Archive of Our Own

It still takes Yoongi by surprise whenever Hoseok touches him. Three months after his rut, he thinks he should be fairly used to it by now but each kiss and each touch feels like the very first one. They stay in the house with the roof mostly intact (intact where it matters) for most of those three months, Hoseok insisting that the comfort of permanence could do them some good. Yoongi just thinks he’s scared to see what lies beyond, though he can’t blame him. He’s scared, too. 

The snow from the mountains melts slowly and fills the creek, the unkempt land around the house filling with life. Hoseok wakes Yoongi early in the mornings to watch the fawns making their way through the morning dew next to their mothers and in the afternoon they nap among the newly blooming wildflowers, holding hands. 

And the rain. Yoongi has never seen so much rain. It fills the creek more than the melting snow had and sometimes Yoongi worries the water will reach the house but it always comes just short. After a particularly close incident, Hoseok is the first to suggest they move on. 

“We could go anywhere,” he whispers in Yoongi’s ear and the low tone of his voice makes a shiver race down Yoongi’s spine. Arms wrap around him from behind. 

“Anywhere but north,” Yoongi laughs.

“If I never see snow again I’ll be happy.” Yoongi can feel the words said against his neck. 

“I’ll make you happy then. Let’s continue south, I’ve heard stories that the ocean lies that way. I’ve never seen it before.” 

“Me neither,” says Hoseok, pressing a kiss behind Yoongi’s ear. He shivers again, this time more violently, accompanied by a familiar ache. “I hear it’s really cold, too much water for the sun to warm properly.”

“I’ve heard there are fish bigger than this house. Bigger than two houses.” 

Hoseok presses closer and Yoongi holds his breath when he feels Hoseok’s hard cock press against him. Outside it starts to rain again, the soft patter against the windows easing Yoongi into a sense of contented comfort. He leans his head back against Hoseok’s shoulders, watching the dark clouds roll over them.

“If you wanted me to take you to bed-”

Hoseok tenses against him. “Did you hear that?”

Yoongi’s ears strain but he can’t catch anything except the rain and the rumble of thunder in the distance. He turns in Hoseok's grip, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him closer. “There’s nothing out there, Seok-ah. Let’s just-”

But then he hears it, a soft cry. It’s not human but it definitely doesn’t belong to just any wild animal. 

Hoseok asks, “wolves?” with the same tone of voice he’d used when he told Yoongi the creek was likely to flood the house, trying to hide the panic.

 “We would have smelled them by now.” 

Hoseok steps away when that pathetic cry comes again, growing louder and turning into a full-on howl. “That’s a pup, Yoongi.” He’s out the door before anyone can stop him.

Yoongi groans. He knows that no matter what he says, Hoseok is going to go running out into that storm. The least he could do is follow after and make sure he’s safe. They’re soaked to the bone almost immediately. The house will definitely flood now without the buckets that they used to collect the rainwater. In Hoseok’s haste to find the pup, they had forgotten to set them out. 

“You know it could be a trap, right?” Yoongi shouts over the thunder. Lightning illuminates the sky for a brief second before everything is cast back into darkness. 

Hoseok is a pale creature in the stormy light. His eyes are determined and set on their goal. The cries of the pup grow louder, now with a hint of desperation. Yoongi’s stomach twists and he’s taken back to the day he found Hoseok, whimpering helplessly just like this pup. 

There’s no scent to follow. Yoongi can’t shake the feeling that they’ve been swallowed by the woods, never to find their way out again. He’s a little surprised when Hoseok quickly strips his clothes and shifts, running a few yards away, his silver wolf only a dot visible between the trees before he disappears altogether. Yoongi would follow but his fingers are stiff and there’s mud in his boots. Taking off his clothes to shift seems like the worst idea in the world when all he wants is to curl up in the hollow of a tree and wait for Hoseok. 

And then, just as suddenly as it had come, the rain stops and the world is quiet. All the animals in the forest hold their breath as if waiting to see if it will return. One brave bird begins to sing and the others quickly follow. Yoongi searches for Hoseok’s scent but there’s nothing but the smell of rain and mud and fertile earth. The vegetation is thick and lush, tangling around Yoongi’s ankles and making him trip.

“Hoseok?” he calls, trying not to let worry crawl its way up his throat. “Hoseok!” 

“Be quiet,” Hoseok hisses, somewhere from Yoongi’s left. Yoongi follows his voice to a clearing surrounded by tall grass. Hoseok is crouched in his human form, body streaked with mud. It takes Yoongi a moment to spot the pup, so dirty he had confused it at first for nothing more than a lump on the earth. It spots Yoongi over Hoseok’s shoulder and growls, taking a few steps back.

“He won’t hurt you,” Hoseok whispers to the pup, trying to draw him back out from the grass. Yoongi goes to kneel next to Hoseok, taking in the pup's skinny form. It had been at least a few days since he had last eaten. Yoongi can see the hunger in his eyes, overpowered by the survival instinct that flowed so deeply through all of them. “This is my Yoongi hyung. He’s nice sometimes and I promise he won’t bite.”

“Why sometimes?” Yoongi whispers, bumping his shoulder against Hoseok’s and feeling slightly offended. 

Hoseok holds his hand out and after a second longer of hesitation the pup takes a step forward. His skin ripples, too young to have proper control over his wolf and for a second, Yoongi can see bits of his human form. Only a boy. 

The pup nudges it’s nose against Hoseok’s hand; that’s all it takes. It follows them all the way back to the house, still distrustful of Yoongi and keeping close to Hoseok. Yoongi, meanwhile, can’t stop wondering what the fuck they’re going to do now. He considers telling Hoseok they can’t keep the pup but this isn’t a random dog they’re talking about. The pup is soaked to the bone and skinny and in need of a warm bed for the night. 

“We can figure it out tomorrow,” Hoseok whispers once they’re back in the house. He’d drawn the pup a bath after gently coaxing him into his human form. “He still won’t say much but I managed to get a name out of him. Jungkook. It’s a start.”

Most of the house had flooded just as Yoongi had expected, the only rooms spared being the bathroom and the living room where they had spent the last months of winter sleeping in front of the fireplace. There’s a silent acknowledgement between them, a realization that they would have to move on sooner than expected. The wet smell is already setting in and would only be tolerable a little while longer. 

Hoseok tends to the pup while Yoongi prepares dinner, once again finding himself dishing out an extra serving for someone unexpected. Things are a lot better now than they had been back then, however. The food is plentiful in spring and despite all the warnings the wastelands were not the hell either of them had been expecting. None of them have grown any extra eyes or limbs, there is no sickness. What else have they been lied to about?

