpha’s smile was gentle but softly sincere in a way that had Taehyung’s stomach fluttering.

Deciding to take it as hunger instead of another example of how clearly flustered the alpha made him, he took a generous bite.

“It’s good,” he said at once, mouth full as he was pleasantly surprised.

He had fully prepared to fake approval but was quietly delighted that it was hardly needed.

The alpha took a bite of his own, humming in appreciation as he murmured, “it’s alright.”

Taehyung scoffed, earning a quirked brow from the man before him. “If this is what you call alright, then I don’t think I can handle what you deem good.”

The words were the most blunt Taehyung had been in front of the alpha, and Yoongi found himself thoroughly pleased with the honest compliment, effectively silenced by the flattery.

Taehyung shifted uncomfortably in his seat, seeming to take the silence as disapproval which Yoongi was quick to dissuade.

“Thank you, really. I don’t usually cook for others, so I’m not exactly used to the compliments.”

The worry visibly fled the omega as Taehyung straightened, his smile returning once more as he quipped, “Well, I have lots to give, so prepare yourself!”

Yoongi chuckled, surprised but not unpleasantly so at the newly revealed bold side of the omega.

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely,” Taehyung affirmed, taking another large bite, “you’ll be swimming in them.”

“Ah,” the alpha demurred, dipping his head to take a smaller bite of his own before murmuring, “I’ll have to return the favor in kind, then.”

“Oh- no, that’s not, I-” Taehyung began, suddenly flustered as he attempted to formulate a response.

“You’re gorgeous, your cooking is excellent, and you’re extremely thoughtful even for having only known you for a day,” he said plainly with a feigned since of calm. The words were nothing but true, and he hoped his matter-of-factness conveyed that as he watched the surprised flush tinge the omega’s cheeks. “Those are just a few so, get used to it, I guess.”

It was a spectacularly anticlimactic end to a series of compliments that had the omega staring at him agape from across the table. Nevertheless, he wasn’t one for beating around the bush.

They were going to be courting, and Yoongi would need to take the lead. As loathe as he was to push beyond his comfort zone, he knew half-assing his intentions would only make them both more miserable later down the road. He didn’t have to enjoy having a mate forced on him, but it was more than expected so the least he could do would be to make the most of it.

The omega smiled uncertainly up at him, and Yoongi’s resting smirk tipped up into a little more of a smile as he fiddled with his chopsticks.

After another moment of profound, but pleased, silence from the omega, Yoongi pointed at him and then down to his meal. “Eat, it’s going to be a long week, you need your stamina.”

Taehyung blinked, caught off guard by the caretaking before, after one more gobsmacked moment longer, he dutifully took another bite, humming in delight at the explosion of flavor on his tongue.

Yoongi could feel himself relaxing as the omega did as told, happy to know that he wasn’t entirely terrible at making a decent impression. He knew his general disposition didn’t do him many favors in way of winning people over, but he could tell that a certain type of fragility surrounded the omega’s heart, even as he’d proven himself to be more than capable.

He wasn’t entirely sure why he cared but looking at the omega he knew that without a doubt he would try his best.

+++

Taehyung wasn’t certain what to make of his – roommate, intended, potential mate? He was a walking conundrum, if he were being honest with himself, taking up hours in Taehyung’s mind as the omega tried to decipher his intentions.

Despite his best efforts to showcase otherwise, Taehyung had been well-aware of the air of awkwardness that had hung around them with no small amount attributed to the alpha’s standoffish attitude.

Taehyung wasn’t certain if the older man was generally just aloof in nature or if he had a particular hostility towards his intended, but all things considered, things were going better than not.

Much, much better.

In fact, if he were being truly honest, a part of him was downright delighted. He knew very well that Yoongi now had a good idea of all of his relative failings as an omega, and yet instead of running for the hills as he’d partially expected, he’d instead doubled down on the plan. He spoke of courting Taehyung of all things.

Being the Leader’s son had relatively few privileges for an heir as defective as Taehyung and, as a result, he knew his chances of having a traditional mating – courtship, cycles, and ceremonies and the like – were slim to none. And yet, the strange, perhaps a tad rude, alpha before him was doing a surprising job of getting them as close to possible to ‘normal’.

It was thrilling and somewhat terrifying. He didn’t have many other omegas to discuss courting and the like with, and his father certainly hadn’t filled the role his mother otherwise would have of informing him of those things. He knew the steps vaguely – displays of affection and the ability to provide, scent sharing, gift giving, etc. – but he had no idea how they were to be executed.

He took a deep breath, looking down at the sweater he was currently patching in preparation for the winter season.

Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself. Yoongi had only just declared an intention of courting, and it would all be moot in any case should his heat not go to plan later that month.

But still. . . he couldn’t suppress the small, but mounting since of giddiness that came with the idea.

It wasn’t as though his intended were unattractive. Quite the opposite, with his sharp eyes, delicate features, and wide shoulders. Not to mention one only had to be within a few feet of the man to get a sense of just how strong an alpha he was. Surely able to provide for any partner with ease.

He shook his head, unwilling to let his mind get too far ahead with such thoughts. Afterall, they could have entirely different understandings of courtship, entirely distinct expectations for mating.

Part of the reason he hadn’t let himself think much about things was the ever-present fear that his mate would be just as scrutinizing and displeased with him as the rest of his pack, particularly with the reputation that proceeded him. It hadn’t discouraged the omega from putting his best foot forward, but it had created a burdensome weariness that hung disparagingly in the back of his mind like a long-forgotten coat.

The fact that Yoongi seemed to – if only marginally – subvert those expectations suddenly opened a world of positive possibility that he hadn’t dared to let himself dream of.

Forcing himself to focus, he looked back down at the task at hand wondering, not for the first time, what the future held in store.

+++

It had only been a day, but the relief Yoongi felt upon seeing his brother was immense. Hoseok laid out on the rocks bordering the lake central to the territory, his limbs sprawled in all directions as he reclined, thoroughly soaking up what little sun managed to shine through the greying clouds above.

“Hyung, hi,” he said, craning his head back to look at his brother as the alpha approached.

“Hey,” Yoongi murmured, stepping from rock to rock until he came up beside the younger man. “How are you?”

Hoseok yawned, smiling even as he did so and said, “Tired. But, not too bad.”

“Did you sleep?”

The alpha shrugged, “A little. It’s a bit hard with all the changes though. A new place, new scents, new people. It’s hard to feel safe enough to sleep sometimes.”

Yoongi hummed in understanding. Hoseok’s lodgings were closer towards the center of the pack, surrounded by others in a way that Taehyung and Yoongi’s dwelling was not.

Even if their own loved ones had come with them, the new space was a significant adjustment. They’d been forced to leave their homes -for the best, perhaps, but forced, nevertheless. That meant abandoning homes that smelled of pack and family, years’ worth of scents and love soaked into the walls, ceilings, and floors and subsequently abandoned.

Without a familiar nest or secure den, it was hard to find the normal feelings of safety and comfort wolves so inherently craved. Not to mention the added struggle of sharing a space.

Yoongi could certainly sympathize; it had taken everything in him to stop himself from scent marking his new living space. He wasn’t certain Taehyung would mention it if he minded, so out of an abundance of caution for the nervous omega’s comfort, he’d repressed the instinct and refrained from marking the space with his scent save for his own bedroom.

It made for a few restless minutes until he eventually found sleep, but he hoped it would get better with time.

“It’s definitely an adjustment,” the older alpha acknowledged, lowering himself until he was seated on the rock beside his brother. “How is it living with-”

“Seokjin,” Hoseok supplied helpfully when Yoongi came up short with the name. “And it’s better than I expected, honestly. He’s got a sense of humor, which is great for this kind of thing. And he’s not that bad on the eyes, either.”

“Mmm,” Yoongi said noncommittally, recalling the man’s face from the day before. If there was one thing that could be said about the Kim Pack, it was that they were all unfairly, and unreasonable attractive. At least from what he’d seen. “I’m certain that helps.”

“It does,” Hoseok agreed, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously, “and his heat isn’t that far away either.”

Yoongi scoffed, “Down boy, we’re here on pack business, not to breed pretty omegas.”

The alpha laughed, loud and bright as he said, “I think we can do both. That is what we’re here for, after all. The merging and continuation of our packs. You and Taehyung-ssi are in the same boat, you know.”

“I know,” he agreed, looking out onto the placid waters. “But there’s no use in rushing. The courting process is meant to take a full season before heats are shared.”

“Since when did you get all romantic and official?” his brother cooed, reaching a hand out to pinch his cheek which the elder effectively dodged and batted away.

“I didn’t,” he huffed, feeling his ears heat beneath the scrutiny. “But if this is going to be a permanent thing, it’s better to start it off the right way.”

“So, you’re going to court the Pack Omega. You?”

Yoongi shot him an irritated glare, not quite liking what his tone implied. “Is there a problem with that?”

“No, no, no!” Hoseok said, sitting up and shooting his hyung a lopsided grin. “Just surprising is all. You’ve never been the romantic type.”

“It’s not about romance,” he hurried, wishing he hadn’t said anything. “It’s about making sure we start things off correctly.” Then, changing course, he asked, “does this mean you aren’t planning to court the Head Counsel’s son?”

Breaking from his typical quick responses, the alpha paused, cheeks heating as his gaze strayed from his brother towards the still waters.

“Well,” he said, glancing at Yoongi out of the corner of his eye briefly before focusing back on the water. “It depends. . .”

“On?” he inquired when Hoseok made no move to elaborate further.

“If he wants to,” Hoseok muttered and then, even quieter still, “and if it even matters when we’ve kind of skipped a few steps.”

