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Jungkook smiled at the door, noticing the light peeking through the slit between the floor and the wooden edge. He knew from the relaxed muted scent of strawberries drifting through the wood that the Omega had probably fallen asleep on their couch. He shook his head with a chuckle turning the key.
Taking off his coat and slipping out of his timber-lands he peeked into the living room and confirmed his hypothesis at the sight of a fluffy head on a cushion. He muffled his heavy steps with deliberately reduced force in his leg muscles, with socked feet padding against the carpet he edged closer to the kitchen. Opening the fridge to refill the contents with what he bought from the convenience store on his way, he took out a bottle of water and downed it to quench his parched tongue and fried vocal chords. He felt sticky and knew his sweat was unbearable. Putting back the bottle, he decided to make his way to the bathroom.
The hot water felt good against his worn muscles. He lifted his hand blindly towards the shampoo, and brought it back only to be hit with a nose full of strawberries, and he definitely didn't go for that. Yet, his Alpha inside melted at the melange of his own scent of cinnamon mixing with it. So he wordlessly and eagerly squeezed the contents of the bottle onto his palm, proceeding to massage his scalp with it.
The Omega was still drooling on the sofa cushions as he got out of the shower in his shorts. The laptop was still miraculously perched in balance upon the Omega’s lap. His blonde curls were contrasting beautifully against the emerald cushion, like a quartz stone set with an emerald in an engagement ring. Jungkook rounded up the apartment to turn off all the lights before kneeling down in front of the ethereal sleeping beauty.
Closing the laptop after saving the files, he proceeded to scoop his arms into the delves of the cushions. If someone was to ask whether transferring the Omega around their apartment was the purpose of his intense workouts(which weren't necessarily needed to be a basketball player), he would gladly say yes in this moment. That is while Taehyung in dreamland nuzzles into his chest and mumbles incoherent words about apple cinnamon pies. And of course no one will ask him that question now, as he won't let anyone else near a sleeping Taehyung.
Making his way again to the bathroom with a now koala Omega on him, he whispers the angelic syllables of the elder's name. He seats the mumbling whining boy on to the small counter of the bathroom and continues to support the sleepy body while reaching out for the toothbrush. He brings the toothpaste holding toothbrush to the lips of the still whining elder and coerces those petals apart with words no one else would ever believe left his mouth.
"Hyungie, let's brush and we'll go back to sleep. yeah?" The only sort of response to that is a nose burying into the crook of the Alpha's neck.
"Baby bear, I promise I'll buy strawberry ice-cream. Please?" There is a response of recognition at the skin of Jungkook's neck in the form of mumbles.
"Tae-tae, now, ahh," Jungkook says after a minute as the boy pulls back a little. And yet Jungkook gets cross-eyed trying to focus on the toothbrush from how close the Omega clings to him.
After successfully making the Omega gargle, he reaches for a hand towel knowing it would be useless to ask the elder to wash his face. Thankfully there is no product on the elder's face, and Jungkook gently wipes away.
Lifting the Omega again now on his hip he walks to the room on the right, with big cute lettering of 'TAETAE' on the door. Pushing it open he entered the room. The room is in a soft glow of purple fairy-lights surrounding the lilac sheets forming an adorable nest on the bed. The violin is hung on the wall with Beethoven's moonlight sonata painted a mural with twirls of pastels and flowers in between. The paint was still spread across the table. The lavender tones of the theme startlingly didn't look bad with the bouquet of sunflowers kept on the windowsill.
He laid Tae in his nest pulling the covers over him and giving him his favorite bunny plushie to hold. He was immensely grateful the elder was already in bed-wear, he would have had a hard time handling changing him, despite having the practice already especially with his hormones going astray.
Jungkook carefully pries his body away from the sheets, careful not to come in contact with the nest. He surveys the place and with an amused sigh proceeds to put the things in order, as he does not want the other to be a frantic mess in the morning when going to his classes. Besides, it's not his first time doing so. He knows his room mate will be up before the birds, yet he still tidies up the things.
He closes the door with a soft 'good night', and makes his way to his desk. And as he pulls out his notes the lilac bunny stick note smiles up at him. And he makes his way to the fridge to find a box with a peach heart sticky note. The Alpha inside him preen at the messy handwriting sprawling a 'good night'.
Taehyung woke up even before his alarm rang. He felt so calm in his nest and it felt safer than usual. The calmness he found was due to the aroma of strawberry and apples. The smile unbidden settled on his lips and he nuzzled into his nest more just to have more of it. As his alarm blared he jumped out of bed all energized and skipped his way to his closet.
As he came out of the shower drying his hair the sky through his window was a beautiful tapestry of his favorite shades. And he took out his notes to go through them before making breakfast.
As the clock comes to 7.30, Taehyung makes his way to the kitchen, to do his half-assed job of creating an edible food item for both of them. He isn’t the best cook out there, heck he can’t even scramble eggs without getting burnt. The last time he tried he had tears brimming in his lashes and Jungkook had simply lifted him up, treated the burn, and cuddled him to sleep. And one may ask why Taehyung is attempting to accomplish failing missions, well the thing is Kook has an exam today. The Alpha is always a non-morning person, so sometimes Tae has to literally pour buckets of ice to remind him of rare early morning classes. And Tae knows for a fact he would have slept after 3 o’ clock in the morning after devouring his theories, And the exam is at 9 o’clock. So, if Taehyung is to be a responsible(questionable at times) hyung and dorm-mate his only option is to wake the dragon with meat; which in his case is sandwiches.
After sloppily arranging three layered sandwiches on a plate and brewing a mug of strong coffee Tae proceeds to do the tougher part of his mission. Kookie slumbering with his mouth open on his back, and the relaxed nature of cinnamon in apples make Tae smile giddily.
“Kookie, rise and shine~” he sings in the younger one's ears. He chuckles at the twitch of his nose, resembling a bunny from waking up.
“No~” A groan, and a flip onto his stomach the Alpha lets out snores in seconds. Sighing in deeply, Tae climbs on to the mattress, and starts to push at the muscle monster. He thanks his above average frame for an Omega, it's due to his broad shoulders that he is able to manifest the momentum to turn the Alpha despite his lack of developed muscles. As he victoriously turns the younger on to his left side facing him he is caught off-guard at his sudden fall onto the mattress. A sturdy set of biceps shackles him to the warm chest at his back by the waist.
Of course, this is not Taehyung’s first time of getting caught in this delicious dilemma, it's a significant part of their lives as dorm-mates and best friends(Though not yet soulmates, much to the disappointment of Jimin and Seokjin) but it still leaves a rush of something coursing through his limbs. And Taehyung revels in the fact that he is the person at the receiving end of most of Kookie’s physical affections.
Damping his excited Omega he turns in the muscled cage to come face to face with the gorgeous Alpha. The thing is most people ascertain his baby bunny Alpha to be a terrifying creature, when in reality Kookie is merely a carrot eating, banana-milk loving fluff ball under toned muscles and etchings of dark ink on skin. Taehyung blows on the nose of the Alpha, which wrinkles the skin on the forehead of the younger, and he extricates a trapped arm to smooth out the plain.
“Come on Bunny, I already made breakfast” he said, deliberately letting his breath rustle the bangs around in a way he knows the Alpha will be irritated with.
“Hyungie~ Plz….” And the Alpha simply burrows into the Omega’s neck, breathing in and out against the column of sensitive skin. Taehyung happily sighs that sounds ridiculously satisfied to his own ear.
It's in these moments he questions his inability to refuse to the Alpha, and many of his life decisions. He knows it's not healthy for him to prolong this tantalizing effect of home he has with Jungkook, yet he reasons that life should be spent in the present, and presently he’s content with the way things are. Still, there is a nagging voice of rationality pointing out he’s not going to be young forever and that the day dreams of his desperation wouldn’t satisfy in the passage of time.
He wiggles out of the hold, with much more harshness than he intended that the wide eyes of the younger blink up at him with a galaxy of stars muted of brightness in the haze of sleep.
“Your exam is in an hour or less, I have to be in class in half an hour.” As the whine of protest begins from the puffed lips he says, “Chop, chop. Come on you big baby.”
And the reply leaves both of them shell shocked. An indignant growl resonates across the Alpha’s room. And it takes a while for Taehyung’s senses and Omega to realize that the young Alpha didn’t like being called a ‘baby’.
For a moment both of them are paralyzed to do anything. It’s Taehyung’s phone vibrating against his thigh that saves them from the imminent awkwardness of the situation was pregnant and ready to give birth at any moment.
Jungkook sees Tae scrambling back and forth from his room and to the kitchen with a sandwich in his mouth, phone wedged between his shoulder and ear, and a notebook in which he notes down something.
“Yeah, Minnie. I’ll meet you after class. See you,” And he ends the call, stuffing the notebook into his shoulder bag.
Jungkook is munching away on his 3rd sandwich, as the Omega opens the fridge and takes a drink of water.
“Kookie, I’m leaving. Good luck on your exam.” And he opens the door with a cheerful ‘fighting’. Jungkook deflates in a bit of disappointment, from what he does not know. And he’s on his daily dose of scolding his inner Alpha for his own hopeless-romantic antics that he hears the swing of the door. And suddenly his vision is filled with his dorm-mate hurrying towards him. It's when he feels the silent movement of lips against his forehead, that he realizes the kiss there. He feels as if though a breeze had brushed against his soul, the aroma of strawberries engulfing his whole being and being dazed for a second.
Before he’s even responded the entity which just left him in this state is out of the door in a sprint, leaving the door ajar.
Let’s just say that the Alpha had the best day in a while. (Everyone was left confused when, Mingyu received a pat on the back after spilling mango juice on Jungkook’s white t-shirt during the break that day. )
***
"I messed it all up! I....wha...Jiminie!!" Taehyung pulled at his curls as Jimin rolled on the floor clutching his stomach. Tae would seriously murder his best friend by now if not for the fact that he knows no one else will lend an ear even in passing to his rants about a particular Alpha in his head. Jimin was trying to calm down by gulping large mouths of breath.
"You two are both adorable pups, oh Luna," Jimin heaved out between chuckles with eyes that were now crescents. Taehyung poured indignantly at that.
"He is mad at me for disrespecting him. He has never growled at me before. Which means I messed it all up. I can never face him again." And with that Tae buried his face into his arms. The two best friends were at the park beside their university, on the green grass. Jimin was sprawled out on his back with his head turned to the other Omega, while the younger of the two had his knees up to his chin and arms folded over them. In between them their bags were dumped as they were finding a way out of Taehyung's worries.
"I don't think he is mad at you." Jimin says with an air of certainty, which he has developed over the years at law school. Jimin actually knows for a fact that the youngest of their gang can never get mad at the younger Omega. And he may also know from his mate, that his Bestie is not the only one stuck in a war of feelings.
"Then why did he growl at me? Huh?" Taehyung said with irritation dripping in his tone.
"It's not my place, nor my right to say that." Jimin said with his eyes closed.
They fell silent. The elder one in amusement and wisdom of the situation, while the younger mulled over the conversation and got even more confused.
Jimin did feel sorry for Tae but he knew better from his own experience that soul mates should not be meddled by 3rd parties. And they will find their way back together just like he and Yoongi did.
Taehyung stands up in a bit and starts walking without a word. Jimin knows better than anyone that a brooding Tae is not the best version of his best friend to be messed with, so he lets him go. But calls for him and shouts after him;
“The best place to start is by admitting.” And he knows with the heavy sigh that shakes the shoulders of the figure walking away, his message hit home.
***
Jungkook was in the dance studio after a workout session in the gym. He trailed his movements in the floor to ceiling mirrors and made sure every slope and angle was to the precision he wants. He’s a perfectionist, after all. All the other members are focusing on their own weaker routines until their designated time to do the group choreo arrives. Hoseok was meddling with the sound system at the front with Yoongi. And as Jungkook was near the front corner he heard the conversation pretty well.
“Hyung, the classical piece is dope, like seriously it sends goosebumps up my skin.” Hoseok was flailing his arms around in expression.
Yoongi who usually just nods miraculously has a boxy smile on his face. “I know I was stuck when you asked for a contemporary piece. And f*ck it’s in the middle and fusing in the last part. I was pulling my teeth out when Jiminie all of sudden said ‘Tae-tae’!” The elder Alpha was smiling so brightly at the mention of his mate’s name, no one would believe the same person used to cuss out the same Omega years ago.
“Are you kidding me? That is all our little Tae-tae?” Hoseok exclaimed, and Kook’s eyebrows shot up at that.
“Yeah, after you were finished with the street-dance track, I had to find something that didn’t break the flow from the classic symphony to the end. Even Joon was frustrated over it. Tae simply listened to all the other materials and came up with this.” Yoongi explained. “The kid even perfected and arranged it himself and all in two days.”
Hoseok whistled at that. And Jungkook’s Alpha was puffing its chest over his Omega’s talent.
Wait! His?!
Jungkook’s moves were suddenly more powerful, and Hoseok called him saying that the transition was a bit graceful so the power shouldn’t be intense. Jungkook was now confused and angry over himself. He knew that the start of his routine was a transition already and he had it down days ago, he just had to lose it before Hobi hyung and over his pathetic hormones.
The whole team sat down and listened to the whole track. The classic performance is going to be performed as an orchestra which will set the backdrop of the story for Swan lake. Next, their contemporary specials will fall onto the stage and become the swans. Then their hip hop crew will crash in for the destruction caused by opposites within a person. And then the orchestra will take over the music merging the contemporary track with the hip hop track while the dance crew will submerge both genres together to find peace.
On the whole it is an interpersonal tale with the help of classic swan lake but not necessarily the same story. The team was only trying to portray the feelings and frustrations. And somehow Jungkook felt himself finding catharsis in the whole routine.
After running through it once, Jimin declared he wanted to introduce more intricate steps to the contemporary routine as the track was way more nuanced than what they had initially worked on. And with an agreement of the majority, the contemporary crew started to work again with the track on repeat. Hence Hobi let the others go seeing it was a waste of time. Yoongi was packing up his stuff to leave, and Jungkook, grabbing his own stuff, headed over to the elder to leave with him.
Yoongi looked up as he sensed Jungkook. “Hey kiddo!”
“Hi hyung, can I come with you? I'm about to head out too.”
“Yeah, but I have to make some pit stops on the way, OK with that?”
“Yep,” Jungkook’s exams were over and he didn’t have anything to do on a Friday night so he agreed. Plus, he had felt Tae avoiding him for the past couple of days, he just might leave some space for the Omega if he felt suffocated. He wouldn’t call it necessarily avoiding him, but being more reluctant, maybe? Like when he had headed back to their apartment after finishing his exam with a mega tub of strawberry ice-cream as he had promised the previous night, the Omega had simply nodded in response. And Jungkook knows for a fact that even a cone of strawberry ice-cream can make his dorm-mate squeal in happiness. He had expected Taehyung to bloom like a flower, the way he does over cute puppies in the park, or over his favorite couple holding hands. And when Tae didn’t Kook heard something fall and the hit chipped a piece of it. Only later after midnight in bed did he figure out it was his heart.
Yoongi nuzzles against Jimin’s neck and they are on their way. As they walk along the well maintained paths in the green fields of the campus he realized they are heading towards the auditorium.
There is a small gathering of people passing sheets of music in the auditorium. And there are an assortment of instruments around them. Jungkook only recently took to learning the guitar, and he’s no expert, other than that he can play the basic chords on the keyboard. But by a simple glance itself, Jungkook knows these people are passionate about their instruments. He finds Seokjin fussing over Namjoon’s palm on the opposite side. He makes his way to the couple as Yoongi goes to discuss and hand over some more sheets.
“You idiot, who told you to take the string, I had it already,” Jin says as he pulls out some gauze from his bag. Namjoon is sheepishly looking away.
“Wow hyung, you carry around first aid boxes?” Jungkook asks as he sits down on the floor in front of them.
“Well, you see when you have a particular beta, who has a habit of injuring himself, as your mate you tend to adapt to it.” Jin said, sticking the plaster on the palm. Jungkook simply nods in amazement as Jin puts away the first aid box.
The Joon hyung Kook had known in his teenage years was a cool rapper who had inspired him to come to Seoul to find his dreams in filming and music while keeping dance as well. Now, as he looks at his cousin, he sees an overgrown man with ever-present dimples who follows his mate around while tripping over like a new-born foal.
And Kook thinks back to Yoongi hyung as well, the savage beast who could break people down with a single track, the Alpha who gives zero fuck about anyone, was a kitten purring for attention in Jimin hyung’s arms.
And his Alpha says a single syllable as he thinks how mates change lives. And that makes him happy and terrified at the same time.
“Tae.”
***
When Jungkook gets back home his Alpha panics. The apartment is clouded in the decaying scent of strawberries, he follows it on hurrying feet nearly tripping over the carpet. The room is shut, which is something that never happens and he is terrified now. He twists the knob before having a rational thought and comes to face his dorm-mate on the floor, asleep upon a box which seems to be pulled from underneath the bed. The Omega’s eyes are puffy, lashes sticking together, trails of dried liquid on his bloated cheeks, and whimpers falling from bitten, swollen, and bleeding lips. His usually broad frame had shrunken in on itself, as tremors racked across it.
