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Like all alphas, Kim Seokjin had been raised to believe it was his duty to be the one in charge of courting and showing his worth to an omega, if he wanted a relationship with them. Ever since his presentation, his parents had spent hours and hours teaching him what omegas supposedly liked and disliked, what was considered a suitable present and what wasn't.
Flowers and sweets were a must for first gifts, slowly moving on to something more private like clothes, perfumes, and eventually nesting items, possibly soaked in the alpha's scent.
He knew the theory, but when it came to practice, he still had to choose someone he wanted to court.
His family had tried not to pressure him, at first, but as time passed, they became more and more pushy, even going as far as trying to recommend eligible omegas to him, for his lack of a partner was beginning to raise more than one question. After all, what would be the reason for the most desirable alpha in town to still be unmated?
However, Seokjin enjoyed his freedom and his life just as it was, he was not really looking for a relationship, to find a mate and build a family. He was pretty scared of it, if he was being honest… Courting was a serious deal, and mating was something meant to last for life . How was he supposed to know if he was making the right choice?? How could he tell if the omega he was courting was The One ?
What if he messed up, and condemned himself and his future partner to a loveless life of sadness?
He was still searching for the other half of his soul, as cheesy and cliche that sounded, and he did not intend on courting anyone if he wasn't sure about them.
However, the alpha had failed to take one small, single detail into consideration.
Said "detail" was a younger omega, who not only had the beauty to bring an entire town to his feet, but was also reckless enough to challenge everything that omegas were supposed to be and do. He was beautiful, of course, but more on the handsome and dark side, rather than ethereal and pretty. He was not afraid to speak his mind and challenge alphas who dared to cross his path, and most importantly…
He had made it his ultimate goal to win Seokjin's heart, and he seemed to have no hesitation in being the one to court the alpha.
His efforts were, in all honesty, endearing and cute, but most importantly, they were impossible to ignore.
“Jin-hyung! Wait for me!”
Seokjin sighed but still slowed down, letting the younger omega jog up to him. He took an airpod out of his ear, which was something he did not do for just anyone, and smiled at Taehyung when the other finally reached him and greeted him, a little breathlessly, smiling at him as if he had been hoping to meet him all day.
Seokjin felt a sting of guilt in his guts when he saw that look, and his nose caught the sweet tones of happy and pleased in Taehyung’s sweet scent. He had not necessarily been mean to the younger man, but he felt like he was being unfair, keeping him at a distance but never really shutting him out as he probably should.
“Good morning, Taehyung-ah, how are you?” he eventually said, calmly and a little coldly. Not that his tone ever seemed to affect the other, or deter him from talking to him.
“I’m almost late for class,” the omega admitted a little sheepishly, shaking his head a little to get his dark curls out of his face. Seokjin bit his lips when the gesture only brought out his starry eyes, so earnest and full of admiration whenever they looked at him that he wanted to scream a little. “But I wanted to give you this!”
Seokjin’s hands were already reaching out for the small package while his brain was still yelling at him to stop this foolishness . The corner of his lips were turning upwards into a smile and forming a “thank you” before he could even think of stopping himself.
He should not encourage this, but then again, the happiness on Taehyung’s face when he accepted yet another gift from him always ended up washing away any reason from his mind.
The omega waved goodbye at him and then ran off in the direction of his college, and Seokjin could not help but notice he was skipping more than actually running.
Ah, this kid , he thought fondly, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
Still, later that night, he still found himself unwrapping the small gift and grinning a little at the small, bear-shaped scented candles it contained.
He hesitated for a moment, glancing around. He had the whole house to himself, that night, his roommate once again sleeping over at his mate’s… Nobody would be there to see him, nor judge him.
A few minutes later, the alpha was sighing contently as he lowered himself into a bathtub filled with pink water, white bubbles, and seven little bear-shaped candles glimmering on the edge.
He had to admit, seawater and watermelon went together quite well–
“Another gift?”
Hoseok laughed softly when he saw Seokjin come back to their shared apartment with a small bag from his favorite bakery, which was – sadly – a bit too expensive for him to go as regularly as he wished. The red hue on the alpha’s ears and the way his scent was somewhat sweeter than usual gave him away even before he could think of hiding the truth.
“He got my favorite, too–” he muttered, placing the bag on the kitchen table and staring at it for a long minute.
Hoseok came closer and, noticing the way Seokjin was staring at the unoffending little bag, he smirked a little to himself and reached out for it.
Only for his hand to be slapped before it even got close enough to touch the little thing.
“ Mine ,” the older alpha hissed at him, narrowing his eyes and snatching the bag away, almost clutching it to his chest.
Hoseok burst out laughing and raised his hands in surrender, totally pleased with himself:
“Of course, of course, hyung! It’s all yours, I already got what I was hoping for, anyway,” he commented, grinning a little and then turning on his heels and heading out of the kitchen, before stopping at the doorway and turning his head to glance at him from over his shoulder.
“What?” Seokjin deadpanned, still a little on the defensive.
“Nothing,” the younger alpha chirped innocently, sending him a wink. “I have to go, my beloved omega is waiting for me to pick him up for our date, you have fun glaring at that poor pastry all evening!”
