My, oh my.

You spent the entire night before Jin’s birthday riding all the rollercoasters with Jungkook and Jin, while your other soulmates were content to watch from the ground with soft smiles on their lips as they watched you bond with the two over your adrenaline junkie like tendencies, Jungkook especially.

Then, your morning consisted of very little sleep, all cuddled together on your shared bed with Jin and Yoongi, before having to get up for rehearsal and soundcheck again. 

This time, however, you did not attend either.

 “I’m sleeping right here.” You proceeded to point to the small two seater in their dressing room before promptly dropping yourself and your (Jimin’s) blanket onto the furniture, backpack and all following you as you flop.

You didn’t care, curling up and falling asleep as soon as your head hit the surprisingly soft cushion. Two hours of sleep was simply not enough for you and you knew you would need it. 

And you did need it because the concert was, again, overstimulating. You sat in the box with Hobi’s family and Jungkook’s family who had flown out for the second night. You had your headphones and at one point, managed to relax enough to dance and sing along a little to the boys as they had fun on stage.

You didn’t even know they had invited Megan the Stallion to perform with them, a huge surprise to all army that night. 

Once the concert was done, you and the boys had taken tons of pictures with her and you watched as the boys made some tiktoks with her for her feature on Butter.

You weren’t comfortable being in any of them just yet, despite the offer. While the night was overstimulating again, you did have more fun than the previous night and maybe thought you could get used to going to concerts in the future. 

After another live, you spent the rest of the night singing Happy Birthday to your eldest soulmate and cuddling in the living room with him and the rest of your soulgroup watching movies Jin had picked out while you snacked on the cake Jimin and Taehyung had picked out with the help (read supervision of Hobi) earlier today between soundcheck and the concert to be delivered to the hotel. 

Those two days of filled events led you to being in your current predicament, being held to Jimin’s chest as you were wrapped in his blanket. You weren’t nonverbal, nor overstimulated, but you felt off and that was enough for your soulmate to decide to bundle you up and hold you. He had won rock, paper, scissors, even though you were already in his blanket, which left your other, pouty soulmates to be left to their own devices. 

Jungkook had made some food, more than enough for him and whoever else trickled in at the smell. Taehyung had just plopped right next to you, throwing an arm around your waist as you laid against Jimin, his other arm resting against your back as he surfed through social media. 

You were unsure of where Yoongi and Hobi went to, but you vaguely remember hearing the hotel door open and close. Namjoon and Jin were in the kitchen area with Jungkook, talking about another interview show and the Jingle Bell Ball they had been invited to perform at.

It had already been decided that you would stay home for that, though. You had actually requested it, not feeling mentally up to going to another event so close after the concerts and you’ve just had a very crazy last couple weeks to say the least. 

You were perfectly content to lounge on the couch and watch the events from the large flatscreen in the living room. 

As you snuggled into your mates, the view of tiktok on Taehyung’s phone catches your attention, as you turn your head further to watch. 

“I sometimes forget you all have like super-secret accounts on social media.” You mutter to your mate, catching his attention as he turns his phone so you can see better. 

“Yup, we follow you now, as well. It’s easy when we make usernames like therealtaetae. No one suspects anything because a lot of army have similar usernames.” You nod along, knowing that army have been trying to find their real accounts for months now.  

It’s nice to sit in silence sometimes, nothing overstimulating or overwhelming to occur. You felt completely at ease in your soulmate’s arms, something you never thought you would get to experience. 

You can’t help but smile as you think back on all the times you dreamt of them, not realizing you would be soul bonding with Jimin and Tae, that they could see you and bring you real comfort when you needed it most. 

You were almost grateful that you didn’t experience a bond with them, thinking how overstimulated you would be all the time and how no one would probably believe you anyways. You wouldn’t be able to find them given the amount of security the boys, and now you, have so all of your attempts would’ve been futile. 

Fate works in mysterious ways, you think. 

You feel Tae’s arms tighten around you as he nudges your head over so he has more room to lay his head in the crook of your neck. You giggle a little as he gently lays a kiss on your skin causing goosebumps to erupt. 

You end up cuddling there for a couple hours before Yoongi and Hobi come back, bags in their hands as they come in through the door. 

“Honey’s, we’re home!” Hobi yells cutely, smiling wide as he closes the door with his foot, Yoongi already making his way to the coffee table in front of you, setting his bags down. 

Curiosity gets the better of you and you move to sit up, causing grumbles and protests to erupt from your two cuddly soulmates.

“What’s in the bags Yoongi? Hobi?” Your voice is a little gravely as you speak, causing Yoongi to smile softly at you. 

“In the bag, pretty girl, are some things that we think we’ll need in the upcoming week as we move to do some more interviews and meet with some people regarding solo activities.”

You remember the conversation from the previous night, how the boys have been wanting to branch out musically and experiment with their own sound but still remain loyal as a group and band. 

Bangtan would always be Seven. 

They both then proceed to pull out tons of snacks and drinks and even a couple sweaters that looked extremely comfy. You couldn’t help but wonder why they needed snacks and drinks when food is usually provided for the artists at events if needed and we all usually go out to eat afterwards anyways depending on how tired the boys are. 

As if sensing the questions brewing in your head, or more likely seeing the look of blatant confusion on your face, the Yoongi explains their purchases. 

“Baby girl, these items are for you.” You look from him and Hobi to the snacks on the table, realizing they had bought your favorite snacks and drinks, ones you would eat at home all the time. 

“We are going to be really busy this week and we don’t want you having to wait to eat when we know that you tend to get hungry while were out. We can easily push through our hunger, but we don’t want you to ever have to do that. So, we got you snacks and drinks that can go in your backpack for when were out.” Yoongi continues while you look through the snacks with Jungkook who had come out of his room with the others as Yoongi and Hobi came home. 

“And the sweatshirts were actually Namjoon’s idea. We’re all going to wear them before we have to go so that we can get our scent on them.” You look to Namjoon who has a blush growing on his cheeks, reaching his arm up so he can rub nervously at his neck as he begins to explain his idea.

“Well, I noticed, we noticed that you always seem to relax or calm down when you’re surrounded by our scent so I thought we could help you by giving you something to wear that’s covered in our scents.” You barely give him time to finish speaking before your jumping on him, wrapping your legs and arms around your tall soulmate. 

“Thank you Joonie. That’s very thoughtful of you.” You mumble against his neck as you bury yourself in his arms. 

You’ve never had someone think of you like your boys do, always trying to do things for you and keeping you in their hearts and thoughts. You’ve never felt simple love like this and it makes you tear up a little as you continue to hold onto your soulmate. 

“Well, while they decide who wears what sweater first, why don’t I take our little soulmate into the kitchen so we can get started on dinner? Hmm?” Jin takes the lead after everything is unpacked and you slowly begin to climb down from Namjoon. 

You nod at your eldest soulmate and take his offered hand as Namjoon squeezes your waist in reassurance once more before moving over to supervise the now fight between Jungkook and Jimin over who gets to wear the blue sweater first. 

-*-*-

Monday found you riding with Hobi, Jungkook and Jimin as you were on your way to an interview with Buzzfeed. The boys were going to be doing a couple of interviews with them today, including a remake of the interview with puppies, and a try not to sing or dance challenge amongst others. 

You had loved watching these types of videos, finding them entertaining and hilarious, especially the try not to sing challenges. 

 You had said as much to the boys in the car with you, who then made it their mission to win whatever challenge was thrown their way.

You had tried to tell them that the videos were for fun, but even Jungkook shook his head, declaring himself the winner early making everyone laugh. From the corner of your eye, you could even see Seungho smiling a little at everyone’s banter. 

Once the car was parked, it was a little whirlwind of movement that found you inside the studio, a light blue backdrop already set up for whatever interview/challenge they were going to film first. You couldn’t help but to look around the room, watch all the people getting the room ready for your boys. 

The boys themselves made themselves very known, the laughter being heard from the dressing room down the open hall. It made you smile, hearing their laughter. 

Seungho was with you, watching you interact with the room around you, slowly moving you a little to the left or the right so you weren’t accidentally in anyone’s way as you got lost in thought. He noticed you tended to do that, but he wasn’t bothered, and it seemed no one else was either. 

“Alright guys, five more minutes!” Someone you didn’t see had yelled across the room, signaling the filming would begin soon. Even more commotion followed the man’s words because as soon as he yelled, the boys came barreling into the room, heading straight for you, excitement covering their features. 

Hobi was the first to catch you, Jimin right behind him. “We get to do the puppy interview first!” Hobi’s excitement made you smile, knowing how much they loved animals. You all had watched some of the Buzzfeed videos last night, and they were excited to be able to get to do this. 

They had all given you hugs or head pats as the moved past you, smiles accompanying their actions as they gathered in the middle of the backdrop, picking and teasing each other over the spots they picked. 

You hung back with Seungho, finding a place where you could sit but where the boys could still see you as the filmed what the needed to. You ignored the looks from some of the interns, with their badges hanging proudly. 

You just watched your boys have fun, playing with the puppies and answering questions, some about you. You all had talked about it numerous times, again and again, and each time you promised them they could answer any question they wanted about you, and your relationship.

You had trusted them; you had trusted them with a lot more that you had ever been comfortable with previously. But they were your soulmates, and you loved them with all your heart. You knew they would have your best interest at heart, always. 

So, it made you a little warm inside when they happily and enthusiastically answered one of the three approved questions about you. 

“Now, we know that you’ve finally completed your soulgroup. How has the adjustment been, bringing in your new soulmate?” The interviewer asked politely before gesturing to the boys.

“Well,” Namjoon looked around, “we haven’t really had an adjustment period. We have all just been taking the time to get to know each other and find our own groove.” The boys nodded along in agreement before Yoongi spoke up.

“She fits perfectly within our group, filling in the spots we didn’t know we had.” He smiles along in thought as he answers the question.

You and Seungho watched them as they answered a few more questions, some silly and some about their comeback from the army. When they were finally done, the get up and moved to sit with you as the interns slowly went forward to change the backdrop to a dark green one and brought a table forward with a couple chairs. 

For the next segment, some of the influencers that Buzzfeed normally worked with were paired up with each member to try and accomplish a couple challenges together. The first was a try not to sing or dance, K-Pop edition. The next would be a try to guess the song challenge. All of this had been approved by HYBE and the influencers involved were known to be respectful K-Pop fans. 

You were excited, to say the least. 

Jimin had gone first and almost threw the table over when his partner and him had lost the second round, both getting up and dancing to View by Shinee. Jin had gone second, immediately forgetting it was a try NOT to sing or dance challenge and lost the entire thing with his partner, who had also given up on the second song. 

By the time Jungkook had gone last, only Yoongi and Taehyung had won their challenges. You had almost thought Yoongi was gonna budge when a Big Bang song had come on, but he made it through.

Jungkook’s turn had finally come, and he had been impatiently watching by your side as his soulmates had their turns. He had been bouncing and trying his hardest to keep quiet as you both watched. 

“I’m gonna win, just you wait.” You murmured to you as he stood up, receiving a thumbs up from you and a grin that he matched as he sat down at the table with his partner. You watched them high-five and brag about how they were gonna win, their determination showing for the camera. 

In the end, however, they neither won nor lost.

“No, no, no, I didn’t dance. I was just breathing really strongly.” Anthony, Jungkook’s partner exclaimed when the buzzer went off. 

“Yeah, really strongly!” Jungkook added, the both of them demonstrating that they were ‘breathing’ and not moving their shoulders to the beat. You couldn’t help but to cover your mouth to hold in your laughter as you watched your youngest soulmate try and manipulate his way out of losing each round. 

It was funny, the excuses the duo were coming up with. It came to a point where Jimin, Hobi, Taehyung, and you had to leave the room as you couldn’t help but laughing, Jin having to drag you and Jimin out as you were stuck besides yourselves with laughter. 

“I can’t believe him! Using the motion of the camera to justify his movement!” You laughed aloud once Jin closed the door behind your group. Jimin and Taehyung were clinging to each other as Hobi had his arm around you, trying to keep you upright and steady as you both watched your other giggling soulmates fall to the ground. 

It took a couple more minutes for Jungkook to come out the door, pout very prominent on his lip as he went for Jin, falling dramatically into his arms as he wailed.

“They cheated!” Jungkook cried out, causing all of you to start laughing again. 

The next challenge went about the same, however, you weren’t expecting them to come to you after Namjoon went last this time.

“Hello, Y/n. We were actually wondering if we could film a ‘guess the song challenge’ with you. We know you are a huge K-Pop fan and we think this would be a fun way for everyone to see how you interact.” The producer had asked you, nervously gazing at Hobi and Yoongi as they stood behind you, probably looking as menacingly as they could. 

You thought about it, even looking over your shoulder to the two of your soulmates behind you, gauging their opinion, but when they looked at you, awaiting your answer, you turned back around. 

“Sure, I’d love too!” You reply, a big smile on your lips showing your excitement at being able to participate after spending almost the entire day watching your soulmates have fun. 

The producer nods at your answer before turning away. You turned in excitement to see more than just Yoongi and Hobi behind you. Your soulgroup was behind you, looking down at your bouncing figure, their smiles shining down on your excitement. 

“Did you hear that? I get to film a challenge with you!” You almost shout in your enthusiasm, having Jungkook bring you into the middle of the circle, what you call the soulmate huddle. 

You beamed up at them with excitement, happy to be involved and to be able to play the challenge with them. You sometimes imagined what it would be like to be a part of Buzzfeed, doing these challenges and seeing if you would win. You always played along from at home, competing against yourself to see if you would win; you always lost though.

You were sat between the winners from the first rounds, so you would be playing with Jungkook, Yoongi and Hobi. Namjoon had lost horribly, complaining that he wasn’t given enough time to answer, while Jin and Taehyung both just said they forgot they were playing a guessing game and started singing along. Jimin tried his hardest, but his partner was a very strong opponent. 

It was Jungkook, then you sat sandwiched between Yoongi and Hobi who was sat at the end of the table. Each of you had a buzzer this time, with the fastest person to hit the buzzer and answer correctly each round winning.  

The first song was Pirate King by Ateez, and all you needed was to hear the first beat to hit the buzzer. Jungkook yelled from your left as you answered confidently, Yoongi looking at you with both eyebrows raised and Hobi putting his head in his hands as they all realized you were some serious competition. 

They seriously underestimated how much K-Pop you listened to, and how many groups you loved to listen to. 

When What is Love by Twice played over the speaker, you squealed in excitement before hitting the buzzer, almost yelling the title before the ‘ding’ sounded out telling the group that you were right before you started dancing the main chorus’s choreo as the sound played over the speaker again. 

You spent the entire night before Jin’s birthday riding all the rollercoasters with Jungkook and Jin, while your other soulmates were content to watch from the ground with soft smiles on their lips as they watched you bond with the two over your adrenaline junkie like tendencies, Jungkook especially.

Then, your morning consisted of very little sleep, all cuddled together on your shared bed with Jin and Yoongi, before having to get up for rehearsal and soundcheck again. 

This time, however, you did not attend either.

 “I’m sleeping right here.” You proceeded to point to the small two seater in their dressing room before promptly dropping yourself and your (Jimin’s) blanket onto the furniture, backpack and all following you as you flop.

You didn’t care, curling up and falling asleep as soon as your head hit the surprisingly soft cushion. Two hours of sleep was simply not enough for you and you knew you would need it. 

And you did need it because the concert was, again, overstimulating. You sat in the box with Hobi’s family and Jungkook’s family who had flown out for the second night. You had your headphones and at one point, managed to relax enough to dance and sing along a little to the boys as they had fun on stage.

You didn’t even know they had invited Megan the Stallion to perform with them, a huge surprise to all army that night. 

Once the concert was done, you and the boys had taken tons of pictures with her and you watched as the boys made some tiktoks with her for her feature on Butter.

You weren’t comfortable being in any of them just yet, despite the offer. While the night was overstimulating again, you did have more fun than the previous night and maybe thought you could get used to going to concerts in the future. 

After another live, you spent the rest of the night singing Happy Birthday to your eldest soulmate and cuddling in the living room with him and the rest of your soulgroup watching movies Jin had picked out while you snacked on the cake Jimin and Taehyung had picked out with the help (read supervision of Hobi) earlier today between soundcheck and the concert to be delivered to the hotel. 

Those two days of filled events led you to being in your current predicament, being held to Jimin’s chest as you were wrapped in his blanket. You weren’t nonverbal, nor overstimulated, but you felt off and that was enough for your soulmate to decide to bundle you up and hold you. He had won rock, paper, scissors, even though you were already in his blanket, which left your other, pouty soulmates to be left to their own devices. 

Jungkook had made some food, more than enough for him and whoever else trickled in at the smell. Taehyung had just plopped right next to you, throwing an arm around your waist as you laid against Jimin, his other arm resting against your back as he surfed through social media. 

You were unsure of where Yoongi and Hobi went to, but you vaguely remember hearing the hotel door open and close. Namjoon and Jin were in the kitchen area with Jungkook, talking about another interview show and the Jingle Bell Ball they had been invited to perform at.

It had already been decided that you would stay home for that, though. You had actually requested it, not feeling mentally up to going to another event so close after the concerts and you’ve just had a very crazy last couple weeks to say the least. 

You were perfectly content to lounge on the couch and watch the events from the large flatscreen in the living room. 

As you snuggled into your mates, the view of tiktok on Taehyung’s phone catches your attention, as you turn your head further to watch. 

“I sometimes forget you all have like super-secret accounts on social media.” You mutter to your mate, catching his attention as he turns his phone so you can see better. 

“Yup, we follow you now, as well. It’s easy when we make usernames like therealtaetae. No one suspects anything because a lot of army have similar usernames.” You nod along, knowing that army have been trying to find their real accounts for months now.  

It’s nice to sit in silence sometimes, nothing overstimulating or overwhelming to occur. You felt completely at ease in your soulmate’s arms, something you never thought you would get to experience. 

You can’t help but smile as you think back on all the times you dreamt of them, not realizing you would be soul bonding with Jimin and Tae, that they could see you and bring you real comfort when you needed it most. 

You were almost grateful that you didn’t experience a bond with them, thinking how overstimulated you would be all the time and how no one would probably believe you anyways. You wouldn’t be able to find them given the amount of security the boys, and now you, have so all of your attempts would’ve been futile. 

Fate works in mysterious ways, you think. 

You feel Tae’s arms tighten around you as he nudges your head over so he has more room to lay his head in the crook of your neck. You giggle a little as he gently lays a kiss on your skin causing goosebumps to erupt. 

You end up cuddling there for a couple hours before Yoongi and Hobi come back, bags in their hands as they come in through the door. 

“Honey’s, we’re home!” Hobi yells cutely, smiling wide as he closes the door with his foot, Yoongi already making his way to the coffee table in front of you, setting his bags down. 

Curiosity gets the better of you and you move to sit up, causing grumbles and protests to erupt from your two cuddly soulmates.

“What’s in the bags Yoongi? Hobi?” Your voice is a little gravely as you speak, causing Yoongi to smile softly at you. 

“In the bag, pretty girl, are some things that we think we’ll need in the upcoming week as we move to do some more interviews and meet with some people regarding solo activities.”

You remember the conversation from the previous night, how the boys have been wanting to branch out musically and experiment with their own sound but still remain loyal as a group and band. 

Bangtan would always be Seven. 

They both then proceed to pull out tons of snacks and drinks and even a couple sweaters that looked extremely comfy. You couldn’t help but wonder why they needed snacks and drinks when food is usually provided for the artists at events if needed and we all usually go out to eat afterwards anyways depending on how tired the boys are. 

As if sensing the questions brewing in your head, or more likely seeing the look of blatant confusion on your face, the Yoongi explains their purchases. 

“Baby girl, these items are for you.” You look from him and Hobi to the snacks on the table, realizing they had bought your favorite snacks and drinks, ones you would eat at home all the time. 

“We are going to be really busy this week and we don’t want you having to wait to eat when we know that you tend to get hungry while were out. We can easily push through our hunger, but we don’t want you to ever have to do that. So, we got you snacks and drinks that can go in your backpack for when were out.” Yoongi continues while you look through the snacks with Jungkook who had come out of his room with the others as Yoongi and Hobi came home. 

“And the sweatshirts were actually Namjoon’s idea. We’re all going to wear them before we have to go so that we can get our scent on them.” You look to Namjoon who has a blush growing on his cheeks, reaching his arm up so he can rub nervously at his neck as he begins to explain his idea.

“Well, I noticed, we noticed that you always seem to relax or calm down when you’re surrounded by our scent so I thought we could help you by giving you something to wear that’s covered in our scents.” You barely give him time to finish speaking before your jumping on him, wrapping your legs and arms around your tall soulmate. 

“Thank you Joonie. That’s very thoughtful of you.” You mumble against his neck as you bury yourself in his arms. 

You’ve never had someone think of you like your boys do, always trying to do things for you and keeping you in their hearts and thoughts. You’ve never felt simple love like this and it makes you tear up a little as you continue to hold onto your soulmate. 

“Well, while they decide who wears what sweater first, why don’t I take our little soulmate into the kitchen so we can get started on dinner? Hmm?” Jin takes the lead after everything is unpacked and you slowly begin to climb down from Namjoon. 

You nod at your eldest soulmate and take his offered hand as Namjoon squeezes your waist in reassurance once more before moving over to supervise the now fight between Jungkook and Jimin over who gets to wear the blue sweater first. 

-*-*-

Monday found you riding with Hobi, Jungkook and Jimin as you were on your way to an interview with Buzzfeed. The boys were going to be doing a couple of interviews with them today, including a remake of the interview with puppies, and a try not to sing or dance challenge amongst others. 

You had loved watching these types of videos, finding them entertaining and hilarious, especially the try not to sing challenges. 

 You had said as much to the boys in the car with you, who then made it their mission to win whatever challenge was thrown their way.

You had tried to tell them that the videos were for fun, but even Jungkook shook his head, declaring himself the winner early making everyone laugh. From the corner of your eye, you could even see Seungho smiling a little at everyone’s banter. 

Once the car was parked, it was a little whirlwind of movement that found you inside the studio, a light blue backdrop already set up for whatever interview/challenge they were going to film first. You couldn’t help but to look around the room, watch all the people getting the room ready for your boys. 

The boys themselves made themselves very known, the laughter being heard from the dressing room down the open hall. It made you smile, hearing their laughter. 

Seungho was with you, watching you interact with the room around you, slowly moving you a little to the left or the right so you weren’t accidentally in anyone’s way as you got lost in thought. He noticed you tended to do that, but he wasn’t bothered, and it seemed no one else was either. 

“Alright guys, five more minutes!” Someone you didn’t see had yelled across the room, signaling the filming would begin soon. Even more commotion followed the man’s words because as soon as he yelled, the boys came barreling into the room, heading straight for you, excitement covering their features. 

Hobi was the first to catch you, Jimin right behind him. “We get to do the puppy interview first!” Hobi’s excitement made you smile, knowing how much they loved animals. You all had watched some of the Buzzfeed videos last night, and they were excited to be able to get to do this. 

They had all given you hugs or head pats as the moved past you, smiles accompanying their actions as they gathered in the middle of the backdrop, picking and teasing each other over the spots they picked. 

You hung back with Seungho, finding a place where you could sit but where the boys could still see you as the filmed what the needed to. You ignored the looks from some of the interns, with their badges hanging proudly. 

You just watched your boys have fun, playing with the puppies and answering questions, some about you. You all had talked about it numerous times, again and again, and each time you promised them they could answer any question they wanted about you, and your relationship.

You had trusted them; you had trusted them with a lot more that you had ever been comfortable with previously. But they were your soulmates, and you loved them with all your heart. You knew they would have your best interest at heart, always. 

So, it made you a little warm inside when they happily and enthusiastically answered one of the three approved questions about you. 

“Now, we know that you’ve finally completed your soulgroup. How has the adjustment been, bringing in your new soulmate?” The interviewer asked politely before gesturing to the boys.

“Well,” Namjoon looked around, “we haven’t really had an adjustment period. We have all just been taking the time to get to know each other and find our own groove.” The boys nodded along in agreement before Yoongi spoke up.

“She fits perfectly within our group, filling in the spots we didn’t know we had.” He smiles along in thought as he answers the question.

