Chapter Text
Selcouth
adj. Unfamiliar, rare, strange, and yet marvellous
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The ambience of the bar Taehyung is at, is sultry and dark, resembling the whiskey he has in his hand, not his favourite but something Hoseok had passed to him. It's not that crowded yet, with a mix of genders, mostly omegas in the centre, surrounded by everyone else who was dancing. A few of them are in silk and lace and Taehyung is only drawn in.
He has his eyes trained on one specific omega who's slowly and tipsily swaying with another omega to the beat of the music. Soft, pretty features and a flowy skirt. The omega has met his eyes a couple of times over the last few minutes and Taehyung gives them what they were looking for; an appreciative alpha stare.
But Taehyung hasn't made a move yet. Jimin is beside him engaged in a conversation with Hoseok and Taehyung looks at them enviously. If only he was as lucky.
"Tae-yah, you want something else?" Hoseok, who catches his eyes, asks him. Taehyung shakes his head.
Taehyung finds the omega from earlier, thinking if he should just go over and get the night over with.
"Oh, already found one?" Jimin nudges him from his left and Taehyung chuckles, shrugging.
"What can I say, Jiminie, everyone wants a part of this." Taehyung smirks, gesturing to his body and Jimin only rolls his eyes.
"Right, go then so hyung and I can go home and fuck as well." Hoseok stifles a horrified laugh and this makes Taehyung purse his lips in annoyance. He downs his drink and places it on the counter turning to them.
"Wear protection, please, I'm really, really not ready to be an uncle yet," It's something Taehyung has made it a habit to tell them every time they mention that they're going to fuck.
"They'll be so adorable, you'd die, Taehyung-ah!" Jimin retorts and Taehyung doesn't disagree, chuckling.
"Bye!" He sends back and heads to the omega.
The pretty little thing with wide eyes stuck on him now has Taehyung beaming internally with pride. He knew of course of how he looked, liked a perfect alpha, as people often called him. And this omega in front of him has got to be a perfect omega. There's a part of Taehyung that tinges with discomfort at that, which he ignores.
"Hi, pretty." A tiny waist, dipped in all the right places, collarbone exposed, looking at Taehyung from underneath their eyelashes, shy and submissive, it almost gets Taehyung leaning in for a swift kiss.
"Alpha." The little thing murmurs and it brings a rumble to Taehyung.
"Have you had a drink, hmm?" Taehyung nudges the omega's chin softly, seeing the blush bloom over their cheeks. "Let alpha buy you one, come." The omega nods shyly and Taehyung walks them to the bar, hand lightly touching the small of the omega's back.
He's surprised to find Jimin and Hoseok gone already, shaking his head.
"What do you want, pretty?" The omega orders a vodka martini when they're sitting down on the stools. Taehyung slides his card over to pay for it.
And as they wait for it, something wafts into Taehyung's space, a scent.
It brings out a constriction in his chest, pain-like almost like he's rushing to take it all in and get drunk on it, fuck, he falters.
With a hand on his thigh, he stiffens, bracing himself but it has him turned away, eyes burning and a hot flush crawling up his neck. He wanted to cry and he wanted to whimper. It smells delirious and sexy, heroin-like, driving him insane.
Taehyung's mind screams out at him and his inner self begs for him to turn around but he knows he shouldn't. If he so much so gets a single glance at whoever this scent belongs to, he would be gone. He would want them, so much and so desperately and he shouldn't.
And god, the way the omega in him wants to purr and whine because it belonged to an alpha was irresponsible.
Taehyung wasn't ready to find an alpha mate. He couldn't have an alpha mate.
He needed to leave. Right now.
"Sorry, excuse me, hun," Taehyung mumbles out at the omega, pushing himself to stand and take his card.
"But- "
"I'm sorry, I have to go." He just juts out, holding his breath, knowing and feeling eyes on him, the scent getting thicker and he has to get out now.
They couldn't find him, yet, not now.
Taehyung stumbles when he walks, pushing past people who curse out at him for it but it goes ignored. Tears finally spring to his eyes when the alpha in him too wants him to stay and find their mate and he...how can that happen? Why would anyone want him?
An imperfect one, a half, not a whole of anything. It has made Taehyung feel like an abomination for so long, so he couldn't have a mate. Even if he so desperately desired to be loved like one.
Taehyung is panting when he reaches outside. With shaky hands he pulls out his phone, calling Jimin, dragging himself away from the bar. He needed to go home, to a comfortable place, a clawing feeling making him want to nest.
"Tae?" Jimin is huffing on the line and Taehyung knows Jimin only answered because it's him.
