Chapter Text
chapter 9
∞
yoongi – 31 days remaining
the coffeeshop is too loud, even though there is only a few other people loitering besides the two of them. the cafe jazz station on the speakers is just a touch on the loud side and the machines behind the counter are hissing and squealing away, making yoongi wish he’d brought his earbuds before they left the house. there’s a strangeness to the shop that leaves the omega on edge, and hoseok’s stiffness as soon as they walked in didn’t really help his nerves. it was like he didn’t want to be there, in that place.
but why would hoseok suggest such a place to talk if it made him so uncomfortable? why were there so many things hoseok kept inside? why couldn’t he just share his thoughts and feelings with yoongi?
the omega pinches the back of his hand with a light sting, reminding himself that they were hardly more than just acquaintances, barely friends. hoseok obviously has a past that he will share when and if he ever deems it necessary to tell yoongi about.
still, he can’t help but feel the sting in his chest from his omega, the need to get closer to their chosen alpha.
they step up to the counter together and hoseok gives the barista their order, already aware of what yoongi enjoys. it doesn’t help the turmoil inside the omega’s mind and heart. he doesn’t have to speak to anyone and he finds it so relieving to have someone do something like this for him. he takes the chance to choose a table for them, a secluded spot in the back by a window, a small table and two wooden chairs with quaint, colorful details in the construction.
it’s a perfect date spot, his omega thinks. yoongi would agree, if he didn’t know exactly what his wolf was hinting at. he instead takes a deep breath and sits, waiting for hoseok to join him with their drinks.
yoongi’s not sure if it’s because he’s been living around the strong, fresh aroma of hoseok’s coffee scent, but the whole place just smells stale to the omega. the longer they sit there, the longer he wishes they just stayed in the house to have this chat.
still, he understands hoseok’s request to get some fresh air and go for a walk together before having such a defining conversation.
the ceremony.
the alpha finally came to him last night after being left waiting on his toes for what felt like months, just to ask if yoongi would like to take a walk with him to talk about the mating. the relief of breaking the silence had yoongi agree to literally anything just to get it in the books to finally, finally, have that conversation.
at this point, the omega is so tired, so anxious. he just wants to get it over with.
yoongi tells hoseok as much when he finally joins him, the omega sipping on a steaming mocha, knee bouncing nervously under the table. he doesn’t even notice how badly it’s shaking until a hand wraps around his knee and stills the limb beneath a gentle grip. hoseok watches yoongi with a soft look, offering him a smile.
“i just want whatever would make you the most comfortable. but, at the same time, i don’t want this to be something you regret, either. this is our only chance at a mating ceremony, so i want to… do what you like.”
“but, what about you? don’t you have dreams of a ceremony? walking down an aisle and all that?” yoongi asks, trying to ignore the way his anxieties settle greatly at the simplest of touches from the alpha. neither one of them mention hoseok’s hand remaining on yoongi’s leg.
the alpha shrugs a shoulder and looks down into his mug of coffee.
“i don’t speak with my family, and the three stooges are my only friends i’d feel comfortable inviting, so… a real ceremony never really seemed like something realistic. not that i ever wanted one, truly. but, if that’s something you’d like, we can figure it out. my side will just be rather… bleak.”
yoongi laughs humorlessly and nods.
“my entire family is dead, so… no detailed ceremony for me. all i have anymore is namjoon and jeongguk, so i think all we really need to do is sign some papers and seal the deal.” his omega whimpers at the distanced wording of his suggestion, aching to have that warmth of a traditional mating ceremony, but they both knew that it was never going to be an option. not since he was young.
“so, just a courthouse affair is okay, then? you’re certain? i just… we can figure something out if you really do want an actual ceremony.”
“i don’t even know how that would work, but i am certain that just the courthouse ceremony is perfectly fine. i don’t need anything fancy, no show of wealth. we can just get it over with and have food at the house or something. the less people gawking at me during this whole ordeal the better, honestly.” yoongi smiles as hoseok chuckles quietly, sipping his drink and nodding along.
