Chapter Text
“Let me get this straight,” Seokjin says and he’s not shouting. No. He’s taking after Jungkook’s calm confidence. Because if this was just for him he would probably be hurling plates at the wall with how utterly livid he is right now. “You’re insinuating that you would have been fine with an alpha mating more than one omega but since Tae is an omega collecting alphas it makes the whole thing unacceptable.”
“I’m not insinuating anything, Dear. It is what it is. The pack has spoken,” his mother says, staring him down from across the table.
“Oh, really? Let me tell you what this is. It’s plain statuism!”
“Sit down, Seokjin. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
Seokjin didn’t even realise he got up. So much for keeping his chill. The restaurant is full of people and they’re probably all looking at him by now. Oh, well. Fuck it. “I’ll embarrass you, maybe,” he spits back at her.
Jungkook has been silently sitting by Seokjin’s side this whole time. He hasn’t even touched his food. His silent presence is like a rock. Sturdy and unwavering. (And very much needed after all.)
Taehyung hasn’t been eating much either. He’s looking down at his hands, silently crying (which is so very little like him). Jimin is there too. He’s rubbing Taehyung’s shoulder, whispering reassurances into his ear, looking after his mate and ignoring his own distress (Seokjin can just tell).
What began with his mother not being very open to the idea of adding Namjoon to their relationship has now evolved into a literal threat of banishing them from the pack if they decide to go through with it.
“Taehyung’s been warned,” she says, eyes like steel.
Taehyung does not stop the little whine building up in his throat. The sound makes Seokjin’s heart ache.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Jimin says to Taehyung softly before sending Seokjin’s mother one of his death glares. “That’s unfair,” he says, louder.
The woman, for all that can be given to her, does not seem phased by any of it. Not Taehyung’s sorrow, not Jimin’s anger, not Seokjin’s outburst. She stands tall with her ideas, unshakeable in her conviction and if Seokjin wasn’t so viscerally angry at her, he’d say it’s a part of her he’s always admired. Let this be what he inherits from her and nothing else.
“You’re not considering anyone’s feelings,” he tells her.
“I’m considering everyone’s feelings. You should be more grateful that this is only there that I draw the line. I haven’t opposed your choices of mate, haven’t I? Not Taehyung’s or yours.” She vaguely gestures to Jungkook like he’s just some kind of annoyance. (Somehow he knows Jungkook won’t take offence, but Seokjin still might.) “I’ve been open-minded even though you both never considered one second asking me for my permission.”
And it would be funny considering Seokjin’s not even mated for real. He has half a mind to throw it out there just to spite. But the reveal will only overshadow what they’re discussing now, she’ll probably use it to deflect and the matter at hand is too serious to be dropped just yet.
“We shouldn’t even have to ask.” Seokjin tries to keep his voice level. Even if this conversation hits all of his triggers one after the other. “This is ridiculous.”
“This is how our pack operates. I’m always doing whatever I can to insure the good of the pack. It’s what being a leader is all about. If you’re not happy with it—”
“—then leaves. You’ve told me before,” Seokjin reminds her. “Many times.” He takes a deep breath. He thinks he’s done with plans and he thinks he’s even more done with avoiding the inevitable. “Sounds more appealing by the second.” He feels Jungkook’s hand, warm and solid as his fingers twine with Seokjin’s under the table.
His mother won’t change her mind. They all know that.
He sends a quick look to Jimin, and he receives a nod.
Taehyung has stopped crying, and he’s looking right back at Seokjin.
Jungkook’s grip tightens.
Seokjin stands up. “We’re leaving,” he declares. There’s no mistaking what he’s implying.
“Seokjin,” his mother calls, for the first time a waver in her tone. She straightens up quickly, though. “Fair enough. It’s your choice.”
“Yes,” Seokjin says simply and the others all stand up to follow him out the door. Never looking back.
In the parking lot, Seokjin takes a second to breathe. He looks at Jungkook and receives a proud smile, but Seokjin’s not sure the reality of what he’s just done has reached his conscious brain just yet. He finds himself with an armful of a snivelling Taehyung. “Thank you,” he says.
“We don’t need them,” Seokjin tells him, looking into his big, sad eyes.
“You mean that.”
“Of course.”
Jimin comes to collect him and they all agree to sleep on it and speak in the morning.
Seokjin cries a good lot through the night and Jungkook is there with him the whole time. They cuddle and trade stories until Seokjin is finally able to fall asleep in his arms. There was teasing but there was also truth when Seokjin told Jungkook he may need him after all. For all the years he’s been convinced he would have to defect from his pack alone, he just feels so lucky to have Jungkook at his side now that he’s ready to do it for real.
The very next day Taehyung calls to tell him they’re mating Namjoon anyway.
***
Making his way through the crowd with a beer in each hand, Jungkook can’t help but feel pleasantly buzzed. The bar is packed, Jungkook is not good with crowds and yet the place feels cozy and warm and everyone seems so very happy tonight.
They’re here to celebrate the mating of Taehyung and Jimin to Namjoon.
Navigating the packed dancefloor to their booth in the corner proves to be impossible without spilling some beer and apologizing to four different people. The fourth person he bumps into happens to be Jimin. “Jungkookie,” he shouts over the music. “Dance with us.” He’s obviously pretty drunk at this point, cheeks red and glassy eyes, but his smile is so true and bright Jungkook can’t keep himself from smiling in return.