You and Seungho watched them as they answered a few more questions, some silly and some about their comeback from the army. When they were finally done, the get up and moved to sit with you as the interns slowly went forward to change the backdrop to a dark green one and brought a table forward with a couple chairs. 

For the next segment, some of the influencers that Buzzfeed normally worked with were paired up with each member to try and accomplish a couple challenges together. The first was a try not to sing or dance, K-Pop edition. The next would be a try to guess the song challenge. All of this had been approved by HYBE and the influencers involved were known to be respectful K-Pop fans. 

You were excited, to say the least. 

Jimin had gone first and almost threw the table over when his partner and him had lost the second round, both getting up and dancing to View by Shinee. Jin had gone second, immediately forgetting it was a try NOT to sing or dance challenge and lost the entire thing with his partner, who had also given up on the second song. 

By the time Jungkook had gone last, only Yoongi and Taehyung had won their challenges. You had almost thought Yoongi was gonna budge when a Big Bang song had come on, but he made it through.

Jungkook’s turn had finally come, and he had been impatiently watching by your side as his soulmates had their turns. He had been bouncing and trying his hardest to keep quiet as you both watched. 

“I’m gonna win, just you wait.” You murmured to you as he stood up, receiving a thumbs up from you and a grin that he matched as he sat down at the table with his partner. You watched them high-five and brag about how they were gonna win, their determination showing for the camera. 

In the end, however, they neither won nor lost.

“No, no, no, I didn’t dance. I was just breathing really strongly.” Anthony, Jungkook’s partner exclaimed when the buzzer went off. 

“Yeah, really strongly!” Jungkook added, the both of them demonstrating that they were ‘breathing’ and not moving their shoulders to the beat. You couldn’t help but to cover your mouth to hold in your laughter as you watched your youngest soulmate try and manipulate his way out of losing each round. 

It was funny, the excuses the duo were coming up with. It came to a point where Jimin, Hobi, Taehyung, and you had to leave the room as you couldn’t help but laughing, Jin having to drag you and Jimin out as you were stuck besides yourselves with laughter. 

“I can’t believe him! Using the motion of the camera to justify his movement!” You laughed aloud once Jin closed the door behind your group. Jimin and Taehyung were clinging to each other as Hobi had his arm around you, trying to keep you upright and steady as you both watched your other giggling soulmates fall to the ground. 

It took a couple more minutes for Jungkook to come out the door, pout very prominent on his lip as he went for Jin, falling dramatically into his arms as he wailed.

“They cheated!” Jungkook cried out, causing all of you to start laughing again. 

The next challenge went about the same, however, you weren’t expecting them to come to you after Namjoon went last this time.

“Hello, Y/n. We were actually wondering if we could film a ‘guess the song challenge’ with you. We know you are a huge K-Pop fan and we think this would be a fun way for everyone to see how you interact.” The producer had asked you, nervously gazing at Hobi and Yoongi as they stood behind you, probably looking as menacingly as they could. 

You thought about it, even looking over your shoulder to the two of your soulmates behind you, gauging their opinion, but when they looked at you, awaiting your answer, you turned back around. 

“Sure, I’d love too!” You reply, a big smile on your lips showing your excitement at being able to participate after spending almost the entire day watching your soulmates have fun. 

The producer nods at your answer before turning away. You turned in excitement to see more than just Yoongi and Hobi behind you. Your soulgroup was behind you, looking down at your bouncing figure, their smiles shining down on your excitement. 

“Did you hear that? I get to film a challenge with you!” You almost shout in your enthusiasm, having Jungkook bring you into the middle of the circle, what you call the soulmate huddle. 

You beamed up at them with excitement, happy to be involved and to be able to play the challenge with them. You sometimes imagined what it would be like to be a part of Buzzfeed, doing these challenges and seeing if you would win. You always played along from at home, competing against yourself to see if you would win; you always lost though.

You were sat between the winners from the first rounds, so you would be playing with Jungkook, Yoongi and Hobi. Namjoon had lost horribly, complaining that he wasn’t given enough time to answer, while Jin and Taehyung both just said they forgot they were playing a guessing game and started singing along. Jimin tried his hardest, but his partner was a very strong opponent. 

It was Jungkook, then you sat sandwiched between Yoongi and Hobi who was sat at the end of the table. Each of you had a buzzer this time, with the fastest person to hit the buzzer and answer correctly each round winning.  

The first song was Pirate King by Ateez, and all you needed was to hear the first beat to hit the buzzer. Jungkook yelled from your left as you answered confidently, Yoongi looking at you with both eyebrows raised and Hobi putting his head in his hands as they all realized you were some serious competition. 

They seriously underestimated how much K-Pop you listened to, and how many groups you loved to listen to. 

When What is Love by Twice played over the speaker, you squealed in excitement before hitting the buzzer, almost yelling the title before the ‘ding’ sounded out telling the group that you were right before you started dancing the main chorus’s choreo as the sound played over the speaker again. 

You spent the entire night before Jin’s birthday riding all the rollercoasters with Jungkook and Jin, while your other soulmates were content to watch from the ground with soft smiles on their lips as they watched you bond with the two over your adrenaline junkie like tendencies, Jungkook especially.

Then, your morning consisted of very little sleep, all cuddled together on your shared bed with Jin and Yoongi, before having to get up for rehearsal and soundcheck again. 

This time, however, you did not attend either.

 “I’m sleeping right here.” You proceeded to point to the small two seater in their dressing room before promptly dropping yourself and your (Jimin’s) blanket onto the furniture, backpack and all following you as you flop.

You didn’t care, curling up and falling asleep as soon as your head hit the surprisingly soft cushion. Two hours of sleep was simply not enough for you and you knew you would need it. 

And you did need it because the concert was, again, overstimulating. You sat in the box with Hobi’s family and Jungkook’s family who had flown out for the second night. You had your headphones and at one point, managed to relax enough to dance and sing along a little to the boys as they had fun on stage.

You didn’t even know they had invited Megan the Stallion to perform with them, a huge surprise to all army that night. 

Once the concert was done, you and the boys had taken tons of pictures with her and you watched as the boys made some tiktoks with her for her feature on Butter.

You weren’t comfortable being in any of them just yet, despite the offer. While the night was overstimulating again, you did have more fun than the previous night and maybe thought you could get used to going to concerts in the future. 

After another live, you spent the rest of the night singing Happy Birthday to your eldest soulmate and cuddling in the living room with him and the rest of your soulgroup watching movies Jin had picked out while you snacked on the cake Jimin and Taehyung had picked out with the help (read supervision of Hobi) earlier today between soundcheck and the concert to be delivered to the hotel. 

Those two days of filled events led you to being in your current predicament, being held to Jimin’s chest as you were wrapped in his blanket. You weren’t nonverbal, nor overstimulated, but you felt off and that was enough for your soulmate to decide to bundle you up and hold you. He had won rock, paper, scissors, even though you were already in his blanket, which left your other, pouty soulmates to be left to their own devices. 

Jungkook had made some food, more than enough for him and whoever else trickled in at the smell. Taehyung had just plopped right next to you, throwing an arm around your waist as you laid against Jimin, his other arm resting against your back as he surfed through social media. 

You were unsure of where Yoongi and Hobi went to, but you vaguely remember hearing the hotel door open and close. Namjoon and Jin were in the kitchen area with Jungkook, talking about another interview show and the Jingle Bell Ball they had been invited to perform at.

It had already been decided that you would stay home for that, though. You had actually requested it, not feeling mentally up to going to another event so close after the concerts and you’ve just had a very crazy last couple weeks to say the least. 

You were perfectly content to lounge on the couch and watch the events from the large flatscreen in the living room. 

As you snuggled into your mates, the view of tiktok on Taehyung’s phone catches your attention, as you turn your head further to watch. 

“I sometimes forget you all have like super-secret accounts on social media.” You mutter to your mate, catching his attention as he turns his phone so you can see better. 

“Yup, we follow you now, as well. It’s easy when we make usernames like therealtaetae. No one suspects anything because a lot of army have similar usernames.” You nod along, knowing that army have been trying to find their real accounts for months now.  

It’s nice to sit in silence sometimes, nothing overstimulating or overwhelming to occur. You felt completely at ease in your soulmate’s arms, something you never thought you would get to experience. 

You can’t help but smile as you think back on all the times you dreamt of them, not realizing you would be soul bonding with Jimin and Tae, that they could see you and bring you real comfort when you needed it most. 

You were almost grateful that you didn’t experience a bond with them, thinking how overstimulated you would be all the time and how no one would probably believe you anyways. You wouldn’t be able to find them given the amount of security the boys, and now you, have so all of your attempts would’ve been futile. 

Fate works in mysterious ways, you think. 

You feel Tae’s arms tighten around you as he nudges your head over so he has more room to lay his head in the crook of your neck. You giggle a little as he gently lays a kiss on your skin causing goosebumps to erupt. 

You end up cuddling there for a couple hours before Yoongi and Hobi come back, bags in their hands as they come in through the door. 

“Honey’s, we’re home!” Hobi yells cutely, smiling wide as he closes the door with his foot, Yoongi already making his way to the coffee table in front of you, setting his bags down. 

Curiosity gets the better of you and you move to sit up, causing grumbles and protests to erupt from your two cuddly soulmates.

“What’s in the bags Yoongi? Hobi?” Your voice is a little gravely as you speak, causing Yoongi to smile softly at you. 

“In the bag, pretty girl, are some things that we think we’ll need in the upcoming week as we move to do some more interviews and meet with some people regarding solo activities.”

You remember the conversation from the previous night, how the boys have been wanting to branch out musically and experiment with their own sound but still remain loyal as a group and band. 

Bangtan would always be Seven. 

They both then proceed to pull out tons of snacks and drinks and even a couple sweaters that looked extremely comfy. You couldn’t help but wonder why they needed snacks and drinks when food is usually provided for the artists at events if needed and we all usually go out to eat afterwards anyways depending on how tired the boys are. 

As if sensing the questions brewing in your head, or more likely seeing the look of blatant confusion on your face, the Yoongi explains their purchases. 

“Baby girl, these items are for you.” You look from him and Hobi to the snacks on the table, realizing they had bought your favorite snacks and drinks, ones you would eat at home all the time. 

“We are going to be really busy this week and we don’t want you having to wait to eat when we know that you tend to get hungry while were out. We can easily push through our hunger, but we don’t want you to ever have to do that. So, we got you snacks and drinks that can go in your backpack for when were out.” Yoongi continues while you look through the snacks with Jungkook who had come out of his room with the others as Yoongi and Hobi came home. 

“And the sweatshirts were actually Namjoon’s idea. We’re all going to wear them before we have to go so that we can get our scent on them.” You look to Namjoon who has a blush growing on his cheeks, reaching his arm up so he can rub nervously at his neck as he begins to explain his idea.

“Well, I noticed, we noticed that you always seem to relax or calm down when you’re surrounded by our scent so I thought we could help you by giving you something to wear that’s covered in our scents.” You barely give him time to finish speaking before your jumping on him, wrapping your legs and arms around your tall soulmate. 

“Thank you Joonie. That’s very thoughtful of you.” You mumble against his neck as you bury yourself in his arms. 

You’ve never had someone think of you like your boys do, always trying to do things for you and keeping you in their hearts and thoughts. You’ve never felt simple love like this and it makes you tear up a little as you continue to hold onto your soulmate. 

“Well, while they decide who wears what sweater first, why don’t I take our little soulmate into the kitchen so we can get started on dinner? Hmm?” Jin takes the lead after everything is unpacked and you slowly begin to climb down from Namjoon. 

You nod at your eldest soulmate and take his offered hand as Namjoon squeezes your waist in reassurance once more before moving over to supervise the now fight between Jungkook and Jimin over who gets to wear the blue sweater first. 

-*-*-

Monday found you riding with Hobi, Jungkook and Jimin as you were on your way to an interview with Buzzfeed. The boys were going to be doing a couple of interviews with them today, including a remake of the interview with puppies, and a try not to sing or dance challenge amongst others. 

You had loved watching these types of videos, finding them entertaining and hilarious, especially the try not to sing challenges. 

 You had said as much to the boys in the car with you, who then made it their mission to win whatever challenge was thrown their way.

You had tried to tell them that the videos were for fun, but even Jungkook shook his head, declaring himself the winner early making everyone laugh. From the corner of your eye, you could even see Seungho smiling a little at everyone’s banter. 

Once the car was parked, it was a little whirlwind of movement that found you inside the studio, a light blue backdrop already set up for whatever interview/challenge they were going to film first. You couldn’t help but to look around the room, watch all the people getting the room ready for your boys. 

The boys themselves made themselves very known, the laughter being heard from the dressing room down the open hall. It made you smile, hearing their laughter. 

Seungho was with you, watching you interact with the room around you, slowly moving you a little to the left or the right so you weren’t accidentally in anyone’s way as you got lost in thought. He noticed you tended to do that, but he wasn’t bothered, and it seemed no one else was either. 

“Alright guys, five more minutes!” Someone you didn’t see had yelled across the room, signaling the filming would begin soon. Even more commotion followed the man’s words because as soon as he yelled, the boys came barreling into the room, heading straight for you, excitement covering their features. 

Hobi was the first to catch you, Jimin right behind him. “We get to do the puppy interview first!” Hobi’s excitement made you smile, knowing how much they loved animals. You all had watched some of the Buzzfeed videos last night, and they were excited to be able to get to do this. 

They had all given you hugs or head pats as the moved past you, smiles accompanying their actions as they gathered in the middle of the backdrop, picking and teasing each other over the spots they picked. 

You hung back with Seungho, finding a place where you could sit but where the boys could still see you as the filmed what the needed to. You ignored the looks from some of the interns, with their badges hanging proudly. 

You just watched your boys have fun, playing with the puppies and answering questions, some about you. You all had talked about it numerous times, again and again, and each time you promised them they could answer any question they wanted about you, and your relationship.

You had trusted them; you had trusted them with a lot more that you had ever been comfortable with previously. But they were your soulmates, and you loved them with all your heart. You knew they would have your best interest at heart, always. 

So, it made you a little warm inside when they happily and enthusiastically answered one of the three approved questions about you. 

“Now, we know that you’ve finally completed your soulgroup. How has the adjustment been, bringing in your new soulmate?” The interviewer asked politely before gesturing to the boys.

“Well,” Namjoon looked around, “we haven’t really had an adjustment period. We have all just been taking the time to get to know each other and find our own groove.” The boys nodded along in agreement before Yoongi spoke up.

“She fits perfectly within our group, filling in the spots we didn’t know we had.” He smiles along in thought as he answers the question.

You and Seungho watched them as they answered a few more questions, some silly and some about their comeback from the army. When they were finally done, the get up and moved to sit with you as the interns slowly went forward to change the backdrop to a dark green one and brought a table forward with a couple chairs. 

For the next segment, some of the influencers that Buzzfeed normally worked with were paired up with each member to try and accomplish a couple challenges together. The first was a try not to sing or dance, K-Pop edition. The next would be a try to guess the song challenge. All of this had been approved by HYBE and the influencers involved were known to be respectful K-Pop fans. 

You were excited, to say the least. 

Jimin had gone first and almost threw the table over when his partner and him had lost the second round, both getting up and dancing to View by Shinee. Jin had gone second, immediately forgetting it was a try NOT to sing or dance challenge and lost the entire thing with his partner, who had also given up on the second song. 

By the time Jungkook had gone last, only Yoongi and Taehyung had won their challenges. You had almost thought Yoongi was gonna budge when a Big Bang song had come on, but he made it through.

Jungkook’s turn had finally come, and he had been impatiently watching by your side as his soulmates had their turns. He had been bouncing and trying his hardest to keep quiet as you both watched. 

“I’m gonna win, just you wait.” You murmured to you as he stood up, receiving a thumbs up from you and a grin that he matched as he sat down at the table with his partner. You watched them high-five and brag about how they were gonna win, their determination showing for the camera. 

In the end, however, they neither won nor lost.

“No, no, no, I didn’t dance. I was just breathing really strongly.” Anthony, Jungkook’s partner exclaimed when the buzzer went off. 

“Yeah, really strongly!” Jungkook added, the both of them demonstrating that they were ‘breathing’ and not moving their shoulders to the beat. You couldn’t help but to cover your mouth to hold in your laughter as you watched your youngest soulmate try and manipulate his way out of losing each round. 

It was funny, the excuses the duo were coming up with. It came to a point where Jimin, Hobi, Taehyung, and you had to leave the room as you couldn’t help but laughing, Jin having to drag you and Jimin out as you were stuck besides yourselves with laughter. 

“I can’t believe him! Using the motion of the camera to justify his movement!” You laughed aloud once Jin closed the door behind your group. Jimin and Taehyung were clinging to each other as Hobi had his arm around you, trying to keep you upright and steady as you both watched your other giggling soulmates fall to the ground. 

It took a couple more minutes for Jungkook to come out the door, pout very prominent on his lip as he went for Jin, falling dramatically into his arms as he wailed.

“They cheated!” Jungkook cried out, causing all of you to start laughing again. 

The next challenge went about the same, however, you weren’t expecting them to come to you after Namjoon went last this time.

“Hello, Y/n. We were actually wondering if we could film a ‘guess the song challenge’ with you. We know you are a huge K-Pop fan and we think this would be a fun way for everyone to see how you interact.” The producer had asked you, nervously gazing at Hobi and Yoongi as they stood behind you, probably looking as menacingly as they could. 

You thought about it, even looking over your shoulder to the two of your soulmates behind you, gauging their opinion, but when they looked at you, awaiting your answer, you turned back around. 

“Sure, I’d love too!” You reply, a big smile on your lips showing your excitement at being able to participate after spending almost the entire day watching your soulmates have fun. 

The producer nods at your answer before turning away. You turned in excitement to see more than just Yoongi and Hobi behind you. Your soulgroup was behind you, looking down at your bouncing figure, their smiles shining down on your excitement. 

“Did you hear that? I get to film a challenge with you!” You almost shout in your enthusiasm, having Jungkook bring you into the middle of the circle, what you call the soulmate huddle. 

You beamed up at them with excitement, happy to be involved and to be able to play the challenge with them. You sometimes imagined what it would be like to be a part of Buzzfeed, doing these challenges and seeing if you would win. You always played along from at home, competing against yourself to see if you would win; you always lost though.

You were sat between the winners from the first rounds, so you would be playing with Jungkook, Yoongi and Hobi. Namjoon had lost horribly, complaining that he wasn’t given enough time to answer, while Jin and Taehyung both just said they forgot they were playing a guessing game and started singing along. Jimin tried his hardest, but his partner was a very strong opponent. 

It was Jungkook, then you sat sandwiched between Yoongi and Hobi who was sat at the end of the table. Each of you had a buzzer this time, with the fastest person to hit the buzzer and answer correctly each round winning.  

The first song was Pirate King by Ateez, and all you needed was to hear the first beat to hit the buzzer. Jungkook yelled from your left as you answered confidently, Yoongi looking at you with both eyebrows raised and Hobi putting his head in his hands as they all realized you were some serious competition. 

They seriously underestimated how much K-Pop you listened to, and how many groups you loved to listen to. 

When What is Love by Twice played over the speaker, you squealed in excitement before hitting the buzzer, almost yelling the title before the ‘ding’ sounded out telling the group that you were right before you started dancing the main chorus’s choreo as the sound played over the speaker again. 

The familiar nightmares return in full force. 

A voice calling you a bitch, a slut, a pathetic excuse of an omega. The hands that leave bruises in places that he knows you won’t show to outsiders. The demeaning comments. The constant surveillance and control of every little thing you do. But now all those terrible things come from a different source. Namjoon, Seokjin, Jungkook, all of the seven alphas you care for. You dream of their hands on you, beating you black and blue for all your wrongdoings. 

And still, you wake up with an apology on your lips.

You’re laid in fetal position, curled up as tightly as possible under a blanket that smells like Jungkook’s lilies. Your throat is scratchy and your eyes burn. You immediately glance around, relaxing when you realize both the bed—Namjoon’s bed—and the room are empty.

You wade through the makeshift nest the alphas made for you, which is more or less just an ocean of clothes, blankets, and pillows. You don’t have the habit of nesting, mostly because you’ve never had enough time or items to nest with. For you, a single blanket wrapped around you as tight as possible is enough security.

You take Jungkook’s blanket with you as you leave the room, staying wrapped up in it like you did with Hoseok’s earlier today, but the sentiment is completely different. Before, you wanted comfort. Now, you need it. 

The fight weighs on your mind, but the thought of Hoseok is even heavier. You imagine him alone in the basement, not knowing the outcome of the fight and all alone to deal with his rut. Your heart aches, wanting to go to him despite your better judgement. A part of you wants to go to him despite his refusal, wishing that his diminished resolve would mean he’d let you be with him for the entire cycle. But you know it’s wrong to use Hoseok’s altered state of mind against him, just like if you were to go into heat unexpectedly.

You sit at the base of the stairs, trying to take deep breaths. By now, it’s almost lunch time. You stare down the hallway, listening to the faint sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen. It’s almost lunch time now, so you’re sure the rest of the pack (minus Hoseok) are all there. Your chest feels tight. Even the small things that felt homely and peaceful now feel so intimidating again. It’s like you’re back to square one, but it’s even worse now. You feel naked with your biggest secret exposed.

They won’t hurt me. You try to reason with yourself.

You don’t know that. Your omega returns. Alphas always hurt omegas.

You bury your face in your legs, losing the fight against the tears prickling your eyes. Even smart-mouthed, passionate Namjoon is just an alpha. Even cheeky, doting Seokjin is just an alpha. Even gentle, sparkly-eyed Jungkook. All just alphas. And you know what alphas do when they’re angry.

Soft footsteps approach you. You jolt, immediately turning away from the source and wiping your tears. The man leans in and sets something down beside you, then straightens up in your peripheral. Warily, you eye the item on your left. A glass of water.

“Drink it.” 

Jimin leans against the stair rails, looking down at you with his arms folded over his chest. His dark brown eyes swim with worry.

“What?” You ask, not bothering to hide your dejection. “Here to tell me ‘I told you so’?”

“I didn’t want this to happen.” Jimin says plainly. His shoulders are tight, giving away his own inner tension. “I was just afraid it would.”

“And now it has.” You sigh, then take a swig of the water. A long pause. Then: “Why did you tell him you knew?”

“Because it’s the truth.” Jimin says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “It doesn’t matter if it’s ugly or embarrassing. They deserve to know the truth.”

You take another long drink of water, until the glass is entirely empty. Physically, you feel much better. But you’re just as hollow on the inside. “What am I gonna do now? Where do I go?” You ask the glass cradled between your palms.

Jimin crouches in front of you, cupping your face gently. He guides your face to make you meet his eyes. “No matter how angry he is, our Alpha would never abandon you, Y/N.”

You smile self-deprecatingly. “Our? Wow, I really must be getting kicked out if you’re being nice to me.”

Jimin’s cheeks colour pink. “I said I didn’t like you. I never said you weren’t one of us.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head. “You’re really consistent, you know that?” You ask the alpha, sniffling. For the first time since you’ve met, Jimin smiles faintly at you. “Such a jerk.”

“Come on, let’s eat lunch.” Jimin says, taking your used glass and beginning to walk away. You stand still, hunger dying at the thought of going into a kitchen full of angry alphas. 

Jimin sighs, returning to you. The alpha is quiet, brown eyes swimming with concern as he looks down at you. The moment reminds you of the time Hoseok saw you in the garage on Jimin’s birthday and how he told you not to hide, giving you keys to their home the next time he saw you. Your heart ache deepens. Even though he had his reservations about you, Hoseok has always been so kind. You should be with him. You need to be with him now.

“You can’t go to him, you’re not strong enough.” Jimin says as if reading your mind. He puts a hand on the small of your back. You blink at him in surprise. “I know you’d rather it was him, but just make do with me for now.” He says, guiding you down the hall and into the kitchen. 

Maybe it’s the relative peace between you or still the stress talking, but you decide to voice your thoughts. 

“He won’t hit me that hard, right?” You ask. Jimin stops dead in his tracks. Oblivious, you continue walking. “I know it’s well within his rights to punish me for my wrongdoing, but I am sick. And I still have to finish the Love Maze project, I can’t risk missing too many days. Maybe I just have to be quiet and he’ll let me off easy.”

You make it to the entrance to the kitchen before you realize Jimin is still halfway down the hall. He stares at you, stunned. You blink, confused. 