"-min, I- " Taehyung gasps, curling into himself.
"Taehyung? What happened?" Jimin is frantic and from the corner of his eyes, he roughly sees a figure run out of the bar and Taehyung does not want to imagine who it could be.
Tall, broad shoulders- Taehyung looks away. No. He screams to himself.
"Taehyung! Tell me what happened. Are you at the bar? Hyung and I are coming." Taehyung wants to say something. But it's only a sob as he brings himself to walk further away.
"Please." That is all he manages.
"Wait for us, you're okay."
Taehyung shakes his head. He's not. He'll never be okay. He isn't lucky. He isn't cut out for love and the life of being someone's mate. How could anyone ever want an alpha and an omega in one person?
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The next few days were slow. Jimin and Hoseok had come to him, smelling like sex but most of all, worry. Spiked scents as he fell into his friends, reminded him of home. It's so easy how he fell into his omega side then, the quieter, pliant one as Jimin got him to his room. He lets his scent bleed and it only makes Jimin's nose twitch in discomfort with how sad he is.
Hoseok had helped him with his nest, throwing in both Hoseok and Jimin's clothes, while he and Jimin sat in the centre of it. A tear falls down his eyes every few minutes.
"Talk to us." Hoseok murmurs, a soft comforting hand on Taehyung's thigh. He had been silent for a while now despite them asking him and throwing worried looks. Jimin holds his arms tight, grounding him and he lets them calm him down with their soothing scents.
Caramel and mint.
Jimin and Hoseok smell so good together, that it only makes Taehyung's heart squeeze even more. They're perfect together.
Could he ever be perfect with someone?
"Did someone hurt you?" Hoseok asks. The alpha's scent spikes again, lacing anger and protectiveness which gets Jimin, caressing his mate's arm. Taehyung shakes his head.
"Got my mate's scent," Taehyung finally whispers after a while. "Alpha." Jimin stiffened then. And another tear falls from Taehyung.
He has had countless late-night conversations with Jimin over the last few years, hoping that whoever it was, if he had a mate, for them to be an omega, or better yet, a beta. Taehyung had wished and prayed hard. It would be easy and he wouldn't have to try and be the part of him he doesn't want to be; the omega part.
But having an alpha as a mate would mean that they'd want him as an omega. Alphas and alphas don't work, Taehyung has rarely heard about such pairs.
Why did he have to be like this?
Around Jimin and Hoseok, he could be his omega self because they were the closest to him, they were his people. He could be whatever he was and they would still love him, regardless.
But a mate? There had to be a list of expectations from them that Taehyung thinks he doesn't cross.
"Who was it?" Jimin mumbles, lips close to the crown of his head.
Taehyung shrugs. "I ran away." He breathes out harshly, closing his eyes. Such cowardly behaviour. He wasn't a perfect alpha, nor was he a perfect omega. "So stupid, I- I couldn't."
Hoseok moves closer, meeting his eyes. "Not stupid." The alpha's eyes are hard and protective and Taehyung warms a little. He turns to Jimin and sees them showing the same thing.
"Male alpha?" Taehyung nods. "You didn't see him at all?"
"No." Taehyung echoes, now, a part of him regrets not looking. "He smelled so...good to me. No one has ever smelt like that." Taehyung admits, shy and Jimin hums.
"He's your mate, Tae-yah."
Taehyung sighs, sniffling. "What do I do?"
Jimin and Hoseok share a glance. "You want to find him?" Hoseok asks. Taehyung doesn't know what to answer.
Of course, selfishly, he wants a mate, a lover, an alpha. The little, hidden omega part in him, had always wanted an alpha mate who'd care and protect him, who'd mark and knot him, and who he'd carry pups for. It's a dream. The alpha in him is intrigued by that alpha scent that gave them a touch of insanity.
"He ran out after me...I think it was him," Taehyung bit his lip. Tall. Broad shoulders. "You think he was looking for me?" He quietly mumbles, looking at them, optimistic.
"Of course." Jimin chirps. "Who wouldn't want you, Taehyungie? Look at you." Taehyung's jaw tightens at Jimin's positive words.
"You know it's not like that."
"It doesn't matter." Hoseok butts in and Taehyung meets his eyes. There's something soft on Hoseok's face and Taehyung recognizes it as the 'thinking of Jimin' face. "It doesn't matter, Taehyung-ah, because having a mate is different from choosing someone for the night. It's more than looks and gender, it's feeling how they're made for us. Out of everyone, this person is yours."