Hoseok delivers new bits of information every now and again. Jungkook is sixteen and has yet to present, though after just five minutes of talking Hoseok declares that he will grow up to be a strong alpha, making the young pup blush. It takes a bit more coaxing over a shared meal of smoked venison for them to find out what became of Jungkook’s pack.

“We were headed west,” the boy says, his eyes reflecting the fire that had been lit more for light than warmth. 

“Why west?” Yoongi asks and Jungkook looks at him like he’s stupid. 

“All the animals head west in the spring, so we follow them. Better feeding grounds for everyone.”

“We’ve never been out here,” says Yoongi, “it’s all new. Your pack has been doing this for a long time?”

Jungkook nods. “We have ancestral migration routes. I know them better than the back of my hand but this time I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Hoseok soothes a hand down his back and Jungkook’s mind slowly realigns itself.

“What happened?”

“I wasn’t where I was supposed to be,” says Jungkook softly, “I snuck away with my friends cos Taetae just wanted to show us something and- and that’s when a pair of rogues attacked and separated me from the rest of them. I managed to get away but the whole thing left me so disoriented I couldn’t find my way back, there was no familiar scent. There was nothing.”

Hoseok moves closer to him, taking the empty bowl and passing it to Yoongi. He wraps his arm carefully around Jungkook’s shoulders and then holds him for a moment. Yoongi knows firsthand how comforting Hoseok’s scent can be so he doesn’t fault the pup for immediately relaxing into the touch. 

“We had a plan in place. If one of us got lost we’d just follow the river.”

“You’re very far from the river,” says Hoseok. He looks over his shoulder and shares a brief glance with Yoongi. “We’ll help you find your pack, okay? You’ll be home in no time.”

Yoongi doesn’t like to make false promises but he thinks this is one he could keep.

They let Jungkook pick where he’d sleep, off in a dark corner, curled up on the furs they’d given him. A few flickering flames are what remain of the fire. Soon, Yoongi will have to add more kindling but for now he lays in the warm circle of Hoseok’s arms, listening to the pup’s steady breathing. 

“This is a very sudden turn of events,” Yoongi whispers. 

“I’m sorry, should we have talked about it more? I know we wanted to go south but-”

“No, no,” Yoongi soothes him, “it’s okay, I want to help him, too. Kid deserves to see his family again. It’s just a little… unexpected, that’s all.”

“I know what you mean. Aren’t you glad I went out there now?”

“No.” Yoongi flicks Hoseok’s forehead. “You’re reckless and are going to give me a heart attack one day.”

Hoseok laughs and presses himself closer, fingers finding the soft hairs at the nape of Yoongi’s neck. “Were you worried about me?” 

Yoongi nods.

“I guess you kind of do like me, huh?”

Yoongi is thankful Hoseok can’t see him blush in the dying light of the fire. “Kind of. Just a little.”

Hoseok moves a bit closer, so Yoongi can feel the entirety of his body pressed against him. It hadn’t taken long for him to realize how insatiable Hoseok can be, always needing to be touched or kissed or paid attention to.

“We don’t exactly have a lot of privacy,” Yoongi whispers, feeling Hoseok’s cold fingertips sneak along his ribcage and knowing instantly what he desires. The flame flickers and dies as Yoongi kisses him tenderly, casting the room in darkness. 

“Outside,” says Hoseok as he breaks away from the kiss. “Now.” 

It’s a labor to be quiet. Yoongi keeps a careful ear on Jungkook's breathing, making sure it keeps its deep, even rhythm as they scurry outside, leaving the front door open so any noise can be easily heard. He presses Hoseok against the rough bark of a nearby oak, hungrily kissing his neck and claiming his lips, continuing what had been interrupted earlier that day. He feels famished and can’t quite find where to place his hands, wanting to feel all of Hoseok but finding too much skin in need of attention. 

‘Hurry,” Hoseok pants, arching his neck as Yoongi nips at his scent gland and leaves a lingering kiss there. He’s hard and aching and Yoongi can just smell his desperation. They both freeze, however, when they hear the soft cry come from inside the house. 

“No,” Yoongi groans, resting his forehead on Hoseok’s shoulder, feeling more than hearing him laugh. 

“He must be having a nightmare.”

Hoseok leads him back inside by the hand and heads straight for Jungkook, sitting up in the darkness with his furs pooled around his waist. It hits Yoongi then just how young the kid is, sixteen and separated from every person he’s ever known, completely lost in a great big world. Yoongi barely remembers his own life at sixteen, didn’t have what he’d consider an actual life but instead a harsh existence where every day was a fight for survival. 

He starts the fire back to life and adds a few more logs while Hoseok comforts Jungkook, the fire in himself slowly dying out. 

It’s the smell that wakes him, that wet, seeping dankness, the smell of rot that makes its way into everything. Yoongi just barely makes it outside before emptying the contents of his stomach by the front door. 

“The entire house is rotted,” Hoseok sighs from nearby, their freshly washed bowls in his hands. “I’ll get you some water.”

He comes back with a bowlful of water from the creek. The fresh, clear water is one thing he’ll miss about this place. Yoongi washes his mouth, embarrassed that Hoseok had seen him do that. He doesn’t share the outdated ideas of his elders about how alpha and omega should and shouldn’t be but some things about one's upbringings are harder to shake off than others. Sometimes there’s the overwhelming urge to be the strong alpha but in Yoongi’s mind strong translates to distant and unfeeling most of the time and that’s not someone he wants to be. He shakes the feeling away. There’s no reason to be embarrassed in front of Hoseok; for the last four months this has been the last face he saw at night and the first in the morning. For the last three months, he had shared more with Hoseok than he had with anyone before in his life. 

“What were you like at sixteen?” he asks. He brushes Hoseok’s hair away from his forehead and with his thumb strokes a gentle line along his brow. In the quiet of the morning, he tries to envision that face some years younger, more boyish. Maybe his hair was longer. 

“I was skinny and awkward and all the kids picked on me.” 

“I don’t believe you, you’re so charming.”

Hoseok nips the tip of his thumb when it comes too close to his mouth. “I was fast, though, and I could climb the tallest trees. No one could ever catch me.” 

Yoongi replaces his thumb with his lips for the briefest of kisses. “We should leave soon.” 

“Breakfast first and then we’ll go.” 

They eat outside, if only to avoid the stink of the rotten house, Jungkook pressed to Hoseok’s side like they’re sewn together while Yoongi sits off to the side, feeling slightly dejected. He tells himself he doesn’t care but he wants to win the pup over, though as an alpha, it might be harder to gain his trust. 