“it’s a bit of a relief, if i’m being honest,” the alpha says quietly. “i’ve never been interested in a large ceremony, so this works for the better.”
“it’s settled then,” yoongi sighs, his anxieties lessening. his legs relax under the table and he’s saddened to feel hoseok’s fingers slip away from his knee and settle around his mug once more.
“i’ll have to call and set up a date, but jin-hyung said sometime next week should be open for us.”
yoongi purses his lips with a smile and takes a long drink to finish off his drink, inhaling deep to get an extra dose of hoseok’s rich scent.
it was going to be okay. his omega soothes, we’ll be safe soon enough. with a good alpha and a stable home.
∞
grumpy kitten: i know its a hard ask but the ceremony is set for next thursday at the courthouse, can either of you come?
grumpy kitten: if not i’ll figure something out. i just need one of u if u both can’t make it…
bun: i’d fucking kill u if u got mated without either of us there
bun: i hope u know tht <3
grumpy kitten: i mean… its not like that would happen
joonbug: in about 6 weeks it /could/ happen
bun: KIM NAMJOON!!!!!!!
bun: STFU!!!!!!!!
bun: wtf WHY would you even say that?????
grumpy kitten: he’s not wrong, gguk. plus, the ceremony is next week so there’s really no worry, right??
grumpy kitten: you will be there??
bun: abso-fuckin-lutely we will BOTH be there or die trying!!!
bun: also ur on THIN ice, alpha >:(
joonbug: >~<
bun: sigh….
bun: so…………
bun: are you excited???? or…. as excited as you can be?
grumpy kitten: yeah, i think so? just ready to get this whole thing over with at this point.
bun: we can talk about it more on our coffee date this week, yeah? and i can help you pick out a fit for the ceremony ;)
grumpy kitten: lol yeah, that would be great, actually. i hadnt even thought about what i’m wearing…
bun: that’s what i’m here for!!!!
bun: i’ll see u soon <3
∞
hoseok – 31 days remaining
later that night, belly full with the simple noodle dish hoseok had made the two of them, hoseok paces in his bedroom. if he were able to concentrate, he could hear the soft lullaby of a new song yoongi is playing in the study, but as it is, hoseok clutches his phone tightly in his hand, typing, deleting, and re-typing only to erase his message over and over in his group chat with his best friends.
the alpha doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. surely seokjin has already talked with the other two about the ceremony, surely they are already aware of the dates and the situation…
but speaking with them means that it’s really happening. with the three of them involved, the mating is too serious, too soon, too much.
he stops his pacing for a second to take several deep breaths, feeling the panic already creeping through his veins and causing his hands to shake, his grip on the phone tightening until his knuckles are a solid white.
after a few minutes, he looks again at the open chat and types something simple, to the point. as he types he realizes how insecure he feels with each consequent word typed. he hates that feeling, that he’s a burden on everyone around him, that he’s taking up space where someone else would thrive. even about his own mating, his own life. it feels like someone else would do so much better for the world and for his friends in his stead.
without thinking more about it, he presses send and waits the few minutes it takes for one of the throuple to respond. the alpha is suddenly thankful that his friends are also night owls like himself, never having to wait long before at least one of them is there.
hobihobi🐿️: the date is settled, we’ve got a court ceremony set up for next thursday. can i ask a huge huge favor and have at least one of you come as my witness? i know jin-hyung said he’d do it, but i don’t want to put the pressure on him.
taebear🐻: you’re a fucking IDIOT if you think for a single second we aren’t all taking a day off work to join you. all of us.
chim🐥: seconded, i’m already sending the emails. we’ll all be there. i know we can trust gguk, but i’m still warming up to the idea that yoongi does actually want to go thru with this.
hobihobi🐿️: he’s probably looking forward to it more than i am at this point, i’m not sure why you’re so adamant on this.
taebear🐻: i think we’re all just a little on edge after daeun and suzi.