Before Seokjin could reply, the other had disappeared, humming and dancing his way through the hallway.
The alpha sighed, shaking his head and then lowering his eyes on the pretty pink and pastel green bag that he was practically hugging to his chest. The sweet scent coming from the bag was already making his mouth water, but it was the sudden realization that came with it that made his heart skip a beat in his chest.
His favorite pastry from his favorite place… Almost had the same scent as Taehyung himself.
“Hi, hyung!”
Seokjin almost screamed out when he heard the voice coming from much closer than he had expected, whipping to the side and pressing his arms against his chest, staring at Taehyung with wide eyes and parted lips.
The omega did not even have the decency to look sorry for startling him on his way to work.
And of course, the gaming company that had recently hired him
had to
be only a few blocks away from the Gucci store Taehyung was working at as a shop assistant – only to pay for his studies until he managed to become an actual stylist, or so he said – meaning the two of them would often meet on their way to or from work.
Not that Seokjin minded it that much, but he’d have to be completely honest with himself to admit it, and he was not ready for that yet. Pretending to find Taehyung’s company to be a pain in the ass, or at least something merely bearable, was easier… most of the time.
But times like this, when Taehyung would laugh at him, beaming and dazzling him with that boxy smile and bread-like cheeks of his, his scent of watermelon gently tickling his nose, always caught him off guard.
And so, he indulged him just a little bit longer, letting the omega walk with him for another bit.
“Hi to you too, got the morning shift today?”
Taehyung nodded, his hair bouncing around his face making him look younger and innocent. He usually kept it tied in a low, loose ponytail, but that day he had not bothered to tie it, and the result was truly something.
He was still smiling at him, and staring at him like he hung up the stars in the sky, and Seokjin would never manage to fathom why someone like Taehyung would fall for him, of all people.
“Jiminie asked to switch with him because the alpha courting him took him on a date out of town, last night, and he would not be back in time,” he explained with a small shrug.
Despite himself, Seokjin found himself slowing down his walk even more, glancing at the other curiously.
Park Jimin was quite famous in town, after all. The youngest son of one of the wealthiest, most traditional packs, the most eligible omega after surpassing even his older half-brother – who had become the black sheep of the family when he gave up on his status and position as future CEO of his father’s company to pursue his dreams of making music and dating his alpha best friend rather than one of the many powerful alphas his family had selected for him – and the town’s sweetheart, who’d always lend a helping hand or a listening ear to whoever needed it.
Once he had turned twenty, he had been swamped with alpha suitors of all kinds and all ages, and of course, everyone had expected Seokjin to be one of them. The perfect omega and the perfect alpha, what a couple would they have made!
His parents had even presented a formal request to allow him to court the Park heir, but he had never shown up to that meeting, therefore offending the omega’s pack to death, or something like that.
Jimin had not particularly minded, however. He seemed more than happy with the suitor Seokjin had sent in his stead: Kim Namjoon was a smart alpha, and he was strong, handsome, kind and – most importantly – had been helplessly in love with Jimin since forever .
And if he was not from a rich family or a famous lineage, then be it so. Jimin could always follow in his brother’s steps and choose love over power.
“How is the courting going, by the way?” Seokjin asked, and for the first time it looked like he caught Taehyung off guard, for the younger man seemed confused for a moment before he smiled again:
“Oh, it’s going wonderfully! Jiminie’s pack is officially outraged, and the pack alpha even tried to pay Namjoon-hyung to make him leave forever or something like that, can you believe it?! It feels like a drama.”
Seokjin’s eyebrows shot up until they almost disappeared under his hair, shocked that someone’s family could go that far against their child’s happiness… not even his parents would ever dare doing something like that to him.
Taehyung, however, did not seem particularly worried, nor upset, as he cheerfully went on:
“Sadly for them, Yoongi-hyung offered him twice the amount to stay , and oh you should have seen the pack alpha’s face! And he even hired him as a producer in his agency! Hyung is really the best. And he was so cool when he did it, like stood up against his father, took out his checkbook and was like ‘yeah, whatever amount the douchebag gave you, I’ll give you twice. And I want you to work with me’, I think Namjoon-hyung fell a little bit in love with him too.”
Oh.
Before Seokjin could even process the entire amount of information, his brain focused on a particularly sore spot that was supposed to be absolutely irrelevant .
For a few moments, as Taehyung was speaking of this “Yoongi-hyung” (which he knew was none else but Min Yoongi, the former Park heir who had discarded even his surname and went by his natural mother’s instead), he had had the same look in his eyes that he usually would have for Seokjin.
It didn’t matter.
It shouldn’t have mattered , and yet Seokjin’s inner alpha wanted to curl his lips and growl a little in displeasure.
So he wasn’t the only one who could light up Taehyung’s eyes like that?
As his mood plummeted, his traitorous scent probably gave him away, and the wind blew it towards Taehyung.
If the omega took notice, he at least had the grace not to comment on it, but maybe Seokjin would have preferred it?