It’s awkward because he still has both hands occupied but he manages to sway his hips and indulge Jimin for a moment.
The lights are dimmed and the sounds are loud. It doesn’t prevent Seokjin from spotting him in the crowd. “Stop herding all the alphas,” he tells Jimin. “That one’s mine.”
Jimin sticks out his tongue as Seokjin stirs Jungkook to their booth at last. They sit with their beers and Jungkook would lie if he said he wasn’t entirely pleased with Seokjin calling him “mine.” It’s something he does sometimes and—as Jungkook couldn’t fail to notice—does more and more now that he’s made a place for Jungkook in his bed. It’s never going to get old. Never.
“Thanks for saving me,” Jungkook says, dropping a kiss just beneath his ear and savouring the way the skin flushes under his eyes. There’s no makeup there, no fake mating mark anymore. They don't need to hide from anyone here.
Seokjin tuts and pushes him away with a little laugh. “You’re the worst,” he says and he doesn’t mean it one bit so Jungkook surges back for two more kisses.
Yoongi and Hoseok are sitting across from them in the booth, but they’re paying them no mind.
“I wanna dance,” Hoseok is complaining.
Yoongi motions to the dancefloor with his drink. “Then, go.”
“But I wanna dance with you.”
“Ah.”
Seokjin laughs, still playfully trying to keep Jungkook at a distance. “I’ve never seen Yoongi dance.”
“It’s ‘cause I don’t.”
Hoseok frowns. “We’ve danced before.”
Yoongi stares at him like he’s gone totally crazy.
They’re cute together, Jungkook decides. Even though Yoongi and Hoseok don’t plan on ever mating (not each other or anyone else). “Happily unmated” Seokjin calls them. They both don’t like to do things the traditional way. Especially Yoongi, but Hoseok also has very interesting views on mating and status dynamics.
Jungkook never had any alpha in his life he could look up to. Growing up in a house full of omegas, he’s never felt at home surrounded by alphas. It’s not the case anymore, not with the alphas Seokjin has chosen to surround himself with anyway. Jimin is caring to a fault and very affectionate. Hoseok is a ball of literal sunshine on legs. And Namjoon…
Namjoon is another thing entirely. Jungkook sees him on the dancefloor, making Taehyung laugh with a goofy dance, limbs flailing about. There’s not an ounce of misplaced pride in this alpha. He’s a well of knowledge and patience, always sure to meet every single one of his two mates’ eccentric need. A good role model, Jungkook thinks. He can learn a lot from watching Namjoon alone.
Technically, they’ve all agreed to be a pack. They’re still working out the dynamics between them, but everyone seems to agree Seokjin makes a good leader. Objectively, Namjoon does too, but he aims to respect Seokjin’s age when decisions are to be made and things are to be done and so they always consult each other. Seokjin being an omega never even entered the debate. Namjoon doesn’t make any distinction in status—none of them do—so all that bullshit can be put to rest.
Seokjin’s never look this happy. He’s glowing, always smiling and devastatingly gorgeous. Jungkook’s in love. Even more than he was before (if that’s even possible).
“This pack is loud,” Yoongi remarks when Taehyung dissolves into another fit of obnoxious laughter.
“Nothing much I can do about that, I’m afraid,” Seokjin says with a smirk.
Yoongi hums. “Total chaos,” he comments in a grumble. “Absolutely unacceptable.”
“What he wants to say is that he’s very happy to be a part of it,” Hoseok says with a wink.
Seokjin nods. “That’s what I thought.”
***
On the phone, Seokjin’s alpha mother sounds weary. “You haven’t spoken to me in six months.”
“So?”
“You may not be part of my pack anymore but you are still my son.”
Seokjin laughs. It’s not necessarily meant to be mean—he’s long gotten over the whole mess with his mother. She hasn’t, apparently. There’s some sick satisfaction coming with that knowledge Seokjin forces himself not to feel. He wants to be the better person. The better leader.
“Are you sure this is what you want, Seokjin?”
“It’s what I need.”
She sighs. “So be it.”
“Do you, at the very least, get why I’m defecting? Do you understand?” He doesn’t know why he asks, but he can’t very much unask it once it’s out. So he gears up for disappointment instead.
There’s a long silence on the other side of the line before she answers. “You’re unhappy with me. You find me overbearing. You don’t like how I run the pack. But my dear, there’s also nothing I could have done to change that.”
Seokjin is at a loss for words. She couldn’t have hit the nail much more on the head.
“I always knew I would have to let you go one day,” she adds, then pauses to take a deep breath. “I guess I can be happy you’re not doing this alone after all.”
As she says this, Jungkook emerges from the bedroom with a cute bedhead and a yawn. He struts over and takes Seokjin into his arms, placing a kiss to the mating mark on Seokjin’s neck like he’s been doing every morning since he placed it there a few weeks ago.
Seokjin melts into Jungkook’s touch. “I’m very happy.”
“I know you are.” She laughs softly. “An omega leader. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me proud.”
“Thanks, mom.”
“What are you going to do now? Do you have a plan?” She seems genuinely interested. It’s as if—now that Seokjin is free of her reign—she can finally let herself address him as an equal.
“No. No plan, this time.” He shares a knowing look with Jungkook. “Just us happily mated and we’ll figure out the rest together.”