Jimin's caramel scent sweetens at the words and a smile graces all of them.
"You're addicted to them, everything they are and will be, has been woven in with you. And you, out of all people deserve that sort of life."
Taehyung's lips wobble and he nods, biting them, eyes filling with tears. "My baby." Jimin coos, caressing his hair and making him giggle shyly. Hoseok chuckles as well, patting his knee.
"It's okay to be scared, hmm," Jimin adds.
"What if they don't like me like this?" An insecure thought. It would be too much, isn't it? Having an alpha and omega in a mate. "What if they don't like alphas or omegas and they are not attracted-"
Jimin cuts him off with an angry huff, cupping his cheeks.
"Kim Taehyung. Shut up." Hoseok guffaws and it brings a giggle to Taehyung. "We're gonna find this alpha and he's going to want you in every way possible. If not, hyung and I will do something about it." Jimin looks like an angry little chick and it only breaks Taehyung into a bigger smile.
"Okay." He tells them.
Taehyung agrees with them, for a little while it stays well in his head until it's hours later and it gets dark and dangerous in his thoughts once again.
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Cautious. That's what Taehyung has been the last week. His eyes are always on the lookout, nose hunting and picking out scents that are like what he got from his mate. And it has been tiring.
The alpha and omega in him are on alert with everyone that gets a little too close to him and it's been eight days since he got the scent of his mate, it's driving him a little crazy with how much he needs it in his system again. It's like he's hungry for something that nothing else could satiate.
Until he gets it again. And it's somewhere unexpected.
In his company building bathroom. Why was his mate here? Did they know who he was?
The scent corners him and Taehyung feels naked. With the swish of the bathroom door opening and there he was the alpha from the other day, his mate.
Tall. Broad shoulders.
"Hey, you."
Soft. Comforting in fact, coming out of the alpha whom Taehyung knows has got to be the sexiest person he's ever seen.
In a full suit like Taehyung, the black against the alpha's warm skin and pink lips have him wanting to take a step back. It's too much; the scent, the alpha, and the look he's receiving for the first time ever; an appreciative alpha stare.
Taehyung has only ever given it to others, to omegas, and now his mate is looking at him with such eyes it's making him feel weak. He doesn't know what to say or how to respond, his mind going blank with the alpha's scent even more.
It smells expensive, tailor-made in fact, and Taehyung is confused when alphas usually just smell of pine, petrichor and other earthy elements. His mate instead smelled of a drink Taehyung had once had. Woody, spicy even, with some ounce of grapefruit which has Taehyung swallowing in a way he shouldn't.
"Wait." Taehyung rushes out when the alpha takes a step towards him.
Nerves build in him and he knows his mate is only getting his alpha scent. His omega one is hidden like always when he's in public, but it's aching to come out and Taehyung is panicking.
"Okay," the alpha breathes out, "I'll stay here. I'm not gonna do anything." Taehyung shudders a little at hearing his voice even more. "You smell really nice, it drove me crazy that day." The alpha admits and Taehyung flushes, turning away.
Fuck. He feels a wobble in his knees.
"Me too," Taehyung whispers, painlike.
The alpha speaks again. "Why did you leave that day?" Taehyung stills. "Do you...not want a mate?"
Oh.
Taehyung recognizes the confusion and hurt underlying the alpha's words and wonders if the alpha has been taking that as a rejection from him. He shakes his head.
"I do. I just- it took me off guard." Taehyung mumbles, finally looking at the alpha. "I'm sorry."
The alpha softens immediately and there's a triumph that Taehyung feels from it.
"I'm Taehyung." He murmurs.
The alpha grins, it's bright and blazing and beautiful and Taehyung feels it in his heart.
"I'm Seokjin. How old are you, Taehyung-ssi?"
Fuck.
Okay, so no one had told him about how hearing his name coming out from his mate's mouth will affect him because Taehyung doesn't know what to do with himself other than wanting to fall into Seokjin's arms.
"Uh, twenty-three," Seokjin smirks, nodding and Taehyung looks away.
"I'm three years older, so that's hyung to you." Alpha hyung. Is the first intrusive thing Taehyung's mind says.
Taehyung clears his throat, throwing out a stupid question. "Are you here for something?"
"The bathroom, no, I followed you, honestly," Seokjin admits sheepishly. "But here, just followed a friend of mine. Min Yoongi." Ah, the producer.
"I don't recognise you, though. Are you a model? Have you always been modelling?" Taehyung asks. If yes, why hasn't he seen Seokjin before?