Jungkook’s body was on autopilot as he surged forward and scooped the Omega into his arms. The tremors turned into sobs with syllables tumbling out incoherently. Jungkook sat back with the sobbing boy in his lap, tucking the crying boy into his neck. Jungkook felt so devastated at the moment, losing his control and being helpless, he himself wanted to cry, but he instead rocked back and forth in a rhythm of a lullaby his mother used to sing to him.
After what seemed to be hours the sobs evolved to sniffles in a crescendo and disintegrated into puffs of breaths.
He himself found his lids falling as he continued to rock, now against the bed post with his head on the elder’s head. The last thing he had in his line of vision was pieces of wood inside the box, with some strings. And he fell into a dreamless slumber with his senses immersed in strawberry serenity.
Taehyung woke as he heard the birds singing their tunes, he was peaceful and happy in the warmth that hugged him. He felt himself sighing before ordering his muscles to stretch to go about his routine. It was then that he was shocked to hear the steady rhythm against his ears and the rise and fall of his bed soothingly lulling him. He fluttered his eyes shut as his brain recognized the apples and cinnamon in his nose. He lifted his head and opened his lids to be met with the ephemeral happiness filling his senses. His Alpha was sleeping peacefully, lips in full pout, hair falling all over his face and eyes, his skin still sticky from the body-heat in the night…. wait .
And that was when Taehyung came back to reality, he was cuddled into the Alpha who was asleep against the bedpost. What in the hell happened?
And that was when his eyes flitted to the box open on the floor.
He pushed himself out of the warm hold, falling on his knees to the floor. He hurriedly closed the wooden box, letting the lid fall with a bang, pushing it under his bed into the depths of the shadows that ate up the trauma in the box, and he scrambled back, far away from his bed until his back hit the wall. He found his vision getting clouded and muddy as the wetness and salt met his lips, he heard his own whimpers. And he was pulled into cinnamon warmth and safety as strong arms encircled him.
“It’s OK, I’m here. Shh.. it's OK baby bear, shh.. I’m here.”
Taehyung had never wanted this to happen, he had never wanted that box in his room. He had never let anyone know this side of him existed. He didn’t want Jungkook of all people to know. He had tried so hard to forget it, yet here he was soaking the younger one's t-shirt.
As the minutes ticked by the silence overtook his whimpers. He felt the Alpha run circles on his back with one hand and with the other hand his hair was being carded through.
“Let’s eat something, yeah?” the younger asked. And they made their way to the kitchen.
***
In the days that followed Jungkook found Taehyung falling asleep on the couch more often than not. When he put him into his nest and met him the next day, he was met with a face painted in shadows in each crevice. When he made sure the elder didn’t break his neck by putting pillows and covering him up with a blanket, the next day the usual angel woke him up with smiles and coffee.
Yet, the eyes of the Omega held something heavy every time he looked at his room. And Jungkook was really puzzled. He decided to let the Omega sleep on the couch from then on.
It was a Sunday, nearly a month after the unspoken episode, that Jungkook decided to speak up, after several nights of insomnia with worry clawing at his lungs. Tae was lying on the couch with his laptop perched on his knees catching up on his favorite drama. The elder was beautiful with a brown T-shirt and black shorts, his blonde hair now showing its dark roots. If you ask Jungkook about his thought process, you won’t be able to decipher most of it.
He looks like an Angel. Oh god, take me now. Calm down you pesky horny Alpha. He is smiling! Keep it in. His cheeks! It would look better with my marks.
Jungkook’s Angel, Devil, and himself were caught in a fight over the sight. Jungkook has been thirsting over his room mate for over a year now, since the first time he laid his eyes on him. Yet, the elder’s innocence had him whirling around.
Jungkook used to be the JK who fucked anyone who pleased the eye, never considered himself a romantic, and he was content in the hordes of girls and boys bending over for him willingly.
That was until he had to change lodgings.
It was the second term in his first year, he had already been fed up with a beta as his dorm-mate in the first term, so he was pretty happy when Yoongi hyung offered his freed up space. He had moved in and just spent two weeks when all of a sudden Jimin was introduced into his life, who was now accidentally mated to Yoongi hyung and needed to move in to survive the first few months. So Jungkook found himself swapping dorm-mates with Jimin. He was indignant over the matter, but he was a good dongsaeng when it came to Yoongi hyung( out of fear or respect he’ll never know). Plus the apartment was just a few blocks away. As he had cursed everything in existence and ringed the bell, and was wondering why the two were even moving in despite their utter lack of interest in each other the door opened. And his jaw fell.
There, in an oversized white shirt hiding his body while still giving the illusion of his frame, with thigh hugging pants, a god damn tie with platinum hair, and the light catching that dangling chain on his ear, had stood the Omega.
Jungkook couldn’t respond to any of the words that fell from the petal lips, as the voice went southwards rather than north. He had simply nodded to everything the Omega said and shut the door to his room.
His eyes closed tightly, as his hand went down. He was out of the restrain of clothes in seconds. The graphic images of Taehyung at his mercy- wrists bound with that tie, the redness of his spanked skin as he was on his hands and knees, the earring swaying wildly, the feeling of wet heat, seeing the liquid trail down those thighs bruised by teeth and fingers, the arch of his back while emitting screams in that deep voice- had instilled themselves behind his eyelids. And within seconds he had to look for something to clean up the mess he had made in his new room. ‘ What a way to christen my room,’ he had thought.
He had been determined to fuck his dorm-mate before the weekend when he walked out of his room in to the living room. But, there he found the said dorm-mate fast asleep, little sounds as snores coming out of his mouth with a book open on his chest, dressed in a fluffy set of blue pajamas. And, Jungkook went haywire.
Jungkook has long learned to indulge the quandary of living with his walking wet dream and serotonin vaccine without dying every passing second. He made his way to the couch and flopped down beside the elder, and was immediately used as a pillow. Another habit ,he had grown to enjoy, of Taehyung. The elder was endlessly physical in his affections, and didn’t waste an opportunity to cuddle up to Jungkook.
Jungkook cleared his throat to gain the attention of the elder, without response he began,
“Hyung,…”
“Hmm,”
“Is there anything troubling you?”
Taehyung knew this was coming. And he had done everything he could to stop the younger from noticing. Alas, here he was still fumbling for words despite expecting this question. He closed his eyes, and hit the spacebar before folding his laptop close and putting it on the coffee table. He hadn’t noticed the arm around his waist before, but as he started to get up it pulled him back. He twisted within the hold and placed his palm on the Alpha’s built thigh to keep him straight as he looked up at the Alpha.
The frown on the Alpha’s forehead was evidence of his disapproval of breaking their cuddling, and Tae simply cuddled up to him. He wanted to sidestep the topic, but he somehow knew the Alpha was not going to let him be.
“Just hold me like this, yeah?” Tae asked. And the younger agreed without any delay, and they were like that in a turbulent silence. The Alpha’s tension was tactile to Tae, and he breathed out a long exhale before burrowing himself further into the firm chest feeling safe and whispering;
“It was a gayageum.”
The silence of the other made Tae’s hypothesis that the Alpha wouldn’t know of it true.
“It’s a traditional instrument.”
“I know, hyung,” And Tae now knew that the younger was giving him space for vociferation.
“My Grandma used to play, She taught me. We loved to play it together all the time.” Tae felt the Alpha tighten the hug. And he closed his eyes. The memories rushed to him. The sound of wood breaking, the blood spilled on the floor. A flat line with a constant beeping echo in his ears.
He gasped, prying his eyelids open, and felt the safety of warmth engulfing him. Yoongi hyung had said the track would sound great with the plucking of a Gayageum, and that’s when it dawned on him how his musical senses were still built on memories. Which had caused him to pull out the pieces he had put in a box and kept with him. The betrayal.
The thoughts were getting out of control. The shame, hopelessness, uselessness, burden. He needed to stop these thoughts, he can’t go back down there. He had spent years getting out of this black hole.
He hadn’t needed the heat, the high, or the bliss in a while now, but now he needed his way out. And all of a sudden all he felt was the need of another body to get him out. To make him forget.
Maybe it was the unresolved tension that has been pulling them taut for a year, or maybe it was the Omega and Alpha inside going feral in them, or it was the ultimate desire for the other that has been festering in each other. Whatever the reason was, their lips collided in hungry passion. Hands seeking heated skin. Hips rolling.
“Bed now.” the Omega ordered the Alpha, looking up at him with swollen lips, Omegan blue irises into blood red lakes. The growl that left the Alpha was dominating, lustful, and somehow familiar. The shorts on the Omega now clung to skin in wetness. Hands groped at the wet flesh and lifted. And within seconds there were clothes cluttering in the elder’s room.
Jungkook felt wetness and friction on his thigh. He knew this was wrong. They both were out of control. They weren’t hookups. They weren’t soulmates. This wasn’t a drunken kiss, like the one Tae forgot, but he still lugged in his heart. They shouldn’t do this.
Taehyung was now peering at him through hooded lids, looking at him through his luscious long lashes, while rubbing against his thigh naked. Jungkook’s own body was reacting, it was hard to focus on reality while being achingly hard and leaking. Tan legs parted over the firm muscle, a pretty leaking front and an oozing rear. Jungkook gathered all the discipline he had in him and gripped the other’s hips at the curves firmly. Taehyung moaned at that.
“Hyung, we shouldn’t,” he tried, overruling his Alpha which wanted nothing but to breed the Omega.
“Yes, we should,” the other replied, and Jungkook was astonished at the clarity in it.
“But,..” His lower lip was bit hard and pulled on. His hip bucked forward at that.
“Shh...Take me now, talk later,” the sentence was uttered while a playful finger traced his tip, and flicked over the slit.
“Tae..” Jungkook moaned.
“Make me forget, Alpha.” Taehyung’s finger smeared in Jungkook’s pre cum, now sliding over his own hardness, and mewling at that. The Omegan blue eyes stared at him. And he knew he was fighting a losing battle. And his vision turned red.
“Forget what?” he asked in a low voice, letting his hand run down, and squeezing the luscious flesh.
“Everything, except you.” Taehyung moaned. And Jungkook put a finger into the wet cavern.
***
Taehyung woke up in blissful relief as the sun peeked through his window, with birds twittering tunes he knew by heart. He knew he was snuggled against his dorm-mate, and knew of what had commenced between them. Rationally, he should be regretting his actions by now. But, he didn’t. And he didn’t care, as he turned to face the Alpha with the pleasant reminder of last night pulsing in his lower back.
Jungkook’s hair was splayed out on the pillows, Tae’s nest blankets were covering his legs, while Tae was nestled against the Alpha’s chest. The night stand had a half empty still open bottle of lube, while the torn packets of condoms littered the floor. That was when his eyes fell on the clock with the short hand pointing at eight.
“Shit!” Tae tried to escape the cage holding him in warmth, while his Omega cried for doing so. He froze at the nip on his neck. He blinked and he was under the heavy body of the younger, soft puffs of breath against his neck which tingled as the breaths touched a still sensitive hickey. He was immobile with the body pinning him down, and he was already a bit tired out.
“Jungkook,” he said, trying to wake up the sleeping rock crushing him(Even though it was nice).
The younger nosed his neck and kissed the scent gland, refusing to wake up.
“Jungkook, I’m getting late..” he was interrupted by the same growl that had made him whine to Jimin about it for days in worry.
“Shush, I’m sleeping,” the dangerously raspy low voice scolded, words mouthed against Taehyung’s collarbone.
“But, I’m already running late!” he whined. Surprisingly that elicited a more proactive response. Jungkook got on to his forearms, still caging Tae, eyes muddled in sleep. The pink cupid’s bow pushed out into a pout. “Don’t leave Alpha, stay.” And he plopped down on to the Omega under him again, despite hearing the ‘oof’ he didn’t move a muscle.
And Taehyung was having a hard time staying motivated to attend his class which started in 30 minutes as of now. The younger acting like this, all domestic and whiny, howbeit a brat had wings fluttering in his abdomen. After a few more minutes, he tried again. Carding his fingers through the Alpha’s bed hair he whispered;
“Omega will come back to Alpha faster, if you let me go now, plus you have a class as well.”
That seemed to perform the trick. The younger blinked owlishly at him, with a blush coating his cheeks. Within seconds the younger scrambled out of bed, without a moment of thought.
Taehyung couldn’t help but gulp at the mouth watering sight, despite being ravished last night by it.
“I’m sorry hyung, we should…” Tae felt his heart plummet as Jungkook mumbled words with his head down and eyes raking over the mess on the floor. He didn’t want to hear the words that would leave the lips he had felt drunk on, hence he took the matter into his own hands.
“Hey, it's alright,” he said leaning forward to cup a cheek, “We’re both running late, we’ll talk later, yeah?” The younger nodded still not meeting his eyes. Tae let his instincts flow to soothe the battered heart in him. He planted a soft kiss on the younger one's nose, and then one on the scar reddened in the blush.
And Tae made his way to the bathroom.
When he was about to walk out of the apartment praising himself for being quick, he was caught by the elbow and turned around. Jungkook proceeded to open his shoulder bag, and placed a box inside before zipping it.
“Eat it in-between, yeah? You have three classes before lunch,” Tae was mesmerized by the bunny smile he was gifted with.
Jungkook turned to the bathroom, and Tae sprinted out with a blush high on his cheeks.
***
Jungkook was having a really good day, he had only a few classes, and the grades on his last assignments were the highest he had ever got. But everyone knew JK was certainly still in the bliss of his high from last night. Which had been the headlines of the daily broad-cast by the basketball-gossip team. It had been during practice when JK had taken off his t-shirt after an intense warm-up, that those who had been behind him saw the artwork.
On the ripped back muscles of the star player were red scratches glaring at them, as if though threatening to murder them if they didn’t look away. The scratches started at the shoulder blades and dipped in below the waist-band of his shorts. The indents were angry, pretty, deep, and appealing.
Jungkook didn’t know of this incident, but soon people were wondering about his relationship status.
As he exited his night study group session from the calm cafe, he caught a whiff of that intoxicating strawberries. And reminders of last night still left goosebumps on his skin along the routes(he knew of) the owner of the scent had drawn on to his skin with heated fingers and lips.
He was about to cross the road to look around, when a girl stood in front of him. She was a cute beta that had been his relief at the after-match celebrations two weeks ago. JK the player wasn’t that much alive in him now, but when he gets frustrated with strawberries being out of his reach he had tried to cool down by having other fruits, an ad-hoc decision which was usually useless.
She was smiling at him, she stepped forward. Now stepping into his personal space is a no-no for Jeon Jungkook(with the exception of his dorm-mate(?), of course). So, Jungkook took two steps back and didn’t care that her smile became a lopsided frown. He was about to be on his way when she put her voice to use.
“Um.. Jungkook, I was wondering if we could go on another date. As we both enjoyed our last one.” She put her teeth on display, and he decided the beta was not cute anymore. And he felt the warm sense leave the atmosphere. ‘ Date? Is she mad? Why can’t people seriously differentiate hook-ups and dates? Who even only fucks on the date?’
“Look, I think you should get out of your imagination, and know what happens in reality. I never went on a date with you. Who even considers a one-night-stand a date? And I’m not interested. Sorry.” Jungkook tried so hard to keep his voice level and tone polite. And he left straight for his apartment.
He was on the staircase, an attempt to calm his scent of anger before stepping in home, when Joon hung called.
“Hey, hyung,”
“Hi, kook-ah. I was wondering if you could ask around the music department of your grade for a Gayageum player. I heard there’s a girl who is moderately good. Maybe we could add it to the track. If she’s really good we could add her to the symphony.” Kook bit his lip at this. He didn’t want to traumatize his Omega more, but his gut feeling said he would be brilliant for the role. Yet, he kept silent and agreed to his hyung’s request.
When he got home, all the lights were turned off, and the scent of strawberries was unusually faint. He peeped into the elder’s room, and saw the elder asleep. And his chest felt heavy for some unknown reason. He was the one who most always put the other to bed. He was almost used to it as part of his night routine: brushing Tae’s teeth, washing Tae’s face, Tuck Tae in, study, brush, sleep.
He was at his desk trying to highlight the core of the concept in a theory. Key word: trying. His focus was broken, and he knew it was of no use. Despite his internal clock still set to work he headed to bed. He looked up to the ceiling trying to coerce sleep to have mercy on him. There is a faint ‘kookie’ followed by even fainter strawberries, and he shoots straight up in bed. There at his door the angel stands in white flannel pajamas.
“Hyung?” he whispers. “Did you have a bad dream?” he asked worriedly.
The elder shifts on his feet, still at the door. “Can I come in?” comes in a hush as an answer.
“Sure, let me turn on the lights,” He moves to get out of his bed, the elder tip-toes in, and tugs at his elbow, shaking his head, which is visible despite the lack of light. ‘ Stars do shine in the darkness,’ his mind offers.
He nods and pats on the edge of the mattress, which the elder sits on with a scintilla of hesitance. Kook moves to pull in the elder when his arms are evaded.