jinnie🧚: i thought we agreed to never bring up Her ever again, kim taehyung.
taebear🐻: i’m just being honest!!! we’re looking out for our hyungie!!! i just want the best for him and i’m sorry for mentioning her, but i’m also at my wit’s end. if yoongi hurts hobi-hyung, i don’t give a flying FUCK if he’s ggukkie’s bestie, i’m committing omega-on-omega crime.
chim🐥: ngl i’ll be right there with you taetae.
hobihobi🐿️: things are different with yoongi than they ever were with daeun….
hobihobi🐿️: plus… we’re getting the ceremony done with weeks before either of us turn 32, so there’s no threat like there was with suzi. plus that really wouldn’t be his fault? it’s not like either of us chose to be as old as we are.
jinnie🧚: you’re right, and i rather like the talks i’ve had with yoongi. i think you’ll be good for each other in the long run, romantic relationship or not.
hobihobi🐿️: it’s not romantic, hyung. it never will be.
jinnie🧚: ……………………………..
jinnie🧚: ok
hobihobi🐿️: ???
taebear🐻: i know i literally just threatened him, but never say never, hyung. the future is an open book yet to be written.
hobihobi🐿️: 🙄
hobihobi🐿️: anyways, i’m putting you three down as coming to the ceremony.
jinnie🧚: we will be there, don’t you worry, seok-ah.
chim🐥: and we’ll be on our Best Behavior.
taebear🐻: 😇
hobihobi🐿️: great…
∞
hoseok – 27 days remaining
hoseok sits on the sofa in the living room, stroking his hand over miso’s back as she curls in his lap idly, her gentle purring soothing the panic that threatens to rise to his throat. he’s been doing his breathing exercises for the better part of a half hour, just waiting for yoongi to come downstairs with jeongguk so they can be on their way.
he’d gotten ready far too early for their 2 p.m. appointment time at the courthouse, waking up at nearly 6 a.m. after only a few hours of meager, restless sleep and throwing together an outfit that was appropriate.
the alpha settled on a simple black and blue-striped button-down and a blazer to match, the shirt tucked into slim black trousers with a nice leather belt to accent his thin waist. with his black-framed glasses, it reminds hoseok a lot of their first date, the night he and yoongi officially met and began this journey. it really wasn’t even that long ago and yet here they were… their mating day.
miso’s fur is so soft after her daily brushing, hoseok sits with the feeling on his fingers for a moment, centering his thoughts and his breathing. in just a few hours he won’t have to wonder anymore about what the government might do come february 18th, he doesn’t have to watch over his shoulder every time he steps out of his house (though that will be a hard habit to break), and more importantly, he won’t have to be alone for the rest of his life.
even with an assigned partner from the government, hoseok understood from a much younger age that he’d be alone if that were to ever happen. there’s no way that he’d be able to find any happiness in the clinical ways they choose a partner for each citizen of age. the horror stories that seokjin tells are enough to get hoseok to lay awake at night, staring at his ceiling wondering if he’d be the next person set to become a shell of himself once the clock strikes 12 midnight on his birthday and those black suits come knocking on his door.
his thoughts are interrupted when there comes a loud laugh from the upstairs bedroom and naturally his head turns to look that direction, miso no longer peacefully laying in his lap. the cat darts off the couch to run up the stairs, always the first responder when it came to anything yoongi.
footsteps sound and soon enough jeongguk is heading first down the stairs, miso no more than a fluffball in his arms, mewling away at him. jeongguk beams as he looks up to see hoseok watching him, letting the cat run free at his feet. the omega sweeps a hand toward the staircase and hoseok purses his lips, the anxiety from earlier returning full-force.
it’s really happening.