“I’m glad Namjoon-ah and Jimin-ssi have someone standing up for them. The Park pack shouldn’t be played with…” he quickly changed the topic, and Taehyung looked at him for a long moment before nodding, his smile turning somber:
“They have each other, first and foremost. And then there’s all of us too. Yoongi-hyung and Hoseok-hyung are supporting them, my family offered them a place to live if they were to be thrown out, and then there’s Jungkook who… well, he offered to deck Jimin’s dad in the face, but maybe we shouldn’t let him do that.”
Seokjin burst out laughing at the thought of the young, barely-presented alpha actually doing that. He was – still — not that close to him, but he had seen him a few times around Taehyung. He used to be quite small and shy, on the cute side, until he presented… Now he could give him a run for his money when it came to the title of “most eligible alpha”.
From what he had seen, the kid was sweet and selfless, with a mischievous side to him, which did not surprise him one bit, considering he was friends with Kim-Troublemaker-Taehyung himself, and he did not care much about rules or hierarchy, but his heart was in the right place… Seokjin suddenly decided he definitely did not like the idea of him facing one of the most dangerous men in town on his own.
“He won’t really do that, don’t worry. Hobi-hyung threatened to nip him if he does, anyway.”
With that, Seokjin’s mind settled and he huffed a small laugh:
“The brat would love it, let’s be real.”
“True enough– oh, we’re here already?”
Taehyung’s tone suddenly sounded slightly dejected, and Seokjin finally tore his eyes away from the omega to see the shiny, fancy Gucci store standing in front of them.
“Looks like it.”
They stood in silence for a few heartbeats, and Seokjin noticed that Taehyung’s face was slowly heating up, as he ducked it and stuck his hands into his pockets, rocking slightly back and forth on his feet.
Seokjin should probably say something, at this point, but his mind was blank. He opened his mouth but immediately closed it again.
“Thank you,” the omega finally said, quietly, peeking up at him through the hair shading his eyes. “For walking with me until here.”
Seokjin smiled, a little surprised at the other’s sudden change in mood.
“Of course. Thank you for your company. I’ll see you around, then.”
With that, he moved to take his leave, but Taehyung’s voice called him back again.
“Wait! I almost forgot–”
Seokjin turned around once again, and he saw the younger man fumble with his boston bag to retrieve something. His chest tightened a little at the sight, and when Taehyung finally found what he was looking for, and looked again at him, presenting the small paper bag to him with a beaming, boxy smile, Seokjin had to resist the urge to hug him and ask why me?
“You said you lost yours the other day, so…”
Seokjin carefully opened the small bag and let out a small, choked sound as he pulled out a leather keyring, which looked almost exactly like the one he had lost, except for the detail of a small, swarovski pink butterfly shining brightly in the sunlight.
He stared at the gift for a few seconds, then he gently wrapped his hand around it and looked back at Taehyung, who was trying his best not to look too hopeful as he scanned his face for his reaction.
Normally, Seokjin would crack a joke or pretend to be unbothered, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it this time. Instead, he just smiled and brought the hand holding the keyring a little bit closer to his chest.
“You know you shouldn’t have, don’t you?”
The omega grinned:
“And you know I don’t care, don’t you?”
With that, before Seokjin could say anything else, Taehyung was blowing him a kiss and then happily running inside the staff entrance of the shop he worked at.
“See you next time, hyungie! Love you!”
“You’re impossible, Kim Taehyung!”
“Your parents called– again.”
“Did you tell them to go to hell?”
Hoseok huffed and shook his head, hitting Seokjin’s leg until he lifted both off the couch and let the other sit down, only to place them back onto his lap. It was a rainy day, and normally Seokjin would be enjoying his day off playing video games, or watching a movie, or cooking… Instead, he had curled up on the couch with his favorite blanket and tried to shut off the world.
A world that kept intruding his safe space every time his phone rang, hence why he had shut it off and turned away from it until Hoseok’s had begun ringing too.
“I don’t think I can actually tell anyone’s parents to go to hell. Last time I did, my mate was kicked out of his home.”
“Technically, he stormed out.”
“Fair– now, why are you avoiding them? What did they do?”
Seokjin sighed and pulled the blanket over his head. Hoseok just waited patiently for him to speak, rubbing a comforting hand over his knees and ankles.
It took a bit of time, but eventually, Seokjin’s muffled voice came out:
“They want me to court someone.”
Hoseok rolled his eyes and huffed.
“And they want to choose that someone, and then to make sure I actually go this time, seeing the Park Jimin fiasco.”
“I’m sure Namjoon would not call it a ‘fiasco’, if that helps.”
Despite Hoseok’s tone not being exactly light, it still managed to bring a small smile to Seokjin’s lips, and the alpha lowered the blanket just enough to look at his best friend.
“I don’t want to court someone, Hobi…”
“I can see that, but— why, hyung? You’ve never told me.”
The alpha bit his tongue and glanced away, blushing fiercely, and refused to say anything until the other finally gave up with another deep sigh.
When Hoseok walked away, Seokjin lifted the blanket once again and lowered his head just enough that he could look at his left hand, still holding on to his new keyring, clutching it and clinging to it like a lifeline.
The rain was pouring down as Seokjin walked back home, thanking the little voice inside his head – Hoseok, actually – who had convinced him to grab an umbrella before leaving, that morning. Shivering a little and hugging his coat closer to himself, he quickened his pace, determined to get home as fast as possible.