“Kookie...about last night..” Tae begins “I’m sorry...I..I forced myself on you….I made you do it despite you not wanting to” A heavy exhale follows, and as Jungkook is about to open his mouth in protest, Tae rasps a “please”, it sounds so broken.
“I didn’t even consider whether you were seeing people or not, I didn’t think of myself even. I just acted on the spur of the moment. You should find a person you like. We shouldn’t have done that.”
A leery silence settles, and as the words register in Jungkook he hears something crash and break like glass with water. His chest fills with heavy rocks too suffocating to breathe, too jagged at the edges, tearing at his lungs with each inhale, and piercing into the sac with each exhale.
“But, I don’t want anything to change within us, I’m still the same Taehyung who wakes you up, and gives you diluted coffees because I hate coffee. OK?”
Jungkook is grateful for the darkness, as he feels his tear ducts leak. Taehyung utters a ‘Goodnight’ into the darkness and leaves.
His pillows know his broken tears. The same pillows which had heard his moans of the Omega’s name as he filled his heads with wet dreams. The same pillows he had muffled his screams into which he had wanted to coddle the elder for looking like a cupcake. The same pillows on which he had wondered if Tae saw him as an Alpha potential to mate with. The same pillows which had held the Omega’s scent when he had come back from a basketball camp a few months ago, and he had sighed into that scent of home.
In the other room, on the bed with a nest still unmade from the previous nights acts, lay the Omega sobbing his soul on to sheets that smelt soulfully of the Alpha in his heart. The room itself only held the Alpha’s scent, as he had taken a suppressant the moment he had left the street he had been waiting on for the Alpha, when he heard the girl talking about their dates. He had taken a suppressant for he knew his scent will give way his shattered soul and helpless heart to the Alpha the moment he stepped in. He wallowed in self-pity bundled in the scent of the Alpha, burrowing his nose into the pillow. The pillow which has finally known of the Alpha that lays the Omega on it. The pillow which had been used by Tae to hump on screaming the Alpha’s name. The pillow which had cushioned Tae’s head as he flopped on his back acting out his skits in giggles imagining the kisses of the Alpha on his nose and eyelids.
As the pillows made way to the washing machine, in an ever continuing cycle of domestic violence against them, along with their companion sheets the inanimate objects still hold all the secrets of sorrows unnecessary. If only they had mouths they would have berated their users together for stupidity. Indeed, the stupidity of love.
***
The choreo was finalized. They had been working on it on and off for the past month, and now they only had to perfect it.
Jungkook was bent over while sweat trailed down the plains of his face and grew fat at the tip of his nose. His mind brings in sheen coats of layers that had shined on tanned flawless skin, a path of divine nectar trailing down the axis of the spine at the steep arch formed with sweet moans of his name.
Despite being worn out to the core and muscles screaming in insurgence, he straightens and moves his body to the flow of the familiar routine.
He was frustrated. How, despite being heart broken and determined to forget, was he still getting worked up from memories of a single night? His discipline was one of a kind, crafted from a childhood of taekwondo, years of basketball, and infinite turns of dancing routines. He had been applauded for his complete control of body and mind by many. He had once been aroused in a heat scent with the person begging, and rutting, yet he had dragged the person to the nurse, while Alphas in the passing had sprinted to the nearest bathroom stalls at a whiff.
“OK, team! That’s it for today. Let’s meet up next week, same day, same time. Now, start moving your asses, I’ve got places to be.” Hobi announced after an hour. It was followed by a series of cursed mumbles, thank yous, and assholes.
Jungkook was stuffing his bag with his things, he felt someone jump on his back. And from the way the sound of high pitched giggles infiltrated his eardrums, a sound his Yoongi hyung was gone for, he knew it was Jimin hyung. The elder had annoyed him in the beginning, but after warming up to his lack of brain to mouth filter, caring sarcasm, and shared home-sickness for the saline breezes of beaches he had accepted him as a close friend. It also helped that Taehyung was his ‘soulmate’. Jimin had earned his piggyback rights fairly early compared to others(although Tae was the fastest), a ritual in their little pack of friends. It had started out as a way of teasing him for his muscles despite being the youngest, and the elders had bargained to let him continue in peace with the exchange of piggybacks. Even Joon hyung, the coolest, had said, ‘besides Kook-ah, it’ll serve as an extra workout’.
They made their way out of the practice room towards the music rooms, continuing their light-hearted bickering.
“So, Kookie, what’s up?”
“The sky.”
“oh wow, I didn’t know that. What’s been the latest scandals you’ve been in?”
“The biggest scandal this week was my ears bleeding when you two decided to turn Yoongi hyung’s Genius lab into a shooting room for porn!”
“Not our problem you decided to make your directorial debut in pornography.”
“I had already booked the appointment with hyung to shoot the process!”
“Still not my problem,” Jimin jumped off, and shrugged. He pushed the door, and stepped into the room filled with strings and piano blending over a plethora of arrangements.
Within minutes Jungkook realized it was the track of their contemporary routine, and remembered that it was Tae’s work. The revival of the track by instruments bringing alive the harmony of emotions was cathartic to listen to for his heart in turmoil. And he wondered what were the reasons deep within his dorm-mate to bring out so much pain in music. Of course, one didn’t necessarily need to be in pain to create tragic melodies, yet this haunting tune resonated with pathos still breathing.
Jimin was seated in a chair in the corner of the room looking at his mate who was currently blind to his surroundings as his fingers painted the emotions of the music on black and white keys.
“Hyung?” Jungkook asks in a serious voice, he knows if Tae doesn’t speak or even face him Jimin is the next best resource to figure out the puzzle. Jimin makes no response, simply grazes on to his mate absorbing the music, while humming it. And the precision of it astonishes Kook, out of them all Jimin and Jin are the ones with no relation to music academically or professionally, yet their knowledge is parallel. Jungkook impatient probes with his hand at the shoulder;
“Hyung!”
“What?” Jimin asks, indignant due to being disturbed from his reverie.
“Taehyungie, he can play the Gayageum, right?” He asks looking up to the girl who was now plucking at the strings of the said instrument in the symphony. And when he turns to see the paled face of the elder he knows his deductions were correct. There was more to the story than a simply broken instrument. From what Jungkook gathered Tae ceased to touch the instrument after Haelmoni's death. There was certainly more to it.
“How..He told you?” The question was uttered in a tone of pure disbelief. Jungkook nodded.
“Was he at a bar? Did he come back that night?” And these questions dug more turbulence within the Alpha.
“No, we were home, we were …” And Jungkook somehow couldn’t bring himself to lie, neither to utter the truth. He knew his hyungs knew when he lied. But labeling that night with a lowly name didn’t work well with his heart. And he felt stupid for that. And for Jimin that was enough to realize the truth.
“Oh my, you two had sex?!” Jimin gasped. Jungkook looked away, the plucking of the Gayageum’s strings made him hear the resonating shattering within him.
“Oh no, Oh Luna! Are you Okay?” Jimin asked again.
“Can you just tell me why he doesn’t anymore?” Kook asked in a hushed voice contorting it not to let out the epiphanies he was having at the moment.
“Kook-ah..It’s..It’s not my story to tell..” Jimin reasoned.
“Well I became a character in the story long ago, I might as well play my role properly rather than hoping to be a knight.” Jungkook said in a clipped voice, reigning in his scent not to alarm anyone else.
Jimin pressed his lips together in a worried line, and glanced back at his mate who was now looking at him. Jimin nodded, and took out his phone to send a text before turning to the younger.
“Come on, let’s get some tea and head to the park.”
***
Jimin had grown up spending his summers near the mountains where the grass was the most moist, and the greenest. And had rolled around in the dense of forests learning dance from nature itself. He was not yet six, when his grandpa Park had dragged him to visit his good friend who lived at the edge of the forest in a large estate surrounded by a fence. He had buried his face into the Omega grandparent’s neck at the sound of horses neighing.
When the door opened instead of an old woman as his grandpa had described there stood a boy with a box smile, and outlandish clothes covered in dirt.
“You must be Mr. Park, aren’t you?” the boy had asked in a squeaky tone with bubbling mischief. Mr. Park had laughed at the welcome and had said yes, asking about Mrs. Kim. By the time Mrs. Kim had arrived into the living room the visitors had been well entertained by stories of Sooru the foal, and Roo-Roo the puppy.
Jimin was hiding against his grandpa when all of a sudden he was pulled by the wrist out of the house.
“Come on, let’s play! I am Tae-Tae. What’s your name?”
That was how the two ‘soulmates’ became best-friends. Jimin spent all his summers with Tae-Tae and Haelmoni, which is how they called Mrs. Kim.
Tae-Tae didn’t know much of how his parents lived despite the amount of love he had to give. He grew up as an only child despite having siblings, with Jimin for a companion during summers when Haelmoni did her work.
In the evenings Haelmoni will bring out her grand instrument of miraculous music, and the two will dance around her as she plucks tunes on it. They had attempted to imitate her, with only Tae-Tae succeeding.
“Don’t worry Minnie, you’ll dance and Tae-Tae will play!” Haelmoni had said.
And that’s what they had done exactly.
As years rolled on and they matured into Omegas and faced harsh reality, it was Mrs. Kim who was an Alpha that had made them stronger, and encouraged them to follow their hearts for themselves, and not orders for others.
And the two had evolved into talented artists. The two performed at the cultural fests and national competitions. Kim Taehyung the aspiring Gayageum player and singer. Park Jimin the graceful dancer. And they had scored full scholarships at the best university in the capitol even before the last year at high school.
Haelmoni had arranged for a distant relation attending the same university to take them on tour. Jimin had come to Haelmoni’s to spend a few days before visiting the capitol. It was the last day before their departure, and Haelmoni had made their favorite dishes with help from Jimin. They had sent Tae-Tae out of the kitchen to set the Table, as he continued to be careless around fire and knives.
“Off to bed now you two.” Haelmoni said at the strike of nine, although they tried to protest, they ended up climbing into the bed within minutes.
Tae-Tae woke up to the sound of something crashing onto the old wooden floor, curious now moved to open the door to see what Roo-Roo had done. But the door didn’t open. He tried again and again. They never locked the door as Haelmoni always checked on them before heading to sleep. The door should open. Jimin awoke in a while as the strong sense of fear clouded the air through rotting strawberries. When he tried to open the door it still didn’t work. They finally tried kicking and slamming themselves full force, which caused the door to unhinge at last. When they scrambled around the floor they were met with two large bodies striking Haelmoni. And within seconds they had hit her to unconsciousness. They were about to harm them two, when Tae had grabbed ahold of a spray and aimed it to their eyes visible through the masks. That had given them ample time to escape, on their way out they saw the old girl Roo-Roo wheezing. They had screamed at the top of their lungs while running.
When they had come back the men were long gone, and they had to call for the Ambulance.
Haelmoni had been in a coma for the whole year. The both of them were messes, and had to take leaves for the most of the school year. Tae-Tae had played the Gayageum everyday for hours in her room.
And then one day her readings ended, they were no longer mountains and pits which had been the designs of hope. Her funeral was held with so many speeches. Tae-Tae played the Gayageum mourning as tears ran down his face, while Jimin span with eyes puffy; limbs smooth: the requiem they performed. In the last of hopes that this was all a bad dream, and they’ll wake up with smacks to their foreheads with ears full of scolding for sleeping in.
Her ashes are spread across mountains.
***
“But,..Why did he act up... all of a sudden?” Kook asked as the sun was painting the skies in blood, while hiding behind the line.
“Kook-ah…” Jimin tried to make the younger one give up. That was a tale he had endured. He keeps his memories to honor the woman who fought for them. Jimin dances to remember with each step the strength a woman had given him. He remembers her every time he spins, despite the sorrow he has learned to remember the days they laughed with their bellies in the summer warmth to the winds pushes. But Taehyung…
“No hyung, you finish this story, I need to know,” There was dominance in those eyes, along with pain that had sprung from the mentioned melancholy. “Please” The eyes now sparkled with tears reflecting on the blood pools within.
Jimin was amazed at how much the younger one felt for his best friend. All previous doubts of those being soulmates now sealed into definite locks.
Jimin let out a sigh in defeat.
“Tae can’t play the Gayageum anymore.”
“Why?”
Jimin didn’t answer that.
“When I asked him to play, he screamed and shut himself.”
“Then..”
“Tae began going out to parties almost every night, in our first year. At first he drank.”
“But Tae hates alcohol,” Jungkook said, confused.
“Which is why he hooked up with people. He said it distracted him.”
Jungkook was now frozen, and Jimin knew how it would be, to be used as a distraction.
“It was during that year people constantly asked him to play, and he would refuse. Then I’ll find him limping back home, or coming all sweaty.” Jimin rolled the straw in between his hands. “It was Jin hyung who found the pattern. We had to make everyone shut up, or walk him out before someone brings up a performance of his from before.”
The grass within the radius of Jungkook was now ripped and shredded.
“Joon hyung suggested he come to violin lessons he was trying at the time,” Namjoon doesn’t play the instrument, it's Tae who does. “Joon hyung soon dropped out.”
“Tae would walk around the apartment at nights with the violin, he didn’t sleep well.”
“Tae always falls asleep before 10, he can’t stay up at night,” Jungkook scoffed in reply.
“Only you know of such a Taehyung..” Jimin said getting up to throw away the cup.
Jungkook’s phone rang, It was Tae. ‘When are you coming home?’
Jimin watched as the Alpha blinked in disbelief at his own phone for a few seconds. And then the boy was scrambling off the grass and sprinting full speed.
“I hope those two don’t end up in pain,” Jimin murmured into Yoongi’s neck as he snuggled in bed. Yoongi placed a kiss to the top of his head, and brought his arms to envelope the younger.
“Soulmates always end up together,” He mumbled as he nosed at the temple of the other.
“After all, even we ended up here,” He said, as Jimin giggled tiredly before falling into slumber.
***
Yoongi hyung had asked Taehyung to come by the practice room to clarify something about the track a bit. Even though Tae didn’t know what there was to clarify in it, he still made his way to the said room. The group chat from his Fashion major was blowing up with details of a party. He doesn’t do parties unless he needs desperate distraction. As he cleared everything and checked his schedule, he opened the door. And the plucked vibrations shook his soul.
He was about to turn on his heel, when Yoongi hyung saw him.
“Hey kiddo, finally here.”
The girl was good. She had grace. He had to listen to the whole arrangement just because he had arranged a bit, and it was getting hard to stand. He saw the darkness. The sound brought the stilled line into his vision. Then closed in on him, Silence.
Chaos. He was in the middle of chaos, drowning in the sound. He felt a hand fondle his ass. He let it grope. And he was on his way to the dark corner.
The lips were bald to his tongue, making him want to gag. The hands were small, and hiccuping in their motions. The mouth didn’t know much. But he needed it to distract him. And this wasn’t working. He needed large hands that bruise him, lips that tasted of apples, muscles firm under his finger pads. And his senses gave him the hallucination of his dorm-mate. He knew it was a trick of his mind. There weren’t any words that made him cling to the warmth, there were no feather light touches.
The lights were too harsh on his eyes. And the air of bland smell suddenly filled with cinnamon. His eyes cleared to see the sight. The man who had been kissing him was holding a bleeding nose bent over. Warm hands clutched at his elbows and dragged him.
“What the hell, Jungkook! Why would you do that?” He shook out the grasp, sobering himself from cinnamon. They were outside their apartment.
“Get in Tae!” There was red glinting at him in those irises.
“I didn’t want to be in tonight, that’s why I went to the party!” He argued, his vision now tinted in a blue filter.
“Too bad you had to get out of there then.” Jungkook pushed him from behind into the apartment. He heard the door bang, slamming shut.
“I’m older than you for Luna’s sake!” he screamed.
“You don’t know him.”
“News flash, that’s why it's called one-night-stand!” He shouted. He saw the younger one's fists clench.
“I don’t even have sex tonight, great,” stepping in to the kitchen,“If you don’t let me go, why don’t you at least do something,” He mumbled to himself getting a bottle of water out of the fridge.
And he felt a heated body behind him. And as he straightened, he felt lips graze the shell of his ear.
“Some wishes need to be asked for, Darling.”
And then there was nothing, only him feeling hot and bothered than he was at the party. Fuck it , And he opened the door to the Alpha’s room, and stormed in.
He fisted the younger one's t-shirt, and kissed him. The kiss was hungry. Too much heat, and teeth.
“Fuck me,” Taehyung breathed panting against the swollen lips of the other, licking the mole under it, before diving in.
“Your wish, my command,” was the reply.
***
Jungkook looked at the Omega beside him. He has started to lose count of this iteration of theirs. They would be out of control, ending in bed, having the ‘everything’s the same’ conversation, and be friends, Only to end up in a tangle of limbs every time they are alone. He knew he was no knight to Taehyung, maybe a court jester but never the romantic interest of the prince. His eyes followed the trail of his marks he left on the tan skin. He so badly wanted to date the elder, but he knew the elder wasn’t looking for a courtship.
This cycle had become a permanent item in their routines, ever since the elder agreed to play the Gayageum for the program.