“What are you doing out there? Come in.” Yoongi calls from the stove.

Five pairs of eyes fall on you as you and Jimin enter together. 

Seokjin and Yoongi look up from what they’re cooking as you walk in. Yoongi avoids your eyes. Seokjin just watches you with sadness. Taehyung scrubs dishes, not even turning around to look at you. Jungkook sits at his regular seat at the dining table, scrolling on his phone. He doesn’t look at you, but flinches at the sound of your chair scraping against the ground. You take your place at the end of the table. You observe the youngest alpha’s face. It’s clear as day that he has been crying. And finally, Namjoon looks up at you from the head of the table, face stoic and unreadable. 

Jimin takes his usual seat on Jungkook’s other side, bouncing one leg anxiously. 

“Jungkook, bring Y/N’s chair up here, please.” Namjoon addresses the younger alpha in a calm, collected voice. You blink, watching on as Jungkook stands robotically, bringing your chair over to the opposite end of the table. The head alpha looks at you expectantly. You swallow, then take your spot next to him. Namjoon turns his attention to Seokjin across the room. “Hyung, can you bring Y/N’s meds, please?”

For the first time since you’ve met him, Seokjin looks like a deer in headlights. He blushes, glancing back and forth between you and the head alpha. “He doesn’t know where they are.” You explain quietly. 

Namjoon’s shoulders stiffen. He turns to you. “Don’t you need them to eat? I’ll go get them if you tell me where they are.”

You shake your head, still avoiding the alpha’s eyes. “I don’t necessarily need them all the time. Especially if I’ve been scented recently…” You trail off. They can all smell Jungkook’s sweet lily scent on you. 

Namjoon nods in understanding. Silence stretches between you, the only noise in the room being the quiet clink of utensils as Seokjin and Yoongi wrap up making lunch. Soon, the food is served. Head Alpha first, of course.

You wonder why you’re still sitting at Namjoon’s side when the alpha picks up his own chopsticks and offers you the first bite of his food. You accept without looking up. You want to tell the head alpha that you’re not a child, but the lingering fear makes you hold your tongue. Maybe this is how he does it? He dotes on them first, punishes them after.

Despite your churning anxiety, you manage to eat well. Namjoon holds a glass of water to your lips, not letting you move a muscle even at the end of the meal. “Thanks for the meal, hyungs.” He directs to the two eldest alphas, who exchange a nervous look. From what you’ve observed, please and thank-you’s are limited in the pack. It feels oddly formal. “Has anyone delivered lunch and supplies to Hoseok?”

“I did.” Yoongi says in the smallest voice you’ve ever heard from him.

Namjoon nods, standing. Everyone seems to follow his train of thought in washing their hands and making their way to the living room. The food you just ate threatens to come back up. Is it now?

You follow begrudgingly. You notice the alphas are spread out around Namjoon, as if keeping a polite distance from each other. Seokjin and Jimin in particular stay the furthest away. Realizing there’s nowhere else to go, you perch on the spot right next to Namjoon. “How was lunch today?” Namjoon asks in a soft voice. You flinch as he caresses the back of your head. 

“It was good. Thank you.” You mumble.

“Y/N, look at me.” Namjoon says. You turn to face him nervously. To your surprise, Namjoon pulls you into his side. You sigh softly as you lean into the alpha’s soft, sweater-clad chest. He guides you to rest your head on his shoulder, face dangerously close to his scent glands. You blush. “I was too rough with your punishment, wasn’t I? I’m sorry. I was too deep in my own feelings.”

Namjoon leans against the arm rest of the sofa, letting you sit on his lap sideways. You rest your back against the back of the sofa, hands planted on the head alpha’s chest. Despite you being on top of him, he looks at ease. “That was punishment?” You ask.

Namjoon frowns. “Of course. Submission, accountability, and reinforcing rank. In that order, those are the three steps of punishment. Hasn’t Jungkook explained that to you?”

In the corner, Jungkook avoids everyone’s eyes. Something dawns on Namjoon. “You didn’t know what I was doing.” He breathes, eyes widening. “That’s why you thought I was going to…” Lay my hands on you. Your mind completes. 

Tugging you into a fierce hug, Namjoon holds you close to him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was like that. I’m sorry.” He repeats, rocking you gently like a scared puppy.

He holds you at arms length, blinking back tears. “When I heard that our omega had been sick to the point of hospitalization in our care and I was none the wiser, I was so angry and worried that I couldn’t help myself. I felt I needed to control everything in order to set things straight. I was wrong. Regardless of this bite or our relationship, you’re a person, not something to own. I can’t demand things from you without earning the right to them first. Naturally, you don’t have to see us as your alphas either; that’s my own selfish desire.”

Sniffling, Namjoon cups your face. “You said you wanted to go home, right? We’ll arrange it for you.”

You glance at Jimin, who frowns at the scene. You told me he wouldn’t abandon me. “What do you want in return?”

“The truth. Even if it’s ugly or embarrassing, I have to hear it from you.” Namjoon answers firmly. Unshed tears shine in his eyes. Then, he takes a deep, shaky breath. “Was it me that sent you to the hospital? Did I ask too much from your body that night and hurt you?”

You’re stunned that the alpha even thought such a thing. You shake your head. “No, those two things weren't related. I…My health has been so-so for a long time, although it only got this bad recently.” 

“Tell me, please.” Namjoon urges.

You sigh. “After I finished high school, I got into SNU.” You start your story. Namjoon nods. You avert your eyes. “I wanted to succeed no matter what and having heats would get in the way of what I wanted. So I started taking blockers to make my life easier, but then I couldn’t afford time off between uni and my part-time jobs to have a breakthrough heat. When I graduated, it was even worse because I started working full time. I kept taking blockers even though I knew it was bad for me, and now my body is suffering the consequences. My doctor forced me to stop taking them and now I have no choice but to wait until I can have a heat.”

Namjoon knits his eyebrows together, trying to make sense of your story. “But all universities and workplaces are required to provide heat and rut leave by law.” He replies.

You smile faintly at his naivety. Of course an alpha wouldn’t understand. “Yes, by law. But the truth is that most people don’t treat omega’s heats and alpha’s ruts the same way. Whenever omegas take heat leaves, people complain that they’re free-loading or misusing social services. They ask why we don’t just take heat blockers, or quit our jobs and get married to avoid bothering our co-workers. They hate us and look down on us just for existing, asking them to accommodate me is like putting a target on my own back.”

Your shoulders sink as you talk, memories of your old job returning to you. For a long time, no one ever suspected anything because you pretended to be a beta at work. But because you never said it outright, people slowly turned their suspicions on you. Even though you never even confirmed your status to anyone, your silence was enough to doom you. 

You recall the book Namjoon was reading in the study a while ago. To him, omegas’ oppression is an area of curiosity, a completely different world. To you, it’s your everyday life. Especially in a competitive industry. 

“So you chose your career over your health.” Namjoon summarizes.

You nod. You grip the material of your pants tightly. “I ignored so many symptoms and put up with being overworked and underpaid for so long just to be promoted. But they ignored me. They gave it to someone less deserving than me. All because I didn’t have connections and because I was an omega. It was my breaking point, so I quit.”

Namjoon looks surprised. “You quit?”

You sniffle. “I did. I blew my money on a trip to Vegas thinking it would be my one chance to feel free. But my fucking hormones took over me and I ended up with this fucking bite.” You seethe. You make the mistake of meeting Jungkook’s eyes then. The alpha looks truly upset. You look away. “I really thought of it as an unlucky mistake and tried to run from it. When I first met you, I told you I didn't want anything from you and I meant it. But you all thought I was a gold digger.”

Namjoon flinches at the words, but he doesn’t deny them. “We’ve been wrong about everything. I want to apologize to you, but I don’t know if it even means anything now. A mate has been our biggest dream for a long time, someone to cherish and spoil. I thought we were a little clumsy, just a bunch of jaded alphas that would get better with time. But we’ve clearly only gotten worse.” The remaining five alphas hang their heads in shame. Even Jimin.

“You’ve been mean to me.” You admit quietly. Tears roll down Namjoon’s cheeks. He nods without looking at you. “I have struggled these past few months. But it hasn’t been all bad. I’ve cried a lot, but I’ve laughed and felt happy, too. It’s hard to explain what I feel, but I don’t want to leave here.”

“No?” Namjoon echoes like he can hardly believe it. “You don’t have to be afraid of us. If…If you want to leave we can make arrangements for you. A new apartment, a new job. As long as you let us provide it, we’ll fulfill our obligations as alphas from a distance.”

“Why would she do that?” Jimin speaks up finally. Namjoon frowns, displeased at the younger alpha for cutting in. Jimin crosses his arms over his chest. “For heaven’s sake, use your brain, hyung. Look how hard she works for Seokjin-hyung. Look how she wears Jungkook’s ring every single day, even when she’s mad at us. Look at her, don’t just keep making guesses that don’t make any sense. She obviously likes you.”

Namjoon looks a little petulant, pouting as he looks at you now. A small smile blooms on your lips. “He’s got a point…”

Jungkook scoffs from the corner. “Since when are you and Y/N so close?” He glares at Jimin, who rolls his eyes in response.

“Someone around here has to have both the eyeballs and metaphorical balls to put the truth out there.” Jimin says sassilly. “Seokjin-hyung, Yoongi-hyung, and Hoseok-hyung are all able to clue in but are not brave enough to rock the boat. Namjoon-hyung, Taehyung, and you are all brave enough but clueless. There’s only so long I can wait for you idiots to pull yourselves together.”

“Thank you for enlightening us, wise sage.” Seokjin scoffs. 

“Would’ve helped if you said something several months ago.” Yoongi adds.

“Yeah, why the fuck are you only saying something now?” Jungkook asks irritatedly.

“Because it’s your job Jungkook-ah!” Jimin snaps. 

“How can I say what I don’t know?!” Jungkook says with wide eyes, looking wronged. When Jimin continues staring daggers into him, Jungkook blushes. “What? You know I’m bad with words!”

“We know that, she doesn’t.” Jimin corrects. Then, he rubs his temples. “If we’re done being annoying and sentimental here, I need a painkiller. You’re all giving me a headache.”

The four alphas gape in unison, unable to believe Jimin is excusing himself from such an important moment. Then, in the doorway, Jimin turns back. “Don’t give me that stupid look. Scent her already, she’s fucking sour! For fuck’s sake. Couldn’t make a dumber pack of alphas if I tried.” He adds, grumbling to himself as he leaves.

Namjoon gives you a sheepish smile. You lean into his chest, allowing the alpha to nuzzle his chin into your hair. You sigh as the sofa sinks around you, with Seokjin, Yoongi, and Jungkook unceremoniously piling in. 

“This is kind of uncomfortable.” Seokjin says, holding you from behind. Yoongi, on top of Seokjin like a cat, seems content however. Jungkook chuckles at all of you, then leans in to put your forehead to his. The five of you cuddle like that, swapping scents in a way you’ve never done before, but a way which soothes your wolf and your mind.

The familiar nightmares return in full force. 

A voice calling you a bitch, a slut, a pathetic excuse of an omega. The hands that leave bruises in places that he knows you won’t show to outsiders. The demeaning comments. The constant surveillance and control of every little thing you do. But now all those terrible things come from a different source. Namjoon, Seokjin, Jungkook, all of the seven alphas you care for. You dream of their hands on you, beating you black and blue for all your wrongdoings. 

And still, you wake up with an apology on your lips.

You’re laid in fetal position, curled up as tightly as possible under a blanket that smells like Jungkook’s lilies. Your throat is scratchy and your eyes burn. You immediately glance around, relaxing when you realize both the bed—Namjoon’s bed—and the room are empty.

You wade through the makeshift nest the alphas made for you, which is more or less just an ocean of clothes, blankets, and pillows. You don’t have the habit of nesting, mostly because you’ve never had enough time or items to nest with. For you, a single blanket wrapped around you as tight as possible is enough security.

You take Jungkook’s blanket with you as you leave the room, staying wrapped up in it like you did with Hoseok’s earlier today, but the sentiment is completely different. Before, you wanted comfort. Now, you need it. 

The fight weighs on your mind, but the thought of Hoseok is even heavier. You imagine him alone in the basement, not knowing the outcome of the fight and all alone to deal with his rut. Your heart aches, wanting to go to him despite your better judgement. A part of you wants to go to him despite his refusal, wishing that his diminished resolve would mean he’d let you be with him for the entire cycle. But you know it’s wrong to use Hoseok’s altered state of mind against him, just like if you were to go into heat unexpectedly.

You sit at the base of the stairs, trying to take deep breaths. By now, it’s almost lunch time. You stare down the hallway, listening to the faint sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen. It’s almost lunch time now, so you’re sure the rest of the pack (minus Hoseok) are all there. Your chest feels tight. Even the small things that felt homely and peaceful now feel so intimidating again. It’s like you’re back to square one, but it’s even worse now. You feel naked with your biggest secret exposed.

They won’t hurt me. You try to reason with yourself.

You don’t know that. Your omega returns. Alphas always hurt omegas.

You bury your face in your legs, losing the fight against the tears prickling your eyes. Even smart-mouthed, passionate Namjoon is just an alpha. Even cheeky, doting Seokjin is just an alpha. Even gentle, sparkly-eyed Jungkook. All just alphas. And you know what alphas do when they’re angry.

Soft footsteps approach you. You jolt, immediately turning away from the source and wiping your tears. The man leans in and sets something down beside you, then straightens up in your peripheral. Warily, you eye the item on your left. A glass of water.

“Drink it.” 

Jimin leans against the stair rails, looking down at you with his arms folded over his chest. His dark brown eyes swim with worry.

“What?” You ask, not bothering to hide your dejection. “Here to tell me ‘I told you so’?”

“I didn’t want this to happen.” Jimin says plainly. His shoulders are tight, giving away his own inner tension. “I was just afraid it would.”

“And now it has.” You sigh, then take a swig of the water. A long pause. Then: “Why did you tell him you knew?”

“Because it’s the truth.” Jimin says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “It doesn’t matter if it’s ugly or embarrassing. They deserve to know the truth.”

You take another long drink of water, until the glass is entirely empty. Physically, you feel much better. But you’re just as hollow on the inside. “What am I gonna do now? Where do I go?” You ask the glass cradled between your palms.

Jimin crouches in front of you, cupping your face gently. He guides your face to make you meet his eyes. “No matter how angry he is, our Alpha would never abandon you, Y/N.”

You smile self-deprecatingly. “Our? Wow, I really must be getting kicked out if you’re being nice to me.”

Jimin’s cheeks colour pink. “I said I didn’t like you. I never said you weren’t one of us.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head. “You’re really consistent, you know that?” You ask the alpha, sniffling. For the first time since you’ve met, Jimin smiles faintly at you. “Such a jerk.”

“Come on, let’s eat lunch.” Jimin says, taking your used glass and beginning to walk away. You stand still, hunger dying at the thought of going into a kitchen full of angry alphas. 

Jimin sighs, returning to you. The alpha is quiet, brown eyes swimming with concern as he looks down at you. The moment reminds you of the time Hoseok saw you in the garage on Jimin’s birthday and how he told you not to hide, giving you keys to their home the next time he saw you. Your heart ache deepens. Even though he had his reservations about you, Hoseok has always been so kind. You should be with him. You need to be with him now.

“You can’t go to him, you’re not strong enough.” Jimin says as if reading your mind. He puts a hand on the small of your back. You blink at him in surprise. “I know you’d rather it was him, but just make do with me for now.” He says, guiding you down the hall and into the kitchen. 

Maybe it’s the relative peace between you or still the stress talking, but you decide to voice your thoughts. 

“He won’t hit me that hard, right?” You ask. Jimin stops dead in his tracks. Oblivious, you continue walking. “I know it’s well within his rights to punish me for my wrongdoing, but I am sick. And I still have to finish the Love Maze project, I can’t risk missing too many days. Maybe I just have to be quiet and he’ll let me off easy.”

You make it to the entrance to the kitchen before you realize Jimin is still halfway down the hall. He stares at you, stunned. You blink, confused. 

“What are you doing out there? Come in.” Yoongi calls from the stove.

Five pairs of eyes fall on you as you and Jimin enter together. 

Seokjin and Yoongi look up from what they’re cooking as you walk in. Yoongi avoids your eyes. Seokjin just watches you with sadness. Taehyung scrubs dishes, not even turning around to look at you. Jungkook sits at his regular seat at the dining table, scrolling on his phone. He doesn’t look at you, but flinches at the sound of your chair scraping against the ground. You take your place at the end of the table. You observe the youngest alpha’s face. It’s clear as day that he has been crying. And finally, Namjoon looks up at you from the head of the table, face stoic and unreadable. 

Jimin takes his usual seat on Jungkook’s other side, bouncing one leg anxiously. 

“Jungkook, bring Y/N’s chair up here, please.” Namjoon addresses the younger alpha in a calm, collected voice. You blink, watching on as Jungkook stands robotically, bringing your chair over to the opposite end of the table. The head alpha looks at you expectantly. You swallow, then take your spot next to him. Namjoon turns his attention to Seokjin across the room. “Hyung, can you bring Y/N’s meds, please?”

For the first time since you’ve met him, Seokjin looks like a deer in headlights. He blushes, glancing back and forth between you and the head alpha. “He doesn’t know where they are.” You explain quietly. 

Namjoon’s shoulders stiffen. He turns to you. “Don’t you need them to eat? I’ll go get them if you tell me where they are.”

You shake your head, still avoiding the alpha’s eyes. “I don’t necessarily need them all the time. Especially if I’ve been scented recently…” You trail off. They can all smell Jungkook’s sweet lily scent on you. 

Namjoon nods in understanding. Silence stretches between you, the only noise in the room being the quiet clink of utensils as Seokjin and Yoongi wrap up making lunch. Soon, the food is served. Head Alpha first, of course.

You wonder why you’re still sitting at Namjoon’s side when the alpha picks up his own chopsticks and offers you the first bite of his food. You accept without looking up. You want to tell the head alpha that you’re not a child, but the lingering fear makes you hold your tongue. Maybe this is how he does it? He dotes on them first, punishes them after.

Despite your churning anxiety, you manage to eat well. Namjoon holds a glass of water to your lips, not letting you move a muscle even at the end of the meal. “Thanks for the meal, hyungs.” He directs to the two eldest alphas, who exchange a nervous look. From what you’ve observed, please and thank-you’s are limited in the pack. It feels oddly formal. “Has anyone delivered lunch and supplies to Hoseok?”

“I did.” Yoongi says in the smallest voice you’ve ever heard from him.

Namjoon nods, standing. Everyone seems to follow his train of thought in washing their hands and making their way to the living room. The food you just ate threatens to come back up. Is it now?

You follow begrudgingly. You notice the alphas are spread out around Namjoon, as if keeping a polite distance from each other. Seokjin and Jimin in particular stay the furthest away. Realizing there’s nowhere else to go, you perch on the spot right next to Namjoon. “How was lunch today?” Namjoon asks in a soft voice. You flinch as he caresses the back of your head. 

“It was good. Thank you.” You mumble.

“Y/N, look at me.” Namjoon says. You turn to face him nervously. To your surprise, Namjoon pulls you into his side. You sigh softly as you lean into the alpha’s soft, sweater-clad chest. He guides you to rest your head on his shoulder, face dangerously close to his scent glands. You blush. “I was too rough with your punishment, wasn’t I? I’m sorry. I was too deep in my own feelings.”

Namjoon leans against the arm rest of the sofa, letting you sit on his lap sideways. You rest your back against the back of the sofa, hands planted on the head alpha’s chest. Despite you being on top of him, he looks at ease. “That was punishment?” You ask.

Namjoon frowns. “Of course. Submission, accountability, and reinforcing rank. In that order, those are the three steps of punishment. Hasn’t Jungkook explained that to you?”

In the corner, Jungkook avoids everyone’s eyes. Something dawns on Namjoon. “You didn’t know what I was doing.” He breathes, eyes widening. “That’s why you thought I was going to…” Lay my hands on you. Your mind completes. 

Tugging you into a fierce hug, Namjoon holds you close to him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was like that. I’m sorry.” He repeats, rocking you gently like a scared puppy.

He holds you at arms length, blinking back tears. “When I heard that our omega had been sick to the point of hospitalization in our care and I was none the wiser, I was so angry and worried that I couldn’t help myself. I felt I needed to control everything in order to set things straight. I was wrong. Regardless of this bite or our relationship, you’re a person, not something to own. I can’t demand things from you without earning the right to them first. Naturally, you don’t have to see us as your alphas either; that’s my own selfish desire.”

Sniffling, Namjoon cups your face. “You said you wanted to go home, right? We’ll arrange it for you.”

You glance at Jimin, who frowns at the scene. You told me he wouldn’t abandon me. “What do you want in return?”

“The truth. Even if it’s ugly or embarrassing, I have to hear it from you.” Namjoon answers firmly. Unshed tears shine in his eyes. Then, he takes a deep, shaky breath. “Was it me that sent you to the hospital? Did I ask too much from your body that night and hurt you?”

You’re stunned that the alpha even thought such a thing. You shake your head. “No, those two things weren't related. I…My health has been so-so for a long time, although it only got this bad recently.” 

“Tell me, please.” Namjoon urges.

You sigh. “After I finished high school, I got into SNU.” You start your story. Namjoon nods. You avert your eyes. “I wanted to succeed no matter what and having heats would get in the way of what I wanted. So I started taking blockers to make my life easier, but then I couldn’t afford time off between uni and my part-time jobs to have a breakthrough heat. When I graduated, it was even worse because I started working full time. I kept taking blockers even though I knew it was bad for me, and now my body is suffering the consequences. My doctor forced me to stop taking them and now I have no choice but to wait until I can have a heat.”

Namjoon knits his eyebrows together, trying to make sense of your story. “But all universities and workplaces are required to provide heat and rut leave by law.” He replies.

You smile faintly at his naivety. Of course an alpha wouldn’t understand. “Yes, by law. But the truth is that most people don’t treat omega’s heats and alpha’s ruts the same way. Whenever omegas take heat leaves, people complain that they’re free-loading or misusing social services. They ask why we don’t just take heat blockers, or quit our jobs and get married to avoid bothering our co-workers. They hate us and look down on us just for existing, asking them to accommodate me is like putting a target on my own back.”

Your shoulders sink as you talk, memories of your old job returning to you. For a long time, no one ever suspected anything because you pretended to be a beta at work. But because you never said it outright, people slowly turned their suspicions on you. Even though you never even confirmed your status to anyone, your silence was enough to doom you. 

You recall the book Namjoon was reading in the study a while ago. To him, omegas’ oppression is an area of curiosity, a completely different world. To you, it’s your everyday life. Especially in a competitive industry. 

“So you chose your career over your health.” Namjoon summarizes.

You nod. You grip the material of your pants tightly. “I ignored so many symptoms and put up with being overworked and underpaid for so long just to be promoted. But they ignored me. They gave it to someone less deserving than me. All because I didn’t have connections and because I was an omega. It was my breaking point, so I quit.”

Namjoon looks surprised. “You quit?”

You sniffle. “I did. I blew my money on a trip to Vegas thinking it would be my one chance to feel free. But my fucking hormones took over me and I ended up with this fucking bite.” You seethe. You make the mistake of meeting Jungkook’s eyes then. The alpha looks truly upset. You look away. “I really thought of it as an unlucky mistake and tried to run from it. When I first met you, I told you I didn't want anything from you and I meant it. But you all thought I was a gold digger.”

Namjoon flinches at the words, but he doesn’t deny them. “We’ve been wrong about everything. I want to apologize to you, but I don’t know if it even means anything now. A mate has been our biggest dream for a long time, someone to cherish and spoil. I thought we were a little clumsy, just a bunch of jaded alphas that would get better with time. But we’ve clearly only gotten worse.” The remaining five alphas hang their heads in shame. Even Jimin.

“You’ve been mean to me.” You admit quietly. Tears roll down Namjoon’s cheeks. He nods without looking at you. “I have struggled these past few months. But it hasn’t been all bad. I’ve cried a lot, but I’ve laughed and felt happy, too. It’s hard to explain what I feel, but I don’t want to leave here.”