The rain fell all around him, its sound so loud it was almost deafening, so it was no surprise that it took him a few tries until he finally realized someone was calling for him. When he turned around, he saw a dark silhouette running up to him, waving at him and asking him to stop.
He froze in his steps, and immediately stepped forwards to meet Taehyung halfway through, offering him refuge under his – ridiculously bright, orange with white polka dots – umbrella. The omega reached him and, for a moment, hugged him, pressing closer to his body in search of warmth, trembling so hard that even his teeth chattered.
“Taehyung-ah!!” Seokjin exclaimed, surprised to find that the omega was wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, both completely soaked, just like his hair, that now fell over his face and clung to his neck. The rain had even ruined his make-up, usually perfectly done, now rolling down his face in a mess of black and glitter.
He looked like a mess, but at the same time… Something about his state awakened Seokjin’s deeper, alpha instincts. Something raw, that thought about being the one to reduce him in such a state, and definitely not for something as unpleasant as the rain–
He caught himself just in time, and instead, he rubbed his free hand along Taehyung’s arm, trying uselessly to produce some heat for him.
“Why are you out like this?? You did not even grab a coat?” he asked, alarmed, and the other shook his head:
“I-It was su-sunny this morning!” he protested, shivering once again and diving right back into Seokjin’s chest, causing the alpha to hug him again.
“Still, you should have checked the weather forecast—” Seokjin sighed, knowing that that would be a pointless argument. Instead, he handed Taehyung the umbrella so that both his hands would be free as he took off his coat and handed it to the smaller man, whose eyes widened in shock.
“Hyung, you’ll be cold,” he complained, refusing to take it.
“Hyung would rather be cold, than having you getting a cold,” Seokjin scoffed in a tone of finality, taking his coat and placing it around Taehyung’s shoulders. “Now let’s go, I don’t want to stand in the rain longer than necessary.”
Taehyung nodded, and they began making their way towards the general direction where they both lived.
Except, the rain and wind got worse, so much worse that even the umbrella was pretty much useless.
“Hyung!” Taehyung called once more, pulling on Seokjin’s sleeve and staring at him with wide, worried eyes. Seokjin suddenly decided he liked it better when he stared at him in awe and admiration. “It’s raining too much, let’s find somewhere to wait until it gets better…” the omega looked around, trying to figure out where they were, although the rain made a pretty thick curtain around them. Thankfully, he recognized a familiar sign nearby. “Ah! There’s a cafe near here! Come on, hyung, let’s go!!”
Without even giving him a chance to complain – not that he was going to – Taehyung pulled Seokjin along until they were finally making their way inside what Seokjin would describe like a shabby-looking tavern from the twentieth century.
Reading the sign hanging above the counter, he raised an eyebrow:
“ The Devil’s Tavern , really?”
Taehyung shrugged and smiled innocently, scrolling his head and sending drops of water flying anywhere, much to the chagrin of the few adventors of the place.
“Jimin and I sometimes come here, when he doesn’t want his pack to find him,” he simply explained, making his way to the counter and greeting everyone there like old friends.
Judging from the smiles and cheers he got, Seokjin suddenly realized that those really were old friends for him… Just how long had he been going there?
Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, Seokjin suddenly felt shy and self-conscious, something that had not happened to him in the last ten years or something, and he scrambled to get to Taehyung, trying to make himself as small as possible next to the other.
The omega was comfortably chatting with someone who seemed to be the owner of the place, an old, friendly-looking woman who was currently rubbing a tissue all over his face, trying to wipe off at least part of the make up, but only making a bigger mess of it.
“Aish, kid, go to the toilet and wash your face, it’d be easier. I’ll prepare some hot chocolate for you, in the meantime… And something for your friend, too, alright?” she said, sounding gently chastising, and the fondness her voice held as she addressed Taehyung suddenly made Seokjin like her a little more.
Once the omega walked away, she turned to look at the alpha, and he suddenly felt really small under her gaze.
“You’re not Jungkook, are you?”
“Huh?” he asked, dumbfounded.
“You are an alpha, clearly, and as far as I know, this ‘Jungkook’ is the only alpha he hangs out with, but you don’t have any piercing or tattoo, that means you’re–” the woman stopped, and on her face appeared a look that Seokjin was not fully able to comprehend. She shook her head and told him to stay put as she prepared something warm for the both of them.
As he took a seat at one of the tables, the alpha could not help but feel like someone was watching him all the time, and every time he looked up towards the counter, he saw the woman sending him unreadable glances.
It was a relief when Taehyung came back from the bathroom, looking a little less like a mess, and a little more like his usual self, except for his hair, that was still soaked, and his shirt… Which, Seokjin noticed only now, had been white, and now was completely see through. He quickly looked away from the man’s neck and chest, before he began imagining improper things like how soft the skin would be, breaking under his teeth as he bit into it to mark it and–
“I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t bring any gift with me this time,” Taehyung’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he stared at him in shock. The omega chuckled at him. “What? I take my job of gift-giving very seriously, you know??”
But why?! Seokjin wanted to ask, but his words failed him. Instead, he kept staring at the omega in front of him.