The girl who had been playing had met with an accident and was put on bed rest for months. When the team had suggested moving on without the instrument; Yoongi hyung had been adamant on searching for one. Jungkook knew Tae still loved it and needed to play it again. He had come up to Tae and asked him to play. Tae had refused at first, but when the supervisor had heard of the matter and had sent a direct order.
That was the beginning of seeing the tantrums and bursts in Taehyung. Jungkook realized he made the elder forget the pain in bed. And he knew there was so much pain.
But he was content with whatever they had now.
Tae blinked up at him, smiling. Jungkook was lost in the way his mismatched pair of eyelids widened with mischief, the pearls for teeth glinting in the moonlight. His tanned skin became such a delicious colour of caramel which will taste of sweetest strawberries for his tongue.
Then their lips collided. Tae moved and lifted his body to straddle Jungkook.
“I’m still loose,” And started rutting against Jungkook. Another thing Jungkook learned was, Tae was insatiable. It would be a lie to say Jungkook didn’t get excited even over the smallest suggestion. Plus, they also made a good match in consideration of their libido, while previous partners had always only been serving as temporary relief. Taehyung however, unleashed his drive to the full extent to enjoy the highest peaks of utter bliss.
Their bodies flipped, with an extra turn for the Omega to land on his stomach. Without saying much words, Jungkook ripped out a condom to roll it on. One look at the gaping hole oozing liquid, and his member was throbbing with leaking pre-cum. He bent down in between the parted cheeks and licked, eliciting a moan and the rim to squeeze on his tongue. Strawberries so sweet were the best drugs, intoxicating and addictive, sliding on his tongue wet. He probed more, the way he ate the squirming moaning boy like a starved man was dirty, so dirty. But they liked it dirty, it was their highway to heaven. The Omega’s body shook, an indication for the impending rushing release. Just from his tongue and a bit of manhandling, Gosh! So responsive! The Alpha smirked, bringing his fingers to deny the pleasure ,a ring on his pretty cock, before biting down on a shoulder.
“Jungkook..., I.., Please,” A sob broke out underneath him.
“What’s the rule, Baby?” he asked, mouthing at the scent gland, while his Alpha wanted to claim the Omega then and there.
“Only if you’re inside,” came the whimpered answer “Only with you in me.”
Despite his heart aching, due to the status of their label, his instincts were somewhat happy. His Alpha seemed to deem the elder as its mate, with the possessive growls, scenting, and softness he had been showcasing recently, that even he was confused. And Taehyung wasn’t holding back or hiding anything from anyone. He walked around in Jungkook’s scent, a coat on him, and wore clothing that would reveal their activities with no hesitation.
“Good Baby,” He said, pushing his member in deep, continuing to snap his hips hard and deep.
***
Taehyung woke grumpily to the sound of his alarm blaring into his ear drums, which was a fairly new experience for him, as he had mostly always woken before it, and sang the birds’ tune along with them. Despite the initial grumpiness, he quickly lightened up at the adamant hold of arms around him. He loved being the little spoon, it left the feeling of safety in him even after being released from the cuddle. Haelmoni used to do it often for him, and after her no one else had done it. With Jimin, the other Omega was smaller than him to encompass his shoulders. His previous boyfriend preferred to stay on his side of the bed after sex. His one-night-stands didn’t even care. Jungkook was perfect in taking care of him, it was not only his skills in action, but also his tenderness that made Tae go back to Jungkook’s hold, regardless of the number of times he had told himself not to.
Tae turned, he was met with the Alpha letting cute little puffs of air on his lips, and their noses touching. His fingers moved on their own freewill to map the strong jaw, trail relaxed eyebrows, fluff the long hair getting into eyelashes, and finally ended on the choco-chip mole under the bottom lip. He leaned to place a butterfly kiss on it, pecked the tip of the nose, nosed at the temple, and then scented his Alpha. He felt giddy at the aroma that made him drunk and rejuvenated, the scent that soaked into his skin, and now smelt of himself as well.
His scent gland was nosed and kissed as well within seconds, making him purr like a cat stretching lazily under the sun. He traced the treasure map he had painted the previous night on the milky skin covering firm muscle. He nuzzled into the chest again in content and placed a kiss above the soothing rhythm. His phone chimed, and he reached across to check it. It was from the fashion major group, reciting the names of those selected to design for the upcoming event. He had been excited for it, but that was before he had been ordered to touch the damned instrument again. As he skimmed across, his eyes grew, and he rubbed at his eyes before reading again. He was selected as a head designer. The phone chimed again, it was the same group;
“ Head designers meeting at 9.30 ”
And he swiped to the home screen to check the time, ‘Fuck’ . And he tried to jump out of bed. Key word: tried. Instead of tumbling on to the floor and rolling on to the fluffy lilac rug, he was rolled under a muscle pig and is swamped in sheets as the arms come to wrap around him. Taehyung feels like a wrapped bouquet, add the bow and voila he will be ready to go. He patiently tries to unwrap himself from the swaddle of sheets and entangled lock of muscles. He twists his neck to glance at the clock, and he only has 20 minutes to spare. He might be endeared by the Alpha but he really needs to get out, and preferably get dressed. This time he feels a growl rumbling at his scent gland making him whimper in instinctive submission, and he curses at his Omega. With the lack of ideas in his hurried state he resigns to his last resort. The fact he learned about the Alpha in their night endeavors, is that he is just as sensitive as he is when it comes to his nipples. He sneaks his hands up the planes of sculpture, with each hand grabs a nipple each, between his forefinger and thumb, and twists it a full turn of 180 degrees.
“Ahhhhh!!!!” A pained sound erupts as the Alpha jumps, giving Tae his opening to escape the warm prison of sheets and softness.
He bends to pick the first piece of clothing that catches in his fingers and pulls them on, a hoodie, good. And searches for boxers, and continues to pull it up, closely followed by a pair of sweats. Pockets his phone and sprints, leaving a Jungkook with mouth open wide.
‘Why is she two looking at me like I ate her dog?’ Is the first thing that Taehyung thinks of when his mind is pulled out of sleep haze and adrenaline fully. He was five minutes early, but had a grumbling stomach now. He orders himself a strawberry shortcake, as he crunches into it he recognizes the ghost of cinnamon in it. He feels his lips form into a goofy smile. It was a Saturday, the reason why the cafe was quiet. His supervisor for Fashion comes after a while. There is a quirk to the man’s eye brow, an Alpha, as he gives Tae a once over.
“So, you two are going to be the head designers for the project, You were the best among the applied.” The girl and Tae nod solemnly.
“You will have assistants, and a set of Juniors to prepare the final items. You will also have to collaborate with the makeup crew from the cosmetics course.” He says handing files with papers.
“I’m sure you are familiar with the concept, Mr. Kim. And I will assume you will share your understanding with Mrs. Choi before heading over to the discussions on Monday.”
“Yes sir,” Tae nodded along his curt respectful reply, before smiling at the girl, and noted that she was married. Upon the revelation he noticed her prominent ring sitting proudly adoring a pink diamond and pearl, her mixed scent wafting softly in the air with her apparently Alpha scent stronger, and a bright mating mark peeking at her neckline as her hair was collected on the other side as if to show off the mark. Tae felt something green ooze into his vision as he took a second longer to gaze at the mark, his hand unconsciously reaching to the sensitive bruise formed on his scent gland, wishing it was not a bruise but deeper.
Tae’s thoughts processed to come to a freeze. He went on auto pilot, as his supervisor left, he stood up robotic and bent at an angle which made a throb in his back to tear him out of paralysis. Pushing away the thoughts he focused on the discussion with his co-head designer.
Taehyung learned the girl was an Alpha named Dasom, they have seen each other but never interacted. With Tae’s double degree he is amazed he has sent in assignments without fail. And she is busy taking care of two year old twin toddlers. She had been married even before her 18th birthday, to an Alpha older than her by a year. And she had had a rocky path, and had to fight tooth and nail to get into university. The accidental pregnancy was what had settled things for her, and now she swears it was all worth it. She has already scored an internship to work once finishing the degree. They clicked very well. She even showed him a picture of her boy and girl with her mate.
They had agreed to meet up the next day with roughed out ideas. Before they parted ways, she called out to say;
“Your scents smell so nice together, and I think yours isn’t even that much identifiable.” She smiled knowingly, leaving a red tomato behind.
Tae was baffled, he dipped his head to find he only smelled of Jungkook, feeling his Omega purr at that and controlling himself from emitting as well. Which left him terrified. When the Alpha realizes and leaves Tae won't even have a heart to begin mending with.
***
Jungkook was on his way to the auditorium after his own dance practice, to pick up Tae. The elder had left Jungkook in astonishment as he walked out in nothing but Jungkook’s clothes. Seeing the Omega wear his clothes had made him want to squeal into his bed, which he had done and slipped into dreamland. The next time he woke up, he saw lavender.
It was a lavender sticky note stuck to his forehead by Taehyung.
Got practice,won’t be back till 6. There are some muffins and banana-milk in the fridge, eat it before leaving.
- TAE-hyungie
Jungkook had giggled at it and slurped down the banana-milk greedily while stuffing the muffins. And made himself a mental note to make dinner for the elder. Even after a shower his skin smelled of strawberries.
He heard it before he saw it, the Omega being immersed in the music he was creating on the strings. The Omega had a face that made him jealous of the instrument, the relaxation was akin to the calmness the omega emits after being disassembled out by Jungkook, he had never seen that face anywhere else.
He sat in the back row without anyone noticing. He was happy to see the omega safe and sound, being in his own ground and ruling it. Maybe Jungkook was biased but the vibrations in the music sounded heavenly now, than it had before. But the tranquility transcended to trauma terrifyingly quick.
The sound of a string breaking clanged across the space. Followed by a chair tumbling. Jungkook was on his feet immediately.
Taehyung’s body trembled in trepidation, he looked at the torn string. The string reminded him of how his Haelmoni’s hand had laid on the floor. The instrument broke under his touch. It hated him, which was why it hadn’t sung her back alive. He hated it, it betrayed him. The one thing he had woven his life and soul around had taken everything away from him.
The rest of the crew were shell shocked to see their Gayageum player, who had whizzed in and played everything so soulfully and pulchritudinous, curl into himself and clutch his ears letting out a wail of pain, at the smallest common occurring.
Yoongi’s eyes grow larger as he sees his previous dorm-mate leap over rows of seats, engulf the Omega, and swaddle in his arms. Jungkook tucks Taehyung into his neck as he noses at the latter’s scent gland. Yoongi stares as the two act like mated couples. Jungkook brackets Tae on to his hips, leans forward to pick up the belongings, and looks up at Yoongi nodding before walking away. As the couple leave the auditorium, silence screams. No one dares to address the elephant that left.
Jungkook takes the steps to their floor, hoping the steady rhythm of climbing them will calm the Omega. He continues to sooth the elder by scenting, rocking, rubbing, and mumbling reassurances.
Once in the apartment he proceeds to strip the Omega, who is now unresponsive and clinging on to Jungkook like skin to muscle. “Come on Baby, have a bath,” He tells Tae once the Bath fills and a bath bomb becomes all bubbles making the water look like soapy red wine. Tae adamantly holds on to the alpha, pressing his nose against the source of cinnamon. “I promise I’ll only be in the kitchen making dinner, Tae…” Something incoherent is mumbled.
“Tae...Baby Bear,…”
“Do you hate me too?” the watery voice, and the question makes Jungkook alert.
“What? No, Bear…” He tries to calm the Omega, but is cut off.
“The Gayageum hates me. I loved it my whole life, with all my soul.”The naked boy sobs. Making Jungkook’s chest rattle.
“It doesn’t baby, it’s common for a string to break…”
“No, it hates me, just like everyone else, I’m stupid and too much to handle..nd..” Jungkook, now enraged, holds the sobbing face by the chin and looks into obsidian eyes.
“You are not too much. You are beautiful. Nobody, nobody hates you. Your Gayageum doesn’t hate you.” He said in a low voice, firm, and authoritative. He didn’t allow any other words to replace his statement in Tae’s mind as he placed kisses under the red rimmed eyes. And presses the Omega to his chest, carding his fingers through now black locks.
“Haelmoni, still didn’t come back.” Taehyung said in a little voice, afraid to invalidate the Alpha. Jungkook remained silent, making the Omega elaborate.
“She said the Gayageum can bring her back, whatever happens. It didn’t. Cause, I wasn’t enough,” Taehyung shrunk in on himself as he said it, he knew he would sound silly, that’s why he never told anyone.
Jungkook calmly rubs circles on Tae’s bare back. It’s a while before Jungkook pulls away to strip. He sits down in the red wine tub, waiting for the elder to follow. When Taehyung steps in, he pulls him down in between his legs, pressing his chest to the tan skin of the back he had been rubbing. Despite the lack of bubbles the warmth remains intact, and they remain in the embrace till the water starts cooling down. Then the Alpha towels the Omega carefully, and carries him to his own room. He hands over a T-shirt that is soaked in his scent along with a clean pair of boxers, there are no protests no requests as Tae pulls them on.
Both of them dressed now lie in bed snuggled into each other. It only now, does Jungkook voices his opinion;
“Have you ever thought that, maybe your Haelmoni meant it as, she lives in through you remembering her and enjoying playing the Gayageum.”
Tae doesn’t say anything. But, Jungkook knows in the way his breaths quicken a moment and level out, that Taehyung is better now.
***
Taehyung is rushing on his way to the Dance rooms after being late by losing himself in the music. He giggles as he jogs, Jungkook had actually made him OK with a single sentence. The nights they cuddle to sleep, the mornings they work around in the kitchen, it all feels like they are an old couple. It reminds me of the few nights he had spent at Jin hyung’s still searching for a place. Joon hyung would whine out of the blue saying he wants cuddles and waddles around Jin hyung, or Joonie hyung will only arrange the plates, and do the dishes because Jin hyung doesn’t trust the beta to stay safe around sharp things ‘ he’ll end up covered in band-aids ’.
Dasom was already in, guiding the juniors to take proper measurements. They only had a short frame, so she was taking them too. He whips out his own tape, takes the list on the table which had ticked off the names of people they had already started measuring or finished, and looks down for a name.
Surprisingly the first unpicked name that catches his eyes is Jeon Jungkook , he senses the warm presence of the name behind him sneaking fingers up his arm and waist, he ticks off the name, and turns in the muscled arms.
“Let’s measure you up Alpha, hmm?” he whispers dauntingly on Jungkook’s lips. The other’s eyes get red, and responds with only a nod, without any innuendo comebacks. Taehyung smiles against the tantalizingly plush lower lip, before sliding his hands up the smooth planes of sculpted muscles to measure the shoulder length. He deliberately pops the pen into his mouth, knowing the crimson irises following. And then to write down, in his notebook he had, he uses the firm chest in front of him.
At this point added to the proximity, Taehyung’s nose twitched at the delicious aroma saturating the air, and felt himself get wet. ‘ Good thing I wore black sweats. Gosh! What would I have done if it was denim?!’
The scent spiked when Tae’s phone rang, and before he even answered the call, there were hands tight at his waist.
“Hello?” Taehyung used all his might to twist out of the death grip, and walked out of the room.
Taehyung sighed as he ended the call from the real estate dealers once again asking for whether Haelmoni’s his property was up for sale. He pushed the door open, and the first thing his eyes see is an overgrown Alpha frowning and pouting, he wants to laugh, but then his eyes see the hands and tape measuring a bicep.
No one breathed as the scent of strawberries grew to suffocating, and an angry male Omega storming over to the two Alphas.
“I just went out to take a call, I didn’t ask you to take over,” the junior boy was now shivering under the daggers pointed at him.
Jungkook was highly amused and celebrating within, his Alpha wagging its tail and trotting around. He realized he wanted Taehyung to act possessive, get in a fight over him. That’s when it struck him, he was in love.
Apologetically smiling at the alpha almost whimpering in front of him, he slipped himself into a back hug. Nosing at the slender neck, skin still red from his hickeys, he murmured, “I was the one who let him, I thought you were tired, that’s why.” Taehyung visibly deflated from his violent stance. Jimin caught his eyes from the back of the room, while the others had already moved on with their measurements. Jungkook looked away. He let the junior measure him, while convincing a clingy Omega to sit down. Once he was finished, they immediately started walking out. The other head designer came up to them, and handed him a piece of paper;
“ I think he’s about to hit his heat.”
***
Jungkook thought, ‘ How many more days? ’. It was the 2nd night, as Tae had gone into heat late evening, it had prolonged into the next day as well. Jungkook had been beastly as the Omega himself, insatiable and hard all day, didn’t even stop to think of food. Now, in the messy nest soaked to the mattress, sheets caught twisted between limbs cooling down from heats of fevers and lust, he looks down to the marks he produced and wonders how he had done those. The slope of the neck, the curve of the hip, the delve of the elbow, the crook of knees: tan skin had turned into canvas for his art. Looking at his forearms he catches his milk skin carrying the claims of his Omega.
Jungkook carries Taehyung to his room to sleep on cleaner sheets, and goes to fetch a damp cloth. He settles beside the Omega, who immediately nuzzles into his thigh, and starts wiping down the remnants of his love on the elder.