“No?” Namjoon echoes like he can hardly believe it. “You don’t have to be afraid of us. If…If you want to leave we can make arrangements for you. A new apartment, a new job. As long as you let us provide it, we’ll fulfill our obligations as alphas from a distance.”

“Why would she do that?” Jimin speaks up finally. Namjoon frowns, displeased at the younger alpha for cutting in. Jimin crosses his arms over his chest. “For heaven’s sake, use your brain, hyung. Look how hard she works for Seokjin-hyung. Look how she wears Jungkook’s ring every single day, even when she’s mad at us. Look at her, don’t just keep making guesses that don’t make any sense. She obviously likes you.”

Namjoon looks a little petulant, pouting as he looks at you now. A small smile blooms on your lips. “He’s got a point…”

Jungkook scoffs from the corner. “Since when are you and Y/N so close?” He glares at Jimin, who rolls his eyes in response.

“Someone around here has to have both the eyeballs and metaphorical balls to put the truth out there.” Jimin says sassilly. “Seokjin-hyung, Yoongi-hyung, and Hoseok-hyung are all able to clue in but are not brave enough to rock the boat. Namjoon-hyung, Taehyung, and you are all brave enough but clueless. There’s only so long I can wait for you idiots to pull yourselves together.”

“Thank you for enlightening us, wise sage.” Seokjin scoffs. 

“Would’ve helped if you said something several months ago.” Yoongi adds.

“Yeah, why the fuck are you only saying something now?” Jungkook asks irritatedly.

“Because it’s your job Jungkook-ah!” Jimin snaps. 

“How can I say what I don’t know?!” Jungkook says with wide eyes, looking wronged. When Jimin continues staring daggers into him, Jungkook blushes. “What? You know I’m bad with words!”

“We know that, she doesn’t.” Jimin corrects. Then, he rubs his temples. “If we’re done being annoying and sentimental here, I need a painkiller. You’re all giving me a headache.”

The four alphas gape in unison, unable to believe Jimin is excusing himself from such an important moment. Then, in the doorway, Jimin turns back. “Don’t give me that stupid look. Scent her already, she’s fucking sour! For fuck’s sake. Couldn’t make a dumber pack of alphas if I tried.” He adds, grumbling to himself as he leaves.

Namjoon gives you a sheepish smile. You lean into his chest, allowing the alpha to nuzzle his chin into your hair. You sigh as the sofa sinks around you, with Seokjin, Yoongi, and Jungkook unceremoniously piling in. 

“This is kind of uncomfortable.” Seokjin says, holding you from behind. Yoongi, on top of Seokjin like a cat, seems content however. Jungkook chuckles at all of you, then leans in to put your forehead to his. The five of you cuddle like that, swapping scents in a way you’ve never done before, but a way which soothes your wolf and your mind.

Chapter 4 "Agony, Misery, Woe"

Chapter 5 "Telephone Hour"

Chapter 6 "Just the Boys Now"

Chapter 7 "The Anxiety Song"

Chapter 8 "Bit By Bit"

Chapter 9 "Nothing's Gonna Harm You"

Chapter 10 "Head Over Feet"

Chapter 11 "Tell Me More, Tell Me More"

Chapter 12 "On the Steps of the Palace"

Chapter 13 "What is This Feeling?"

Chapter 14 "Blow Out The Candles, Taehyung, And Make a Wish"

Chapter 15 "Goodbye Twelve, Goodbye Thirteen, Hello Love"

Chapter 16 "Life Without You Has Been Hard, Has Been Bad, Has Been Rough"

Chapter 17 "I Will Keep the Plates All Spinning"

Chapter 18 "Everybody Loves a Winner, So Nobody Loved Me"

Chapter 19 "I'm Changing My Major to Jin"

Chapter 20 "Dear Friend"

Chapter 21 "You Won't be an Ocean Away, You'll Only be a Moment Away"

Chapter 22 "We'll Work That Silver Magic"

Chapter 23 "You Square All the Corners, I Straighten the Curves"

Chapter 24 "What Do You See When You Look at Me?"

Chapter 25 "Every Frivolous Whim, Proper or Im"

Chapter 26 "Let Your Soul Take You Where You Long to Be"

Chapter 27 "I Like the Feeling of Being Together, With You"

Chapter 28 "I Wasn't Born for the Rose and Pearl"

Chapter 29 "It Must be Great to be Called the It Girl"

Chapter 30 "Let There Be One More Beautiful Song"

Chapter 31 "We Bloom Painfully, Beautifully"

Chapter 32 "I'd Rather Be Seven People's Favorite Thing"

Chapter 33 "Whatcha Gonna Do When He Talks That Way?"

Chapter 34 "People Will Say We're in Love"

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

"My name is Chris. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Something about the way he said it—simple, almost careful—made it easier to breathe.

"Y/N, pleasure to meet you too." you replied.

He nodded once, like he was committing it to memory.

For a second, neither of you said anything else.

Then your gaze dropped again, almost instinctively, to your wrist.

The compass had dimmed, but it hadn't gone still.

And the dot—

The dot was still there.

You glanced back up at him.

"You're not even a little confused?"

A faint smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"I mean," he said, "I'd be lying if I said this was normal."

That made you huff a quiet breath, something close to a laugh.

"Good. Because I was starting to think I was the only one losing it."

"You're not," he said, a little more softly this time.

The silence that followed felt easier. Less tense.

"...So what now?" you asked after a moment.

Chris glanced down the street, then back at you.

"Were you heading somewhere?"

"Home," you said.

He nodded once. "Same direction."

There was a small pause.

"I can walk with you. If that's okay."

It wasn't pushy. It wasn't hesitant either.

Just... offered.

You hesitated for a second. Then nodded.

"Yeah. Okay."

You started walking side by side.

Not too close.

Not too far.

Just enough space to still feel aware of him.

For a few steps, neither of you spoke.

Then—

"You work there?" he asked, nodding slightly back toward the restaurant.

"Yeah," you said. "Part-time. It's not that exciting, but it pays."

He smiled faintly. "That's usually how it goes."

"What about you?" you asked.

There was the slightest pause before he answered.

"I work in music."

You raised a brow slightly. "That's vague."

He laughed—quiet, but real.

"It's easier that way."

"Suspicious," you said.

"Maybe," he admitted.

You glanced at him briefly.

There was something about the way he carried himself—relaxed, but aware. Like he was used to being watched, even when no one was looking. You didn't comment on it.

"What about you?" he asked. "What are you studying?"

You told him, the words coming easier than you expected. It wasn't anything you hadn't said before, nothing particularly special—but he listened like it mattered. Actually listened. Asked small questions. Remembered details.

Somewhere between one street and the next, the conversation stopped feeling forced.

It shifted into something more natural.

"You always this calm?" you asked at one point.

Chris glanced at you. "No."

You smiled slightly. "Good. That would've been weird."

He huffed a quiet laugh. "I just... don't see the point in panicking."

"Even with all of this?" you gestured lightly to your wrist.

He looked at it briefly, then back at you.

"...Especially with this."

That answer stayed with you. After a while, your steps slowed slightly.

"You're this way?" you asked.

"Yeah," he said.

Another quiet moment passed. Then—

"You don't have to walk me all the way," you said.

"I know," he replied.

But he didn't stop. You noticed. But you didn't say anything.

Eventually, your building came into view. You slowed to a stop, turning slightly toward him.

"This is me."

Chris nodded, his gaze flickering briefly to the entrance before returning to you. For a second, neither of you spoke. Then you let out a small breath.

"...So," you started, then paused.

This felt strangely harder than everything else.

"We should probably—" you gestured vaguely between the two of you, "—figure this out."

Chris nodded slightly.

"Yeah."

Another pause. Then, more casually than you felt—

"Do you have your phone?"

He blinked once, then let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh.

"Yeah," he said, already reaching into his pocket.

The moment shifted. Lighter.

You exchanged numbers, your fingers brushing slightly as you handed the phone back. This time, the contact didn't shock you. But you felt it. Subtle. But there.

"I'll text you," he said.

"Okay."

Neither of you moved right away.

"Would u like to go on a Date...?" "Maybe...Tomorrow?" he added after a second.

Your heart skipped.

"Yeah," you said. "Tomorrow sounds good."

He nodded once.

"Get home safe," he said.

"You too."

You turned toward the entrance, taking a few steps before stopping.

Something made you glance back.

He was still there.

Watching you.

Not intensely.

Not in a way that made you uncomfortable.

Just... there.

For a second, you held his gaze.

Then you stepped inside. The door closed behind you, the quiet of the building settling around you almost immediately. You leaned back against it for a second. Your heart was still racing. Slowly, your gaze dropped to your wrist.

The compass. The dot. The needle— Still pointed toward him. Even through the walls. Your breath softened slightly.

"...Okay," you whispered to yourself.

Your phone buzzed in your hand.

A new message. Unknown number. You already knew.

Chris: Did you get inside okay?

A small smile tugged at your lips before you could stop it. You typed back.

You: Yeah. You?

The reply came almost instantly.

Chris: Still standing outside.

Your heart skipped. You turned slightly, glancing toward the door again.

"...Why?" you typed.

There was a pause this time. Longer. Then—

Chris: Just making sure you're really there.

Your chest tightened. You didn't reply right away.

Instead, your fingers brushed lightly against your wrist.

The compass pulsed once.

Soft. Steady. Like it agreed.

It felt impossible, the way your heart fluttered at the thought of him. It was supposed to be a normal walk home. Ordinary, predictable.

Instead, it had turned into... this.

This tiny, perfect, terrifying connection that made the world feel both enormous and impossibly small at the same time.

After answering Chris and wishing him a good night, you set your phone down, leaning back and closing your eyes for just a moment.

Tomorrow, he said. You weren't sure what "tomorrow" would bring—but you knew, deep down, that it was going to be important.

The compass pulsed gently beneath your skin once more.

And for the first time since it had appeared, it felt like it wasn't just pointing toward someone you would meet.

It felt like it was pointing toward something you might actually... start to understand.

Tag List: @bunbunbl0gs - @hannahdinse8 - @beppybeesnuggets - @babygirlskz98 - @katchowbbie - @yuna-mijat - @astrayapple - @emmalabo - @juju-227592 - @mysterysold - @thatgirlangelb - @iclingtolife - @sellomaybe - @fics-lovebot - @blindspotquokka - @kaleigh-2002 - @sparky2020sworld - @teffyx - @btsgangleader - @morenitakarina - @Wolfhallows4 - @skrach84 - @nemtodd-barnes1923 - @hawkins-2000 - @danielle143 - @thepoeticpurplepotato - @unenthusiasticmigraine - @donttamethebeasts - @janaethedreamer - @chasinghxran - @ionlyeverwantedtobeyourequal - @seungbbok - @i-am-confused-about-life - @wolfs-howling - @trippie-hippie-97 - @nikki143777 - @embobema - @applesrpeak - @purplelady85 - @clairementsolo - @xxeiraxx - @lokilockedcougar - @meloentje123 - @simpqueen2025 - @beccaskz - @tboboee - @wedontknowherorhimorthem - @skrach84 - @junebuggz - @daphnnie - @ncityswrld

A/N: If you can’t find yourself in my tag list, this could be for one of two reasons:

1. I couldn’t find your username, so I wasn’t able to tag you.

He groans, mumbling angrily, in a language you don't understand, while you just stare at him with wide eyes, shaking. Your brain is working on overdrive, the gears turning probably visible to your uninvited guest.

“What?” you stutter, before your mind finally starts to connect some puzzle pieces. 

You tried to conjure up Kimchi, just for shits and giggles, obviously not expecting this stupid ritual to work. The man in front of you looks to be of Asian descent. Did you actually summon a Korean man instead of Korean food? Again, what the fuck?!

He rolls his eyes at you before his gaze falls to the red chopsticks in his right hand and groans. He snips his fingers. “Ugh, of course.” His language has switched to an annoyed English now.

"For fuck's sake," he grumbles, "I was just sitting down to have lunch." He looks towards the floor, a bowl of spilt fried rice at his feet and on your carpet. Some is even stuck to his shoe. He shakes it off like a cat that accidentally got its paw wet. 

“Lunch? It’s 11 pm.” 

Why are you even questioning him? His dietary choices and when he eats his meals should be the least of your concerns, when you have no idea what just happened and how he appeared in your apartment. Maybe he’s doing intermittent fasting. None of your business anyway. 

Okay, you might have some idea on how it happened actually, but that would defeat everything you believe - or rather don't believe in.

The guy just rolls his eyes at you, shaking his head with an annoyed frown, as if it’s not him intruding on you. “Not where I’m from.”

The hell? Where exactly is he from? A different timezone then? “Korea, by chance?” you carefully try, not entirely believing this is a conversation you're actually having. This can't be happening.

“Not exactly.” 

Vague. Bitter. Rude. He’s not helping you understand any of this. 

“What do you want?” he asks, fingers curling around his chopsticks, making his knuckles turn even whiter than his skin. 

Huh? “What do you want?” you ask. “Why are you here and what the fuck is going on?”

He clicks his tongue, eyes fixed to the floor with his head hanging low, long black hair falling forward. “You summoned me.” He looks up at you now, brows knitted as he cocks his head to the side, studying you. “So you tell me why I’m here. It's not even your time yet.” 

“My time?” Seriously, this guy must be insane! “Are you the grim reaper?”

“Worse,” he says with a grin, mocking you with his perfectly feline features. 

He’s beginning to piss you off… Why can't he just explain himself like a normal person? You shake your head with a huff. “What then? The devil?”

“Not quite as bad,” he shoots back. 

You stare at him, irritated and still very much confused. Okay, last try before you jump him and stab him with his chopsticks. “I don’t know, uh…” You motion with your hand, while pondering. “A fucking demon?”

“Correct,” he nods, twirling the red utensils between his fingers.

“You… You’re joking, right?” You stammer, dumbfounded, and finally take a moment to properly take in the guy standing before you. 

He observes you with an amused expression now instead of the scowl from before while you eye him up and down, desperately trying to form a coherent thought. 

The dude doesn't look like a demon at all, the most extraordinary thing about him being a bright red scar going vertically from his forehead down across his eye, though sparing the skin there and continuing down to his cheek. It stands out, contrasting his milky white skin. 

His black hair is long-ish, down to his shoulders almost. Some of the slightly wavy strands keep falling into his face, making him brush his hand through his hair an obnoxious amount of times. 

You almost scoff at the open hawaiian-print shirt he’s wearing over a fucking wifebeater. Some necklaces are dangling against his chest. You scan further down over the ripped black jeans exposing his knees, to the stompy black boots he’s sporting. 

You were probably staring a bit too hard - what the fuck are you judging his outfit for, this is not the situation for it - and he snaps his ring-clad fingers, bringing you back to reality. 

“You’re seriously trying to tell me demons are real and they are dressed,” you motion your hand towards his casual look, “like this?”

“What, you got an issue with my clothes?” He cocks an eyebrow. 

“It’s just not what I would have expected, I guess?” Yeah, you didn't imagine demons would look effortlessly cool, much less hot. Great, you’re apparently getting the hots for intruding hell monsters now. You rake through your memories, trying to recall if you hit your head recently, because what the fuck. 

He puts the chopsticks into the backpocket of his jeans, then rubs his hands together before bringing them to his mouth. Fingers interlaced with an opening between his thumbs and pointer fingers, he blows a breath between them with a slow exhale, like he’s cold. Your confusion must be obvious when he regards you. “What? It’s a bit warmer where I’m from… Now, before I leave, how the hell did you manage to summon a demon when you didn't even know they existed?”

Well… Funny story actually. You had friends over, had a couple of glasses together and someone whipped out the dusty old ouija board from the back of your wardrobe. You were playing around, acting scared while you all knew one of you probably moved the planchette to Yes intentionally when Nicole asked if her ex’s hairline would start receding soon. 

You had looked up some stuff on how to use it properly and had engaged in a quick discussion with ChatGPT about different supernatural topics then, that you resumed once your friends left. 

“I um… actually tried to conjure some kimchi for fun,” you explain, feeling your cheeks heat up in embarrassment, scratching the back of your neck while looking at the floorboards instead of his face. “ChatGPT gave me instructions and I thought it's just some bullshit, you know.” You look up at him now, his brows in a slight frown before you go on, “Do you even know what ChatGPT is?”

Another contemptuous scowl. “Duh, of course. Where do you think it originated? One of my boss's better ideas to be honest.” A faint smile spreads on his face. “Making people even dumber while draining the worlds’ resources at the same time? Genius.”

Oh. When Nicole said AI was an invention straight from hell you didn't think she was literally correct. 

“Anyway, I’m gonna head back now. You wasted enough of my designated lunch break. Don’t do that shit again, okay?”

“Do I not get three wishes or something, at least?”

He smirks, popping a middle finger at you all smug and snips his fingers. And then - nothing happens. Like, at all. He’s just standing there, staring at his right hand, then at the other one that’s still flipping you off and back at you with wide eyes. He drops his arms and snips again. Unsuccessfully.

“Um,” you grimace. “Was something supposed to happen, or?” Somehow his apparent performance issues are giving you second-hand embarrassment. 

“Do you have stage fright?” You grin now, his cool demeanour visibly crumbling before you. “Just imagine me in my underwear or something if it helps.”

“Can you please shut up for a second?” he snaps at you. 

You lift both your hands up in a dismissive apology, but decide to stop teasing him and keep quiet instead. Seems like something’s really off, he’s started pacing around the room now, circling the spilt fried rice still on the floor, while mumbling unintelligible words to himself. “What ritual did you perform exactly?” he suddenly asks, whirling around to face you. 

You decide to finally leave your spot on the floor and just as you turn towards the couch for leverage, the demon reaches his hand out towards you to help you up, impatiently. You allow him to pull you up with a firm grip, the weirdly cold metal of his rings digging into your skin. “I um, I’m not really sure,” you say with a shrug of your shoulders. “Was my first ever ritual, you know?” 

“Ugh, Christ,” he hisses, opening his palm in front of you. “Gimme your phone then. Fucking AI bullshit.” 

“Are you even allowed to use that word?” you ask, earning you nothing but a stern look and a wiggle of his outstretched fingers. “Damn, here.” You unlock your phone, open the diabolical™️ app and hand it to him.

He reads the instructions, brows rising slightly as he takes in the information, then nods once. His eyes shoot up to yours, judging you. “You humans are going to need a step by step guide on how to breathe soon, too? Pathetic.”

You silently pray he's not going to scroll further up to find out the embarrassingly mundane things you looked up before and prove his point.

“Anything else?” you bite back, holding up your palm now, waiting for him to hand back your phone. “Found what you’re looking for?”

When he doesn’t answer you reach out and try to snatch it back from his grip, but he’s faster, moving it out of reach as he takes a step back. “Yes. And more.” He smirks now, reading your past conversations with ChatGPT out loud. “American jello salad recipe? Ew, don’t tell me you actually made that.”

“I did not,” you protest, chasing after him while trying to yank your phone away from him.

“‘Roast me based on everything you know about me’? You let it do that for free? Is that a special kind of humiliation kink you got going on there?”

“No, because I would love this situation at hand then, which I can promise you I do not!” You pout, defeated, which apparently looks pitiful enough for the demon to have mercy on you and finally hand you back your little gadget of shame.

At least now you know that he wasn't lying about being from hell. You lock your phone and pocket it as more embarrassment spreads across your cheeks and down your neck. That absolute spawn of Satan…

He doesn’t give you time to dwell on it though, as he’s looking around the living room and makes his way to the kitchen in the corner. “I need salt,” he says as he’s rummaging through your cabinets. “Do you mind?”

“You think now's the time for a snack?”

He scoffs, having found it himself before rolling his eyes at you. 

“Would you stop bullshitting and grab some candles?” he demands, obviously in a hurry to get the fuck out of here.

Since you’re also keen on him leaving as soon as possible, or waking up from this weird dream you’re obviously having, you head for the drawer immediately. “How many do you need?” you ask. “Any scent you prefer?”

He stands in the middle of your living room, pack of salt in hand and yet another frown on his face. “Scent? I just need regular candles. Five of them.”

Who owns unscented candles…? You shrug to yourself, grabbing random ones to hand them over. “You’re gonna have to work with pumpkin spice and lavender fields I’m afraid.”

He’s struggling to hold all of them at once and starts placing the candles in a strange formation on the ground. Before putting the last one down though, he takes a closer look at the label. “Mountain lodge? Now what the fuck would that smell like…” 

He brings the glass rim closer to his nose, immediately regretting his decision as his face scrunches up in disgust. With the corners of his mouth downturned, you can see him suppressing a gag.

“That one was a gift,” you lie, trying to justify that foul smelling candle.

“Sure,” he coughs out after collecting himself, holding the candle as far away from his face as the length of his arm allows. “Must have been a gift from your archenemy judging by that stench.”

“God, shut up.” You pick up a white candle from the floor - the one with the pretty lid - and bring it to his face. “Smell that one to even it out.”

He lifts a brow in suspicion, obviously not trusting you after being assaulted by mountain lodge, but leans in anyway. “Oh.”

“See?” you chuckle. “Fresh cotton. My favorite.”

“That one’s… alright, I guess.”

“It’s perfect. Not just alright.”

“Yeah, whatever,” he mumbles while snatching the candle out of your hand, giving it another sniff before setting it back down on the ground. 

He nudges your shoulder to move you out of the way without an explanation. There's a snarky remark sitting readily on your tongue, but you decide to keep it to yourself for once, so you just huff and cross your arms across your chest, waiting to see what he's going to do next from the sidelines.

He starts pouring the salt on your (freshly vacuumed and wiped) hardwood floor, creating a pentagram out of the granules. Each point of the star touches a candle as he moves the bag of salt around in one fluid motion.

“So you just know that ritual by heart, or what?” you ask, tapping your foot impatiently.

“I mean yeah, that’s kind of my job.”

“Will this thing erupt into flames and ruin my floorboards? I just cleaned them today by the way. If I lose my deposit because of you, I’m gonna summon you again to pay for it.”

The demon stares you down now, dark eyes narrowing. “If you do that, I’ll burn down the entire apartment complex.”

He wouldn’t do that. Would he? Oh shit. “I-”

“Do you ever not talk?” he interrupts you, shuffling around in his salty star formation, wafting some of the grains across the floor from the movement. “Now let me finish this. Actually, go on and help me. Light the candles so I can concentrate on getting the hell out of here.”

You scurry to grab the lighter from a side table before moving around the room to ignite the wicks. Just as you are about to pick up the first one, fresh cotton, he interrupts you.

“Leave them on the floor, you'll mess up the formation.”

Rolling your eyes, you begrudgingly comply and crouch down. The motherfucker is smirking, you can see it at the edge of your line of vision as you set the first candle aflame while he just stands there, hands in his pockets. 

You scuffle about, lighting wick after wick until your lighter runs hot. So when you reach the last unlit candle, mountain lodge, you burn your thumb trying to roll the spark wheel. Hissing, you wave your hand around, trying to get the pain to subside. Fuck it, it's not like you're too stupid to put the candle back down in the same spot, so you grab it and straighten your legs back out to stand up.

“Did I not tell you to leave them on the ground?” the demon sighs and steps closer to you, once again brushing his hair out of his face. What an annoying habit.

“Ever thought about just cutting your hair?” With your thumb still hurting, you just can't get the damn lighter to spark a flame, making you increasingly frustrated.

He reaches for mountain lodge, but you're dead set on lighting the fucking candle yourself, so you refuse to let go, still struggling with the lighter in your other hand.

He just huffs and lets you hold on to it before he points his finger towards the wick, which immediately ignites as if by magic. The demon lifts the finger to his mouth and blows on it like a cowboy in a cheap western movie.

“Are you kidding me?” you groan. “You could do that the whole time and still had me crouching on the floor like an idiot?”

He chuckles, shrugging his shoulders. “You were so nice and quiet for once, all concentrated.”

Debating if you should knock him over the head with mountain lodge, you step closer, holding the burning candle directly under his nose.

“Fire doesn’t hurt me, if you’re trying to get back at me. The smell’s enough of a  punishment though.” He opens up his palm. “Give me that.”

“Stop bossing me around. I'm perfectly capable of putting it down myself,” you retort and try to move the candle out of his reach. 

“As capable as you were summoning kimchi?” he mocks, moving closer into your space to grip the stinky glass container.

Both too stubborn to let the other have their way, you scuffle around, pulling and pushing the candle between your hands. 