The rain had washed his scent away, a little, but he could still get sniffs of watermelon every now and then as the other moved. And since he was still wearing his coat, there was a bit of seawater mixing together with it, the result almost made him dizzy.
“You don’t have to give me any gift,” he sighed. “I told you a thousand times.”
“I want to, though.”
Seokjin was once again close to ask why , but they were interrupted by the woman from before who brought them two cups, one filled to the brim with a mysterious yellow-ish, warm drink (Seokjin could smell the alcohol in it even before it was placed in front of him) and the other with hot chocolate and an almost scandalous amount of whipped cream and cinnamon, with a side dish of cookies too.
Looks like someone is a regular here , Seokjin noticed, amused. Leave it to Taehyung to find a place like this and make himself at home inside everyone’s heart.
“Oh, Minie always takes that one! It’s good… if you like alcohol, at least,” the omega explained with a smile. “It definitely warms you up, though, I promise.”
That was all Seokjin needed to know to almost down the entire drink in one single gulp, welcoming the warm, burning feeling down his throat and stomach.
Taehyung looked impressed, but he did not comment on it, instead munching on a cookie and then sipping on his chocolate.
It took a while until either of them finally spoke again.
“How did you find this place?”
Taehyung smiled almost secretively:
“Don’t tell anyone,” he made him promise, before grinning mischievously. “Yoongi-hyung brought us here the first time, when Jimin had just presented and he was feeling miserable because he did not want to be an omega– then, we kept coming even without hyung, and eventually… I don’t know, it sort of became our hideout. I come here less often now, but I still make sure to come say hi every now and then. Some of these people sort of raised me, after all.”
Somehow, Seokjin could picture a much younger, even more innocent Taehyung following Yoongi and Jimin inside this place, and eventually bewitching everyone’s hearts with his own. That’s just how Taehyung was, after all. He had learnt that at his own expense.
“And you, hyung?”
“Me what?” he asked, confused. Taehyung smiled and offered him a cookie, that Seokjin accepted because he could not bear the thought of refusing it. It was delicious, too.
“Do you have a place to run to, when everything gets a bit too much?”
The alpha thought about it, trying to remember the last time he had felt safe anywhere… no place actually came to mind, so he shrugged:
“It’s not as interesting as your story, but… My apartment, I guess. Better yet when Hoseok is there too, he has this soothing effect on me.”
Taehyung smiled and nodded, knowing the effect fully well.
Him and Seokjin had seen each other around town for a while, but never actually spoke to each other, until Yoongi had practically eloped with Hoseok and brought their own friends together.
“I think you need a place that is fully yours , though… I mean, other than your home. Somewhere you can be yourself is great, but also somewhere you can pretend to be someone else.”
The alpha frowned, not really understanding.
“When I come here, they don’t treat me like an omega,” Taehyung admitted, lowering his voice in a conspiratorial way. “This is not really a place for omegas, anyway.”
Now that he mentioned it, Seokjin noticed for the first time that everyone here was an alpha, or a beta at most, and suddenly all his senses were on high alert, not liking the thought of Taehyung being the only omega in the room.
Suddenly, he was extremely thankful for his coat wrapped around the other, somehow hiding the sweetness of his scent.
“Don’t worry, hyung. I am safer here than at work or at college,” Taehyung noted lightly, albeit a little darkly. “Nobody has ever hurt me here.”
Seokjin almost growled, knowing what that sentence meant.
Someone had hurt Taehyung outside of that place. And Seokjin wanted their head on a plate, thank you very much.
“It’s alright, really. As I was saying, I can be just Taehyung, here. Not an omega, nothing but just me, the Taehyung who loves hot chocolate, talks a bit too much with the owner, and picks up the best jazz playlists.”
The way Taehyung’s eyes sparkled as he said it somehow soothed Seokjin, if only a little bit. He seemed to really be okay, and perfectly comfortable in that place.
Taehyung surely was full of surprises.
“And– the Taehyung who asks for suggestions on how to court an alpha.”
At that, Seokjin’s jaw dropped, his eyes widening.
Of course, he had known.
He had known for years that what Taehyung was doing, was nothing but pure, unmistakable courting .
The type that was supposed to be done by alphas towards omegas.
The type that Seokjin’s parents had been teaching him since his teenage years.
He had known, but he had always pretended not to.
Because alphas do the courting, not vice versa.
“Taehyung-ah…”
“I’m sorry. I know, it sounds weird. Omegas don’t court alphas, do they? It’s against the rules, maybe even immoral to some, but hyung, I just– I really, really like you, and I know you are way out of my league. I’m not from a rich or powerful pack, and I am a disgrace to the omegas’ name, really. I’ll understand, if you reject me. But I needed to tell you, I needed to do something about it, and… since you weren’t courting me, I decided to take the risk and do it myself.”
Taehyung paused to take a breath, and then he bit his lower lip.
“I had planned for it to be different, my confession, I mean. I wanted to do the courting properly… gifts, flowers, dates– I mean, you don’t do nesting, so I couldn’t gift you blankets or pillows bathed in my scent, but I still wanted to do my best.”
Unable to say anything else, Seokjin just downed the rest of his drink.