He starts small. As they start the walk west, Yoongi keeps an eye on the blackberry bushes, picking only the ripest berries and offering them to the pup. He hesitates at first until Hoseok tells him it’s okay. 

“I’m not going to bite,” he says but Jungkook doesn’t look like he believes it just yet. 

At night, when they stop for camp, Jungkook takes Yoongi’s spot on the sleeping roll next to Hoseok. It’s just as well because unfamiliar territory makes Yoongi antsy and he spends most of that night inspecting the perimeter, not wanting to be caught by surprise by rogue alphas or errant bears. 

They walk for two days until they finally catch the scent of other wolves and Jungkook hollers happily. 

“That’s them,” he says, smelling the air. It’s the most words they’ve gotten from him in a while. “We’re getting close.” 

Jungkook’s scent changes, too, becoming lighter, less clouded by anxiety. Yoongi offers him some berries he’d picked and finally gets a tight little smile in return. It’s not much but it’s a start and if he could only keep that going then in a few days time, he might even be able to get a few words out of the pup.

Yoongi is out hunting just before dusk one day when he hears a wolf howl in the distance. It’s a clear spring evening, the rain having cleared an hour before but everything remains impossibly wet, soaking into his fur and weighing him down. Somewhere behind him, there’s an answering howl, thin and higher pitched but familiar enough for him to recognize it as Jungkook. A myriad of scents smack him in the face all at once and Yoongi turns and sprints back the way he came, in the direction of camp. 

The fire is still visible between the trees, a pillar of dark smoke rising up into the darkening sky. The scent of other wolves grow thicker, nearly cloying his sensitive nose and Yoongi is sure they’re close to camp now and closing in. He knows that they’d only been trying to help the lost pup find his way back home but the other pack might not see it that way. They might as well be the same rogues that ripped Jungkook from his family and it makes sense to Yoongi’s panicked mind that the pack might attack first and ask questions later. 

Growling fills his head when he steps into the clearing where they’d stopped to set up camp. There are wolves everywhere and it takes everything Yoongi has not to let out a deep, challenging growl, especially when he sees the biggest wolf in the pack growling down at Hoseok, who lays down on his belly with his ears pinned back to show that he’s not a threat. That’s the pack alpha, Yoongi realizes. The one wolf in charge of protecting all others; his alpha voice is mighty and unchallenged. 

Yoongi finds himself grovelling too when ember eyes turn in his direction. He’s careful with his movements, especially as an alpha. This giant wolf wouldn’t hesitate to rip his throat out if it saw him as a potential threat to his pack. He can see Jungkook, small enough to fit between the alpha’s front legs, trying to lick the bigger wolf’s muzzle. 

Carefully, the alpha approaches, teeth bared as if Yoongi needs any reminder of what will happen if he dares move. Those ember eyes are intense on him, making his skin crawl. If this alpha decides they’re a threat, it’s all over. But just as Yoongi is readying himself to feel teeth sinking into neck, the alpha does something unexpected. He shifts. That’s not to say his human form isn’t any less imposing, tall and muscled but there’s a tight smile on his face that reminds Yoongi terribly of Jungkook. 

Following his lead, Yoongi slowly rises to his feet and shifts, too. It’s a sign of trust from the other alpha, one that can’t be denied. They’re much more vulnerable in their human form and to shift in front of an unknown wolf- well. The others in the pack follow their lead, Hoseok the last to shift back. At least he looks unharmed. 

“I’m so happy to see you, Appa!” Jungkook says excitedly, wrapping his arms around who Yoongi now realizes is his father. His voice is much lighter than Yoongi has ever heard it, his relief and happiness at being returned to his family a palpable thing. He goes from person to person, giving them hugs and kisses and declaring his happiness at seeing them again. 

Yoongi’s throat feels a little tight watching the show of affection. He glances over at Hoseok, wishing they could touch but neither of them want to move yet, the situation still too sensitive to risk. Wolves are territorial beings and living out here in the Wastes, where rogues are more likely than not, it’s safer to not trust anyone. Especially when it comes to family. But the alpha extends a hand and when Yoongi shakes it, tension seems to leave the air. 

“So, would you like to stay for dinner?” Hoseok asks the pack alpha with that sweet smile on his face and Yoongi learns that night that it’s not only him who has trouble resisting Hoseok’s charms. 

There’s still a healthy bit of wariness to go around. Even so, the pack has more food than them and a stew is started over their fire. In all, Yoongi counts about twenty wolves, including him and Hoseok. Not a very big pack but out here, wolves are a rarity all on their own. A wild pack, living outside the safety fences of the communities inland, is almost unheard of. They look undoubtedly happy. Presently, he can see Jungkook sitting next to the fire, pressed between two other unpresented pups that he had introduced as Taehyung and Jimin- though Yoongi can’t remember which is which anymore. There’s a big smile on Jungkook’s face as he recounts the events of the last few days to his awe-struck face. 

He’s surprised out of his thoughts when the pack alpha takes a seat on the log beside him. He looks a lot less imposing with clothes on, a little dimple on his cheek that makes Yoongi wonder what he had been scared of in the first place. 

“Yoongi, right?” At the look of surprise on Yoongi’s face, the alpha- Namjoon , his brain supplies. That’s the name Jungkook had told him- elaborates, “your mate told me.” 

“Oh, he’s not-” Yoongi starts but then stops himself. Instinctually, he looks over at Hoseok, talking with another omega over the stew. Probably sharing recipes. “He’s not my mate.”

“No?” Namjoon asks like he doesn’t quite believe Yoongi’s words. He arches an inquisitive brow but Yoongi refuses to elaborate further on the subject. “I wanted to thank you for taking care of Jungkook. We thought the worst when those rogues attacked us and he wasn’t anywhere in sight.” 

Yoongi wonders if Jungkook will ever warm up to him. Probably not now that he’s been reunited with his pack again and they’ll probably end up parting ways again before anything close to a friendship can be formed. Either way, Yoongi is happy to see the pup back where he belongs.

“I’m glad Hoseok found him on time, things were getting pretty bad out in that storm. 

A sort of ease settles between the two alphas. To Namjoon, Yoongi had saved a member of his family. To Yoongi, Namjoon represents the life he could have had long ago. 

The pack decides to settle down in the clearing with them, the night just warm enough to warrant sleeping under the stars without the use of tents. It’s been so long since Yoongi has been around so many other people that he starts to feel overwhelmed, the air around the camp clogged with the scents of so many alphas and omegas. He’d taken note of a few alphas who had been staring at Hoseok earlier, elbowing each other as if daring one another to approach the pretty new omega. Realistically, Yoongi knows he has no claim to Hoseok but jealousy is a deep ache in his bones. 