“Fucking hell,” he mutters when he finally manages to snatch it from your fingers and bends down to place it back in the corner of the pentagram. “If you mess this up I’m going to have to start again from scratch!”

You just pout in defeat, watching him step into the middle of the formation and mumble unintelligible words with his eyes closed. 

Guess this nuisance of a demon will finally piss off now. You already dread the clean up of the mess he made on the floor. 

After a last brush through his hair - ugh - he snaps his fingers again. This time, something happens. A lot happens actually. The whole room spins and turns, whirling you around in a nauseating pace until you lose your footing. Oh shit, it’s not the room that’s spinning - it’s you! The candles are levitating around you, flying about and barely missing your head, while you writhe back and forth like a leaf caught in a storm. You close your eyes and scream, shielding your face with your arms. When an unknown objects hits your elbow, you reach out panicking - grabbing onto whatever you can with both hands. Something solid ends up in your left and something soft in your right. You don’t dare to open your eyes, so you just grip on for dear life in hopes to find your balance again.

You feel your right hand being squeezed as you try to convince yourself that this surely is just a nightmare. It has to be. Your own fingers tighten around whatever's in them, your mind too jumbled to figure out what you're even holding on to.

With a sudden thump there’s solid ground under your feet again. It takes you a second to comprehend that you have stopped being spun around. Your knees give out from under you but before you can fall down, you’re being pulled up by your hand to keep you steady. When you open your eyes with careful blinks, your vision blurry from pressing them shut for so long, you slowly come back to your senses. He’s there - whatever his name is - looking at you, lips agape in slight shock. You shake your head as if it’s going to make him disappear. 

You are interrupted when you feel your fingers being squeezed, so hard it borders on painful, as warm metal pushes into your skin. It’s the damned rings of his, you realise when you look down. The rings that are around his fingers. The fingers that are intertwined with yours!

You immediately let go, yanking your hand out of his grip, as if the touch had burned you, at the same time also releasing whatever you were holding in your other, not having paid any mind to it until it hits the floor with a thud and rolls away.

“What the fuck?” you hear an unknown voice echo around you.

“What’s going on?” another voice sounds.

“Fuck, quick, get Namjoon,” someone calls out before you hear footsteps scurrying away.

As you turn around to see who the hell else is intruding on you in your apartment now, you catch on that you are in fact not at home anymore. What is this place? Where are you? And how in the world did you even get here? Panicked, you turn to the only set of eyes staring at you that you know, silently asking for an explanation, since the shock of apparently having just been teleported to fuck knows where left you speechless.

“Oh shit,” the demon whispers, eyes wide and hair disheveled, immediately reaching up to brush it out of his face once again. The familiarity of the irritating gesture somehow stops your mind from going in circles. At least one thing hasn’t changed, he’s still the annoying bitch he was a few minutes ago. You take a deep breath to ground yourself when you hear unintelligible mumbles getting closer to you, accompanied by hurried steps reverberating off the floorboards, making you whip around towards the direction of the sounds. 

“Yoongi, what did you do this time?” the guy that's rushing into the room asks. 

Okay, so the demon’s name is Yoongi. Strange. Cute. Doesn't fit him. You were expecting something along the lines of Beelzebub.

“Yeah, what did you do?” you demand to know, wanting nothing more than to get back home.

“Oh,” another person says. He’s tall and pretty and wears a lip piercing. “It can speak.” He looks at you with the same disdain that you return straight back to him, after what he just called you.

“It?” you repeat, shocked and on the verge of losing it. “Motherf-”

“Okay, everybody calm down!” The guy who just addressed your demon as Yoongi interrupts your squabble. “Jeongguk, sit down and be quiet.”

Jeongguk, the asshole, does as he’s told, scoffing and biting his lip as if he has to hold himself back from talking more shit. He's plopping down on a big leather couch, eyeing you as if your mere existence is offensive to him. 

“You two,” the guy with the firm voice looks at you and Yoongi. “An explanation please.”

“What are you asking me for?” you snap back, pissed off by the implied accusation. “I have no idea what the fuck happened.”

“Me neither,” Yoongi sighs as he sits down next to Jeongguk, who scoots over to make room. “She summoned me by accident and I had to do the pentagram ritual to get back. She must have messed with it or something.”

“You think I tried to come with you or what?! I wanted you to fucking leave as much as you did. Maybe you messed up your weird candle routine!”

“Ah, so that’s what you dropped,” another stranger speaks as he bends down to reach for something beneath the coffee table. “I’m Hoseok, by the way.” He picks up the candle you apparently brought with you and inspects it closely. “Mountain lodge?”

“No, don’t!” Yoongi calls out, reaching out his arm in warning.

Too late, Hoseok sticks his nose into the candle. The room falls silent. His eyebrows rise. In delight?! “Wow, I love that! You mind if I keep it?”

Yoongi groans in disbelief.

“Um, sure,” you tell him. At least this one is somewhat polite.

“Thank you!” he says like he means it. “And what’s your name?”

You tell him, while the other five are still staring at you. 

Finally having a second to take in your surroundings, you see that you landed in some kind of grand living room. The walls are made of exposed stone, the floorboards are wooden and look expensive but old and worn. Above you, there’s a giant chandelier dangling from the ceiling. Did you spawn into fucking Dracula’s castle?! Maybe Yoongi sleeps in a coffin, that would explain his shitty attitude. Do demons even sleep? Your mind starts to spiral again, panic threatening to take over. 

Just as your head begins to spin, you are startled by someone gently touching your arm. 

“Hey, calm down,” someone addresses you with a soft voice. You whip around and find the guy who stopped Jeongguk and you from getting into a fist fight. He's smiling at you, as if to reassure you. “My name’s Namjoon.”

Namjoon stands taller than Yoongi, his body more substantial in general. His hair is kind of spiky, tousled, and the ends are a bit lighter. He's dressed in a baggy sweater, but his jeans are fitted nicely to his thighs. 

“You already had the pleasure with Yoongi and Jeongguk then,” he says with an exasperated raise of his brows. “Hoseok introduced himself by stealing your stuff, dashing as always.” Namjoon turns around, addressing the other two guys still standing behind him. “That leaves Jimin and Taehyung.”

They step closer, both with looks of quiet disbelief on their faces, yet the taller of the two at least forces a smile. He raises his hand and offers you a small wave. “Hi, I’m Taehyung.” 

God, he’s cute. His voice contrasts his looks, all soft and airy - not nearly as harsh as you would have expected it to be - considering his muscles, clad in black leather and silver chains. 

You don't really know why he looks like he's one of the Village People, all the others are casually dressed. Maybe that's just his personal style. Or he's a biker. 

“And I’m Jimin,” the last of them says with a nod of his head. His blonde hair is kind of fried from bleaching, long strands that fall to his shoulders, giving him an 80s glam rock vibe. Not in a bad way though, it really suits him. Actually, he looks quite ethereal. 

Damn, why is everyone here good-looking? Even that dickhead Jeongguk, now that you give him another once-over. 

“Want a picture for later?” he snarls at you with venom in his voice. 

“For a voodoo doll, maybe, yeah,” you counter before Yoongi stops a fight from breaking out by slapping Jeongguk's shoulder. 

“Just shut your bratty mouth for once, would you?” he grumbles and you’re not sure if he’s addressing Jeongguk or you. “Both of you, actually.”

Well, that solves that riddle. You pout, just like Jeongguk did earlier when he was told off.

“So,” Namjoon claps his hands together once, looking at you. “Now that we’re all acquainted, we should try bringing you back.”

“Okay, yes,” you nod. Finally someone is trying to solve this. “How?”

“Well, Yoongi brought you with him, so I figure one of us could just take you back the same way.” 

Wait. They’re all like him? Demons? Is he serious? They seem to notice you catching on, watching you with amused expressions.

Jeongguk snorts. “Wow, quick thinker, huh?”

Jesus, does this idiot ever shut up?

“Okay, whatever, just get me home, please.”

Namjoon steps closer to you and holds out his hand. You grab it without hesitation because you just want to get the fuck out of here already. Let this nightmarish experience end. 

“Just think of where you want to go,” he tells you and you immediately picture the comfort of your own living room.

He closes his eyes and before you can even blink, your hand is suddenly empty and Namjoon is gone. Nothing happened to you, no whirlwind sucking you away. You stare at your hand holding on to nothing before snapping your head back up.

The others perked up at this as well, eyeing each other silently. Shit, this doesn't bode well. 

Yoongi sighs and gets up from the couch. Guess he'll try next. “Maybe it has to be me?”

He offers you his hand without looking at you. 

Please, please let it work, you silently pray as you take hold of his palm. A second later - poof - Yoongi's gone too and you're still standing in that same spot. Desperation is taking over you at this point, tears threatening to well up at the thought that you're goddamn stuck here. 

“Anyone else, please?!” you plead, looking around the room.

“Let’s wait till Yoongi and Joon come back,” Hoseok says while leading you to sit down on the couch where Jeongguk makes an act of dramatically scooting away as far as possible from you. 

“Just for a bit, and then we will try too, okay?” Hoseok pats your arm somewhat awkwardly. 

“Don't worry, we don't want you to stay here either,” Jeongguk chimes in, picking at his cuticles like he has no care in the world. 

“You want a drink while we wait?” Taehyung asks with his hands in his pockets. “Or something to eat?”

No, you really don’t want a drink, you want to go home, and your appetite for kimchi from earlier has vanished the second Yoongi appeared before you. 

You put your head in your hands and just lift your eyes again when Taehyung puts a glass of what you guess is water down in front of you anyway with an apologetic smile. 

“Hey,” Jimin addresses you now, pulling you out of your wallowing. “It’s gonna be fine, they'll figure it out, alright?”

“Where are we right now exactly?” you ask, already dreading the answer and that they're probably not going to be able to drive you home with a car either. 

“Guess,” Jeongguk grins. “Look out the window if you must.”

With him there, it's got to be your own personal hell, you think while trying to locate a window. When your eyes finally snap to a glass panel in the stone wall, all you see is black. You try to focus on the outside and realise there are what look to be flames or a fire in the distance. The darkness is tinged slightly orange by it. 

“You’re trying to tell me this is real?” you ask. “You’re all demons and we’re in literal hell?”

“Home sweet home, baby,” Jeongguk merely chuckles at your misery.

You’d slap him if you weren’t so close to tears. What did you do to deserve this? Yes, you’ve probably sinned a lot, but not more than anyone else and certainly less than some people you know. And you don’t even believe in the concept of sin. Why you? 

You'll never use ChatGPT again. That fuckass app. Maybe it's actually the downfall of humanity. 

You groan in defeat, face buried in your hands, when Namjoon and Yoongi suddenly pop back into the room. Everyone looks at them in suspense, eyeing them expectantly.

“It’s not looking good,” Namjoon exhales as he dusts off his shoulder with a flick of his hand.

Not looking good? What does that mean? Not good as in eternal hellfire, or more like a few hours of being grilled?

“Not good, meaning what exactly?” Jeongguk speaks your thoughts into existence. “Don’t tell me we are stuck with that stray.” To give his words more weight, he looks you up and down with disgust.

As much as you’d like to call him a bitch right now, you actually couldn’t give less of a fuck about what he’s saying. You need to know what the two found out in your apartment.

Namjoon disperses the hostile moment when he finally starts to explain what they learned. 

“You two smudged the salt on the floor. Yoongi told me you bickered about something, maybe one of you messed with the pentagram then. That must be why the ritual went all kinds of wrong,” he concludes. 

Yoongi meets your eye and you look at each other sternly for a moment. You know he wants to blame you, just as much as you have him to blame. But since everyone here would probably be on his side anyway, you decide to be the bigger person for once and don’t announce your thoughts. “Okay, um,” you begin. “So is there another way I can be brought back?”

“Not that we know of,” Yoongi shakes his head.

“The others should try bringing you back too though, just so we can be sure,” Namjoon says. “If it doesn’t work, which I expect, I’ll have to figure out a different solution.”

“Okay, well, who's up next?” you stand up and ask into the room, impatient. You are already holding out your hand to be grabbed by whoever when Hoseok, the mountain lodge enthusiast, takes hold of it.

“Let’s try this again,” he half-smiles at you, not really convincing you that his outlook’s that optimistic either, but you are still somewhat thankful for his hesitant reassurance. 

When Hoseok also vanishes without you, you cry out in frustration before waving your fingers at Jimin.

“Your turn, please,” you urge him to have a go, all hope you had to go home slowly dissipating.

While Hoseok reappears with a sigh, Jimin reaches for your hand. 

“Please get me out of here,” you whisper with tears in your eyes now. Jimin grimaces at your words, obviously not anticipating a better outcome, but he tries nonetheless. To no avail, as you find out a second later when he too leaves you standing there with empty fingers. 

Taehyung steps closer before you say anything, a boyish smile on his face with his eyes looking at the floor. “I’ll try, promise,” he says as he gently takes your hand in his. 

You hear a quiet swish and he's gone too. Fuck. Him and Jimin return a moment later and you realise that your last chance at going home is sulking on the sofa, checking out his nailbeds again.

“Don’t be an ass,” Hoseok scoffs at Jeongguk's behaviour and pulls him from the couch. 

“Ugh, fine,” he complies with a roll of his eyes, moving as slowly as he possibly can. 

For someone who wants you to leave as urgently as he announced, he’s really not putting in any effort to make it happen. When he stretches out his hand with his face turned to the side, looking at Namjoon and not you, you think that you should probably send him to a dumpster instead of your living room. You swallow down a laugh as you think of that place and imagine him coming back covered in dirt, a banana peel on his shoulder and twigs sticking out from his hair.

Jeongguk pulls back his hand from you, squinting at you in abhorrence. “Can’t imagine your place looks that much different,” he says with a shake of his head. “But actually, fuck off. You just blew your last chance.”

He turns around on his heels and stomps out of the room. You can hear a door being slammed shut in the distance. Fucking brat.

“What did you do?” Jimin asks.

“Thought about sending him to a dumpster, but only for a second,” you explain. “It just came to me because he’s so mean and annoying. I wasn’t really going to do it.”

Someone snorts, Taehyung you think, as you turn around to check and find him grinning with his head turned away from the others. 

“I doubt it would have worked anyway,” Yoongi says. “Even if you hadn't pissed him off.”

Wait a moment. How did Jeongguk even know you were contemplating sending him to a garbage dump? 

“Don’t tell me Jeongguk can read my mind. He can’t, right?!” You look around between the others, scared.

“Nah,” Yoongi sighs. “It’s just when travelling. Or trying to. We can see the desired destination of the other person if we’re not picturing it ourselves.”

Why is all that demon shit so god damn complicated? And what does that mean now? You’re stuck here, in hell, with all those imps, until the tallest demon figures ‘something’ out?

A wave of nausea washes over you before your knees give out and you crumble to the floor, panic taking over again. You can't hold back your tears now anymore either, they roll down your cheeks in streams while you hyperventilate. This can't be true.

Someone is crouching next to you, stroking your back, no doubt in an attempt to get you to calm down. How the fuck are you supposed to calm down when you're imprisoned in literal hell? And what about Lucy? He’ll starve without you!

“My cat!” you wail. “My cat’s still up there. He’ll die, oh my god, my baby will die.” 

“Breathe,” you hear Jimin next to you, his hand still on your back. “He’s going to be fine. We, uh, we can go and pick him up.”

You slump forward on to your hands, exhausted but relieved at Jimin’s words. “You can?” you ask, sniffling and trying to catch your breath. 

“Sure,” he nods, looking around at the others. “We wanted to get ourselves a pet anyway.”

“I can get him,” Taehyung says. “Boss, will you come too? You’re always good with animals.” 

“Yeah, okay,” Yoongi exhales quietly.

Yoongi is their boss? Or is that just a stupid nickname? You eye him, shorter and of less substance than all the others. Huh. You assumed Namjoon was their demon leader. He seems like the brain of this clan.

“Why haven’t I seen a cat in your apartment though?” Yoongi asks you.

“Because he doesn’t like men, usually hides under the couch when strangers are there and his fur is black.”

“Ah, perfect,” he sighs. “Anything else we should know? What’s his name?”

“You should be able to lure him out with treats from the cabinet above the fridge. He likes to be picked up with a hand under his belly. Hold him so that his front paws can rest on your shoulder. He doesn’t like to be held like a baby. And his name is Lucy.”

“Lucy? For a male cat?”

Oh god. You didn't even realise until now. “Um yeah. It’s short for… Lucifer.”

“Of course it is.”

Taehyung actually throws his head back and laughs wholeheartedly at this revelation.

“You got a thing for devilish stuff, huh?” Jimin grins. 

Taehyung is still giggling when he links his arm with Yoongi and they once again vanish into thin air. 

Hoseok helps you off the floor and walks you into another room while you wipe the tear stains off your cheeks with your sleeve. He sits you down at a big dining table, surrounded by seven chairs. 

“Do you like kimchi fried rice?” he asks you. “Jeongguk made some earlier. You must be hungry from all that excitement.”

You want to decline at first but then your stomach audibly growls. Maybe you are hungry. “Thank you,” you quietly say before Hoseok steps out. 

Namjoon enters the room, your glass of water from earlier in hand and puts it down in front of you before he takes a seat as well. “I’m gonna try to find out how we can fix this as soon as possible, alright?”

You nod and look at the glass in front of you, hesitant to take a sip. Who knows what kind of stuff they have instead of normal water here?

“It’s safe to consume,” Namjoon chuckles. “I swear.”

You pick it up, trying to sniff it discreetly, so as not to offend him. When you can’t make out any weird odour, you take a tentative sip. Only now do you notice how parched you are. Dried up like a raisin actually, so you gulp the rest of the water down in one go. 

“Can I ask you something?” you direct at Namjoon. “I have so many questions actually.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why are you all… or most of you, actually nice to me? I thought a demon’s job would be torturing people and stuff.”

Namjoon laughs softly, shaking his head. “We do have jobs. It’s not exactly torturing though. And we were people too, once. So we’re not born evil or anything, if that’s what you thought.”

Okay, that makes sense. Jeongguk was probably a huge asshole as a human too. “What is your job then?”

“Collecting souls.”

Oh. So that’s why Yoongi knew it wasn’t your time yet. “That means… killing people?”

“Sometimes. Mostly it’s just convincing stupid people to do more stupid stuff though. And then pluck their souls and bring them down here.”

“Okay.” You listen intently with raised eyebrows.

“It’s pretty shitty people overall though. Sinners. Boss doesn’t have much need for decent souls here. They don’t fuel the fire as well.”

“Boss as in Yoongi?”

“No, boss as in Yoongi’s boss.”

“The devil then?”

“A kind of devil. There’s levels of management so to speak.”

Oh god. Corporate even reaches down to hell. Typical. Actually, that’s the least surprising thing you’ve learned. 

“What’s this boss’s name then?”

“Bang Si-hyuk.”

Okay, that doesn’t tell you anything. You nod anyway.

“People call him Bang PD sometimes.” 

“PD for… Prime Devil?”

Namjoon laughs, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

“So that makes Yoongi mid-management, then?”

“I guess, yeah.”

Oh, the guy has it bad…

“Okay, another question please.”

Namjoon nods, amused.

“Are all of you Korean?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?” 

He looks at you with a raised brow.

“Sorry if that was offensive. But like… I don’t know how to word it better. Why are the only people in hell Korean?”

“We’re not the only people in hell,” he tells you with a lopsided grin. “We’re just a department that happens to be Korean. The Japanese are down the road actually.”

Oh. You landed yourself in corporate hell. Great. As if you haven't been trying to avoid just that at all costs your entire adulthood. 

“Anything else you want to know?”

You hesitate, wondering if you're about to cross a line. But you're just too curious.

“How did all of you end up down here, working for the devil?”

Namjoon sighs and you can tell he's trying to find the right words.

“Let's just say we were young and dumb, we made mistakes in the past. Trusted the wrong people. Got caught in a contract we can’t get out of,” he sputters out before he stands up from his chair, turning towards the door just as Hoseok returns with a bowl of steaming food. 

Guess that concludes the Q&A then. Namjoon’s been so forthcoming with answering all your questions, you feel a little bad for making him uncomfortable with that last inquiry. “Thank you for your patience,” you tell him while a delicious-looking dish of kimchi fried rice is placed in front of you.

“This has been a lot,” Hoseok states while sitting down next to you. “Eat. It will make you feel better.” 

You pick up the chopsticks and shove a bite into your mouth. It's delicious. So Jeongguk is good for something after all. Maybe that's why they tolerate his attitude.

Hoseok smiles, watching you clear the bowl down to the last kernel of rice. “JK’s a great cook. I know he's been giving you shit, but please don't take it to heart.”

“Why is he such an ass anyway?” you ask Hoseok after swallowing down your last bit of food.

Hoseok laughs. “Don't know if you can tell, but emotions are on another level here. You get used to it after a while, but Jeongguk still struggles with anger from time to time. The trust issues aren’t helping either unfortunately.”

So, a demon with anger problems that obviously does not like you. Lovely combination.

“From what I saw, you can handle him though,” he concludes.

“Are you calling me a bitch?” you chuckle. 

“No, girl, I'm calling you feisty.”

It's the first time you feel some semblance of ease since you landed down here. The relaxation only lasts a second though as you hear a thump from the living room. Both of you get up to investigate, as the sounds surprise you.

When you step into the room, Yoongi and Taehyung are standing there, surrounded by what seems to be every single cat toy you had in your apartment as well as a bag of litter granules and dozens of cans of food. Oh, that's why their return was so noisy. The cat food is rolling around on the floor, some of it is still in Taehyung's arms. 

“Boss insisted on bringing all this stuff back with us,” he grimaces as he watches more things slip from his grip and tumble away. 

At first, you don't see Lucy, wondering if they left him up there for a second. When you take a closer look at Yoongi though, you spot your cat, nestled against his chest, paws on his left shoulder, just as you instructed. Yoongi apparently swaddled his Hawaiian print shirt over Lucy, so he wouldn’t jump off immediately, one arm wrapped around his little body for support. He’s gripping the cat bed you had sitting beside your couch in his other hand, letting it fall to the ground to scratch Lucy’s chin. The damn cat is purring. He never let a man get close before and now he’s purring at a mid-management demon? Traitor. The name definitely fits.

Yoongi smiles at their newfound pet before his soft expression fades when he notices you watching him. 

“Huh, Lucy likes you,” you mumble.

“Told you he's good with pets,” Tae comments while picking up stray cans around the room.

Yoongi doesn’t acknowledge the praise and shrugs before carefully setting Lucy down on the ground. The cat chirps and his tail quivers for a second until he spots you and runs over happily, as if he hadn’t just been sucked down to the pits. You crouch down and let him rub his cheek against your knee, petting him behind his ears and earning a deep purr.

“So cute,” Hoseok gushes while reaching out his hand to let Lucy smell him.

You're so relieved to have your cat back with you, tears are welling up in your eyes. You shoot up from the floor and without thinking you throw your arms around Taehyung's neck.

“Oh my god, thank you so much,” you cry into his shoulder before realising what you are doing and immediately retreat from the embrace. 

Taehyung doesn't seem bothered by your surprise hug at all as he's just smiling, but you are still embarrassed by your outburst. With heated cheeks, you turn to Yoongi, nodding at him. “Thank you, really.”

Yoongi nods back, not quite meeting your eyes with his brows set in a weird expression of second-hand embarrassment before clearing his throat. “No problem.”

“Guess I'll put those in the pantry,” Taehyung announces, multiple cans stacked in his arms before walking out. 

Namjoon and Jimin enter the living room at the same time. “Kitty!” Jimin squeals loudly, which scares Lucy who immediately flees the premises and hides under the sofa. “Oh, sorry.”

“Come on, let's figure out some logistics,” Namjoon waves at you and leads Jimin with him by his shoulder, moving towards the dining room. 

“Just go with the others, I'll get him out from under the couch,” Yoongi dismisses you just as you are about to get down to the floor yourself.

“You don’t have to, I can get him,” you begin but he’s already kneeling, peeking under there with his head twisted and his hand outstretched. That guy loves cats, huh? Despite the fact that you hate being stuck here with your accidentally conjured up demon boss, you can’t deny how cute he looks when he acts like this. He even makes those ‘pspsps’ noises and you chuckle watching him.

His head whips around at your giggling and he glares at you. “Shoo,” he orders you to finally go join the others. 

