Jimin lies on the bed. A complicated series of knots keep him spread wide for you as your hand whips at his thigh. A glowing red mark is left behind at the harsh slap. Jimin lets out a groan at the pain and squirms in his attempt s to recoil.
“So useless baby, can’t even take a little slap” your pout is mean as you lean forward to lick at the sore flesh, leaving a harsh bite in the middle, making him howl again. You loved him like this. So fucked out, barely able to form a sentence as you tease every inch of his flesh. So eager to please your every whim. You crawl up the bed leaving soothing kisses along his stomach, admiring the marks you left there earlier. You come to as top at his head. Knees straddled either side. He licks his lips at the sight of your dripping pussy, presented so tantalizingly close. He sticks his tongue out and tries to push his head forwards, wanting nothing more than a taste of you, his treat after being played with for so long.
“Not yet Jiminie,” You scold pushing his forehead back “You are to wait until I say so” you use one had to push his cheeks together, his lips forced into a perfect little pout. “Do you understand me slut?” he nods as best he can in your grip, and you release him, patting his face patronizingly. You arch yourself backwards and play with his dick, teasing him relentlessly as your clit brushes against the tip of his nose. He writhes a little underneath you, desperate not to cum. He knows he isn’t allowed without your permission. As you feel him stiffen, unable to hold it in himself, you let go. You return your attention to his head. Your hands find purchase in his hair as you lower yourself onto his lips. You pull at his blonde locks as a signal for him to start, and he does. He laps feverishly at your folds, drinking in your arousal as he whimpers from the taste. You tug at his hair, controlling his angle and focusing his attention where you need it. As always, your perfect little sub fails to disappoint. Your orgasm comes quickly coating Jimin’s face as you grind down, suffocating him just a little.
You pull back as the pleasure fades and reach for a towel to clean him.
“Are you okay baby? You did so good for me today, you were so perfect for me.” He is clearly still stuck in his head, his eyes unable to focus. “Let me take care of you baby and then we will go take a nice cool bath okay?” he nods, and you move to untie his restraints, looking over for any bruising left behind. When you are sure he is okay you slip between his legs to take care of his till throbbing cock. You carefully slip it into your mouth. Aiming to please, not tease, you take the full length and lick at the thick vein along the underside that you know drives him crazy. He is cumming within seconds, ropes of cum shoot down your mouth and leave a trail connecting you to him as you release his softening dick. You clean off your mouth with the same towel and find his favourite blanket out of his care box.
Wrapping him up tightly and stroking his face you whisper “Come back to me baby, you’ve been so good” he finally manages to meet your eyes before blinking a few times. A lazy smile crosses his face.
“That was so fun Miss” you lean in to kiss his puffy lips before leaving to run that bath you promised
This was meant to be a drabble…. Guess I’m doing some one shots too ♀️
Warning: teeniest mention of abusers in form of a spell to get revenge, nothing graphic
It had taken you a long time to find this ritual. Your college thesis was about cult followings and the use of romantic spells amongst young women. You had spoken to over 100 women about their relationship with the occult. Most that replied to your advertisement had dabbled in small spells, little love chants, and apple peal initials. A few however had mentioned the large tome that you had come in search of.
These women claimed that the magics this book contained were real, and dangerous. Because of this each one refused to tell you where they had found the unique grimoire, only telling you they no-longer had it in their possession. All their warnings did was intrigue you more. It took you weeks to track down a copy, which is why you are now sat in a tiny bookstore 3 towns over. You were the only customer in the building, and the elderly checkout clerk had barely looked up from the knitting she was working on when the bell on the door announced your entrance.
The occult section had its own room at the back of the store, volumes of texts stretched far above your head covering the walls. Luckily, the book you had come for stuck out against the rest. It was bound in black leather with a purple trim, a heart dripping blood was emblazoned on the side. In fact, it looked hauntingly real. You pull it off the shelf and place it on the table. Running your finger along the spine gives you a fierce electric shock.
First you open to a random page. ‘How To Skin A Man Alive’ the title reads, in graphic detail it explains what is needed in order to perform the ritual
1. The wrath of a woman abused
2. A weapon taken from him
3. Velvet ropes
4. A blindfold
5. An athame
You turn back to the index before reading the terrifying gore you are sure is about to follow.
The incantation you were looking for was to fix unrequited love. In your studies you had found this was the most common use of romantic magics in your target demographic. You find the spell quickly almost as if your finger was drawn to it.
‘How To Bring Them To You’ even for an ancient text this page was beaten up. The corners curled in and some of the diagrams were barely legible. Weirdly, the charm itself seemed to be in mint condition. To cast the spell, you only needed four candles and thoughts of your beloved. It was overwhelmingly simple, so simple you had to try. You found candles easily in a chest in the corner. You set them in the shape suggested on the page and committed the chant to memory. The problem with simple spells however is they can easily go awry from lack of focus. You gave to much attention to saying the words and not enough on the thoughts of your beloved.
You finished the verse and the flames went out, spooky but not cause for concern. Through your research you had found very little evidence of these things being anymore than an empty wish. You are scared out of your thoughts by the clearing of a throat behind you. A young man with an impish grin is stood in front of the door.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise anyone else was here, I was just playing around” you say sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck.
“Darling, don’t you know you shouldn’t play with magic?” a blush creeps up your face as he makes eye contact with you. There is a burning intensity behind his eyes that makes you want to go to him. “I’m Jimin, and I believe you called for me.” He laughs as confusion crosses your features. “Oh, silly girl, you didn’t pay attention did you, your thoughts weren’t clear enough and instead of summoning the one you want you summoned them… or well me” he moved forward placing his hands on your arms. The touch burns you in the best possible way, a small whimper escaping your lips. The noise seems to feed him, his eyes flash red for a moment before returning to the inviting chocolate that you had been staring into.
It feels like your body is moving of its own volition as you lean into the stranger. Everything about him is enticing his scent, his clothes, his pink plump lips… your eyes close as you go to kiss him. He obliges you with a lazy kiss. You let out a moan as his tongue snakes into your mouth. You jump in shock when you feel the forked split against your own tongue.
“I didn’t think it’d be this easy baby, some put up a little fight first, confusion is a terrible mood killer” he chuckles more to himself then to you. You are too hypnotised by his presence to fully comprehend his words; all you know is you want him. You go to kiss him again but he stops you “Now, now, dear we have plenty of time for that, first I need you to snap out of my thrall, it’s much more fun for me when the pleasure I inflict is all your own” He pinches your cheek roughly shattering the rose coloured fog it felt like you’d been stuck in. “Tell me, do you still want me?”
“Yes” there was no hesitation in your words. It was clear that this man was not human, but it was also clear that he was the hottest thing you had ever seen. Even without the thrall all you wanted was to taste more of his skin. He made no attempt to wait once the consent was out of your mouth. You were his now.
He pulled your clothes from you with no resistance and kissed down your stomach to your thighs. He pushed you back onto the chair you’d been sitting in when he materialised and spread your legs for access. His fingers slip straight up your slit gathering your arousal and using it to rub at your clit. The sudden roughness of his ministrations make you gasp, and you watch his eyes flit red again. He doesn’t take long to run his long tongue along your heat. The sensation makes you shiver as you melt into his touch. His long tongue finds its way inside you causing a new level of pleasure you had never experience. He fed off every moan that tumbled from your lips as he worked you closer and closer to your first orgasm. Your high is ripped from you unexpectedly as he pulls away and you whine at the loss.
“I’m sorry darling it’s so much better for me if we cum together” he reasons and pulls you from the chair. He backs you into a corner against the books and traps you there. Kissing you roughly this time, making you taste yourself in his mouth. His clothes had disappeared whilst you weren’t paying attention and he rubs himself against your entrance. He is big, you aren’t sure how big because he won’t let you pull away from his kiss, but the thought of him inside you scares you.
You don’t have time to fully realise your fear as he lifts you and lines himself up. The stretch burns and tears form in the corners of your eyes. He shushes you and strokes your hair soothingly with the hand he isn’t using to support you. The burn starts to ebb, and like he can sense the change he begins to move. Starting slow, the anticipation is almost unbareable but he can’t keep himself slow for long. He losses control and becomes feral. Your head bounces violently against the shelves as he chases his high. Still you can feel your orgasm approaching as your vision fades in the corners. He releases rope upon rope of hot sticky cum deep inside you and holds himself there for awhile as he recovers. His eyes slowly revert to brown as he comes down and he puts you back on your feet, making sure to hold you so you don’t fall.
“Sorry dear, I usually have more composure than that, but you are just so delightful” his tongue darts out and licks his lips “I’m so glad you’re mine now” You’re head shoots up at that
“what do you mean yours?”
“You brought me to you, now I get to keep you, that’s what you consented to” He shrugs acting like it’s the most normal thing in the world “I will see you soon my darling” he winks at you and with that disappears from the room.
Warnings - Not literal Infidelity, but they are on the verge of it. Mentions of alcohol abuse, Mentions of Self harm. (There are no heavy triggers, only slight mentions of it.) The warnings are limited to the first few chapters. It gets better i promise)
Summary - Love is indeed a beautiful feeling, but does not come without its obstacles. When your 7 loving, idol boyfriends think it’s better to date someone within the industry or like they put it “Someone who knows their world”, you have no choice but to accept their abrupt decision. Time goes by and you think you’re doing just fine, One long lost dream, One given up identity and one drunk mistake and a few clicks is all it takes until the limelight falls on you and living your life behind a camera is an option no longer available.
↳ your protector ; a bts knight series coming soon
summary:you are a princess, next in line to the throne. with that responsibility comes danger and to protect you have your devoted knight. the only problem is the feelings you have for him.
a/n: inspiration hit me out of nowhere and i decided i’m obsessed with the knight/princess trope so enjoy all these scenarios i thought of.
kim namjoon;untitled;0.0k+ ; after an assassination attempt on you, the princess, the king decides to have a decoy take your place until the culprit is stopped. this leaves you in close quarters with your knight as you hid away living amongst commoners. having to pretend to be married for your cover story only exasperates the hidden feelings you have for your knight.
kim seokjin ;untitled;0.0k+; after your knight retires you get a replacement. a long war has recently ended leaving the land in peace, leaving many knights without any assignments. kim seokjin, a great war veteran is assigned as your new knight and he is not happy. his new assignment feels more like baby sitting than something worthy of a knight. will the two of you ever get along?
min yoongi;untitled;0.0k+ ; after the murder of your family and many of your close loved ones you are left next in line to the throne. the only thing is you have to wait until your next birthday. until then your uncle is in charge. he assigns you a new knight after the loss of your old one. you are bitter and upset and hate the thought of a new knight. but maybe he isn’t so bad after all?
jung hoseok ;untitled;0.0k+ ; you are in love with your knight but you’ve never said it out loud. after he leaves on a new assignment you scheme to run away to see him.
park jimin;untitled;0.0k+ ; you have been best friends with jimin as long as you’ve been alive. you’ve seen him through his training and had him at your side as your knight. but as turmoil moves through the kingdom he’s sent away to protect the people, leaving you worrying for him.
kim taehyung ;untitled;0.0k+ ; when a ball for suitors to approach you for your hand in marriage approaches you notice that your knight, taehyung, is starting to act weird. can you get to the bottom of the issue?
jeon jungkook;untitled;0.0k+ ; you have been in a secret relationship with your knight for some time. jungkook realized for you to have a future and for the better of the kingdom you need to move on from him. he breaks things off and leaves on a new assignment.
Request: fluff: Friend group travelling (wherever inspires you most! I’m thinking someplace like Hawai where they visit secret beaches and stuff! Site-seeing in the city could also be interesting!). Jimin and and OC know eachother through friends. OC is independent and not TOO into the whole adventuring deal but does it to enjoy some quality time with her friends. Jimin is flirty and playful and makes the trip all the more interesting for her. (I don’t know how you want to set it up but maybe two friends are dating and they invite their two seperate friend groups on this trip to meet. Or maybe it’s a wedding and OC is a bridesmaid? Anything works honestly!) - @silviasgotyourback
Description: You’re not too keen on…you know…risk-taking. In fact, it scares you to your core. But when your close friend Kim Namjoon gets in your head, you agree to a crazy trip to Fiji with him and his pals. But what happens when one of those pals – specifically Park Jimin – sweeps you off your feet not only figuratively, but literally?
A/N: Wow what a long break I’ve taken haha! But I’m back (kinda) to post some one shots (slowly)! I’ve been working really hard on my graduate school writing sample and auto statements, and I’ve just started my senior year of college AND started a new job so I’ve been incredibly busy! I apologize nonetheless for my absence. It’s felt horrible being away. Very guilty lol. Anyway, thank you my dear for requesting and for being so so so SO patient with me. I hope you like the result!
Also, if you want to follow me on Twitter please do so! My handle is @/nirvana_namu. I would post a link, but rumor has it Tumblr killed links and I’m not taking any chances.
- Mercury
You’re not sure why you agreed to this.
Standing at the tippy top of a mountain, looking out over the entire surf as it roils in the golden island sun, you watch your best friend get strapped into a harness with a laugh that echoes through the humid air. His gaze is focused downward, along the slope of treetops leading to the water. A zipline. A really steep, really fast one. One of the longest in the world! Namjoon had proclaimed with no small measure of wonder in his round eyes before you’d boarded the plane side by side only a day prior. If you weren’t so scared, you’d want to paint it.
You really don’t know why you agreed to do any of this.
The vested employee adjusts the straps secured around Namjoon’s hips, tugs them once or twice — not nearly enough by your standards — and mumbles something unintelligible into the receiver of a walkie-talkie. Enveloped in greenery, Namjoon pauses to turn and look at you and, upon snagging your eyes, offers a big, stupid, dimpled grin. He waves one hand over his head at you as you wait to be loaded into the next harness. And it looks like his eyes are squinted against the sun, but really they’re squinted from the sheer force of his joy. A joy too big to be contained in a smile alone.
That’s exactly why, you think to yourself with a grimace as you shamble forward along the worn footpath, second-to-last in line, arms crossed over your torso as if they can protect you from whatever fresh hell Namjoon’s planned out.
The employee pats Namjoon’s bare shoulder before releasing him and sending him speeding down the swaying cable with a scream so loud it pierces your ears. His body falls out of sight for a frozen millisecond before the cable gives a mighty bounce and his head reappears, bobbing up and down as he slides toward the bottom. You wince, more out of fear than discomfort, and pause to peek over the edge of the loading platform, following the line of the cable all the way to the bottom. Your heart races as your eyes trace the dense tree line, seemingly endless, and the sheer drop that had claimed Namjoon just seconds before.
And that’s when, as you sweep your twitching gaze out behind you, you lock eyes with Park Jimin. Standing behind you, the very last of the group to depart down the cliffside, his lips are quirked into a smirk that reads cocky and his brows are raised, unyielding eyes stuck on you like tree sap. Of all people to be stuck with on the top of a mountain…
Your face goes hot and your spine stiffens by a few degrees. You stare back at him, trying to discern any measure of fear in his smiling expression, his half-exposed teeth, his rosy cheeks, his teasing brown eyes. But instead all you see is, as usual, a perfect facade of composure.
Well, that and a sinfully handsome face.
He saunters up beside you, scans you from head to toe, and hums a little. “Nervous?” he asks, as if he doesn’t already know.
You clear your throat, fan yourself with your hand as a futile defense against the jungle heat, and nod your head once. “Mm.”
Upon hearing your response, Jimin’s demeanor shifts a little. He uncrosses his arms and his smirk slips, brows raising. He leans closer to examine your face and you avert your gaze, heart hammering. “Whoa, you’re actually spooked, huh,” he remarks before glancing around the platform. “Shit, I don’t think the guide’s gonna let you turn back now.”
You’d expected him to make fun of you, perhaps laugh at your weak constitution. But this…
This is new.
Though well-meaning, Jimin’s words serve only to set your palms sweating and your heart racing faster. Your throat feels a little funny, tight like asthma. You shift your weight from foot to foot. “I-It’s fine,” you mumble, sliding past him as the employee beckons you forward with a lazy wave. “I’ll just…do it.”
Jimin hangs close behind you as the employee begins strapping you in, not sparing even a single word for you. “Hey, uh, my friend’s a little nervous,” Jimin says lowly to the young man working on hooking the harness around your hip. He glances up to meet your eyes before looking toward Jimin. “Any way you can, like, go gentle or something?” Jimin offers a convincing smile, the kind of grin that could get anyone to do anything.
The employee surprises you by releasing a puffy laugh and straightening to his full height, pausing to pat the dust off the backs of his legs. He chuckles and pats your back. “I can’t control the cable,” he says, then pauses for a moment to think. “But…,” he continues as Jimin turns pleading eyes his way, “if you’re feeling really nervous, I’ve heard it helps to shut your eyes and count to ten. Like, tell yourself you’re definitely gonna do it once you reach ten and just…go.”
You swallow hard and inhale sharply through your nose. “Alright,” you say, but his words have fled from your brain as soon as they’d been uttered. Your voice is shaky. Almost as shaky as your hands as you raise them to grip the straps of your harness.
Have you always had such a strong grip?
Your brain goes a little fuzzy, looking out over the precipice on which you stand, unsteady feet and rushing pulse. It’s dizzying. Like the world is spinning, but you’re not spinning with it. Or perhaps you’re spinning and it’s the world that’s gone still. Either way, the stretch of trees extending far beyond the tips of your hiking boots looks like it’s swaying on an axis, and each blink tilts the view some different way. You wonder if you’re breathing enough, or maybe too much, because your head is spinning. Like when you stand up too quickly after sitting for a while. You wonder if you’ll pass out before you reach the bottom.
If you reach the bottom.
Jesus, you hadn’t even considered the possibility of this stupid cable snapping. It doesn’t look too stable, upon closer inspection. Bouncing in the breeze. And as the employee finishes strapping you in, you pause for a moment to move your legs about and find, to your horror, that the straps are slightly loose.
Oh God.
You’re gonna throw up.
“Hey,” says a soft voice from beside you.
You feel a warm hand slide along the skin of your upper back, resting to cup your shoulder. Slowly, you turn your toward Jimin, standing with one arm wrapped around you and the other braced on his own knee so he can level his eyes with yours. He’s smiling a little. A different one this time, a soft one. The wind blows his dark hair from his eyes and carries the scent of his cologne. Somehow, you feel yourself relax a little against his side.
“It’s gonna be okay, alright?” he asks gently, and this is an entirely new Park Jimin to you. A tender young man with kind eyes. He smiles again and gives your shoulder a squeeze. “I’m right behind you.”
And for some reason, that comforts you. You don’t have time to dissect it however, as the employee takes up your other side and raises his brows, asking silently if you’re ready to go. Of course, you aren’t. How can you be? But again, Jimin squeezes your shoulder and seizes your attention with another smile, this one turning his eyes to crescents as he nods his head.
“Um…yeah,” you say, taking a moment to focus on your breath.
“Remember,” says Jimin as he steps away from you. “Count to ten, okay?”
“Okay,” you say, shutting your eyes.
One.
You’re gonna do it.
Two.
On ten, you’re just gonna go.
Three.
It’ll be fine.
Four.
Joon did it, and he’s fine.
Five.
And Tae before him, and that guy Jimin brought.
Six.
Nobody’s died yet.
Seven.
You can do it too.
Eight.
And even if I’m scared, at least you’re not alone up here.
Nine.
Jimin’s right behind you.
Ten.
Your scream rips through the valley below.
And, seconds later, so does your unfettered laughter.
You met Park Jimin on the worst day of your life a month ago. Freshly laid off from your job as a financial analyst — a job which Namjoon disliked from the start —, and disappointed by a string of bad dates after a catastrophic breakup, you’d agreed to meet up with a few college friends for a drink at your local stomping ground. You’d found Jimin sitting in the middle of a smoky bar with a girl on one arm and a guy on the other. Gross, was all you’d thought in passing. You’d paid him little mind, too busy wallowing in your own self pity to think too hard about any one thing, but it seemed he was incessant on grabbing your attention by any means necessary.
You’d sidled up to the bar, awaiting Namjoon’s I’m here text, and had only just ordered your drink when the strange young man with the unusually bright smile took up the space beside you. Now alone, he offered you a grin and his hand for you to shake. For a few seconds, you only stared at his outstretched palm. At the lines cutting across it. What was that long line called? The life line?
Eventually, however, you realized he wasn’t going anywhere, planted firmly in the wobbly barstool to your right, and you relented with a handshake. But that wasn’t what this stranger was after. He yanked you just a little once your hands connected.
“Hey, honey!” he said as he pulled you in toward his chest, sweeping you up in a tight, firm hug that knocked the wind from your lungs.
You were neither playful enough nor drunk enough to reciprocate and instead sat there stiffly, arms pressed against your sides as the stranger with the cute face hugged you close. Over his shoulder, you locked eyes with the girl who’d previously ornamented his left arm, watching you keenly, and it didn’t take you long to understand what was going on.
“Dodging an ex?” you whispered without moving your lips too much.
You felt a wave of shivers trace up your spine and it only took you a few seconds to realize why. It was just the sort of thing you imagined Hanseul doing if he ever bumped into you…
He chuckled. “Two, actually,” he responded as the young man he’d been entertaining also lifted his eyes from his drink to give you a once-over.
You sighed. “You’d better be buying my drink,” was all you said as the two of you broke away.
He’d laughed — that melodic sort of laugh that made you feel a little floaty — and rubbed your shoulder with a grin. “I’ll buy you twenty,” he joked, sliding the bartender a bill as he returned with your cocktail.
“So how’d you manage to get caught up with two exes at once?” you asked, nursing your glass.
He rubbed his jaw and shook his head, smiling at the bar table before him. “They were friends to begin with,” he said. And when you said nothing, only recoiled slightly, he met your eyes with a bright laugh. “C’mon don’t give me that look!”
You cleared your throat, turned away, and worked your straw between your teeth. “I dunno, sounds like maybe you brought it on yourself then,” you said, taking a healthy sip.
The stranger laughed again — more like a disbelieving scoff — and adjusted one of the several rings on his slender fingers. “Well I didn’t ask the two of them to come out tonight,” he said with a shrug. “And besides, neither of them looked unhappy to see me.”
“Ugh,” you mumbled, eyeing him sidelong as he chuckled.
He smirked and leaned across the bar toward you. “What?” he asked, and something about the heavy-lidded look he gave you, the simmering something in his eyes, made your pulse quicken. He rested his cheek in his hand and cocked his head to the side, now close enough to smell a whiff of his cologne. “You think I’m a bad guy?”
You swallowed hard before downing the rest of your drink and slamming the glass back on the bar. You waved the bartender over and pointed to the empty glass. Wordlessly, he began fixing you a replacement. You peeked back at the guy to find him smiling at you, musing perhaps, with the strangest mix of curiosity and pity in his expression.
You were definitely going to need another drink.
“Do good guys usually do stuff like that?” you asked, watching the bartender as he shook your drink around his metal tumbler.
He chuckled. “Can goodness be quantified by things like who we date?” he asked.
You stiffened. “Not by who you date,” you continued, shaking your head as memories of your own ex resurfaced. “But who you hurt, sure.”
He rolled his eyes, swiveling in his barstool to look at you head on. “Why’s it my fault who gets hurt?” he asked.
You cocked a brow. “You…can’t be serious…” But from the expression he wore you were certain that he was indeed quite serious.
He shrugged. “It’s not my intention to hurt someone, so why do I have to take responsibility if they get hurt?” he asked, then smirked and gave your thigh a nudge with his knee. “The way I see it, if you get hurt you’re the one whose expectations were too high.”
“That’s gross,” you said, inching away. You were inclined to simply leave, abandon this conversation and the bar at large and call it a night. But the bartender wasn’t finished with your drink and you weren’t about to piss him off. Not on a day like today. “If you’re dating someone, you’re committing to them.”
“What about polyamorous people?” he countered with a smug grin.
You rolled your eyes. “I’m not talking about polyamorous people. I’m talking about monogamy.”
“But why does everyone expect monogamy?” asked Jimin, tossing his hands up in the air with a breathy laugh. “Anyway, I always make it clear from the start that I’m not the kind of person who wants to be…well, you know…,” he started, then furrowed his brow and waved his hand. “Like, in a relationship.”
You sighed, nodded your thanks to the bartender as he slid you your drink, and watched as Jimin again offered cash in return. “And that’s fine, but you can’t expect someone to stick around and be okay with that.” You rubbed your temples as memories swirled together. “Be okay with half of you.”
If you really loved me, you’d understand that I could have any person in the world and you’d still be my number one!
Scumbag.
This gave him pause and, slowly, he shifted his eyes your way once more, scanning you. “Half of me?”
You nodded and downed a gulp of your drink with a wince. “Giving half is fine if the other person is giving half too. If you both only expect half,” you began, then ran your hands along your neck. Your skin was feverish, alcohol making your head light. “But if one person wants more, it’s not fair to string them along.”
He stared at you gravely, eyes hard and jaw set, and furrowed his brow. “That’s too old-school,” he said.
You huffed and crossed your arms. “It’s not old-school!” you said, wagging a finger at him. “It’s about respecting the other person enough to let them go when you realize you can’t be what they need.”
He pouted a little and rolled his eyes. “You sound ancient,” he said, then paused to give you a knowing smirk. “Wait, don’t tell me,” he began, scooting closer with a conspiratorial look. “You were scorned by your ex. Like…I dunno, like they cheated or something. Broke your heart, ruined your trust, blah, blah, blah. And now you’ve got this vendetta or something because you got hurt.” He grinned and wiggled his brows.
You stiffened, eyes wide, and stared at him. “I…,” you began.
He laughed from his gut and nodded. “Ah, nailed it, didn’t I?” he asked.
There was a cruel edge to his teasing, an ill-intentioned bite that felt like it was made to injure. You couldn’t quite put your finger on why, but you knew you felt it in that hazy bar, surrounded by throngs of people gathered here and there, enveloped in smoke and conversation. But like a heat-seeking missile, it seemed his words were engineered to uncover the softest parts of you and destroy them.
Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was something else, but your eyes welled with tears and your throat constricted. You stared at him, this stranger who had pegged you without err, and felt the weight of your frustrations pressing down on the tops of your shoulders like sandbags. And as he perceived the shift in your expression, his own face changed from a cold sort of scrutiny to a round-eyed concern that washed away all evidence of his previous behavior.
“Oh shit,” he said, standing up and blocking your face from view. You felt a few hot tears spilling over and were quick to wipe them, but the humiliation was there on display whether you cried or not.
He’d gotten you.
Luckily for you, Namjoon’s timing had been particularly impeccable that day and he’d barreled into the bar with a lopsided grin and clapped both you and the stranger on the backs, Taehyung and Yoongi sauntering behind him. You’d startled a bit, jumping slightly at his approach, but once again luckily — or perhaps unluckily — Namjoon seemed to have little regard for the poor mood he’d stepped into and didn’t seem to notice your glassy eyes as you buried your nose in your drink.
“Well jeez, look at you two already getting acquainted!” Namjoon exclaimed with a big laugh.
You paused your sipping for a moment to slide only your eyes up toward your friend. “Huh?”
He blinked down at you, one hand still clamped onto the stranger’s shoulder, and raised his brows. “Didn’t I tell you I was inviting some work friends?”
You spat your drink, sending droplets of sweet alcohol splattering across the bar. Quick to right yourself, you faced Namjoon properly and, sputtering, replied, “Him?”
Namjoon laughed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you guys didn’t introduce yourselves,” he said, adding theatrics to his heavy sigh. “This is Park Jimin. That choreographer I’ve been telling you about? He’s coming with us to Fiji.”
Still coughing up the remains of your rum and Coke, you pat your chest. This was the kind-hearted dance major wunderkind who dazzled everyone at Namjoon’s entertainment company? This was the kid who, at the age of twenty-four, had more accolades than both his predecessors combined? This was the guy who befriended all the trainees and brought them sports drinks during long days of practice?
This was the guy you were going to spend two weeks with on an island in the middle of the Pacific?
Namjoon, standing between the two of you, moved to taste your drink and as he leaned forward you locked eyes with the acclaimed young choreographer over the plane of his back. Park Jimin stared at you with wide eyes and lips parted as if to speak. But even after Namjoon had straightened up and begun complaining about your drink order, Park Jimin, still with mouth agape, said nothing.
And so, as you go ripping through the jungle on a wobbling cable, screaming and laughing and crying just a little, you wonder how exactly that very same Park Jimin is the one who comforted you into taking this leap of faith. Below your dangling feet is a patchwork of different greens, all bleeding into a motion blur as your body is propelled down toward the bottom platform. As you slide along, you can just see Namjoon’s figure, reduced to a small silhouette amongst the trees, as he stands waving like mad at the edge of the platform. Laughing, you shoot both hands above your head and wave them around, causing you to sway on the cable. Startled, you quickly return your hands to gripping the straps near your chest.
You feel like a bullet whizzing through humid air and then, all at once, friction takes hold once more and you seize, eyes squeezing shut from the whiplash, head throbbing just a little, suspended over the platform. You are greeted by a chorus of applause and hollers of encouragement as the employee begins the process of disconnecting you from your harness and, as your feet land stiffly on the concrete slab, you lift wild eyes to meet Namjoon’s. You find him still with that grin plastered across his face, hair windswept, shirt askew.
“Wow!” is all you can say as the group laughs.
Namjoon smiles and claps your shoulder. “Right?” he asks and you can only nod and turn your eyes back up toward the cliff from which you’d descended.
Now far too distant to discern amongst the foliage, the loading platform sits somewhere lost in green. And, without meaning to, your mind wanders back to Park Jimin and you wonder idly if he’s counting to ten.
Sunset drenches the island as you lounge on the warm sand, leaning back on your elbows with eyes half-shut as you gaze out at the glittering ocean touching the horizon line. The sky is darkening by degrees, with vibrant reds and oranges spreading like watercolor into the navy blue edges. And for a blissful moment, you’re alone with it. Alone with the profound. And you’re not thinking about the new job you’d taken, or the text messages Hanseul left you this morning, or the bills you know you’ve got to pay soon. You’re not thinking about anything.
It’s beautiful.
Of course, it’d be more beautiful with a pina colada, but you don’t let your mind linger there too long. After all, Namjoon said this trip was supposed to be about adventure and ‘finding yourself’. You aren’t sure how much of yourself you can really find at the bottom of a fruity drink.
Namjoon invited you on this trip a year ago. He’d done it in typical Namjoon fashion: calling you up at two in the morning and rambling incoherently for a while before eventually getting to the point. You’d become so used to his pipe dreams that you’d half expected this plan to fall through like the others. The second the words left his lips, you’d rolled your eyes.
“What I’m saying is,” he began, breathless over the phone, as you push yourself up onto your bottom, bed sinking beneath you, “let’s go to Fiji.”
“Joon…,” you groaned. “Please, I have work tomorrow-,”
“Listen, fuck your job,” he said and you could practically see him waving his hands like a man gone mad. “This is important. Like…might be the most important thing we’ve ever done together, you know?”
“Where is this even coming from?” you asked, stifling a yawn. You glanced out your window and saw the city painted black, pinpricks of yellow office building lights.
He sighed. “I was looking up tropical music for this new song I’m working on for the trainees and I stumbled upon this incredible video about Fiji.”
“Like a generic white girl vlog?” you asked with a laugh, but Namjoon seemed deathly serious as he remained silent. You paused a moment. “Wait, you’re like…for real with this, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, of course.” He was quiet. “I just…I dunno…I guess, while we’re still young enough to do it, I wanna experience something incredible. While we still can. While things are still like this.”
“What do you mean?” You raised a hand to open your window, let in some cool night air, but as you jammed your hand along the pane, the thing only rattled dumbly in response. You huffed, focused.
“I mean life is transient and nothing’s guaranteed,” he said. “Who knows who we’ll be tomorrow, you know? Who knows how long these moments will last?”
You stilled for a moment, staring out your closed window, hand still poised to force it open. You glanced over your shoulder at your tiny apartment — clothes strewn over every piece of furniture, easel gathering dust in the corner of your living room, unused for the better part of a year, paintings still unhung propped against walls on the floor — and couldn’t help but sigh. As silver moonlight filtered in through your curtains, you felt an unfamiliar tug in your chest. A longing that didn’t make sense.
You had the job, the boyfriend, the social life…
You had it all.
But why did Namjoon’s words make you feel so hollow?
And before you even realized what you were doing, you replied, “How much is it gonna cost?”
“What’re you thinking about?” asks a soft voice from beside you.
Startled, you scramble slightly, sending a spray of sand flying through the air. You sputter a little, having inhaled too quickly for your lungs to handle, and squint against the golden sun. But as you settle enough to face the person beside you, you’re surprised to see it’s Jimin. Sunset drenches the expanse of shoreline, catches in the ends of his black hair, outlines the side of his rosy cheek as he gives you an easy smile.
You raise your brows. “Hm?”
He chuckles, rubs the back of his neck, and shrugs as he digs the heels of his hands into the sand, leans back on them. “Just…looked pensive.”
“Pensive…,” you repeat, mulling it over. You purse your lips. “I guess just…thinking about this trip.”
“What about it?”
“Just…why I even bothered coming,” you begin, then chuckled and eyed him sidelong. “You saw how I was today. The whole…adventure thing isn’t really my scene.”
He smiles, revealing on closer inspection one charming crooked tooth, and tilts his head to the side. “What do you mean? You looked like you were having the time of your life!” he says, nudging you with his elbow.
You smile at your knees, now pulled toward your chest, and sigh. “Thanks for saying that, but you know I was a mess.”
He pouts a little. “You weren’t.”
Glancing his way, you find him with furrowed brows staring distantly at the ocean. “Mm…,” you mumble in response.
He sighs. “You were scared,” he begins, then shrugs. “But you did it anyway. What’s so bad about that?”
You sense that he’s perhaps talking about something else while talking about you. Like he’s saying two things at once. But you don’t bother prying. Instead, you simply sigh and join him staring at the surf.
“It’s beautiful, huh?” you remark as the two of you sit side by side. And there’s a gentle sort of quiet between you, one you never expected to share with someone like Jimin.
But somehow, here he is. And looking at him as he watches the waves splash forward and recede, you can’t help but feel a little guilty for your attitude towards him. Guilty for the dread you’d felt as you boarded the plane behind him. Guilty for the scowl you’d worn as he walked beside you on the trail up to the zipline today. Guilty for the complaints you’d aired to Namjoon about him.
“Yeah,” he says with a pleasant, lazy smile.
Birdsongs welcome you to the fresh island morning. Lazily, you roll onto your side and peel your eyes open, straining against the sunlight pouring in through your ocean-facing windows. You yawn, pushing yourself up onto your bottom to stretch sore arms above your head. You twist your torso this way and that, crack your knuckles, point your toes as you extend your legs before you. The room is filled with bright morning light, all hardwood floors and tapestries on the walls. You glance around your bedroom – one of eight private rooms in this massive Airbnb – and realize with a start that this is the first morning in years that you haven’t immediately grabbed for your phone to check for work emails.
You expect, perhaps, to be unnerved by this. This lack of structure, lack of organization.
But, perhaps more unsettlingly, you are…
Surprisingly calm.
You shake your head and pad on bare feet into the bathroom beside your room. As you brush your teeth, you lock sleepy eyes with your reflection and can’t help but crack a little smile. For the first time in a long time, you look like you’ve had a proper night’s sleep.
You emerge in the living room a few moments later to find Taehyung – Namjoon’s stylist friend – and Seokjin – Namjoon’s actor friend – still sleeping on the couch, the TV still droning on as they’d likely forgotten to turn it off. And, standing in the kitchen by himself nursing a cup of coffee and a calm smile, is Namjoon. He’s caught a bit of a tan, glowing in the gentle sunlight, and his eyes are warm and fond as he looks out across the living room at his friends.
As quietly as you can manage, you maneuver around the sleeping boys and take a place beside Namjoon, resting a hip against the marble counter. “Morning,” he says softly.
You nod once. “Morning,” you repeat, and hold your hand out for his mug of coffee, wiggling your eager fingers. He chuckles and relents without much fight, offering the handle to you carefully. You take a warm, welcome sip and sigh. “How’d you sleep?” you ask.
He hums a little and adjusts the sleeve of his loose tee. “So tired I didn’t even dream,” he says with a laugh.
Smiling you reply, “Me either.”
He eyes you with a knowing smile and squints a little. Like he’s teasing you. “You like it here, don’t you?” he asks.
You roll your eyes and give his shoulder a healthy shove. He laughs in response, but says nothing more as you sweep your gaze out toward the wall of windows leading down to the beach. It’s immaculate in the morning time. Not a single silhouette dots the shoreline, only fishing boats just beyond the surf. Tourists are still asleep, you reckon, and you feel a little proud to not be one of them sleeping away the most beautiful hours of the day. You can see faint traces of clouds ringing the horizon, and the pastel yellows of sunrise giving way to the azure blue sky.
“It’s…really nice,” you admit with a nod, sipping the coffee once more. And, without meaning to, you think of Jimin yesterday. His hand on your shoulder, his comforting words reminding you to ground yourself before you floated away. “Yeah…,” you add, concealing an unintended smile.
Namjoon, however, has always been the smarter one out of the two of you and, predictably, he catches this shift in your expression and turns to you head on with raised brows. “Whoa!” he remarks with a grin. He points to your face with his index finger. “Look at that!”
You swat his hand away with a laugh and roll your eyes. “Lay off, alright? I’m having a good time. Isn’t that the whole point?”
He chuckles and sighs as he rests once more beside you. Gently, he lifts a hand to softly pat the top of your head. You’re certain your shock registers plainly on your face as he pats again. “I’m proud of you,” he says.
And in the simplest of phrases, he’s managed to pluck something profound from inside of you. You don’t need to ask to know precisely what he means.
Why does it make you want to cry?
“Morning,” says a quiet voice from behind Namjoon and, leaning slightly so you can see around your friend’s broad chest, you notice Jimin standing there and can’t help but smile.
He glances between Namjoon and you for a few seconds, brows lifted as if in question, before Namjoon clears his throat and wordlessly excuses himself, snatching his coffee on his way back into the living room where he begins rallying the boys awake.
You sigh, running a finger along the countertop’s perfect edge. “What’s on the agenda for today?” asks Jimin as he settles beside you.
You pause to think. “Um…,” you begin, tapping your lips with your fingers. “I think…,” you continue, musing as you begin to work your lower lip between your index finger and thumb. “Something about ATVs.”
But before you’ve even finished your sentence, Jimin has seized your hand in his and is now standing so close you can smell the scent of his detergent wafting up from his pajama shirt. He stares down at you with heavy-lidded eyes and a smirk, gaze flashing around your face before landing on your lips as he pulls both your hands down toward your shoulder. Your heart begins to race, eyes wide, skin hot where his fingers touch yours, and you swallow hard as he chuckles a few times, his breath fanning out across your warm face.
“Sorry,” he says, voice low and breathy. “It was distracting.” He then drops your hand and swivels on his heel, back toward the hallway from which he’d come. He pauses, however, to shoot you a wink over his shoulder. “Hard to focus when you do that,” he says, tapping his own plump lower lip with his fingertip before offering a wave and meandering down the hall.
And you stand there dumb, heart pounding so loud you can’t hear the crashing waves just outside the window.
You were shocked when you found out Hanseul had been messing around behind your back. Gutted, really. If it hadn’t been for Hanseul leaving his Instagram logged on to your phone, you’d probably never have found out to begin with. He’d always been that sort of guy, though.
Reckless.
And how very cliche, you’d thought as you read through months of exchanged messages, that he’d exchanged you like a used car for a newer model once he’d gotten tired of you. You dragged your finger almost lazily across the screen, brows raised as you rested on your couch, reruns of The Office blending into background noise. And where perhaps you’d expected hurt and resentment, you found only a grim acceptance.
Of course, you thought to yourself with a strange chuckle as you read the most recent message. A sappy sort of love IM that made your stomach churn. Riddled with sentimentality and grand platitudes, the messages reminded you of the ones you’d exchanged with Hanseul in the beginning. The ones that made you hopeful. Of course.
Somewhere amongst that grim acceptance, however, was something you didn’t expect. Something primal. A sort of fear that had no name.
Fear, perhaps, of the implications.
Fear of all the things that would have to change, all the comforts you’d known for years chipping away like old paint left on the wall too long.
And so, like a house of cards, your world shook and crumbled mightily down to its very foundation.
You’re slack-jawed as you stare at the row of ATVs standing equidistant before you. Eight identical machines pointed down the rolling hills behind you. An instructor standing with a grin and hands on her hips as she watches you scan the locomotives with your eyes wide and round. Beside you is Namjoon, smiling too broadly for his face to accommodate, with Seokjin and Taehyung drowsily fighting yawns. Jimin stands on your other side, arms crossed as he smirks at the ATVs like he’s done it all and seen it all before. His friend Jungkook is practically vibrating with anticipation, and Hoseok – another choreographer from the company – stands whispering in low tones with Yoongi, the young PD Namjoon never stops talking about.
The imposing green trees sway in the breeze around you: all potential threats as your group nears the line of ATVs. You wonder just how long you can manage on one of the things before hitting one of those tall waving trees. Anxiously, you glance over your shoulder at the hills extending as far as you can see. More possibilities for horrific injury.
As you tromp through the yielding sand underfoot, you feel someone step closer to you and you don’t need to lift your eyes from your boots to know who it is.
“You know, if you’re scared-,” Namjoon begins, but you silence him with a look, gaze severe.
He raises his hands in surrender before chuckling and patting your shoulder. He says nothing more as he swerves around you to hook his elbow around Taehyung’s neck. The two, laughing, continue toward the row of ATVs. Taking a moment to manage your breath, you press your palm against the rubber handle. You shut your eyes.
One.
You’re getting on this fucking ATV.
Two.
You’ve come this far, you can’t chicken out now.
Three.
You always chicken out.
Four.
When was the last time you did something that scared you this much?
Five.
Well…yesterday.
Six.
Before that though.
Seven.
When was the last time you took a risk?
Eight.
When was the last time you did something you wanted to do?
Nine.
Something you really wanted…
Ten.
You take a long inhale, nod once, and swing your leg over the side of the ATV. With both shaking hands gripping the handlebars, you glance to the side to see everyone else has mounted their vehicles, except for one. Jimin stands at the end of the line, talking with the guide too quietly to hear, but the way he’s waving his hands makes it seem like there’s a problem. The guide glances around, brows knit, before shrugging his shoulders and cupping a hand around the side of his mouth to shout.
“Hey guys! Looks like we’re one ATV short! Someone’s gonna have to share!” he calls, and grumbles resound around the group.
Beside you, Namjoon and Taehyung complain about having to share, both clearly not too keen on offering Jimin a spot on their ATV. You briefly feel bad for him, standing on the edge without a place to go to. You wonder if he feels left out, or if perhaps he’s considering staying back so the guide can show you the way. Without meaning to, you turn your head and lock eyes with Jimin and the instant you to you wish you hadn’t. Because now his eyes have lit up and his face is splitting in a small, hopeful smile.
And you know you’re cooked.
With a sigh, you raise your hand and wave it like mad, beckoning Jimin over. After all that, the breathing exercises and everything, after finding your courage, here you are handing over the reins.
“You can ride with me,” you say with a sigh as Jimin emerges at your side, smiling bright.
“Thank you,” he says with a laugh before hoisting himself up behind you.
“Oh!” you exclaim as Jimin rests his hands on his knees, right beside your thighs. He leans around your side and eyes you with wide brows. “I figured you’d wanna drive…,” you say, face going hot.
He blinks at you for a moment longer than normal before splitting into a grin and nudging your hip with his knee. “Well why would I do that?” he asks, rolling his eyes. “You looked really determined.”
Just like that, he understands exactly how you feel.
Startled, you turn to face him halfway, twisting your torso awkwardly as you lock eyes. He’s still smiling, still bright. The apples of his cheeks are redder than yesterday, and the bridge of his nose. A sunburn. He looks peaceful. As if he trusts you to drive this massive machine. As if it’s not even a thought that’s crossed his mind.
As if he never even considered taking this ATV from you.
“You guys ready?” shouts the guide with a hoot.
The boys around you holler their responses but you stay silent, still just staring at Jimin as he shields his face from the sun with one hand, still smiling, still peaceful.
You grip the handlebars and kick the ATV to life.
You first met Namjoon when you were in high school. He was a grade above you, so you’d never had reason to speak with him. Aside from passing him in the halls every now and again, you didn’t really interact with him at all. But things changed when he approached you after class as you finished cleaning off the blackboards. You’d stayed behind not because you wanted to, but because your classmate had pawned their classroom duties on you after a miserable game of Gin Rummy at lunch. You hadn’t protested much once the responsibility had fallen on your shoulders.
Another excuse to avoid going home.
Bony knuckles rapped against the blackboard beside your head and you jumped out of your skin, releasing a scream several octaves higher than you anticipated. But as the moment of panic passed, you realized with a start that the one who’d roused your attention was indeed upperclassman Kim Namjoon. And there he stood with a small dimpled smile and gentle eyes scanning you. You weren’t sure what he was looking for when he looked at you, but the way he tilted his head to the side made you think that perhaps he’d found it.
“Hey,” he said, face outlined by the last golden rays of autumn daylight.
You swallowed hard and took half a step back toward the podium. “Uh…hi…?”
“This yours?” he asked, dangling a sketchbook before you with one hand.
It took you several moments of squinting at the Strathmore sketchbook to realize that, in fact, it was yours. Your name was right there in the right corner where you’d scribbled it a month ago. And there was the tear in the cover from when your mother had tried to rip the thing from your hands – unsuccessfully.
A rush of fear swelled through you and you snatched the pad from his outstretched hands like you were a prisoner and he was offering you food. Scared he’d rescind his offer if given even a moment to think it over. And as you clutched the thing to your chest, you scanned him with narrowed eyes.
“Where did you get this?” you asked. You were certain you had kept it safely in your bookbag since lunch. But glancing at the bookbag again, you found it surprisingly empty.
Namjoon raised his brows and raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said, then chuckled with a shrug. “What kind of thief would return the thing they stole anyway?”
You paused for a moment, brows furrowed, before sighing and nodding. “I guess that’s true,” you admitted before gently guiding the sketchbook back into the mouth of your backpack. “Um…,” you hedged as you turned back to the guy. You held out your hand to him and he rolled up the long sleeve of his uniform cardigan to take it in his own. “Thanks,” you finished with a shake.
He shook his head. “Don’t mention it,” he said, laughing a little. “Had to ask around to find out which class you were in though.”
You felt a warm bloom of embarrassment and pulled your hand away, shoving it back into your pocket and averting your eyes. “I don’t have a job or anything,” you said.
He blinked at you. “Hm? What’re you talking about?”
You rubbed the side of your arm and shrugged. “My family’s kinda poor too. Like, we do fine, but my parents are really serious about money so…,”
“What’s your point?” asked Namjoon with wide, curious brown eyes.
You stared at him for a moment, puzzled, before continuing. “Aren’t you gonna ask for, like, reward money or something?”
He released a booming, chesty laugh before waving his arms like mad and shaking his head. “No! God, do I look like a thug to you?”
You eyed him from top to bottom and shrugged. “I don’t really know what a thug is supposed to look like.”
He sighed and gripped the bridge of his nose between his fingertips. “Forget the money,” he said, pausing to give you a warm smile. “I just wanted to meet the person who made those drawings.”
You went stiffer than a board. For a moment, time stood still. Namjoon froze before you, the gently falling leaves outside the classroom window froze, and you froze too. Like your feet were rooted to the ground.
“You…did you look through it?” you asked softly, too horrified to raise your voice above a bare whisper.
He nodded. “Of course,” he said. “I was looking for a phone number or something on the inside flap, but then I got distracted by the art.”
“You…”
“You’re really talented,” he said, offering another big smile. “Like, you could go pro if you wanted to.”
You swallowed hard, your throat constricting, and chucked the dirty blackboard eraser on the podium with a puff of fine dust. Without another word, you zipped up your backpack and slung it over your shoulders. You walked past him quickly, not even sparing him a glance, and walked faster when he followed you, calling after you and begging you to turn around.
Namjoon followed you around for a month after that: waiting outside your classroom after school, catching you off guard as you sketched in the courtyard during your lunch break, walking his bike behind you as you led the way to the bus stop, cheering for you at the sports festival and causing you to miss the volleyball coming straight for you. Every time he’d come around, you’d turn grey with horror and you wouldn’t say a word. But luckily for you, Namjoon said plenty enough for both of you. It was always, When are you gonna join the drawing club?or,You should start working on a portfolio, or, If you love art so much, why aren’t you applying to an arts college?
You didn’t bother asking how he knew where you were applying. As you’d gotten to know him, you’d begun to understand his uncanny ability to secure sensitive information from teachers. It seemed they all loved him about as much as you despised him. Not long after that comment, you finally began responding when he spoke to you. And you even began bickering like real friends.
After a while, you grew accustomed to him being around all the time. To the point that, when he graduated a year before you and went on to pursue a degree in music, you’d felt almost lonesome without him. And to the point that, when you texted him about your choice to pursue a degree in business, you were almost relieved when he caught the late bus out to your house to scold you.
One day you’re gonna snap, he’d said that night in a moment of calm. You’re gonna finally have enough of living for them. And it’s gonna hurt when it happens. Bad.
But the scolding had never been enough.
Because, in the end, that persistent fear ran like still waters through your body.
You’re realizing more and more that it’s the same fear. That it’s always been the same fear. Back then when you were so scared of losing Hanseul that you considered not even telling him you’d found the messages. In high school when you were too scared to show anyone your sketchbook. Even now, as you straddle the vibrating ATV, Jimin’s arms wrapped lazily around your middle as he giggles behind you, you’re scared to make a single sound for fear of messing up your focus on the hills before you.
If you really think about it, it’s all the same.
When you boil it down to its core, it’s always been the same.
Fear of fucking up.
Like you’ve been walking a tightrope from the start, and any small misstep will result in you plummeting, face first, into the ground below.
Your knuckles go white against your skin as you clutch the handlebars. Stiff, you follow the guide as he vaults over a hill, having no choice but to do the same. You launch your ATV over the sandy bump, sending both you and Jimin flying through the air. And even though a part of you expects to go splat in the dirt, after a few weightless seconds of flight, the two of you return to earth in one piece. This time, it isn’t Jimin’s laughter that startles you.
It’s your own.
“Holy shit!” Namjoon shouts as he runs toward you, face covered in fine dust. He grins at you like you’re his child, and as you slide off the side of the ATV, he sweeps you up in a big hug, laughing. “You did so good!”
You laugh too, patting his flexed bicep, and lean away slightly to get a better look at his dirty face. “God,” you say with a laugh, running the pad of your fingertip along his cheek, leaving behind a stripe of clean skin. “You need a shower, Joon.”
He nods and peels himself away, turning his attention to Jimin behind you. “You don’t look so good,” he remarks with raised brows.
And as you turn to see for yourself, you notice that in fact Jimin doesn’t look so good. Up until then it had been all laughter and smiles and playful squeezes, but now that he was standing in the dirt, arms crossed, leaning back against the ATV with his helmet in his hand, he looked…less than pleased. He watches you and Namjoon with narrowed eyes.
Oh God, you think in a moment of blind panic, I bet he wanted to drive the ATV after all…
But the moment Namjoon approaches and claps his hand against Jimin’s shoulder, the latter perks up and his eyes go bright once more. He turns a grin towards you and offers a big thumbs up. The sky above his waving hair is a perfect blue, and the sun is unrelenting, but somehow his smile is brighter. Carefully, you join the duo and pat the ATV with a sigh. Looking at it now, it doesn’t seem so scary at all. And after all the tips your guide had given throughout the course, you feel ready to do it all again if you get the chance.