He had knotted the Omega, it was his first time. He knew that one’s alpha had to see the partner worthy and as a potential mate to knot, and the thought makes him smile softly, trying to get rid of some dried come in the other’s flattened hair. Objectively speaking, the Omega was beautiful. But now, tired, relieved, and sleeping, Taehyung wasn’t the appealing figure everyone knew of, he was the natural most beautiful scenery Jungkook has ever come across. And he feels honored to have that blessing.
‘ From tomorrow, ’ was the last thought he had before sleep pulled him under.
Taehyung was surprised to see himself cleaner than he remembers, in a hoodie falling off his shoulders coming down to mid-thigh (smelling of strong Alpha pheromones). He woke up in the Alpha’s warmth, and had gotten out of bed to wash up. His room had been tidied up. The window was open, his sheets were put in laundry, his mattress had been pulled off the bed, and there were no clothes on the floor. Even he had never kept his space this meticulously clean.
Retrieving his phone completely charged on his night-stand, did he realize he had been in heat longer than usual. Nearly 36 hours, and his face flushed at the endless rounds of fucking they had done, which he didn’t need any reminders of due to the mild throb in back.( He had expected to have more than that, but felt the oily layer there when he touched the ache.)
Jimin had collected his notes along with Jungkook’s from classmates. That’s why you need best-friends like Chim. And had dropped it off in a package in the front, where they kept a card-board box for such things, along with some biscuits and food. He smiled at the text, walking out to take the parcel, closing the door and walking into the kitchen, putting the food in the microwave. He came to the penultimate text in the saga.
“We need to talk, especially about what you’re doing with JK”, followed with a,
“After classes, before prac.”
Taehyung had actually been expecting this for some time now, it may be a reason why he had been backing out of their Fried-Fridays (instead moaning in bed, begging for Jungkook to go harder, while being held down).
The clock said he only has about three hours before said talk. He showered(though still smelling like cinnamon more than strawberries),and decided to feed his alpha before leaving, cause he full knows well the other will skip breakfast, drink one of his shake thingies and head to gym after classes. So, he took a tray, banana-milk, strawberries, strawberry-milk, and kimchi toast, and made his way to the Alpha’s room.
Jungkook had simply tossed about without stirring, and now settled into cuddling the pillow Taehyung has been using. Placing the tray on the bedside table, he got on the bed, scooting over to the sleeping man, he followed his instincts throwing the texts and rationale out of the window.
Wrapping himself around the sturdy body of Jungkook felt so nice, especially after the lonely shower. Wedging into the space between the tattooed bicep and the chest, his fingers found milky skin with his marks and scent etched into. Leaning up a bit, he kissed the shell of the ear now void of the earrings;
“Wake up baby,” And nibbled on to the lobe, wrapping his lips around he let his tongue draw the outline.
Jungkook was now awake as a sunflower, with the way the tattooed arm now presses in to Taehyung’s lean back. Taehyung opted to be more naughty, swinging his left leg over, he now sat on the younger one's abs. Jungkook blinked like the baby Bambi he was, and then his face morphed into the scrunched bunny smile as Taehyung stretched out to reach the tray.
“Good morning, Kookie!” The smile in those galaxies shining resplendent made everything in his life worth it.
“Good morning, Pup!” Pup?! The flush of his cheeks was enough for him to lose balance, and Jungkook used that to sit up, Taehyung sliding down onto his lap. With his back against the back wall comfortably, Jungkook now reached for the banana-milk, only to be slapped away, eliciting a pouty bunny.
“First food, then milk. Or else you will let your abience for health get the better of me” And Taehyung was now holding a piece of toast, prodding at Jungkook’s mouth. Jungkook’s pout opened and bit off from the toast, and chewed with the pout, Taehyung shook his head chuckling, bit down on the rest of the toast with crumbs falling on to the tray, and chewed. Jungkook reached for the banana-milk, again, not being scolded, opened it, and then opened the strawberry milk as well, bringing the small bottle to Taehyung to drink.
After finishing on the last piece of toast, Taehyung dusted himself as well as the younger of crumbs, and was about to get up, but warm hands kept him in place at the waist. The tray was taken away, and arms wrapped around his waist as a nose buried into his chest.
“Stay a bit more, it's only 8, and..” His request was cut off as slender arms wrapped around his shoulders, and a hand pushed into his hair, fingers pressing ingratiatingly into the skin of his scalp. Jungkook sighed, a sound reflected by the elder into his hair as well. Not wanting to pull away he mumbled against the soft material of the sweater;
“Don’t eat out.”
“Hmm,..huh?”
“Dinner, don’t eat out. I’m cooking.”
“OK”
Jungkook has decided to begin his courting, starting from the basics.
Jungkook was taking out the marinating beef, when his phone rang. It was Namjoon hyung, if he was bratty to Jin hyung, he acted opposite with Joon hyung. The Beta was his inspiration to pursue music as a diploma while going big in his Photography, and videography. So, whatever the work he always tended to answer Namjoon hyung.
“Hi hyung!”
“Hi Kook, you’re home right?”
“Yeah, why? Do you need me to..”
“No.no. I’m coming up, that’s why. See you in a bit.”
“OK” And the call ends.
As Jungkook takes out the beef and places it spread on a plate, the knock is heard. He opens the door, and let’s Namjoon in, before walking back to the kitchen;
“Mind if I entertain you in the kitchen, hyung?” he asked, taking out the grill.
“Nope, fine.” Joon hyung answers, though warily standing a good distance away, in fear of cooking.
“So, how can I help you hyung?” Kook comes forward to break the ice, as he can sense in the neutral scent of the beta, the spike of nerves.
“Hmm, How are you doing?” Kook looks over with a pierced eyebrow raised; “Good?”
“OK. Life?” Namjoon asks rubbing at his biceps longing for Jinnie hyung, who would be more blunt than a nail-less finger.
“The usual?” Kook gives in question. At that, Joon heaves a sigh and quits beating around the bush.
“You and Taehyung, what are you two doing?” Jungkook freezes. The sizzling reigns the conversation.
“I...We…. Are friends…” he manages.
“OK, then why are you smelling of each other all the time?”
“Come on hyung, it's obvious! We share a place.” Namjoon gives him a judging look, before scolding,
“Don’t give me dorm-mate bullshit, Jeon Jungkook” he fumes, “I had dorm-mates as well, and I’m mated now, and before that have had my fair share of hook ups.”
Jungkook looks away. Namjoon lets out a breath, “Look, we are just worried, OK? Cause, you two don’t smell like friends, dorm-mates, or hookups who do it once in a while. You have absorbed his scent, like being a part of each other.”
At the lack of acknowledgement, or response, Namjoon realizes even more, “You...you knotted him, didn’t you? Oh Luna, it's more than I thought.”
“No, we’re just helping each other, and it was his heat and it just happened.”
“Because you don’t have control over it, Jungkook-ah. You’re in love with him.”
“I know,” Jungkook hushed a whisper. Namjoon felt his heart shake at that. The whisper was so broken, tired.
“And I’m not his mate,” Jungkook let out.
“Not everyone has a mate, Kook-ah,” Namjoon tries.
“But you can’t determine if I or him for that matter, don’t have one!” Jungkook moves on to the hotteok dough, and continues, “I can’t take that away from him.”
“You won't if..”
“What if one day we’re mated, have a family, and his mate shows up, huh? He’ll always think about that. Heck I’ll always think of that! I can’t build a relationship with guilt hovering all the way.”
“Then why are you taking care of him?”
“I can’t leave him just like that, I can’t be away from him. Even if he doesn’t see me as a mater, I..” Jungkook sighed,
“I’m courting him, so he can decide”
“But then why don’t you just ask him?” Namjoon asked despite knowing the answer.
“If I ask him, lest he considers me superior despite the age factor, and he thinks I’m dominating… I’ll lose him forever”
Namjoon was about to say how that doesn’t make sense at all, when the door opens.
“Joonie hyung!” Taehyung asked surprised, “What are you doing here? I thought it was date night?”
“Taehyungie!” Namjoon exclaims and tries to cover it up in nervous laughter, looking at Jungkook as the Omega steps into the kitchen,
“I...I was just helping Kook-ah with dinner!” Namjoon blurts out, making Jungkook want to facepalm.
“Is that so, hyung?” Taehyung crossed his arms, eyebrow raised in question. “You came all the way here despite your date night, to help my Kookie with dinner, while you dice onions when needed as slices?” Taehyung asked.
Namjoon looked at Jungkook for help when the Omega pulled his phone. Jungkook was not to be the victim of a sassy Taehyung, No, thank you , And moved to place the meat on plates.
“Umm, Yes,” Joon said before rushing out of the door for dear life.
Taehyung scanned Jungkook up and down in question, when he was about to ask, Kook defected.
“Go freshen up, Dinner will be ready when you’re finished.”
“But, I want to help!” Tae pouted with a knife in hand, dangerously holding it by the blade.
Taking the knife gently, he held the petite waist. “I know Pup,” And turned Tae around pushing him towards the bathroom.
Taehyung mumbled something akin to Keep using that, And I’ll die as he slipped into the bathroom. The shower was heard, as Jungkook started on the cream filling for the hotteoks, smiling, pushing away the conversation form before.
Taehyung stood under the shower a long while, running the conversation he had had with Jimin.
Tae sat under their favorite tree, with a strawberry milkshake, a caramel latte, and a tangerine filling cream puff. The try was on the grass beside him, while he kept twisting his fingers all the way possible.
Jimin sat down with the sound of his duffel bag thudding. Tae passed the tray, the elder took the latte and puff. They were silent for a while.
“ Tae.. I don’t want to come between you two….but,..you look like you need someone to talk to about it.” Jimin said, taking a hand away from the other.
“ I.. we..I don’t know..” Tae tried. He seriously didn’t know, he hadn’t permitted those notions into his conscious thoughts. Jimin let out a heavy sigh.
“ Look Tae, I’m not going to question your decisions or invalidate anything you do…. Just,..If you ever want to talk, I’m here OK?” Tae lifted his eyes to look at the shorter boy, who was smiling with understanding, and comfort. He surged forward to envelope himself around the elder.
“ Just like you did for me. Just like always,” Jimin rubbed the younger one on the back.
“ Minnie will dance and Tae-Tae will play,” Taehyung smiled at that.
“ Minnie will dance and Tae-Tae will play.”
Taehyung pulled on a pair of pajamas and a loose t-shirt before making his way to the kitchen, only to be met with a ridiculously charming, handsome Alpha waiting at the dining table. The table was arranged with a bouquet of flowers, and bulgogi set nicely with mint leaves in the middle.
Jungkook held out his hand to Taehyung, smiling with shining teeth, dressed in a pair of jeans and a nice fitting t-shirt. Taehyung tried hard not to ogle, and distracted himself with a funny comment;
“I didn’t know this was a formal invitation, I’m very under-dressed”.
“You look beautiful, Pup,” Jungkook said, pulling out a chair for Tae. Tae knew his only accessory was the high blush reddening his tan cheeks, as he sat down.
Jungkook served him before serving himself. As Taehyung was about to reach for the scissors, his plate was taken. Jungkook cut his piece up, and placed his plate in front of him again, handing the chopsticks as well.
It was a while of talking about their days, and laughing when it eventually ended with both of them finishing their meal. He got up to clean his plate, Jungkook was getting up as well.
“I swear I’ll bite you, if you’re about to take my plate.”
“I was about to take out dessert,” Jungkook says hands up, eyes wide in amusement.
“We have dessert?!”
“Hotteok with strawberry cream filling,” Jungkook says, walking backward into the kitchen.
He comes back with a stack of the said delicacies covered in foil. And Taehyung forgets all about his plate.
They reach for the last Hotteok, Jungkook ever the golden maknae snatches it before Tae can, leaving a Pouring Omega, about to whine. Taehyung was about to fight for it, when he was pulled into the Alpha’s lap. Jungkook held the Hotteok to Tae’s mouth.
“You can have whatever you want, Baby bear,” and nudged the lips open. Something deep within Tae stuttered, shuddered, and purred: his heart. His Omega was saying some nonsense to his rational part. ‘ He’s courting. No he’s not. Alpha wants Omega.’
However, he knew deep down he was on the verge of drowning, what he didn’t know was he was actually already deep under.
***
The day rolled around closer, faster than anyone had thought. They were running live performance rehearsals a week prior to the event. Hoseok was at the front row checking formations as the dance crew gracefully presented a story to the tune the symphony sang. Taehyung was up next for his solo bit, and he readied himself into the transition, flowing into the exposition of the plucking rendering hearts still. What he hadn’t expected was Jimin to be alone on stage, feather light on his feet, graceful as ever.
It was like living summers again. Taehyung felt his hands yearn for the strings after each pluck, and unconsciously he was feeling every bit of emotion, each nuance of the story they were telling. As he paved the way to the violin, Jimin fell, executing so much pain resonated in his strings.
And he realized what Haelmoni meant now. And Jungkook was right!
He was about to crane his neck to look for the younger when a clap was heard, and everyone paused, the piano note hanging haunting the heavy hallow.
Jungkook turned to see the interruption as he was mid step, causing him to fall down on an Alpha girl. He quickly turned on his back and got up, lending a hand. The girl, Rima smiled, and took it. She was about to say something, when the voice began.
“Very Good, nicely done.” A man in a suit, with a pudgy squish-able face, looking through his glasses, hands in pockets thumbs out, stood among the front row seats. Hoseok was beaming, smile radiant.
“So, the symphony is live?” the suited up man asked.
“Yes, PD-nim”
“Hmm, their positions will be?” the man glanced at the cooped up instruments between the rows and the stage. Hoseok froze, looking up to Yoongi who was frowning.
“Positions? Sir.” Yoongi said bowing.
“You see children, The show is about the talent and originality brought through your artistic integrity, but the execution is about capturing those who consume it as entertainment,” The man said, looking around, noting the clothes samples piled in the corner. He walked up to the pile, and examined a piece.
Jungkook instinctively looked at Taehyung, finding the Omega holding his breath. Kook doesn’t know who this man is, but he certainly is someone significant.
“Who designed this?” a poker face accompanied the neutral tone. Taehyung’s eyes fluttered, a nervous reaction; A gorgeous hand slid up, long fingers still taped with pluckers, the bracelets sliding down tan forearms, eyes shivering, face still.
“We did PD-nim,” Taehyung’s voice sounds cold, but Kook knows better, that the coldness is covering the wavering.
“You, and?”
“My co-designer, Sir.”
“This is for the dance performance” the man eyed the pile again, looking at the big lettering on the sheet of paper placed in it. “Where are the symphony’s?”
Taehyung looked confused, “The symphony is wearing Tux, Sir. It's with us, the symphony members, I mean.”
The man shook his head, which reminded JK of a puppy, and clucked his tongue. And folded the sample he was holding and placed it.
“That’s where most of the performing artists go wrong.” he turned to look at Taehyung. “The symphony may be a static feature in motion”, he came to the piano, and ran his fingers on a melody. “But it’s ever flowing, exceedingly dynamic”
Taehyung’s eyes widened in understanding that JK still has a hard time figuring it out. Tae bows thanking the PD, before the man walks out. Leaving Taehyung hurriedly tapping on his phone, and rushing out to talk.
By the time Taehyung comes back, they are on the final run for the day. As Jungkook pesters Jimin on who the man was, he gets the answer he didn’t expect.
“That’s Bang PD, a man who can make the successful artists of all time, and he’s looking to begin his own company.”
“Oh!” Jungkook knew of Producer Band, or HIT-MAN Bang of course, he just never took the time to look up how the Beta looked. It was his music he was interested in, after all.
Jungkook was looking for his water bottle, he had placed it somewhere during practice. Suddenly, a hand was on his left forearm, like a knee-jerk reaction he swung back hitting the person in the square in the chest. The person stumbled back, but didn’t fall. And he realized it was the Alpha girl, Rima. She was rubbing at her sternum, grimacing in pain, and Jungkook knew his hits would hit like hell, especially in the torso. If the person was a beta they would have difficulty breathing, and an Omega has the chance to have broken ribs. And Jungkook scolded himself, ‘what if it was Tae? But you will know even before he touches you.’ His Alpha pointed out. Which was true, he had grown so fine tuned to the Omega he can close his eyes and be a sunflower.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you.” Jungkook bowed in apology, still feeling guilty and ashamed. He offered to get ice for her, and moved when she tapped at his shoulders and smiled.
“I’ll come as well.”
Taehyung finishes storing his instrument away, and gathers his notes. He looks for his dorm-mate(?) to go home, he is really tired, but has some ideas at the top of his head, which are mediocre at best but can be worked on. At the door he sees Kookie opening it to go out, he’s opening his mouth to shout, and his anger fills his system.
How dare she? That Alpha girl in the dance crew, is holding onto his Kookie’s t-shirt at the back, following him out of the room. Taehyung slings his messenger bag, and storms out of the room, only to follow them hurriedly on tip-toes. His nose twitches in disgust as the scent of coffee-too thick, sugarless- leaves a trail behind the two alphas.