Yoongi blanked, taking a few moments to process the words before he asked, “how many steps?”

“Like. . . a few,” Hoseok said, uncharacteristically bashful and evasive.

“Such as?”

“Such as,” he hedged, cheeks positively flaming, “scent sharing, bed sharing. . .sleepingtogetherandwhatnot.”

Yoongi blinked, quietly incredulous as he took in the information. Eventually, he settled for pointing out the obvious. “It’s been less than a week.”

“Okay, but have you seen him?” Hoseok challenged, finally seeming to quell the majority of his embarrassment. “And it’s not like we’re not meant to eventually. We’re just getting a head start.”

Yoongi snorted, amused in spite of himself. He knew Hoseok was smart enough to see some of the failings of his logic. Most notably being that, should Taehyung’s heat not go to plan, it was very likely the Pack Leads would try pairing Yoongi and Seokjin next.

For his besotted brother’s sake, he certainly hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“Well, as long as you know what you’re doing.”

“I do,” Hoseok said. “And he certainly knows what he’s doing between the sheets.”

“Gross,” Yoongi muttered, laughing in spite of himself. “Well, as long as you both are getting along.”

Hoseok chuckled, leaning back on his rock, and dropping his feet into the water, languidly moving them back and forth.

“How’s your old ball and chain doing? What was it that the Kim Leader called him, quirky?”

“Don’t call him that,” he scoffed, vivid displeasure circling his gut at the reminder of Taehyung’s father. “He’s . . nice, not a ball and chain. He’s just a little different. Not like most of the omegas in our pack.”

The younger man’s head tilted to the side, looking back at Yoongi with interest. “How so?”

“I dunno,” he answered honestly. “A bit high strung but also a bit passive, if that makes sense?”

“Hmm, not really hyung.”

“Right,” Yoongi said, licking behind his teeth as he tried to formulate his thoughts into something more clear. “He’s very tense – which could just be the whole getting a new mate and new pack thing – and he’s very eager to please.”

“That last one sounds the opposite of a problem,” Hoseok teased.

The alpha shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s a bit intense. I feel like I’m stressing him out sometimes. But also, he’s so kind and generous. If I asked him to give me his shirt, I’m sure he’d do it, which is the weird thing.”

“Ah, so very accommodating, then,” Hoseok observed.

He nodded. Part of him wanted to tell Hoseok about Taehyung’s willingness to change his nest if he asked, but thought better of it, feeling for some reason as though that was something that should remain private.

“I think I scare him, just a little bit,” he admitted instead.

“Well, that’s just your thinking face,” his brother said, reaching over to clap him on the back. “He’ll get used to it just like the rest of us. It’ll only be a matter of time before he’s pinching your cheeks and calling you kitten.”

“Fuck off,” Yoongi snapped, no real malice to it. He’d been compared – much to his frequent protestations – to a cat the majority of his life. While he didn’t necessarily mind when it came to those close to him, he certainly wasn’t going to further the agenda by any means.

“Fine, fine,” the younger man smiled, lifting his hands as a sign of surrender. “But seriously,” he said, growing a tad more sober, “I’m sure it’ll all work out. Jin speaks highly of him, and you know you’re a great guy. I expect good things.”

“Yeah?” Yoongi asked. Until that moment, he’d been largely unaware of the anxiety welling within him. And, once again, it never ceased to amaze him by how easily Hoseok was able to help dispel those worries.

“Yeah,” Hoseok said, sounding certain enough for the both of them.

Yoongi smiled, dropping his own feet down into the water as he felt his body relax, taking in the comforting scent of the nature around them and his packmate.

For all their sakes, he hoped the alpha was right.

+++

For intended mates, they saw exceptionally little of one another. Taehyung sighed, looking down at the dough he was kneading as he wondered what the alpha may have been doing that day.

The differences in their designations drastically affected their day-to-day activities, and not for the first time Taehyung wondered how he’d spend his days were he an alpha. To his knowledge, Yoongi mostly spent his days shuffling between higher level pack meetings and introducing himself to each and every new packmate he had gained. An expected but no less admirable undertaking for a future pack leader, but surely tiring.

As a result, the only times they truly spent together were for meals, and even then, Taehyung feared his nerves made things more awkward than intimate. Despite their space slowly filling with their mingled scents, smelling like a potent but calming blend of citrus and honey.

Secretly, Taehyung thought their scents were compatible, which he hoped would be a prelude to an equally compatible heat. For his sake as well as the limited pride he had left, he hoped there would be no difficulty.

He tensed at the sound of the front door sliding open, but with a shaky breath forced his body to relax. They were potentially going to be mates; it wouldn’t do if he startled every time the other man entered his general vicinity.

The alpha was always so quiet, so careful anytime he entered their shared space. It was technically now just as much his space as it was Taehyung’s, but that didn’t stop the older man from practically treating the place like a museum. It was. . . sweet, it wasn’t often that people took such care with his spaces and accommodations.

“How’d things with the Council go?” Taehyung asked as soon as the alpha entered the kitchen, aware of his presence more so from his scent than any sound he made.

He heard the alpha hesitate, as if surprised that Taehyung had been alerted to his entrance even with his back turned but relaxed a moment later.

“They were-” Yoongi began, before he cut himself off, either uncertain of or reluctant to voice his feelings on the matter.

Grabbing a towel, Taehyung turned so that he was now facing the alpha, plastering on his best smile in the hopes that the man wouldn’t notice the mess he was currently making with the kitchen.

Yoongi blinked, offering a smaller, somewhat confused echo of the omega’s smile as he stood there awkwardly.

"Sorry for the mess" Taehyung blurted after the stilted silence had gone on a tad too long. His hands wrung anxiously, annoyed with himself for not having gotten the bread in the oven quickly enough.

“Mess?” Yoongi asked, staring around the space for a moment before turning back to Taehyung. He looked genuinely confused by the statement, which only doubled his own confusion at the alpha’s lack of reprimand.

“Yeah,” he mumbled, worrying at his bottom lip as he vaguely indicated the space around them, “I didn’t realize you’d be home so soon-”

“I can come back-”

“No!” Another moment of – mercifully briefer – silence lapsed between them before Taehyung shakily forced out, this time quieter, “no, of course you should be here. I should have planned better.”

The scrutinizing gaze Yoongi regarded him with was far less clinical and assessing than Taehyung was used to, as if he were looking at a particularly difficult puzzle instead of determining his numerous shortcomings. It did little to put him at ease.

“Planned for what?”

“Well,” he dithered, looking behind him at the yet-to-be-used baking tray and countertops covered in flour. “I had wanted to bake something, but I should have started earlier with enough time to clean before you came h-” he blinked, realizing he was about to say home of all things before he amended, “before you came back.

“Oh, well I guess it worked out then,” Yoongi said slowly, looking behind Taehyung as if only just now registering the ‘mess’. “I can help you cook; I should be earning my keep after all.”

Taehyung snorted, unable to help the sound at the hilarity of the statement. Yoongi was going to be Head Alpha at some point, the notion that he had anything left to earn was ludicrous, and before he could think better of it, Taehyung told him as such.

He didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified at the alpha’s wry, responding smile. “Just because we’ll,” he said, making sure to emphasize the ‘we’, “be leading the pack someday, doesn’t mean I don’t plan to do my fair share. Here and out there.  It’s unfair to expect you to do everything here.”

“But you’re not supposed to,” he protested, baffled at the alpha’s words. Years of being told the opposite vividly came to the forefront of his mind.

“Says who? What for?”

“Says-” he grasped for words, uncertain how to put such an abstract but seemingly fundamental thing into words. “Instincts, dynamics, all of that,” he managed lamely, “I should be doing these types of things.”

Yoongi stared at him for a long moment, his face giving absolutely nothing away before he quietly asked, “do you like doing those things?”

He wasn’t certain he understood the question. “Do I . . . like them?”

“Yeah,” he said, drawing the word out as he gathered his own thoughts before continuing, “do you like it? You make breakfast most mornings, take care of the cleaning before I even wake up, and now this. Do you like it?”

Taehyung blanched, feeling panic set in as he asked with trepidation, “do you not? Am I doing it wrong?”

“No, no!” Yoongi rushed to correct, waving his hands in front of himself as if to physically dissuade Taehyung of the notion. “There’s no right or wrong way to do it, at least not for me. Just, are those all things that you enjoy doing?”

“I don’t mind them,” he rushed out, hoping and failing to smooth the wrinkles now marring the alpha’s forehead.

Yoongi’s look was no less revealing as he reiterated, “but do you like them?

“I-”

“Taehyung,” the alpha began quietly, taking a slow step closer.

Despite the mundaneness of the question, Taehyung felt all too exposed, even more so with nothing between them and only the counter at his back.

As if sensing his distress, the alpha didn’t move to come any closer, instead holding his hands out, palms facing up as he made his scent as comforting and non-imposing as he could.

It was nice, and Taehyung may have even taken solace in it if not for the fact that he was already berating himself for making the alpha feel it was necessary in the first place.

“Really,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady and as convincing as possible as he reiterated, “I don’t mind.”

“Which is great,” Yoongi said, acknowledging the admission, “but also not what I asked. If you have some inherent love of getting up early and cooking and cleaning and all that you do, that’s awesome. But if you don’t, then I don’t want you to do it.”

He took a moment, attempting to process the words with no real understanding. Yoongi didn’t want him to do something, something that he very much should expect from Taehyung if he viewed the omega as even half as worthy of being his mate. And yet. . .

“You don’t want me to?” he asked hesitantly, trying to understand. It hadn’t been an Alpha Command, which he was very grateful for – he’d been on the receiving end of those more times than he could count – but it was still no less confusing.