He can hardly stand it anymore when he walks up to Namjoon and announces that he’ll be doing a perimeter check. He leaves his clothes with a slightly confused Hoseok and shifts at the edge of the woods, setting off panting into the night. Even the moonlight feels different out there, much more wild and alive. It feels good to stretch out his legs and at least the woods are silent enough to not warrant any worries. 

Stopping to drink from a stream, a soft sound grabs his attention. He lifts his head but the scent hits him just then and he lets out a soft, satisfied purr from deep within his chest. Hoseok’s silvery wolf looks like moonlight darting between the trees. He doesn’t try to be quiet anymore now that Yoongi has spotted him and some nocturnal birds take flight as he approaches. 

Hoseok stops just a few paces away, golden eyes flashing in the dark. His wolf is so beautiful, a pale ghost. Yoongi takes a careful step forward and then another until he’s close enough to lick at Hoseok’s muzzle. Their scents mingle in the air, mixing with the wind and the trees, the very life of the forest. If for one night, this place is theirs.

Nipping playfully at Yoongi’s shoulder, Hoseok takes off running, leaping over the creek and disappearing deeper into the woods. Yoongi gives him a moment's head start before he gives chase, kicking up dead leaves as he runs. The thing is, Hoseok is too easy to spot, weaving between the trees, and his scent is so much stronger. Laced with adrenaline. It only makes Yoongi run that much faster. 

The silver wolf disappears around a bend for a moment but Yoongi soon catches sight of him downhill, standing under a tall pine. His pace slows as he approaches, unsure of what might lie ahead that had made Hoseok stop. But then he sees it, about a hundred paces out: a moonlit pool with a roaring waterfall. And bathing in it’s crystal clear waters is a mother bear with her two cubs. 

Yoongi stands next to Hoseok, watching the bears carefully but they seem too preoccupied bathing. The cubs practice catching fish, diving deep under the water just to release their catch once they surface. They do this again and again under the watchful eye of their mother. They lie on a bed of pine needles, nuzzling against each other as they watch the cubs play for a long while. Eventually the little family moves on and they’re alone once more. 

The air is clear, no signs of any predators or rogue alphas for miles around. Hoseok is first to venture down to the little pool, hidden well in a grove of pines. The water is cool and fresh, clear enough for them to see the little fish swimming around in the bottom. Hoseok shifts back to a human at the edge of the pool and dives in, disappearing into the depths until he’s only a black speck in the moonlit water. 

Yoongi shifts mid-run, his heart beating wildly in his chest when Hoseok doesn’t surface fast enough. It’s barely been a minute but he thinks only the worst and dives in after him. He opens his eyes in the water and finds Hoseok floating in front of him like some sort of apparition, the tendrils of his hair looking almost alive with the way they move in the water. 

Hoseok reaches out a hand and Yoongi takes it. The water… It's magic. Yoongi has never seen such a blue color in all his life, feeling like he’s slipped into a completely different world. They surface only for air and then dive again, hand in hand. Yoongi is particularly interested in the little fish and shells at the bottom, soft with the algae that has grown on their surface. Little crabs wave their claws at him when he gets too close to their burrow. It’s supposed to look intimidating but Yoongi has a wide smile on his face. 

They surface one last time behind the waterfall. Hoseok had led him there, grabbed his hand and looked at Yoongi- and that’s it, no words needed. Just a look and Yoongi knows he would follow him anywhere. But anywhere turns out to be the previously unseen little grotto behind the waterfall. Yoongi pulls himself up onto the cool, smooth rocks, offering a hand to help Hoseok up beside him. They can see only a sliver of sky beyond the waterfall, a smattering of stars to accompany the lonely moon. 

“Are you okay, Yoongi?” Hoseok asks and it seems like he’s been wanting to ask that since they found the pack. There haven’t been many chances to sit and talk, what with Jungkook and everything else that has been going on. But here they are, in the best place possible for this sort of conversation yet Yoongi finds that he isn’t sure what to say. 

“I’m just happy Jungkook is back with his family,” Yoongi says because how can he tell Hoseok that he saw all those alphas looking at him? How can he talk about the burning green jealousy that had erupted in him? No right. Yoongi has no right at all.

Hoseok presses closer, his skin is terribly cold so Yoongi takes him in his arms, rubbing his hands up and down his back to try and warm him. 

“I’m happy, too,” Hoseok says and his voice sounds a lot less strained than Yoongi’s when he says it. He grabs hold of his hands and, playing with his fingers, asks, “did you still want to go south?”

Yoongi’s heart feels like it skips a beat. Maybe this is what he had been fearing all along, Hoseok’s need for more. His need for a family. His need for everything Yoongi can’t provide for him. He thinks he finally understands what the feeling in his chest is- grief. But he hasn’t lost anything. Not yet, anyway. 

“I’m not sure,” he answers honestly.

It’s the first time they've been alone in a few days, not since the night they first found Jungkook. When Hoseok looks up, their faces are very close; Yoongi can feel each little gust of breath against his face like a caress. 

“Oh,” Hoseok says softly, the sound nearly swallowed by the roar of the waterfall. “I’ve missed you.” His hands are still cold when he cups Yoongi’s face and pulls him in close, not quite kissing but just close enough that their lips brush every so often. 

“I missed you too, Seok,” Yoongi whispers. 

“So why aren’t you kissing me? Don’t make me chase after you, alpha.” 

Yoongi isn’t cruel enough. Holding his breath, he finally closes those scant few centimeters between them. Hoseok’s mouth burns hot while the rest of him is still so cold. And his scent - it’s like Yoongi is the spark that finally ignites him, omega pheromones thick and inviting in the air. Yoongi might have worried about it leaking out and attracting some unwanted attention but the waterfall acts as a natural barrier, trapping it inside. They truly are in their own bubble. 

“Better,” Hoseok says when he pulls back, his lips shiny with spit. He looks so beautiful that Yoongi aches in more places than just between his legs. 

Carefully, he grabs Hoseok by the waist and guides him onto his lap, gasping when he feels their erections rubbing together, almost painfully hard. The scent of Hoseok’s slick is palpable now, its intensity nearly knocking Yoongi on his back. His wolf purrs with satisfaction. His omega , he thinks but chalks it up to his wolf being needy during a heated moment. Nothing more than that. 

“Like this?” Yoongi asks him, fingers gently massaging the tense muscles of Hoseok’s lower back. Any lower and he’d be right in the heat of him, his hand no doubt getting soaked with all that slick steadily leaking out of him. 

