Chapter Text
Hoseok clutches the fabric of his hanbok over his chest. His heart beats loudly in his chest, his stomach full of knots and his omega paces around in restlessness. Hoseok doesn’t understand what's happening with him. He doesn’t understand why he has been feeling so restless since yesterday.
Hoseok swallows thickly. His throat is dry and the knot in his stomach keeps growing and he feels breathless.
Something terrible is going to happen.
Hoseok's sure something very tragic is going to happen and his body is giving him signals for that.
Hoseok hopes his Alpha is safe and sound. His Alpha-Yoongi went on a political trip almost a month ago and there's still no news of his returning though he does send Hoseok letters every week but this week Hoseok's still yet to receive his letter.
Hoseok hopes his Alpha is doing okay. Hoseok closes his eyes and prays to the MoonGoddess to keep his Alpha safe and sound. To return him to Hoseok without any harm.
Hoseok’s startle out of his prayer when he hears a few knocks on his door. He removes his hands from his chest and looks towards his open door.
There outside the door stands one of Hoseok's trusted maids, “Queen, The King has returned,” The maids says and Hoseok's eyes immediately lighten up.
A smile breaks into his lips as he wastes no time in running out of his room towards the main hall where he knows his Alpha is.
Hoseok's heart rate perks up, his omega wiggles their tails. Extremely excited to meet their Alpha after a month long of separation.
Hoseok can't wait to hug and kiss his Alpha. It’s been long-too long.
Hoseok reaches the main hall in record time. He pants a little from all the running. His smile grows even more when he sees Yoongi standing in the hall with Jungkook, Jimin, Taehyung, Namjoon, Seokjin and other palace maids.
“Alpha,” Hoseok calls and immediately all the heads turn to him. However Hoseok's smile dims when he notices another person beside his Alpha. A Man–an omega to be exact. The omega is staring at Hoseok with wide eyes. He has almond eyes, his face slim, his lips full, his hair blonde and he is the same height as Hoseok's husband.
Hoseok's eyes look the omega up and down and Hoseok's heart squeezes when he notices his Alpha is holding the omega's hands.
Why is his Alpha holding the omegas hand?
Hoseok slowly makes his way towards Yoongi. Once he is standing in front of Yoongi, he looks into his Alpha's eyes and his heart drops when he doesn’t see the usual love Yoongi's eyes show.
A lump form into Hoseok's throat as he looks between his Alpha holding the omega's hand to his face,
“Alpha, why are you holding his hand?” Hoseok asks, his eyes looking at Yoongi expectantly.
Yoongi looks at him, eyes cold and distant. Hoseok's stomach flips, “This is Jungyeon, my husband.”
What?
Is Hoseok hearing things?
What's Yoongi talking about?
How can this man–omega can be Yoongi's husband? Hoseok's Yoongi's husband.
Yoongi is joking,
He definitely is.
Hoseok lets out a strained laugh, his eyes filling with sudden terror, “You are joking right? What do you mean he is your husband? Yoongi, Alpha, I am your husband,” Hoseok says.
Yoongi's gaze doesn’t warm up, “I am not joking Hoseok. Jungyeon and I got married two days ago,” Yoongi says, voice steady and flat.
Hoseok's heart starts beating loudly in his chest. His omega's ear gets down as Hoseok suddenly realises he can't feel Yoongi through their mating mark.
Hoseok looks at the omega and back at Yoongi, “I-if he is your husband then who am I?” Hoseok asks. He hates the way his voice cracks. He can feel his hands trembling on his side. Hoseok clutches his hanbok tightly to keep them from trembling.
“You’re my first husband,” Yoongi says and a surprised laugh escapes Hoseok's lips.
His lips wobbles and eyes suddenly stinks, “What the fuck are you talking about? Your first husband? Yoongi, I am your only husband. You promised me, I am the only one in your life,” Hoseok says as the first drop of tears roll down his cheeks.
Yoongi watches the tear roll down but his eyes don't fill with panic nor does he make any move to wipe them like he usually does.
“And I fulfilled my promise for the last 16 years,” Yoongi answers and a sudden rage raises into Hoseok's chest,
“16 years and you still went and married another?” Hoseok questions. His tone's harsh and bitter.
Yoongi's eyes immediately harden, “Watch your tongue Hoseok. Don’t forget you're talking to your King,” Yoongi's voice is harsh. Harsher than Hoseok's ever heard.
Hoseok stares at him in disbelief. He can't believe his own ears. Is this really his Yoongi? The Yoongi who used to worship the ground Hoseok walks?
“I don’t accept this marriage,” Hoseok says, his eyes burning with pain and anger.