Yoongi licked his lips, the action drawing Taehyung’s attention to the pink of his tongue and fullness of his lips before he forced himself to meet the soft, yet worried eyes of the older man.

“If we’re going to be partners, mates,” he began, clearly taking care with each word as he formed them, “then things should be equal. The duties and responsibilities shared.”

“But you’re the alpha,” Taehyung said, unable to help butting in, even though it was clear Yoongi had more to say. He hoped he wouldn’t be told off for interrupting. “That’s not how it’s meant to go.”

“And how is it meant to go then?” Yoongi asked, more patient than Taehyung felt deserving of. If anything, within a week Yoongi was already proving himself to be more patient than any other alpha Taehyung had come across. He hardly felt deserving.

He took a deep breath. “Well,” he began, starting from the top, “you shouldn’t have to be worried about-” he waved a hand, as if to encompass the whole space as he said, “anything. Being Pack Leader is hard enough, and even without that – keeping the place, making everything nice and in order for you, making sure your needs,” he stumbled over the word, knowing it could encompass a host of responsibilities, particularly between mates, “are met, that’s an omega job.” He cleared his throat, feeling far too self-conscious. “I might not be your omega yet, but you still shouldn’t have to take care of those things.”

His knuckles were turning white from how tightly he was clenching his hands. His teeth ached in his mouth from where he clenched them between words. The only saving grace was his weak scent which was now only a mild irritant with the way it had soured from anxiety. If he’d been a ‘proper’ omega, it likely would have filled the entire room by now.

Yoongi smiled softly, his eyes crinkling around the corners as though he were repressing a laugh – likely for Taehyung’s sake. “Thank you for letting me know your perspective. I think we may have been raised with different ideas of roles within a pack. And that’s okay,” he rushed to add when Taehyung’s eyes widened with alarm, “it’s why we have so many meetings now as part of the merger, we’re all learning about one another.”

Taehyung didn’t think that was exactly what the countless meetings the alpha had been pulled into were about, but he wasn’t going to put his foot in his mouth even further by arguing.

“I don’t expect you to do everything for me, I want us to be partners. If you take care of me, I should do the same for you. Moreso, arguably, given the whole ‘alphas are the protectors’ thing, yeah?”

It was clearly a playful question, but Taehyung was at a loss for how to respond.

Seemingly nonplussed, the alpha continued. “I don’t mind cooking, cleaning, or taking care of things around here, just like you. Sometimes I can even like it, depending on the task. Which is why,” he added, when it became clear from the blank look Taehyung was giving him that the omega wasn’t understanding, “I want us to share responsibilities. I don’t want you doing all of this on your own, not when I can help.”

“But-”

“I’ll back off if that’s what you really want,” Yoongi said, interrupting before Taehyung could launch a proper protest, “but, call it just a hunch, I don’t think you really like doing those things, even if you don’t mind. I won’t force the issue, but if there’s a chance for us to be partners in all of this, I’d like us to be.”

The simple admission stunned Taehyung into silence, staring back at the alpha uncomprehendingly.

“Partners?” he echoed; certain he sounded as baffled as he felt.

Yoongi nodded, taking a tentative step closer but still far enough away to give Taehyung ample space to run if he so chose.

“Partners. So neither of us has to bear the brunt of anything alone. That’s how I was taught things should be, and if you’re comfortable with that, that’s how I’d like our mating to be.”

Taehyung blushed at the term, even as it had been something he’d been thinking about right before the alpha had returned. Still, to hear it said so plainly, made his pulse quicken imperceptibly.

Partners.

Proper partners.

It sounded. . . nice.

And not at all what Taehyung had come into the arrangement expecting. Part of him – the part that sounded suspiciously like decades worth of his father’s disapproval – screamed at him to refuse. But a smaller, fiercer part of him held his tongue.

Instead, he offered a small nod, not trusting himself to say anything more.

Yoongi was quiet as he regarded him, searching his face for any signs of discontent. Whatever he found there must have been enough, because he gave Taehyung the small, genuine smile of his that was quickly becoming the omega’s favorite.

“Alright then,” Yoongi said, glancing behind Taehyung at the ‘mess’ he had been so worried about. His smile widened, rolling up his sleeves and showcasing surprisingly toned forearms as he walked closer to the counter, shooting a playful grin at the omega behind him.

“Why don’t you show me how you like things to be cleaned, and I’ll do my best not to steal bites before dinner,” he said, glancing at the already chopped vegetables and herbs in preparation for later. “I won’t lie, it’ll be difficult with how good everything smells. But, between the two of us, I think we can manage, yeah?”

Taehyung’s heart was doing something funny, but he wasn’t sure what. Either way, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant as he looked at the alpha, feeling so much with so few words to voice it.

Deciding not to try, he returned the beautiful smile with a small one of his own.

“Yeah,” he murmured, taking a shy step closer to the alpha, “sounds good.”

+++

Yoongi had to admit, he liked his scent on the omega more than was probably appropriate.

Their courtship may have been accelerated -an understatement, to say the least – but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do as much to tradition as he was able.

Scent sharing was just the first step.

Taehyung looked beautiful flushed from head to toe and smelled just as sweet the closer Yoongi got. He was dressed warmly to fend off against the chill and was given the added warmth of the red knit scarf Yoongi had painstakingly made the night before. Hoseok’s demonstration and parting instructions had been less than helpful, and he knew that Taehyung had struggled to immediately identify the item when it had been gifted. Despite it all, his blinding smile when Yoongi had embarrassedly explained made it all worth it.

As a result, the omega hadn’t parted with it since reception, keeping it snuggly around his throat all morning. Occasionally, he would bring his fingers to the material, reverently running them along uneven seams as if reminding himself that it was indeed real.

That, or he needed physical confirmation that such an ugly garment could exist.

Either way, Yoongi was ridiculously happy the omega had not only accepted it but seemed to actively enjoy being wrapped in his scent. It sent a heady rush of happiness, and a small dose of possessiveness throughout him each time he thought of it.

“Ready?”

Taehyung startled from where his nose had been not so subtly buried in the material. He looked up sharply, ears reddening at being caught. Yoongi couldn’t help finding it adorable.

He was sure his small smirk betrayed as much, which only caused the omega’s flush to darken. Adorable indeed.

“You don’t have to wear it – I know it’s not the most attractive piece of clothing. I’ll get the hang of it sometime.”

Taehyung looked personally affronted on Yoongi’s behalf, tugging the scarf closer around himself as he said, “it’s lovely and I’m not taking it off until bed. And even then-”

His mouth abruptly shut, leaving the thought unfinished as Yoongi’s heart fluttered at the thought of the omega keeping it around his neck.

He wondered if Taehyung’s heat was triggering his own cycle. Just because he didn’t give off the near-irresistible smell of an omega in heat, when Yoongi got close enough, he could just manage to get a whiff of that sugary sweet scent. It made his jaw ache with the desire to bite, claim, ma-

He swallowed, forcing the thought down even as his eyes drifted lower to the exposed skin of the omega’s neck he could just see beneath the material.

“Should we get going?” he asked, managing to tear his gaze away.

When he met the omega’s eyes there was a sort of awed wonder tinged with a hint of questioning that, if he were more comfortable with himself, Yoongi knew would be knowing smugness at Yoongi’s obvious desire.

“Sounds good,” he murmured, following after the alpha as he led a path to the entryway and, after pausing to open the door for the younger man, out of the house as well.

Yoongi wasn’t the most comfortable in his plan, his options exceptionally limited with the equally limited knowledge he had of the territory. He was learning every day but hadn’t had the opportunity to plan anything particularly spectacular for their courtship. Yet.

He’d done what he could in way of providing food, being generally attentive, and scent sharing, but this was one of their first real excursions together. He hoped for both their sakes that it went smoothly.

They wound their way slowly through the common areas, close but not quite touching aside from the occasional brush of shoulders. Yoongi wanted to reach out and hold his hand, not doing so feeling far more unusual given their proximity, but he wasn’t sure it would be a welcome touch.

Taehyung would look at him every few minutes, furtive glances that darted away just as quickly each time Yoongi softly met his gaze.

Deciding to be bold and hoping the tentatively amical relationship that had formed between them over the last week could withstand it, Yoongi took a chance and took the omega’s hand in his. He kept the touch gentle, so that Taehyung could easily pull away if he so desired, but he was relieved when, after a brief moment of surprise, Taehyung’s fingers curled tentatively around his own.

Something settled in the alpha’s chest that felt a lot like satisfaction as they continued, secret shared smiles adorning both of their lips.

“Hi-”

“Hello-”

“Greetings, alpha.”

Yoongi nodded with each salutation as they came across various people on their walk. He was heartened that so many of his new packmates went out of their way to greet him, even with varying levels of enthusiasm, but had also noticed a discomfiting trend.

“Hi, alpha!” He smiled tensely at the nth greeting, watching the omega that had moved determinedly into their path stare at him far longer than comfortable, eyes coquettish as she let her scent invitingly curl around them.

Yoongi repressed a frown – barely, but took a small step to the side, bringing Taehyung with him, hands still joined together.

The movement attracted the woman’s stare to their clasped hands, her previously flirtatious look turning just a bit sour at the edges, as though she’d swallowed something rather unpleasant.

“We should get going,” he said after a moment longer, indicating the direction they were headed in.

“Of course,” she said immediately, taking a step back as well. “Have a good day.”

“You as well.”

They continued their trek, passing a few more people, each pausing to greet Yoongi no matter how brief.

The problem was. . .

“Do people usually not say hi to you?” he asked tentatively, attempting -very uncertainly -to tread carefully. “Is it because of how long you’ve known each other? It’s rather exhausting, I’m honestly kind of hoping they grow bored of me.”