Jimin eyes you with a fond smile. “How’d you like it?” he asks.
You hum. “It was…really exhilarating,” you say with a grin. Gently, you reach out your hand for Jimin to shake and without missing a beat he laughs and takes it.
But instead of shaking it, he gives a sharp yank and you go tumbling into his chest. Heart hammering, you struggle to regain your footing, but before you can process what’s going on, Jimin wraps both arms around your back and holds you tight. You’re sure your face reveals your chagrin, so you’re careful to keep it buried in his chest. And although it’s muffled through the fabric of his shirt, you can hear Jimin’s heart thumping quick.
“Thanks for letting me ride with you,” he says quietly against your hair.
You swallow hard, nerves making your hands sweat, and nod once. “Um…yeah, of course.” You can’t help the nervous laugh that escapes your parted lips and, hesitantly, you reach around to pat Jimin’s back with one hand. “It was fun.”
He backs up with a smile, but keeps one hand on your shoulder. “Yeah. Let’s do it again when we get home.”
You laugh again, eyes wide. “Are there ATV courses at home?”
Jimin pauses, purses his lips, and shrugs. “Let’s find out.”
Namjoon snaps his fingers. “Shoot! What time is it?” he asks, brows knitting.
You check the watch around your wrist and squint at it, but it’s hard to focus on anything with Jimin still touching you. “Um…half past two,” you say, brain foggy as Jimin steps closer.
He glances over your shoulder to stare intently at your wristwatch. Easily, he slides his hand along your shoulder blades before letting it rest at the small of your back. You can feel the ends of his hair tickling your hot cheek. He hums a little beside you and nods once, as if he is simply verifying the time. Perhaps he is simply doing that.
“Shoot!” Namjoon exclaims again. “If we don’t leave, like, now we’re gonna be late for snorkeling!”
Without meaning to, you slide your eyes toward Jimin and raise your brows only to find him staring at you with the same expression. The two of you share a knowing look before breaking into small smiles.
“Wouldn’t wanna be late for snorkeling,” Jimin says under his breath as Namjoon jogs back toward the guide, all the while frantically miming with his hands.
You grin. “God forbid.”
Hanseul said something once that really stuck with you. Not the sort of sentimental thing that you thought might’ve stuck with you, but something entirely mundane. Something trivial, something said in passing.
It was a Sunday afternoon. Neither of you had work, so you’d decided to take a nice long drive through the city. The sky was endlessly blue and beautiful, and even though you were just one car in the infinite stream of vehicles on the highway, you felt somehow free. With the windows rolled down all the way and music bumping softly through Hanseul’s car’s speaker, you remember shutting your eyes and just…breathing for a minute. And that was enough.
“Jesus Christ!” Hanseul shouted with a belabored sigh, and your eyes snapped open once more. You were quick to locate the source of his frustration and found, merging into your lane from the right, a massive freight truck. “I will never understand the hubris of semi drivers who think it’s a good idea to pass other semi drivers.”
Settling your racing heart, you sighed and breathed a laugh. “Impatience I guess,” you remarked, but he was prickly beside you and you knew he wasn’t finished.
He scoffed. “As if passing that guy is gonna get him there any faster,” he said, then rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Everyone should just go their own pace.”
And with that, he stopped talking. And you returned to leaning your head against the passenger doorframe, gazing out at the line of cars entering the highway.
The sun is white hot on your bare skin as you tread water, face bobbing just below the ocean’s surface. Floating like a buoy, you squint into the endless blue to catch a glimpse of some wildlife. It’s not as easy as it looks on Instagram, that much is clear to you now. The waves waves are gentle but restless as they rock you around and the plastic of the snorkel pushes uncomfortably against the sensitive skin of your lips. Your arms and legs are still sore from the previous day’s hike, and now your thighs ache from gripping the ATV. But somehow, despite the hardiness of it all, as you float parallel to the ocean floor, you can’t help but stare with wide-eyed wonder every time a flash of red fin or plume of underwater dust catches your eye. And so, mystified, you swim onward.
You feel someone swim up beside you, but it’s too much labor to look and you can’t tear your eyes away from a particularly beautiful fish cresting over the top of some coral beyond your fingertips. It’s only when that someone taps your shoulder that you finally snap from your daze and, blinking quickly, burst out from beneath the water and shove your snorkel to the side. Fearing catastrophe, you turn gasping toward Jimin as he wades beside you with a grin.
And your heart settles down.
You pat your chest a little and sigh. “Jesus,” you mumble.
“Scared you?” he asks, and from this close it’s hard not to get caught up in the brown of his eyes, in the wet ends of his dark hair as they dangle just above his eyebrows.
With the saltwater and the sunlight kissing his skin, he’s practically glowing.
You shake your head. “What’s up?” you ask.
He points with one finger toward the water below and wiggles his brows. “You wanna go down with me? The instructor said it’s really awesome.”
You stare at him for a long moment, trying to discern any malintent or ulterior motive and, upon gleaning none, settle for a nervous, breathy laugh. “Ah, I dunno…,” you say, rubbing your nose with the side of your finger. You look away, toward Jungkook’s fins as they flap violently against the glassy surface of the water. “I’m happy just looking from up here.”
Jimin hums a little. “You sure?” he asks, eyeing you like he knows something you don’t. “You seemed really into it when I came over.”
You swallow hard and your mouth tastes like seawater and anxiety. “No, I’m…,” you start, but it’s weak. The sentence trails into nothing.
He smiles bright enough to blind and you almost have to shield your eyes. “Come on,” he says, offering his hand toward you. “We’ll go down together and come back up together. I’ll hold your hand the whole time.”
You stare at his outstretched fingers, pruny and slightly sunkissed, and ponder for a moment. Were you always so tepid? So lukewarm? Wasn’t there ever a time in your life when you did things just because they sounded fun? Thinking back, it’s hard to pinpoint the precise moment you became so pragmatic, so afraid. Perhaps when your parents told you a career in art wouldn’t work out for you. That you didn’t have the stuff. Perhaps even before that.
But deep down, buried deeper than you’d like you admit, there’s a part of you that’s always wanted to zipline through the jungle. To ride ATVs. To see the coral up close.
That slumbering part of you is beginning to awaken.
And you wonder as you take Jimin’s hand with an uncertain smile if this has been your pace all along.
He giggles and the two of you dive in unison. You follow the instructions the snorkeling teachers gave you on the boat, and you hold your breath just the way you’re supposed to. Nonetheless, the deeper you swim, the cooler the water becomes and the more your nerves begin to rattle.
Only this time, you don’t find it unpleasant. Not at all, actually.
Because Jimin’s hand is warm.
The two of you coast to a stop in front of the vibrant red coral as a school of orange fish rushes by in a wave. You both reel back for only a moment and then, catching each other’s eyes, exchange the biggest smiles your snorkels allow. And boy is Jimin right. It is awesome. You swear you’ve never seen colors like this. Juxtaposed against the perfect blue all around, the coral reef stands like a mountain underwater, fish flying like birds around the jagged pink peaks, hiding in the deep purple. Anemones wave so close you’re tempted to touch them, and as you lean closer for a better look, you see a red seahorse nestled beside a green sea plant. As if sensing you there, the tiny fish scoots out from its cover and makes its way toward you. Eagerly, you extend your index finger and the creature nudges you just slightly before continuing on its way to the other side of the coral barrier.
Your heart is pounding, racing like a sports car and loud like one too. You turn toward Jimin with eyes blown wide and he’s grinning at you, so fond. He gives your hand a squeeze and you can’t help but squeeze back. Wordlessly, he jerks his head toward the surface, and the way the water plays with his hair makes it look like silk. You’re distracted for a moment by how beautiful it is, how beautiful he is, but he squeezes your hand again and once more jerks his chin upward. Ah! You need air!
You only realize it as Jimin makes a motion toward the surface, but now that you’re conscious of it it’s all you can think of. Q
“All we ever do,” you draw mindless patters over the planes of his chest, summoning goosebumps over his skin, “is have sex.”
“Sweets,” he brings your hand which has been fixed on tattooing him as yours to his lips, kissing your knuckles tenderly, “what are you trying to say?”
Pouting, you pull your hand back but with greater strength, he manages to keep in on his chest in a loosely balled fist as a sign of crumpling opposition. You’ve never been able to resist him. And sly curl in the corners of his lips tells you he likes it, so very much.
“I’m saying,” you refrain from smiling from the triumph of having him suck in a deep breath when you hook your leg over his, grinding your shaven pussy against his hip, “I want us to go out,” he lets the hand slither out of his grasp and caress his neck the way you know will give you an easy pass, it’s his weak spot, “like on a date.”
summary: You get drunk, have sex with you crush, and wake up in his bed. Whoops.
warnings: idol!BTS; fluff fluff fluff; 18+ for language, mentions of (drunk) sex
note:Main character is female. I use ‘she’ instead of ‘you’ because I’m more comfortable writing the omnipresent POV. You are welcome to think of ‘she’ as yourself or an OC. The pair is alone except for Jin’s scenario because I had the idea and it was so funny that I couldn’t help it lol
–
kim namjoon.
He smiled down at her sleeping form. She was really cute. Her hands were loosely closed into fists close to her face, her mouth slightly open ad she slept. He had been awake for a while now, just looking over her. He didn’t want to wake her. Her lashes fluttered as she closed her mouth and whimpered softly, eyes opening slowly.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Her hands relaxed and she rubbed her eyes. “Namjoon? What are you doing here?”
He reached out and stroked her head. “What do you mean? You’re in my bed.”
Her eyes snapped open and she stared at him, jaw slack. He frowned a bit, tilting his head.
“What’s wrong?”
Her cheeks colored. “We… did it, didn’t we?” She bit her lip. “It wasn’t a dream?”
He shook his head. “No. At least… I don’t want it to be a dream,” he added uneasily.
Her eyes found his. She looked shy and her cheeks were flushed pink.
“Me neither.”
He smiled coyly, scooting closer to her. “Did you have a good time?”
She placed her hands over her mouth and nodded. “Yeah.” It was as if she was trying to hide her blushing cheeks, but she was failing. He noticed she was looking at him with concerned eyes. “Are you going to be in trouble because of me?”
“I’m more worried about you than me.”
She shook her head, smiling.
“Clearly I don’t mind otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.”
He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. He kissed her nose.
“I’m glad we think the same.”
-
kim seokjin.
He breathed deeply as he woke up. He opened his eyes slowly, enjoying the sensation of waking up. He stretched his arms, under the covers, feeling the crispness of his sheets. And then he hit something solid. Something that felt like skin.
His eyes snapped open and he tore the covers off his bed, only to find–
A woman. A naked woman.
He screamed.
He hadn’t meant to scream. It was just a gut reaction. The woman’s eyes shot open and she also cried out, grabbing the covers and pulling them over her head. Understandably, she was frightened. He recognized her, but her appearance in his bed had shocked him so much that he didn’t know what else to do but scream.
“What the fuck?”
He looked up and his roommate’s head popped up out of the covers, hair messy and looking like a grumpy cat that had been disturbed from a nap. Yoongi’s eyes were barely open, and he blinked several times, glaring at him.
He yelled again, in sheer shock that he had a naked woman in his bed and his roommate had been sleeping onlyseveral feet away from them.
Yoongi threw a pillow at him and turned over again. “Please shut up. What is wrong with you?”
The pillow bounced off him and hit the lump next to him. She squeaked under the covers at the sudden thump. Yoongi made a disgruntled noise and looked up.
“What was that?”
He could only gape open-mouthed at the younger man. Yoongi sat up in his bed and stared at him, eyes finally mostly open. He stared at Seokjin and then looked down at the bed. The covers shifted and her head slowly poked out of the covers. She saw Yoongi and hid the lower half of her face.
“… H-hello Yoongi.”
Yoongi looked from him to her, and then back to him. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. But then again Yoongi was very good at hiding his emotions. Yoongi yawned and climbed out of bed, his loose gray pajamas rumpled from sleep. He walked up to the bed and placed his hand on her head, fluffing her messy hair.
“Hey.” He smiled down at her. “I’m going to leave, so don’t be too embarrassed, okay?” He looked up at him and gave him a pointed scowl. “Talk things out.” He patted her head one last time and then turned around and walked out of the room, locking and closing the door behind him.
She peeked up at him from over the covers. He felt his face redden, the memories of last night coming back to him. Her big round eyes looked shiny with tears. He pushed his own embarrassment to the side and scooted closer to her.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to shout like that. I…”
She cut in quickly. “It’s okay.”
He reached out and smoothed her hair. “It’s not okay. I didn’t mean to scare you.” His hand traveled down her cheek and he stroked the softness, smiling. “Don’t cry. I can’t bear to see you cry.”
She lowered the covers slightly and smiled back at him. “I won’t cry.”
He lay back down and pulled the covers over him as well, grinning. “Let’s wake up again. It’ll be like nothing ever happened.”
She giggled, biting her lip. “You’re so silly.”
-
min yoongi.
She woke up, half dazed, head swimming. A soft groan left her lips as she turned over, bumping onto something. She frowned and opened her eyes, squinting at the sudden burst of light. Then her eyes snapped open as soon as she realized a messy-haired man was lying right next to her. Not just any man.
Min Yoongi.
He mumbled in his sleep and opened his eyes, barely a crack. He looked a bit disoriented and sleepy, blinking a few times. Then she felt his hands loop around her naked waist and he pulled her to him. Oh no. She was naked. Skin touched skin. He was naked.
Alarm bells rang in her head and the memories struggled to drift back to her. He made a soft noise and nuzzled her neck. She had been drinking. He had been drinking. Their clothes were probably on the floor. She couldn’t see where they were. She could feel his lips against her neck when he spoke.
“Morning.”
She looked around them. They were alone.
“What… happened last night?”
He closed his eyes again and spoke without looking at her.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
She didn’t say anything for a long time. His eyes opened again, only halfway.
“Are you dissatisfied?”
“No!” She responded too quickly. She looked away, hiding her face. “No… not at all.”
He looked at her for a moment, amused, before closing his eyes again and kissing her neck.
“Good.”
-
jung hoseok.
She woke slowly, groggily. Her hand was touching something soft and furry. It felt like her cat so she petted it without opening her eyes. There was a noise next to her. It didn’t sound like her cat. Come to think of it, she hadn’t gone home last night. She struggled to remember what she had done last night. She had been hanging out with Hoseok, he had been drinking, so she dropped him off at the house. And then – oh shit.
Her eyes snapped open and the soft furry thing she was touching was not her cat. It was his hair. And the covers were halfway off their bodies. Their naked bodies. Her eyes widened and she reached down to tug the covers up over them. No one else was in the room, but she was still freaked out. Had anyone seen them? Was anyone around? Questions swam in her head.
He made a disgruntled noise and grabbed her hand, placing it back on his head. He snuggled closer. Upon seeing him, her worries died down. Even by just looking at his face, she began to smile. He tugged on her hand again.
“Don’t stop,” he mumbled, leaning his head against her shoulder.
Her arm was curved in a weird position around his head so she readjusted before running her fingers through his hair again. He had lovely hair. She couldn’t help but smile. He practically purred in satisfaction.
“Feels nice,” he murmured.
“Yeah?”
His eyes opened slightly and he smiled at her.
“I never thought I would wake up with you next to me.”
-
park jimin.
He woke up first, quietly. He scooted closer to her and lifted her head so it lay against his chest. He held her loosely. Seeing her face so calm and peaceful was all he wanted. He brushed her hair out of her face, stroking her cheek. He loved every detail of her face. Soft, luscious skin. Fluttering lashes. Plush lips. Simply beautiful.
He smiled.
Her brows furrowed and she mumbled, shifting in his arms. Her hand came up and she placed it on her forehead, wincing.
“Mmm, Jimin? My head hurts.”
Her little pout was irresistible. He petted her hair.
“I’m sorry, lovely. Can I do something to make you feel better?”
She curled up around his naked body. Her hand fell from her forehead and she intertwined her fingers with his. She had perfect hands, hands that he loved to hold.
“Do we have to get up?” she mumbled.
“No, not anytime soon.” He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back. Her warm breath felt nice against his chest. Her cheeks were flushed. It made his heart flutter. It was just – just indescribable, the way he felt.
“Are you happy?” she asked, quietly.
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Very.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, nuzzling his face into her sweet-smelling hair. He felt her smile against his chest.
“You’re so cute, Jimin.”
-
kim taehyung.
When she woke up, she hurt all over. Her head hurt. Her lower back hurt. Her legs hurt. She frowned and rubbed her eyes, yawning. She couldn’t remember what happened. Her mind felt hazy. She winced as she realized her inner thighs hurt. The memories tumbled back unexpectedly and she groaned, realizing why she hurt all over. Her cheeks flared red and she smacked them with her hands, hoping that when she opened her eyes that it was just a dream. If it was a dream then she would have no reason to be embarrassed. But, of course, it wasn’t, because she knew she was naked. That was a bad sign. The next bad sign was that there was weight on her stomach.
She cracked one eye open. An arm was wrapped around her.
Aw, fuck.
She turned her head to the side and there he was. His straight hair was covering his face but it was unmistakably Taehyung. His face was peaceful and asleep, his breathing deep. She closed her eyes again and sighed. She didn’t want to get him in trouble. It was probably best to leave as soon as possible, before anyone else noticed them together. The thought made her heart drop, but it was probably for the best.
She slid out from under his arm and sat up. She took one last look at his sleeping face, his delicate features mixed with his strong jawline. She didn’t really want to leave. She turned back around and looked around the room. Her clothes were scattered around the room. Her brows furrowed. With another soft sigh, she began to stand to collect them.
She felt a hand clasping her wrist tightly, pulling her back. She turned around and those sweet, brown doe-like eyes looked back at her.
“Please don’t go.”
He tugged harder and she sat back down on the bed. He scooted over to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her shoulder.
“Stay.”
-
jeon jungkook.
She just stared at the ceiling. All choices had consequences. Her head hurt a bit, but she would get over it. She looked to the side and there Jungkook was, sleeping in a slightly crooked position, hair askew. She turned her head to stare back at the ceiling. She didn’t know what to do now. Part of her thought she should leave and maybe act like nothing happened. But most of her didn’t want to move and that was the problem. She bit her lip. Surely someone saw them. The question was whether or not that person or those people could keep their mouths shut.
He stirred beside her. His eyes opened slowly. He stared at her for about thirty seconds before his eyes widened, suddenly realizing what was happening.
She didn’t have to look at him to know his eyes were looking every which way, trying to piece together the situation even though it was a very obvious situation.
“I… we…”
“Yeah.”
She turned to look at him and he was sitting up, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. She raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“Do you want me to leave?” she asked, despite knowing she definitely did not want to leave.
He shook his head. “No, it’s just…” He looked sheepish. “I kind of thought it was a dream. Too good to be true, you know.”
She felt her face become hot. She turned away, staring back at the ceiling. “Er… sorry?”
“No, that’s not…” He trailed off. She felt the bed move as he shifted positions and then his head was right above her. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He still looked shy, but he spoke with more confidence now.
↳You come to realize that your highschool sweetheart and you just aren’t meant to be when his attractive best friend walks back into town and sweeps you off your feet.
↳You come to realize that your highschool sweetheart and you just aren’t meant to be when his attractive best friend walks back into town and sweeps you off your feet.
↳You come to realize that your highschool sweetheart and you just aren’t meant to be when his attractive best friend walks back into town and sweeps you off your feet.
↳You come to realize that your highschool sweetheart and you just aren’t meant to be when his attractive best friend walks back into town and sweeps you off your feet.
pairing: model!jimin x teacher!reader
genre: smau, crack/humor, fluff, drama
updates:tbd
series: unfortunate beginnings
status:ongoing
a/n: round 2 my dudes✌I’m really excited for this au since it’s the beginning of a little project I’m working on! there’s gonna be a lot of drama/borderline slight angst(?) anyway let me know if you wanna be on the tag list and I hope y’all have fun reading and enjoy!!
For more information about this story, find it here
Namjoon’s POV
I step out of my bedroom once dressed for the day and turn my gaze to Y/N’s closed door, mind filled with what she said last night in the bathroom.
I don’t know if she realized that while talking to my wolf, she was also talking to me, but the reality of her words broke my heart once more.
Her adoptive parents really made her pitiful, didn’t they? They wanted so much to be given what they wanted that her comfort and health was completely pushed aside for their own merit, and in the end, what did it serve?
Nothing, if not for years that Y/N will look back to with a frown.
“Hyung, are you okay?” I suddenly hear and when I turn my head the other way, it’s to see Jimin peeking in from the end of the corridor, my scent giving away my displeasure, I sigh as I make my way to him so we can eat breakfast before leaving for work.
I head straight for the coffee machine while he remains near me, waiting for me to speak up patiently. “Just remembering what Y/N said last night. She opened up a little to my wolf, it makes me sad, and mostly angry, what she had to go through”.
“Yeah… did you get any news from the hospital concerning her case with her adoptive parents? They said they would sue, right? If they don’t do anything, we might as well get someone ourselves, we can’t leave this be” he asks, fingers clenched as he stares at my back, but before I can answer, Jin does, his feet silently taking him over to drape himself over the younger alpha.
“They called to inform me that they’ve started the process. Every information concerning her health was given to their lawyer and with what I told them about the way she had to live, for what we know, well it’s going to increase the punishment for her parents, they’re not going to be happy about it, a huge sum of money might be transferred to her bank account and they won’t have a single word to say about it”.
“I don’t care about how much she gets from them, I can give her twice that amounts without even blinking an eye, what I want to know is how bad are they going to get it. They’re not simply going to have to give an amount of money, right? They almost killed her, they have to get something worse than that” Jimin insists, body tensed until Jin scents him gently to help him calm down.
“They will be sent to prison, Jiminie, for a few years surely. When the wolves learn of what they did to her… well let’s say that they might not make it out in one piece. Or make it out at all. No one stops angry wolves in a prison, not if they want to remain unscathed at the end of the day, her parents will regret it dearly”.
I hum, pleased with what I’m hearing. If someone else is going to kill them, then I can rest easy.
“How long until we make it to that point?” I ask Jin who shrugs lightly, unsure of the answer, he must not have been told that much yet. “They didn’t say, only that they would call again when there’s progress, or if they need additional information”.
I tsk my tongue, but nonetheless nod before grabbing a cup to pour the steaming coffee into, it’s not like there’s much we can do in the meantime.
“Let’s wait a little and see how things go, and let’s not tell Y/N about it just yet, she already has a lot on her mind right now and I don’t want her to have to worry about them on top of everything else. Who’s going to stay with her today? Tae and Hobi?”.
Jimin eyes me hesitantly at that. “Erm… no, she’s actually going to work with Yoongi and Jungkook today, she asked them if she could go with them because she didn’t want to stay here and do nothing all day”.
I still, cup about to reach my lips as I process what he just said.
My sweet baby omega, about to head outside after she had a drop yesterday?
“I encouraged it, if she has a nest at the parlour, she can rest whenever she needs it and she’s going to have two alphas with her, we figured it would be good for her, she can get used to other wolves and their scents without being overwhelmed, and if she does get overwhelmed, she goes straight back home” Jimin explains, a little nervous when I have yet to say anything.
I close the distance between the cup and my lips and drink a little of the burning liquid before settling it on the counter, a little harshly, the sound echoes in the silent room.
“I want one of the two betas with them, we’re all starting to know her pretty well, if she sees that the alphas are busy with customers, she won’t let them know that she’s not feeling well, I’m not having her self-soothe when we’re trying to show her that she can depend on us for anything she might need” I demand, a tick in my jaw when I imagine how she might hide all alone when what she would need is a hug, I wouldn’t put it above her to do something like that.
“I think both are free today, they can come with us if they want. It would be nice to have them over anyway, it’s been a while and I’m sure Y/N would love having them with us all day, she adores the two betas” Yoongi states as he joins us, a nod sent my way, he understands fully where I’m coming from with my worry.
“What are you saying? She adores all of us, it’s clear as day on her face when she observes us, her eyes round and sparkling, she’s the cutest when you meet her gaze and she ducks her head slightly” Jin muses, head lulling sideways when he remembers his time with her in the nest, he’s already thinking of the next time, it was perfect, absolutely perfect.
“And she was so brave with my wolf last night, the way she cuddled to us and fell asleep in seconds…” I get chills just thinking about it, heart swelling with love and adoration, a deep purr battling to leave my chest, she was so small, so beautiful…
“She what?! Your- she saw your wolf?!” Jungkook exclaims as he runs over, his mouth agape in shock, he wanted to be the first! It was all planned in his mind! No!
I smirk at him and bring the cup back to my lips, a taunting quirk to my brow. “She hugged us and called my wolf a pretty boy, she was very cute, it was a lovely first meeting, my wolf is still preening with how well it went” I tease him, watch as he pouts, like he just got his favorite treasure stolen from him, except that his baby powder is thriving, he can’t help but be happy about it, happy for us, for my wolf and I.
“What spurred you on? You don’t normally shift in the middle of the night for no reason” Yoongi asks, curious, and the memory of her words has my chest rumbling with strength, eyes creasing with pride, she’d said that like it was the most obvious thing too, our little omega, how full of surprises she is.
“We talked about her joining our pack when she’d fully heal from the poison, that then she would be ours, I didn’t want to go too far in my claiming her but then she went ahead and corrected me herself, said that she’s already ours, my wolf forced its way out at hearing that” I explain, laugh when the room fills with growls, the sounds ecstatic, warm rumbles of pride, they didn’t expect that one.
“Did she really?” Jimin asks, overexcited, he would definitely start jumping with Jungkook if Jin wasn’t still wrapped around his shoulders for support and comfort.
I nod my head, watch as they all melt on the spot, feet itching to take them to her but they resist it, they know that she stayed up late, she needs as much sleep as she can get.