“I don’t need your permission Hoseok. I can marry whoever I want and how many times I want,” Yoongi says and Hoseok's eyes twitch in furry, “I understand you're in shock and a little insecure about your place in my life but you have nothing to worry about. I will treat both of you equally,” Yoongi says and Hoseok laughs at the Alpha’s audacity.
Equal?
“Take your equality and shove it in your ass,” Hoseok grits. He looks at the omega with eyes full of hatred. Jungyeon shrieks under Hoseok's gaze and hides behind Yoongi and it infuriates Hoseok even more.
“Hoseok—”
“I don’t need your equality—” Hoseok says, cutting Yoongi mid sentence. He looks at the way Yoongi tightens his hold on Jungyeon's hand and as the omega leans into Yoongi, “I won't accept him or this marriage. I won't,” Hoseok says.
“You have no other choice,” Yoongi says and Hoseok laughs bitterly. His vision blurry with tears, his lips wobbles and his heart,
Oh, it hurts so badly.
“I have. If you want him then fucking fine, stay with him. I will leave. I will divorce you but I won't accept your second marriage as long as I am alive,” Hoseok grits out as he forces his tears to go away.
Hoseok looks at Jungkook and walks towards his little brother. He wraps his hands around the young Alpha’s wrist, “Come on, Jungkook let's go,” Hoseok says as he starts walking towards the exit but he stops when Jungkook doesn’t move.
He turns and looks at him, “Jungkook?”
Jungkook removes Hoseok's hands from his wrist and looks at Hoseok with disappointment, “You're overrating hyung,” Jungkook says, voice stern and eyes cold.
“What?” Hoseok question because what? What's Jungkook talking about?
Hoseok's overreacting?
Hoseok?
“You heard me right, hyung. You're over reacting. His Majesty has been loyal to you for years and now it's time he finds his own happiness. So what if he married someone else? Every Alpha does. It's common for Alpha's to have more than one mate. Our Appa did too,” Jungkook says and Hoseok stares at his baby brother, the boy he raised since childhood with eyes full of betrayal.
“Jungkook's right—” Hoseok looks at Jimin as the Omega stands beside Jungkook, “You are over reacting. It's completely normal for Alpha’s to have more than one mate. Besides, His Majesty already told you, he will treat you both equally. What more do you need?”
This…it…this can't be real right? All the words Hoseok just heard…they… they are not true. They…they are Hoseok's imagination, yeah his imagination because there's no way Hoseok's best friend and his own brother is saying those words to him.
But they did and they all are looking at Hoseok with eyes full of disappointment and as if Hoseok has lost his mind.
Hoseok takes a shuddering breath, the pain in his chest increasing, “Wo-would you be okay if Namjoon takes another mate?” Hoseok asks. He sees the way Jimin's eyes widen for a moment before they go back to normal.
And then to Hoseok's horror, the omega nods, “Yes,” Jimin answers and Hoseok immediately takes a step back.
He shakes his head, his tears blurs his vision, “Yo-you,” Hoseok uses the back of his hands to wipe his tears, to clear his vision but no matter how much he tries, his vision keeps getting blurry.
After a moment, Hoseok takes a deep shuddering breath and looks straight into Jimin eyes, “You may accept your mate with other omega's but I don’t,” Hoseok looks at Jungkook, “You don’t want to come with me fine don’t. I will go myself,” Hoseok says as he turns around and starts walking towards the exits.
“Stop right where you are,” Yoongi's voice is cold and heavy. Hoseok halts in his step. A sharp pain coursed through his entire body. His hand flies to his chest to support the intensity of the pain in him. Then slowly the pain disappears but Hoseok's eyes remain widened as the horrific realisation hits him : Yoongi has used his Alpha voice on Hoseok.
He quickly turns and stares at the Alpha in disbelief, “You will not step a foot out of this palace until I say so,” The Alpha commands and a strong wave of Alpha rage courses through his heart.
He clutches his chest tightly and stares at the husband he doesn’t recognise anymore.
Who is he?
He can't be Hoseok's Yoongi.
Hoseok's Yoongi has never used Alpha voice on him.
Hoseok's Yoongi would never marry someone else.
“Seokjin, Jungkook, go and decorate my room properly. Today's my and Jungyeon's wedding night and I want everything to be perfect,” Yoongi says as he, without giving Hoseok another glance, walks away. His hand is still holding Jungyeon's. Taehyung, Namjoon and Jimin follow Yoongi while Seokjin and Jungkook make their way towards Yoongi's room.
None of them looks at Hoseok,
None of them looks at the tears that roll down Hoseok's cheeks,
None of them look at Hoseok's broken heart,
None of them.