Okay, he’s back to his very annoying self. Rolling your eyes at him, you turn away and trudge to the dining room. 

When you walk up to the table, Namjoon, Taehyung and Jimin are already sitting down. You move to take the seat next to Namjoon, when Hoseok comes up and stops you with a hand on your arm. 

“That's Yoongi's spot,” he explains and only then do you notice that you went for the chair at the head of the table. 

Oh, so they have like a proper hierarchy with rules and everything.

“Since Jin’s chair is free now, you can take his,” Namjoon tells you as he’s pointing to the one next to Yoongi’s.

Who the hell is Jin now? And what happened to him? You add it to the ever growing list of questions for later.

“I'm not going to lie, it might take me a while to find a way to get you back home,” Namjoon sighs once everyone's seated. “It's the first time we've run into this issue and I have to work through tons of literature.”

“What exactly do I have to expect in terms of a while?” you ask him, already worried you might not like the answer.

“Wish I could tell you. We actually have a spare room now, so I think it's best if you make yourself at home for now. Hoseok can show you.”

That means you’re probably not going to be able to show up at work on Monday. Which is not the worst fate to be honest. But what if it takes them months to figure it out? Will your friends and family think you got kidnapped? Will there be a police search? Fuck, your hands are getting clammy. “Okay,” you breathe out. “What about people at home worrying? They’ll think I died or got abducted or something.”

“Phones work here,” Namjoon says. “You should be able to call your family. Maybe don’t mention where you really are though. They’ll think you’ve lost it.”

You just look at him, dumbstruck until Taehyung chimes in, “Don’t act so surprised. Did you think we’re cavemen? We even have Netflix.”

“How? Just… how is that possible?” you ask.

Namjoon grins, “CEOs love to make deals with the devil. Anything’s possible in hell.”

You are interrupted trying to wrap your head around big corporations shaking hands with Satan when Yoongi enters the room, Lucy once again purring in his arms. 

“Stubborn, that one,” he lets you know.

“Just like his owner,” you hear him mutter when he walks past you to get to his chair.

Lucy curls up in his lap when he sits down, all cozy, nuzzled up to him. 

You ignore his comment and look at your traitorous cat for a moment before it suddenly dawns on you. Why do they all speak English so flawlessly? Is that a demon trait? Or are you being biased and rude again?

“I have another question. If you don't mind,” you quietly say while trying to find the most inoffensive way to word this. “How come all of you speak English so well?”

Well, that wasn't inoffensive at all. Shit. Your brows knit into a frown as you cringe at yourself. “Sorry.”

“We don't,” Jimin tells you. “I mean.. actually we do but it's complicated.”

“We speak most common languages,” Namjoon begins to explain. “Even Latin to some extent. That's one of the ‘gifts’ we got when signing our contracts. But right now, we're actually speaking in Korean.”

Huh? No they're not. How would you be able to understand them then?

“It's a spell,” Yoongi says with one elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand while petting Lucy with the other. “I didn't really feel like talking in English to you earlier when you summoned me.”

“So you put a translation spell on me?” you ask, honestly more intrigued than shocked. “Do I speak Korean in your heads then?” 

“Uh huh,” Hoseok nods. “Flawlessly too.”

Wow okay. So they have powers in addition to being able to fucking teleport. They speak a million languages and have demonic powers and live in hell. This is totally fine and normal and you shouldn't be disturbed at all. 

“You want me to show you your room now?” Hoseok asks, apparently noticing that you need a minute to process all of this. “I'll help you carry the cat stuff.”

He's already scurrying to collect the strewn about stuff Yoongi and Taehyung brought with them when you get up. You walk over to Yoongi to get Lucy, who's still contently chilling on him. It's a little awkward because you have to pick him up straight from Yoongi's crotch, which makes your heartbeat pick up a confusing notch. 

“Sorry,” you mumble while very deliberately and carefully maneuvering your hands around his lap, trying to avoid touching him in an inappropriate manner. Even though it's suddenly very tempting. Are you actually getting horny now for no reason? Hello?!

Yoongi just raises his eyebrows at you but doesn't say anything when you move Lucy off him without looking at him. 

Hoseok peeks in from behind the doorframe with a big toothy smile. “Come on Ari,” he invites you to follow him. 

Ari? You have to ask him about that later. 

He leads you upstairs and through a hallway with multiple doors to the sides, until he stops in front of the last one. 

“There we are,” he says. “Yoongi's is right next to yours. Me and all the others are also just a few doors down.”

He lets you into the room, putting Lucy's cushion down at the foot of the big bed while you look around. It doesn't look lived in, but it's not dusty at all. It looks freshly prepared for a guest actually, pillows all fluffed up and there's even a potted plant sitting on the windowsill, green and healthy. 

Hoseok looks slightly surprised too. 

“Oh. Must've been Yoongi.” 

“He cleans?” you wonder out loud. They have Yoongi clean the rooms? If so, they have their boss well trained.

“Not exactly,” Hoseok chuckles without giving any further explanations. Instead, he arranges Lucy's toys on the dresser.

“I'll leave you to get comfortable,” he bids you farewell. “I'll come and get you for dinner.”

You plop Lucy down onto the duvet before checking out the room further. 

The curtains are closed and when you pull them open, the same darkness from before looks back at you, straight into your soul.

Before the feeling of dread can take over, you put the fabric back to cover the soulcrushing black void up and turn your back to the window. 

There’s another door next to the dresser and when you open it, you find a nice little en-suite bathroom, complete with a bathtub, shower, a toilet and a sink. You can work with that. There’s even a simple litter box for Lucy in the corner. Did they have a cat before? 

Sighing, you sit down on the bed next to Lucy, scratching his ears. 

“Where did we land ourselves, huh?” you whisper to him while he snuggles up against your hand.

The whole thing is absolutely crazy, you realise once again… Demons are real, you got sucked down to hell and now you’re stuck in this ancient mansion with six Korean soul pluckers. Maybe you had a mental breakdown and are just going through psychosis or hallucinations at the moment. If not, hopefully Namjoon and the others will figure out how to bring you back home quickly. It could have been worse though. At least they seem to be willing to try and help you. They could have abandoned you and just kicked you out, now that you’re thinking about it. You shudder at the thought of being out there in that eerie darkness by yourself. Or in general.

And they made an effort to get Lucy. Demons really aren’t what you imagined them to be. But you also thought they didn't exist. And they are all attractive as fuck. Gosh, the bar is literally in hell. 

You let yourself fall back and land on the cushions with a soft thud. Are you actually just supposed to sit around and watch Netflix until you can go home? You might ask them for some books to read. Maybe they have a copy of ‘Hell for Dummies’. This gothic mansion definitely has a library. Or is that a cliché?

There are so many questions whirling through your head again, questions that google probably cannot answer. Thinking of it, you pull out your phone to check if it really works, like Namjoon told you. And he was right. There's a signal. Stronger than in your apartment actually. Which is quite embarrassing. 

Okay, so you should think of a story to tell your family and friends then. Maybe some quarter-life crisis that led you to leave the country for a while. A self-discovery journey. Something non-concerning. Thailand? 

Laying there with Lucy cuddled up to you, you can feel your eyes grow heavy. You didn't even notice how exhausted you are. With one last sigh your eyelids flutter shut and you doze off. Maybe when you open them the next time, this will all be over and you will wake up in your bed. 

A knock rips you from your restless slumber, you've been tossing and turning on the mattress, waking up facing a totally different direction than you feel asleep in. 

“We'll have dinner soon,” Hoseok's voice sounds through the door. “Come join us.”

Still a little out of it from your unplanned nap, you sit up, brushing through your hair with your fingers and rubbing your eyes. So you didn't magically teleport back home while you slept.

When you get up to walk to the dining room, Lucy hops down from the bed to follow you. The smell of something hearty draws you closer quickly - it must be some kind of stew or soup that’s cooking in the kitchen. You’re not really hungry thanks to the kimchi fried rice from earlier but the aroma surely whets your appetite.

“What's cookin’ good lookin’?” you hear Jimin sing-song as he prances into the kitchen just as you walk up to the dining table and your newly assigned seat. 

Lucy strides through the room like he owns the place and follows Jimin, apparently also drawn by the smell. 

“Oh my god, who's this cutie? Where did you come from?” you hear Jeongguk squeal excitedly. Lucy answers him with loud meows, surely to get him to drop some food. 

“Lucy, don't beg,” you call for your cat, walking up to the kitchen.

"It's yours?” Jeongguk asks, the excitement from a second ago gone from his face. Instead, he looks at you with a sour expression before stomping past you to the dining room.

“Is she moving in now or what?” he snarls, accusing eyes boring holes into Yoongi. 

“What, you’d rather have us kick her out?” Jimin asks him in disbelief.

“Um, yeah?!”

“Sorry about him,” Jimin sheepishly shuffles up to you and pats your shoulder. “He surely doesn't mean it,” he adds while heavily side-eying Jeongguk.

Yoongi plants both hands on the dinner table before taking a seat, looking up at Jeongguk through the strands of his hair that have fallen over his eyes. “She didn’t choose to be here, relax. Now stop acting like a fucking brat and fix your god damn attitude.”

You're taken aback by Yoongi's stern words for Jeongguk, you didn't expect him to intervene like that. And somehow you are also turned on by it. Like, really turned on. To the point of feeling your panties moisten as you watch him brush the hair out of his face. This whole thing must be really messing with your head. You were so annoyed by that gesture just a few hours ago and now you have to stop yourself from jumping him.

“How about you get back to cooking, Gguk?” Hoseok interrupts the heated moment. "I'm basically starving."

It seems like Jeongguk wants to keep bitching, more provocation already on the tip of his tongue, but then he apparently decides against it, as his shoulders slump down in defeat and he retreats to the stove, Lucy following closely behind. Yoongi's eyes track him leaving the room before he leans back in his chair at the head of the table sighing.

You slide into your designated seat next to him and mutter a quiet “Thanks”, that he definitely hears but doesn't acknowledge.

“I um,” you clear your throat. “I’m actually not that hungry, so if you want, I could go to my room, so Jeongguk can cool off for a bit?”

“Nonsense,” Jimin says from his spot at the table. “He will deal.”

Your offer was sincere but you are glad to stay, the heavenly smell of Jeongguk's cooking wafting over. Leaning back in your chair, you glance through the doorway and see him crouching next to Lucy, scratching his head. At least he’s nice to someone.

A few minutes later, Jeongguk returns with a big steaming pot of stew and sets it in the middle of the table. Taehyung had already brought in a dish of rice to go with it. 

Before you can argue, Yoongi grabs the bowl in front of you and serves you some of the soup. 

“Well,” he raises an eyebrow at you when you just stare at the food in front of you. “Dig in.”

“Yeah, noona,” Jeongguk teases you with a mean smirk. “Go ahead. I swear I didn't poison it.”

You didn't think he did, but after he said it, you wonder if maybe you should have worried about it, looking around the table until you lock eyes with Yoongi. 

He just rolls his eyes, with a half-smirk. “He wouldn’t dare.”

The others start eating so you do the same. 

Only Jimin is poking around his bowl, never really picking anything up. Maybe he doesn't like pork. Which seems to offend Jeongguk as he’s glaring at Jimin from across the table. 

“Okay so,” Namjoon mumbles mid bite. “I’m sure you came up with more things to ask? Because we also have some rules to put down with you being here and all.”

“I don’t think there’s enough time for all the questions I have, to be honest,” you tell him. “I guess I’ll make a list. There’s one thing though. Who’s room did I move into? I was wondering why you had a guest room but someone mentioned earlier I can take ‘Jin’s’ chair. So I assume that it was his? Will he be back eventually?”

Namjoon clears his throat. “Oh, yeah, um it was Jin’s. He’s one of us but he… he’s gone. You could say he’s watching over us from above now.”

Oh no. 

Suddenly, Hoseok gets out of his seat, mumbling a choked up apology to the group and hurries out of the room. 

Shit, you shouldn't have brought up Jin. But how were you supposed to know he died? “I’m so sorry,” you call after Hoseok. “My condolences.”

“Wha- no!” Jimin shakes his head. “He’s not dead. He’s back on earth, living his best life.” 

You whip around to face Namjoon. “Well, you really could have worded this differently then!”

“Great, now you upset Hobi,” Jeongguk scoffs but shuts up immediately when Yoongi shoots him a warning look.

He's right though. For once. 

“I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. But, I have to ask. How come all of you stay down here if you could just live on earth?”

“We can't,” Jeongguk chuckles bitterly.

“Yeah, that's a bit of a longer story. Maybe one for another day. It's kind of a lucky coincidence though that we have a spare bedroom you can use,” Namjoon changes the topic.

“If we didn't have one, you could have just stayed in mine. No problem,” Taehyung smiles at you and you are unsure on how to take this. 

“Orrrr,” Namjoon glares at him for the dumb comment. “We could have just conjured up an additional one, you know, with the powers that Yoongi has?”

“Chill, I didn’t mean it like that,” Taehyung spits back. “You know I don’t like sleeping alone.”

“Yes, I’m painfully aware of that. But she isn't. Don't make her think we're total perverts."

Taehyung chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. “Don’t make her think we aren’t.”

You choke on your stew so bad that Jimin gets up to slap your back.

“Relax,” he laughs.

“While we're on the topic of your room,” Namjoon starts up again. “I think Hoseok mentioned it to you already, but emotions are really heightened down here. Maybe you have figured this out already. Anyway, it would be best if you stayed in your room at night, by yourself. And during the day too maybe, until you’ve grown accustomed to it.”

“What, are you scared I'm going to get into a fist fight with Jeongguk?” you joke.

“Um, no, but is that something I have to worry about as well?” Namjoon looks sincerely troubled by the idea. “When I say heightened emotions, that also includes… arousal. That one’s actually the strongest for unknown reasons.”

“He’s trying to say that hell makes everyone unreasonably horny,” Jimin smirks. “The first few months of us all being here were beyond crazy.”

“Yes, you can also word it like that I guess. Like the other emotions, we got a better grip on it over time. But with you being here now, I don't really know what to expect. We usually don't have visitors. And I also don't know how heavily this affects you. Since you’re still human and all. I haven’t concluded my research on it yet, but I am pretty sure you’re not immune to it,” Namjoon babbles on. 

“I like to call it the horn from hell,” Taehyung chuckles to himself.

Is this some kind of joke? Are you hearing this correctly? You turn to the others and when your gaze lands on Yoongi, he’s immediately looking away but you can tell that his cheeks are flushed. 

Now that you think back to the past hours and the emotional rollercoaster you went through, it does make more sense than you just randomly getting horny during the weirdest traumatic event of your entire existence.

“So yeah, until we figure out how to handle… this… please just stay in your room as much as you can,” Namjoon concludes the topic. “At least for now, and, tonight.”

So they knew you were horny the entire time? This is mortifying. Maybe you will stay in your room for the rest of eternity actually. 

“I guess dinner’s done then. Jimin and I will do the dishes and then we can all hop into the shower,” Taehyung chimes. 

“Can you wash my hair tonight?” Jimin gleefully addresses Yoongi now, who just sighs but nods at the same time.

“I’ll get Hoseok then,” Namjoon announces and stands up. 

“Huh?” you can’t hide your confusion. Is your room the only one with an en-suite? They surely can't all fit into one bathroom? 

Jeongguk just looks at you like you’re stupid, but his mouth is pulled into an amused smirk. 

“Do I… want to know?” you carefully ask.

Yoongi sighs again but finally lifts his head to look at you. “Yeah, we wash up together. Didn’t start out with a whole mansion. It was more like a shitty dorm when we were still trainee demons. With bunk beds and communal showers.”

“Had to work our way up to individual rooms and Yoongi didn’t have his powers yet,” Namjoon explains further. 

“And once we all had our own bathrooms we realised pretty soon that we miss showering together. So we kept the communal showers downstairs and use it most nights,” Jimin adds. 

“It’s nice,” Taehyung says. “You can join if you want to.”

“Taehyung please,” Namjoon groans and swats the back of his head as he’s leaving the dining room. 

You find yourself intrigued, actively trying to stop the picture of all of them together, naked and wet, from popping into your head, actually considering agreeing with Taehyung for a moment. Okay, this horn from hell really is a force to be reckoned with. “Maybe another time,” you joke and they all stare at you.

“Please, just go to your room,” Yoongi tells you, facing away, as he stands up with one hand rubbing his neck. “Now.”

Hell Yeah Masterlist | Masterlist | > Next

A/n: omg karen you can't just ask people why they're korean.. Thank you for reading :) How'd you like hell? Interaction in any form is highly appreciated, we'd be so happy to receive your feedback and if you're shy, feel free to send us an anonymous ask.

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At Namjoon’s holler, the entire house wakes up fast. Within minutes, the remaining five alphas are clamouring down the stairs and into the living room. Meanwhile, Namjoon paces back and forth, running his hands through his hair. You’ve never seen the head alpha so livid, nor so anxious. It fills you with unease, seeing Namjoon act so out of the ordinary.

The other alphas blink sleep out of their eyes, yawns and groans getting cut short the minute they pick up the two sour scents in the room. You’re so anxious that nausea begins to stir in your belly. You lower your head. So much for holiday cheer.

“Where’s Hobi-hyung?” Jungkook asks, glancing at you.

Namjoon waves a hand dismissively. “Rut.”

Jungkook looks confused, exchanging looks with the others. You hear a few murmurs of “Already?” and “It’s not the 28th yet…” but no one dares to press the head alpha any further. Namjoon sighs heavily and sinks into his usual armchair at the head of the living room. With one look, Namjoon nods for everyone to take a seat on the sofas. Immediately, everyone falls into line. 

You scurry behind Jungkook, about to sit beside him, when Namjoon calls your name. You stop. “Come here.” The dragon-eyed alpha orders. You shiver, unintentionally trying to make yourself small as you approach the head alpha.

The remaining five alphas sit gingerly on the sofas, exchanging nervous looks. You hover awkwardly in front of the head alpha. A muscle quivers in Namjoon’s jaw as he assesses you. Then: “Omega, kneel.”

Your blood runs cold. You glance at Jungkook, who watches on with utter confusion. You take a deep breath, ready to speak, but Namjoon cuts you off. “I’m not going to repeat myself. Now.”

Fresh tears spring into your eyes, and you bow your head so Namjoon won’t see them. You look down at the rug. It looks soft enough. You suppose there are rougher surfaces to kneel on. You look back at Namjoon, whose expression is stony. You look around the room, at the tense, displeased looks on all of their faces. You’re normally not the type to succumb to others’ dislike for you, but it’s different because it’s them. Because you’re newly mated. Because you’re sick. The excuses go on and on, but the ugly, embarrassing truth is this: you want to be loved. You want these alphas to look at you with love not hate. You want to be one of them, even though you’ve tried a million times to convince yourself otherwise.

Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic! The voice in your head screams at you. 

You kneel before Namjoon’s legs. 

For a long moment, he says nothing. You can hear Namjoon breathing deeply, as if trying to calm himself down. You hear him crack his knuckles, the sound making you wince. Then, his hands move in your peripheral. You flinch, but the alpha’s hands are gentle in your hair. Namjoon cards one hand through your hair, then applies slight pressure to make you tip your head up to look at him.You swallow, knowing you’re extremely vulnerable now, on your knees and with your bite exposed. From this angle, the head alpha is pure danger. 

Namjoon smiles faintly, but there’s no kindness in it. “I should’ve had you like this a long time ago.” He murmurs, taking his other hand and wrapping it around your throat. You shudder. The hold isn’t tight enough to cut off your breathing, but it’s enough to remind you of who has your life in his hands. Your bite tingles under the alpha’s hand. “Jimin was right. I have been too lenient with you, haven’t I?”

Your heart beats wildly in your chest. You can’t muster even a word in reply. Namjoon’s cold smile grows at the sight. “You told me once that I must think I’m some sweet, perfect alpha from the movies. Admittedly, that made me want to prove I am. I wanted us to be gentle and accommodating, to give you time to come to us. I should’ve known that this is what it really takes to claim an omega like you.”

“I-I’m sorry.” You apologize, but you’re not really even sure what you’re sorry for. Maybe everything.

Namjoon scoffs. “We’re 1:1 now, sweetheart. You were right, I’m not a sweet alpha from the movies. But I was right, too. You’re every bit of a liar as I thought you were from the very beginning.” 

Tears roll down your face for everyone to see, but you don’t dare reach up and wipe them. You just keep your hands in your lap, not daring to move an inch unless Namjoon permits it. 

“There, see? How hard is it to submit when you’re told?” Namjoon asks coldly.

“It’s not hard.” You whisper. 

“If it isn’t hard, why did it take you so long to do it?” Namjoon criticizes you. You take it as a rhetorical question, but Namjoon presses you for an answer. “Tell me.”

“It was my pride.” You tell your clasped hands.

“Your pride didn’t seem to get in the way when I fucked you in your apartment.” Your face burns. 

Terrible. You’re terrible, you’re terrible! Your mind runs in circles. They all hate you! 

Your wolf cries with you. She begs to be held and comforted. She begs for forgiveness. You have to fight to keep your mouth shut to stop yourself from saying something stupid. 

Namjoon releases you, sitting back in his armchair. You look down at your folded legs, crying quietly. Addressing the room now, he continues. “Hoseok said Y/N is sick. If my thoughts are right, at least one more of you has to know about this. Who else knows anything about this?”

Seokjin sighs deeply. He stands from the sofa, coming over to stand a few steps behind you to your right. Then, he kneels. Pack Alpha casts a cold look around the room, waiting. Then, Jimin comes over, kneeling to your left.

Namjoon curses sharply, running his hands through his hair like he wants to rip the silky strands out. “Unbelieveable. THREE of my alphas knew our omega was sick and none of you thought to tell me? Am I a fucking joke to you all?” He roars.

None of you dare to reply. 

Namjoon clicks his tongue. “When did you all learn about this?” He demands from Seokjin.

Seokjin hesitates, then answers. “I don’t know about Jimin, but Hoseok and I both found out after she was hospitalized. I found her sick note for work and Hoseok approved her leave.”

Namjoon’s look turns to something murderous. “Hospitalized.” He whispers. You flinch under his glare. “You chose to work yourself to the point of hospitalization while living in my fucking house?” He all but roars.

You shuffle backwards, carpet burning against your legs. You bump into Jimin in the process. “I–I—” You stammer.

Namjoon stands, shaking his head in disbelief. “For what, to protect your fucking secret? Would you rather die than rely on us, rather die than submit? Is that it?!” A whimper escapes you. 

Namjoon leans forward. You see his hand move in your peripheral. You move before you can think, driven solely by fear. You’re so afraid that you scramble behind Jimin to hide. You grip his shirt tightly, face buried in his back as you cry. 

Now I’ve really done it. You think. 

I’m fucked now.

“I wanna go home!” You cry. The room stills. You continue to sob into the alpha’s back. “I want my mom. I want to have my heat. I don’t wanna live like this anymore!”

You open your eyes, peering at the head alpha around Jimin’s shoulder. Namjoon crouches in front of you, hand hovering midair. His mouth hangs open in shock. You shuffle back even more, hiding your body behind Jimin. The head alpha’s eyes soften. 

“I wasn’t…” Namjoon trails off. You dig your hands into Jimin’s shirt, burying your face into his wide back and wailing.

“You’re so mean to me. All of you are so mean.” You cry, rubbing your face against Jimin’s back. The alpha moves, turning around to look at you. You flinch. To your surprise, his expression is gentle. 

“Y/N, you’re going into your headspace again.” Jimin informs you in a calm, collected voice.

“No I’m not!” You retort, not caring that you sound childish. But indeed, you feel that familiar panic and the fog beginning to form in your mind. “D-Don’t talk like you know me! So mean to me. So mean.” You repeat, feeling yourself lose the ability to speak just as you did before. It only sends you spiralling further as you can no longer defend yourself verbally from the hateful alphas around you.

“Yes, you are.” Seokjin interjects. He pries your hands off Jimin’s shirt, then pulls you up onto his lap. You flinch away from the head alpha, burying your head in the crook of Seokjin’s neck. The alpha wraps his arms around you tightly, and you wrap your legs around his wide hips. 

“Go home. Home, home.” You repeat, falling further and further into the headspace.

“That’s not true.” Seokjin whispers, caressing your hair. “You like it here, but you’re scared. You just want us to be nice to you.”