“I hate that I have to leave before she wakes up, damn it!” the alpha whines and we all chuckle, knowing how he’s feeling, although I did sleep all night with her, I’m soothed on that one, I heard it from her in person after all.
“That reminds me” I let out as I turn back to Yoongi and Jungkook, they calm down at seeing my seriousness. “After work, I want the four of you to bring her to get new clothes. What she owns right now, it goes right in the trash, get everything she needs, from a to z, and then a little more”.
Jungkook excitedly claps his hands and nods eagerly. “I was waiting for that one! Of course we’ll go, right hyung?”.
Yoongi sighs and nods his head, feigning disinterest when really, we can all see the small excited smile on his lips. “We’ll go, we can make it fun at the same time and maybe go to the cinema, and then eat something at a restaurant? Just the five of us, you know, it could make her happy?”.
I chuckle at his words, because for someone who’s trying to pretend like it’s going to be a lot of work, he just made this longer for himself if the way Jungkook’s eyes sparkle with dreams and hopes is anything to go by.
“Yes!!! We have to do all of that! Two alphas, two betas and one baby omega, it’s going to be so fun!” he screams before dashing off to his room, he’s going to need to impress the lady because he intends to be the favorite today.
Jimin, Jin and I smile, not saddened that we’re not included in the group in the least, it’s always good to bond in smaller pairs, the three of us can have our time together without distractions, something that can be hard to attain at times when you have six mates to take care of, now seven with Y/N.
“You pups have fun, but please be careful, bring a blanket from the pack nest along with clothes from the shelves, ones that was scented by all of us, just in case. What else… noise cancelling headphones can be good if her senses start getting overwhelmed… you know what, I’ll make a bag myself, I can think of a few things that she might find helpful, let me go take care of it now” Jin mumbles before giving Jimin a quick kiss to the cheek, after which he leaves us to head back to the corridor.
I’m glad we have him to think of all those things, I hadn’t even thought about her hearing getting too sensitive if they go where there are a lot of people, although if she does start reaching that point, the drop would be easy from there, they’d have to build her an emergency nest quickly before we get a repeat of yesterday.
I turn to Yoongi, notice how he’s already staring at me, expecting for me to say something, our sensitive alpha, he really notices everything.
“If anything happens, and I mean anything at all, you call us, okay? I’ll be back home early tonight, Jimin too, Jin might be a little later but he won’t have any patients so we’ll be available to come and get you if you need us, no playing brave, alright? This has nothing to do with proving that you can be a good alpha, it’s about her comfort.
If she does start dropping and you see that nothing is helping her, it’s not your fault, am I clear? It’s not anyone’s fault, her wolf might simply find it hard to relax outside of home, just make sure to keep an eye on her, keep the others from pushing too much, can you do that for me, hyung?”.
He nods his head, his eyes reassuring me, he’s not going to play games today, not when it concerns her and he’ll make sure the others are careful.
I’m sure Hoseok will be on high alert too, his mistake from yesterday will take time to leave his mind, it does bring an advantage today, he’ll notice her discomfort probably before the others do, his every senses focused on her and her well-being, he won’t make the same mistake twice.
“Of course, pack alpha, I understand”.
We share a small smile, a little tense with the day to come, but we’ll need to see how it goes, one day at a time, we don’t have any other choices for now.
Your POV
“Yoongi, Jungkook, it’s come to my attention that I still haven’t seen your tattoos and that needs to change now” I blurt out as soon as the thought crosses my mind.
Hoseok grins from the steering wheel and Jungkook giggles from besides me, Taehyung on my other side while Yoongi shakes his head from the passenger seat. “It’s too late, we left the house”.
I gape at him, the rumbling of the moving car growling to express my shock, Hoseok looks proud of himself when he sees my eyes light up, the timing was perfect, but I force my expression back to a shocked and disappointed one when I find Yoongi’s eyes on me, amusement obvious in his orbs.
“We’re still in the car” I state, to which he nods.
“We are, but we’re not home anymore”.
I huff and cross my arms over my chest, not about to give up now, I can’t believe he’s saying such a weak excuse to me, his poor omega, the only one who has no idea what their tattoos look like, what is this injustice?
“Well, Yoongi, I say that this doesn’t make sense at all. You don’t want your customers to see the tattoos, I understand that, but do you see any of them nearby right now?” I ask him with a wave of the hand to show the inside of the vehicle.
“I can’t see anyone, but as far as I know, the car is not our house, so the deal cannot be applied right now” the alpha mocks me, not about to lose this fight either when he taunts me with a lopsided smirk.
I can’t believe him! “Not even a little one? A little peek? I’ll peek so quickly that no one else will be able to see anything?” I try again, face turning pouty when Yoongi simply shrugs before looking back to the front, a pleased grunt leaving him when Hoseok moves a hand to link his fingers with the alpha’s.
Jungkook nudges my side and smiles at me. “Hyung is a little shy to show his tattoos, give him some time, he’ll probably give you a surprise peek later. I don’t have that problem so I’ll show you mine when we’re at the parlour, it’s going to be easier if I remove my shirt and it’s hard to do in here, be patient for a little more, okay?”.
I try to not focus on the removal of his shirt part and more on the tattoos being shown, but I can’t stop the light pink that takes place on my cheeks and he can’t help himself when he coos, both hands going to cup my cheeks to press a kiss to my nose, his true mate is too cute for his heart.
“You’re right to blush, little rose, Jungkook here likes to work out from time to time, he’s ripped, you’ll see” Taehyung muses proudly, as if he’s the one with said body, but it only causes my cheeks to turn a shade darker, what have I subjected myself to?
“Maybe we can wait until we’re back home? I think Yoongi has a point, it would be better there, we should keep your workplace for work, yeah?” I change my mind quickly now that I know what awaits me but every wolves in the car grin in amusement, they can see through my embarrassment like it’s made of glass.
“You’ve never seen a shirtless man, sweets?” Jungkook hums with a teasing tone, head tilting at me and chest pushed out, does he get to be the first masculine skin I see in all of its splendor? He would love for this to be true.
I bashfully shake my head. “No, you know, there are always shirtless men in the tv shows… I’ve seen plenty of them, I don’t mind, they don’t affect me” I let out, eyes blinking unnaturally fast because this is far from the truth, on TV and in person, close enough that I can touch? It’s not the same at all, I hope my heart doesn’t fail me.
“Is that so? You’ll have no problem with me showing you at the parlour then, it’s decided” the young alpha chirps, eyes seeing through me too easily and I purse my lips, hands turning slightly sweaty the closer we get to work, this is bad, really bad.
The rest of the drive to Pristine Moonlight happens too quickly and I silently blame Hoseok for that, I’m sure he did it on purpose, the car parked behind the building not giving me much options to flee, I shouldn’t have talked about the tattoos so easily, now I’m going to see Jungkook without a shirt, what if I drool? Can I keep my cool, my pride?
I think that’s asking a little bit too much from me, I might just have to hide once I’ve seen it all because there will be no facing him anymore if I behave like a stupid dog in love.
“You coming with us, honey?” Yoongi calls out to me and I look around me to find that everyone is gone and in the building.
I am incredibly tempted with running away right now while I still can, none of them could catch me, not before a minute or two when I’m completely out of breath a few streets away, but is it worth it?
The wolf snorts. “You do realize you just said that aloud, don’t you? If you want to run away, I don’t mind, honey, but you’ll have the four of us running after you and that might be a little scary”.
I huff at him, not liking how he’s currently saying that such a thing would scare me, I’m not a little pup they can scare just because they run after me, I should be the one scaring them because I’m running too fast for them!
Show true mates to not underestimate us, we fast fast fast!
I look at my phone to see that we’re incredibly early, for the unique purpose of building me the perfect nest, they wanted extra time to cuddle before work, all of us together so… customers are not meant to get here for a little while.
We run? I say we run, blame omega wolf for that later, just have fun now!
Oh, I love my wolf.
I turn one foot away from Yoongi and his eyes narrow at me, his lips moving to say something but I don’t hear him because I’m already running away with a giggle, the streets around here ones I know well from going through them often to try and get a job, but my current goal is the green park nearby, the one where I met Yoongi for the first time.
Can I make it there without them catching me? I would be very proud if I make it in one piece!
It’s exhilarating, the feeling of the wind caressing my skin as it blows in my ears, feet hitting the ground loudly with every steps I take, the blue sky over my head clear and devoid of clouds, like it’s encouraging me to keep going, to be strong, it’s an amazing feeling that fills all of my being.
Not hearing anything yet except for the chirping of the birds and the passing cars, I look behind me quickly, wondering if maybe they decided to stay at the shop after all but when my eyes settle on four bodies running after me, my heart skips a beat in fear, because holy shit, Yoongi was right, this is terrifying!
And why are they so fast?!
Go faster, faster!
I’m trying, damn it!
“You guys can’t catch me now! You can’t!” I scream, my voice startling many passersby who quickly get out of the way when I approach but I have no time to apologize when I hear Jungkook’s devilish laughter behind me, way too close, shit!
“You can’t ask alphas to not catch their omega, sweets! It goes against every fundamental wolf instincts!” he muses happily and another look behind me shows him definitely too close for comfort, a huge smile on his face, he’s loving this, but the sight only spurs me to run faster, I can’t let them catch me so soon, I just got started!
I turn back to the front only to shriek when I find Yoongi in front of me, how the hell-
“You really think you can outrun us, honey?” he drawls but before he can say anything else, I make a sharp turn to my right and cross the street as quickly as is safe, no cars within sight, thank goodness!
“I can and I will!” I shout without looking back, throat and chest now burning, because fuck, I’m not used to running that much, but the day I give up is the day I die, so I keep running, the sight of the park getting closer filling me with hope, I’m almost there!
“She’s so fast! You guys are all too fast!” I barely hear Hoseok over all the panting going on right now, but his words make me laugh, soul bursting with joy and pride, this feels so good, to be chased by my true mates, it’s scary but in a good way and I never thought I could feel that way one day.
Jungkook and Yoongi maneuver their new tactic to try and corner me but again, I manage to flee their outstretched arms before they catch me and Taehyung barks out a laugh. “What’s that, our alphas can’t catch our baby omega now? You two are rusty, Jimin would be disappointed!”.
That has the both of them grumbling, every single one of their instincts and senses working to figure out how to get their omega and after sharing one look and a nod, they try again just as I step foot on the grass, arms rising in the air because I made it!
Filled with giggles at my own personal victory, I keep running simply for the thrill it brings me before letting out a gasp when a hand grazes my arm, Jungkook just there, right behind me.
“You quick little wolf, wait until I catch you!” he warns with a smirk, he’s so close I can see the way his pupils are fully dilated, he’s in hunting mode and I’m the prey, there’s no doubt about that, I started something and now I’m also the only one who can finish it.
I see the way his eyes flash with satisfaction, something that makes me frown and when I turn back to the front to see what caught his attention, it’s too late when I run straight into Yoongi who closes his arms around me tightly, the impact sending us both to the ground with a surprised scream because he hadn’t expected that one, although he should’ve.
We roll on the grass until we come to a halt, the both of us facing each other with myself encased in his hold, chest rising with loud breathing as we laugh together, my face going to snuggle in his neck as I try to catch my breath, goodness!
Jungkook drops down behind me and hugs me over Yoongi’s arms, his laughter echoing in the air around us, this was a nice surprise he did not expect, the eldest’s shout that Y/N was running away while giggling something he didn’t know he needed.
None of them had ran like that for a long time, especially not with the goal of catching an omega of their own, Jin would smack them for even mentioning such an activity, it fills them with a deep and pleased rumbling purr, an instinct they didn’t realize was there soothed for the first time in all of their life.
“There you are!” Taehyung’s voice eventually reaches our ears and the three of us look up to see him and Hoseok joining us with an amused shake of the head before taking a break on the grass at our feet, their exhausted grunts making me grin, I can already tell that I will do this again in the near future.
I wonder how Jimin and Namjoon would react? I need to try one day.
“I was not ready for such a run this morning” Yoongi eventually blurts out before peeking down at me, his dark chocolate bursting, rich and creamy and so delicious almost the only thing I can breathe with how close my nose is to his throat, their honey merging in the air and making me swoon, I can’t help the proud smile I give him when our eyes meet.
“My wolf told me to run, said that I could blame it for this later and to just have fun for now” I chirp, nowhere feeling guilty because this was a lot of fun, he leans down to rub his nose against my own, chest rumbling against mine, he can’t even find words to complain, he loved the hunt.
“Your wolf told you to defy your alpha? Such a playful little pup it is” the man hums before dipping his head to my neck, a pleased sigh leaving him when all that meets his nose is light, sunshine and rainbow rain, it’s warm and gentle.
“So it wasn’t to run away from my exposed chest?” Jungkook murmurs from behind me and I blush before shaking my head, not at all! Of course not! This was all for fun, just for fun!
They all chuckle, but ultimately, Hoseok and Taehyung sit up with a groan at the effort it takes them, they’re the ones getting rusty, they need to change that, working in the kitchen between days of staying at home making them softer than they thought they were, they’ll think about following Jungkook to work out more often.
“We should start heading back to the parlour now so we can get working on that nest before it’s time to work, it wouldn’t do to have it incomplete when you would need it” Hoseok states to my intention and I purse my lips, knowing that he’s right, after which Yoongi makes us sit up with Jungkook’s help, breaths still uneven but much lighter than earlier.
All four of them smile at me. “Come on now, let’s get that cuddling station ready for our sweet omega”.
—
“Sweets, come over here”.
I turn around at the sound of Jungkook’s voice, one that comes from the office room that will now also serve as a nest area for me.
With only Yoongi to keep me company as we’d look over the agenda to bring me up to date with the day coming up, the other three decided to work together on my nest, only coming by once in a while to spend some time with us before going back to continue with their task.
I had wanted to go with them a few times to have a look but more importantly, I needed to make sure I would be able to work well today so I did my best to focus on what Yoongi would say, until now.
The soft alpha nudges my side with a smile and sends me off to see what Jungkook might need, to which I nod before going with a happy jump to my step, curious to see what the room looks like now, I’ve been thinking about it for the past forty minutes.
I don’t think much of it when Taehyung and Hoseok walk out of the room with a smile sent my way before heading for the small kitchen where they make themselves glasses of water, and so, I completely miss when their faces turn amused, ears ready to listen in on my reaction when I would enter the room.
I reach the slightly parted door and push it open only to freeze in place when instead of seeing a nest, I come face to face with an exposed bad, very defined shoulders, the skin stretched over muscles that make me gulp, saliva not spilling free but instead leaving me like a dry ocean, eyes wide over the golden skin in front of me, one that is decorated by multiple lines of ink that form letters and forms of all kinds.
“Holy shit and fairy godmother” I blurt out, because while I expected muscles, I didn’t expect that, but it makes sense, it makes a lot of sense if I think back to whenever Jungkook would hold me, or the hugs, I should’ve expected that much.
My eyes take in the whole expense of the back gracing my eyes, lines that don’t really form any shapes but that connect everything together sending my orbs on a journey as I follow them like they’re a puzzle to be solved.
Starting from above the hairline at his nape, a black line along with a golden one twirl together down half of his spine before going to his side where I can see names beautifully written along his waist, names I recognize very well, it’s his pack members and mates, every single one of them, except for his own name.
Then around it, the universe spreads over his skin, from above the names until it reaches up his right shoulder where his arm then shows off multiple doodles and writings that I don’t really understand, it looks like English, he filled in some space with black, but white and gold also dot his skin to form elegant curves and lines, it’s… beautiful.
If I forgot how to breathe with his back, then when he does turn around to face me, my lungs dissolve completely, my heart implodes on itself, my brain melts into a puddle, eyes almost bulging out of my head when I take in the new sight, his abs almost threatening me with how prominent they look, are they trying to kill me? His belly button looks like it’s fighting for its life!
“My belly button is doing just fine, don’t worry, it’s got strong defenses all around it” Jungkook chirps proudly, and my attempt to look up to his eyes fails when he makes his chest muscles move, I gape at the sight before a snort leaves me, because there, on his pecs stand a cute little smiling face, just two dots and a curved line for a mouth.
That’s all! He only has a smiling face!
I burst into laughter as I come to that realization, his back so impressive with all those details while his front is only decorated with three little lines, I find that adorable, as much as is possible with the threat of his muscles still ongoing, but right now, I can only see that little face as it stares at me, eternally happy, I could almost believe it winking at me!
“So? Do you like it? It’s cute right? It makes my intimidating body that much more inviting now” the man muses with a giggle at my expression, I quickly nod while trying to calm down my laughter, it does take the focus away from all his hard-work, that’s for sure.
“And now for the other grand reveal” he states excitedly before pulling me in by the hand to reveal the nest and it automatically brings an end to my amusement, eyes widening once more in shock.
The corner they made for me is absolutely lovely, they used the furnitures that were besides the couch after pushing it towards the door slightly and put them on each sides of the nest instead, a blanket over them to create a roof, and although the front is wide open, it still looks beautiful, the many cushions and blankets looking warm and fluffy and incredibly welcoming.
I have no idea how much could fit in that bag of theirs but by the look of it, the answer is too much, it could probably hide a body easily, something that keeps fueling my suspicions, they’re not very good at hiding from me so far.
Everything smells like pack and it’s divine, it reminds me of the pack nest at the house, but in smaller, and in less intense. The smells are probably going to fade at some point, it’s going to be important to bring the materials back from time to time to wash them and have them scented properly again.
At the sight of this new nest, it takes everything in me to not go in right away and Jungkook smiles at the sight before encouraging me to get in for a little bit while he puts on his shirt again before customers start coming in.
He knows his smiley face is cute but the rest can be overwhelming, he’s simply glad that my scent didn’t spike in uncertainty but instead in amazement, although he wasn’t really worried, I’m not the kind to be intimidated by a lot of ink.
And he has to say, he’s even less worried about Yoongi, the man has a few tattoos of cats because he keeps saying that if he hadn’t been a wolf, he probably would’ve been a feline and so, a complete sleeve of detailed cats is what he has, the same sleeve on which Jungkook tried to draw the animal to add to his collection only to fail miserably because it looks like it died from an unknown sickness.
But Yoongi says he loves it even though it makes him laugh whenever he stares at it and to Jungkook, well that’s enough to not hate it, although he wishes he’d done a better job, he really feels bad about it.
I tentatively make my way to the nest at his approval and as soon as I crouch before sinking into the blankets, the walls around me making the space feel safe, the coffee table nearby an additional protection from the door, I hum, yeah, this is perfect.
“So?” this time it’s Hoseok who speaks up and when I look out of the nest, it’s to see him along with Taehyung and Yoongi in the doorway, all of them expectant in the way they wait for me to give my verdict, is it satisfying enough for my instincts? Should they do better? They can surely do better, they’d just have to start over-
“It’s perfect, I love it” I let them know, content to just stay here, maybe I can be mental support instead when I come here? Inviting arms waiting for them to greet when they need a break, I don’t think I can leave this nest anytime soon, I need to stay here and make sure it’s all warm first.
The four of them heave out a breath of relief and smile at me before coming over, minds all wondering whether they can all fit inside because they know how it is for an omega with a new nest like this one, Jin warned them that it’s possible I might be unable to leave before an hour or two, that it would be easier if they remained with me for a little bit.
I look around me and head further in at the back before motioning for them to come in. “If we all stay close, we can fit”.
Jungkook doesn’t wait for me to ask again when he all but plunges inside head first, a dolphin is what he looked like, it makes me snicker as he comes to cuddle up next to me, face looking all proud of himself and arms pulling me over him to take less space, and when the betas follow in next, Yoongi observes for a moment before hesitating, I can tell that he’s not sure he can fit inside with us, it’s making his eyes droop sadly and my heart with it.
“Yoongi, don’t worry, you can fit, just climb over Taehyung” I let out and the beta snaps his head my way, an indignant look on his face but Yoongi beams before he does so, and when he indeed climbs over Taehyung, multiple grunts fill the small space because “You’re so heavy, hyung, what the heck!”.
“Hush, I’m not that bad, at least I don’t eat cake every single day, and then more because of work, I’m sure not having you on top of me”.
“W-what? I- I mean I do eat a lot, but I don’t gain weight, it’s fine!”.
“You’re still heavy, even Namjoon struggles lifting you up”.
“That’s a lie-” “No, he’s right on that one, hyung, even I find you heavy”.
“Rose! You can’t let them talk to me like that!”.
“Don’t bring her in this, don’t make her lie for your sake, you’re heavier than I am, deal with it”.
I purse my lips into an awkward smile, unsure of what to say to this, except for one solution that will displease them. “You know what? You guys get out, Hoseok can stay”.
The beta tries to hide his smile, very badly must I say while the others start complaining, and where Yoongi first hesitated to come in, now he completely refuses to leave, his body splayed all over Taehyung and Hoseok to block the way out, his lips tight in defiance.
“We’ll be nice, it’s okay, we’ll stop whining, okay? Take that request back, I’m not leaving”.
I stare at him and cross my arms, aware of Taehyung, Jungkook and Yoongi’s eyes on me, waiting while Hoseok remains completely relaxed, the chosen one, he’s doing just fine.
“You really won’t leave?” I ask, and when they all shake their head, I shrug before pulling Hoseok over to climb his lap, his soul buzzing with joy when his arms close around me while the others observe in silence, orbs filled with desire, they want to hold me like this too, it’s unfair!
“Then you can stay, but I’ll cuddle Hobi only because he’s the only one who doesn’t insult his mates” I muse, words that have the beta purring while said others start whining again, a cute pile of huge men having a tantrum, it makes me laugh, they’re so funny.
“It’s not fair! I was holding you first!” Jungkook exclaims, to which Hoseok shrugs as I rest my cheek on his shoulder.
“That’s too bad, now you’re last”.
“Nooooooo!”.
(AUTHOR) This chapter will be the last one for the week, I’m sorry I couldn’t update more but I hope you enjoyed the few ones nonetheless! For the next two weeks, I will be working on Loving hybrids, a story that is not available on tumblr yet, it’s only on wattpad, so I highly invite you to follow me there if you want to have access to my stories more easily!(imnotlauriane)
For more information about this story, find it here
“Are you sure you don’t want to try going to sleep, doll?” Hoseok asks me as everyone starts heading to the bathrooms to do their nightly routines.
Everyone minus Namjoon and Taehyung, the two wolves still not back home, much to my disappointment. The pack alpha needed to stay at the university for a few more hours due to a situation, he didn’t know when he’d be back and Taehyung must be finishing up at the restaurant, it’s already so late.
I nod my head, not sleepy in the least, I napped too much today that’s for sure.
“You guys made her sleep in the pack nest nearly all day, how could she be able to sleep after that?” Yoongi chides, words that have Jin, Jimin and the beta smiling sheepishly, they did do that, didn’t they?
“Well… you have your new phone now so… maybe get used to it then?” Hoseok offers with a scratch to his hair, he didn’t mean to keep me from having a normal night, but then again, their instincts were a mess today, they don’t think it could’ve happened any differently.
I lift it up so he can see it, a smile on my lips. “I’m already downloading a few games Jungkook chose for me, I’ll familiarize myself slowly, maybe I’ll read more articles like this morn-”
“No, don’t you dare” Hoseok stops me there, eyes warning and confusing the others, it makes me giggle because I know exactly why he would prefer I don’t, some of the stuff in there were plain weird, but they were also entertaining.
“Why not? You added everyone’s numbers in here right? I can text you every new facts I find funny, then when you wake up, surprise!” I chirp, too much energy for the current late hour, it’s tiring some of the wolves who simply shake their head before leaving us while Hoseok stands still, eyes narrowing at me.
“You wouldn’t do that, would you, doll?” he asks, his voice a low drawl, he’s clearly warning me but I just don’t feel like shutting up right now, body all giddy with liveliness and amusement.
“You’ll just have to wait until morning to find out” I giggle before hiding out of sight behind the couch’s back cushions, and when I hear his feet bring him closer, I expectantly look up to see his face appear from behind the furniture, his eyes sparkling at my mischief.
“What a teasing little omega we have tonight, hm?” he murmurs as he bends closer to kiss my nose, one that scrunches up at the contact, heart melting for him, it’s like my adoration for them keeps increasing the more I stare at them, and for that, I’m pretty sure my wolf is the cause, not that I mind.
As expected, my purr quickly builds up in my chest and Hoseok smiles tenderly at me, lips pursing as he seems to be debating if he should go to sleep and leave me alone or if he should stay up after all, but his droopy eyes show how tired he is, the emotions of the day finally getting to him, he wouldn’t last five minutes awake.
“Give me two little minutes, my soft bun, I’ll bring you something to snuggle into from the pack nest, okay?” he offers and at my eager nod, he ruffles my hair before walking out of sight, a yawn following him as he heads back to the corridor where I can hear the sound of teeth being brushed and faces being washed.
In the meantime, I take a look at my phone to see that everything has been fully downloaded and I grin, excited to try all of them.
The first one is a game that looks absolutely adorable, it’s a tap-tap game in which you build an aquarium, there’s also another one with a garden and one with kittens, my reaction from earlier spurred Jungkook to get a few of these with a proud grin, something about how they’re relaxing, meant to be soothing, that they’d be perfect for me when I’m nervous.
Then there’s also one that he called an… airpigie? Anyway it’s got these little characters that you can collect to use in fights, the game looked pretty and fun so he made me get it too.
Curious about the last one, one that fits my current mood more than the others do, I press on it quickly, all excited to see the screen change, small videos playing and captivating me right away, why does everything look so good? And it’s so smooth too! I’ve never had anything like this before, my old phone was really bad and would lag all the time, I hated using it but this one is actually pretty nice!
But then again, with how expensive it was, I would give it back to Hoseok and tell him to get a refund if it was bad, you can’t pay that much and receive junk just because it’s all pink and glitters!
A sudden softness draping over my body has me looking up to find Hoseok smiling tiredly as he wraps me into a fluffy blanket, one that I have scented earlier, it has my scent along with everyone else’s and I melt into it instantly, much to the beta’s delight.