“may i present my masterpiece, one min yoongi!”
hoseok feels like the moment should’ve happened in slow-motion like some cheesy rom-com with the way jeongguk presents it, but no, yoongi walks down the stairs at a normal pace, kohl-lined eyes flicking up to rest on the alpha briefly but time continues forward without mercy.
the omega is gorgeous all done-up like he is. it’s simple, in a way that hoseok knows is not without effort, his dark waves perfectly styled in a messy but handsome look, his features accented with eyeliner and light mascara, a tinted gloss making his lips slightly more rouged. the cream sweater yoongi wears is new, one hoseok hasn’t seen yet, but it fits him well — slim-fitting but appropriately thick for the middle of winter, a high mock-neck with knitted ribbing striping vertically. similar to the alpha, he’s tucked it into the waist of his wide-legged black trousers, a simple black belt around his waist. there’s a collection of rings on his fingers and a matching chain around his neck, his ears fully decked out with silver rings and dangling chains that pull the whole look together.
he’s handsome, and not for the first time the alpha admires the man about to become his life partner, even if it is just to escape a worse fate.
hoseok smiles, grateful again that the omega is choosing him to tie himself to, to trust with the rest of their lives together despite the world they live in. it might not be their first choice, but hoseok is glad that yoongi is with him for this journey, glad that of all the people he’s been with, that yoongi is the one about to stand across from him in the courthouse aisle.
the alpha lets jeongguk give him a few make-up touches despite himself, not really minding the doting from yoongi’s best friend. it feels nice to be looked after like this, to have someone care about such silly things like the way his eyes look when a tiny bit of kohl is applied on his eyeline.
(nevermind the way yoongi looks at him a little longer than he usually would once jeongguk is finished with him.)
∞
yoongi sits quietly in the passenger seat as hoseok drives them to the courthouse, the omega choosing to go with him instead of namjoon and jeongguk. he says it’s just in case they get questioned upon their arrival, but hoseok can’t help but wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that the omega’s scent sweetens with a calming fizz whenever he takes a deep breath of hoseok’s scent. he’s noticed it several times in the past month, but the alpha is afraid that pointing it out would break the serenity they find themselves in and push yoongi farther away from him.
hoseok, selfishly, likes when yoongi chooses to be closer to him.
he opens the door for the omega when they arrive, hiding the slight jolt of shock when he feels yoongi sneak an arm around his as they walk, the blush on the omega’s cheeks blushing a bright pink as he notably avoids hoseok’s gaze. it makes the alpha smile a little, finding the action rather adorable for how rough-and-tumble the omega likes to present himself as.
their friends are waiting in a huddle with steaming breaths at the top of the stairs leading up to the front doors of the building, jeongguk and namjoon beating them by a few minutes. hoseok is relieved to see his best friends, as if they didn’t promise him that they’d be there. he never truly believes that anyone would care enough to show up for him in any part of his life, let alone something as big of an event as his mating ceremony.
it doesn’t matter how many times they’ve proved themselves to him, the insecurity lingers under his skin— in the marrow of his bones.
“finally, we can get inside and get this party started!” taehyung grins, a sarcastic roll of his eyes making the rest of them all sigh.
“you could’ve waited inside this whole time,” yoongii mutters as they reach the group.
jimin nods, “you’re the one who said we needed to wait right here for everyone.”
taehyung pouts at his mate and crosses his arms over his chest.
“unfair! i was trying to help hobi-hyung not feel so stressed when they pulled up but now i’m being attacked! ganged up on!” he turns to his other mate and gives him his best puppy-eyes.
seokjin just shakes his head at the omega and ushers them all toward the glass double-doors with his long arms.
“can we just move inside now, please? this freezing air is going to ruin my hair that i spent so long on.”
hoseok doesn’t miss the slight bow from yoongi as he silently greets seokjin, a small, warm smile on the older beta’s thick lips. he forgot that this would be the first time they’ve all officially met face-to-face.
as soon as they step into the warmth of the courthouse, hoseok moves to check them in for their ceremony time, yoongi letting him go. immediately the alpha misses the warmth of the omega, but he doesn’t let the thought linger for very long. while he waits for the front desk associate to check them in, he listens to seokjin introduce himself and his mates to yoongi, hoseok briefly looking over his shoulder to see taehyung giving the omega a stiff smile that looks normal enough to an outsider, but hoseok knows better. he knows its a subtle threat.
the woman hums and hoseok turns back to the desk and she smiles up at him, gesturing to a set of doors to the left of the main area.