Despite the attempt at a joke, Taehyung’s smile was tight as he said, “I’m more or less invisible when I’m not being singled out,” then, as if self-conscious, he chuckled, adding, “it’s really not so bad. I don’t mind being left to myself except for those I’m close to.”

That hardly settled Yoongi, particularly given what else he had seen of the pack’s interactions with Taehyung. He filed that piece of information away temporarily, knowing he’d bring it out later that night to mull over and hopefully, find a way to put a stop to. But he was getting ahead of himself.

“And who are you most close to?” Yoongi asked, changing the subject. He could sense the topic was one the omega was insecure over, and he didn’t want to pry and risk ruining what tentative good will they had shored up.

Taehyung brightened at the question, launching into a summary of Seokjin, Jungkook, and Jimin – names he had heard over the last few days, but now with a more in depth view into the younger man’s cherished relationships. Seeing the spark in his eyes as he talked, his free hand gesticulating the more involved a particular story became, and his easy-going smile were all things Yoongi hoped to see more of.

Taehyung was quiet to a fault around others – around Yoongi as well unless the alpha asked a direct question or he felt the need to over-explain and, more often than not, over-apologize. Still, the few glimpses he’d gotten over their days together showed a fun, unrestricted side of the omega he was eager to see more of. He knew he’d have quite a lot of trust to build.

“We’re here,” he said, holding aside a set of bushes, just outside some of the paved zoning, hiding the small creek behind it.

“How did you-”

“I have my ways,” Yoongi smirked, thanking the moon that Hoseok was kind enough to wheedle information on the omega’s favorite places from his intended.

There was a blanket on the outcropping of rock, a small meal set atop it with steam still coming off the cooked meat, vegetables, and breads laid out.

He knew Hoseok would rightfully expect much from him when he eventually returned the favor, but he was just happy his hastily put together plan had turned out so well.

“When did you have time?” Taehyung asked instead, allowing himself to be led over to the blanket, and followed Yoongi's lead in lowering onto it.

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” he said, playfully dodging the question. He’d give Hoseok the proper credit. . . eventually, he just liked the way the omega’s admiration soothed his alpha with the knowledge that he had provided successfully.

So successfully, that he hardly noticed as the day turned rapidly into dusk, and then even quicker into night as they talked and ate.

Just as their other meals had gone, it was a bit stilted to start, but slowly eased as the minutes passed and the sweet wine his brother had finagled settled on their tongues.

Despite the center of attention so often being on him as a result of his status, he rarely liked talking about himself. Still, when he could see Taehyung visibly working up the courage to ask the occasional question about his life, his childhood, or his interests -no matter how mundane – he was more than happy to answer. Especially when each kind response visibly relaxed the omega incrementally each time.

He liked the look on him, free of the anxious energy that so often accompanied him. He hoped it had something to do with the way they had steadily grown closer on the blanket the longer they talked, and the way their scents slowly mingled together in the chilly air.

It was easy – too easy, perhaps – to get caught up in the omega. Every word caressed in the honeyed, deep voice of his warmed Yoongi and he knew that if he weren’t careful, he could let things persist all night.

Once the sun had truly set for the day, the moon large and looming above, Yoongi reluctantly brought the date to a close, knowing they would need to get back soon before the temperature dropped any further. It comforted him to see Taehyung getting use out of the scarf, but he itched to get them indoors properly.

Taehyung looked just as disappointed at the idea of bringing things to a close, but noticeably brightened once they had packed up and Yoongi easily slid his hand back into the omega’s.

His hands were chilly, and Yoongi couldn’t help wondering if he should have chosen something different.

The thought, even if brief, was instantly dispelled as Taehyung shyly murmured, “I had a really nice time tonight, thank you.”

“Thank you,” Yoongi insisted, knowing that it was no small gift to see the omega slowly blooming in his company, “I had a wonderful time as well.”

The rest of the walk was in silence, but without the usual awkwardness that had accompanied many of the previous.

When they returned, it was natural for Yoongi to walk Taehyung to his door, even more natural to stand just a bit closer, finally able to get a proper scent of him.

He wanted to kiss him, uncertain if it would be welcome or not. He was pondering the idea, unable to help himself from looking at full red lips before Taehyung did yet another thing to throw him off kilter.

Tentatively, his thumb brushed over the scent gland on the alpha’s wrist, and Yoongi’s lips parted. It may have been just a brush, but it was the omega’s own way of scent sharing, effectively signaling that not only was the courtship welcome, but progressing.

The contact may have been simple and brief, but it still set his heart galloping in his chest.

“Sorry, should I not-” he began when Yoongi only stared at him, mildly awestruck.

“No, no,” Yoongi rushed to say, stepping even closer and happy when Taehyung made no move to backpedal, even as he looked a bit unsure of himself. Yoongi brought his hand up so that it was hovering a few inches from the omega’s neck, itching to touch but not daring to. “Can I?”

Taehyung blinked at him, seemingly not comprehending the question and then ostensibly caught off guard by the hesitant inquiry as he took a moment, before in an abrupt turn of events, eagerly nodding, eyes wide and hopeful.

Fuck, Yoongi couldn’t help thinking. If he didn’t tread carefully, he knew the omega could easily have him wrapped around his long, pretty fingers.

Pushing the thought aside, Yoongi carefully lowered the scarf just a fraction, so that he could gently, but firmly brush his wrist along the omega’s throat.

Taehyung’s eyes slid closed at the contact, his breath hitching as Yoongi stroked over the spot a few times, ensuring that his scent would linger, before slowly dropping his hand.

“Thank you again for today,” Yoongi said, clearing his throat around the lump in it.

Slowly, Taehyung’s eyes slid open, lips slightly parted in wonder as he looked down at the alpha from beneath his lashes.

“Thank you,” he insisted, looking at Yoongi with the smile that was quickly becoming his favorite; genuine and boxy and beautiful.

“Goodnight, Taehyung,” he murmured, wanting for all the world to kiss the younger man but deciding not to push his luck.

The omega paused for another minute, contemplating something clearly for a moment before, in a movement so quick it could have been imagined if not for the way Yoongi’s skin seared in the aftermath, Taehyung placed a shy, chaste kiss on the alpha’s cheek.

Stunned, Yoongi barely had time to process the “Goodnight, hyung,” thrown hastily over Taehyung’s shoulder before the younger man disappeared behind his door, fleeing into the comfort of his bedroom.

In a daze, Yoongi slowly made his way back to his own room, knowing that the large grin on his face and pleasant tingling on the apple of his cheek wasn’t going away anytime soon.

+++

The culmination of the last two weeks had Taehyung reeling. The quick escalation of their courtship, while predictably brief, still acerated at a pace that left the omega reeling.

If he were being honest with himself, he had entered into the process expecting little. He had simply been touched that Yoongi had seen him worthy enough to court at all.

But it wasn’t just the alpha’s apparent perception, he made Taehyung feel worthy, which was something he was wholly unused to outside of Seokjin, Jimin, and Jungkook.

The alpha had made more than one appearance in his dreams as of late, and he wasn’t entirely convinced it was only due to him being a strong alpha regularly in his presence prior to his heat.

His heat, which was quickly approaching, was something they had distinctively not discussed – other than a painful conversation over his preferences. Well, painful for Taehyung, perhaps.

The alpha had asked questions related to his food preferences, post-sex comforts, and favorite breeding positions with a sort of unflappable frankness that had Taehyung blushing all the way down his neck.

Still, the fact that the alpha cared enough to ask beforehand spoke volumes to how he would behave as a mate. Despite how mortifying the discussion had been at the time, it had only endeared him to the alpha further.

Their dates had all been rather mundane compared to some of the more flashy and elaborate courtships he had witnessed throughout the years. There was no fighting for his honor, or hunting and dragging of prey into the territory center to boast how well he could provide. It certainly wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary if he had –particularly as such a prominent alpha within the pack, but Taehyung far more appreciated the intimate approach Yoongi had taken.

Midnight walks, berry picking, cooking together and being cooked for were the quiet sort of comforts that Taehyung had always longed for, but hadn’t been entirely convinced he could ever receive. Moons, the alpha had even somehow found time to personally construct two rocking chairs that now sat proudly on their front porch. It had been a pleasant surprise to not only be presented with the gift, but to get to watch the sunrise with Yoongi from their perch.

It had hope tentatively blooming within him and that for once, he didn’t immediately jump to smother.

Which was why he found himself forcefully ignoring his reservations and practically thrusting his courting item at Yoongi’s chest.

The alpha blinked, looking back at Taehyung from where he stood on the other side of their doorway.

He’d set his mind to initiating the next stage in the courting process -sharing his own scented item – but had been riddled with anxiety throughout the day at the prospect.

First, it had taken him ages to decide on what to give. He didn’t want it to be anything inappropriate for this stage, irrespective of the fact that he would have the alpha inside him in only a matter of days.

 It had been a rather tedious decision, having started by rejecting a number of shirts and other clothing items until he had given up and run to the other side of the complex to beg Jimin for help. Jungkook, who had been listening to the ‘consultation’ had unhelpfully suggested his underwear, as Jimin had done for him during their courtship, which Taehyung had flat-out rejected while tossing a cushion at the grinning alpha’s head.

Only when the trio had migrated to Jin’s home, thankfully without the older omega’s intended present -he didn’t think he could live down the humiliation should Hoseok relay his antics to Yoongi -did he decide on a blanket from his nest.

It was intimate without being too suggestive, and with enough of his faint scent soaked into it over time that his intention would be clear. And yet, deciding the item had only been half of the battle. Working up the courage to actually give it to the alpha was another matter entirely.