Taehyung’s eyes were wide and vulnerable as they met his. He was wearing Seokjin’s coat, but the alpha could still smell the other’s fear in his scent. The omega had just bared himself in front of him, his entire soul laying on the table for him to pick up gently or crush.
Seokjin looked at him and he imagined a younger Taehyung walking in, afraid of the world and of what his secondary nature forced him to be.
He saw him grow up into his skin, gaining confidence and strength enough to challenge everything he had been taught.
He thought of the keyring with the small pink butterfly, of the sweet pastry, of the scented bear-shaped candles, and then of the soft, fuzzy pink jacket he had gifted him the year before, and the warm beanie, the large scarf Seokjin hid into on his bad days, and the funny plushie sitting on his desk at home, and then the food that came with an excuse of “my mom made a bit too much”.
Not only those gifts.
He thought of Taehyung running up to him almost every day before or after work just so they could walk together for a little bit.
They usually parted ways before reaching either of their destinations, because if they walked together until the end, then by their society’s standards that would be considered as part of the courting.
Seokjin’s heartbeat picked up the more he thought about it.
Because he had always known, of course. And he had never meant to play with Taehyung’s feelings… he wanted to return them.
But then he thought of his family, of the list of omegas sitting on his desk. A list of name after name, he had scanned it the whole night.
Taehyung’s name was not on it.
When he had asked, his parents had only had scornful words for the sweet, brave young man sitting in front of him, with hope slowly dying in his eyes at Seokjin’s prolonged silence.
A disgrace of an omega.
Too bold, too quick-tongued, not submissive enough.
Seokjin did not give a damn, of course.
But he was not Min Yoongi, who had burnt everything down and built himself up again.
He was not Park Jimin, who had raised his voice until his parents finally listened to him.
And while he had thought that his parents would not go as far as forcing something on him, he was no longer so sure about it, after their recent phone call.
You will find a proper omega to court and marry, Kim Seokjin, or you’ll regret ever looking at anyone but the person we choose for you .
“Taehyung-ah…”
Seokjin’s voice died in his throat with a small, choked sob. He reached across the table to grab Taehyung’s hands, but the other had already pulled them back into his lap, smiling sadly at him as he shook his head:
“It’s alright, hyung. I understand,” he mumbled.
He stood up, took off the coat from his shoulders and carefully folded it before returning it to Seokjin.
He smiled again as he handed it to him. The scene was familiar: Taehyung smiling while waiting for Seokjin to take what he was offering.
Except this time, his smile was trembling as he did his best not to cry.
Seokjin accepted the coat from him and tried to call him back, but Taehyung had already ran out in the rain.
Hugging the coat to his chest and burrowing his face into it, the combined scent of watermelon and seawater hit him like a slap.
Taehyung had been sorry about not giving him a gift that day… And yet, he had offered him the one Seokjin was truly craving without even knowing.
If only that hadn’t turned out to be a parting gift.
Seokjin did not even remember the last time he had cried so hard that his head hurt and his throat burned. He did not even know how he had gotten home from that place, honestly.
He had stayed there, sitting for God knows how long, asking for another drink and then another, until the owner had refused to “let him wreck himself anymore.”
He did not remember calling Hoseok, or Namjoon, and yet, the two of them had shown up eventually, grabbing him from both sides and leading him to a car where Yoongi was waiting.
He remembered finally breaking down and sobbing loudly in Namjoon’s shoulder as the other hugged him and whispered soft coos at him to try and calm him down.
He remembered falling asleep against him in the car, waking up briefly as he was carried to the apartment, and then waking up again sometime later to Hoseok playing with his hair, his eyes sad but gentle.
He remembered crying the entire time, even in his dreams.
He thought he had asked about Taehyung, at a certain point, and Yoongi’s voice had replied:
“He’s the one who called us to tell us to check on you… He’s with Jimin and Jungkook, he’ll be– fine.”
The omega’s words should have been soothing, but there had been that slightest hesitation at the end, before the word “fine” that still haunted Seokjin.
He wanted Taehyung to be fine.
He needed Taehyung to be fine.
He did not believe everything would be alright, without him.
He needed Taehyung.
To be fine again.
Thanks to the time spent in the rain, Seokjin ended up getting a cold, which granted him four days at home to heal, physically at least.
Hoseok and Yoongi proved themselves as excellent nurses, even with a difficult patient such as Seokjin. Namjoon sometimes showed up with food from Jimin, but whenever Seokjin asked either of them about Taehyung, they all refused to answer or claimed to not know anything about him.
They were excellent nurses, but awful liars.
Finally, on the fifth day, Seokjin walked back to work.
He almost expected to hear an excited voice call out a greeting to him at every step, but that never happened, and soon enough, the building of his company came into sight.
Seokjin realized that day that the walk from his home to his working place was actually twenty minutes long, it just always went by in a heartbeat whenever he was with Taehyung.
A week passed.
Then two.
Then seven.
Then ten.
It still felt like hell, but it got better… Walking to and from work still felt too long, and when Namjoon suggested Seokjin to take his bike to go to work for once, the older alpha actually took his advice.
He had to admit, pedaling his frustration away first thing in the morning, or late at evening as he went back was actually kind of therapeutic, he might get used to it–
“Hello, hyung.”