Jungkook is getting an ice-pack at the nearby store, Taehyung is casually standing at the bus-stand near it, and the girl is standing at the entrance. Kookie gives her the ice pack, in an extended arm standing a bit away from her. Good. Out of the blue the girl simply brings the ice-pack to her breast, by holding it in Kook’s palms. Jungkook’ s eyes widen, and Taehyung is bolting over there.
“Go Away!” He growls, stance ready to rip a throat, in front his Alpha. The ice-pack is on the ground. The girl growls back, exerting her rank dominance. Tae wants to submit, but he doesn’t. Instead he pounces. Teeth bared, nails ready to scrape her eyes out.
His arms are out, fingers taut, stretching forward. But, his body moves backward, held against a warm broad chest. Arms holding tight around his waist, like a belt. He thrashes. She roars, about to pounce.
Everything silences at a warning growl behind him, reverberating through his ribs, into his lungs. The she Alpha, looks troubled, wanting to challenge, but kept back by something.
“Keep your claws out of my path, Omega” she orders. Taehyung is still pinned by the protective hold.
“You keep your paws off MY Kookie!” He orders with all the vain dominance he has. The press of muscles tighten.
“YOUR?” She scoffs, “What are you worked up for….”
“Go Away, ALPHA” Jungkook says calmly. A challenge, if she fails, it will make her weak. A challenge to hold her tongue, and claw.
Jungkook turns Taehyung, lifts him up, and carries him away. Taehyung snarls, looking at the girl as he clings, a Koala to a tree.
The door shuts, and Taehyung is on Jungkook again. Gripping the t-shirt that was snug on muscles, by his fists, bringing him close. Lips on lips, yet apart. One hand slips into obsidian locks, delicious in his fingers, pulling back, opening the column of skin laid bare to his vendetta. He bit down on a vein, pulsing blood. Licked it, and mouthed;
“How dare you go with her,” low and raspy. And bites down on a scent gland, eliciting a moan. Jungkook somehow manages to keep his balance, and lifts the Omega by the thighs, long legs locked lasciviously around a narrow waist. Groins rub through clothes, heating up blood inside veins. They both want their clothes off now. Jungkook smashes the pretty prey in his arms against the door, earning a gasp. Smirking he moves to slip fingers on to flesh, only to be bitten harshly on his gland. The pain derives pleasure, going to his member, growing rock hard.
“Bad boys, don’t get gifts. Alpha,” The Omega says a dainty finger dipping into the neckline, while tongue licks the shell of the pierced ear, tugging down on the lobe with teeth. Jungkook whines at that, hands still slipping up.
Taehyung drops himself out of the hold, and pushes the Alpha, smirk salacious. Jungkook is on the floor on his back, and Taehyung sits on him, right above the painfully restrained throbbing cock. Taehyung doesn’t break eye contact, as he slowly traces his fingers on himself, from the neck to pressing on a gland, mouth open in pleasure. He takes off his ridiculously big hoodie, revealing golden skin to feast on; Kook reaches to touch, but his hands are pulled together at the wrists. Taehyung reaches over into his bag, and pulls out a long strip of black satin, shining.
“What did I say, Alpha?” He says putting a pretty bow on the tied wrists. Jungkook’s eyes widen beyond imagination. He simply wants to ravish the elder being all dominant. But his hands are placed above his head, the tan beauty leaning all the way over, ghosting lips on lips.
“Be a good boy and you can fuck me,” Tae states in a way that has Jungkook bucking his hips. “If you are bad, however, you won’t see me stuffing myself on your knot, bouncing desperately,” Jungkook gulps at that.
With an obscene curve of lips, and eyes boring into wide open doe ones, Taehyung gets up and strips himself bare. Ass naked. He picks up a cushion of the couch, and comes to Jungkook, who is biting his lips hard at the sight of semi-hardness the Omega is sporting.
Jungkook’s head is placed on the cushion, a finger nail draws a line on his jaw line. “Alpha will be a good boy and drink up my slick, yes?” Jungkook nods, throat parched. “You know words do you not, Alpha?” The voice asks tone strident.
“Yes,'' Jungkook pushed the syllable off his tongue. Taehyung pats his cheek, before spreading his legs over Jungkook, hole gaping above Jungkook’s lips. Jungkook prods his tongue up, breaching the tight muscle ring. He swirled his tongue around, licking a broad strip, pressing his tongue with pressure against the hole. Thrusting his tongue, in time with the pants and moans he collects, in response to the rock of hips involuntarily. He moans as strawberry coats his tongue in wet waves. He wants more, more of the sweet slick dribbling on to his tongue, leaving his lips sweet. Jungkook cranes his neck up, and sucks on the source, as a bee on a full bloom flower.
Taehyung loses control on his balance and tumbles forward, slick splutters. He stands up, on wobbling legs, a bit disoriented. And goes back down to the ties of Kook’s sweats. Within seconds Jungkook is free, his pre cum and slick dripping from his tip, as Taehyung presses down on him.
Taehyung is blindly reaching for his bag, toppling it over. In frustration shakes everything out on the floor amidst the clothes. There is a single condom, comes flying out. And Taehyung makes work with nimble fingers, rolling on the condom, while massaging the balls, making the younger growl. Tae simply leans down, licking up absolute abs, and vicious v lines.
Straightening up, he takes the cock in his hands, squeezing a bit, and lines himself. He slowly, maliciously sinks down, moaning, and making the tied up Alpha groan.
Then he lifts himself up, and drops himself, panting hard, mouth open. His head is thrown back as he serves himself. One hand playing with his nipple, the other pushed on to the hard muscle beneath him. Jungkook growls loudly at the sight, as drool lines down the chin of the beauty.
“Want to fuck me Alpha?” Taehyung questions, opening his dazed eyes. “Want to wreck you,” Jungkook groans, as the walls around him tighten. Taehyung pushes the t-shirt off Jungkook, which gets twisted at his wrists, and leaves it there.
There is sweat, collecting in his hairline, and in the hollow of his neck. Tae licks at the hollow, moaning at the hint of cinnamon in it. He pulls the lower plush lip of the younger, licks at the upper roof of the mouth.
“Then do it. Like this,” He challenges. And cries out at the harsh thrust into him. Jungkook thrusts up, hard and deep, each thrust eliciting tears down flushed shining cheeks. He beastly, thrusts, and Taehyung falls on to his chest. They both seek that feeling, the chase, the build up. Heat filling up their bodies. And at the last thrust, harsh, deep, powerful, and desperate, Jungkook gets caught. Caught with his knot inflating in gasping muscle. Taehyung, sobs, as he comes. And Jungkook’s cum flows.
The knot was unavoidable. Once an Alpha finds a person to knot, it will always knot that person, no matter what. Taehyung is catching large mouthfuls of air, trying to calm down. Jungkook looks down at the Omega now fragile and soaking in cum, who was just an hour ago ordering him. ‘ That was hot’. His biceps are starting to hurt, but he still doesn’t complain about the black bow tying him.
Taehyung looks up at him, smiling, tired, and spent. “Hi,” he rasps.
“Hey, you,” Kook replies enamored by the softness in the present Tae. The elder traces designs over the abs he’s resting on, and sees the mess of materials shackling the Alpha’s wrists, and reaches to undo it. Once his hands are free, Jungkook rubs his hands along the Omega’s sides, which makes the elder purr in content. There is still slick leaking from where they are joined, and it runs a river on to the floor, passing through the indents of Jungkook’s muscles.
Taehyung is on the verge of dozing off, and Jungkook tries to dislodge himself out of the Omega, sensing the gradual deflation of his knot. But, the Omega whimpers, and whines, pinching the Alpha.
“Don’t, will feel empty,” Taehyung whines in a pout. And who is Jungkook to refuse that?
Taehyung wakes up in Jungkook’s arms content, satisfied of being taken care of, to the sound of Jungkook’s phone ringing. He reaches out to get it. Seeing it's an unknown number he just leaves it. But then the chimes start. And he checks to see if it's someone important. And his world stills.
JK, plz pick up, Its Rima.
I’ll say it straight forward.
I’m ur mate, & I don’t want that Omega around u
Are the words on the screen, even before unlocking. Taehyung wants to block the number. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t have that right. He isn’t Kookie’s mate. She is.
He pushes himself out of the Alpha’s arms. The pain between his legs doesn’t stop him. He is naked. He walks into his room, picks his towel, and heads to the shower. He opens the shower but doesn’t step in. He can’t. He simply slides down against the sink, feeling nothing again.
Jimin didn’t expect to find Taehyung at the music room so early, he had come to take a box Yoongi had forgotten yesterday, before heading home from his early morning study sessions. Taehyung was on the Gayageum, absorbed within himself, but it isn’t that, that had Jimin worried, it was the requiem music. The plucks mourned against the strings, and the vibrations were filling the room along with the scent Taehyung was carrying. Taehyung was marked as Jungkook’s in scent. And it was a soothing combination, just like all compatible couples in love, albeit a bit sweeter.
But there was an undertone of bitterness to it.
Taehyung wasn’t on a chair as he usually would be for performances, but on the floor. And Jimin knew from that itself, Tae wasn’t alright. He sat down beside him, waiting for the younger Omega to show acknowledgement of him. But he got a chestful of curls, sobbing.
Jimin didn’t say anything but rocked them, like they had after the funeral. He looked up to the window, and saw a mother bird flying to her nest with food, it was still fairly early.
“She wants her mate, Jiminie,” Taehyung said, sobbing, distorting the sentence. Jimin has zero idea who this ‘she’ is, but he has a strong feeling, no, knowledge that the mate is Kook. And holds his best-friend closer. And the sobs wreck the taller one, as it conducts the pain to Jimin’s heart.
“I..I love him, '' Taehyung says out of nowhere, after turning into a sniffling body. Jimin is surprised at the admission. And he never wanted Taehyung to feel that pain, after going through it himself. It takes one’s heart away to love, and to know the other doesn’t is painful.
“I can’t do that to him,” Taehyung whispers, voice broken.
“Do what? Tae-Tae.”
“Deprive him of his mate. Or, leave him guilty for breaking my heart, when I’m the only one who did it.”
Silence.
“Can you just keep me with you till the event, Please?” Taehyung asks. And Jimin nods.
Taehyung meets up with Dasom before practice and brings up his idea to incorporate the instrument within the costume. It's different, but taxing as well. Still, Dasom doesn’t say anything. And Taehyung is thankful for that. They send the designs to the junior team, before he leaves for practice.
Taehyung slips into the rehearsal through the backdoor, and is relieved to see his instrument set up already. Yoongi hyung doesn't say anything, when he sits down, and starts playing. They add more emotion to the music. Or, it's just Tae, feeling the pain way too much, and emitting it into the tune.
Jungkook heard his heart shatter when his bed felt cold. The whole apartment was cold. The air was stale. He tried dialing up Tae, to no avail. Even Jimin hyung wasn’t picking up. Finishing his classes , he was early at rehearsals just to catch the Omega. But the Omega came in after a run of the whole program, and left without even packing up, it was Yoongi hyung who was packing the Gayageum.
This has been repeating itself through the week. His Alpha was beyond frustrated. At first he had accounted for his impending rut, but then he didn’t feel hot, or horny. And he figured it was not that, even though it was a bit confusing.
He simply wanted his Dorm-mate back
He really needed to talk to the Omega, who didn’t even come back home. Jimin had come in and gone before he had come home, leaving trails of his scent.
It was the last day, before the event, they were doing a dress rehearsal, Taehyung was adjusting things in costumes. Jungkook’s costume consisted of a jeweled, feathered lapel; a royal swan. He knew it was rude to do such a thing, but he was desperate.
Jungkook stripped it off carefully, disrupting the beauty it held. He made his way to Taehyung, who was now scribbling something.
“If it's about the sizes, please…” Taehyung pauses, clearly catching a whiff of cinnamon. Taehyung doesn’t look up, but calls Dasom, to check what is wrong.
“I’m really sorry Tae, I have to go. The kids are having a problem. Please,” Dasom was panicking. Taehyung widens his eyes and pushes her out.
“Everything is finished, everyone is finished, just come tomorrow,” Dasom smiles and rushes out, after hugging Tae. It's at that, that Jungkook realizes he’s the last one. Everyone has left. He should have left as well. He’s the one who deliberately damaged it, desperately. Taehyung’s eyes scan over the clothing in Kook's hands, and recognizes the fault. His eyes fill in flames.
“How dare you do that?”
“Wh-...What?” Genuinely scared now, Jungkook thinks of his life choices.
“I know that it was placed perfectly fine, with good technique, so it won’t fall during harsh dancing.”
“OK? But it still came off..”
Taehyung raises an eyebrow, arms crossed. “Really Jungkook, don’t even try.”
“What?” Jungkook’s eyes widen.
“You can’t lie.”
“I’m not lying,” Jungkook determinedly says. Tae sighs.
“Your eyes flutter too much, and widen when you lie, your fingers open and close, your muscles become taut at the back.”
Jungkook is dumbfounded at that. And lets out the objective of his actions.
“Why are you not home?”
Taehyung doesn’t answer, simply reaches for the shirt. Jungkook doesn’t let him, he pulls him to him. Taehyung is frozen, frozen in captivity as cinnamon bleaches his thoughts. Jungkook noses against his cheek, soft, meticulous, soothing, and everything Taehyung wants. Which is why he needs to pull away.
“Don’t run away from me,” Jungkook encircles Taehyung, the fabric to be repaired at his back. Jungkook’s breath brushes his jawline. He involuntarily shudders. Jungkook’s finger traces his inner wrist, on the veins, up his loose sleeves. Taehyung was intoxicated, intoxicated on the tingling rush, the goosebumps, the tenderness. His thoughts were wild, wordless, worthless. The felony is getting close to Jungkook, losing control. Jungkook’s finger transferred places to tenderly draw circles on his stomach, and he lost his control.
Taehyung purred.
Jungkook smiled, a smile full of adoration. And placed a kiss on the Omega’s forehead. And mouthed against it.
“Come home, Pup.”
Taehyung bit down harshly on his lip to stop his tumbling thoughts. That made Jungkook frown, and he brought a hand to free the tortured lip.
“Don’t hurt yourself, Baby. Come home, I’ll make something you’ll like. Yeah?” He said caressing the lip he had freed. He continued to nose at Taehyung’s cheek. ‘ Let’s go home.’ Taehyung was too warm to even think of breaking the cocoon around him. He didn’t know why but he was too dependent on the Alpha’s scent all of a sudden. He buried himself in the younger boy’s neck.
They are out of the door, when the strong sugarless coffee irritates his nose. There is a growl behind him, as he remains clinging to Jungkook’s side nose deep in the other’s neckline.
“I told you I don’t want that around you.”
Everything breaks.
Jungkook is very confused, and angered by the other Alpha. He is about to say something back, but is silenced when Taehyung pulls away from him. And looks at him with melancholic eyes, breaking his already shattered heart to dust.
“I’m sorry, Jungkook, I shouldn’t..”
“You don’t get to apologize after being a …” Rima began, who was starting towards them from where she had stood beside the bend. But is cut off, when another alpha, older and more dominating bellows,
“STOP, GO BACK HOME. NOW!” Yoongi hyung stands beside Jimin a few feet away.
She is not ready to step back, of course she won’t be. She had been adamantly trying to talk to Jungkook, but Jungkook is also adamant. If she is going to grope him like that, and then not apologize, and also be ready to attack Tae: it's a miracle she is still dancing.
“I'M NOT. Not when my mate is being stolen from me !” WHAT? Taehyung is her mate? But Tae didn’t say anything to him. Is that why?..
Every thought is cut off when she continues. “THAT shit, has taken my Alpha from me” she says breathless from shouting.
“He has seduced JK, by rubbing himself all over..”
“WHAT?” Jungkook bellows. Taehyung flinches. Rima scoffs. And looks at Taehyung with murder in her eyes.
“What are you, a siren, or something? You have made him even protect your whoring ass,” Jungkook is about to hit her. Taehyung is sniffling. Jungkook moves to hold the Omega, only to be refused. He is enraged.
“What do you want? Why are you spewing bullshit?!” Jungkook spits.
“Bullshit?! I’m your mate, what am I supposed to sit back and watch some bitch rub its scent all on you?!” Rima exclaims.
“I’m not your mate! That’s the Bullshit!” Jungkook roars.
“What….No, NO!” Rima says, “You are my mate, my Alpha says so. That little shit! Made you even forget..”
“One more word about Tae, and You won’t be talking,” Jungkook sets the challenge.
Yoongi is in the middle of the mates, Jimin holds Taehyung, now sobbing.
“But,..” She begins.
“If you are my mate, I would have felt it a long time ago. On our first encounter, I would have smelled you a mile away!”
“No, Mine smelt you in freshman year. I thought you were just shy.” Jungkook’s brain reeled.
“I used to the Fuck-boy. Didn’t you hear that?!” Jungkook’s ears are filled with the sobs of Taehyung.
“What? You were the one boy who never even had a single hook-up!”
Jungkook’s memory blanched, to how he had literally stopped advertising every sexual act, and became publicly celibate, after seeing Tae.