“Like this,” Hoseok sighs, tilting his head to the side and the way Yoongi’s mouth waters could almost be called obscene. Right there, his scent is strongest, tender skin with pulsing blood right underneath, just waiting to be bitten. To be claimed. 

Holding Hoseok around the waist, Yoongi slowly guides him down onto his cock, gasping shakily from how easily he slides inside that wet heat. He could drown in it and knows that he’d die a happy man if that were to be the case. 

There’s something oddly… final … about this moment. Yoongi holds Hoseok as tight as he can, scared this will be his last chance to do so. His face is buried in Hoseok’s scent gland, reminding himself that he can’t bite, no matter how much he might want to. But that doesn’t stop him from gently nibbling at the skin as Hoseok rides him, mewling noises right in his ear. His knot swells too quickly. Yoongi wants to drag the moment out as long as he can, keep Hoseok there all night if he could.  

“ Yes,” Hoseok mewls, Yoongi’s knot catching on his rim with every bounce and making it harder and harder to pull out. Hoseok slams down hard one more time before he comes loudly, his head tilting back as Yoongi holds him in place, trying to stop him from hurting himself as he squirms with pleasure. “Yes, yes , love your knot-” his sounds coming out of his mouth lose all meaning, Yoongi’s knot finally big enough to lock them together and making him come again. 

“There you go,” Yoongi coos, gently kissing along Hoseok’s damp skin. He’s salty and sticky with sweat, tender under the sharp edge of Yoongi’s teeth. Just a bite; even outside of a heat there could still be a bond, no matter how unsteady. At least then all those other alphas would know to stay away from him. 

Yoongi has been too selfish lately. 

“I think we should stay with the pack,” Hoseok says after he’s caught his breath. Tears still well in his eyes but Yoongi is there to wipe them away with the pads of his thumbs. 

“We can’t just join a pack without invitation, Seok,” Yoongi says. It’s a last ditch attempt, he knows this, and it’s not even a very good one at that. 

“I’ve been talking to the pack omega,” and here, at those words, Yoongi’s heart squeezes so tight he really thinks it’ll burst in his chest. The pack omega, seokjin. Of course they had been talking. He’d been the one standing with Hoseok by the stew, tall and pretty. “We can have a place here if we want it.”

Yoongi knows Hoseok wants it. All he’s ever wanted has been a pack- a family - where he can belong. And who is Yoongi to deny him that? Who is Yoongi to ask him to continue a life of running and scavenging just to stay alive? It seems like something he should want too but a pack means more alphas, more options for a beautiful, unmated omega like Hoseok. He might not want to see it that way but he had seen the others, who are stronger and bigger and better than him. All better options for a mate than Yoongi could ever be. 

Hoseok makes a small noise as he readjusts and Yoongi’s knot tugs at his rim. He comes between their bellies a few more times before the knot shrinks to a more manageable size and they can finally separate. They wash in the pool once more before walking back to the camp hand in hand. 

Once they settle on their furs, Hoseok kisses Yoongi’s cheek and whispers, “It’ll be good to settle down.”

Yoongi’s stomach is too twisted up to sleep. 

The days grow warmer and slowly, the pack accepts them. For the first few days, there is quite the commotion once it’s announced that they’ve decided to stay. Everyone scrambles to introduce themselves to the newest arrivals, to mark them with the pack scent and welcome them in officially. Even Jungkook, who has finally been returned to his parents, is ecstatic and throws his arms around Hoseok when he hears the news. Yoongi even gets a warmer smile than usual. 

It almost surprises Hoseok how easy it is to fall into pack life and routine. Such a long time has passed, after all, but it’s natural, almost entirely instinct. He smells like home. Maybe that’s why it takes him a few days to notice that Yoongi’s scent has started to fade from his skin. In fact, hasn’t it been a while since they’d gotten to spend any time together at all? 

It’s his turn to watch the pups that day, along with some other omegas and alphas. Everyone chips in to take care of the pups, not just the omegas like Hoseok had always been taught growing up. Anyone not hunting stays behind, watching the camp and letting the pups play in the forest, but never further than they can see. Even at a young age, the pups are wise in the ways of the wild. Hoseok screamed the first time he’d seen a five year old pup pick up a snake and toss it away from camp. Now, he does it, too. 

The moonlit pool of water is long behind them. They move when the animals move, stop when they stop, and the game is always plentiful. But Hoseok’s mind goes again and again back to that one night, to the clear blue water and what they had done behind the waterfall. In a moment of quiet while the others are trying to nap away from the blazing sun, Hoseok lies awake, rubbing the flat planes of his stomach. He knows pregnancies outside of a heart are extremely rare- even when Yoongi was going through his rut, he still hadn’t caught and that had been nearly four months ago- but ever since they found Jungkook, Hoseok’s mind has been on the possibility of children, of family. A dream that he's never allowed himself to have but which is now closer than ever before. He still needs to talk about it with Yoongi but Hoseok is certain they’re on the same page. 

The call comes to let the pack know the others have returned from the hunt. Hoseok sits up, jostling one of the pups that had been laying against him and he freezes, remembering his duty. 

“Go,” Seokjin says from beside him, still waking up from his nap. “We’ll meet you in a moment.” 

Hoseok is practically bouncing as he runs to meet the others at the edge of the treeline. They’d managed to take down three big bucks, enough to feed the pack for a few days. He’s standing anxiously, waiting for Yoongi to appear, when he feels a tap on his shoulder. 

“E-excuse me, Hoseok?” 

He turns to the young alpha who had just spoken, looking barely past his first rut and with his chest ridiculously puffed out as he presents Hoseok with some freshly picked berries cradled in a large leaf. They look ripe and plump. Hoseok’s mouth waters. 

“Oh, are these for me?” 

The little alpha nods and somehow turns redder, his scent bitter with embarrassment. Hoseok chuckles as he takes the berries and pops one in his mouth. “They’re delicious. Thank you.” 

The boy mumbles something and darts away, his head ducked down and that bitter scent trailing behind him. It really is nice to be welcomed so warmly into the pack. But when he turns around, Yoongi is there and he doesn’t look very happy at all, a small frown on his face as he stares intensely at the berries still in Hoseok’s hands. 

“Hey,” Hoseok starts, taking a step closer. He wants to ask if Yoongi wants to share the berries with him while they skin the bucks but Yoongi just walks away from him and Hoseok’s heart sinks right down into the pits of his stomach. 

It feels like such a cold gesture. Hoseok can’t recall anything he might have done wrong. Just yesterday, they had napped together but if he really thinks about it, hadn’t Yoongi’s scent been more subdued than usual? Like he was holding it back. And now he had just turned his back on Hoseok when he’d been trying to talk to him. 