Until he almost fell from it on his way home because of the shock.
He turned back, and this time he saw Kim Taehyung calmly walking up to him. Hands in his pocket, hair freshly cut— oh, he missed his ponytail and the loose strands of hair, but the black curls framing his face made him look like the perfect mixture of angel and demon.
He was beautiful.
He was stunning , breathtaking even.
Seokjin forgot how to even speak until they were face to face again.
“Taehyung,” he eventually breathed out, unable to say anything else or speak more loudly.
The omega smiled at him. It was a soft smile, somber, the shadow of the beaming smile he used to give him…
But his eyes–
Maybe Seokjin was imagining things, but he could still see the stars when Taehyung looked at him.
“How are you?”
They had asked that in unison, and they chuckled a little awkwardly, when they had never been awkward around each other.
“You first,” Seokjin said, inviting the other to go ahead.
Taehyung stared at him for a while, and Seokjin would have paid all his money to get a peek inside his mind.
Eventually, the omega seemed to have made up his mind:
“You broke my heart, hyung.”
Ohf .
He knew Taehyung was straightforward, but–
“I am sorr–”
“Not in that way. I knew you would not return my feelings,” Taehyung’s voice was still calm, almost cold. It made Seokjin want to scream and beg for forgiveness for having taken all the colors away from him. “But you did not even try , hyung. You let me go, and that would have been fine, if you did not love me, but– you never said it.”
“I never said what?”
“That you did not love me.”
Seokjin’s breath cut short.
He stared at Taehyung helplessly, not knowing what to say. What was he even supposed to say?!
And then, he realized.
It was never about what he was supposed to say, or think, or do, or feel.
What Taehyung had wanted to hear since the beginning, was just what Seokjin wanted to say. Or think. Or do. Or feel.
“That’s because that would have been a lie,” he admitted in one single breath, all the air leaving his lungs so quickly his head almost swam. Taehyung barely reacted to it, but waited for him to continue. “I could never say that I do not love you, Kim Taehyung, because I do. I love you. And I was a fool for letting my fears have the upper hand on me, on my thoughts, on my feelings. You deserved better. You still deserve better than an alpha who is too afraid to fight for you, while you have been fighting for me all this time.”
The omega gave him a small, lopsided smile:
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, hyung. You did fight for me, in the end.”
Seokjin wondered how he had known, but he supposed he had Namjoon to thank for it.
Once the tears had stopped, and his voice had stopped trembling, Seokjin had called his family, and informed them that he refused to court or marry anyone but the one he loved, and if they had any problem with that, they were free to go and find another son to break.
The call had not been nice, and had ended up in more crying and screaming in Hoseok’s arms, but once the pain was over, Seokjin was finally free.
Free from his family’s expectations, free from what was asked of him as an alpha.
He was finally becoming the man Taehyung would have wanted him to be, except he was a few months late.
Now, Taehyung was standing in front of him once again, and he knew, he knew what Seokjin had done. It felt foolish, but for a moment, the alpha hoped it would be enough–
“I have something for you,” the omega said, smiling a little to himself at his words.
Seokjin looked at him in confusion, and Taehyung smiled as he searched his pockets, eventually finding a small wrap of green paper.
“It’s nothing much, but I… wanted you to have it.” He admitted. “I had been saving it as one of the final courting gifts.”
Is it possible to die from a broken heart? Seokjin wondered, because his heart felt so heavy like it might just drop into his stomach any moment.
With trembling hands, he took it from the omega’s hands, and quickly opened the paper, tilting it until a small chain fell onto his palm.
“Taehyung-ah–” he gasped, looking up at the other in shock.
“I understand we both need to take our time, I understand that you need time to figure out what really is important to you. So, don’t worry… let’s take all the time we need. You’ll know where to find me, eventually.”
Before Seokjin could say anything, he felt Taehyung wrap his arms around him, and he no longer could tell if he was getting lost in the warmth of his hug, or the sweetness of his scent, so close to his neck scent gland.
By the time he was back to his senses, Taehyung had already walked away, out of sight.
The only trace of his presence, the bracelet he used to wear every day, a silver chain with a small plaque with an incision.
Break rules, not people .
Seokjin remembered the day the omega had shown it to him, the day after he had gotten it. It was his favorite, the alpha could not remember one day where the other had not worn it.
And now he had gifted it to him?
How could Seokjin take something else from him, something so precious to Taehyung too?
Then don’t take it , a small voice inside his brain suggested. Think of it as borrowing. You need to improve yourself so you can meet him again and return it to him .
Seokjin smiled, finally feeling like he was no longer falling in the dark, trying to grasp anything that would slow down his fall.
Sounds like a plan .
One year later
“Min? Where are we going?”
“Just follow me, you’ll see!” Jimin smiled in a way that promised trouble, then he grabbed his soulmate’s hand and dragged him along until they reached the crowd forming not too far.
“Jimin, I should be finishing that moodboard for my project, what are you–”
Taehyung’s complaint was cut short when he heard a voice speaking into a microphone.