“Listen, I don’t know whatever this is, but I never felt like your mate. OK?”
Rima looked devastated, and murderous. She was about to do something, but Yoongi was faster. He blocked her path. Even though Yoongi himself was small, Rima was smaller than him in stature.
“All of you! Whatever shit it is, solve it after the event. Until then, act like professionals!” Yoongi issued it as a challenge. Hence both the younger Alphas kept silent.
Jungkook turned to the Omegas, and stretched a hand for Tae. Rima growled, Taehyung whined, Jimin turned the other side with his friend in his arms, and Yoongi snarled.
“You first resolve things with your ‘mate’, then come for Tae.” And Yoongi left with Both the Omegas huddling together, following him.
For the first time in his life, Jungkook felt utterly ruined.
***
Taehyung felt grateful that Dasom was an Alpha. He shifted all the Alphas to her and took all the Omegas. Someone was applying his makeup, as he was pinning last minute details to a girl’s sleeves. He was halfway dressed. His shirt was dark blue silk, with strings lining on his left breast. His pants were black, while strings with motives hang from his belt, swaying as he moved around.
He massaged his back himself, which had developed a pain for no reason, before focusing.
He was fixing Jimin’s feathers, fluffing them, when he felt it. The intensity of someone staring holes on him. He sneaked a glance. His Alpha was smoking hot, perfectly pulling off the white suits with gradient of blacks at ends. He stands strict with himself not to let his mind wander places. Especially to keep his pants dry.
He felt another glare on him, and bitter coffee wafted through the air. He closed his eyes and exhaled, trying hard to push it out of his lungs.
“You OK? Tae?” Jimin snaps his whirling thoughts.
“Huh? Yeah..”
“You sure?”
“Not fine, but good to put on this show,” Taehyung pulls a smile, despite feeling his gut spasm with something of bad omens.
“You smell sweeter,” Jimin leans closer.
“Might be the nerves..” Tae pulls away, turning Jimin to look at his back. Checking his sleeves again.
“No, it's like a Milkshake….”
“Taehyung!”Yoongi hyung calls him from the door of the green room, saying it is time to assemble.
Taehyung is playing his solo when the pain starts. He thought that maybe his metaphorical hurt was manifesting, but then it hurt like hell. It hurt like someone was tearing his muscles off him in his belly. He wouldn’t let physical hurt drive his passion. He pushed it into the performance. He played in utter pain, as Jimin spun and fell. The beauty was hazy in his pained vision.
The end doesn’t come, Taehyung sees black. He hears applause erupt, and his consciousness becomes a blanket.
Jungkook doesn’t know what made him run, but he did. He was racing down the stage even before the curtains drew close. His senses were filled with an all too well known rotting of strawberries, but it accompanied spoilt milk. The symphony is moving Taehyung to a chair. Unconscious, shirt drenched, eyes rolling behind his closed lids. Taehyung looks like half a corpse. And his nose twitches, then his eyes widen.
Blood.
“We’re really sorry,” Taehyung doesn’t know what to believe or perceive now, as he lays on white sheets smelling of antiseptic. The walls are too white, his skin itself isn’t tan. He is all alone in the hospital room. All alone. His heart was more than broken. He felt empty. He wanted to smell like he had. Strawberry milkshake with cinnamon powder. His hands are far away from his belly. Too far away.
No one wants him. He lost Haelmoni. Jungkook has a mate. And Taehyung couldn’t even bear an innocent life in safety.
An Angel he would never see.
“ It's quite common, considering you were barely a month in.” The doctor said, as she scribbled down something.
Taehyung looked up as Jimin and Yoongi hyung came in. They looked worried. Jimin sits beside Taehyung on the bed.
“They didn’t tell us anything..” Jimin tried to begin. Yoongi sat at the far corner, not wanting to trigger fear or submission in a weak Omega.
“Nothing. It was just that I was too stressed. And I had forgotten to take care.” Taehyung said, cutting off Jimin putting on his best smile.
“Tae-Tae” Jimin clasps hands around his left palm, and wrist. It should have reverberated with two beatings. Now only Taehyung’s staccato weak hiccups were in it. Jimin was tearing up.
“You made me so scared. Please, don’t do that again,” He pleaded.
I don’t think I’ll ever have the chance again. If I try I’ll end up the same way.
“I won't,” Taehyung said. Jimin laid beside him, gentle pressure against his side. The only thing he hopes won’t ever be taken away. ‘ Some more time and it won’t be there.’
Taehyung sat up. Pushing down the sheets. Jimin jumped, panicked. Yoongi hyung stood up, in a manner of getting ready to fight.
“Let’s just go home. This white spooks me out,” Taehyung said, collecting the clothes put beside the bed, and headed to the bathroom.
Jungkook was fed up with the hospital refusing. He simply wanted to see the Omega. He had scooped the fainted elder and shouted for Yoongi hyung to start the car. He had smelled blood. That is what has him agitated. He picks at the skin, now burning from being open, and wet in salt.
Yoongi hyung pushed the door open. Taehyung came out after him, he was still looking thin. His tan skin looked lifeless. Jungkook wanted to take him in his arms, lull him to sleep, wash him, feed him, and tell him. Tell him.
Taehyung looked at the nurse who was telling him to take care for a few days. And Jungkook knows the elder knows he’s here. The stiffness is evident. He moves to go up to Taehyung. The elder is about to go away, Jungkook doesn’t think but takes a hand by the wrist. It feels like glass in his grip.
“Tae, Baby bear..”
“Let GO!” The Omega orders. An order for safety. A declaration to everyone around that Jungkook means harm. He is unable to adhere to it, his wolf doesn’t want to.
“Hyung, please, ju…” Taehyung pulls his wrist. Jungkook’s fingers chase after. Some growls are heard around him, warnings.
“Jungkook, he doesn’t want to talk,” Yoongi explains. The elder Alpha pulls him away by the shoulder. The two Omega’s leave, descending the stairs.
“Hyung..”
“Look, I know you’re worried. But try to understand him. OK?” The shorter one pushes him down on a chair. “Have you settled things with your mate?”
“She’s not my mate, I have nothing to settle!” Jungkook retaliates. Looking at Yoongi with crossed arms.
“Well, not to you, maybe because your mind is messed up. '' The older states calmly, “First sort that. It's not fair to Tae, nor to that girl”
“Hyung, Are you crazy? She’s simply lying! Can’t you see that?!” Jungkook wants to knock some sense into the Alpha.
“I don’t think someone will fight that much, go as far as harming an Omega, for no reason,” With that Yoongi leaves.
Alone, in a hospital full of people. Something beyond his reach. Feeling lost something, he doesn’t know what.
He’s in front of a psychiatrist. For something he doesn’t even know what. Rima is beside looking on the verge of tearing herself open. The college nurse had referred them both to the hospital stating this was unusual. There were no hormones of identification working in Jungkook’s blood, despite the compatibility. On the other hand Rima’s was indicating identification of Jungkook’s pheromones. The tests had stated there was no problem in Jungkook, suggesting to see the Psychiatrist in case it's a psychological block, blocking the whole chemical system.
“Mr. Jeon, have you ever had any terrifying experiences?” The Doctor asked.
“As far as I remember, No.”
“What about you Ms. Lee?”
“None.”
The doctor nodded. “Ms. Lee, could you please wait outside?”
Rima outright refused. Saying it was her mate concerning the matter, hence should be discussed with her as well.
“Ms. Lee, Despite being mates, everyone has the right to have privacy. I might have to believe you are simply forcing this on Mr. Jeon by your behavior.” The doctor stated, a bit angered. “Now, please leave this office. And wait outside.”
Rima is heading out, in mumbling of unfairness, and something more, Jungkook doesn’t opt to listen to.
“Now, Mr. Jeon, please feel free to talk now.”
“I didn’t have any trauma, Had a decent average middle class family. I just don’t feel whatever she is feeling.”
“OK” The doctor checks the reports, and takes notes.
“Mr. Jeon, I have to say you have no problems. But a survival adaptation evolution,”
“Huuh?” Jungkook responds intelligently. But, he is a photography and film major, he doesn’t know fancy science terms.
“You see, in the beginning we were creatures who were heavily dependent on our mates. Functioning as pairs efficiently. But the cons were, we couldn’t survive without them.”
“OK?”
“Then when we started to become more civilized, our mating nature became our prime mortal danger. So we developed into beings who mate but don’t solely need to. We still have mates compatible and claimed by us, unconsciously.”
The doctor pointed to some pictures on the wall, which depicted the timeline.
“But there are still people who become dysfunctional without a mate after a long period.” Jungkook was confused.
“We call them lacking in evolution. But, you ,Mr. Jeon, are advanced. You have particularly freed yourself from chosen biologically settling bonds.” Jungkook was ready to burst.
“But, Rima..”
“So, while others may feel the connection of compatibility, you will not. Meaning you are correct.”
“She’s not my mate!” Jungkook exclaimed ecstatic.
“Yes, but I also have an instinct telling me that there is another reason.” The doctor looked curious, “Are you by chance courting someone?”
Jungkook’s heart free fell again at that question. “No..” But, his voice was so fragile.
“I see, are you perhaps in love with someone?”
“I...I..” Jungkook stuttered, feeling the tears barely staying in.
“And were you in a physical relationship with that person? As in sexually.”
Jungkook can only nod, voice broken, face wearing his pain.
“This person, were they, by chance, pregnant?”
Jungkook snaps up so fast, his neck cracks. “No,” his answer is clear, but as he says it pieces start feeling more like puzzle pieces.
“Are you sure? Because, I can sense our Alpha in mourning, and it is over a parting. Considering your lack of mate needs, I would say that the person of your love is pregnant. And that has triggered you Alpha to gain primal mate instincts for them.” The doctor is blunt, and logical.
“Thank you, Doctor!” Jungkook sprints out of the room, through the corridors, out of the entrance, towards Yoongi hyung’s dorm.
His hazy memories of Taehyung’s memories, his need to be with the elder despite being pushed away, the elder being horny and mood swings that week, the frustration, the strawberry milkshake with cinnamon scent, the paleness…. But then, the blood.
And he halted, everything dawning. And he broke down in the middle of the pavement on his knees for someone he’ll never see.
Still, his Omega needed him. ‘ Oh no! He’s alone, who’s taking care of him. I’m going there’.
Yoongi was surprised to see Jungkook banging his door. He had expected for the other to stay away from him for a while. But there was a Jungkook bent over hands on his knees, gasping and sweating.
“Hyung!” Jungkook straightened, still panting. “I need to go to Tae.”
“What? No! He's staying away..” Yoongi begins a bit panicked, he knows the maknae is adamant and can get anything related to Taehyung out of anyone. And he seriously didn’t want to be the victim.
“Hyung. Tae just lost our baby, he’s suffering all alone. He needs me” Jungkook looked like he was about to cry. “Please hyung, just..”
“What? Rewind! Your Baby?” Yoongi reeled. The Youngest Omega had said he had just been stressed.
“Tae was pregnant! Th...Taht d..day he passed out due to a miscarriage. Oh! He … Please hyung ,I .. I just want my mate… I ...my family,” Jungkook was tearing up.
Yoongi’s little heart yelped.
***
Taehyung looks at the sky, disrupted with sewn about clouds dark and murky. His emptiness consumes him, as he sits on the wooden fence. He feels cold despite the layering, and relatively warm air.
‘Worthless. What did the little life ever do to you? If you hadn’t avoided eating, and slept well. You’re useless..’
His cheeks are bloated. Tears dry, now not even coming.
“I’m sorry,” Tae whispers for the umpteenth time. “I love you, I’m sorry baby,” He hugs his midriff. It's flat. His jeans are slipping off his hips, he needs belts. His skinny jeans still fit.
His thoughts wander, he doesn’t know where.
On his train, he was beside a woman who was six months along. She kept becoming dizzy and sick throughout the ride. His taxi driver had had a baby pic on his lock-screen, which shone when he switched it on. His neighbor had squealed a week ago when his son had twins, and had gone to the hospital.
‘You’re the only person who killed them.’
He gets up and heads inside. The kitchen table holds a letter, still sealed. The label reads as from Bang PD, he knows he shouldn’t be ignorant of it. But he can’t.
He can’t go into something, only to be a failure in that. To disappoint the people. To mix up things to a muddy juice. He can’t leave this place. It’s silent, and means he doesn’t mean anything to anyone. He can’t lull himself to melodies again.
His palm on his sucked in belly. It is the only thing that matters now. He failed them. He killed them. He killed Haelmoni. He killed their baby. He killed the part Jungkook gave him.
He’s staring at the moon sitting on the couch in the living room. Despite not moving his eyes, it keeps disappearing. It's alone, a barely there curve. Just like him.
There’s a racket of a sound on the door. His skin freezes over. Are they back? Do they come all the time? The police didn’t catch….
“Baby bear, Please open the door!!” He hears the voice. His consciousness is now working on voices, he hears Jungkook calling him. He needs to..
“Pup, please!” The hallucination repeats.
Taehyung sobs, holding his ears, trying to block out the voice he so badly wants to hear. He tries to stop the pet names that made him giddy.
“Hyung, it’s late, and I know I should have asked.. but you weren’t answering,” Taehyung doesn’t even know his phone now, “I wanted to see you, so much.” There is a sniffle.
“I know I have no right, but they were mine too. I felt them too, you know?” Jungkook’s voice pauses as if he’s struggling.
“Hyung, Please. Just don’t push me away. I lost our baby, too.”
Taehyung’ senses crash.
Our Baby
Even he didn’t call them that. He trips over his feet. When he opens the door, he finds a sobbing Alpha. The Alpha simply engulfs him.
“Why? Why didn’t you just tell me? Did you think I wouldn’t want them? How could you, hyung, do that to me? You simply left, because you thought I won’t want them?..”
Taehyung pushes the Alpha back, enraged. How dare Jungkook think that he didn’t tell him about their baby.
“How dare you?” The Omega bursts, tears streaming already laid out tracks.
“You didn’t tell me! I..”
Taehyung slaps Jungkook.
“You accuse me of concealing our baby?” Taehyung quivers with anger. “Go away!” Taehyung screams. “Get out of my face, with your assumptions. Alpha!” he spits. Taehyung slams the door shut. He slides down it.
Jungkook stands as still as water in an ice-cube, still and frozen, but dissolving to nothing. The slap stung more than it could. It wasn’t a tangible sting, it was a needle piercing and pulling the string through him, and being dragged by that string, on a single point of in-flaring pain.
He was fazed to understand, he had assumed. He hadn’t asked for the truth.
Jungkook had come to comfort both their hearts, but on the way the blinding misery of being lied to, and concealed of information spread poison in his blood, blooming into a dark blossom, expostulating its pollen on Taehyung.
Shame engulfed his consciousness. Not only had he failed to protect his unborn, he had instigated pain in the one he loved as well. Jungkook didn’t even know the unconscious pain overwhelmed him, until he was unconscious.
Jungkook rose to the door creaking. As water colors oozed into each other, his senses muddled and fuzzed him. The Omega, the one he had put so much pain in, stood with an image akin to that of a zombie. Still, the beauty dazzled Jungkook. And to see the beauty drowning in sorrow, like words in the ocean, pain encased Jungkook’s heart.
“Were you here all night?!” Taehyung’s voice is fragile, shattered in incredulity at Jungkook.
“Umm..” Jungkook’s voice doesn’t work. He clears his throat, “Apparently, yeah...I kinda..”
“Are you insane? Oh Luna!” Taehyung pulls him with a hand that frighteningly resembles a skeleton.
“Why? Why didn’t you jus...Look at you now..” Taehyung rambles pushing Jungkook onto a chair, and checks his temperature, he moves into his Kitchen, comes out with water and some pills for a plausible head-ache.
“Take this, I’ll see if I have an..” Jungkook clasps onto the frail pair of wrists. And Taehyung stiffens, immobile, inarticulate.
Jungkook takes away the objects putting gravity on those pretty palms, and holds them. His most valuable gifts. He holds them and brings them to his lips.
“I’m sorry, Hyung,” he whispers against the whitened skin of the knuckles. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m Sorry.” He looks up to meet eyes. Eyes that looked as though the water in the paint had not dried, still freshly painted in a stroke. Taehyung’s shoulders shiver, visible pain. Jungkook gathers the Omega into his arms.
“I...I couldn’t..didn’t know….I killed them,” Taehyung retches out, words incoherent. Jungkook’s senses tremor from those words. Taehyung has been in a state of this. No! Luna, no, no, NO.
“Bear, look at me!” Jungkook, meticulous not to use his Alpha pheromones, orders the elder. He lifts the chin with a palm,
“Our baby loves you.” He pauses letting it settle in, “You didn’t kill them. They were not ready to meet us yet, It was natural. It is natural.” Jungkook struggles immensely in monitoring his calm, a calamity of emotions is the last thing they want now. The Omega however doesn’t absorb the reassurances, or reality, sunk deep into guilt and shame. Jungkook is desperate.