“You keep this one with you, okay? If you fall asleep, Namjoon will bring you to bed so don’t worry too much” he muses softly and when I nod, he hums, one last kiss to my nose before he walks away to the bathroom he shares with the others to get ready for bed too.
It doesn’t take too long after that before Jungkook, Jimin, Jin and Yoongi come by one after the other to wish me a good relaxing time, that they’re not far if I need anything, to not worry about spending the night here because Namjoon or Taehyung will take care of bringing me to bed if they see me asleep, and they especially don’t forget to tell me how cute I am like this before leaving me, proud with the blushing they brought to life on my face.
And then, when all doors close, lights switched off and an overwhelming silence looming over my head, I bring my gaze back to my phone after turning to my side, a cushion under my head and another one against my chest to support my arm as I start playing the game.
And the more I play, the story a captivating one, the graphics and plays of colours amazing to my inexperienced eyes, I suddenly understand why everyone used to play these during breaks between classes, students proudly showing off their team while I would drown in study books, oh the things I have missed.
And so, unbeknownst to me, minutes quickly go by until one hour has gone by, then another, levels climbing, my characters getting stronger and a fatigue that still wants nothing to do with me.
At this pace, I might not sleep at all, and tomorrow will see me drinking a few coffees to keep track of the hours until I go to sleep early, but it’s doable, it wouldn’t be a first time for me and so, I keep focusing on the game, the sounds it makes the only thing heard in the room, light flashing from the couch, it’s enough to alert anyone of my presence here.
So when the front door finally opens, I don’t worry too much about making myself known, ears and nose instead focusing on the body that gets closer, and when lavender tea makes it to my nose, I smile before I see the owner’s face peek over to see me laying on the couch all alone.
Namjoon quirks a surprised eyebrow at seeing me still awake in the darkness, a phone device in my hands with the visual of a character who keeps throwing fireballs to a poor tree, he blinks in silence for a moment before registering my state, his pack’s scents drowning me and making me look all cozy.
“Sweet baby, what are you doing all alone here so late?” he asks softly as he makes his way around the furniture after dropping his bag on the floor, body sitting down in front of my stomach and torso twisting so he can gaze at me.
I hum and lock the phone, after which my eyes quickly adjust to the renewed darkness, his body easily visible to my night sight, it’s really cool, I wonder if I’ll ever take it for granted one day.
“Jimin and Hoseok made me sleep in the pack nest before lunch, then after that I went there on my own and fell asleep, then Jin joined me, we fell asleep together again, so when Yoongi and Jungkook came to wake me up before dinner, well… it was already too late, I slept too much”.
Namjoon stares at me with a slightly amused face as I speak and when I’m done, he hums deep in his throat, the sound husky and enough to melt my insides, even more so when he brings a hand to my cheek to get the hair away from covering it before remaining there, gentle as his thumb grazes the skin slowly.
“In other words, you’re not sleeping tonight” he summarizes and I nod, head tilting into his touch, his hand is so warm and comforting, but my mind is very much awake, there’s no avoiding it.
“Yoongi tried to make me sleepy by giving me warm milk, and even a tea an hour later, but nothing worked”.
He chuckles, eyes still gazing at me, drinking me in, it seems that he’s finally allowing himself to relax after being nervous all day, I soften at that realization, he must have been just like Jin and the others, needing to see me to register that I’m not in danger anymore.
“How was work today, Namjoon? I didn’t make it too hard for you, did I?” I ask him, to which he sighs softly before shaking his head slowly.
“It was okay, focusing was a little hard, but Jimin kept me up to date with your state so I wouldn’t feel like fleeing from work to get to you before I could, it’s a big exam period this week so I can’t really afford to take much time off these days”.
I hum at his explanation, feeling bad that this all happened in such a busy period, he doesn’t need that additional stress, nor do any of them really, but then again, it wasn’t anyone’s fault, we were unprepared and my wolf took my emotions and built a sinking ship with it, that wasn’t something we expected.
“You must be sleepy then, you’re working hard and I wouldn’t want to keep you from having a good night rest, you’ll be leaving early tomorrow again, right? I’ll go to sleep later when I’m tired so don’t worry about me, you can go” I let him know, I don’t want to keep him from sleeping but he shakes his head again, a small chuckle leaving him.
“I had a coffee before coming over so I’m not really sleepy, and I was actually thinking about continuing with work in my office here so…” he shrugs lightly, but my eyes widen at hearing that he wasn’t even going to take a break after working until this late.
“You can’t be serious, Namjoon!” I exclaim quietly, eyes round and staring up at him in disbelief before I shake my head, hands gripping onto his own still on my cheek with strength, like I’m going to let him overwork himself!
He grins at the sight gracing his eyes and I frown at him, lips pursing unhappily. “You can’t work so late, I’m against it”.
“Oh, you’re against it? Well I guess I don’t really have a choice then, I can’t possibly work and upset you, can I?” he muses, endeared when I quickly nod my head with bright eyes, proud that it worked so easily, omega needs to protect alpha, omega’s job, pack alpha needs break, let’s keep him near.
“So what should I do then?” he asks as he looks around us, the space very limited with how I currently am positioned, I do have one solution that comes to mind, but would he want to go along? Does the pack alpha like to cuddle just like everyone else?
“How about I lie down behind you and you keep playing that game of yours, I could watch you play” he offers as if he had free access to my mind, it has my eyes widening, heart beating happily, I swear if I had a tail, it would wag behind me without end.
Lavender tea, warm and soothing, honey poured into it gets closer as Namjoon climbs the couch to slip in behind me with a contented sigh, the proximity doing wonders to his instincts, his wolf finally getting the relief it was seeking all day but couldn’t get.
Being away from his pack is always hard to begin with, so being away from his true mate during a day of hardships? He would’ve crawled all the way back here if it would’ve allowed him to see me sooner, he would’ve done it without hesitation.
I resist an excited giggle at feeling myself get wrapped up in his embrace, one of his arms over the blanket covering my hip while my hands peek out from the extremity in front of me to get a hold of my phone, and after he makes himself comfortable, myself pushed into his broad and strong chest to make sure I don’t fall off the couch, he breathes in deeply.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day, it feels even better than I imagined” he says softly, a tentative drag of his nose against the exposed side of my neck, he relaxes when he feels me melting into his touch, nothing like our first experience after my running out of the hospital.
“I hope today’s misadventure won’t keep you from trying to go out again, or from depending on us. Monetarily I mean. I know it’s a big change, it’s a lot to take in and Hoseok should’ve thought about it before exposing you to such a thing as a black card first, but… it’s become normal for us, we don’t really think much anymore before using it so I hope you can get used to it too, someday”.
I pause a little at his words before opening the same game from earlier again.
“Well… it really shocked me, you know? Back at the shop, I was already slightly on edge at knowing that I was in such an expensive place, so when I saw him pull it out like it was no big deal… yeah, it did hit me pretty hard that you guys are… like there” I raise my arm to show him how high they are in my eyes “while I’m… here” I then bring it a lot lower.
Namjoon’s about to say something, his lavender turning strong but I smile and speak before he can.
“I was sensitive and my wolf brought that out of proportions, so I didn’t really handle that thought the way I should’ve, but it’s fine now. I mean, will I get used to it right away? No, but I’m aware that it’s among the first things I need to accept in this current reality, you guys are not poor and I’m aware that while I stay with you, my old way of living won’t have a place here either. It’s just a lot, but I’ll… I’ll get used to it”.
His scent softens and he squeezes me tighter in his hold, his strength grounding, he feels like a barrier against the whole world, it’s calming.
“So you are open to staying with us? You’re not going to try and leave?” he asks softly and I chuckle before shaking my head. “Why would I go away from my seven true mates? I feel like you guys would keep calling me and ask me to come over if I did, it would only waste everyone’s time and resources”.
His chest rumbles in contentment as he rests his head behind mine, nose rubbing into my hair. “True, we’d be so needy that you would probably grow annoyed of us and our heats would be insufferable with you somewhere else than here”.
Just imagining it has me wincing. I’d probably end up with one of them breaking down my door just to make sure I’m safe like everyone else since I’d be living alone, no more alone time while peeing, that’s something I’ll need to expect with the seven of them, aren’t I?
“How much more intense does it get with a true mate compared to a chosen mate? For your heat” I ask him, needing to prepare myself, surely their heats are going to hit at some point soon, Namjoon hums, his eyes falling on the game that shows a little map of quests before answering.
“Well… it really depends on how well surrounded the true mate is. In your case, you have seven of us, which means you’re rarely going to be alone, that’s going to soothe one part of our instincts, but we’ll still need to have pretty much a constant sight on you because we need to keep you safe at all cost.
You want to cook? Don’t touch sharp knives, you want to play around, make sure you don’t fall and get hurt, when you’re hungry, you’ll get more food than you can eat, things like that. You’ll be drowning in our clothes, to a point that you might sweat from being too warm, but then we’ll give you a lot of water so you stay hydrated.
We’ll just be… constantly overthinking about what you might need, what might be wrong until it’s over, it’s going to be… a lot for you, especially the first time it happens but there’s not much we can do about that, that’s just how it is for alphas. Betas’ heats are much softer, they’re mainly there to make sure everyone remains healthy and happy, they’re not that affected by it and for yours, it’s going to be a little different too, the same goes for Jin as you’re both omegas.
Your wolves will want that very same attention that might have been overwhelming during ours. You’ll want to be kept safe, you might feel too needy, constantly seeking cuddles and hugs as well as nesting with us, but since all seven of us are your true mates, we’ll be able to keep a rotation going without you panicking at every instants.
It might sound scary said like that, you’ve never experienced one after all so it sounds like you’re going to become someone entirely different, not in control of yourself anymore, and that would be true in a way, because your wolf will be much closer to the surface than usual. A lot of omegas spend it shifted because it makes them feel better, but don’t worry, we’ll make sure you experience that before your first heat.
We should have Jin have a look at you to try and determine when your heat might hit, just to be sure, although I doubt it’ll be anytime soon, not with how unbalanced your system currently is, the poison did a lot of damage that will take time to heal so you shouldn’t concern yourself over that too much, okay?”.
Damn that was a lot of information. I blink a few times as I process what he just told me, that basically, everything that I’ve had to endure today, it’ll be even worse.
But then again, I did kind of adore the attention I got, so in a way, maybe I’ll be fine? My wolf and I are both starving for affection and physical touch, we might just end up purring from start to finish for every single one of them.
“But… you guys are seven… four alphas so… I might not have much of a break, considering how long heats normally last, it’s a few days right? Are yours all close to one another?” I ask and Namjoon tenses a little before shrugging sheepishly.
“Well… you know how human females end up getting their cycle at the same time when they spend a lot of time together?”.
Oh no.
I turn my head to see the way Namjoon purses his lips cutely, he can see the despair in my eyes.
“We have our heats all at the same time”.
I am going to die.
That’s why he kept saying we, they will literally be hovering around me to make sure I’m not dying all at the same time, and that will in turn kill me!
“It sounds worse than it is, really. We’re all mates so we all end up getting through it without much struggles, we just make sure to be stocked on food before it starts and we make sure to have a few days off work so we can stay at home. Pack nesting happens often and we just… enjoy that time.
We talk, we share how much we love each other, we laugh and cuddle and then life resumes” he tries to reassure me, and as sweet as he says it, all I can register at the moment is how I will have at least four wolves eager to burrito me into blankets with glasses of water besides me, hands ready to keep me away from any possible sources of pain, which might just be walking at this point.
“When is it due for?” I ask, a little nervous and at Namjoon’s silence, I purse my lips before exhaling deeply.
“It’s soon, isn’t it?”.
“It’s next week”.
Okay, it’s okay, don’t panic.
You have a few days left to prepare before being completely smothered, I have a feeling that Jin won’t want me to leave the pack nest not even one second then, just what kind of experience will that be?
In a way, I guess I should use that time to learn? Because Jin is an omega like me, so seeing how he handles it might show me how it’s going to be for me, right? And the way the others act with him will surely be how they’ll act with me?
Oh boy, this is making me so nervous now, how many scent highs will I be pushed into without being able to resist them?
Namjoon rubs my waist in comfort over the blanket. “Don’t worry, like I said, it sounds worse than it really is. Hoseok and Taehyung will be there to guide you through it when we can’t, Jin will want to cuddle and us alphas will be there to watch over you two, we’ll try to make it so you can still have some alone time if you really need it, although that might be hard for the younger ones, but we have betas for that purpose, they can be firm when we go over the top”.
I nod my head, that’s reassuring, makes me really glad that they’re not all alphas, I’m not sure I would survive otherwise.
“Okay… I’ll trust you on that one, Namjoon, I just don’t want to be forced to remain still, and I don’t want to be pushed into a scent-sleep again, no matter what happens, okay? I’m expecting scent highs to happen but that’s my limit, I want to keep as much of a clear mind as possible” I request and he nods quickly, eager to reassure me that he will listen.
“Of course, yes, I promise it won’t happen, the others know that too, we’ll do our best to not swarm into your space constantly, as long as we can see you, we should be fine, it’s just… you know how it is for wolves, heats are for possible mating so the most important is that you remain safe, our wolves would go crazy if you were unwell”.
We remain silent after that, the game completely forgotten because there’s so much information being processed, but it had to happen at some point, my transition from being a human to a wolf requiring more efforts because many things are new for me while others simply need more details.
“Can I ask you a question, Namjoon?” I eventually ask him and when he hums curiously, I let my mind trail back to what Yoongi and Jungkook had said when I woke up earlier, the little I can remember of their conversation.
“How does it work, to be made part of a pack? Yoongi said earlier that Jin was always meant to be pack omega, that with me, he could have his instincts soothed, that means he needs me in the pack right?”.
Namjoon’s arms squeeze me tightly, nose sliding against my ear, it brings goosebumps all over my skin, his musky scent, lavender and honey gaining in intensity, the good kind, I can even feel the way his chest starts rumbling in purrs, it’s sweet.
“Would you want to be part of my pack? To be officially mate with everyone, my sweet omega?”.
His voice has gone down in pitch, low and thick with want, how much he wants for this to happen, it curls around my heart like a vice, yet it doesn’t tighten, ready to pull back should I refuse, it brings life to thousands of butterflies in my stomach, soul tingling with the prospect of being theirs, entirely theirs, and my wolf preens at the thought too, my purrs starting to fill the silence, they spur his to raise to the surface too.
I shakily nod my head, breath short as I feel his lips start to go down my ear, to my neck and shoulder before going back up slightly, I startle a little when I feel his teeth nip the skin softly before he licks it over, a pleased grunt leaving him at the act.
“When you’ve completely healed from the poison, when there’s not a single trace of the damage it did to you, then I will make you mine, ours” he promises with a kiss over my skin, slow and tender, I melt in his hold, I should be disappointed that it’s not going to happen now, yet his promise I know to be sacred, and it’s not like I can’t be with them in the meantime.
Although there’s a little correction to be done in what he just said.
“Namjoon” I start, a little breathless with how his lips keep tickling the soft skin between my neck and shoulder, a sensitive spot that he keeps decorating with invisible kisses, he wants them colourful, but he can tolerate for now that they only hold his scent, it’s proof enough of what he’s allowed with me.
“What is it, ‘mega” he lulls me into answering with his raspy voice, the strong vibrations of his purring coursing through all of me, I barely feel my own leaving me as I close my eyes, the pack alpha’s pheromones so strong that I could almost feel them in the air if I so much as waved a hand through it.
I inhale deeply and smile before speaking, curious of what reaction this might pull out of him.
“I am already yours, aren’t I? All of yours”.
His breath hitches in his throat and when a growl rips out of him, it feels like it’s coming less from him and more from his wolf, his hold on me secured and unwilling to let go, he breathes in harshly before resting his face in my neck, like he’s fighting for control.
“Shifting, need to shift 'mega” he gasps out and my eyes widen when I process what he just said, his wolf wants to come to the surface and it’s apparently very intent on not giving Namjoon much of a choice.
I bring a hand over his arm that covers me, soft and soothing as I squeeze my fingers around his forearm.
“It’s okay, alpha, I don’t mind, omega doesn’t mind” I muse and it’s instantaneous, the way he stops struggling, one last kiss to my skin before he sits up and scoots away from me, the loss of his touch leaving me cold and buzzing with excitement.
Am I going to finally meet one of their wolves? The pack alpha wolf? It’s almost scary, it’s like meeting the CEO of a big and impressive company, his wolf is at the head, it’s at the top, it decides, it makes the rules, and when I hear clothes ripping apart, Namjoon not allowed much time to remove much of anything, the quality of air changes, the first warning I get that the human-like version of Namjoon is gone.
His musky scent, one that previously was in the background, behind his lavender tea now comes to the front and my skin tingles, soul both recoiling from the very strong presence now besides me and needing to get closer to it, the air drizzling with the intense dominance of a wolf, thick and filling every inches of it.
Overly aware of the silence now taking place around me, not a single sound made if not for the breathing that doesn’t sound like it’s coming from a human body, I slowly sit up, body tense with nerves, fingers slightly trembling and when I turn my head towards Namjoon, I see a gigantic wolf instead, the couch’s size now one I understand, it’s also made to fit these big creatures.
Are they all shaped like a titan or is it just his wolf in particular, I don’t know, but I feel like a kitten next to a… well next to a wolf, except that I’m in my human form and I feel like the difference in size still applies.
The wolf gracing my eyes is entirely grey, from head to toes, except that his coat is decorated with spots of brown here and there, the eyes a deep and beautiful brown and as they stare right back at me, I see no trace of Namjoon, this is his wolf, mind sharp and smart, I can see the understanding and affection it has for me, it’s… very special.
Unsure of what to do, of what to say, I remain still as a statue when it jumps off the couch with a loud thump of its paws on the floor before making its way towards me and once in front of me, it pushes my legs apart with its nose before coming to stand between them, and even then, it’s a head taller than me, it hovers over me, beautiful and strong.
“Pack alpha” I breathe out, unable to not marvel over what I’m seeing, over what I’m sensing, if Namjoon felt safe, his wolf is the definition itself of the word protection, there’s nothing, not a single thing that could get past its attention, not a single thing that could harm me, it is imposing and demands respect, and I’m only too willing to give it, soul fluttering when it leans down to touch my nose with its own.
Tentative at first because I don’t know how it might react to my touch, I lift a hand to its head, and when my fingers disappear into the fluffy fur, all warm and soft, it leans into the touch, eyes shutting slowly and head tilting into my palm, the purrs coming back and melting all that I am, this feels magical.
“What a big pretty boy you are” I muse, to which it chirps softly, it makes me giggle and then I can’t resist it, both arms circling around its neck before I find myself hugging the beast and holy muffins and all that is sugar, this calls to my nesting instincts like I didn’t know possible, I just want to snuggle in there and forget about the rest of the world.
I rub my face into its fur and it remains still, content to indulge its omega, I said it myself, that I am theirs, it couldn’t be more overjoyed, it had to come out and let me know how grateful it is, how pleased it is, my acceptance of them all they need, all they want.
“Well well well, what is this lovely sight I come back home to?” a new voice suddenly says and I startle, the wolf grunts before nudging my side with a paw, I am safe, and when I look back, it’s to see Taehyung smiling at us, endeared by our unconventional duo.
“Joonie hyung’s wolf couldn’t resist being the first one to show off, huh?” he teases the beast who grumbles, body sticking to me as if allowing air in between us would bring forward the end of the world, it makes me giggle when it chirps and whines lowly, is it trying to explain its reasoning?
“Ah, is that so? Well I understand then, my wolf probably wouldn’t have been able to resist too, you just had to let her know that you are hers too, is that it?”.
My eyes widen when the wolf nods with a pleased grunt before nosing at my cheek and Taehyung smiles proudly at the eyes that fall on him in disbelief.
“With the pack mark, it’s easier to understand each other’s wolves” he explains before making his way to us and I hum, that I didn’t know, it’s pretty nice.
Taehyung sits next to me on the couch and wraps an arm around me with a kiss to my cheek. “My little rose, what are you doing up at this time? Namjoon didn’t keep you up by force, did he?”.
An indignant huff from the wolf and Taehyung chuckles while I shake my head, body leaning into his slightly while Namjoon’s alpha wolf remains as close to me as is possible.
“No, I actually slept too much today, it’s very hard to get away from the nest once you get started, Yoongi and Jungkook woke me up before dinner but I could already feel then that I would find it very hard to fall asleep tonight. Namjoon was keeping me company after coming back from work”.
“I see, so you’re still not sleepy right now?” he asks and I shrug lightly, fingers going back to the wolf’s fur because it’s that soft, it’s comforting, I might be able to sleep soon if I’m comfortable enough, but I don’t think I could if I remain alone, my bed barely smells like them, it feels bland, like it lacks flavors.
Taehyung’s apple pie sweetens as it goes around us in a light embrace, it makes both Namjoon’s wolf and I purr, even more so when I feel his lips to my throat for a soft scenting, my body drooping between the two of them.
“I think we should bring you to bed, baby rose, you would be surprised how easily you would doze off into sleep” the man muses, a deep hum as he registers all the scents sticking to me, I smell like pack, he loves this.
I yawn and nod my head, knowing that in the long run, me sleeping would be best if I want to go to work tomorrow with the two alphas, I don’t want them to leave without me again.
“I don’t mind, but… can you two stay with me? I don’t want to sleep alone” I ask in a plea, eyes raising to meet both of theirs sheepishly, Taehyung’s chest puffs out in delight while Namjoon’s wolf preens in contentment, of course they will, anything for their omega.
“It will be a pleasure, sweet rose, go brush your teeth, wash your face and change into a pyjama first, okay? You can get settled in with this big wolf here while I take a shower and I’ll join you two very soon” the beta requests and I nod, that I can do.
“You be fast, right? Don’t take too long in the shower” I ask him, to which he chuckles with a nod of the head. “Don’t worry, rose, I’ll be fast. Now go, let Joonie’s wolf guide you, he can keep you company while I grab my clothes”.
A grumble from said wolf gets my attention and when I turn my gaze to the beast, it’s to see its eyes set on me, tail wagging behind its huge body as it waits for me to stand up from the couch to head to the bathroom with it.
“Say, you’re not going to watch me change too, are you, big wolfie?” I ask it as I manage to make it to my feet, a little wobbly at first but my hands find purchase in its fur, fingers grabbing some of it to make sure I don’t fall like a stupid sleepy person.
It grunts a few times, but I can’t really tell if it’s a yes or a no, so I turn to Taehyung to make sure that I’m not going to have to fight with the pack alpha, but the beta is already walking away to respect my request of not taking too long, I sigh before turning back to the beast.
“If you just said that you are indeed going to do that, we’re going to have a problem, you and I” I let out as we start walking towards the corridor, the big wolf a little higher than my waist, it’s insane.
It grumbles unhappily, I can guess that it at least wants to be near and that I can tolerate. “As long as you don’t look while I’m changing, you can stay. But if you do look, I’m going to blindfold you, pack alpha or not, no one gets to look at my boobs without permission”.
A pleased huff and a hit of the tail against my butt, it makes me giggle in quiet, our presence near the bedrooms meaning we could easily wake them up if we’re too loud, none of us want that so from there, we don’t make any noise as we enter the bathroom I share with Taehyung to get ready for bed.
With me facing the sink and Namjoon’s wolf curling around my back to keep me steady, I brush my teeth with a fancy electric toothbrush that was neatly set aside for me, then wash my face with the same facial products that Taehyung uses, something he says he doesn’t mind in the slightest, my skin has been shining healthily ever since I started using it, it’s nothing like my cheap multi-purpose lotion I used before.
“You know, wolfie, if I don’t focus on the price behind every item I’m using, this isn’t so bad. I never really liked what I was using before, everything was managed so that I could eat at least a few meals a week, it wasn’t anything fancy even then, but sometimes I could afford myself some good old chicken and that made me happy, as if I wasn’t eating rice balls and ramyeon every other days” I tell the silent wolf as I pat my face dry with a soft towel before grabbing one of the creams.
“If I told mom that I didn’t have enough to buy shampoo or soap for the dishes, she’d just say that I was bad at managing the money her and dad gave me and to deal with it, but the thing is that I would limit myself for everything, I didn’t even buy myself new clothes when mine would break, I’d invest instead in a sewing kit because I couldn’t afford anything.
I wonder if they did that on purpose, maybe they really wanted to break me, make me lose my faith, they just wanted to see me crawl over and beg them to take me back” I continue with a shrug, it almost feels like another life, I’ve been allowed so much from my short stay here, the seven men have been so caring and gentle with me.
“And man were those winters cold, the walls were thin like paper, heating up the apartment would go through my whole budgeted money like it was fuel to fire, it felt useless to really heat at some point. You should’ve seen me sometimes, I looked like a yeti with all those blankets around me” I giggle at the memory, I’d get every single one of them and tie them with a belt, it was funny whenever I’d walk past a mirror.
The wolf’s head comes to rest against my stomach with a small whimper and I caress its head with a small smile.
“But you know, now the things I find funny don’t come from my misery anymore. Now I laugh because one of you do something weird, or when you guys tease each other, and all of you are so warm and you always make sure I’m okay, it’s… it’s really nice. I never thought I would experience such kindness one day, I’m really thankful that Yoongi talked to me that day”.
We stay like that for a moment, Taehyung’s scent nearby, he must be leaning against the wall besides the bathroom’s door, my words making it to him without barrier, I wonder how he must be feeling right now, his scent seems sad, sugar slightly burning, I guess my words made him upset.
“Do you think I can give you back as much as you’ve given me one day? I know I’m not financially independent just yet and I know none of you would accept anything I would buy for you without scolding me for not keeping it for myself instead, but at least in taking care of you, and showing you that you’re all very important to me, could I one day give back the whole extent of your kindness and love?”.