So that is how he found himself pacing anxiously before the door, unsure whether he wanted time to speed up or slow down either to prolong his trepidation or get it over with.

Uncaring of his plight, time ticked on, and before long the alpha had cleared the path to the house and was opening the door.

Opening the door, and immediately being accosted. Great.

Grinning in spite of his immediate embarrassment, Taehyung continued to press the cloth to the alpha’s broad chest, meeting his blinking eyes with his own petrified, unblinking stare.

“This is for me?” Yoongi asked hesitantly, even as his fingers tentatively curled around the fabric. That, at least, was reassuring.

He nodded, not trusting himself with words just yet.

Yoongi took the proffered item, carefully unfolding it and holding it up for a better view. After a tentative sniff, realization dawned on his features as he looked up at Taehyung.

“You-”

“It’s only if you want it,” he rushed out, feeling nervous but optimistic that he hadn’t outright rejected it. Well, not that Taehyung had given him much of a chance as he hurried, “it’s completely fine if not. I know it’s fast but,”

His words trailed as he saw the alpha delicately press it to his face, looking at Taehyung with a precious smile.

“Thank you, I’ll make sure to take good care of it,” he murmured, surprising Taehyung, much the same way the omega had surprised him previously, by pressing soft lips to his cheek in a fleeting kiss.

Taehyung thought he might faint from the shock of it all, not having expected things to go so well and so quickly.

Something warm settled in his chest. Safety, reassurance, hope – he had no idea, and had no intention of puzzling out the nuances as he followed Yoongi into their house, watching the careful way the alpha held the blanket.

Whatever it was, he hoped it would continue far, far longer than the duration of his heat.

+++

Three days later, Yoongi looked up from the book he was reading at the soft, but urgent sounding knock at his door. He glanced at the window – it was dark out, but not so late that either of them would reasonably be asleep. Still, once they typically bade each other goodnight, they tended to keep to themselves for the remainder of the evening.

He smiled secretly to himself, hoping the omega merely missed his company as he had found himself doing over the last few nights. The blanket Taehyung had given him remained beneath his pillow nightly now, but that didn’t mean he didn’t like getting the omega’s scent at the source.

Climbing to his feet, he opened the door, expecting to see a shy but determined Taehyung, and that was exactly what he was met with.

That, and the omega clearly in heat.

“Hyung,” he murmured, eyes wide and cheeks pink. He stared at Yoongi with dilated pupils and reddened lips that the alpha was immediately drawn to.

This close, his scent made his heat readily apparent, and the way he was dressed in nothing more than his underwear and Yoongi’s ‘borrowed’ sweater made it more so.

He hadn’t minded per se when Taehyung had taken certain liberties with the alpha’s laundry throughout their brief courting. In fact – as he was now being smacked in the face with the evidence of the omega’s theft – he now rather loved it.

“You’re in heat,” he said, stating the obvious.

“Yeah,” Taehyung said, voice small. He cleared his throat, not quite meeting the alpha’s gaze as he asked, “do you still want to. . .”

“I’d love to help you through your heat – that is, if you’re still comfortable.”

Viscerally relieved, Taehyung finally met his eyes straight on, and Yoongi could now clearly see the want brimming there.

The onset of a heat often came swiftly, and while Taehyung was standing relatively fine in front of him now, he knew it would only be a matter of time until he would be nest bound and desperate.

“I’d really like that,” Taehyung said, giving him a hesitant smile.

He didn’t know the last time someone had helped Taehyung with his heat, but he wanted to ensure he gave him everything he needed.

“Is now-”

Yoongi was already nodding, stepping out into the hallway without hesitation. Now that Taehyung’s heat had set in and his desire for Yoongi confirmed, he was all too eager to help. His want for the other man had been less than subtle, and now faced with the knowledge that soon enough, the culmination of his fantasies and wet dreams would be manifest, he was more excited than ever.

Excited, and terrified.

As he followed him down the hall and to the already nested cycle room, Yoongi was aware Taehyung was nervous, and perhaps he could have more adequately addressed it if he wasn’t palpably anxious himself.

As it stood, he was doing everything in his power to suppress the underlying nerves from bleeding into his scent. Omegas were particularly vulnerable during their heats, and it fell largely on alphas to be the anchoring force keeping them safe and together during.

It was only the desperation he felt to be there for Taehyung that managed to slowly calm his racing heart. Slowly, he took a quiet, deep breath as he looked up at the fidgeting man before him.

He smelled mouthwatering, and Yoongi knew it would only intensify tenfold once he was between his legs. Even if his heat scent were weaker than the usual omegas he had come across, it made it no less enticing as he found himself unconsciously encroaching into Taehyung’s space.

Instead of minding, the younger man’s shoulders marginally relaxed at his closeness, even as his fear remained less than subtle. Yoongi just hoped he would be good enough to adequately ease it.

There was much he was uncertain with – there were far fewer assurances than questions when it came to their joint future, but now that he had gotten a glimpse, he was determined to make Taehyung a central feature.

The pull he felt towards the omega was stronger than anything he’d felt before, and any normal sense of hesitancy he may otherwise have had was drowned out by the daily thoughts of mine, mate, mine that had been accompanying him throughout the last fortnight.

It was that alone that made him more determined than ever to be the alpha Taehyung deserved.

+++

Taehyung was more nervous than typical, fiddling with the frayed sleeve of Yoongi’s unapologetically stolen sweater as he gently pushed the door open. The hinges squeaked and he couldn’t help cringing at the loud sound in the otherwise quiet space.

He was tense, he knew he was even as his knees shook with his heat and sweat beaded at the small of his back creating an uncomfortable dampness that stuck the sweater to his skin. And yet, even with the unpleasant warmth, he couldn’t bring himself to part from the item, loving being enveloped in the alpha’s calming scent a bit more than was likely necessary. He ignored the thought; he couldn’t possibly handle any more anxiety. He already had plenty to spare.

“Hey,” Yoongi said after Taehyung merely stood in the doorway, “Taehyung.”

The omega took a sharp breath, fearing the alpha had changed his mind as he reluctantly turned to face him.

What he was met with winded him.

The alpha stared back at him, eyes soft and kind as he reached for the younger man, delicately taking Taehyung’s hand in one of his own and squeezing gently.

“There’s no need to be nervous, it’s just me.”

He managed to hold in a snort – barely – at the statement. Yoongi wasn’t ‘just’ anything. He filled the spaces of his home more than the omega had anticipated and had single handedly dispelled all of Taehyung’s assumptions as time went on. Instead of taking the disparaging words of his father and pack to heart, Yoongi had seen Taehyung as he was, and affirmed that he was something spectacular.

He couldn’t quite see what the alpha claimed to, but he was warmed by it all the same.

“I know,” he mumbled, no longer able to meet his gaze. “It’s just. . .I’ve- I’ve not, ah-” he shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed by the admission as he forced out, “I’ve only shared my heat with one person before, and that was ages ago. I don’t know what to do or how I’ll act.”

Yoongi was quiet for a moment, processing the words. Continuing to defy expectations, he didn’t see any of the surprise or disgust that he had anticipated.

“There’s no right way to do this,” Yoongi said at last. “Just listen to your body, you don’t have to worry about anything with me. It’s natural, and eventually we’ll be going mostly on instinct so there’s no judgement to be had. There are no mistakes you can make, act however you need.”

The words were so simple, said so plainly, that it almost made it seem easy.

“I don’t want you to be disappointed,” he admitted, suddenly feeling much more vulnerable.

“I won’t be,” the alpha replied immediately, sounding so certain.

“It’s not just my scent. . .” he continued, knowing that he needed to lay out all of the facts so the alpha truly knew what he was getting in to. “It’s supposed to be all about instincts, but I don’t even know if my scent and heat will be enough to trigger you. What if it doesn’t work? What if you can’t-” he abruptly cut himself out, face going scarlet.

“If I can’t knot?” Yoongi finished for him bluntly.

He nodded mutely, this time knowing the uncomfortable heat he felt had nothing to do with his cycle.

“Trust me, that won’t be a problem.”

Taehyung winced, but pressed ahead, nonetheless. “How do you know?” he mumbled, shifting restlessly on his feet.

“Taehyung,” he said softly, waiting until, reluctantly, the omega raised his gaze to meet his. The alpha’s smile was soft even as a newfound heat simmered quietly behind the intensity of his stare. “I promise, that won’t be a problem. I know you have no idea how attractive you are, but I won’t lie and say I haven’t been looking forward to this. I’ve probably thought about bending you over and breeding you far more often than appropriate. It’s a miracle my scent hasn’t gone haywire in those horrible meetings, I can’t stop thinking about you.”

The honesty stunned the omega, throwing him decidedly off-kilter as he struggled to grasp them.

“You don’t have to believe me,” Yoongi murmured, accurately predicting Taehyung’s thoughts, “but it’s true. Even if your heat isn’t strong and we don’t completely lose ourselves to our nature, that’s fine too. I’ll take care of you either way, I promise.”

The statement was more comforting than Taehyung could have prepared for, settling something deep in himself that he hadn’t realized so desperately needed soothing.

“Really?”

Yoongi squeezed his hand, his smile widening and still just as sure. “Really.”

He took a deep breath, feeling unsteady and uncertain even as he felt the dreadful anxiety that had accompanied him all week slowly dissipate.

“Okay, just-“ he said, nibbling on his bottom lip as he considered. “Just, ah- I know my father mentioned just, my nest-” he was suddenly fretting again, unsure he could handle the blow if Yoongi made fun of it like the others.

“I’m sure it’s perfect,” Yoongi said calmly, just as reassuring.

Taehyung nodded, more to himself than as affirmation as he abruptly turned back to face the door, determined to get it over with.