_
Hoseok doesn’t know how he walks back to his room but he does and he finds himself sitting on the ground with his knees to his chest. His vision blurry and his heart squeeze so painfully in his chest, he feels like someone is stabbing him again and again.
His omega whimpers in him. They are heartbroken just like Hoseok and the pain of his omega and his own heart breaking makes Hoseok struggle to breath.
Silent tears fall from his eyes as he wonders why Yoongi did this to him? What fault did Hoseok have that he went and married someone else? What happened to their love?
16 years, Hoseok spent 16 years of his life loving Yoongi. How can Yoongi throw away their 16 years so easily? How can he marry someone while Hoseok's alive?
How?
Yoongi probably has a reason. He-what if Jungyeon forced him? Threatened Hoseok's Alpha to marry him? What if Yoongi's just acting and he didn’t actually marry Jungyeon?
Hoseok….he…he needs to talk to Yoongi. Yeah, talk to him and ask him questions.
Yeah, that's what Hoseok should do.
The thought makes Hoseok scramble on his feet and when he looks around him, he finds himself in complete darkness.
One look towards his window tells Hoseok, the night has fallen a long time ago.
How long has Hoseok been sitting here?
There's no time to think about that. First Hoseok needs to go and talk to Yoongi.
Hoseok quickly opens his room door and makes his way towards Yoongi's room. And as he is about to knock, the door guard blocks Hoseok path, “Apologise Your Majesty but His Majesty orders us to not let anyone in” the guards says and Hoseok glares at him.
He pushes the guard away and starts knocking loudly on the door. For the first few knocks no one answers and Hoseok starts using more force. Soon his knocking turns into banging on the door and then Hoseok hears rustling and the sound of footsteps approaching.
The door suddenly opens and Hoseok opens his mouth to talk when his eyes catch on to Yoongi's state.
Yoongi's lips are red and kiss swollen, his hair dissolved and his jeogori unbutton, giving Hoseok the views of the dark purple bruises on the Alpha's neck and his chest.
Hoseok's heart shatters. His eyes immediately fill with tears as he looks at Yoongi, “Y-Yoongi?” He whispers.
“What do you want Hoseok? I am busy right now, I will come talk to you later,” Yoongi says and then without giving Hoseok any chance to speak he shuts the door on Hoseok's face.
Hoseok doesn’t know how long he stares at the closed door. All he knows is, his heart hurts. His heart hurts so badly he feels like someone has hit him with hot iron.
Something inside his chest cracks and the sound is loud-too loud in his ears.
After a long while, Hoseok turns and lets his feet carry him, to where he doesn’t know. He doesn’t care. He knows he can't leave the palace as Yoongi used his Alpha voice to trap Hoseok.
And Hoseok can't break the command if he tries Yoongi will know immediately and Hoseok will get caught.
Suddenly Hoseok's knees go weak and hit the ground. Hoseok falls on the ground on his side, his eyes staring into nothingness. Everything around him is dark and quiet.
Hoseok doesn’t care where he is lying. He doesn’t care about the muds, about the insects that might be under his body.
His mind only replays the image of Yoongi he just saw.
Yoongi, looking the way he does when he makes love to Hoseok. His hair sticks to the same places, his lips swollen in the same way, his chest marked in the same way Hoseok does.
Suddenly the earth crashing realisation hits Hoseok. The realisation that his Alpha is making love with Jungyeon. With another man. He is fucking someone who is not Hoseok. He is whispering sweets into another man's ear, knotting someone else and marking someone who is not Hoseok.
The realisation breaks the last bit of strength Hoseok's heart holds as he lets out a scream as hot tears slide down his cheeks. Hoseok cries grow louder and louder, he hiccups, his entire body shakes with his every violent sob.
And no one comes to comfort him, to hold him. Yoongi doesn’t come. He doesn’t hold Hoseok, doesn’t love him, doesn’t wipe Hoseok's ears.
Hoseok's alone,
All alone,
He has no one to comfort him, to support him.
The only person Hoseok has ever trusted broke him in a way Hoseok will never heal.
_
Hoseok watches as the darkness disappears and the sun rises into the sky. The sunlight falls directly on him but Hoseok makes no move. He is as still as ever. His tear has stopped long ago, his heart aches dully in his chest.
Hoseok suddenly hears murmurs around him and he blinks his hazy eyes. He pulls himself into a sitting position and looks around. He finds himself sitting in the royal garden.
There's maids all around him, they are whispering to one another. Their eyes are full of pity and amusement.
They are laughing at Hoseok,
At his state.