“if you and your group want to head down the hall, you’ll be in room 3. one of our staff members will join you in a moment to get the ceremony started.” hoseok nods and she grins a little wider, a little less fake but it still gives hoseok the chills knowing just who and what she works for. he hopes she doesn’t align with their practices. “congratulations, jung-ssi.”
hoseok bows his head respectfully but says nothing, gesturing to the others to follow his lead toward the doors.
he feels a light tug at his jacket and realizes it’s yoongi holding onto him from behind, a part of the alpha wondering if he feels out of place or scared in such a clinical setting like hoseok does. he’s trying to put on a brave face and lead their small party, but under the surface, his alpha roils with a deep sense of fear and anxiety that people in black suits are going to show up at any second to drag him away forever.
they arrive at room 3, the small space warm with yellow-white lights and wooden architecture. there’s a few rows of individual seats, three on each side, separated by an aisle leading to a slightly raised platform and two small stations set up for the ceremony already with red cloth covers, unlit candles, and a strip of patterned fabric along with a small basket of white cloths hoseok can only assume is the gauze and aide for afterward.
there are two windows on the opposite wall, offering a small amount of natural light through the thick white curtains that cover them. they aren’t in any way personalized, and only seem to add to the rather cold and clinical aspects of the room, obvious to the entire party that this is a public space and in no way a private, personal event.
the subtle scent of rosemary and grapefruit sours behind him and hoseok turns to see yoongi all but cowering at the sight, his eyes locked on the basket at the front of the room.
hoseok automatically releases comforting pheromones, hand reaching to hold onto yoongi’s that clutches hoseok’s jacket fiercely. the omega turns to him and he offers a reassuring smile — at least to the best of his ability. the alpha wasn’t exactly feeling very strong in that moment, but if it can help yoongi in his nervousness, he’ll bite his tongue.
“this is much nicer than our elopement,” jeongguk says with a slight laugh, the omega turning to namjoon who hums in ascent, looking around at all the details of the room.
“i think we just had a closet room with a couple sparkles, this one at least has seating for the witnesses,” namjoon details.
“i just thought this might be more comfortable for everyone,” hoseok sighs, leading yoongi by the hand closer to the platform.
jimin follows behind them, taehyung and jeongguk chittering to themselves as they look around and find an appropriate seat.
as they wait for the officiant to join them, yoongi stands next to hoseok on the raised floor, refusing to drop their joined hands. hoseok can tell the omega is too nervous to join in whatever conversation the other five are partaking in to pass the awkward time, but he does lean into hoseok slightly.
“y’know, i didn’t really envision this ever being an option for me,” yoongi starts, his voice a murmur so that only the alpha can hear him. “but it’s so… strange. i don’t… i don’t think i hate this, even though it all smells like cleaner and i’m sure there’s been thousands of ceremonies here.”
“i can agree with that,” hoseok whispers, following the omega’s gaze around the room to settle on the waiting supplies.
“it’s a traditional ceremony?”
hoseok nods, “i hope that’s okay. i thought it was a safe bet and…” he feels his cheeks heat up and yoongi smirks at him with a raised brow.
“...and?”
“and i had a deadline and got too nervous to ask your preference, so i just blindly assumed.” hoseok blurts out his reply and yoongi laughs at him quietly, but hoseok can feel their friends’ gazes on them. “sorry.”