“Scared, scared, scared.” You echo, trembling in the alpha’s hold. Seokjin rocks you back and forth gently, never shushing you or speaking over you but letting you get out your feelings. You dig your nails into the alpha’s shoulders. “Alpha, scared.”

“I know.” Seokjin murmurs in the softest voice you’ve ever heard from him. “Come on, let’s get you in bed.”

The alpha carries you up the stairs like you’re weightless, leading you to the largest bedroom. It’s almost double the size of the other rooms with a king sized bed, and everything smells like petrichor and pine. Namjoon’s room. You wriggle as Seokjin sets you down in Namjoon’s bed, not wanting to be near anything associated with the angry head alpha. But Seokjin is firm. “Turn around.” He orders. You roll onto your side, and Seokjin gets you out of your clothes. Goosebumps appear on your skin as the alpha strips you down until you’re just in your bra and panties. Your hair clip is next, releasing your hair onto the silky sheets. 

“She’s really deep in her headspace, hyung.” Someone comments off to the side. You flinch as another scent enters your nose. Cinnamon. Yoongi.

“Yeah, I know.” Seokjin grits, quickly discarding his shirt and pants. “Go get her as many of our blankets and clothes as you can, I’m gonna make her a nest.”

“Nini, Nini!” You cry. Seokjin wraps his arms around you. You sigh as you feel his bare chest against yours, then feel him tuck the duvet in around you. Despite his own rose scent being as sour as your own, the alpha scents you gently, slow and methodical despite how upset you both are. “Bad omega, bad.” You mumble, crying continuously throughout Seokjin’s care. “Don’t deserve!”

“I’ll help.” Someone else says, and you feel the bed dip beside you. Sour lilies fill your nose. You wrinkle your nose. Jungkook. 

“Bad omega, bad. Bad.” You mumble, beginning to tire yourself out from all the crying. Unbeknownst to you, six alphas watch on with concerned expressions. The alpha closest to you, Jungkook, looks heartbroken. “Alpha hate. Alpha mad. Omega bad, bad.”

“Where are those fucking blankets?” Seokjin says over your head to someone. 

Meanwhile, Jungkook sheds his shirt and pulls you on top of him. You feel the firm muscles of his chest, whimpering into the crook of his neck. Your tears slow down, your wolf more soothed by the alpha that marked you more than all the others. “Alpha.”

“Shh. I know.” Jungkook reassures you, lifting you up onto his chest. You calm down as you lay on his chest, his heartbeat a steady, soothing sound in your ear.

Before you know it, you fall asleep between Namjoon and Jungkook on the sofa. You wake up the following morning in your own bed, wrapped in the alphas’ scents and a blanket that smells like Hoseok.

Since it’s a weekend, you decide to get up slowly. You scroll on your phone for a while, still snuggled into the sweet citrusy smell of Hoseok. You sigh in relief, wrapping the item around you tighter. You don’t know why, but the scent smells practically divine this morning.

Even when your belly begins to rumble with hunger, you hesitate to leave the throw blanket behind. Feeling kind of childish, you leave the item wrapped around your shoulders as you brush your teeth. It just feels right.

You yawn as you walk through the halls, headed for the kitchen. Your heart does a little leap in anticipation of the alphas’ voices, but to your dismay, the kitchen is empty. Pouting, you fix yourself a quick breakfast. Maybe they’re out Christmas shopping? You hypothesize, since November is almost over. You smile into your bowl of cereal at the thought of decorating a Christmas tree and opening gifts with the pack. My first Christmas with them…

You reminisce on the sweet moments you’ve had with the pack lately, along with how good you’ve felt. Your body hasn’t given any signs of heat, but the frequent affection has eased your symptoms by a lot. It feels so right.

You stroll through the house, thinking of watching some Netflix. You gaze through the big windows in the hall you walk through, sighing at the lack of snow outside. It would be nice to have some snow soon to get into the season’s spirit, but maybe some classic movies and hot chocolate would work, too. You enter the living room, finding the remote for the giant TV easily. Still, you hesitate. You glance at the spiral staircase down the hall, leading towards the alphas’ bedrooms. You don’t want to disturb anyone, especially the night owls of the pack.

Then, you recall the much smaller TV in the sitting-room-slash-study. Since the room is tucked away, it shouldn’t bother anyone. Plus, you could use the fireplace there, too. So you retreat down the opposite hallway, until you get to the study. You take a breath as you step through the French double doors. You still remember the first time you came here on the day of the welcome ceremony. Even though it was a matter of only months ago, you feel completely different now. Then, you were so scared. Now…well, you’re still scared but comfortable enough to seek this place out willingly. 

You’re browsing through Netflix’s endless catalog of holiday movies when you hear quick footsteps going up and down the stairs down the hall. You sit up straighter, unwrapping yourself from the blanket. You’ve seen the entire house by now, except for a few of the bedrooms and whatever is in the basement. Since no one has mentioned those places to you, you’ve kept your curiosity to yourself out of courtesy. But surely, it’s rude to ignore one of the men if they’re awake? And surely, if you get a peek of that area of the house while saying good morning, it’s no biggie? Right?

Unfortunately for you, you only make it around the corner before a strong figure smacks right into you.

You gasp, grabbing blindly. Someone curses, wrapping his arms around you tightly. “Shit, are you okay?” Hoseok asks, strong arms helping to steady you. The alpha’s wide, earnest eyes peer down at you. It’s only then that you notice the alpha is scantily clothed in a muscle tank that shows off his strong arms, wet hair, and still damp skin like someone fresh out of the shower.

You blush. “I, yeah. I heard someone was down here, so I thought I’d come say good morning.” You say, peering around Hoseok. The flight of stairs behind him leads to a closed door. How uneventful.

“Oh. Was I being loud?” Hoseok asks. You shake your head meekly. The alpha blinks at you for a second, then realises he’s still holding you tightly.  Hoseok clears his throat. He lets go, taking a step back. “You’re up early, did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, I did.” You reply, then eye the alpha’s muscle tank and grey sweats. “Did you just get home from the gym?” You ask innocently, wondering if that would give you more of an answer for what lies in the basement.

Being as gullible as he is, Hoseok smiles right away. “Kinda? We have a gym in the basement, along with a couple other things.”

“Oh, that’s cool.” You lie, more interested in the thought of shirtless alphas working out than anything. “Like what?” You press.

Hoseok’s eyes sparkle in delight. “Free weights, machines, you name it. We all love working out. Do you wanna see?”

You have to hold back a grin of satisfaction. “Sure!”

The alpha leads you down to the basement, which is frankly a very humble word for the sprawling room before you. There’s a sitting room in the centre with sofas, a TV, and a kitchenette with a fridge, sink, and a giant tin of protein powder on the counter. It is very…bachelor-esque.

The sitting room splits off in two directions. To the left, there’s a set of glass double doors. To the right, one simple wooden door. Hoseok, of course, leads you through the glass double doors into the gym. You’re amazed at the sheer size of the room, covered with dozens of neatly organized exercise machines, weights, and seven pairs of workout shoes set in the corner. You look at your own amazed face in the furthest wall, which is covered in a big mirror, likely for lifting weights in front of. 

“Do you like it?” Hoseok asks genuinely. “If you do, feel free to come down here, too. It’s okay if you don’t want to lift weights, we’ve got a treadmill and an elliptical and some workout bikes, too, see?”

You nod noncommittally, already interested in leaving. You half-listen to Hoseok’s spiel about his favourite brand of equipment, steering him back out of the gym. “Oh, games.” You notice a stack of familiar board games, cards, and a PS5 near the TV.

“Yeah, this is where we usually game in the evenings. Either that or in our own rooms with headsets on, since some of us have our own gaming computers.” Hoseok says. Then, he adds with a fond smile: “I’m not much of a gamer, but the maknaes could probably talk your ears off about it. Or Nini, who is honestly an honorary maknae line member.”

Your blush deepens. “How did you know I call him Nini?”

Hoseok laughs, ruffling your hair. “Because he told me, of course. You should know by now that hyung never misses an opportunity to brag about you.”

Face now completely hot, you turn away from the alpha. “Yeah, right. All he does is bug me.” You grumble. Then, you walk over to the other door. “What’s in here?”

Hoseok leaps into action, all but pouncing you before you can reach for the handle. “J-Just a bathroom.” He says, wrapping an arm around your shoulders to steer you back towards the stairs. You frown at the abrupt change in his behaviour. “You haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you? I’ll make you something.” The alpha says, guiding you back up the stairs. Before you can protest, the alpha shuts the door to the basement and ushers you back up to the main floor.

Once in the kitchen, Hoseok seems to realize something. “You smell like me.” He notes. 

“Yeah, I was wearing your blanket earlier.” You reply shyly.

The alpha coos at you. “Is that right?” He asks, reaching for your nape and scratching at it. Hoseok’s large, veiny hand at the base of your neck makes you hum in satisfaction, especially when his thumb reaches up to rub at your bite. 

Smiling at your shyness, Hoseok heads to the fridge and pulls out some eggs, leftover rice, and kimchi. You hover around the alpha as he washes his hands and prepares a pan with oil. “You can cook?” You ask.

Hoseok chuckles at your proximity. You realize you’re unconsciously trying to get a whiff of the alpha’s scent and go to take a step back. But the alpha reaches for your arm, pulling you in between his legs as he cooks. “Just simple things like eggs and rice. It’s good to know how to whip up a few things when you’re hungry, right?”

Within minutes, Hoseok expertly makes a plateful of egg rolls. Then, he hands the container of rice to you. “Could you heat that up for me, sweetheart?”

Nodding, you step away from him to complete the task. While you wait for the rice to warm up in the microwave, Hoseok lays out dishes and cutlery for two on the island. You return with the warmed up rice and rest it on the island, sliding into one of the bar stools. 

The alpha takes a bite of the egg rolls and rice, nodding in satisfaction. Then, he blows on the second roll and holds it out to you. “I actually already had some cereal, I’m not that hungry.” You admit sheepishly. “You can have it all.”

Hoseok isn’t convinced. “You need to eat properly if you’re going to get better. Cereal won’t keep you full for as long as a home-cooked meal.” He scolds, insisting on feeding you. The meal goes by quietly, with the alpha doting on you and feeding himself in between. Afterwards, Hoseok puts all the dishes in the sink and returns to you. Observing your face, he adds: “You look better lately. Are your pain and nausea under control now?”

“They are.” You answer honestly, enjoying his doting. 

“Good.” Hoseok notes in satisfaction. “You’ll tell me or Seokjin-hyung if anything happens, right?”

“Yes.” You reply. As you two leave the kitchen, you turn back. “I’ve been meaning to ask, does the pack celebrate Christmas? It’s already almost the end of November.”

Hoseok gives you a grin. “We do, but not until after December 4th, which is Seokjin-hyung’s birthday. We like for him to have his own special day before we start holiday festivities. And of course, he likes it that way, too. Why do you ask?”

“I love the holidays, they’re so cosy. Y’know, the decorations, the parties, and the movies. I love it all.” You smile. 

Hoseok follows you into the study, sitting down beside you as you show him the list of holiday movies you were considering watching. The two of you settle on Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, a classic you discover Hoseok loves, too. You pull your legs up onto the sofa, curling up under the throw blanket to get comfy. The alpha sends you a look that makes you pout. “What?” 

“Won’t you share with me?” He asks, eyes beginning to darken.

You swallow, then slide into Hoseok’s arms. The alpha tucks in the throw blanket—his blanket—around you, wrapping you in a cloud of delicious citrus. You rest your head in the crook of the alpha’s neck and take a deep breath. There’s no denying it: Hoseok does smell different today. Regardless of the reason, you’re on cloud nine.

The two of you make it exactly ten minutes into cuddling when things begin to go sideways. In your defence, it’s Hoseok’s fault for putting his big, veiny hand at your nape again and rubbing circles into your skin with his thumb. His action prompts you to rub your face into his collarbone, then further up to his neck. Both of you pretend it’s innocent until your nose brushes Hoseok’s scent glands. Then, it’s game over.

Movie be damned, you flip over onto your tummy so your chests collide. You wrap your arms around the alpha’s neck and immediately give him access to your bite. Hoseok growls at your submission. He begins to lick and bite at your skin, sending shivers through your body.

Then, with more strength than you knew the alpha to have, Hoseok grabs your hips and pulls them up so your legs wrap around his middle. You groan at his strong hands kneading your hips, pinning you to him. “Smells so good.” You murmur, digging your hands in the alpha’s hair. 

“Yeah?” The alpha asks, pulling you in for a white-hot kiss that sets every nerve in your body on fire. It’s messy, passionate, and you can hardly get your own soft sounds out in between. 

In the blink of an eye, the throw blanket is discarded on the floor and you’re pressed down onto the cool leather of the sofa. Hoseok’s hands find your wrists, pinning them on either side of your face as he continues to kiss you. You can feel slick beginning to gather in your panties already, head spinning with the ever-strengthening smell of citrus. 

You spread your legs to give the alpha room to lay between them, and the movement allows Hoseok to catch a whiff of your slick. He growls, grinding down onto you. You shudder at his half-hard knot, already so big through the layers of clothes between you. You feel your wolf beginning to take over, ready to accept what your alpha has to give you.

“H-Hobi—” You begin desperately.

Suddenly, Hoseok sits back on his heels. “Wait, what day is it today?” He asks breathlessly. You look up at him, still mesmerized. It could be July 55th of the year 3000 for all you care right now. The alpha wipes his own saliva from your bottom lip and tries to reel himself in. “Where’s my phone?” He asks.

“Why do you need your phone?” You pout. 

Hoseok shakes his head. “Sweetheart, I’m serious. I need to know what day it is today.”

“It’s Saturday.” You reply smartly. 

The alpha gets up, pausing the movie. Since neither of you have your phones on you, he navigates to the main screen of the TV. Hoseok’s face goes pale as he reads the date. “What the fuck.” Hoseok curses. “It’s only the 21st today.”

“Why does that matter?” You whine from the sofa.

Hoseok looks torn, like he wants nothing more than to pounce you right now. He digs his teeth into his bottom lip, as if using pain to ground himself. “Sweetheart, you need to listen to me.” He says, crouching in front of the sofa. You sit up slowly, frowning down at him. The alpha’s pupils are blown wide with desire, his breaths still heavy. But despite it all, Jung Hoseok is a man of self-control. He cups your face gently. “I need you to go upstairs and wake Namjoon. Tell him I’m going into rut early and that I need supplies. I’ll be in the basement.”

Hoseok stands up. Before he can walk away, you grab his arm, guiding one hand back to your face. “Can’t I go with you?” You ask, peering up at him.

Hoseok clenches his jaw so tightly that a muscle in his cheek quivers. “Absolutely not.” His tone is firm and no-nonsense, a complete contrast to the lover of only a few minutes ago. “I know you’re worked up, sweet girl. But no means no. If you want, ask one of the others to take care of you. We can’t.”

You’re upset to watch him go. There it is again, the same excuse Yoongi gave you last night. “But…aren’t I your omega?” You whisper. Hoseok freezes in the doorway, then squeezes his eyes shut tightly. “Can’t I take care of you?”

“I said no, Y/N.” Hoseok says more loudly now. You can see beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he tries to regain composure. Then, despite his better judgement, the alpha looks at your small, dejected form on the sofa. 

“But—”

“Please—” Hoseok says loudly, cutting you off. You startle. The alpha tips his head back, revealing thick veins sticking out in the side of his neck. The sight alone makes you leak slick. “Please don’t argue with me, baby. I can’t control myself forever. You need to leave me before I want you even more.”

“But I want it…” You say quietly. 

Hoseok curses under his breath, then charges at you. He almost knocks you over with the force of his embrace, strong arms wrapping around you. You gasp as the alpha holds your face in one hand, the other tight around your waist to press your bellies together. He peppers kisses all over your face and neck, including your bite. “I know, I know.” He repeats the words like a prayer. “And you’d be so perfect for me, my beautiful omega. But we can’t. I’m too rough when I’m in rut and I only think about what I want. You’re already sick. I…I could hurt you.” 

You know Hoseok is being logical, but your heart aches at the thought of him all alone in rut. “But what about you? Won’t you be in pain?”

Hoseok frowns deeply. “It won’t be easy. Now that we have you, my wolf will constantly crave you. I can handle pain, but I’d never forgive myself if I demanded too much from you and your weakened body.” He says, caressing your hair. Then, he lets you go a second time. “Be a good omega, hmm? Listen to Alpha.”

Hoseok pulls you to your feet, caressing your hair again. “I’m going to go to the basement and lock myself in. You go wake Head Alpha. Then ask Seokjin-hyung to take care of you right now. Okay? He’ll make sure you’re safe, he won’t let you get hurt.”

With a deep, shuddering breath, the alpha turns away from you a second time. But this time, there is someone else standing in the doorway. “What the fuck did you just say?” Namjoon snaps.

You flinch at the angry look on Namjoon’s face. “What is all of this about being sick and getting hurt?”

Hoseok visibly pales. “Namjoon-ah, I—”

“BASEMENT, NOW!” Namjoon roars, making both of you flinch. Immediately, Hoseok bows his head and leaves the study, headed for the basement. The difference between Namjoon’s usual polite, thoughtful voice and his Head Alpha voice is like night and day. There is no room for argument, only an order to submit.

Namjoon follows Hoseok, as if making sure the alpha is actually going where he told him to. A few minutes pass. You hear the basement door close. The Head Alpha returns alone. 

“Come with me.” The head alpha orders, grabbing you by the wrist. 

Your blood runs cold. “W-Where are we going?”

You dare to meet the head alpha’s eyes. They are dragon-like now and brimming with fury. You’ve seen Namjoon’s anger, but never like this. Instead of answering you, Namjoon goes down the connecting hallway and stands at the base of the stairs leading up to the second floor. “PACK MEETING, NOW!” He bellows.

You shudder in anticipation. 

Before you know it, you fall asleep between Namjoon and Jungkook on the sofa. You wake up the following morning in your own bed, wrapped in the alphas’ scents and a blanket that smells like Hoseok.

Since it’s a weekend, you decide to get up slowly. You scroll on your phone for a while, still snuggled into the sweet citrusy smell of Hoseok. You sigh in relief, wrapping the item around you tighter. You don’t know why, but the scent smells practically divine this morning.

Even when your belly begins to rumble with hunger, you hesitate to leave the throw blanket behind. Feeling kind of childish, you leave the item wrapped around your shoulders as you brush your teeth. It just feels right.

You yawn as you walk through the halls, headed for the kitchen. Your heart does a little leap in anticipation of the alphas’ voices, but to your dismay, the kitchen is empty. Pouting, you fix yourself a quick breakfast. Maybe they’re out Christmas shopping? You hypothesize, since November is almost over. You smile into your bowl of cereal at the thought of decorating a Christmas tree and opening gifts with the pack. My first Christmas with them…

You reminisce on the sweet moments you’ve had with the pack lately, along with how good you’ve felt. Your body hasn’t given any signs of heat, but the frequent affection has eased your symptoms by a lot. It feels so right.

You stroll through the house, thinking of watching some Netflix. You gaze through the big windows in the hall you walk through, sighing at the lack of snow outside. It would be nice to have some snow soon to get into the season’s spirit, but maybe some classic movies and hot chocolate would work, too. You enter the living room, finding the remote for the giant TV easily. Still, you hesitate. You glance at the spiral staircase down the hall, leading towards the alphas’ bedrooms. You don’t want to disturb anyone, especially the night owls of the pack.

Then, you recall the much smaller TV in the sitting-room-slash-study. Since the room is tucked away, it shouldn’t bother anyone. Plus, you could use the fireplace there, too. So you retreat down the opposite hallway, until you get to the study. You take a breath as you step through the French double doors. You still remember the first time you came here on the day of the welcome ceremony. Even though it was a matter of only months ago, you feel completely different now. Then, you were so scared. Now…well, you’re still scared but comfortable enough to seek this place out willingly. 

You’re browsing through Netflix’s endless catalog of holiday movies when you hear quick footsteps going up and down the stairs down the hall. You sit up straighter, unwrapping yourself from the blanket. You’ve seen the entire house by now, except for a few of the bedrooms and whatever is in the basement. Since no one has mentioned those places to you, you’ve kept your curiosity to yourself out of courtesy. But surely, it’s rude to ignore one of the men if they’re awake? And surely, if you get a peek of that area of the house while saying good morning, it’s no biggie? Right?

Unfortunately for you, you only make it around the corner before a strong figure smacks right into you.

You gasp, grabbing blindly. Someone curses, wrapping his arms around you tightly. “Shit, are you okay?” Hoseok asks, strong arms helping to steady you. The alpha’s wide, earnest eyes peer down at you. It’s only then that you notice the alpha is scantily clothed in a muscle tank that shows off his strong arms, wet hair, and still damp skin like someone fresh out of the shower.

You blush. “I, yeah. I heard someone was down here, so I thought I’d come say good morning.” You say, peering around Hoseok. The flight of stairs behind him leads to a closed door. How uneventful.

“Oh. Was I being loud?” Hoseok asks. You shake your head meekly. The alpha blinks at you for a second, then realises he’s still holding you tightly.  Hoseok clears his throat. He lets go, taking a step back. “You’re up early, did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, I did.” You reply, then eye the alpha’s muscle tank and grey sweats. “Did you just get home from the gym?” You ask innocently, wondering if that would give you more of an answer for what lies in the basement.

Being as gullible as he is, Hoseok smiles right away. “Kinda? We have a gym in the basement, along with a couple other things.”

“Oh, that’s cool.” You lie, more interested in the thought of shirtless alphas working out than anything. “Like what?” You press.

Hoseok’s eyes sparkle in delight. “Free weights, machines, you name it. We all love working out. Do you wanna see?”

You have to hold back a grin of satisfaction. “Sure!”

The alpha leads you down to the basement, which is frankly a very humble word for the sprawling room before you. There’s a sitting room in the centre with sofas, a TV, and a kitchenette with a fridge, sink, and a giant tin of protein powder on the counter. It is very…bachelor-esque.

The sitting room splits off in two directions. To the left, there’s a set of glass double doors. To the right, one simple wooden door. Hoseok, of course, leads you through the glass double doors into the gym. You’re amazed at the sheer size of the room, covered with dozens of neatly organized exercise machines, weights, and seven pairs of workout shoes set in the corner. You look at your own amazed face in the furthest wall, which is covered in a big mirror, likely for lifting weights in front of. 

“Do you like it?” Hoseok asks genuinely. “If you do, feel free to come down here, too. It’s okay if you don’t want to lift weights, we’ve got a treadmill and an elliptical and some workout bikes, too, see?”

You nod noncommittally, already interested in leaving. You half-listen to Hoseok’s spiel about his favourite brand of equipment, steering him back out of the gym. “Oh, games.” You notice a stack of familiar board games, cards, and a PS5 near the TV.

“Yeah, this is where we usually game in the evenings. Either that or in our own rooms with headsets on, since some of us have our own gaming computers.” Hoseok says. Then, he adds with a fond smile: “I’m not much of a gamer, but the maknaes could probably talk your ears off about it. Or Nini, who is honestly an honorary maknae line member.”

Your blush deepens. “How did you know I call him Nini?”

Hoseok laughs, ruffling your hair. “Because he told me, of course. You should know by now that hyung never misses an opportunity to brag about you.”

Face now completely hot, you turn away from the alpha. “Yeah, right. All he does is bug me.” You grumble. Then, you walk over to the other door. “What’s in here?”

Hoseok leaps into action, all but pouncing you before you can reach for the handle. “J-Just a bathroom.” He says, wrapping an arm around your shoulders to steer you back towards the stairs. You frown at the abrupt change in his behaviour. “You haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you? I’ll make you something.” The alpha says, guiding you back up the stairs. Before you can protest, the alpha shuts the door to the basement and ushers you back up to the main floor.

Once in the kitchen, Hoseok seems to realize something. “You smell like me.” He notes. 

“Yeah, I was wearing your blanket earlier.” You reply shyly.

The alpha coos at you. “Is that right?” He asks, reaching for your nape and scratching at it. Hoseok’s large, veiny hand at the base of your neck makes you hum in satisfaction, especially when his thumb reaches up to rub at your bite. 