He spots Namjoon a few paces away and asks him, “did everything go okay with the hunt?”  

Namjoon looks at him quizzically. “It was damn great. You okay?” 

Hoseok shrugs because he honestly doesn’t know. Yoongi is quiet the entire time they gut and skin the bucks but by dinner time, he seems to break his self imposed silent treatment when he brings Hoseok a heaping bowl of fresh stew and sits beside him by the fire. 

“I wanted to share those berries with you” Hoseok says, staring at the flames because he’s scared to look at Yoongi’s face and what he’ll find there. 

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi’s voice is tentative and he’s staring straight ahead at the flames, too. Hoseok accepts the apology too easily, leaning against Yoongi’s side as they eat. He wants to ask for a kiss or a touch but the little bit he’s already getting is barely anything. The ghost of a touch. For the rest of the night, Yoongi insists he’s fine but Hoseok can’t shake the feeling that something is very, very wrong and that it will destroy them if they don’t take care of it soon enough. 

Most of the time, Yoongi has to grit his teeth and pretend he can’t hear the other alphas talking filth about Hoseok. Not everyone in a pack can be counted on to be a decent person to their pack mates. Most of the time, Namjoon does a fine enough job of putting a stop to it. But Namjoon isn’t there and Minho has been running his mouth most of that afternoon while they’re supposed to be gathering firewood.

It’s usually the young, freshly presented alphas that have trouble keeping their thoughts to themselves. Minho, however, has gray streaks in his hair and he’s been running with the pack long enough that he’s comfortable in his position. Yoongi knows that even a pup would have an easier time keeping his mouth shut.

Minho makes a particularly lewd comment about what Hoseok might look like in heat, the younger alphas surrounding him laughing loudly. 

“You shouldn’t make comments like that about a pack omega,” Yoongi finally snaps. The younger alphas at least manage to look ashamed but Minho has a sneer on his face. 

“What, like you haven’t thought about it,” Minho drawls in that infuriating way of his, like he knows he’s got a point and is daring you to refute it. And maybe Yoongi can’t because maybe Minho isn’t lying. “No,” Minho continues, that sneer growing and he’s looking at the other alphas around him as if seeking their approval to continue his taunts. “Bet you’ve seen it, huh? Pretty little omega like that could get any pathetic alpha to help with their heat.” 

Yoongi’s face grows considerably redder with every word that spills from the older alpha’s mouth. “Shut up ,” he grits out, hating the way his voice shakes. The anger manifesting inside of him is a physical thing and his wolf paces, impatient for blood. 

“What’s wrong, little pup?” Minho taunts, stepping closer. “Did you really think an omega like that would look at you as anything more than just a heat reliever?” 

Yoongi growls when Minho steps too close, making the other alpha stop in his tracks but not back off completely.

“Look at him, he’s jealous,” Minho sing-songs and there’s that laughter again, making Yoongi’s eye twitch. It’s just them out in the woods, far enough from camp that it would take a while for any help to arrive quickly. “He doesn’t even smell like you anymore, what right do you have to get jealous- ” 

Yoongi isn’t sure what comes over him. One second he’s standing there, trying not to fall into Minhos’ trap, and the next his wolf is ripping him apart, tearing his clothes to shreds. The only thing on his mind is biting Minho’s throat out with his teeth. Minho’s wolf might be slightly bigger but Yoongi is younger and faster, used to fighting for his life when he needs to. Except right now, he’s not fighting for his life but for something much more than that.

It’s funny how none of the other alpha’s who had been laughing so heartily at Minho’s jokes step in to help him now. It’s what Yoongi had been counting on in the first place and it’s pretty damn satisfying to be proven right. He’s the first to draw blood. He has the memory of Hoseok’s face right at the forefront of his mind when the coppery taste floods his mouth and he might have laughed if he could- if he weren’t so busy trying to rip Minho’s head from the rest of his body. 

Something slams hard against him, knocking him off his feet and sending him flying a few feet away. He thinks, finally. Finally, those useless friends of Minho’s have stepped in; finally, he gets to do some damage. When he opens his eyes, however, it’s Namjoon who he finds standing where he had stood only seconds before, growling at Minho’s cowering wolf. Namjoon is truly giant and all it takes is a snap of his jaws to send Minho whimpering into the woods. 

That leaves Yoongi to deal with Namjoon alone, everyone else having scattered as well. He tries not to cower but it’s extremely hard with the pack alpha staring down at him like that. Yoongi shifts back and Namjoon follows, a frown on his considerably less scary face.

“I can explain myself,” Yoongi starts but Namjoon cuts him off. 

“I heard the last of what you said before you tried to kill him. Your shoulder is bleeding.” 

Yoongi looks and sure enough, his entire right shoulder is smeared in red but he can’t feel the pain, can’t even see where the wound is. He follows Namjoon back to where they’d set up camp, trying to ignore everyone’s inquisitive gazes. 

“Yoongi?” But he can’t hope to ignore that voice. “Oh gods, Yoongi! What happened?” 

Hoseok nearly tackles him in his haste to get a closer look at the wound, his hands gentle and his scent marred with worry. Yoongi tells himself he should hate the way Hoseok makes him feel so helplessly breathless whenever he’s around but the truth is that he simply doesn’t. He could never hate Hoseok, not even when he keeps accepting gifts from other alphas. Not even when his heart feels like it’s going to tear itself in two. 

“I’m fine, Seok,” Yoongi says, trying to shake him off as gently as possible. The loss of blood is starting to make him dizzy. “It’s okay, I promise.” 

“How can it be okay?” Hoseok asks with tears welling in his eyes. “You’re bleeding, you’re hurt -” 

“I’m fine ,” Yoongi insists, maybe a little harsher than he’d meant to and he keeps his eyes down so he doesn’t have to see the hurt expression on Hoseok’s face. “I’m sorry, Seok. The healers will deal with it, okay?” 

Namjoon calls for Jungkook. As soon as the pup takes one look at Yoongi, he says, “I’ll get Tae.” 

Yoongi is led in silence to the healer’s tent, Namjoon behind him and he can’t quite seem to shake the image of a mother wolf carrying her misbehaving pup by the scruff. He asks Hoseok to wait outside, knowing Namjoon will want to question him and not wanting the omega to hear about what he’s done- or why. It’s too mortifying a thought to deal with. 

Taehyung is still just a pup like Jungkook, a year or two older but still unpresented. He’s been learning the ways of healing from his mother, a pretty alpha who was currently off duty caring for the newest addition to their family. 