Hoseok stands up on his wobbly legs and makes his way inside. He doesn’t look at the maids, doesn’t ask them to stop looking at him, doesn’t scold them.
He walks like a robot and soon he finds himself inside the dining hall. Hoseok's eyes look around the dining table and he finds Yoongi, Jungkook, Taehyung, Jimin, Namjoon and Seokjin eating and chatting among themselves.
All of their faces lit with smiles, eyes sparkling and they all looked well rested.
None of them care about Hoseok. None of them checked on lHoseok last night. None of them cares that Hoseok's world has turned upside down.
Hoseok forces his body to walk close to the table. He wraps his hands around the chair beside Yoongi and as he is about to pull the chair,
“From today Jungyeon will sit on this chair. You can sit somewhere else,” Yoongi says without looking away from the meat he is eating.
Hoseok immediately lets go of the chair and takes a few steps back. The pain in his chest returns tenfold as he looks at the people he once called family who once loved him and finds none of them are looking at him. They all are busy eating and laughing among them.
A tear slid down Hoseok's cheeks as he stares at Yoongi. The Alpha is not looking at him, he is busy smiling at a joke Jungkook-Hoseok's own brother made.
Hoseok doesn’t bother speaking, he doesn’t find another seat to sit instead he turns around and walks out of the dining hall.
Something inside him died inside that dining hall.
_
Hoseok runs his hands over the portrait gently. His eyes are blurry but a small smile on his lips as he stares at the portrait of his mother. In the portrait his mother is holding a two years old Hoseok. Her eyes are bright and there's a huge grin on her face.
She looks so happy and content.
“Eomma, Eomma, Eomma—” Hoseok calls, his voice raw and it hurts to speak, “Eomma, Eomma, Eomma d-do you know I always thought yo-you were a coward,” The first drop of Hoseok's tears falls on the portrait. Hoseok gently wipes the tears away, careful to not mess his mother's face, “I-I never understood why you didn’t accept when Appa brought Jungkook's Eomma home. I-I never understood why you always kept crying and begging Appa to leave Jungkook's Eomma. Wh-why you couldn’t be happy for Appa,” Hoseok takes a shuddering breath,
“I never understood why you ki-killed yourself? Why you didn’t live for yourself? for me? I didn’t understand you back then but now Eomma, I understand you. I understand you better than I have ever.”
Hoseok wipes the tears with the back of his hands and smiles, “D-do you remember Eomma, before you died, you prayed that may MoonGoddess never give me your fate? Eomma, MoonGoddess didn’t listen to your prayer, Eomma. I have the same fate as you. Yoongi, he, he married another omega, Eomma. He married and brought another omega a week ago. He broke his promise, Eomma. He betrayed me the way Appa betrayed you.” Suddenly the image of Hoseok's mother crying while holding his father's feet appears in Hoseok's vision. He closes his eyes tightly to make those memories disappear.
“Eomma, Eomma, I feel like someone is ripping my heart out of my chest. Why does it hurt so much Eomma? Why? D-do you know today Yoongi, he arranged a ball for Jungyeon. To-today he is going to announce Jungyeon as his second husband.
My heart hurts so much, Eomma. Did your heart also hurt this way, Eomma? Did you also felt like someone has ripped your heart out of your chest? Did you also felt this unwanted?
You know Eomma, you're not a coward. You’re the strongest. Stronger than me. Yo-you survived one year after Appa's betrayal. One year, 365 days you endure the heartbreak and the agony in you.
But Eomma, look at me, I couldn’t even survive a week, 7 days and I am tired Eomma. I can't take the pain anymore Eomma. It hurts so much, Eomma.
Eomma does your heart still hurt? Did your pain stop with your breath? Will my pain stop once I stop breathing?
Will I meet you Eomma? I want to hug you. I want to put my head on your lap and sleep.
I am so tired, Eomma.
You’re not ashamed of me, are you Eomma?
You’re not ashamed that I didn’t even survive a week?
I am sorry Eomma,
I tried,
I really did but Yoongi's betrayal broke me in a way I can never heal from.”
Hoseok wipes down his tears and puts the portrait on his side. He raises his hands and stares at the emerald green ring on his finger.
It's his wedding ring. The one Yoongi put on him all those years ago. A bitter shocked laugh escapes Hoseok's lips as he shakes his head at the ring.
He slides his hand inside his jeogori and pulls out a small white glass bottle. He stares at the liquors inside, a smile curls at the corner of his lips.
Suddenly Hoseok's vision shifts and he finds himself staring at a version of him and Yoongi. A much younger version.