“I love you”
“ I love you ”
Taehyung’s senses snap. There is electricity burning all his nerve endings. His Omega stirs. His chest gets filled with water. He looks into eyes that hold his image, the only cynosure in those chocolate mirrors. He tries hard to feel his inhale. Pushes his exhale out. He opens his mouth and speaks, but his jaws move in muteness. Before he goes into denial again,
“I love you, my baby bear, baby, I love you,” Jungkook whispers, as though he opened a dam and its flowing.
“You—love me?!” Taehyung croaks a squeak.
“I do, I love only you,” Jungkook says in a promise. A promise that digs the final nail in Tae’s heart.
“We---Kookie…. You have a mate, I sho…”
“She’s not,” The statement is sharp, said in bitterness. Coffee bitterness.
“Not? But..” Taehyung is spiraling. He tightens his fingers onto the grip Jungkook has on him.
“I am not hers. I don’t Identify her as MY mate. Even If SHE does. YOU are MINE.” Jungkook punctuates specifically.
Taehyung at snail’s space grasps onto the information relayed to him. Digs his nails into his palms, as the implication solves the simultaneous equations.
His eyes widen. Jungkook smiles so softly, and nods, fingers moving to cheeks. Taehyung’s own fingers splay like spiders onto the tattooed forearms. His immigrant pallor stark against the midnight permanent ink
“But I can’t give you children, I failed our baby, your baby. She c…” Taehyung explains looking up to the Alpha, giving way to the frown etching onto brows on both foreheads.
“I don’t fucking care. I love our baby, I love children. But I won’t leave you just for children,” Jungkook speaks holding the dehydrated cheeks of Taehyung. Taehyung’s tears again start the foolish endeavor of hydrating him in salt.
“I have too many ghosts, I used you to escape them. I used your kindness, and then greedily wanted more”, Taehyung digs a nail into a gorgeously shaded-in rose on a compass, as Jungkook tries to cut him off.
“She won’t do that to you. She will be yours, heart, body, and mind. She’s for you,” Taehyung vehemently argues among hiccups. Jungkook’s scent sours. Cinnamon has never felt like this, burning. The hands that are on his cheeks, pull him.
Jungkook kisses him, force on his lips, gentle with mettle. He brushes their noses, as though trying to sculpt Tae’s nose.
“Why are you making my choice, when I won’t be happy with it?” Jungkook asks, his own tears blurring the clarity of the words.
“If she can’t have my heart, body, soul, and mind, is that fair to her, then?” The pause, the silence, the lack of answer.
“You already have everything that makes me, I want you to hold them. Make me yours.” Jungkook has his eyes closed, as he presses his forehead to Taehyung’s.
“I….I…”
“Don’t. Not now. Think about it. You have your own mate for you. But, if you want me, I’m yours,” Jungkook says, pulling away. Making a movement to walk out the door, he is caught by a ring finger in a clasp.
“Stay,” Taehyung says, “Don’t go .”
They’ve molded themselves into a routine. They are still at Taehyung's Haelmoni’s house. The routine is independent of each other, yet overlapping. They cook, but they don’t plan it. They head to beds to different rooms, yet think, on pillows, too much the cases spill with thoughts. They walk the gardens but don’t hold hands.
Yet, they still are cohesive. They wordlessly finish fixing a decent meal with the limited array of ingredients. They know the other is still awake through the pervading of their scents, and tiptoe their way to check on the other, throughout the night.
Waking up alone with cold sheets and strawberries still in his nose, fresh and wafting from the hall, is something that is strange for Jungkook. He wonders how he had been able to survive the earlier phase of their arrangement, now. He wants to be consumed and soaked in strawberry, but he only gets to inhale it. Howbeit, he’s grateful he was asked to stay, and not yet been asked out.
Taehyung is flipping pancakes, something he has taken a penchant to, when Jungkook, still half-zombie comes in. The elder offers him a wide smile.
And Jungkook seriously wants the strawberry all over him. Maybe that’s why he goes and stands beside the Omega. Their shoulders are touching, and he has enough strawberry infiltrating his oxygen. Taehyung raises a bold eyebrow in question, Jungkook resorts to using his Bunny teeth. Taehyung simply scoffs at his wide grin, and hands him a plate with maple syrup spread pancakes. And that’s enough for Jungkook to come out of dreamland.
Taehyung turns off the power, and turns to fetch strawberry syrup, seeing that Jungkook emits a whine.
“Why don’t I get strawberry syrup?” The pout that adorns the question is adorable. Taehyung can’t help but chuckle.
“I’m feeding you, and you’re complaining? Ungrateful brat,” Taehyung says, returning to the pancakes and spreading them.
“Your brat,” Jungkook mumbles from around his stuffed cheeks. It's a bit late when they both realize it. Jungkook places down the plate and is about to apologize when the lithe body encapsulates him in a hug.
There is a strawberry-syrup spread pancake rolled up held to his mouth.
“Say Ahh! Aren’t you my brat?” Taehyung asks with an amused smile. Jungkook giddily takes a bite. They spend their day cuddled up, on the couch, and falling asleep.
They are back in their dorm. Taehyung is working on his finale, with an offer to work with Big DreamsTM to work as fashion designer, even though PD-nim had initially wanted Taehyung as an Idol, Taehyung had bargained for his job as a designer instead. PD-nim really wanted Taehyung's face for his company, and Tae was terrified halfway through the discussion-like-interview. In the end, he had settled for modeling, if the company pursues it into the future.
The guilt inside hasn’t vanished, but he had been doing better with Jungkook hovering like a balloon tied to his wrist. There were nights his dreams bleed in blacks and crimsons. Screams silent shrills seeping, spreading. And he wakes up to lullabies and shush from the Alpha.
Taehyung fills in a particular swirl of tulle in periwinkle on his design, when the door opens, revealing a very excited overgrown bunny.
“Hyungie, come on. Let's go,” Jungkook jumps on to the couch disrupting Taehyung’s already prevailing anarchy of sheets. The younger pushes aside everything, and pulls at Tae’s wrists.
“It's Sunday, where ..” Taehyung huffs a bit indignant, as he tries to collect some order in the mess.
“Please, Baby Bear!” Jungkook metamorphoses into a baby seal pleading with big eyes, and pouts. Taehyung only has so much insurgence in him.
“OK,” he sighs, letting the papers fall, and be dragged out of the door.
The sun was bright, fitting the day. They are at a park on the other side of the city, far from their campus, nearer to neighboring suburbs. The grass looks fresh, not tread upon, a green so bright, the yellows of the daffodils are happy. Taehyung’s eyes feast on the tranquil of nature, untouched, not scorched, not criticized.
The path curves and twirls through trees that seem old, yet young . Jungkook has their threaded hands in his other hand, running a thumb over Tae’s knuckles. They feel the leaves, the birth, the blossom in the air. And Taehyung is smiling, tumbling into giggles as Jungkook looks in awe at him.
As the path goes on, there in the distance one can see people. Adults, and children. Men, and women, boys, and girls. All so happy, such happy scenery to lull your heart. Taehyung feels hesitance rise in him, as he sees toddlers tumble, and kids fall.
A little girl, with pigtails bouncing about, bounces her way to him. She demands him to lift her up, by lifting her arms, and pulling out a pout on already pouty lips. Taehyung obviously melts.
She giggles as she’s being lifted. She twirls like a tornado, making Tae swirl in her force. She sees Jungkook and leans to him, making grabby hands. Kook smiles and brings hands to take her, only to be slapped by her. She makes grabby hands again, making whines as well.
Jungkook is looking at Tae confused, and a bit terrified, and Tae simply wants to laugh. He steps closer to Kook with her in his arms. She makes a pleased sound, and grasps Kook’s cheeks in her hands, and pulls. They all burst into a fit of laughter. Jungkook’s bunny teeth get poked by her little fingers. When Jungkook asks again to hold her, she agrees, and swings like a monkey.
They walk down the path to the others. With the little girl telling them stories in ‘gogoooo’, ‘ohhh’, ‘tataaaaa’. There is another boy, a bit older, runs up to them.
He clasps onto Tae’s calves, and smiles up at him, Tae’s smile is out of his control. The boy jumps up and down, giggling, touching his shoulder with four fingers, and then fluttering them. Then he runs and does it to one of the adults beside a tree. The woman looks up at Tae and smiles, she looks at the boy smiling and holds a fist flicking it up and down. She takes the boy’s hand and walks up to Tae.
“He says you’re a fairy,” She says chuckling. The boy nods his head as Taehyung looks at him. Tae is flustered, flushed beyond imagination and overwhelmingly shy. He feels a hand on his waist, thumb swirling in circles on his t-shirt. Taehyung can see Jungkook stifling his laughter from the sidelines of his vision. He looks at the boy who is smiling, so happily in awe, up at him.
And it dawns.
His skin becomes a layer of goosebumps, the sensation of pleasant warmth in his eyes. He leans down, and gathers the happy boy in his arms and places kisses all over the tiny face. He cuddles into the soft body, as the minuscule limbs wrap him in an embrace, nosing at his scent gland.
He looks at Jungkook who has the little girl scenting him, nuzzled into his neck. Jungkook looks Taehyung in the eye, and smiles.
“We come here on Sundays, the children love the park,” Says Bongcha, who holds an infant merely a year old to her chest and lulls it. There are more people all around the park, playing and running around.
“I’m a Vilomah. My girl died on her fifth birthday.” She smiles, melancholic, yet reminiscing. “Daejong, there lost his wife and unborn in an accident.” She points to a broad Alpha, with children crawling all over him. “The little one on you, Soobin, was born deaf, and was left on our doorstep, a day old.” She says to the boy snuggled with Taehyung.
Taehyung brings the boy closer to him.
“We give love to those who need it, who are lost,” Bongcha says. “Love is something that this world can never have enough of.”
Jungkook holds him to his chest. Taehyung finds himself grounded.
And he knows now.
He loves Jungkook, and wants to build a life with him. Jungkook has brought him here to say there is a lack of love, and he can show his love for them.
Taehyung pulls Jungkook to him as soon as the door shuts. He places his lips on the younger. Jungkook wraps his fingers on Taehyung’s waist. Taehyung’s fingers lace themselves behind Jungkook's nape, pulling him closer. They gasp for air.
“Tae…” Jungkook asks with blown irises searching Tae’s.
“I love you.” Taehyung says lips brushing together, he revels in the way their breaths mingle, and Jungkook only sees him. He wants this man. He wants Jungkook. Jungkook, who didn’t leave him, who didn’t push him, who wraps himself around Tae at night. Jungkook, who sings funny songs so he would laugh, who buys strawberries more than necessary to satisfy Taehyung’s proclivities. Jungkook, who loves him, didn't press it again, so he would be OK.
“I love you, I want you. Now. Tomorrow. Forever.” Tae nosed the Alpha’s nose fondly. “I want to be mates.”
He tilts his head up, tilts Jungkook’s down, and kisses the hairline and forehead.
“I love you too. I want to be mates, as well,” Jungkook whimpers into Taehyung’s neck, breathing in his scent.
“Want to mate now?” Taehyung whispers. It's not rushed. They don’t have anyone else. They were in love. What else do they need?
“Yeah.. Are you..sure?” Jungkook says kissing the Omega’s jaw.
“Sure as I’ll ever be.” And Taehyung surges forward.
The kiss starts mellow, but grows passionate, hungry. Months of being celibate does have its effect. They want each other now. Their tongues swirl, teeth bite, lips redden.
And within minutes they are naked in Taehyung’s nest. More than eager.
Jungkook gently spreads his legs open. And smiles down at him. The blood pooling in his eyes are electrifying Taehyung. Jungkook leans down to kiss his cheek, and their cocks brush, precums diluting, his hole twitches as it oozes.
“So beautiful, you’re so pretty Tae,” Jungkook says as he captures Taehyung in a kiss. His lower lip is taken by teeth and sucked on, only to be let go before sliding tongues over each other. Taehyung’s slick runs down his thighs and sheets. Jungkook locks their hands together on each side of them on the pillows.
“Do you want me, love?” He’s gentle. So gentle Taehyung wants to cry.
“I want you. I want you inside me. I want us together,” Taehyung whispers, trying to put so much in it. Jungkook smiles and kisses him, slow and languid. Taehyung is lost in it. Finds himself safe with Jungkook. As he revels in the love they give each other, he doesn’t sense the way Jungkook loosens a hand. He gasps into their lips at the feel of nimble gentle caresses on his hole. The squelch of his silk sounds so inducing around Jungkook’s fingers.
The fingers leave him, and he whines. But moans as Jungkook pushes his cock into him. Settled in, balls deep, Jungkook caresses his cheek. He pulls him down to kiss, and feels his body being lifted in the kiss.
Taehyung, still having Jungkook inside him, stretched with a burn, finds that they are flushed together, looking into each other’s eyes. Jungkook greedily kisses down his omega’s column. Taehyung is fisting obsidian locks in his hands. Jungkook’s lips leave a claim all over his collarbone. Taehyung moves his hips, feeling the slide of the cock buried in him, feeling the bare contact.
“Do whatever you want, Bear,” Jungkook says against his lips. Taehyung captures those. And starts moving, Jungkook squeezes his ass, and thrusts up. Taehyung’ mouth falls wide, and Jungkook slots against it. They inhale each other’s moans. As they reach their high, they speed up letting their wolves take over.
“Knot me,” Taehyung says breathlessly, rushing, biting Jungkook on his mole.
“I…. Tae...ng” They both groan as he thrusts.
“Mate,” Taehyung growls, eyes sapphire, making crimson shine.
And the Alpha obeys his Omega. He thrusts harder, and faster, becoming lustful, biting at each other. And he knots, head getting caught within Taehyung. Taehyung lets out a cry and comes, coating their chests pearly white. Taehyung bites down on Jungkook’s neck, and Jungkook follows suit. The pleasure leading to another high.
Jungkook falls back on his back, with the elder on him. Still warming his knot.
“Jungkook” “Taehyung” they utter panting. Their eyes shine bright in colors, as they surge forward to kiss each other.
Their pillows, now, belong on the same bed, in an apartment near the park. The setting sun filters through the glass of their windows. There is a small box under a pillow, bow tied in a lavender ribbon. Taehyung is smiling at the papers in his hands, looking over their names, and the right to be Soobin’s parents. He looks to the pillow he had hid the surprise which had been a surprise for him as well. And giggles.
Jungkook opens the door, with takeout in hand. Taehyung had been under the weather, but had gone to work due to a pending project. Jungkook had fought tooth and nail that his Omega comes home early, and rests without exerting.
Home: smells like them. Something Jungkook will never not get giddy or heady about.
Taehyung is not on the couch, so he’s a good Omega and resting. Jungkook heads to take shower after peeping through their bedroom door, and confirming his hypothesis.
He comes out smelling like strawberries, with a towel hung low on his hips. He tip-toes his way in, and pulls on a pair of pajamas, before crawling into their nest, and taking a slumbering Tae into his arms.
“Kookie?”
“Mmhm,” Kook murmurs, carding his fingers through his mate’s hair, and thinking about the piece he has at his studio. A focus on Tae, he had taken on a Sunday to the park soon after mating. It was his personal collection, and he chose it to give to Tae for their seventh mating anniversary.
His mind brings memories of how their hyungs had been furious, hearing their mating. Especially Jin hyung, and Jimin hyung. Jin hyung had straight out refused to feed him his food for a month. Jimin had been biting Tae’s head off for months.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Tae mumbles, nosing Jungkook’s cheek. Jungkook was a weak, weak Alpha, when it came to his mate. Taehyung simply hugging him can make him work his ass off to buy the world. And he knew the elder was the same.
“You were sleeping,” Jungkook says, kissing the pout on Taehyung’s lips. As he pulled the elder closer, Taehyung smiled lazily against his lips, eyes fluttering half lidded.
“Silly Alpha,” He pecked Jungkook. Placing a kiss to Jungkook’s nose tip, he pulled back, and crawled over Jungkook sitting on the lap of the younger. Jungkook’s hands flew to his hips, it was a habit of years. “I have something for you,” Taehyung whispered with a glint in his eyes.
“Does that involve any of these clothes coming off?” Jungkook asked, playing along, his fingers slipping into Tae’s waist band. Taehyung laughed at that, throwing his head back. And leaned down.
“Well, that can be arranged as well..” he traced a slender finger on the sharpness of Kook’s jawline, drawing a trail down to the mating mark at the base of his throat. Taehyung’s eyes lightened sapphire, as Jungkook’s Adam’s apple moved up and down.
“But…” And he reached into the pillows and pulled out the box. Jungkook’s eyes widened, brows becoming part of the hair line.
“Come on,” Tae handed the Alpha the box. Jungkook sat up, careful to not let Tae fall. He pulled the ribbon, and lifted the lid.
The first thing that Taehyung saw on Jungkook’s face was the paralysis, then it morphed into a series of emotions like a movie: confusion, worry, realization, understanding, happiness, and love. Love, as he looked up at Taehyung.
Jungkook looked at him with a question, and Taehyung nodded.
They met in a kiss. They chuckled, wet sounds of love pouring out of them. Jungkook placed his palm to Tae’s belly, and leaned down, lifting the material. Kissing it softly, he rubbed.
“I love you”
“I love you”