The heat in his veins was slowly building, a now uncomfortable warmth creeping up his spine and a noticeable wetness accumulating between his cheeks.

He’d have been more self-conscious about the desire if the scent was strong enough for the alpha to feel.

Bracing for the worst, he crossed the threshold and lead Yoongi determinedly into the cycle room.

“Ah,” Yoongi said, following Taehyung to the edge of the nest. “Taehyung, it’s lovely.”

The omega fretted, stalking around the edge of the large, wooden basin that held his nest.

If he were being really, really honest, he could see that it wasn’t a bad nest. It was different, but not half as horrendous as those in his pack had led him to believe.

The nest was full of soft fabrics, some from his pack – mostly a combination of Jin and Jimin’s items – and some he had found or sewn himself.

The only discernable difference was that it was essentially inside out. Typically, the center was filled with the comfiest materials, to ground the omega and surround them most comfortably. And yet, Taehyung’s nest had the best materials lining the edges, unwilling to let the strong scents of those he loved fade beneath his own weaker one. Not to mention he was very loathe to wash the precious materials should they get soaked during his heat, as short as they were.

The center was lined with soft but mildly water-resistant sheets. They weren’t the comfiest, especially when Taehyung was the loan nest occupant soothing his cycle along, but the cleanup was easier and he preferred it that way.

“It’s not,” he refuted, running his hand along one of Jin’s sweaters lining the edge.

“It’s comfy but also easy to be cleaned, right?” The alpha asked, adequately understanding his reasoning.

Despite how quickly he’d picked up on the omega’s intentions, Taehyung was still shocked at the easy acceptance. In fact, the alpha almost seemed pleasantly surprised.

“Right,” he managed at last. And then, because he couldn’t repress his anxiety much longer, “you don’t think it’s weird?”

“I think it’s perfect. Easy cleanup with all the comfort. If I were being honest, I was a little worried about making too much of a mess, especially if you’re not in a state to tell me off. Honestly, it’s great. I’m sorry people have said otherwise.”

Instead of replying – he wasn’t certain he’d be able to with the way his heart was lodged in his throat and the severe fluttering in his stomach – he climbed into the nest, settling himself right in the center before looking up at the alpha.

His cheeks were rosy and his nervousness palpable as he quietly said, “You can come in, if you’d like.”

Once he’d been formally invited, the alpha didn’t hesitate to climb in after him. He was careful not to disturb anything but didn’t shy away from sitting directly next to the younger man, their legs touching from hip to ankle.

Taehyung was vibrating where he sat, now no longer able to resist the way he took in deep lungfuls of the alpha’s heady scent.

Yoongi turned to look at him, smiling at Taehyung’s more than obvious inhalations, making the omega look away self-consciously. “Sorry,” he murmured, suddenly embarrassed.

“First things first,” Yoongi said, angling his body so that he was facing Taehyung properly.

He placed a hand on the omega’s thigh, slowly enough that Taehyung could move away if he wanted, but instead he melted beneath the touch.

“No more sorrys,” he said, continuing quickly before Taehyung could protest, “at least not until your heat is over. I know it’s a hard habit to break, but I don’t want you to have to feel self-conscious or nervous around me. Yeah?”

Taehyung took in another deep breath, now shamelessly basking in the other’s scent now that he’d more or less been given permission, “Yeah”.

He was used to his heats feeling like an insistent, simmering need that, if he tried hard enough, could be relatively repressed for a time. But now, the simmering was like an inferno licking at him from the inside out, making him desperate.

“Are you overheated?” Yoongi murmured, placing an assessing hand to Taehyung’s forehead.

He hummed noncommittally, feeling positively burning but uncaring in the face of the alpha’s touch. The fire was a little less intense where Yoongi was touching him, and without conscious thought, he leaned heavily into the alpha.

“Mmm, you are,” he observed, trailing his hand down and just barely touching Taehyung’s neck.

Embarrassingly, he couldn’t help the low but definitely discernable whine that escaped him at the touch.

Taehyung looked back at him helplessly, body singing with all kinds of demands that he didn’t know how to go about asking for.

“Would you like me to take this off,” Yoongi said, gently pulling at the sweater now falling off of his sweaty shoulders.

He shook his head, embarrassed but not quite enough to part with the comfort item.

“That’s alright,” Yoongi reassured at his slightly panicked gaze, trailing his hand down Taehyung’s arms, and then lower still to glide along his thigh, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

“How about these?” he asked instead, finger running across the edge of his boxers.

“I-” he stuttered, pressing his legs together, not out of reluctance, but at the sudden rush of slick that came from the alpha’s hot touch. “Y-yes,” he rushed, not wanting Yoongi to get the wrong idea from his hesitation.

His cheeks were flaming, but the way his body ached for the alpha had him slowly parting his thighs at Yoongi’s careful guidance.

He bit his lip, watching the alpha carefully and noticing the way his pupils dilated as he took in the newly exposed skin and the omega’s flushed, dripping cock.

“Pretty,” Yoongi murmured, glancing back up at Taehyung just in time to see his lips part with want.

Slowly, making sure to keep his movements gentle, he moved so that he was lower in the nest and properly situated between the omega’s spread legs.

“Please,” Taehyung choked when the alpha simply laid there, not moving. He didn’t know what he was asking for, just that whatever Yoongi gave him would be what he needed, trusting the alpha implicitly.

“Do you want me to take care of this for you?” he asked quietly, trailing his finger along Taehyung’s thigh util he was just shy of touching his member. The omega couldn’t help the way his hips arched, reacting to the alpha’s warm breath along his skin.

“Yes, please,” he whimpered, barely restraining himself from pulling the alpha against him.

Despite his best efforts, all restraint flew out the window the moment Yoongi took the head of his cock into his mouth, sucking firmly at the tip before slowly making his way down his shaft. From what Taehyung had glimpsed in passing during the early morning, he knew Yoongi was significantly bigger than him, making it relatively easy for the alpha to fit him entirely in his mouth as he sunk down to the base of his cock.

It felt indescribable, making his toes curl as Taehyung’s hands came up to tug at the alpha’s hair harshly. Yoongi hardly seemed to mind, just the opposite, as he drew back so that just the tip remained resting on his tongue before taking him all the way in once more.

Usually, Taehyung could work himself over slowly during his heats, not feeling the immediacy that so often came for omegas, but whether from their compatibility, or the fact that it was just Yoongi, he found himself teetering on the edge far quicker than anticipated.

“Hyung,” he choked out, no longer able to hold himself back from bucking up in the warm, wet heat of the alpha’s mouth. “I’m-”

He struggled to get the words out, too caught up in the mind-numbing pleasure as Yoongi redoubled his efforts, urging Taehyung that much closer.

Taehyung jerked as he felt one of the alpha’s fingers collect some of the slick that had slid down the back of his thighs, working the digit along the wet path until he was circling the omega’s dripping entrance. His finger slid in easily, as did the second and third, only having to thrust a few times before Taehyung was coming down his throat with a shout.

Dazed, Taehyung barely registered his cock slipping from between the alpha’s lips, instead focusing on how enticing they looked.

His erection hadn’t gone down, and from the way his body felt more keyed up than ever, he knew it was only a matter of time before he was desperate for the alpha again.

He tugged the alpha up and towards him, regretting the loss of his fingers that came with the movement, but wholly satisfied with the way the alpha followed him easily until he was pulled down for a proper kiss.

Part of Taehyung was aware that this was their first kiss, and perhaps not the most traditional as far as firsts went. That being said, the way Yoongi licked into his mouth had him pressing even closer to the alpha, and his eyes slid shut in bliss as he went pliant beneath the older man.

Yoongi kissed like he wanted to consume him – hot and all encompassing in a way that had Taehyung hooking a leg over the alpha’s hips, eager to get more.

He wasn’t disappointed. He could feel the press of the alpha’s cock against him, even through the thin layers of pajamas he wore. Refusing to break the kiss, Taehyung managed to free his hands to impatiently tug at the waistband of his pants, for once not at all self-conscious as the alpha chuckled at his eagerness.

Taking pity on his frantic efforts, Yoongi managed to scoot back just a bit so that they now had room to work his pants down over his hips and off.

Fuck.

What Taehyung had gotten glimpses of in passing did not do the alpha justice. He was massive, and Taehyung felt his hole clench at the thought of the alpha splitting him open on his cock. He’d never been this desperate before in his life, but now that he’d gotten a taste, he wanted the full course.

“Need you,” Taehyung mumbled between kisses, whimpering as the alpha’s large hands wrapped around his waist, pressing him down into the nest.

“Yeah?” Yoongi asked, breaking the kiss in favor of licking the sweat along the omega’s neck. He groaned, running his nose along his scent gland before placing his lips there and sucking, pressing Taehyung’s hips down harder as he reeled at the contact, whining low and loud as he went limp.

“Please,” he breathed, needing Yoongi more than anything. His slick soaked thighs parted further, eager for the alpha. “Please hyung, need you.”

The slow burn he was used to accompanying his heat was entirely out the window as Yoongi lined himself up with his hole, pressing hot and insistently until he slid fully inside.

Taehyung was sure his voice would give by the end of the heat with the loud shout he let out, body curling around Yoongi to get as close as he could, needing the alpha as deep as possible.

“How are-”

“Move,” Taehyung groaned, tightening his legs around the alpha pointedly. He wasn’t usually so pushy, and any other time he might even apologize, but Yoongi had effectively forbade him and he felt far too good to care.

“Whatever you want,” Yoongi said, doing as told and withdrawing slowly from the omega, only to snap his hips forward until he was once again buried fully inside. He groaned at the tight heat around him, thrusting into Taehyung with a slow pace that quickened rapidly at the omega’s insistence.