Taehyung opens the door and hurries to wrap me in his embrace, tight and strong, his scent wavering between his apple pie and burnt sugar, like he doesn’t know how to feel. “You’re already doing enough, sweet rose, just by being in our life and by allowing us to hold you, you’re doing more than enough”.
I smile, my insides melting and tingling. “Yeah, this is what I’m talking about, you’re all too kind” I muse, arms meeting at his back, Namjoon’s wolf stable around the both of us, it stays like a grounding presence, tall and safe.
I yawn, fatigue starting to make itself known with a light weight over my head and both wolves take that as sigh enough that it’s time I head to bed.
Taehyung pulls back slightly and cups my cheeks as he gazes softly at me, thumbs gentle over my cheeks and under my eyes as his scent softens back to his honey apple sweetness. “Will you be a good omega for me and get in bed? I will join you very soon, okay? Don’t think anymore about the past, let Joonie’s wolf keep you warm and cozy until you fall asleep, hm?”.
I tilt my head into his warmth and nod slowly, a tiny smile appearing on my lips, if that makes me a good omega… “I will, wolfie’s fur is perfect for nesting into, it’s all warm and smells good, and it’s going to be even better with you” I hum before yawning again, my limit attained for the night.
A kiss to my forehead before he nudges me softly towards the door, the wolf close on my heels. “It sounds like you’ve already planned how to make most of our situation, go get settled then, my cute little rose, don’t forget to change into a pyjama, I put a new one on your bed”.
Say no more!
Excited at the prospect of yet another new pyjama, I hurry out of the bathroom and to my room, the wolf letting out a surprised chirp at my sudden dashing off before it runs after me and Taehyung chuckles before closing the door behind him so he can finally get that shower and get off all the sweat of working in a hot kitchen.
Indeed, as soon as I enter my bedroom, I find on my bed a cute pyjama, and as soon as I touch it, I wonder once more just how Taehyung could find such a marvel, no doubt some of his unicorn blood was traded for it, there’s no possible price for this.
Eager to put it on and feel it on my skin, I get ready to remove my shirt but then remember the presence in the room, one look over my shoulder showing the wolf who looks away instantly, caught staring, it sure was.
“Pack alpha” I warn, and it grunts before closing the door, face then towards the corner of the two walls, it won’t look.
“You don’t look or you lose your sight, you choose” I tell the wolf just in case it would cross its mind to try again and when it grumbles as if saying a very long explanation of why it should or shouldn’t have a look, not that I would know, I shake my head before removing my clothes quickly to jump into the pyjama, my nerves keeping me from taking my time because… how trustworthy is a wolf when its true mate is nearby and naked?
I adjust the fabric over my body and once sure that I’m proper, I call out to the creature and turn around on myself to show off the cute night outfit, its chirp of approval putting a smile on my face before I point at the nest.
“Now it’s cuddle time, I wonder how it feels like with a real wolf, go on big wolf” I muse, it doesn’t let me ask twice when it rushes past me and on the bed with a pleased rumble, body turning and turning and turning and turning and- “I think it’s fine now” I let out when it has yet to settle, body going for another circle with a non-threatening growl before it finally lies down with a small exhale.
“You good now?” I ask, just to be sure that once I’m in, it won’t step all over me, but at a nod of its head, I turn off the light and climb in, the heat that radiates from its body enough to pull me in like a moth to a flame and when I let myself fall against its side, it’s to find myself pushed straight into a new world of fluffiness.
It’s instantaneous, the way my purr leaves me at the new comfort that shouldn’t exist, face nuzzling into its coat, the musk that sticks to me getting that scent of rain, it’s so nice, it fills the room quickly and without much resistance, my nest is going to smell so good tomorrow.
I feel Namjoon’s wolf’s wet nose brush against my temple before it tentatively licks my cheek and when I purr more in response, it huffs a small warm breath, head going to rest on a nearby pillow, tail over my waist, satisfied because omega is purring for alpha, the wolf couldn’t ask for more.
Already, in this position and surrounded by such comfort, I can feel myself slipping away into sleep and I cuddle deeper into its body, no doubt I’m almost disappearing into the fur at this point.
“Good night, alpha” I murmur, a goodnight wet kiss to my nose the last thing I register before I finally lose the fight for the day.
For more information about this story, find it here
(AUTHOR) I apologize for not having updated at all this week! I was really busy and couldn’t write at all! I hope you guys can forgive me and enjoy this sweet chapter!
“Was that enough? Do you want more? I can make you something else if you’d prefer more filling food? I’m not as skilled as Taehyung for baking but I can surely manage some sweetness” Hoseok offers from the other side of the table, eyes meeting mine in silent expectation after seeing me empty my bowl of soup in a time record.
I sheepishly gaze back at him, embarrassed that I was caught digging in like it was my last meal on earth, but the reality is that I was starving, it felt like I was eating for ten and today’s events probably had something to do with that.
“Didn’t Taehyung leave some leftover chocolate bites in the freezer?” Jimin speaks up from the kitchen as he gets himself a glass of water, eyes gazing at my expression long enough to see the interest flash through, it has Hoseok jumping to his feet to have a look himself.
Chocolate would cheer her up for sure, he tells himself, soul eager to be forgiven after the failed outing.
My perking up at seeing him hurry to the freezer doesn’t go unnoticed and when the beta opens the door with a swing that threatens to destroy the poor thing, Jimin can’t resist peeking over his shoulder, an additional pair of eyes working to find the sweet treat for their soft omega.
“So? Did he leave anything? Maybe behind the containers? Or behind the dumplings?” Jimin asks, lips bitten nervously when Hoseok doesn’t answer, fingers pushing everything aside and making a mess of his hard work organizing it all because he just wants to find at least one piece of dessert.
I observe in silence, get increasingly worried because I can smell their scents turning nervous, they’re taking this too seriously now, it’s just dessert, right? I can survive without any, really!
“Guys, it’s okay, I’m not really hungry anymore anyway, that soup was more than enough” I try to assure them but they both shake their head, now on a mission to find something sweet, chocolate, candies, it doesn’t matter, they’ll give me something, their wolves have found purpose and they will accomplish it.
Wolves want true mate happy, let them work.
My eyes widen at the clear voice that resonates in my head, a purring that doesn’t feel like it’s mine at the back of my mind, it’s such a weird feeling, but there’s no doubt about this, my wolf just spoke to me.
Jimin stares at me and pauses his searching as he registers the shock on my face. “Love, are you okay?”.
Hoseok peeks out from behind the freezer’s door and at seeing my face, he closes it before both men make their way to me, noses smelling my windy rain, not quite a bad one, it’s more like it’s out of surprise, they still can’t help but be worried when I have yet to answer.
“Doll? Is something wrong?” the beta asks as he crouches in front of me at the table, Jimin behind him and it takes me a moment to admit it aloud, it’s not like it’s the first time this happens but… will I ever get used to it?
“I just… I heard my wolf talk to me” I mumble and the two of them relax instantly, eyes warming up in understanding, this is all so new for me after all.
“What did it say?” Jimin inquires and I blush a little, my scent turning all soft rain, cinnamon almonds and honey making me want to smell more of it, as if the cuddle session from earlier wasn’t enough. Steal blankets and nest with true mates?
My blush deepens and I hide my face, too embarrassed to say it aloud, how dare it say exactly what’s on my mind back to me!
“Could it be that it liked how we were trying to make you happy?” Jimin tries with a sultry voice, it’s teasing and gentle, and the small peek between my fingers to briefly stare at him answers his question, it makes both men preen in pride.
“I’ll bake something, okay? We’ll get that sweetness done” Hoseok decides with a firm nod of the head and before I can even try to hint at my other plan which consists of cuddling more because it just felt so good earlier to be that close to them, it pleased every single cells of my body, he goes off running to the pantry to get everything he believes necessary.
I pout a little, plan ruined, you can still steal blanket, blanket doesn’t betray, and yes, it’s right, blanket doesn’t betray.
Under Jimin’s curious eyes, I stand up from my seat at the table and walk past him to head back to the pack nest, the blankets there smell like everyone, if I bring one to the living room, it’ll feel like they’re all home.
And then when they get back home, we can all cuddle together?
I nod, that sounds perfect.
It’s like something has changed in me after conversing in the pack nest earlier, to accept the instincts that flood through me, to not resist them, isn’t this normal?
I’m an omega, I’m allowed to steal nest materials, this is my right, especially if my wolf’s the one asking for them, that’s what Jimin said, right?
I enter the room, unaware of the alpha following me discreetly, his eyes creasing with pride at seeing me enter the pack nest from a distance, this is what he wanted, for me to walk around freely without fear, and now he wonders if I’ll walk out again or if they lost me to the magical nest.
I reach the bed, lungs filling with the seven different scents, scents that feel like home, when did this start happening? It feels like everything is moving too fast, yet not fast enough at the same time.
To have had my instincts caged for so long, they must be eager to finally have a freedom, to be soothed just like they should’ve been a long time ago, it feels good to not have to resist anymore, things I used to find weird before now finding a right to exist to their full extent.
I part the curtains of the beautiful nest and then grab the fluffiest blanket, face rubbing into it the best thing in the world, everything is so soft in here, it makes me want to get in and just… scent everything.
Do it.
I look behind me, at the parted door, and after one moment of hesitation, decide to give up on walking out of here. This is where I will spend the rest of my life from now on.
Feeling a strange yet comfortable haze settle over my mind when I close the curtains behind me to really get that cocoon effect, fairy lights giving off a pretty orange glow to the area, a purr starts building in the back of my throat at being in such a cozy space, one that smells like my seven true mates, perfection, this is perfection.
I lie down in the middle of the nest and rub my face into the pillows, a satisfied purr leaving me when my own scent starts being added to the lot, it makes me want to do it more, I want them to smell me as soon as they come here, I want to be part of this.
Just one more surface.
I turn around and pull a blanket closer, rub my face into it, bring it to my neck, unconscious of how it has me falling into a trance of bliss, every scents sticking to me, it’s like paradise, but it’s not enough yet, their scents are so strong, I need to add more.
More.
Jin’s POV
Finally back home, my first urge is to find my poor omega, how is she feeling now? Is she feeling better? Is she still shocked because of what happened outside? Did they make up? What about Hobi? How is he? Did he cry?
So many things I want to make sure of, it has my wolf and I feeling restless, we couldn’t take a single break today, there were just so many patients in need of my help and I couldn’t nest for even two minutes, it’s making me cranky and sadly, most of it fell on Hoseok, which makes me feel terrible.
To know that she couldn’t nest when she was in such a big need of it when I myself was in the same situation? It all hit too close to home, I didn’t want her to feel the way I did and at reading his messages, it made me really angry, I shouldn’t have let my instincts take over that way, I need to apologize to Hoseok.
As soon as I step foot inside the house, I’m met with the sweet smell of baked goods… is that chocolate croissants? Is Taehyung already back? I thought he would be home late today.
I head to the kitchen when I have yet to find anyone, body tense as I try to resist the urge to run to the pack nest, I just need to see everyone first, after I can go and get that itch out from under my skin.
There, to my surprise, I find Hoseok and Jimin, the two of them working together on decorating little cakes, warm croissants cooling down besides them, cheeks and noses covered with vanilla cream, happy glows to their eyes, they sure had their fun, it warms my heart, rids the image of a crying Hobi I had stuck in my mind.
They both turn to me when they smell me and smiles appear, joyous almonds and cinnamon, it makes me tear up, heart filling with guilt for the way I had talked upon learning of what happened to Y/N, I really didn’t mean to be so angry at him, he didn’t deserve any of it, he didn’t know.
The beta drops everything he’s holding at the sight of my growing tears, scent turning sharp and he comes running to hug me tightly after washing his face with a towel, his scent pushing out pheromones to calm me, his shushing voice soothing, I melt in his embrace, tears running down my cheeks as I hug him back, I’m so glad he’s fine.
“Is our omega feeling bad?” Jimin muses softly as he comes to join us, his hand rubbing up and down my back and when I nod, Hoseok hugs me with even more strength, his almonds sweet, so sweet.
“It’s okay, hyung, you were right, all of you. I really messed up, I’ll make sure it never happens again, I promise. Jimin was very grounding ever since he got here, he took care of everything, it’s all good now, both with me and with Y/N” the beta explains with a gentle voice, it has me heaving out a sigh of relief, thank goodness.
I take my time to scent him properly, it’s not the same as scenting an alpha, but he’s a mate all the same and it helps, my boiling emotions getting the slightest respite, he doesn’t hate me.
“I’m so sorry, Hobi, I really didn’t want to be like that, you were already panicking and instead of helping you, I made it so much worse, I’m sorry” I tell him, a pressure over my heart lifting when he coos and kisses my forehead, he already forgave me, of course he did.
We keep hugging each other for a beat longer until my wolf growls, that nesting urge still not gone, I’m truly getting at my limit, senses in disarray, it’s very uncomfortable.
“You need to nest, don’t you? You should go now, hyung, there might be a surprise waiting for you, a terribly adorable omega completely blissed out and passed out right in the middle of the blankets and pillows. She pushed herself into a scent coma” Jimin informs me with a giggle and I pull back to stare at him in surprise, did she really?
“In the pack nest?” I ask, hope in my voice, did she really go there all by herself?
When they both nod, a small nudge towards the corridor to spur me on, I break into a run, needing to see for myself, just how much of her scent was added into the pack nest, and to have the possibility to nest with another omega?
It’s a dream come true, it really is.
Being the only omega in a pack isn’t always very fun, the others don’t have the same nesting urges as I do, and it’s not their fault, they don’t need it the way I do, but with her… things can be different.
As soon as I reach the door, I become aware of the sound of heavy purring on top of her scent flooding the room, the sweetest version of it, it has my own purr rumbling out of me before I even step a foot inside because this, this is heaven on earth.
I never knew that a scent was missing in our pack until we met Y/N, her rainy roses everything we need, all of us.
I open the shut door and enter inside, soul and heart giddy to find out how sweet and soft she currently is and I’m not disappointed, far from it when I part the curtains to find her under a pile of blankets, her arms rubbing the fluffy duvet unconsciously, her adorable purrs filling the silence, lips parted, yet the corners unmistakably curl into a smile, a treasure for my heart, I’m in love.
I carefully climb the nest and close the curtains behind me before making my way to my true mate, my cute little omega, lie down besides her before pulling her towards me with one arm under the blankets and over her waist, she’s so warm, it’s soothing me instantly, every struggles and worries I had today disappearing thanks to her.
It’s like her rain is washing away every impurities that were swarming me, she’s purifying my soul and filling it with rose water, an aroma that makes me breathe in deeply, I could never get tired of her scent, one that depicts her as mine.
With the both of us purring like madmen, it settles a deep instinctive need to care for her that I had dragged behind me all day long upon learning of her situation, her wolf wouldn’t be this content if she wasn’t feeling better now so I can allow myself to truly enjoy this moment, my wolf in ecstasy in front of such bliss.
I nuzzle my face into her neck as I slide under the blankets covering her to be part of that warm and delicious cocoon, her body brought even closer to mine, the way she fits into me like the missing piece of a puzzle sending happy waves of delight from my ears to my toes.
“My sweet omega” I murmur before mouthing at her throat, it causes her scent to spike up, rose water on my tongue, but there’s also a hint of every other scents in the nest, she rubbed the nesting materials all over her skin, it makes me proud because that means she’s starting to claim us as hers, she’s trying to accept instincts she might not understand, she allowed her wolf some control.
Whatever it is that Jimin did and said today, it made things move and I’m so thankful.
It was a worry I had, that she would resist the instincts because they would clash with her human mind, with what she grew up learning, the things that her adoptive parents might have forced her to go along with, or the things they would have stopped her from doing.
Living the way a human does is not made for wolves, as similar as we are, we are also incredibly different.
A small whine reaches my ears when I lick her throat and I find myself grinning slightly, tongue lapping over her scent gland, possessiveness crawling around my heart at the sound of her sweet voice, my beautiful omega, so small under me.
Ours.
Yes, ours.
Thick and fat rain that drizzles over my head, roses bursting like someone keeps throwing petals all over the place, I can’t keep my mint from wrapping around her, the way I keep adding more to her skin, it oozes in the air, it gives a coldness to the rain, but it’s not uncomfortable, it’s nice, minty roses, I don’t hate the mix, it’s like a very original garden.
“Is a certain lovely girl waking up?” I coo when I hear her breath hitch in her throat, I can feel it under my lips, it’s fascinating, addicting.
“J-Jin?” she manages out, voice nearly giving up on her with how strong of a daze she finds herself in, remains from the scent-coma she pushed herself into, but also from being scented by me that way, it’s not something she’s used to, not yet.
I don’t want to stop giving love to her delicious skin, but I also want to see her shining eyes and so, I pull back and adjust myself until I hover right above her, upper body propped on hands that rest on either side of her head while the rest of my body cuddles her side, I take in the flushed cheeks, the dreamy orbs, oh how beautiful she is like this.
Moving down to one elbow, I get even closer to her, my breath fanning over her lips, it has her pink turning into a red as I bring my now free hand to cup her face, thumb sliding over her chin and lips, how soft and plump they are, I can’t wait to have a taste of these one day.
My purring resonates directly against her chest, she can feel how strong it is, to a point that it overrides her own and I can see the way her eyes nearly roll backwards because of it, because purrs are known to be soothing, healing, there’s no way even the smallest worry could pierce through our wonderland right now.
“My pretty girl, how are you feeling?” I ask her, preen with the way she has to try very hard to focus on my words, her brain melted, enchanted, she has to rebuild some of it to be able to process and answer, it’s absolutely endearing to see.
“I… feel good, very good” she eventually murmurs, eyes blinking lovingly at me and I hum, the urge to kiss her so strong, but it wouldn’t be fair for her, not when she’s in that state, when everything is so new, so I instead settle for her cheeks, nose, forehead, everywhere but her lips, but I will have them one day.
Her soft giggles echo around me as she starts recovering a little bit more, it takes everything I have in me to not return to her scent gland and push her back in that daze, my wolf needing nothing more than to keep her close to me at all time, under my protection, today hurt her and I don’t want it to happen again.
“Did Jimin take good care of you today? Did Hobi apologize, my sweet muffin?” I ask her instead, eyes gazing into hers, enough strength back into her orbs to be able to comprehend more of my words, she nods after a moment, a smile forming on her lips.
“They both took good care of me, and Hobi apologized more than necessary so I made sure to let him know that it was okay and we… talked a lot, Jimin explained things to me and made me promise to be good to myself and to my wolf, I said I would try”.
I hum at her words, incredibly pleased by what I’m hearing.
“That makes me happy, sweetheart, very happy, you deserve to be good to yourself, you deserve everything good in this world” I tell her with another peck to her nose that has her smiling shyly to me.
Her eyes dart to my neck and I observe in wonder as she bites on her bottom lip, a little unsure of herself before she decides to wrap her arms around my torso to snuggle into me and a happy rumble leaves my chest at the act, all of my soul content with this private moment I’m finally spending with her.
I let myself fall to my side to give her more access to my throat, both arms circling around her waist to keep her close and when I feel her nose graze against my scent gland, I close my eyes to enjoy this with her, the soft tickles sending tingles to my heart and soul, my scent pushes out of me, eager to flood the air and please her instincts.
A cuddly little omega. It seems that while today was tough on her, it also opened her mind a little bit more to her reality, and by the same occasion, to us as well.
“I thought you would’ve been back later” she says after a moment and I shift a little to lie on my back, arms pulling her on top of me to cradle her close, I like having weight over me and she doesn’t complain, instead naturally curving her body to fit the new angle she finds herself in, cheek resting against my shoulder, her fingers running along my other softly in a distracted manner.
“I was supposed to, but I couldn’t handle being away from you anymore and most patients I had to see were mostly betas and alphas at this point so I asked another doctor who was free to take them for me. Called in sick for the rest of the day” I explain, words that have her pausing her fingers for a moment before resuming.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry everyone today” she murmurs, her purrs weaker, it alerts my mind, because nesting is not over, I don’t want her unhappy in the nest I spent so long building, this is a safe space, happy space, need true mate happy.
I hug her tighter and shake my head, pheromones oozing out to cheer up her mood, because as weak as mine are, they still act well on her since my pack rank is above hers.
Even though her being in our pack is not yet official, her wolf knows, it reacts instantly, soothed as her body melts into mine.
“It’s alright, omega, we just want to take care of you, not being able to leave work when Hoseok told us what happened made us tense but we knew that Jimin would be able to take care of you well, the others will just want to cuddle with you to reassure their wolves when they’re back too, lots of cuddles for our sweet girl” I assure her and she nods lightly, the thought of more cuddles causing her purrs to get stronger again.
“I love cuddles, I didn’t know I would love it that much but I would cuddle forever if I could, it’s so warm and cozy, and you guys smell so good” she admits with a tiny voice, embarrassed about it but the fact that she voices it out anyway sends happy tingles across my soul because that sounds like a request, doesn’t it?
She wants us to know that she enjoys them and that we can seek them out with her, she will want them just as much.
“I’ll be sure to let the others know” I croon, purrs seeping out of me with much more strength than I have ever known myself to be able to produce, it makes her giggle, her shyness turning into amusement at the feeling that spreads through her body and I chuckle, unable to stop them, I’m just so happy.
“Let’s stay here until the others get back home, okay?” I ask her and immediately, she nods, the idea obviously pleasing her as she noses at my scent gland softly, her purring merging with mine.
“Let’s do that”.
Your POV
“Look how adorable they are”.
“I know! And I’ve never heard Jin hyung purr that loudly before, look at his face, he’s in heaven, Y/N’s heaven, it makes me jealous, he’s never purred like that with us”.
“Right, his omega wolf must be jubilant. Jin wasn’t meant to be the lowest rank in the pack, so when we do formalize her being with us, him being the pack omega is going to make him much more comfortable, he’ll have someone to take care of, someone who will look up to him, look up to his wolf, it’s what he’s always needed”.
I listen to the ongoing conversation with a distracted mind, only a few words registering but senses mostly focused on Jin and on the mattress dipping to one side, baby powder and dark chocolate filling the space, it’s Jungkook and Yoongi. Did they come back from work?
A gentle hand that cups my cheek and my eyes flutter open to find Jungkook smiling at me, his eyes warm as he gazes at me. “Are you back with us, sweets?”.
I giggle lightly and nod my head, the older omega’s arms still around me and holding me tight keeping me feeling so cozy and safe.
“I think so… today was filled with cuddles and naps, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight” I admit and Yoongi sighs with a smile and a shake of his head in fake reprimand at my words.
“Those wolves could only think of spending time with you that they’re going to ruin your whole sleep schedule… well, we can see what we do about that when we get there, how about you come with us for now? It wouldn’t do to have you go back to napping, dinner is already in the oven and it should be ready in maybe one hour, I took over for Hoseok tonight”.
I purse my lips at the prospect of leaving Jin’s embrace, I love the feeling of his purring as it travels through my whole body, it’s so soothing, like it’s melting all the stress out of me, but at Jungkook and Yoongi’s expectant eyes, I eventually nod my head and let the youngest alpha help me get off of Jin without waking him up.
It’s not easy, my body so soft and relaxed that my muscles have all but given up on me, and he seems to notice too because the next thing I know, my eyes end up facing loose blue hair, baby powder strong in my nose as he cradles me in his hold, arms holding me up carefully into his chest before he gets us out of the nest, Yoongi close behind with a pleased smile.
“Is everyone else back now?” I ask them as we exit the room, door slightly shut to give the other omega some more napping time before it’s time to wake up and Yoongi shakes his head as they resume walking.
“No, but Namjoon is on the way, as for Taehyung, he’ll be back later, he won’t eat dinner with us because he has to cater to a few people tonight at the restaurant”.
I hum, a little bummed that Taehyung won’t be here anytime soon, but knowing that I can see him later, that I will be here to greet him when he comes back, it makes me feel better about it, so I continue on to the next subject on my mind.
“Could I come with you to work tomorrow? I think I’d be fine going now, plus you two are going to be there so things can’t really go wrong, what do you think?” I ask, eager to do my job, I barely worked a full day with them, it’s ridiculous.
The two of them share a look at my words, unsure of what to say, am I really ready to go after what happened today, after my reaction to a lack of nesting?
“Wouldn’t it be better to wait a little, honey? You just had a long day” Yoongi tries, worried but I pout and give him my puppy eyes, I can’t stay here forever, can I?
“I’ll bring a blanket from the nest? If I ever need a time out, I’ll burrito myself and call for one of you?”.
Jungkook huffs softly and nods his head, much to Yoongi’s disagreement, he rather wouldn’t risk it just yet, but I do make a good point, that’s what I was missing yesterday so if I have a nest at my disposal, things wouldn’t turn that bad again.
“I guess we could make you a nest in our office, we only go there when we need to draw on a project, you could have it as your own space if you need a break” the older alpha mumbles as we enter the living room where Jimin and Hoseok are now sitting calmly, the TV turned on on some news channel, they both turn to us when they hear his words.
“Are you leaving to work with them tomorrow, doll?” the latter asks, a little worried, but when I nod my head excitedly, Jimin hums, pleased.
“That’s a good idea, it’s going to be good for her to accommodate to her wolf there, she’s going to get the perfect balance of calm and customers, she can get used to new scents without being overwhelmed since you guys have a good ventilation system, I’m all for it”.
The merman has spoken, he’s on my side, my hero, all hail good merman Jimin!
Said man’s cheeks blush prettily, a wide smile stretching his lips and he bows slightly. “This merman is at your service, my love, anything for you”.
I blink as a blush creeps up my cheeks too and both him and Jungkook giggle while the other two let out a soft sigh, knowing that there’s no going back now if I have two alphas on my side already.
Namjoon’s the only one who could get in the way if he thought that it would be a bad idea, but they already know he won’t, he knows her in capable hands with them both, he trusts them like no other pack alpha could ever trust their members.