Smiling at your shyness, Hoseok heads to the fridge and pulls out some eggs, leftover rice, and kimchi. You hover around the alpha as he washes his hands and prepares a pan with oil. “You can cook?” You ask.

Hoseok chuckles at your proximity. You realize you’re unconsciously trying to get a whiff of the alpha’s scent and go to take a step back. But the alpha reaches for your arm, pulling you in between his legs as he cooks. “Just simple things like eggs and rice. It’s good to know how to whip up a few things when you’re hungry, right?”

Within minutes, Hoseok expertly makes a plateful of egg rolls. Then, he hands the container of rice to you. “Could you heat that up for me, sweetheart?”

Nodding, you step away from him to complete the task. While you wait for the rice to warm up in the microwave, Hoseok lays out dishes and cutlery for two on the island. You return with the warmed up rice and rest it on the island, sliding into one of the bar stools. 

The alpha takes a bite of the egg rolls and rice, nodding in satisfaction. Then, he blows on the second roll and holds it out to you. “I actually already had some cereal, I’m not that hungry.” You admit sheepishly. “You can have it all.”

Hoseok isn’t convinced. “You need to eat properly if you’re going to get better. Cereal won’t keep you full for as long as a home-cooked meal.” He scolds, insisting on feeding you. The meal goes by quietly, with the alpha doting on you and feeding himself in between. Afterwards, Hoseok puts all the dishes in the sink and returns to you. Observing your face, he adds: “You look better lately. Are your pain and nausea under control now?”

“They are.” You answer honestly, enjoying his doting. 

“Good.” Hoseok notes in satisfaction. “You’ll tell me or Seokjin-hyung if anything happens, right?”

“Yes.” You reply. As you two leave the kitchen, you turn back. “I’ve been meaning to ask, does the pack celebrate Christmas? It’s already almost the end of November.”

Hoseok gives you a grin. “We do, but not until after December 4th, which is Seokjin-hyung’s birthday. We like for him to have his own special day before we start holiday festivities. And of course, he likes it that way, too. Why do you ask?”

“I love the holidays, they’re so cosy. Y’know, the decorations, the parties, and the movies. I love it all.” You smile. 

Hoseok follows you into the study, sitting down beside you as you show him the list of holiday movies you were considering watching. The two of you settle on Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, a classic you discover Hoseok loves, too. You pull your legs up onto the sofa, curling up under the throw blanket to get comfy. The alpha sends you a look that makes you pout. “What?” 

“Won’t you share with me?” He asks, eyes beginning to darken.

You swallow, then slide into Hoseok’s arms. The alpha tucks in the throw blanket—his blanket—around you, wrapping you in a cloud of delicious citrus. You rest your head in the crook of the alpha’s neck and take a deep breath. There’s no denying it: Hoseok does smell different today. Regardless of the reason, you’re on cloud nine.

The two of you make it exactly ten minutes into cuddling when things begin to go sideways. In your defence, it’s Hoseok’s fault for putting his big, veiny hand at your nape again and rubbing circles into your skin with his thumb. His action prompts you to rub your face into his collarbone, then further up to his neck. Both of you pretend it’s innocent until your nose brushes Hoseok’s scent glands. Then, it’s game over.

Movie be damned, you flip over onto your tummy so your chests collide. You wrap your arms around the alpha’s neck and immediately give him access to your bite. Hoseok growls at your submission. He begins to lick and bite at your skin, sending shivers through your body.

Then, with more strength than you knew the alpha to have, Hoseok grabs your hips and pulls them up so your legs wrap around his middle. You groan at his strong hands kneading your hips, pinning you to him. “Smells so good.” You murmur, digging your hands in the alpha’s hair. 

“Yeah?” The alpha asks, pulling you in for a white-hot kiss that sets every nerve in your body on fire. It’s messy, passionate, and you can hardly get your own soft sounds out in between. 

In the blink of an eye, the throw blanket is discarded on the floor and you’re pressed down onto the cool leather of the sofa. Hoseok’s hands find your wrists, pinning them on either side of your face as he continues to kiss you. You can feel slick beginning to gather in your panties already, head spinning with the ever-strengthening smell of citrus. 

You spread your legs to give the alpha room to lay between them, and the movement allows Hoseok to catch a whiff of your slick. He growls, grinding down onto you. You shudder at his half-hard knot, already so big through the layers of clothes between you. You feel your wolf beginning to take over, ready to accept what your alpha has to give you.

“H-Hobi—” You begin desperately.

Suddenly, Hoseok sits back on his heels. “Wait, what day is it today?” He asks breathlessly. You look up at him, still mesmerized. It could be July 55th of the year 3000 for all you care right now. The alpha wipes his own saliva from your bottom lip and tries to reel himself in. “Where’s my phone?” He asks.

“Why do you need your phone?” You pout. 

Hoseok shakes his head. “Sweetheart, I’m serious. I need to know what day it is today.”

“It’s Saturday.” You reply smartly. 

The alpha gets up, pausing the movie. Since neither of you have your phones on you, he navigates to the main screen of the TV. Hoseok’s face goes pale as he reads the date. “What the fuck.” Hoseok curses. “It’s only the 21st today.”

“Why does that matter?” You whine from the sofa.

Hoseok looks torn, like he wants nothing more than to pounce you right now. He digs his teeth into his bottom lip, as if using pain to ground himself. “Sweetheart, you need to listen to me.” He says, crouching in front of the sofa. You sit up slowly, frowning down at him. The alpha’s pupils are blown wide with desire, his breaths still heavy. But despite it all, Jung Hoseok is a man of self-control. He cups your face gently. “I need you to go upstairs and wake Namjoon. Tell him I’m going into rut early and that I need supplies. I’ll be in the basement.”

Hoseok stands up. Before he can walk away, you grab his arm, guiding one hand back to your face. “Can’t I go with you?” You ask, peering up at him.

Hoseok clenches his jaw so tightly that a muscle in his cheek quivers. “Absolutely not.” His tone is firm and no-nonsense, a complete contrast to the lover of only a few minutes ago. “I know you’re worked up, sweet girl. But no means no. If you want, ask one of the others to take care of you. We can’t.”

You’re upset to watch him go. There it is again, the same excuse Yoongi gave you last night. “But…aren’t I your omega?” You whisper. Hoseok freezes in the doorway, then squeezes his eyes shut tightly. “Can’t I take care of you?”

“I said no, Y/N.” Hoseok says more loudly now. You can see beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he tries to regain composure. Then, despite his better judgement, the alpha looks at your small, dejected form on the sofa. 

“But—”

“Please—” Hoseok says loudly, cutting you off. You startle. The alpha tips his head back, revealing thick veins sticking out in the side of his neck. The sight alone makes you leak slick. “Please don’t argue with me, baby. I can’t control myself forever. You need to leave me before I want you even more.”

“But I want it…” You say quietly. 

Hoseok curses under his breath, then charges at you. He almost knocks you over with the force of his embrace, strong arms wrapping around you. You gasp as the alpha holds your face in one hand, the other tight around your waist to press your bellies together. He peppers kisses all over your face and neck, including your bite. “I know, I know.” He repeats the words like a prayer. “And you’d be so perfect for me, my beautiful omega. But we can’t. I’m too rough when I’m in rut and I only think about what I want. You’re already sick. I…I could hurt you.” 

You know Hoseok is being logical, but your heart aches at the thought of him all alone in rut. “But what about you? Won’t you be in pain?”

Hoseok frowns deeply. “It won’t be easy. Now that we have you, my wolf will constantly crave you. I can handle pain, but I’d never forgive myself if I demanded too much from you and your weakened body.” He says, caressing your hair. Then, he lets you go a second time. “Be a good omega, hmm? Listen to Alpha.”

Hoseok pulls you to your feet, caressing your hair again. “I’m going to go to the basement and lock myself in. You go wake Head Alpha. Then ask Seokjin-hyung to take care of you right now. Okay? He’ll make sure you’re safe, he won’t let you get hurt.”

With a deep, shuddering breath, the alpha turns away from you a second time. But this time, there is someone else standing in the doorway. “What the fuck did you just say?” Namjoon snaps.

You flinch at the angry look on Namjoon’s face. “What is all of this about being sick and getting hurt?”

Hoseok visibly pales. “Namjoon-ah, I—”

“BASEMENT, NOW!” Namjoon roars, making both of you flinch. Immediately, Hoseok bows his head and leaves the study, headed for the basement. The difference between Namjoon’s usual polite, thoughtful voice and his Head Alpha voice is like night and day. There is no room for argument, only an order to submit.

Namjoon follows Hoseok, as if making sure the alpha is actually going where he told him to. A few minutes pass. You hear the basement door close. The Head Alpha returns alone. 

“Come with me.” The head alpha orders, grabbing you by the wrist. 

Your blood runs cold. “W-Where are we going?”

You dare to meet the head alpha’s eyes. They are dragon-like now and brimming with fury. You’ve seen Namjoon’s anger, but never like this. Instead of answering you, Namjoon goes down the connecting hallway and stands at the base of the stairs leading up to the second floor. “PACK MEETING, NOW!” He bellows.

You shudder in anticipation. 

Before you know it, you fall asleep between Namjoon and Jungkook on the sofa. You wake up the following morning in your own bed, wrapped in the alphas’ scents and a blanket that smells like Hoseok.

Since it’s a weekend, you decide to get up slowly. You scroll on your phone for a while, still snuggled into the sweet citrusy smell of Hoseok. You sigh in relief, wrapping the item around you tighter. You don’t know why, but the scent smells practically divine this morning.

Even when your belly begins to rumble with hunger, you hesitate to leave the throw blanket behind. Feeling kind of childish, you leave the item wrapped around your shoulders as you brush your teeth. It just feels right.

You yawn as you walk through the halls, headed for the kitchen. Your heart does a little leap in anticipation of the alphas’ voices, but to your dismay, the kitchen is empty. Pouting, you fix yourself a quick breakfast. Maybe they’re out Christmas shopping? You hypothesize, since November is almost over. You smile into your bowl of cereal at the thought of decorating a Christmas tree and opening gifts with the pack. My first Christmas with them…

You reminisce on the sweet moments you’ve had with the pack lately, along with how good you’ve felt. Your body hasn’t given any signs of heat, but the frequent affection has eased your symptoms by a lot. It feels so right.

You stroll through the house, thinking of watching some Netflix. You gaze through the big windows in the hall you walk through, sighing at the lack of snow outside. It would be nice to have some snow soon to get into the season’s spirit, but maybe some classic movies and hot chocolate would work, too. You enter the living room, finding the remote for the giant TV easily. Still, you hesitate. You glance at the spiral staircase down the hall, leading towards the alphas’ bedrooms. You don’t want to disturb anyone, especially the night owls of the pack.

Then, you recall the much smaller TV in the sitting-room-slash-study. Since the room is tucked away, it shouldn’t bother anyone. Plus, you could use the fireplace there, too. So you retreat down the opposite hallway, until you get to the study. You take a breath as you step through the French double doors. You still remember the first time you came here on the day of the welcome ceremony. Even though it was a matter of only months ago, you feel completely different now. Then, you were so scared. Now…well, you’re still scared but comfortable enough to seek this place out willingly. 

You’re browsing through Netflix’s endless catalog of holiday movies when you hear quick footsteps going up and down the stairs down the hall. You sit up straighter, unwrapping yourself from the blanket. You’ve seen the entire house by now, except for a few of the bedrooms and whatever is in the basement. Since no one has mentioned those places to you, you’ve kept your curiosity to yourself out of courtesy. But surely, it’s rude to ignore one of the men if they’re awake? And surely, if you get a peek of that area of the house while saying good morning, it’s no biggie? Right?

Unfortunately for you, you only make it around the corner before a strong figure smacks right into you.

You gasp, grabbing blindly. Someone curses, wrapping his arms around you tightly. “Shit, are you okay?” Hoseok asks, strong arms helping to steady you. The alpha’s wide, earnest eyes peer down at you. It’s only then that you notice the alpha is scantily clothed in a muscle tank that shows off his strong arms, wet hair, and still damp skin like someone fresh out of the shower.

You blush. “I, yeah. I heard someone was down here, so I thought I’d come say good morning.” You say, peering around Hoseok. The flight of stairs behind him leads to a closed door. How uneventful.

“Oh. Was I being loud?” Hoseok asks. You shake your head meekly. The alpha blinks at you for a second, then realises he’s still holding you tightly.  Hoseok clears his throat. He lets go, taking a step back. “You’re up early, did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, I did.” You reply, then eye the alpha’s muscle tank and grey sweats. “Did you just get home from the gym?” You ask innocently, wondering if that would give you more of an answer for what lies in the basement.

Being as gullible as he is, Hoseok smiles right away. “Kinda? We have a gym in the basement, along with a couple other things.”

“Oh, that’s cool.” You lie, more interested in the thought of shirtless alphas working out than anything. “Like what?” You press.

Hoseok’s eyes sparkle in delight. “Free weights, machines, you name it. We all love working out. Do you wanna see?”

You have to hold back a grin of satisfaction. “Sure!”

The alpha leads you down to the basement, which is frankly a very humble word for the sprawling room before you. There’s a sitting room in the centre with sofas, a TV, and a kitchenette with a fridge, sink, and a giant tin of protein powder on the counter. It is very…bachelor-esque.

The sitting room splits off in two directions. To the left, there’s a set of glass double doors. To the right, one simple wooden door. Hoseok, of course, leads you through the glass double doors into the gym. You’re amazed at the sheer size of the room, covered with dozens of neatly organized exercise machines, weights, and seven pairs of workout shoes set in the corner. You look at your own amazed face in the furthest wall, which is covered in a big mirror, likely for lifting weights in front of. 

“Do you like it?” Hoseok asks genuinely. “If you do, feel free to come down here, too. It’s okay if you don’t want to lift weights, we’ve got a treadmill and an elliptical and some workout bikes, too, see?”

You nod noncommittally, already interested in leaving. You half-listen to Hoseok’s spiel about his favourite brand of equipment, steering him back out of the gym. “Oh, games.” You notice a stack of familiar board games, cards, and a PS5 near the TV.

“Yeah, this is where we usually game in the evenings. Either that or in our own rooms with headsets on, since some of us have our own gaming computers.” Hoseok says. Then, he adds with a fond smile: “I’m not much of a gamer, but the maknaes could probably talk your ears off about it. Or Nini, who is honestly an honorary maknae line member.”

Your blush deepens. “How did you know I call him Nini?”

Hoseok laughs, ruffling your hair. “Because he told me, of course. You should know by now that hyung never misses an opportunity to brag about you.”

Face now completely hot, you turn away from the alpha. “Yeah, right. All he does is bug me.” You grumble. Then, you walk over to the other door. “What’s in here?”

Hoseok leaps into action, all but pouncing you before you can reach for the handle. “J-Just a bathroom.” He says, wrapping an arm around your shoulders to steer you back towards the stairs. You frown at the abrupt change in his behaviour. “You haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you? I’ll make you something.” The alpha says, guiding you back up the stairs. Before you can protest, the alpha shuts the door to the basement and ushers you back up to the main floor.

Once in the kitchen, Hoseok seems to realize something. “You smell like me.” He notes. 

“Yeah, I was wearing your blanket earlier.” You reply shyly.

The alpha coos at you. “Is that right?” He asks, reaching for your nape and scratching at it. Hoseok’s large, veiny hand at the base of your neck makes you hum in satisfaction, especially when his thumb reaches up to rub at your bite. 

Smiling at your shyness, Hoseok heads to the fridge and pulls out some eggs, leftover rice, and kimchi. You hover around the alpha as he washes his hands and prepares a pan with oil. “You can cook?” You ask.

Hoseok chuckles at your proximity. You realize you’re unconsciously trying to get a whiff of the alpha’s scent and go to take a step back. But the alpha reaches for your arm, pulling you in between his legs as he cooks. “Just simple things like eggs and rice. It’s good to know how to whip up a few things when you’re hungry, right?”

Within minutes, Hoseok expertly makes a plateful of egg rolls. Then, he hands the container of rice to you. “Could you heat that up for me, sweetheart?”

Nodding, you step away from him to complete the task. While you wait for the rice to warm up in the microwave, Hoseok lays out dishes and cutlery for two on the island. You return with the warmed up rice and rest it on the island, sliding into one of the bar stools. 

The alpha takes a bite of the egg rolls and rice, nodding in satisfaction. Then, he blows on the second roll and holds it out to you. “I actually already had some cereal, I’m not that hungry.” You admit sheepishly. “You can have it all.”

Hoseok isn’t convinced. “You need to eat properly if you’re going to get better. Cereal won’t keep you full for as long as a home-cooked meal.” He scolds, insisting on feeding you. The meal goes by quietly, with the alpha doting on you and feeding himself in between. Afterwards, Hoseok puts all the dishes in the sink and returns to you. Observing your face, he adds: “You look better lately. Are your pain and nausea under control now?”

“They are.” You answer honestly, enjoying his doting. 

“Good.” Hoseok notes in satisfaction. “You’ll tell me or Seokjin-hyung if anything happens, right?”

“Yes.” You reply. As you two leave the kitchen, you turn back. “I’ve been meaning to ask, does the pack celebrate Christmas? It’s already almost the end of November.”

Hoseok gives you a grin. “We do, but not until after December 4th, which is Seokjin-hyung’s birthday. We like for him to have his own special day before we start holiday festivities. And of course, he likes it that way, too. Why do you ask?”

“I love the holidays, they’re so cosy. Y’know, the decorations, the parties, and the movies. I love it all.” You smile. 

Hoseok follows you into the study, sitting down beside you as you show him the list of holiday movies you were considering watching. The two of you settle on Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, a classic you discover Hoseok loves, too. You pull your legs up onto the sofa, curling up under the throw blanket to get comfy. The alpha sends you a look that makes you pout. “What?” 

“Won’t you share with me?” He asks, eyes beginning to darken.

You swallow, then slide into Hoseok’s arms. The alpha tucks in the throw blanket—his blanket—around you, wrapping you in a cloud of delicious citrus. You rest your head in the crook of the alpha’s neck and take a deep breath. There’s no denying it: Hoseok does smell different today. Regardless of the reason, you’re on cloud nine.

The two of you make it exactly ten minutes into cuddling when things begin to go sideways. In your defence, it’s Hoseok’s fault for putting his big, veiny hand at your nape again and rubbing circles into your skin with his thumb. His action prompts you to rub your face into his collarbone, then further up to his neck. Both of you pretend it’s innocent until your nose brushes Hoseok’s scent glands. Then, it’s game over.

Movie be damned, you flip over onto your tummy so your chests collide. You wrap your arms around the alpha’s neck and immediately give him access to your bite. Hoseok growls at your submission. He begins to lick and bite at your skin, sending shivers through your body.

Then, with more strength than you knew the alpha to have, Hoseok grabs your hips and pulls them up so your legs wrap around his middle. You groan at his strong hands kneading your hips, pinning you to him. “Smells so good.” You murmur, digging your hands in the alpha’s hair. 

“Yeah?” The alpha asks, pulling you in for a white-hot kiss that sets every nerve in your body on fire. It’s messy, passionate, and you can hardly get your own soft sounds out in between. 

In the blink of an eye, the throw blanket is discarded on the floor and you’re pressed down onto the cool leather of the sofa. Hoseok’s hands find your wrists, pinning them on either side of your face as he continues to kiss you. You can feel slick beginning to gather in your panties already, head spinning with the ever-strengthening smell of citrus. 

You spread your legs to give the alpha room to lay between them, and the movement allows Hoseok to catch a whiff of your slick. He growls, grinding down onto you. You shudder at his half-hard knot, already so big through the layers of clothes between you. You feel your wolf beginning to take over, ready to accept what your alpha has to give you.

“H-Hobi—” You begin desperately.

Suddenly, Hoseok sits back on his heels. “Wait, what day is it today?” He asks breathlessly. You look up at him, still mesmerized. It could be July 55th of the year 3000 for all you care right now. The alpha wipes his own saliva from your bottom lip and tries to reel himself in. “Where’s my phone?” He asks.

“Why do you need your phone?” You pout. 

Hoseok shakes his head. “Sweetheart, I’m serious. I need to know what day it is today.”

“It’s Saturday.” You reply smartly. 

The alpha gets up, pausing the movie. Since neither of you have your phones on you, he navigates to the main screen of the TV. Hoseok’s face goes pale as he reads the date. “What the fuck.” Hoseok curses. “It’s only the 21st today.”

“Why does that matter?” You whine from the sofa.

Hoseok looks torn, like he wants nothing more than to pounce you right now. He digs his teeth into his bottom lip, as if using pain to ground himself. “Sweetheart, you need to listen to me.” He says, crouching in front of the sofa. You sit up slowly, frowning down at him. The alpha’s pupils are blown wide with desire, his breaths still heavy. But despite it all, Jung Hoseok is a man of self-control. He cups your face gently. “I need you to go upstairs and wake Namjoon. Tell him I’m going into rut early and that I need supplies. I’ll be in the basement.”

Hoseok stands up. Before he can walk away, you grab his arm, guiding one hand back to your face. “Can’t I go with you?” You ask, peering up at him.

Hoseok clenches his jaw so tightly that a muscle in his cheek quivers. “Absolutely not.” His tone is firm and no-nonsense, a complete contrast to the lover of only a few minutes ago. “I know you’re worked up, sweet girl. But no means no. If you want, ask one of the others to take care of you. We can’t.”

You’re upset to watch him go. There it is again, the same excuse Yoongi gave you last night. “But…aren’t I your omega?” You whisper. Hoseok freezes in the doorway, then squeezes his eyes shut tightly. “Can’t I take care of you?”

“I said no, Y/N.” Hoseok says more loudly now. You can see beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he tries to regain composure. Then, despite his better judgement, the alpha looks at your small, dejected form on the sofa. 

“But—”

“Please—” Hoseok says loudly, cutting you off. You startle. The alpha tips his head back, revealing thick veins sticking out in the side of his neck. The sight alone makes you leak slick. “Please don’t argue with me, baby. I can’t control myself forever. You need to leave me before I want you even more.”

“But I want it…” You say quietly. 

Hoseok curses under his breath, then charges at you. He almost knocks you over with the force of his embrace, strong arms wrapping around you. You gasp as the alpha holds your face in one hand, the other tight around your waist to press your bellies together. He peppers kisses all over your face and neck, including your bite. “I know, I know.” He repeats the words like a prayer. “And you’d be so perfect for me, my beautiful omega. But we can’t. I’m too rough when I’m in rut and I only think about what I want. You’re already sick. I…I could hurt you.” 

You know Hoseok is being logical, but your heart aches at the thought of him all alone in rut. “But what about you? Won’t you be in pain?”

Hoseok frowns deeply. “It won’t be easy. Now that we have you, my wolf will constantly crave you. I can handle pain, but I’d never forgive myself if I demanded too much from you and your weakened body.” He says, caressing your hair. Then, he lets you go a second time. “Be a good omega, hmm? Listen to Alpha.”

Hoseok pulls you to your feet, caressing your hair again. “I’m going to go to the basement and lock myself in. You go wake Head Alpha. Then ask Seokjin-hyung to take care of you right now. Okay? He’ll make sure you’re safe, he won’t let you get hurt.”

With a deep, shuddering breath, the alpha turns away from you a second time. But this time, there is someone else standing in the doorway. “What the fuck did you just say?” Namjoon snaps.

You flinch at the angry look on Namjoon’s face. “What is all of this about being sick and getting hurt?”

Hoseok visibly pales. “Namjoon-ah, I—”

“BASEMENT, NOW!” Namjoon roars, making both of you flinch. Immediately, Hoseok bows his head and leaves the study, headed for the basement. The difference between Namjoon’s usual polite, thoughtful voice and his Head Alpha voice is like night and day. There is no room for argument, only an order to submit.

Namjoon follows Hoseok, as if making sure the alpha is actually going where he told him to. A few minutes pass. You hear the basement door close. The Head Alpha returns alone. 

“Come with me.” The head alpha orders, grabbing you by the wrist. 

Your blood runs cold. “W-Where are we going?”

You dare to meet the head alpha’s eyes. They are dragon-like now and brimming with fury. You’ve seen Namjoon’s anger, but never like this. Instead of answering you, Namjoon goes down the connecting hallway and stands at the base of the stairs leading up to the second floor. “PACK MEETING, NOW!” He bellows.

You shudder in anticipation.