"I'm new here, it's been years since I've gotten back to Seoul. Was in Nagoya for the last couple of years." Oh. Something in Seokjin's eyes changes, head tilting to the right a little and Taehyung feels something funny grow in his chest.
"I know you. You're famous everywhere, Taehyung-ah." A flutter, more like a swarm in Taehyung's chest. "You're beautiful."
Oh.
He's never been called beautiful before, not by anyone other than his parents and Jimin. It's always handsome and alpha-like, but...beautiful, beautiful sounds nice.
"I'm so lucky," Seokjin says quietly, but proudly and although Taehyung turns crimson at the words he doesn't know how to move forward with the mate thing. He couldn't just blurt out to Seokjin how he's an alpha and omega.
"Thank you, Seokjin-ssi." Immediately, a frown on Seokjin's face and his soured scent greets Taehyung. Seokjin opens his mouth to say something but Taehyung cuts him off.
"I have to go."
"Taehy-"
"We'll meet each other soon." Taehyung is stubborn and agitated suddenly, realising how much Seokjin affects him and how he's so new to a power like this.
He tries to keep his head down and hold his breath when he walks past Seokjin but a hand catches his wrist. Taehyung freezes.
"Taehyung-ah," Seokjin's fingers are cold against his skin, softly pressing against his wrist, covering his scent gland. "Please." Seokjin moves closer, brushing them together.
Taehyung feels his blood rush up to his head, his heart thundering at the close proximity. He swallows and turns to Seokjin who's looking at him in that way again.
He doesn't know if he hates it or loves it.
"Next time," Taehyung whispers, desperate.
"Okay." Seokjin takes it, surprising him.
And when Seokjin rubs Taehyung's wrist with the pads of his fingers, Taehyung lets it happen. It's soft and sensual and he knows they've moved closer to the point he can hear Seokjin breathe.
It's a mix of their scents and Taehyung falls for the way their scents smell good together. To him, it's comforting, nest-like, home-like. He feels lucky too and he rejoices internally.
"Can I?" Taehyung just nods, unsure what Seokjin is asking for. Then his hand is tugged upwards.
Taehyung holds his breath, watching in awe and a hint of arousal, seeing Seokjin rub his wrist all over his neck. It's warm and Taehyung watches it tint pink.
Another intrusive thought was wanting to leave a bite, wondering how Seokjin would feel and taste on his skin. Would Seokjin let him bite?
This claim-like gesture though has his alpha groaning in satiation. His mate is scent-marked. Seokjin is his and everyone would know it.
"You'll smell like me for a while, Taehyung-ah." Husky, deep voice. Yes, Taehyung would smell taken as well. Taehyung nods, absentmindedly at the alpha's words. Seokjin smiles softly and his heart flips at the sight of it, pretty.
Seokjin lets his hand go and he almost wants to be touching Seokjin again. A part of him was afraid to let Seokjin walk out the door like this was a dream and he was going to wake up alone and mateless.
"If only I could..." Seokjin whispers, eyes falling to Taehyung's lips and his breath stills a little. You could, he wanted to say, but he's the one who put distance between them and who wanted to leave and Seokjin was being respectful. Still, he asks.
"What would you do, hyung?" The hyung gets to Seokjin because Taehyung sees a flicker of arousal in Seokjin's eyes when he rasps it out. He sees Seokjin's frame get stoic, almost like he's holding himself back.
"Promise me we'll see each other soon."
"Yeah," Taehyung responds quickly.
Seokjin still seems wary. "I'll come to you if I don't hear from you in a week." A warning, almost, sounding like it's coming from Seokjin's inner alpha. "I know you're busy this week. You've got a couple of shows."
Seokjin...knows? Did research? Asked? Whatever it was, it made Taehyung feel important.
"Yes," he breathes softly.
"After that. Hyung will be waiting for you, Taehyung-ah."
"Okay, hyung." Seokjin nods, taking it. Seokjin reaches for the door and pulls it open, gesturing for Taehyung to walk out.
But Taehyung doesn't move yet.
Seokjin frowns, confused, parting his lips to speak but Taehyung beats him to it.
"You want me?" You want me as a mate? Am I appealing?
Taehyung doesn't stop this question that's been at the back of his mind but at the same time the tip of his tongue. It's cringe-worthy and stupid, and he shouldn't have asked but he just needed to hear it. Maybe it'll help him get through the week.
Seokjin softened at his words though, relaxing even, letting the door close once again, building their cocoon once again.