Yoongi shrugs lightly before going to the couch to cuddle between Hoseok and Jimin, soft scenting happening under my eyes and marveling my senses as I smell dark chocolate, almonds and cinnamon merge together to create a new dessert that I would love having a taste of.
“Well I guess there’s no point in avoiding this, Jimin does make sense, and we’ll be there anyway, two alphas can surely handle a breakdown if one ever occurs” the eldest eventually concludes and Jungkook and I both cheer at his approval before the youngest alpha starts spinning us in circle happily.
“We’ll get to be together all day again!” he chirps and I nod my head quickly, arms holding onto him tightly to avoid slipping away and flying through the air, I’m not a bird after all, it has both alphas and the beta tensed as they keep an eye on me until Jungkook starts slowing down the spinning, his head turning a little dizzy, it makes him giggle.
“Let’s not forget that it won’t be to play, but to work, right?” Yoongi reiterates to make sure and when we both nod assuredly his way, he lets slip a small grin, his heart unable to resist such a cute sight.
“Alright, come join us, let’s watch a little something while we wait for the lasagna to be ready”.
I gasp at his words.
“Lasagna?! Yes!!!” I scream as Jungkook walks around the couch to join them and they all chuckle at my clear excitement, Yoongi a proud wolf because he’s the one who came up with the idea, he even made the pastas himself with Hoseok’s directives, he really wanted to please his true mate, so to hear that it’s working, he’s indeed a preening wolf.
We end up all squished on the couch, myself still on Jungkook because there’s otherwise not a single chance for me to make it in between them and we all giggle like children at the way legs have to raise over knees to make it work, it’s a mess of tangled limbs but it feels good, it feels right.
“So… lasagna, explain your reaction, doll, you like it that much?” Hoseok asks once he’s comfortable, interested to learn more about my taste, he can already think of different variations of the meal and he wonders if I would love them as much as the classic tomato one.
I shuffle on top of Jungkook to have a good view of the cook who looks ready to take notes for future references, it makes me grin, he looks so cute like that, his curious eyes on my own, hearty lips curled upwards, he’s beautiful.
“You’re probably expecting a very meaningful explanation, but in all honesty, I just love that dish with all of my being because it’s the best, most delicious food in the whole world and pastas rule and added with cheese and whatever sauce and garnishes you want to add, you’ve got world domination in your hands, that is all” I let out seriously, and when silence greets my words, I nod to myself, satisfied.
There’s the simpler explanation of… I just really like that dish, but then…. where would be the fun in that? What I said is much better.
“Well that is not what I was expecting to hear at all, but I can’t say I’m disappointed” Hoseok blurts out, eyes round as he stares back at me before breaking into laughter, Jimin, Jungkook and Yoongi not far behind now that it’s fully processed in their mind.
“I guess Yoongi hyung really had a wonderful idea tonight, must be why he insisted for it despite it being a lot of work” Jungkook muses happily, arms embracing me from behind as he snuggles into Jimin’s side to seek more comfort, one I am also allowed when the latter’s hands come to find mine sweetly.
I look down as his fingers weave through mine to interlock tightly and I smile at the alpha when our eyes meet, his cinnamon melting and seeping into the air and around each of us, it easily expresses his delight and love.
“It makes me happy, but now I’m also starting to be nervous about it, I hope it’ll be good” Yoongi mumbles, his nerves slightly spiking up until Hoseok nuzzles his side softly. “It will be good, hyung, I was there to help you, you did every steps very well, it’s going to be delicious”.
I turn around to stare at the worried alpha. “Honestly, Yoongi, you can’t do worse than my first and last attempt at making lasagna for myself, that one was a mistake, good for trash, even the wild animals wanted nothing to do with it, I might have made a new type of poison that day”.
A few huffs of disbelief echo at my words and heads shake. “Impossible, I would’ve eaten it, those animals are just inconsiderate” Jungkook states and I shift to stare at him.
“Jungkook” I start, take in his unwavering eyes, he truly believes what he just said.
“It was black and a knife couldn’t make it through the bricks of pastas, I had to put the whole glass container in the trash” I say, notice how his gaze wavers, doubt filling in his doe eyes, would he still try to eat something that could break his teeth?
Jimin snorts. “How did you even do that, love?”.
I shrug as I rest my head on Jungkook’s shoulder, back against his chest. “I fell asleep and woke up to black smoke all over the place. My lasagna was in fire”.
The four men tense up immediately, eyes widening and wolves grumbling in panic, true mate cannot cook EVER again.
“Oh honey… you know falling asleep while food is in the oven is very dangerous” Yoongi murmurs, his voice chiding and I know that very well, but I was just so exhausted that I couldn’t keep my eyes open a second longer, I thought my alarm would’ve gotten me up but I slept through it too many times.
“I know” I pout, fingers playing with Jimin’s to keep myself from meeting their staring eyes. “I never tried to make big food since then though, the deception was huge”.
Huge like a tsunami, all this wasted cheese and pasta… that was a sad day indeed, the poor cheese…
Jungkook nuzzles his face into the side of my neck with a sigh. “Whatever are we going to do with you, our cute little omega? If you ever want to cook something again, you can ask one of us here and we’ll help you, it could be a nice activity to do together”.
Well that certainly would be fun.
“Good, we’ll do that next time then” he chirps before sighing with satisfaction as he grabs the controller for the TV from next to Jimin. “Now let’s watch something else than these recurring news, we can watch those funny videos of people failing stuff instead”.
“Do you think I could’ve been part of those videos too with my failed attempt at lasagna?” I ask as the channel changes to the right show and Hoseok hums, although it sounds slightly judging.
“Sweet bun, I rather think yours would’ve ended up in a show of examples of things to avoid doing” he claims and I scrunch my nose in displeasure. “One that only eighty years old people watch? Now that’s no fun”.
Yoongi huffs. “Almost dying because of a lasagna in fire is not meant to be fun, sweet thing”.
I grumble under my breath and decide to fully focus on Jimin’s cute fingers and the show on the TV, not having anything to retort to that, because he’s right.
“At least it sounds better than dying from adoptive parents poisoning the child under their responsibility” I eventually let out with a pout and the air stills at the bad memory, angry growls rising to fill the silence.
“Right, still need to deal with these guys” Jimin murmurs under his breath, fingers clenching around my own and I smile awkwardly to myself, that sounded highly ominous, didn’t it?
“You guys are not going to do anything to them, right?” I ask, unsure if I even want to hear the answer and when indeed silence greets my words, nope nope nope.
“You know what, let’s just watch this show, yeah? Then we can eat good lasagna” I hurry to blurt out, because I’m not taking part in something illegal, oh no!
If I have mafia mates, I’m not digging into that just yet! Give me some time to adjust, damn it!
For more information about this story, find it here
Jimin’s POV
“Where is she?” I ask as soon as I enter the house, the group chat running wild after Hoseok’s description of what happened on their walk outside, when he took Y/N to get a phone as well as getting some fresh air.
He shared all about the way she got upset about something that she wouldn’t open up about, when she got mad when he tried to help her before running off and how she needed to be scruffed to calm down again, her emotions out of control, he explained everything in details.
He didn’t understand why that happened and he wanted help, guidance, but instead of it, he got swarmed by anger and disappointment from our mates.
Jin: Hobi, you didn’t bring any emergency nesting materials?! She’s still way too sensitive to be confronted to anything relatively stressful yet!!! Her wolf doesn’t understand anything, team that up with upsetting emotions and concerns and you’ve got a storm to clean up!!
Namjoon: He’s right hyung… She’s in a very vulnerable state right now, there’s a lot of change going on around her, not just with her presenting as an omega, but also with her living conditions Going from alone to being with seven wolves who she learns are her true mates, as well as being overly aware that we’re… well… rich, it’s a lot to take in You should’ve asked her to wait outside after making her choose the phone, seeing your black card when she’s been living in such awful conditions for so long? I can’t even begin to imagine what must have gone through her mind
Yoongi: Hobi… you should’ve told us about your plan before going It would’ve been better if one of us alphas came along, just in case This could’ve been avoided
Even without seeing any members of the pack, it was easy to see that everyone was mad, and poor Hobi was right in the middle of it even though he hadn’t meant for things to turn that way.
It just didn’t cross his mind because she’s fine when she’s at home, such an unstable omega isn’t something we’re used to dealing with, how was he supposed to know that it would turn that way? He just wanted to make her smile, he wanted to spoil her, any of us would’ve done the same in his place.
“She’s in her room, she hasn’t come out since we’ve been back” I hear him answer weakly from the floor besides her door as I enter the corridor and the sight breaks my heart, his eyes red and puffy, clearly he’s been crying upon learning that her tantrum was because he hadn’t prepared enough for the eventuality of her becoming overwhelmed, just a scented hoodie or a fluffy scarf would’ve helped.
I make my way to him and kneel in front of his curled up body, hands cupping his cheeks to make him look at me, his sour oranges bathing in their own juice, like he’s just on the verge of melting into a puddle on the ground to hide before the others get here.
“You didn’t do it on purpose, hyung, okay? We all know that, the others are just on edge because they can’t get to her now, they know that you didn’t mean things to turn out that way, they’re not in their right state of mind so don’t take it too much to heart, hm?” I assure him, needing him to understand that.
When it concerns the well-being of your true mate and you can’t even do anything to help, it’s enough to make your wolf grow enraged. Biting off the finger that touched her hair for a millisecond becomes instinctive, they can’t help it, even if Hoseok is our mate, as well as being her true mate too, their wolf doesn’t care in the heat of the moment.
Hoseok knows that, he knows, but the beta can be so sensitive, it’s easy to forget and indeed, at my words, his eyes fill with water again, his chin wobbling under my fingers and I whine at the sight, Hoseok crying such a rare thing, I hate seeing him in this state so much.
I push down my own burned papers and try to get my cinnamon out instead to soothe him, lips brushing against his closed eyelids to remind him that despite everything, we still love him very much, things will be fixed, we just need to learn how to take care of our new omega, all of us.
It’s a learning process for everyone, none of us are perfect, we just need to take the time and share what we doknow so that the whole pack can be on the same level of knowledge. A lack of information leads exactly to what happened today, Hoseok is not to blame for it.
“Do you want to go and make some soup, hyung? You two haven’t eaten anything yet, right? It’ll keep you busy while I take care of her, while I see if I can get her out of the nest” I suggest, wanting nothing more than to distract him with a task that he enjoys doing.
That’s what I want, but at the mention of her empty stomach, he blinks quickly before letting out a quiet sob, hands reaching out to cover his face, shoulders shaking and making me hover over him, instincts just on the verge of making me pin him on the floor for an urgent scenting.
“I’m such a bad true mate, Jiminie, I completely forgot about lunch” he whimpers out and I wrap him in my arms, his head settled in the nook of my neck while I kiss the top of his head, my hold on him strong, the others really have been too harsh on him.
“You’re not a bad true mate, hyung, not at all. We’re all learning here, it’s just not easy to do because Y/N herself doesn’t know what she needs, what she wants, she doesn’t know her limits either. We’re not magicians, there’s bound to be errors at some point, the important is that we learn from them, okay?”.
He sniffles and nods his head lightly, rubs his nose into my skin to get more of my cinnamon, I let him get what he needs, his oranges not quite back to almonds yet, but at least with my own scent, his doesn’t seem so bad anymore, it helps.
“Now, how about you get something done in the kitchen, hm? We’ll be there soon, can you do that for me, sweet beta?” I ask him, the slightest hint of alpha voice used, and when he hums in approval before standing up to his feet with my help, I smile, pull him in to kiss his nose until he lets out a soft giggle before I let him go.
And when he’s out of range, I sigh and turn my attention to the closed door, knowing that she’s on the other side in… I don’t know what state.
She must be upset because of the way she behaved earlier, she must believe that it was her overreacting or something of the kind, I hope she’ll be willing to listen to me.
I just want her to know that just like Hoseok, it wasn’t her fault, it’s simply her wolf being overwhelmed as much as she is. It’s not helping either of them, but they can’t control that side of their bond yet, it’s too new, they have so much to learn, our pretty little pups.
Hopefully the nest made her calm enough to let me in at least a little, I wish she would let me know what made her upset in the first place, Hoseok did write in the group chat that she admitted to having worries that she doesn’t want to share, she doesn’t want to be looked down upon.
I can understand the feeling, the need to keep a brave facade in front of others, to look like everything is fine when in fact, we’re breaking from the inside. It’s painful, yet so hard to stop, I don’t want her to do the same as me, I don’t want her to hurt in silence.
I open the door leading to her bedroom, expect to find her in the bed, I honestly imagined one big mountain of blankets with her right at the bottom, but when I find it intact, nest just as she’d left it and empty, I freeze, eyes looking around the room to find that there’s no sign of her, none at all.
Not visually anyway.
Her scent though… it seems to be coming from the closet, the door shut on her.
Did she make herself a nest in there? She must have needed an additional feeling of safety, it wouldn’t be unusual, but the nest hasn’t been touched, she couldn’t possibly have gone to get some stuff from the pack nest or our rooms, so what-
I shake my head in skepticism, unable to believe that she would do such a thing, she hasn’t been hiding in there on the cold floor without anything to keep her warm, there’s a limit to how mean you can be to yourself, if she’s been denying herself her nesting instincts…
Anxious to find out, I open the closet’s door and what I see has my guts churning, heart dropping to my feet, my wolf growling in despair and my blood boiling in my veins as I take in the sight in front of me.
Oh my poor omega… why do that to yourself?
To see her rolled like a cinnamon bun in the corner of the larger than small space with a pillow cover over her shoulders… it makes me want to cry, mind unable to process what I’m seeing, because why did she choose to be there instead of the nest we made for her?
Heck, it feels like anywhere would’ve been better than the spot she chose, this… cold, empty space.
There’s no clothes in here, nothing to bring even the slightest sense of warmth, it makes me mad, fingers clenching in shock as my soul tries to process, to understand and failing right away because no matter the cause, this is wrong.
Her scent is stuck in a permanent storm even as she sleeps, arms hugging her shivering form, it has me reacting instantly, feet taking me to her before I scoop her up into my arms and gosh, her skin is freezing, this isn’t okay, no matter what took place in her mind to convince herself that she deserved this, it will never be okay.
With a grumbling growl constantly echoing off of me, I ignore her nest as I make my way out of the closet to head to the pack nest instead where our mates’ scents are strong and overwhelming in the best way possible, unable to think about anything other than the fact that I’ll have to make her understand that from now on, ignoring your instincts in such a painful manner is a big no.
We even have a rule for that damn it! You do not forbid your wolf to seek comfort, no matter what happened prior to that need!
If Jin had been the one finding her miserable form in the closet, she would’ve gotten a huge earful until she would’ve started crying before he would even consider slowing down, because as a doctor for omegas, he stressesthe fact that nesting is vital, an omega needs to nest often, no matter how weak it makes them look and feel.
You do not avoid nesting to look tough, or to punish yourself, there are plenty other ways to do that, but hurting yourself? Not one of them.
I reach the gigantic bed in the middle of the nesting room, one that was specifically made to fit seven grown men, blankets hung from the ceiling and draping around the handmade shelving unit surrounding the bed to create this cozy space with just enough fairy lights and candles to give it a romantic touch.
Each shelves were decorated carefully by us, pictures that we love, little figurines that we found cute as well as spare pillows, blankets and scented clothes, the pack nest is always ready to bring comfort.
And since Jin likes to do things with just a bit more impact than others normally do, he chose blankets with his face all over them, the Jin Kingdom, where your worries disappear, because how dare you be sad in heaven?
Gosh I love him.
Storm clouds bring me back to the matter at hand and after moving her to one arm so I can part the curtain of fabric to gain access to the bed with the other, a paradise of fluffy pillows and blankets, our clothes hidden somewhere in there, I doubt we’re ever finding some of them to be honest, our omega was not taking any chances with us getting them back, they’re here to stay, I settle her in the middle, grab the warmest thing I find to cover her freezing body with before turning my head towards the door.
“Beta, pack nest, now!”.
Body itching to join her to take care of her properly, I get in the bed to spoon her, arms pulling her into my chest just as I hear feet hurrying over, Hoseok’s nervous scent filling the space before he peeks into the nest to see her trembling in my arms.
“She was in the closet on the cold floor with a stupid pillow cover over her, get in and help me warm her up” I demand, take in the way his eyes widen in shock before he climbs in bed to lie down in front of her, his arms meeting mine over her body, his nerves registering her freezing skin and not liking it one bit.
“Why… why did she choose the floor when she has a nest? I don’t understand, I really don’t understand anything today” he mumbles, eyes meeting mine in confusion and pain, I can see his thought process clear as day.
If only she could be easier to read, the years that we’ve accumulated between us offering us a comfortable ease, we’d all forgotten what it meant to not know someone that well.
The process of learning every little quirk and habits to someone new, it’s not an easy one and we can both see that we’re going to struggle more than we’d like to admit, the journey with her won’t be a simple one.
As long as Y/N doesn’t want to open up to any of us, we’re going to have to do this the tougher way - through trials and errors.
Gosh, she reminds me of how I was in the beginning. I swear, Namjoon had enough of my behavior more times than I can count, Jin even had to take me aside and scold me for over two hours once because I’d waited until getting really sick before even daring to open up about my pain.
That’s one thing I regret, because it took from me what I loved the most at the time - dancing. Ends up that trying to ignore a constant pain in your ankle for too long can damage it severely.
I can’t put my weight on it anymore, which means that I can’t dance like I used to and it took me a long time to accept that new reality, and it’s sadly what it took me to finally understand how important it is to not keep everything to yourself.
Sometimes it only results in more loss and pain than necessary.
What would she have to lose to understand that herself?
“She’s going to tell us exactly why she did that when she wakes up, which shouldn’t take too long now, not when she’s surrounded by so many strong scents, I want her to explain to me her day, all of it in details” I answer Hoseok’s question, eyes falling to the little I can see of her face, eyes already starting to move under her lids, they should open soon.
He purses his lips at my tone and decides to keep his mouth shut, because he knows to not risk it.
I can tolerate many things, but Y/N has breached many of these limits, all while sleeping, which I honestly didn’t know was possible.
Yoongi did say that she seems to be the kind to lock her emotions away when she doesn’t know how to handle them, that’s something that makes me incredibly nervous since I know how it is, what it does to the mind.
On one hand, I won’t shy away from being blunt if that’s what she needs, and if she tries to counter my points without trying to understand, she won’t find me funny, not today.
But on the other hand, if I do things right, there might very well be a chance that she opens up to tell us the exact same things she hadn’t wanted to say to Hoseok earlier, it’s all about pushing her in the right direction while being careful so that it doesn’t turn back on us.
I won’t insist, if she really doesn’t want to open up, I will stop, but if the door is the slightest bit opened, I will fit as many inches through the gap as I can until we get to the bottom of this matter.
We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.
Your POV
When Hoseok and I had finally made it back to the pack’s house, a taxi called to bring us back faster because my body had lost all of its strength, I’d gone straight to my room, the guilt of what I’d done growing with every passing minutes, I couldn’t believe how I had behaved with Hoseok.
I could only see the pain on his face when I’d pushed him away, his confused orbs and parted lips playing on a loop in my mind. I had put that look on his face.
Why? Because I felt bad about being poor? Because I don’t have an impressive job like them, or own a shop, a restaurant? Because he has a black card while I barely have anything left in my bank account?
When I ended up all by myself, it all suddenly seemed so superficial in my mind.
Hoseok just wanted to be nice to me, he wanted to give me a fun day, he wanted to show me that you can enjoy yourself without having to worry about every single thing, that the changes occurring to me didn’t have to keep me from the things I like doing, and so, the walk previous to the store was sweet and filled with his voice, it felt good.
But then I’d taken a look at the soft looking nest that was made for me, and that guilt that was increasing in my soul had flared up, my heart screaming that I did not deserve such kindness when I had treated the beta in such a bad manner.
I didn’t deserve the nest, but I still needed something relatively close to one and the closet was the only thing that could provide me that, no matter how uncomfortable it had looked, the pillow cover I had found on the floor completely useless as it covered my shoulders, but it was better than nothing.
That was what I deserved.
That’s what I remember as my consciousness comes back to me, yet right now, what surrounds me is not cold and hard, limbs painful because of the harsh conditions I had forced upon myself.
It takes me a moment to process the scents surrounding me, all so familiar, the comfortable mattress under me, the softness of blankets around my body, and a heavy weight over my waist.
This is not the closet.
Unsure of where I am then, because my bedroom does not smell like that, I open my eyes to find myself face to face with Hoseok, his worried eyes already locked on mine, lips pursed tightly and his scent sour oranges, a whole bag of them, they’ve been dipping in the rain for days on end and now they’re decomposing on the ground, a stack of burned papers not far from here, wet and in pieces.
The upsetting scents along with mine stick to most surfaces surrounding us, yet the room’s scents are naturally so strong that they cover nearly every traces of distress, a mess of different perfumes all emptied at the same time to make sure they remain vivid and plentiful.
I shouldn’t love the disharmony they create, almost none of them made to fit together in such high density, yet I do, they manage to keep me from falling deeper into a dark hole, like a safety net keeping my emotions from spilling into the ocean, it’s warm, inviting and loving, because each of them represent the seven wolves, those gentle men who have rooted themselves into my life with soothing smiles.
I want to enjoy this perfect environment, I feel like I could just roll around and absorb everything that this room has to offer, yet at seeing Hoseok’s sad face in front of me, that contentment immediately fades away, my body frozen in place as I stare back at him, mind lost between wanting to leave because I’m obviously making him sad while also needing to comfort him, for the exact same reason.
I blink quickly, lips curling downwards as my heart fills with nerves, knots forming all around it because I have no idea what is the right thing to do right now, am I even deserving of being here? This room must be the pack nest, why am I here?
“Are you awake now, omega?” a voice speaks up, and it’s not Hoseok, his lips immobile, it makes me grow aware of the weight of two arms over my waist, as well as the warmth behind me, how could I not notice? Someone’s hugging me from behind, that sounded like Jimin.
I nod slowly, the two wolves’ scents not brightening up, they remain in their most upsetting state and it’s making me become fidgety, senses on high alert as I try to understand why they’re in that mood in the first place, is it because of what happened outside? Because I went on a tantrum?
“Do you remember what happened today?” Jimin asks next, I can’t see him, I can only feel him and hear him and the way his voice echoes all around me, dry and cold, it gives life to chills that spread throughout all of my soul, not the good kind, it makes me scared, that he might be mad at me.
I nod my head again, eyes moving away from Hoseok’s before I curl in on myself as much as possible, a hand going to grab the blanket over me to partially cover my head because this isn’t nice.
Everything about them makes me overly conscious that I’m about to get reprimanded, and I sure earned it, Hoseok didn’t do anything to deserve me treating him the way I did, it’s only natural that they scold me.
“Words, omega, do you remember what happened today?” Jimin repeats, stricter and I hold back a whimper, fingers shaking as I part my lips to get a sound out, anything, but I’m just so nervous that my throat has locked up on me and I start becoming increasingly anxious, because Jimin asked something of me and I can’t respond, will it make him more angry? I don’t want that.
“Jimin… she’s terrified” Hoseok murmurs, oranges dimming to become comforting almonds, soft and sweet, but he makes no move to physically reassure me, it seems Jimin holds control over this situation right now and he hasn’t deemed me worthy of their comfort yet.
The alpha breathes in deeply behind me, forces his burned papers to give place to cinnamon, spicy and strong, like too much was poured over the almonds, the rain making everything soapy, but it still gets rid of the edge his scent was pushing over me.
“Take your time, omega. I want you to explain to me in details, what happened from the moment you left the house with Hoseok earlier, to waking up now, but know that you are safe, pack nest is safe, alpha and beta are safe” Jimin tries again, his vocabulary turning overly simple in the end, but a part of my soul jumps at those words, safechanted in my mind by a voice that does not come from me, alpha and beta safe, no danger.
It’s… oddly comforting.
I breathe in the scents surrounding me, try to find strength in them to open my mouth again, Jimin’s assurance that I can take my time letting me know that he’s not… filled with anger, or not that much anyway.
I still can’t really determine an exact emotion by just hearing him and I have a feeling that seeing his face would only deepen that confusion for me, so I decide to keep my gaze locked on Hoseok’s t-shirt, the little logo of a sun on his chest pocket the only thing I can dare look at right now.
From the moment we left the house, he said, right?
I think back to when we’d walked out the front door, Hoseok and I, after he’d massaged the sunscreen into my skin… we were both in a good mood, I felt good then, so it’s with that in mind that I start talking.
Here goes nothing…
“When we left the house… it was fun, Hoseok made me pay attention to the nice scents, told me to focus on them if I ever become overwhelmed and none of you guys are around, the trees, the flowers… the sound of birds, the breeze in the leaves… I could see everything so clearly even from a distance and it was amazing, that part of the walk, I really enjoyed it”.
I start slowly, words murmured into the blanket because it feels like an additional protection to my heart, my voice isn’t loud but they hear me well and Hoseok’s arm around me squeezes slightly, he’s relieved to hear that at least not everything was a complete failure.
Jimin though, he remains silent, still as a rock but body burning like an oven, I know he’s listening intently as I try to do what he asked of me as best as I can, because I want the alpha to be happy with me.
“Then… we made it to that rich shopping district and… I started freaking out a little because I was used to that run-down one on the other side of the city, so to see those expensive shops… I could tell that the cheapest phone they had was way over my budget and I started feeling like running off.
I mean I tried, but Hoseok stopped me before I could, he soothed me and reassured me, although I have to say that his method… well it sent my heart on a bungee jump, I won’t lie, he was pretty hot, it had my heart nearly bursting out of my chest” I blurt out and Hoseok blushes at that while Jimin hides a grin.
I shrug lightly before continuing, lips into an embarrassed pout. “And you know… him calling me a good pup… it strangely made me want to please him, it helped”.
I get a little shy over the admission but Jimin asked for details and that’s what I intend to give, and sure enough, it makes the beta perk up, his almonds getting a boost of baked, crunchy warmth while the alpha’s cinnamon turns softer.