“i think it’s the perfect choice, hoseok-ah.”
the door shuts loudly at the back of the room and a tiny beta woman with long, black, pin-straight hair and a tailored suit clicks into the room on sharp kitten heels. everything about her is sharp and hoseok wonders how long it took her to attain such an appearance. yoongi takes a step back to put the alpha between himself and the woman, his grip tightening on hoseok’s hand and hoseok doesn’t blame him one bit. her whole aura is intimidating — dark, haunting eyes angled with makeup as cutting as the rest of her appearance and the alpha feels himself bristle in response, his chest rising in defense.
jeongguk and taehyung narrow their eyes at her, but seokjin sits up straighter in his seat in the front row, signaling to hoseok that he’s met this person before today. it shouldn’t be surprising, considering his line of work, but seokjin stands to greet her with a warm smile and hug that raises eyebrows for the rest of the room.
“jae! i didn’t realize you’d be the one!”
the woman sighs at seokjin before her whole demeanor seems to melt, and she’s beaming at the beta.
“oh my, jinnie! what the hell are you doin’? you just sittin’ in on these ceremonies now?”
yoongi and hoseok glance at each other quizzically before turning back to seokjin and the woman. her accent is thick, and hoseok can’t put a finger on her dialect, but it’s obviously a mix of something foreign.
“hoseok-ah is one of my best friends, actually.”
the woman turns to hoseok and yoongi with a smile, a little less genuine than with seokjin, but still much more bright than expected.
“that’s delightful, then! congratulations to the two of you. i suppose we should probably get this on the road then, hm? my name is jae and i am the proprietor as well as your officiant.” the woman steps up to the platform and around to the other side of the stations, pulling out a small stool for her to kneel on from under the red cloth.
hoseok spares a glance at seokjin, who gives him a reassuring nod, eyes reflecting the emotion to help put the alpha at ease. it seems as though the beta trusts this woman enough to keep himself collected, so hoseok lets his shoulders sag a little, giving yoongi’s hand a light squeeze before finally separating them.
jae gestures to the two small pillows set before the stations and the two of them kneel, facing each other, as everyone else settles fully in their seats.
“alright, now. if it is alright, shall we begin?”
a brief silence falls over the room and yoongi nods first, echoed shortly after by the alpha and jae claps her hands together.
“perfect. to begin, i will require each of you to light the candle closest to you on each stand. these represent the pasts that brought you to us, and the families that guided us through the darkness with their light.”
hoseok lights his own candle with the given matchstick, watching from the corner of his eye as yoongi does the same with his. he takes a breath and blows out the match before it burns down, setting it alongside yoongi’s in the ashtray jae holds out for them.
“next, we will start with the omega.” jae holds out the colored ribbon, offering one end to yoongi which hoseok only now sees is frayed at the edges, white strings cut jagged and falling loosely from the otherwise perfectly constructed weave. “using your alpha’s candle, burn the end until it is sealed. it is coated, so do not worry about any flames.”
hoseok watches carefully as the omega leans over to do as instructed, burning those frayed strands so that they shrivel up and seal themselves against the clear edge of the design. true to jae’s words, it doesn’t catch fire or burn beyond where it needs to be.
yoongi sits back and jae grins at him, nodding and then offering hoseok the other, red-tipped end of the strip.
“then, alpha, you will seal your end on your omega’s candle.”
the alpha swallows hard and does the same with the candle next to yoongi, unable to breathe with the tension in his body. he doesn’t think the candles are scented, but the room is fragrant with grapefruit and rich coffee. his alpha seems to respond to every little bit of the omega’s pheromones as if anticipating what they’re about to complete. he feels… dizzy, almost dissociative about the ceremony, as if watching his hands and body complete tasks someone else is acting out in his own body and yet there’s a calmness where he’d expect panic.
“alright, now we will have you join your hands together in between your spaces so i can wrap them in the cloth.”
yoongi’s touch is a balm to hoseok’s nerves, anchoring him to the cushion on the platform and keeping his soul attached to his body. the otherworldly feeling is gone the second he feels the omega’s fingers curl around his own.
he hardly feels it when jae binds their hands, simply staring into the deep brown of yoongi’s eyes, encouraged by the slight smile on his pink lips.
the beta places a small hand over the binding and says a few words in a language hoseok doesn’t understand, but oddly sounds familiar to his wolf. it makes his alpha shudder in his chest and his wolf bristles with electricity. yoongi’s grip loosens ever so slightly and despite them being bound together and physically incapable of pulling apart, hoseok lets out a slight growl that comes straight from his wolf. yoongi whimpers in response and those fingers tighten around hoseok’s once more.
jae’s hand slips off of the bundle once her murmuring is finished, and she unwraps their hands, setting the cloth carefully back onto the stand.