“Feels sgood,” Taehyung slurred, letting Yoongi pull him into another breathless kiss. “Please.”

“Moons, Taehyung,” Yoongi breathed once they pulled apart, dropping his head so that it was resting in the crook of Taehyung’s neck as he kept a brutal, spine-tingling pace. “You have no idea what you fucking do to me.”

“Need-” Taehyung whimpered, gripping the alpha’s back so tightly he knew he much be drawing blood.

“What do you need baby? Tell me.” Yoongi demanded, making the omega keen at the authoritative tone.

The endearment was too much for him, driving him right to the precipice as he bared his neck for the alpha, urging him to bite.

Yoongi groaned, nipping at the exposed column of his throat but not hard enough to claim like both of their wolves demanded.

Taehyung whined at being denied, but it quickly broke off into another needy, desperate, delighted cry as he felt the beginning of the alpha’s knot swelling.

“Fuckfuckfuck sgood hyung, alpha, need you. Knot me, fill me up. Pleasepleaseplease.”

“I’ve got you,” Yoongi murmured, biting at Taehyung’s shoulder as his pace was now bruising. Taehyung rather liked the idea of bearing multiple marks of the alpha’s touch, eager to be reminded even once his heat finished. “Fuck, you feel amazing. Gonna fill you up so well.”

For the second time that night, and certainly not for the last, he came, clenching around the alpha’s swelling knot and urging him even deeper. He was desperate to have them locked together, moaning long and loud as he painted their stomachs and the alpha’s stolen sweater with his cum.

“So good for me,” Yoongi groaned, pushing in once more and settling there as Taehyung felt his knot fully within him.

The alpha shuddered with the force of his orgasm, pulling Taehyung tightly to him as they rode out their respective climaxes together. Taehyung had never felt something so amazing, and from the way the alpha looked utterly blissed out and amazed, the omega could gather that he likely felt the same.

It took several moments for their racing hearts to slow to something more manageable, and Taehyung loved the way Yoongi ran soothing hands down his back, up his thighs, and along his sides, helping the omega come down.

“You were amazing, Taehyung,” was the first thing the alpha said when Taehyung felt mildly less floaty. “Fuck, I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

Instead of the usual protest at such a compliment, he pulled Yoongi down for a kiss instead, smiling into the alpha’s mouth.

“Maybe we’re both a bit lucky,” he grinned once they’d pulled away. He took a deep breath, rocking back against the alpha and smiling at the long moan it elicited.

“I can’t believe you knotted,” Taehyung said, sounding as dazed as he felt.

Yoongi chuckled, “I’m not that old, you know.”

“That’s not,” Taehyung said, smacking the alpha as he laughed harder. “You know that’s not what I meant. I think it means-”

“We’re compatible,” Yoongi confirmed, grinning that wonderful gummy smile of his that always had Taehyung’s stomach in giddy knots.

“I’m not broken,” he whispered quietly in way of agreement, wonder in his voice.

Yoongi nipped him sharply on the throat, the bite more unexpected than it was painful. “You were never broken,” he growled, sitting back so that he was staring Taehyung directly in the eyes. “And I’ll remind you every day if I have to.”

“By knotting me every day?” he teased. It was a joke, but it had so many implications -that this would work, that Yoongi would stay, that they would mate.

Yoongi snorted, adjusting subtly within the omega so that they were both breathless. “If I have to,” he said, trailing kisses along his throat. “I’m more than ready and willing.”

“Yeah?” Taehyung managed around the lump in his throat, closing his eyes at how right everything felt.

They didn’t need to talk about it, the fact that Yoongi had knotted at all meant that he was more than able to respond to the omega, proving compatibility and the viability of mating. It was a monumental confirmation, the culmination of weeks of anxiety and years of being told he’d failed as an omega, that was now thoroughly assuaged and refuted.

Yoongi looked at him, with so much kindness and care that it took his breath away.

The alpha bent down, bringing him into a kiss far softer than any of the previous as he murmured, “Yeah.”

+++

Despite the assurances, despite the quite frankly spectacular last three days that had been Taehyung’s heat, Yoongi could still feel the powerful anxiety rolling off of his intended.

Even though his heat had ended, the connection forged between an alpha and omega during didn’t dispel as soon as it ended. If in the same proximity immediately after for the first two days, there was a pull between them, heightening their awareness of one another and scents.

Even with his scent not as strong, Yoongi could pick up on the faint souring of Taehyung’s. His hand, wrapped firmly in Yoongi’s, was clinging to the alpha.

Yoongi didn’t understand why the discussion of how their heat went had to take place in front of the Pack Heads and not solely in front of the Leaders, but he was determined to make the experience as comfortable and painless for the omega as possible. Well, as much as he had the capacity to do so.

As they entered the same room they had for that first fateful merging of pack meetings -something that felt like ages ago despite it only having been a matter of two weeks – they took the same seats they had the initial go around.

Letting go of the omega’s hand was more difficult than Yoongi wanted to admit, feeling a need to keep him close and at his side. If he were being truthful with himself, he knew those feelings of protectiveness were nothing new, having begun to take root at their first acquaintance, and had only grown stronger over the last fortnight.

He loved the glimpses of Taehyung free of anxiety and happy that he’d gotten to see over the few weeks, particularly in the last few days. The ease with which they navigated one another was something Yoongi had thought wouldn’t come for months, let alone as quickly as it had. He only hoped as their courtship continued it would only improve.

The omega’s unreserved smile, carefree laugh, and pretty pink cheeks every time Yoongi complimented him never ceased to quicken the alpha’s pulse, and he knew it was only a matter of time before his wolf’s quiet rumblings of mine would someday soon be a full-fledged roar.

The alpha pointedly ignored the lascivious look his brother shot him as he sat down, also ignoring the careful, worried, and vaguely threatening eyes of his brother’s intended on him as well.

He understood Jin’s general hesitancy to trust him with Taehyung  – if the situations were reversed he’d feel the same – but the look discomforted him more than he’d like to admit. The tiny, reassuring smile Taehyung sent him did a considerable amount to lessen his mounting unease.

“Welcome, welcome!” Jihyun said, sounding for all things like the master of ceremonies opening a festival.

Quiet murmurs of welcome and other pleasantries rose from the assembled pack as all those gathered got settled.

“Much has been done in way of blending our packs, but much is still left to be done,” Taehyung’s father continued, looking around at all those gathered. “Given I’m sure everyone is plenty busy, I am happy to move to the most prominent topic, that may yet guide our pack’s future.”

Neither Yoongi nor Taehyung had checked in with anyone after Taehyung’s heat. If anything, both men were rather put out that they’d been summoned to assess their ‘potential’ not even a full day after. From the agitated way Taehyung shifted every few seconds in his seat, he imagined he was just as restless to get back to the safety and comfort of his nest. Yoongi hoped he would be invited.

As spectacular as things had gone, he knew they were still relative strangers despite the clear connection of their wolves. He was eager to explore and deepen that connection – in privacy, preferably.

He couldn’t help a glance at the clock, silently hoping that the meeting could indeed be short and sweet.

“I can’t agree more,” Yoongi’s father chimed in, glancing at his son briefly.

Yoongi chaffed at the dismissiveness of the action, wanting nothing more than to leave at the earliest convenience. His wolf still felt a prominent pull towards the omega, and he itched to be at his side, shielding him from the uncomfortably curious gazes of their pack.

He understood the interest – after all, it would determine the future guidance of their newly combined pack. Despite the deeply personal nature of things, he knew that it had implications far outside of the two of them. That didn’t mean he had to like it.

There was a moment of silence, painful and uncomfortably long as those at the table seemed to think of the best way to go about broaching such an intimate topic. They were a pack, so of course there was an inherent sharing of even the most intimate facets – cycles, scenting, nesting and the general tactile nature of pack life ensured it. However, that didn’t mean there was no degree of discretion, particularly when it concerned the private lives of mates.

Well, almost mates. That is, if he had anything to say about it. He glanced back up at the omega across from him, smiling tightly as their eyes met. Despite the reassurances he had pressed into Taehyung’s skin that morning in the form of delicate kisses and sweet words, he was nearly just as anxious for the outcome. There was a possibility all of the anxiety was for nothing considering the heat had gone well and knotting had been far from an issue. Their compatibility had been more than proven and the genuine relief Taehyung felt at the confirmation that he wasn’t ‘broken’ made Yoongi double down on his determination.

“So,” Jihyun began after realizing that he was the logical choice to get the ball rolling, looking around at the table once more as his gaze grew serious in response to the stakes of the situation.

His eyes fixed on Yoongi, instinctively making the alpha sit up straighter as he met the challenging gaze head on. His wolf was alert, the instinct to defend bubbling to the surface even before the predicable question was asked.

“How did Taehyung’s heat serve you?” he asked plainly, not even sparing the man in question a glance.

Yoongi felt mildly repulsed at the use of ‘serve’ but readied himself to get the discussion over with as soon as possible.

Taehyung was staring resolutely at the table, looking so much like the embarrassed, reclusive omega he had been at that first fateful meeting and Yoongi’s stomach churned.

“It went perfectly well,” the alpha said succinctly, meeting the Pack Leader’s gaze steadily. “There were no issues, we’re completely compatible. Mating and producing an heir will not be a problem.”

There, he’d said it. As brief and clear as possible so there was no mistaking and no need for further questions.

That hardly stopped Taehyung’s father from asking them.

“Well then!” Jihyun said, genuine pleased surprise crossing his face as he clapped Taehyung solidly on the back, still not looking at his son. “Well, who would have thought,” he said, quieter as if to himself. He tilted his head, giving Yoongi an assessing look as he prompted, “You’re certain?”