“And then…” I bite on my bottom lip, eyes downcast because that’s where things started going downhill for me, didn’t they?
Hoseok must realize too because he bites on his lips, eyes falling to his free hand between us, fingers clenching while Jimin keeps observing us in silence, his cinnamon pushing out a boosting wave to reassure us that everything is okay, his pheromones calming us, it keeps us from falling too far into regrets, for now.
“Finding the phone for me went pretty fast, what I preferred though was helping Hoseok choose the other devices for you guys, I liked that part since it wasn’t for me, but then it was time to pay and… I mean I knew it would be expensive, but what really shocked me…” I sigh, now feeling bad, because looking back to that moment now that it’s over, it really feels like my reaction was too much.
“Go on, my love, you’re doing so good for us, our good omega. Everything is fine, no one is mad here” Jimin hums softly before nosing at the curve of my neck and I simply cannot resist the melt my body does at the act, the sound of his voice gone from that scary edge that was making me nervous.
It’s now silky velvet against my ear, his cinnamon turning aromatic, it makes me think of pancakes on the terrace while it rains outside, Hoseok’s almonds helping to make the air that much comforting, maybe an almond bread in the oven? And then a bottle of honey on the side to go along with both, sweet nectar in endless quantities.
Eager to keep that feeling of praise because it feels so much better than the previous emotions that were swarming me, I lean back against Jimin to get more of his warmth now that I know he’s not mad at me and he kisses my exposed shoulder before wrapping both arms under the blanket and around my waist, one sliding under me to rest against my belly until I end up flat against his chest, it feels nice, the musky tone behind his natural scent enough to make me feel safer than ever.
I look up to meet Hoseok’s eyes, his orbs soft as he gazes at me, encouraging and when he scoots closer to grab my hands in his, I pull them closer to my face to hide behind his large palms, lips pressing onto his wrists to calm my nervous heart because of what I’m going to say next, the part that is more personal.
It has both wolves starting to purr, instincts pleased because it shows them that I’m starting to relax even though I’m currently spilling the truth without restraint, it’s just as Jimin had wished I would, and it amazes Hoseok, reminds him once more of how convincing the alpha can be without being obvious, he didn’t even use his alpha voice on me.
I clear my throat lightly, uncomfortable, but the seven different scents further soothe my soul and I decide to just go and rip the bandage off, Hoseok wasn’t wrong when he’d said that opening up to them would be better for me, that they were there for me, they deserve that much after all they’ve done for me already.
“When I saw the black card, it served to remind me that we’re not from the same world” I admit finally, and Hoseok frowns, mouth opening to say something but Jimin stops him with one look before closing his eyes, ears entirely focused on my voice.
“You two didn’t see my apartment but… it was pitiful, to be honest. Being sent there by my parents made me realize just how bad our relationship was to begin with, it’s not like they couldn’t afford better after all, I did grow up in an expensive house but… their money was never directed at me, never meant to be spent on me.
So I got used on living while spending as little as possible. Frozen food and ramyeon were what my usual meals consisted of and I didn’t allow myself any sort of luxury even while going to that prestigious University. Everyone around me would flaunt their wealth in everyone’s faces like they were the ones who earned it while I was there just trying to make it through the week with one good night sleep.
That was my life for so long that it became easy to forget that my adoptive parents were rich too, it just wasn’t part of my immediate environment anymore, that changes the way you view money in the first place, so to me, a black card? Goodness, that was the loudest way to tell me that you guys are successful, impressive and doing something grand while I struggled to get a job as soon as I graduated.
All I could think about was my diploma, to make use of it and do something I hate because then, I wouldn’t be so pitiful next to your pack, but… I didn’t want that, and that made me upset, and I didn’t want to be upset because I wanted to be happy for Hoseok, you guys like it when I smile, I wanted to be able to give him that, so I tried to bury my emotions and left outside to calm down.
I tried to do what he’d showed me, to focus on the good, and it helped, but I still felt so fragile and… when Hoseok asked me what was wrong, when he told me to share my concerns with him, I closed up instantly because I didn’t know what I wanted myself, whether to do something I hate to feel like I belong, or to keep feeling like an outsider to avoid doing what I hate.
It kept spiraling down from there, everything started annoying me, my hair, my skin, everything, and then I ran. I didn’t want to be like that, I didn’t understand but I just… I felt sick and everything became too much and I felt angry and lost and I just wanted someone to get mad at me to help me, and when Hoseok scruffed me… it felt liberating, like that pressure weighing on me just disappeared, and then I grew ashamed and…
When we made it back home… I could only think about the way I’d hurt him with my outburst, the way I’d ruined our day out, that guilt would keep growing and when I saw the nest in my room… it felt… too loving, I didn’t deserve to make use of something that was made with such good intentions when I had caused pain unnecessarily, so I went to the closet instead”.
Saying it aloud like that… it makes me realize just how ridiculous it all was, that all of this happened for such a stupid reason, but before I can even start regretting telling them so much, there was a reason why I didn’t want to in the first place, Hoseok hugs me tightly against Jimin, his face burying in my neck while the alpha kisses my head, his chest rumbling in approval and pride.
“Thank you for telling us everything, my sweet ‘mega, alpha is so proud of you” he hums against my hair and it’s like his voice holds magic because those simple words make my embarrassment turn into relief, it makes me feel sheepish, it’s getting ridiculous how easy to please I am.
“I’m so sorry, Y/N, I didn’t mean to make you go through all those emotions when I took you out today, that really wasn’t my goal, far from it, but I messed up so bad” Hoseok eventually murmurs from my neck and I pause, that was the last thing I’d expected to hear, why is he even apologizing?
“Hoseok, no, you didn’t mess up anything, I-I did, it was just me and my stupid problems getting in the way, you didn’t do anything bad” I try to reassure him but he shakes his head before pulling back to gaze at me, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
“No, it was all my fault. The others got mad at me earlier, scolded me because I didn’t bring nesting materials in case your emotions would overwhelm you and that caused you to lose control, I wasn’t equipped to help you properly” he insists, his sad face enough to have my heart splitting in half.
What does not nesting have to do with me losing control? It can’t be that bad, can it? I got that way because I let my thoughts and worries get the best of me.
Jimin hums and shifts a little to be more comfortable, a hand going to free up my face from my hair so he can see me better as he props his upper body on one elbow and I finally get to see him for the first time since earlier, his gentle eyes gazing over me as his hair falls slightly over them.
“As much as I hate to admit it, Y/N, Hoseok hyung is right. Not many of us would’ve thought to bring anything, but it definitely would’ve helped you, just a scented piece of clothe and we might have avoided that burst of anger. You see, your wolf is new to everything, all it knows for now is you and your emotions, it’s so closely connected to you that it will feel all of them just as you do.
The problem, is that it doesn’t understand where those problems come from, or the source at all, so when it gets to experience them the same way you do, it doesn’t know how to process, and when you start feeling like you’re getting overwhelmed by every little details, it’s your wolf starting to panic.
So while the emotions might have been yours, the way they increased until they got out of hand, the way they got taken out of proportions, when you needed Hoseok to scruff you, you wolf also needed it, because it didn’t know how to calm down. You two have a lot to adjust to, and as an omega, nesting is already a natural need, so in your condition, it will raise to the surface more often.
Jin usually has an emergency nesting blanket when he leaves the house for the day, when he knows that where he’s going, he won’t have a nest nearby, he tries to encourage every omegas he meets at the clinic to do the same, so it’s not just you, let me assure you, it’s every omegas, it’s just that in your case, it’s even more important because it would assure safety to your wolf, it would give it time to process new information without getting scared
In that sense, let me assure you once more, what happened today, it wasn’t on you. The way you got mad, the way you felt, it’s not you being overly sensitive, it’s only your wolf needing a time out. From now on, whenever you feel like the emotions washing over you are stronger than they should, whenever you feel uncomfortable, easily stressed and jumpy, either come to one of us, or go to a nest, okay? It can be yours, it can be the pack nest, any is fine, as long as you allow your wolf what it needs”.
So… it’s just my wolf being a baby in an adult body, with adult problems but only able to process them with a baby mind? Because when I think about it, if it had to focus all its life on fighting the poison, in a state of semi-consciousness, it never really grew up, did it? It just survived.
It helps me understand better, the way I keep getting overwhelmed, that night at the hospital, it wasn’t just me, it was my wolf too discovering a world it knows nothing about, that’s why it brought me to that small, dark little space in the playground, it lowered the interactions to that world to a maximum.
“Then… when I slept in the closet earlier, because I felt like I didn’t deserve it…” I start, watch as Jimin’s eyes soften further, body relaxing before he nods.
“That was like telling your wolf that it not understanding your emotions was bad, and it does not need to feel that way, not at all. It’s doing its best to learn, it’s just hard to do in such a short amount of time. You see, my love, wolves are very sensitive creatures, they are driven by their instincts and in turn, since we’re so closely connected, we end up being driven by them, which is why finding a balance is so important.
If you always deny your wolf what it needs, be it scenting, nesting, playing around, shifting - we’ll go over that soon - all of those things are necessary for its well-being. What you need to understand about our kind, is that we are two entities in one body. Taking care of yourself is taking care of your wolf, and taking care of your wolf is taking care of yourself, it depends fully on you after all, you are the main control of your body.
That is why I’m going to ask you to please never do what you did ever again. If you feel like you need to nest, then you nest, no matter what happened before, it’s especially more important if you feel like you don’t deserve it. Don’t feed your guilt, don’t give it reasons to exist, don’t give it power over your worth, that would make us so very sad. If you feel like you really can’t nest, then come to us, we’ll help you, take care of you, okay? Can you promise that for me?”.
Hoseok’s arms hold me tighter, body tensed as he waits for my answer and so does Jimin’s, it makes me conscious of how important this is, that more than a promise for them, it’s also a promise to myself, a promise from me to me, to give me the love I deserve, even when I feel like I don’t deserve it.
Can I really do that? All my life, I’ve had to deny myself the things I desired, the things I wanted, I had to live with the disappointment of having them taken from me, a lonely soul against the world, but…
Things have changed now, haven’t they?
I kept thinking that I don’t have an impressive job like them, but Jungkook and Yoongi, they both recruited me because they liked me, because they believed in me, they need my help, isn’t that much more important than any prestige?
I kept focusing on money, because money is an item used in a mean to survive, I never used it for my personal enjoyment, but I don’t have to just… survive anymore, because I have seven men who want to provide for me, seven wolves who want to help me and take care of me.
I was alone, but now I have seven true mates, wolves who smell of honey, honey that constantly drips over my heart like a warm embrace, it’s starting to layer, coat over coat until it forms a barrier against the pain that used to swarm me in the past.
Feelings of not being wanted, of being abandoned by my own family, of disappointing them when all I wanted was their approval, for them to accept me as I am, these men are giving me exactly what I needed, so… why am I still so scared?
Why is the idea of allowing myself what I need so hard to accept? Maybe it’s just the changes occurring being too abrupt, too drastic, but does that mean I should hurt myself in the process of getting used to my new circumstances just because I can?
Said like that, it sure sounds stupid. I did not choose for my life to go the way it did, and if now I’m allowed to be comfortable, why reject it so adamantly?
I might not be able to change my mindset in a single day, but seeing as they all must own that darned black card, I should at least start with that part of my new reality, these men are filthy rich and there’s no getting rid of that.
It’s just that they don’t flaunt it like everyone else, they don’t take pride in havingthe money, they take pride in usingit for their loved ones.
I turn my gaze back to Jimin, his own patiently trained on me, I wonder how much he could guess from my thoughts, how much he could see in my orbs, because he looks proud, like he knows exactly what conclusion I’m ending at.
They all want me and nothing will take that from them, not even me.
I smile at him, tilt my head into his touch when he brings a warm hand to my cheek, Hoseok’s breath against my skin, the absent wolves’ scents around us, hugging us with their memories, ghosts of smiles all adding to each other and warming my soul and…
“I promise I’ll do my best to learn… how to be good to myself, I’ll try that”.
For more information about this story, find it here
I am a genius.
My brain is wonderful, I would kiss it if I could, and if it wasn’t so… gross.
An electric stove, one I have dragged behind me for years without ever using it because… what’s the point when you have the real deal, right?
I had completely forgotten about it, but in a moment of eureka, it came back to mind and I knew then and there that it was going to save me a lot of humiliation. I’m never pushing back cleaning my home ever again, I’m not risking it, it’s not worth the stress it’s causing me.
Jimin didn’t question it at all, just let me fetch it in the kitchen while he kept himself busy as he emptied his bag on my dining table, eyes sneaking glances around my home, curious to see what makes it my own space, what decorations I might have added around.
Even now, with the both of us sat side by side, me at the head of the table while he’s at my left, a pot of water currently starting to boil but not enough that we can add in the noodles, I can see his golden orbs still trying to find something, anything.
I smile lightly when he turns his gaze back to me, a little startled when he finds me already staring at him.
“You’re wondering why it’s not decorated, no pictures or anything of the kind, right?” I ask him, watch as he becomes sheepish, he didn’t mean to be so obvious, still, he nods softly although he remains unsure of whether it’s another sensitive topic that shouldn’t be breached or not.
It’s always hard for him to know when to stop, he doesn’t want to hurt people with his nosy behavior, and he’s getting better at stopping himself in time most days, but sometimes, it just… slips from him and the damage is done before he can take it back. He doesn’t want this happening again, not now.
“You don’t have to say anything if it’s personal, I know I kind of forced myself in here, I didn’t come to make you feel bad about anything” he assures me and I smile before allowing my eyes to wander the empty walls, most surfaces empty except for the papers spread over them, mails, notes, things that look more like a mess than anything else.
I never really took the time to pay attention to details since I moved in here, but I have to say, it looks kind of sad, doesn’t it?
“Do you want the long version or the short version? It’s not a very happy story but… it’s part of who I am, if you want to hear it” I offer, and being given the option has his eyes widening, wings flapping nervously behind him before he makes a move to gently swallow my hands within his warm palms, fingers squeezing around my own.
“I… if you’re willing to open up and let me in, then it would mean the world to me. I want to understand more about you, what made you into who you are today… things you liked… the people you loved… anything you want to give me, I’ll take it, as long as you’re comfortable with it, I don’t want you to push yourself” he answers and I hum, comforted by his caring nature, it gives me strength to unlock a door that I had secured a long time ago.
I stare down at our intertwined hands, heart warmed by his touch and mind wondering where to start with my story, the feeling of his gaze on me soft and understanding, it’s never easy to open up like that, I’m sure he can understand that feeling.
“When I ended up completely on my own, I think I was around… fourteen? Fifteen? Anyway, grandma didn’t own much anymore when I reached that age, but she used to have these beautiful paintings and vases before, I can remember spending hours gazing at them when life was still… pure and bright, they fascinated me.
She liked to collect unique items from all over the world when she was young, she would travel a lot with her husband, my grandfather, although I never got to know him, he passed away a few years before I was born. She told me many stories about him, about how he would always get her something special, something with a beautiful story, he loved seeing her smile when he would add to her unique collection.
When he passed, these items followed her until her old age, every single one, they were so precious to her, a way to remember the man she had loved so dearly, but when my parents died in a car accident when I was seven… the cost for the funerals… paying off their debts… that all fell on her shoulders so she had to sell her house and everything within.
She didn’t want me to carry that burden later on so she gave everything she had, it was a huge shock for me because I knew how much love she had for her belongings, the memories they contained, but she would always assure me that she had no regrets, that I was much more important to her than any items in the entire world and that as long as it freed my future of as many burdens as possible, it was worth it.
We survived on the strict minimum after that, a small apartment, secondhand clothes, a lot of rice with a little bit of meat, but even then, she would always give me more than she would allow herself, that’s just how much she loved me. She worked really hard so I could graduate from high school and have a future in whatever I wanted, I owe her a lot.
She didn’t tell me, but she had made an account for me as soon as I joined her so that I could make it to university, it wasn’t enough to cover everything but… enough to make it doable for me, so when I lost her to a car accident too… all I had left was that money, safely guarded and locked until I would turn eighteen.
I was sent to an orphanage and from there, I proceeded to refuse every families interested in adopting me and made it through the remaining years of high school before working towards becoming a perfumer, I didn’t have time or resources to focus on buying decorations. Add on top of that my social anxiety and going to those home decor shops alone was out of the question.
This is the result” I explain before ending with a small shrug, because it does sound slightly amusing to me now that I say it aloud, how much I’ve allowed myself to stay within a tight prison, and for what?
Everything I’ve been doing for the past years has always been out of necessity, never out of enjoyment and I’m starting to wonder why I forced myself to live that way in the first place.
That drawing lesson was the first time I’d done something for me in years, and I got much more than I had expected from it in such a short amount of time. It was the best present I could give myself, the right timing to meet Jimin.
I have to say that meeting Yoongi again freaked me out, but now I’m happy that he’s the lesson’s teacher, because that means we can both heal from the awful past haunting us in different ways, one that connects us closely.
It’s a lot of things changing in such a short amount of time, but I feel like this time, it’s good changes.
It’s not losing, it’s gaining.
Jimin licks his lips, eyes staring at the now boiling water with a frown and I stare at him in silence, wondering what’s going through his mind, how he’s feeling, because the way his feathers are bristling at the moment… it doesn’t seem that good.
“You… you’ve been alone for what… ten years now?” he asks, his voice heavy and almost choked up in his throat, his fingers react accordingly as they lace between mine tightly to hold something from me as he registers that bit of information.
I purse my lips and nod slowly. “Yeah”.
“While I gained a family… you were out there somewhere losing yours?”.
That reality seems to hurt him deeply, eyes filling with tears as he turns towards me and to see him on the brink of crying because of my past, chin wobbling sadly, it has my eyes widening, heart breaking and twisting like someone’s attempting to crush it within their fist.
“I-I’m fine now, Jimin, really, I promise” I try but he either doesn’t hear me or doesn’t bother to react to my words because the next thing I know, he’s turning off the electric stove and pulling on my hand to make me stand up with him before bringing us to the couch in the living room like he’s racing against time.
“J-Jimin” I call out, eager to calm the eagle down but before I can say anything else, he’s stopping us besides the furniture, and when he turns to face me, it’s to end up scooped up in his arms before he’s sitting in a fetal position on one of the cushions, knees raised to keep me cocooned against his chest before his wings tightly wrap around us.
“I’m sorry, just… give me a moment, please” he murmurs in my hair and I still at the desperation heard in his voice before relaxing as I come to understand that it must have something to do with his hybrid instincts, that paired with our newfound closeness, of course he would have such a reaction.
“Should I have said less?” I ask him in a whisper, now locked within his hold, there’s not much else I can do and enjoying this moment when I know that he’s mentally distressed would be selfish of me, so I instead caress his waist softly over his shirt in the hopes to help him calm down.
He shakes his head and squeezes tighter. “No, I’m glad you did, I just didn’t realize that it had been so long and it’s… I don’t like it. How did you do it? Being all by yourself for all those years?”.
I smile lightly at his question, breathe in his scent, the one that matches with his hoodie, get reminded of the way his eyes had glinted when he saw me wearing it even after my shower, my hair still slightly wet from not drying it and his wings fluttering in delight as we’d sat down at the table.
“The same way you breathe I guess? Sometimes it gets hard but… you have to keep going if you want to see the next day, plus, you get used to it. I focused on my studies, on work, and I do get contacted by Namjoon once in a while too, it’s always about work but… you know, it’s still a contact coming from a living being, it helped” I tell him, feel the way he relaxes slightly, but not enough, he’s still so tensed, the poor bird.
“So who exactly do you have in your immediate circle then? Is that Namjoon part of it?”.
I hum as I think it over.
“In my immediate circle? No, not really, but like I said last time, if we weren’t so busy and so far from one another, maybe he could be, we did have our moments during university. Other than him, well there’s Jungkook, he’s a brand designer that works for Namjoon, he helps me come up with the designs for my perfumes but he’s all about work, it’s hard to get a smile from him, he’s a good guy though.
As of now… I guess there’s one person who’s been added into my life pretty recently and I have to say, ever since I met him, a lovely eagle, I’ve started feeling less alone because he somehow ends up finding me everywhere I go. White hair, golden eyes, very handsome guy, does that ring a bell? Would you happen to know him by any chance?” I tease him slightly and he huffs before I feel him smile in my hair.
“I think you’ve found him already” he murmurs into my ear and I was not ready for the melted chocolate that his voice edges towards without warning, the way it gets whispered right against the shell enough to give me goosebumps all over and we both know it’s not because of the cold, not when his large feathers are currently keeping us warm.
“Y-yeah, considering that said hybrid is currently holding me like I’m some potatoes wrapped in tin foil, I think you’re right, I do remember something along the lines of a confession happening recently too? Yeah, it’s all coming back to me now, I think I made him my boyfriend”.
He giggles cutely. “Best decision you ever made?”.
“Oh… I don’t know about that one…” I start, to which he stills with a small gasp, wings fluttering against my back in disbelief, but before he can say anything, I continue with a grin.
“If I really have to choose one, I think the best decision I have ever made was to allow you in my life. Boyfriend or not, having you near was always going to be my best decision. What we have right now is a bonus, an extra, one I don’t intend to get rid of”.
He groans lightly and hides his face in my neck, the feeling of his hair ticklish against my skin, it makes me chuckle when his arms squeeze me even more, his emotions flaring up as his wings slap against my back.
“Who told you you could be so cute? It’s killing me, I can’t let you go now that you said that, it’s impossible” he whines with a light bump of his forehead against my shoulder, it makes me blush with a silly grin, soul soft with the way he always says such things without batting an eye, he makes me feel good about myself so easily.
“I could say the same to you, you’re just so cute sometimes that I can’t help but stare at you with a fluttering heart, my pretty man” I muse, not wanting to be the only one getting these compliments, and at my words, I feel the heat rise in his face, skin becoming burning against my neck, it has me blinking as I process the blush that must be going on.
“Jimin, look at me” I let out, wanting, no, needing to have a look, I want to see what shy blushing Jimin looks like but he whines again and shakes his head, arms keeping me from pushing back to see him, I can’t believe he’s trying to keep me from seeing him like that!
“Jimin, I know you’re blushing, I want to see, just a tiny peek!” I plead but when he shakes his head again, I decide to change my tactic, I will get him.
“Alright then, since my pretty bird won’t help me…”.
I feel him tense, head lifting up just slightly from the fear my words cause him and when my fingers meet his waist in a tickle, he instantly tries to squirm away from my touch, but his wings have a mind of their own as they keep me locked against him so my fingers have full access to his sides, and I make use of that opportunity as much as I can.
“Y-Y-Y/N you can’t do t-that! This is hybrid cruelty!” Jimin stutters out in a shriek, soul already begging for me to stop attacking him but his arms say the opposite when they lower down my back to keep me close, his hands gripping onto the hoodie I’m wearing as he twists his body to flee my fingers, except it only serves to raise his own top, and when I touch directly his skin, he lets out a gasp between his pained giggles, the intensity of my feather touches increasing tenfold.
He screams and flops to his side in a laughing fit, which makes me tumble along with him and my heart bursts with joy when I finally get to see his face and gosh, the red glow to his skin, the tears making it shine prettily, lips permanently stretched in laughter, eyes squeezed shut tight, it hits me all at once, that this is how I want to spend the rest of my life.
I stop tickling him and Jimin heaves a sigh of relief at finally getting respite, eyes shut as he takes this moment to finally breathe properly, little giggles leaving him here and there, his wings are curled up as he stretches them with a satisfied grunt before resting the top one over me again.
It’s fascinating, observing all of his expressions, the way he scrunches his nose cutely before grinning, fingers going to get the tears off his cheeks before he’s opening his eyes to stare at me, orbs softening when he finds me in awe at him.
He moves a hand to my cheek to get the few strands of hair obscuring my face away from it and hums softly, a gentle smile on his lips as he rests it back around my back. “Why are you looking at me like that, tulip?”.
Again with that tulip, he did call me that when he texted me earlier too, I find it cute and I can’t help but wonder if he chose it during our trip at the botanical garden, the thought makes me smile.
“Just realizing how much I love this, spending time laughing, talking, being close like we are… I wish this could go on for a long, long time” I answer in a murmur, eyes locked on his golden orbs, his white hair so soft looking in the low light of my living room, he’s breathtaking.
He remains silent a moment to process my words, to engrave them into his brain, into his heart and soul, he never wants to forget this wish, he wants to make it happen at all cost.
“Then why don’t we? We can do this all the time, anytime you want” he murmurs back, all of him looking so endeared that it makes me feel a little shy about my wish, yet I know that if there’s one person who can make it happen, it’s him.
“That would be nice”.
He nods, pleased with my answer before looking over my shoulder and towards the dining table, eyes widening when he sees the pot on the electric stove, it has me remembering too that we were supposed to eat a while ago.
“Are you hungry?” he asks, almost regretfully so, like he doesn’t want to let go of me just yet, our position one that is so comfortable and warm, it’s a feeling I share because it just feels so cozy being in his arms like this, his soft feathers wrapped around us, it’s perfect.
“Hmm… maybe we can stay like that a bit longer? Like… just an hour or two?” I try, cheeks turning pink because I am absolutely serious about my offer and it’s embarrassing to say, but the way his cheeks puff into a happy grin, eyes creasing before he gently pushes my head to rest against his chest, it easily answers my question.
“Make it two” he decides, one that makes my soul tingle in contentment. I snuggle closer to him, every intake of air I take filled with his musky scent, so soothing and safe and I close my eyes to really enjoy this moment that we get to share.
It feels just like yesterday, except that now, the confused part of my brain doesn’t have to work anymore, because now I know that this is cuddles between two lovers, I can allow myself to fall deeper for him without any worries.
(AUTHOR) This is the last update for this book until the next time! Next week, for those of you reading Iridescent love, expect an update, but I will only fully focus on it for TWO weeks the following week as I will be resting before that!