“How’s your baby sister?” Yoongi asks as Taehyung gets to work, if only to fill those empty, awkward silences. The baby, only a couple of weeks old, hasn’t been introduced to the pack yet. She doesn’t even have a name. The family stays in their own private tent, set up from the rest of the pack so that they may heal and care for the precious new pup in privacy. 

“She’s good,” Taehyung says, laying out a bowl of warm water to clean the wound and some salves to help it heal faster. Such a young kid and already so knowledgeable. “Strong and healthy. That's all we can ask for.” 

Inadvertently, like always seems to happen when the omega is around, Yoongi’s eyes find Hoseok, visible from the mouth of the tent and holding a pup on his hip. He paces around, pretending to be soothing the sleepy pup but really, he must be waiting for Yoongi to come out so he can give him a good scolding for being so reckless. The image of Hoseok holding that pup sticks, however, Yoongi’s stomach tightening in the same way it does when he sees Namjoon and Jungkook together, the big alpha seeing the world for the first time through his son’s eyes. Hoseok wipes a bit of drool from the little pup’s chin and the feeling in his stomach is so strong, Yoongi thinks he might be sick. 

“You should talk to him,” Namjoon says, snapping Yoongi out of his distant thoughts. 

“About what?” Yoongi asks with a frown. The pup starts crying, causing a twin frown to form on Hoseok’s already stressed face. He gives the child back to its parents, too worked up to be comforted by anything other than a familial scent. 

Namjoon slaps Yoongi upside the head, ignoring his pained protests. “You’re a dense little knothead and so is he. You’d be amazed at what a little conversation can solve.” 

But all Yoongi can think about is the trickle of gifts Hoseok has been getting since they were taken in by the pack. Expensive gifts, precious gems of every color and size, carefully crafted and beautiful headdresses and clothes so fine Yoongi felt unworthy even touching them. And what does Yoongi have to offer? Food? A stupid jacket?

Hoseok rejects most of the gifts so Yoongi pays attention to the ones he does keep- and the alphas who give them. It starts with the berries. The alpha who had given them is young and fresh-faced, nearly shaking in his slightly too big clothes. He’s not a threat but Yoongi isn’t particularly happy to see Hoseok accept the gift without much hesitation. Had he already had his eye on the boy from the beginning? And then there had been a handful of other things, little homemade trinkets that apparently meant more than precious jewels but which were gifted by fairly unremarkable alphas. It shouldn’t matter so much, Hoseok is free to choose who to mate with but Yoongi feels like he’s shattering and knows he won’t be able to handle much more of this. 

Taehyung finishes cleaning up the wound. Yoongi thanks him and before anyone else can say anything, he slips through the back end of the tent and out into the woods, shifting mid-air. The tear in his shoulder hurts something terrible but he could use the pain. In only a few hours it will be gone and in a day or two only a fresh pink scar will be all that remains of the once ghastly wound. 

He hits the ground and takes off running, letting the wind and the leaves and branches whip past him. It doesn’t matter, none of it does. His original plan was to stick around long enough for Hoseok to mate, only then could he set out on his own knowing Hoseok is being well taken care of. Even if the thought of it tears his heart to pieces, knowing that the only person who holds his soul is out there in the world with another. 

Yoongi isn’t sure how long he runs, just that at some point he can’t anymore. His legs unable to hold him up and his lungs aching with the effort of breathing. It’s dark. When had it gotten so dark? He collapses just under a big oak and from the breaks in the foliage, he can see the stars. The very same stars Hoseok must be looking up at right now, like all seeing eyes set in a vast expanse of nothingness. 

Closing his eyes, Yoongi makes a wish.

Hoseok can’t sleep. Everything feels prickly, too hot yet too cold, too heavy. Too much . 

Yoongi is gone and no one has any idea where he might be. 

Bits and pieces of what had happened trickle down throughout the day. No one seems to be talking about anything except the brutal alpha fight, some omegas swooning thinking about being at the center of such a thing. Hoseok would rather Yongi have stayed safe, so that he would not risk his life over such silly things like honor or pride. 

“Hoba?” 

He thinks he must have finally fallen asleep because he jerks awake when he hears his name being called. There’s something warm pressed against his arm, shaking him. His first thought is: Yoongi . But when he opens his eyes it’s just Jungkook, the pup looking down at him worriedly. 

“You sounded like you were having a nightmare. Are you okay?” 

Ah, so he must have made some kind of noise. Maybe he whimpered or called out to the alpha that refuses to leave his thoughts. Such a stupid alpha. At least he hadn’t woken anyone else up, the pack quietly sleeping in the balmy night. The weather has been so good lately that they all sleep outside together, reserving the tents and occasional livable house they stumble upon for families with young pups and newly mated pairs. 

“I’m sorry, pup. Did I wake you?” Hoseok asks, making room for Jungkook to curl up beside him on his furs. It feels good to hold someone. How many nights since Yoongi had last slept beside him? Too long. He holds Jungkook tightly now. 

“What’s wrong?” You were crying-” 

And Hoseok can’t help but cry now, too, a fresh sob ripping from his throat, tears soaking into the back of Jungkook’s shirt. 

“I just want him back, Kook,” he finally manages to say, his voice shaking. Just a few days ago he had been thinking about their future but now that future is at risk of not existing at all. 

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook whispers and at least it’s a small comfort. 

Hoseok knows he won’t get any sleep that night. He waits until Jungkook is asleep, shedding his clothes along with his human form at the edge of the woods. He isn’t entirely sure of where he’s headed, his legs carrying him in one particular direction without much thought. It’s not like Yoongi’s scent is in the air for him to follow but maybe it’s something closer to instinct, his wolf taking him where it wants. 

He stops at the crest of a tall hill, overlooking the valley and all the life it gives. They really have travelled far with the pack, covering more land than they ever could have on their own. The moon above him is nothing more than a sliver, barely providing any light. Hoseok hates these dark nights. Still, he raises his head to the sky, letting the cold wind caress his face for a moment before he lets out a heart shattering howl. 

It rings throughout the valley, tinged with sorrow and all the things he hasn’t been able to say. Once it’s over, the world sounds quieter, like every little creature has seized movement just to hear of his pain. He doesn’t expect it, but just a few moments later there’s an answering howl, too far away for him to follow but just enough for him to hear clearly. The familiarity of that howl nearly knocks him off his feet. 

Hoseok turns and runs back to camp. 

The afternoon sun is a blazing beacon in the sky when Yoongi finally musters the strength to return. A part of him wants to stay out there, curled under that big oak until he doesn’t have to worry about anything anymore. But that’s no way of dealing with his problems. Slowly, he talks himself through the steps of living. Get up. Find water. Regain your energy. Breathe . 