“okay, you may release your hold,” she says quietly, as if afraid speaking too loud might shatter the sacred air she’s created. “we’ve come to the final part— and, the most important part.”
hoseok takes a deep breath and steels himself for this, what this has all been leading up to. what he’s tried to achieve for years before stumbling upon yoongi and his vast understanding. the alpha wonders how their future will turn out, if they’ll ever consider each other best friends or if they’ll always have this distance between them. he can’t help but feel the anxiety of that thought crawl up his spine, knowing that the biggest obstacle for them is him.
jae reaches for the basket and hoseok notes the spike of sharp citrus in the air, his wolf immediately responding with calming pheromones.
it will be okay, it says silently. i will guide us through this and then it’s over.
the beta holds a small gauze cloth and disinfectant, wetting the square of fabric with the cleaner until it’s sterile scent curls their noses.
“it’s safest for the healing process to clean the glands before the bite. it might taste a bit rough, but for the sake of infection risk and the body not rejecting the claim due to bacteria, we require this.”
yoongi nods, already peeling his sweater collar down so that it exposes his porcelain skin, the scent gland on his neck already slightly raised when hoseok’s eyes narrow in on it. the alpha shakes his head when he feels jae’s eyes on him expectantly, following suit and unbuttoning his shirt enough so he can comfortably expose his own neck and scent gland, the cool air of the room making goosebumps ripple across his skin.
they each take turns wiping the cloth over their glands, hoseok biting his lip to refrain from the hiss his wolf wants to let out, the disinfectant potent and against the feral way his wolf just wants to get on with it and just bite, bite, bite.
“once more, we start with the omega.” jae gestures for yoongi to approach hoseok. “yoongi-ssi, you may begin, remember to just breathe, your wolf will know how and where to bite properly so don’t worry and don’t think too much about it, alright?”
yoongi nods and his eyes flicker up to meet the alpha’s dark gaze for only a tiny second before he’s zeroed in on hoseok’s neck, scooting closer and leaning in.
hoseok closes his eyes when he feels yoongi’s warmth radiate against his skin, the soft breaths hot against his pebbled skin. he nearly jumps as yoongi’s mouth latches onto his skin right at the juncture where his neck meets the shoulder, his gland throbbing even before the sharp sting of the omega’s distended fangs pierce his skin.
he gasps as it happens, hand shooting out to grip tightly around yoongi’s bicep, almost pulling him closer. the bond begins to open, and hoseok’s alpha howls— it’s happening, the moment is here and it’s everything he wanted and yet nothing like he thought it would be. yoongi, yoongi, yoongi fills his every cell, every fibre of his being. the omega’s name is tattooed onto his dna, replacing the marrow of his bones, the blood in his veins.
for a while he can’t see— he can’t breathe.
but, as the euphoria fades and shadows grow into shapes and colors once again have names he can recognize, hoseok panics. he wants to scream, cry, maybe vomit— he’s really not certain.
there’s a pain as the gauze is applied to his wound, yoongi is pulling back with pink lips now stained red with his blood. hoseok wants to reach out, to clean him off, but his limbs are heavy, his mind thick and foggy like he’s trapped in swampy quicksand.
help, his alpha screams. hoseok can’t understand if he needs the help or if he’s meant to help yoongi.
sound filters in through the fog from another room, from another person.
“okay, that was wonderful.”
it’s jae, hoseok parses. he knows it’s her. he’s still present. there’s now eyes on him.
“alpha, it’s your turn. seal the bond, complete the bite.”
∞