They are looking at the moon, sitting side by side. Hoseok's head rest on Yoongi's shoulder when,
“Yoongi?” Hoseok calls and Yoongi hums and tears his gaze away from the moon and looks at Hoseok. His eyes were full of love, “You will never betray me right?”
Yoongi smiles and nods, “Yes, my love. I will never betray you.”
Hoseok nods, his eyes distant and full of curiosity, “But what if you do?” Hoseok question.
Yoongi takes a moment to think and then he looks at Hoseok with eyes full of sincerity, “If I ever betray you, you can kill me,” Yoongi says and Hoseok hums softly.
He thinks for a moment and then shakes his head, “No.”
“No?” Yoongi asks,
Hoseok shakes his head and stare into Yoongi's eyes, “No, I won't kill you,” Hoseok answers and Yoongi looks confuse,
“Then what will you do?”
Hoseok's lips curl into a smile as he shrugs, “If you ever betray me then I won't kill you instead I will kill myself.”
Yoongi's eyes immediately filled with horror, “What? Why?”
“Because losing me will hurt you more than me killing you.”
Yoongi's eyes immediately fill with horror as he quickly pulls Hoseok into his arms and intertwines their hands. He puts their locked hands over his chest, “I will never betray you. I will love and cherish you until the end of time. You're the only one for me, Hoseok-ah and I swear to never break my promise.”
A sudden laugh leaves Hoseok's lips as he shakes his head and the memory disappears. New fresh tears roll down his cheeks. He stares at the bottle in his hand. The pain in his chest is getting unbearable, “Yo-you broke your promise Yoongi. You didn’t keep your promise. You betrayed me. You betrayed me in the worst possible way. I can't continue to live with your betrayal.”
Hoseok looks around his room, empty and dark just like his soul. The room once saw the passionate love Yoongi and Hoseok shared. It witnessed all the promises of love Yoongi made to him and now the room is watching Hoseok crumbling into pieces.
It’s watching Hoseok breaking and giving up.
Hoseok takes a deep breath and opens the small wooden cap of the bottle. His hand steady as he brings it close to his lips, “You may forget your promise but I didn’t,” Hoseok whispers as he closes his eyes and then without any hesitation he drinks the entire thing in one go.
Hoseok coughs as his throat slowly starts to burn, his stomach churn but the discomfort and the pain is nothing compared to the agony he experienced in the last 7 days.
Hoseok draws his knees together and rests his head on them. His eyes getting heavy and a chilling calm settling in his chest. His mind struggles to form thoughts and words, he can feel his omega slowly fading and the pain in his chest has turned into a dull ache.
The burn in his throat grows. His heart squeezes so painfully his hands tighten around his knees. He struggles to keep his eyes open as he feels like his inside is being torn apart. Surprisingly the pain comes nowhere near the one Hoseok felt when he saw Yoongi in that state.
After a minute, Hoseok gives up on trying to keep his eyes open. He closes them and allows his body to fall on the side as his limbs start to grow numb.
A smile curls at the corner of Hoseok's lips as he can finally feel the pain in his chest disappear and a new different kind of pain fills him to his core.
Finally, Hoseok won't feel any more pain,
Finally, Hoseok will meet his mother after 28 long years,
Finally, Hoseok's free.
And just as Hoseok is about to allow his body and soul to completely give up he feels two strong arms around him and then his head on something warm and familiar.
The familiar scent of his Alpha reaches Hoseok's nose and Hoseok greedy to watch his Alpha one last time open his eyes with lots of struggling.
His vision is blurry and he can't see Yoongi's face properly but he feels a droplet of tears falling on his cheeks. Yoongi pulls him closer and then Hoseok's ears starts ringing and amidst all the ringing Yoongi's deep panicked voice reaches his ear,
“Hoseok-ah, Hoseok-ah, don’t close your eyes. Keep them open. Keep them open. The physician will be here soon. Nothing will happen to you. You will be fine. I won't let anything happen to you. Please don’t leave me.”
Hoseok’s lips pull into a smile as he slowly raises his right hand and puts his palm on Yoongi's cheeks. The Alpha's cheeks are warm and wet. Hoseok parts his lips, his throat burns so much but he wants to speak. He wants to speak one last time,
“I-I hope in another life, an-another life, you kept your promise s-so that I-I didn’t ha-had to kee-keep mine,” Hoseok whispers. He doesn’t know if his voice was loud enough for Yoongi to hear. He doesn’t know if the Alpha even remembers what promise Hoseok's talking about but he doesn’t care anymore.
Not when he feels tired to his bones. Not when the pain in his chest has finally stopped. Not when he will finally meet his Eomma.