"Are you asking because we're both alphas?" Taehyung doesn't answer, eyes averting. It wasn't fully why, but, still, he just nodded. "Yes," Seokjin replies. It's honest like Seokjin didn't even have to think about it and wasn't going to change his answer. It gets Taehyung looking at him again.
Seokjin continues, kindly. "I don't have preferences, Taehyung-ah, never had in the past as well." As much as the first part, Taehyung wanted to hear, the second part did not so much.
The past? Seokjin's past? How many people is that?
Maybe it's written all over his face and in the way he grimaces, it gets Seokjin chuckling.
"Oh, jealous little alpha?" A taunt, but not unkind, which has Taehyung's jaw tightening. He didn't want to think of his mate with others and now the image was already in his mind. Did Seokjin enjoy other alphas? Betas? Omegas? A part of Taehyung squeezes knowing he won't be the first alpha Seokjin will be with.
"Not anymore?" Flings or whatever, Taehyung means. As if confirming that Seokjin is only his now. Guess, he is a little jealous.
"Hmm." Seokjin fingers nudge his chin, their eyes falling further into each others. "Not anymore."
Taehyung's chest rumbles a little with the words.
"You're mine too, baby, this," Seokjin says, referring to Taehyung's entire frame as he glides his eyes over them. Everything about that, harbours arousal in Taehyung's tummy and he's so sure, Seokjin smells it. "All of this is hyung's."
A small growl at the end of Seokjin's sentence and the pet name has Taehyung holding back a whimper. He's consumed by the possessive talk.
And, he is, most definitely, Seokjin's.
"Go now, I'm sure people will be looking for us."
Taehyung nods, swallowing and averting his eyes. Seokjin pulls the door open for him and he takes a breath, memorizing Seokjin's scent, meeting the alpha's honey-brown eyes once again before walking out.
From the corner of his eye, he sees Seokjin walk away, discreet glances' thrown at him until he disappears, but Taehyung knows that everyone can smell them. And even as Seokjin finally leaves the building, his scent stays with Taehyung for the entire day.
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Things never go as planned. When Taehyung's second photoshoot and first show ends four days later, he feels himself get sick.
And it's only the kind of sick he gets when he's nearing his heat. It's early and Taehyung has a guess as to why.
Meeting Seokjin.
Jimin and Hoseok take care of it like they always do. They helped him home immediately. Taehyung has kept his blazer from the other day which reeks of Seokjin, keeping it safe and containing the alpha's scent and he takes it home with him.
If it was a rut prior to meeting Seokjin, Taehyung would have gotten an omega to help him through it, but because his omega identity is hidden, he spends it alone, like every other time before this.
It's day two now of his heat.
Jimin had taken his phone away, a precaution really from texting Seokjin in the middle of it. It only took Taehyung 45 minutes that day before he gave in to his need to find Seokjin on Instagram and texting.
Seokjin's response was immediate too, making Taehyung feel like he wasn't the only one feeling that way. They may have briefly texted over the last few days, well, whenever Taehyung could.
So far he had learnt a couple of things about his mate:
1. Seokjin's birthday was also in December, the 4th.
2. He's close friends with Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon, both elite producers Taehyung has heard about.
3. Seokjin sings. Marvellously, in fact. (Taehyung may or may not have listened to his two songs on repeat over the last few days)
4. Hobbies include fishing, gaming, occasional cooking and doing nothing. (Taehyung wants to do nothing with Seokjin)
5. Seokjin is full of dad jokes, which are unapologetically funny and always trying to get Taehyung laughing. (It works all the time)
Perfect mate qualities, if Taehyung says so himself. He was indeed lucky.
Now though, he's naked in bed, getting off to his fifth orgasm of the morning. His hands and legs ache from doing everything alone as well and the exhaustion from just going through his heat is draining and lonesome.
It's different this time though because Taehyung has Seokjin to think about.
His blazer from that day, was now, completely drenched in slick, cum and sweat. He has it wrapped around him, nose sniffing against the sleeve that Seokjin brushed against that day. In his hazy, lust-filled mind, he sees Seokjin all around him.
A strong arm around his waist, shoulders, and neck, hands holding him down, pushing his legs apart. He sees them fucking for hours, Seokjin's palm on the lower part of his tummy, almost protectively when Seokjin knots and cums in him.
Will Seokjin want to breed him?
Taehyung cums with that thought, his hand jerking himself off quickly, a whine and whimper mixing together in his throat, which he lets out against his pillows.
He wanted to crawl into Seokjin's arms and let Seokjin take care of him. For once, he dreams of being mindless about everything because he knows deep down, Seokjin would take care of him.
And maybe if he's really lucky, one day the alpha will.