“-- and that is wbt, as the only heir to the Kim family, I decided to give up on my inheritance and devolve it for the creation of safe shelters for anyone, alpha, beta or omega, who decides to walk away, or is sent away, from their own home for the sole ‘crime’ of not ‘following the rules’ this society has forced on us. Rules are supposed to keep people safe, not crush them, take away their right to love, to be happy, to be themselves … If I can’t change the way people think, I can at least do what I can to protect those who want to be free. I was a coward in the past and I failed to do so, so I have been trying to do better ever since."
Taehyung stood frozen in place, eyes scanning through the crowd until he finally saw the man speaking on the small stage in front of the press and the people who had gathered there.
Everything else disappeared, but the man.
He had always been good with words, people would always stop and listen to what he had to say. He managed to seem at ease even when he was shy, only a small detail would give him away…
As the crowd cheered, Taehyung smiled and mumbled to himself:
"His ears still go red when he feels shy."
For some reason, that small detail made him happy.
"Come on, Taehyung-ah!! It's about time you two met again, it's been long enough."
Jimin's hand wrapped around his wrist once again, and soon enough his best friend was navigating him through the crowd once again, this time going straight for the heart, ignoring Taehyung's protests.
They eventually reached a small tent, and Jimin unceremoniously shoved him inside.
"Oh, there you are! Took you long enough!"
"J-Jungkook?"
Taehyung glanced back at Jimin, who was giggling at the entrance of the tent, then again to Jungkook, incredulous.
"What are you even doing here??"
"While you were busy creating and launching your own brand in Paris and Milan, I decided to help Jin-hyung with his plan… mostly, I am just here to give him a headache, but don't let him know."
Jungkook flashed him a smile. He had grown even taller from the last time Taehyung had seen him. On his right arm there were even more tattoos than last time, but he had taken off his piercings. He looked stronger, but his smile was still bunny-like and innocent as when they had first met.
Taehyung did not hesitate to jump into his arms, screaming out in joy.
"I had missed you, Taehyung-hyungie-hyung," the younger man whispered into his ears, and Taehyung hugged him tighter.
While not exactly running away with no preadvise, he had not even really given anyone much time to say bye before jumping on a plane on the way to Europe… he would have never left, if he did.
He enjoyed the feeling of being held in his best friend's arms for a while, neither of them really wanting to let go, until the tent opened again.
Someone gasped.
Taehyung did not need to look to know who it was, the scent of sea and summer and Seokjin rushed to envelop him faster than any hug.
"Come on, Jungkookie, let's go find Namjoon."
And then, they were alone. A weird kind of electricity seemed to frizzle in the air.
Seokjin smiled at Taehyung, in awe, and Taehyung smiled back, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.
"You're back," Seokjin said quietly, almost in a whisper, as if breathing in relief.
"I am."
Taehyung knew he could do better than this, if he wanted, but–
"Tae, I have so many things to tell you, so many apologies, so many mmhpf—?!"
As Seokjin started to speak, Taehyung had surged forward and pressed a hand on his mouth, smiling softly at him.
"Give me your wrists," he asked, almost hesitantly.
Seokjin understood and smiled back at him, pulling up his left sleeve.
There shone the bracelet.
Break rules, not people.
"I'm sorry, Taehyung-ah. I was so afraid to break the rules back then, that I ended up breaking you…"
The omega shook his head.
"It's not me you broke, hyung. Sure, it hurt, but it was never about me."
Seokjin frowned, confused. How could he say that, what Seokjin had done had been unforgovsnle —
"You said I broke your heart…"
"You did. By breaking your own. I saw the way you wanted me, and I made it very clear that I wanted you too. But you let your fear stop you from getting what you wanted, and you hurt yourself, that's what really hurt me. I can take a thousand heartbreaks, but never let me see your heart break inside your eyes ever again, please."
Seokjin took a deep breath, eyes glimmering dangerously, but as soon as he blinked, it was gone, leaving only a shy determination in its place.
"I don't deserve you, Kim Taehyung."
Taehyung smirked, moving his hands from Seokjin's wrists to his hands, gently taking them into his.
"I don't care if you do or don't. I think you do, if you still want me, that is…"
Seokjin inched closer, until his lips almost brushed the other's as he spoke:
"Can I kiss you and show you how much I want you?"
Aith an airy chuckle, Taehyung grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him closer, finally pressing their lips together and kissing him, playing with his lips, nibbling on them and then kissing them again.
When they broke apart, panting slightly, the entire tent was filled to the brim with the scent of summer.
"I want to be with you," Seokjin said earnestly, gently touching Taehyung's cheek, almost reverently. "And I want to bring you gifts, and take you on dates, give you anything you want."
Taehyung laughed and blushed a little:
"You mean you want to court me?"
With a knowing smile, Seokjin shook his head:
"I mean, I just want to let the world know that I am in love with you. And by "the world", I mean only you."
Taehyung laughed again, and to Seokjin it was the best melody in the world. He wanted to make sure to hear that sound every day and every night.
"Will you let me, Kim Taehyung?"
Taehyung pulled him in for another kiss.
"Only if you let me do so as well, Kim Seokjin. I have loved you for so long, and never stopped."
"I was not brave enough to say this back then, but… I love you too, Kim Taehyung. I always have, and never stopped, either.»
Fin.