“Absolutely,” Yoongi said, eyes drifting to look around the table, meeting the eyes of some of their pack mates while entirely avoiding the gazes of others.

Hoseok shot him a reassuring look from behind their father’s back, and Yoongi felt mildly more at ease. Jin also exuded a gentle sense of reassurance from his place beside the alpha, and Yoongi felt relief he didn’t know he was waiting for.

“And his scent?” Jihyun prompted, finally deigning to spare a look towards his son. “I’ll be honest, I don’t notice much difference.”

“Well, we were able to bond and I have had the privilege of spending time together with him in close quarters. I imagined you wouldn’t immediately notice a difference, particularly in a room of our pack with so many new scents mingling together and settling in.”

Yoongi made sure to smile – their ability to get along and operate cohesively was paramount to the pack’s future. That didn’t mean his grin wasn’t cold at the corners and his gaze even icier.

“I see,” Jihyun said, letting the words trail at the end as he cast a second, this time longer assessing gaze towards his heir. “And his slick production?”

Yoongi choked on his tongue, only saving himself from coughing up a lung at the forced, sharp exhale he had to take.

There was an unpleasant gleam in Jihyun’s eyes, and Yoongi couldn’t fathom what exactly brought him such clear amusement at the question.

His dislike for the man only grew. He bit his tongue, forcing himself to gather his thoughts. The knowledge that one day it would be Yoongi’s pack to run – well, his and Taehyung’s – helped ease his building ire. When they were in charge, and their father’s blissfully retired and relieved of duties, things would be drastically different. He would ensure it.

“I believe that’s something private, wouldn’t you agree?”

Taehyung’s father sent him a clinical, unimpressed look. His eyes had hardened just so, and the subtle shifting of Yoongi’s father beside him signaled that the elder alpha wanted him to tread carefully.

He was done being careful.

“If it shapes the nature of our pack’s collective future, I would argue privacy should be waived.” His smile sharpened, redirecting the question back towards Yoongi. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

He looked at Taehyung, noting the red flush to his cheeks that was so different than the sweet flush that had stayed with the omega throughout his heat. Taehyung was clearly uncomfortable, and the soonest the alpha could comfortably remove them from the situation, he would.

“Perhaps,” Yoongi said, keeping his voice as steady as he was able as he inclined his head in faux consideration, “if I hadn’t just said things went perfectly fine. The particulars of what takes place in the privacy of a nest is hardly needed.”

The temperature in the room dropped at the clear, challenging turn the discussion had taken, the occupants of the room collectively holding their breath at the apparent standoff between their current leader, and their future.

“And what if your children have Taehyung’s defects? Surely a discussion is warranted.”

Yoongi stilled, noting the way Taehyung stiffened beside his father as the alpha’s own temperature elevated several degrees.

He didn’t bother with a steadying breath as he snapped, “What defects?”

Jihyun raised a bushy, condescending eyebrow as he stared back at Yoongi in thinly veiled amusement.

“I believe they’re more than apparent,” he said dismissively, challengingly.

Yoongi’s eyes narrowed, chest tightening with fury as he hissed, “How so?”

Nonplussed, Taehyung’s father began checking off his ‘points’ on wrinkled fingers as he said, “his weak scent, his weaker heats – with limited slick production being the biggest factor – poor nesting abilities,” his brows crept higher along his forehead as he asked, “shall I go on.”

The younger alpha knew his scent was betraying him from the way his father’s eyes cut towards him sharply, even as he didn’t move to turn in his son’s direction.

The alpha was beyond past giving a flying fuck.

“Not necessary,” Yoongi said firmly, only barely holding himself back from making a comment about how the Head Alpha seemed perhaps inappropriately concerned with his heir’s sexual functioning. “I have stated in no uncertain terms that the heat went well, and that we are compatible. We will mate as intended. Is that not answer and satisfying enough?”

“It’s not.” Jihyun said, his apparent amusement evaporating at the younger man’s dismissiveness.

“Well, that is quite unfortunate,” Yoongi said, rising slowly from his seat and never breaking eye contact with the alpha.

Given that Jihyun was seated, it was no small show of disrespect that Yoongi enacted- positioning himself higher than the Pack Lead so that he was now looking down his nose at the older alpha.

Good.

“We are happy to discuss the future of the pack,” he said, looking at Taehyung to convey that it was indeed their joint decision before he continued, “but that does not involve divulging the intimacies between mates. Particularly following a heat, in the midst of a room full of people. I think we have been open and willing enough to do our parts for the pack, but this line of questioning is unnecessary and inappropriate.”

Yoongi could clearly see the way Taehyung tensed, the fear the omega felt towards his father and for his intended’s potential reprisal was evident in his wide-eyed stare.

The alpha was desperate to soothe it.

“What I believe my son is trying to say-”

“Apologies, father,” he said, interrupting his dad even as he kept his gaze straight ahead, “if I was unclear. What I meant to say is that our union will be successful, we will not take further questions in this regard, and we will be taking our leave now to spend the rest of Taehyung’s post-heat in the seclusion and privacy he is owed. I hope that was clear.er”

The silence was deafening as incredulous stares locked onto the alpha, tracking his movements keenly as he slowly moved from behind his chair and made a determined route over to the omega in question.

From the corner of his eye, he could see his father’s stricken expression, and Hoseok’s positively proud one. Ostensibly echoing his intended’s sentiments, Jin’s gaze was equally approving and smile unapologetically broad as he watched Yoongi.

Taehyung looked uncomprehendingly up at the alpha as Yoongi finally reached him, pupils dilated and body poised as if prepared to run as Yoongi took another step closer.

Despite his fury at the situation, comforting Taehyung was his paramount concern, and so he took a steadying breath as he consciously released soothing pheromones towards his panicked future mate.

Making sure to keep his movements predictable and slow, he reached carefully towards the omega, offering his hand palm facing up.

Nervously, but without hesitation, Taehyung placed his own in Yoongi’s grasp. The alpha was more pleased than he could put into words to note that his omega didn’t look towards Jihyun once, putting his trust entirely in Yoongi despite the surprising turn of event.

Gently, Yoongi helped pull Taehyung to his feet, ignoring the heavy gazes of their packmates and the almost suffocating silence.

Finally, once Taehyung was stood and tucked safely into Yoongi’s side with the strong arm he had thrown around the omega, he looked back at Jihyun.

“If you have further questions or would like to continue the conversation in a less invasive manner we’re more than happy to,” he said with a sugary sweetness to his words. He was livid, and he was certain he’d get an earful from his father- the severity entirely dependent on the level of reaction from Jihyun and the rest of the gathered pack members – but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

All that mattered was the sweet scent of spiced honey wafting from his intended as the omega plastered himself to Yoongi’s side.

It was with sure steps that Yoongi led him around the table and out of the doors, guiding Taehyung past the staring eyes and oppressive, judging quiet.

Distantly, he could acknowledge that perhaps he hadn’t handled the situation as well as he could have, but his wolf rumbled with deep satisfaction at the knowledge that he had defended their mate.

“Are you sure you should have done that?” Taehyung asked quietly once they were outside.

Yoongi took a deep breath, letting the chilly air fill his lungs as the relief that came from leaving the cloying room filled him.

Turning to face Taehyung, he brought him into a tight hug, smiling as he felt the omega nuzzle his scent gland, shamelessly breathing him in and letting the alpha’s scent soothe him.

“Positive,” he murmured, pressing a kiss into soft brown tresses. “It’s none of their business what happens between us. And I’ll be damned if anyone continues to disrespect you. You’re mine- to protect, to cherish, to take care of. That includes putting pushy bastards in their place.”

Taehyung chuckled quietly, even as his gentle scent sweetened tenfold at the words, the beginning of a purr working its way up his chest before he said, “that pushy bastard is my dad, and a Pack Leader.”

“And he can fuck right on off,” Yoongi said, pressing a kiss to the omega’s temple. “I’m sorry that level of intrusiveness. . . and the way people have treated you has persisted for so long but, if you’ll let me, I want to be the kind of mate that puts a stop to it.”

Taehyung leaned back, and for a heart-stopping moment Yoongi thought he’d been put off, only to be stunned into silence as the omega brought him forward into a firm, sweet kiss.

They stood that way, out in the open air for anyone to see, wrapped in one another as Taehyung pulled him close.

When they parted, Yoongi’s stomach somersaulted at the brilliant, incandescent smile Taehyung gave him. Just as he had that first day, he felt wholly unworthy. The only difference was he was now determined to ensure he lived up to such an honor.

Despite the anxiety of the situation, despite the unpleasant aftermath they were surely going to have to answer to in the next few days, Yoongi felt more at peace than he could ever remember.

Taehyung was looking at him – adoringly, trustingly, and with the hint of something unsaid that took Yoongi’s breath away. From the way Taehyung’s smile softened, Yoongi knew his gaze must have looked quite the same.

“I’m so happy you’re mine,” Taehyung murmured, looking at Yoongi from beneath his lashes.

The quiet admission was so simple, and yet so profound Yoongi couldn’t help pulling him into another, lingering kiss.

When they broke away for the second time, both breathless and giddy, Yoongi said, “Yours. And you’re mine.”

Taehyung beamed, looking so much more like himself than the small, reclusive person he had been forced to make himself into for years.

He looked brilliant.

He looked like-

“Home,” Yoongi said, already tugging Taehyung in the direction of their shared space, “let’s go home.”

Taehyung’s body was warm and scent even more so as he made himself comfortable at Yoongi’s side.

“Home,” he murmured, the word sounding positively wonderful from his lips, resounding with the reverence of an unspoken promise. “I like the sound of that.”

He liked the sound of that indeed.

[FIN]