The world is a blur as he runs back, the pain in his shoulder gone just as he’d predicted. It’s healing well, though shifting so much can’t be helping. His head is clearer but the path ahead not so much. All he can think about is Hoseok and his broken, pained howl at the fading moon. Really, Yoongi knows it was for him and he had spent all night thinking about the omega, how much he must be hurting and all because of him. 

He can smell the pack now, can smell Hoseok , and his wolf preens, urging him to go faster. Hoseok . Hoseok growing closer, Hoseok-

The silver wolf appears out of nowhere and slams into him hard, sending him flying off the trail. The angry growl is louder than the thump of Yoongi’s heart in his head, practically shaking the whole ground. He stays low, showing his belly to the wolf to prove that he’s not a threat. Surprisingly, he’s not scared. 

When Hoseok shifts to his human form, his face is contorted with hurt and rage. Angry tears spill uncontrollably down his cheeks and he shouts, “shift back, now! ” Even his voice is raw and Yoongi trembles as he sheds his wolf skin, staying low to the ground. 

Hoseok shoves him on his back. It’s rough, it’s angry. Yoongi lets him do it, close to tears himself because he hates seeing the omega so distressed. 

“Hoseok-” 

“ Shut up,” Hoseok spits, straddling Yoongi’s stomach and pounding his fists against his chest. “Shut up, shut up . I’m so angry at you-” his voice catches and breaks on a sob, fresh tears spilling.

“Seok, don’t- don’t cry,” but it’s too late and Yoongi is crying, too, gathering Hoseok in his arms and holding him tightly to his chest. Sobs wrack through him as his scent grows bitter and all encompassing. 

“W-why don’t you want me anymore?” Hoseok sobs into the crook of Yoongi’s neck, those words shattering the alpha’s heart. “W-what d-d-did I do? How- how can I fix it, Yoongi, please-” 

“Hey,” Yoongi says as gently as he can but his voice shakes just as badly as the rest of him. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Seok. You’re perfect. ” 

“Then why-” 

“Can you look at me for a second?” 

Yoongi gently tries to coax Hoseok out of where he’s hidden his face in the crook of his neck. It takes a while, Hoseok too embarrassed to let Yoongi see him like this, all red and blotchy and wet with tears. 

“I’ve seen you in worse ways,” Yoongi says, gently combing his fingers through Hoseok’s hair. “See? You look just as beautiful as ever.” 

Hoseok fights to keep that frown and angry pout on his face. “You’ve been hurting me. If you don’t want me anymore then say so but don’t- don’t let me keep feeling like this. Like I’m going crazy.” The tears start again but Yoongi wipes them away quickly. 

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Yoongi says. “But Seok, you were the one accepting courting gifts from other alphas. I thought maybe it would hurt less if I distanced myself.” 

Hoseok’s face twists with confusion. “Courting gifts? I never-” his eyes grow distant, as if only just realizing something. “Oh, Yoongi. I thought those gifts were to welcome me into the pack! I never would have accepted them otherwise. I’m so stupid, stupid -”

“Don’t,” Yoongi whispers, holding Hoseok tighter. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re not stupid.” 

“But I am , how could I not have seen it? Where I’m from, people just tell you when they want to court.” 

“Exactly, so how were you supposed to know?” 

Hoseok sniffles, drying tear tracks on his cheeks. He looks so vulnerable like this, Yoongi’s mind taking him back to those first few days after he’d found him, wondering if he’d ever wake up. And then he had and completely stolen Yoongi’s heart with no one to stop him. 

“I’m so sorry. Please, forgive me.” 

“Forgive you? You haven’t done anything. You still don’t owe me a thing, Seok.” 

“I hurt you, too. No wonder you don’t want me a-anymore,” he whimpers, hiding his face again. He feels so impossibly frail in Yoongi’s arms, like he’ll come apart if he’s squeezed too hard. But Yoongi needs to hold him, needs to feel him, if only to be able to ground himself to continue this terribly important conversation. 

“Hey, who said I don’t want you, hm?” Yoongi soothes, gently scenting the omega. He smells like home, like every little piece that’s been missing from him. “Who wouldn’t want you, beautiful omega? Who wouldn’t bring the moon down at your bidding?” 

That makes Hoseok giggle and at least the tears stop for now. Yoongi hates to see him cry, knowing that he’s hurting so much because of his own thoughtless actions. How could he rectify it? An apology doesn’t feel like enough, it never has. 

After a moment, Hoseok says in a much quieter, steadier voice, “Yoongi?” 

“Yes, love?” 

“Did you- did you really think I was going to go with another alpha? That I’d just leave you?” 

What can he say? “I’m used to getting left behind. Seok. I see all these other alphas and I think about how much better they’d be for you. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had chosen one of them instead.” 

“You’re an idiot,” Hoseok says and leans in to kiss Yoongi deeply. The alpha makes a small noise at the back of his throat, his hand coming up to tenderly cup Hoseok’s cheek. It’s been too long since he’s gotten to feel those soft lips on his, all due to his own fault. Hoseok is right, he really is an idiot. “It could have never been anyone but you.” 

Yoongi’s heart feels like it’s soared out of his chest and directly up to the heavens. He smiles crookedly at Hoseok, his eyes shining with happy tears that he refuses to shed because he’d know they’d worry Hoseok. His beautiful Hoseok. 

“Seok…”

Hoseok kisses his lips again, his scent turning sweet. Familiar. Any more and he’ll start purring soon, completely content to be held. But Yoongi needs to say something first and it’s important that Hoseok listen.  

“Seok, baby. I love you so much.” He says it so fast it sounds almost like one word. Hoseok stops to stare at him, his eyes growing comically wide. Yoongi is burning up when he mumbles, “please say something. I feel like an idiot right now.” 

“Oh,” Hoseok says and then giggles, trying to hide the sound behind his hand. “Oh, you love me?” 

Yoongi nods.

Hoseok kisses him. “Tell me again.” 

The sky is clear and blue, not a single cloud to be seen. The song the birds are singing is just for them and Yoongi… well. “I love you, Seok. More than anything.” 

Hoseok kisses him again, and again, until Yoongi feels like he’s being driven into the earth with the force of them. “I love you, too,” Hoseok whispers, still so close that Yoongi can feel his lips moving as he speaks. “I’ll always choose you, Yoongi.” 

A few days later, as they’re packing up the camp to move on, Namjoon announces they’ll be reaching the shore soon. Yoongi and Hoseok share a look.

“How soon is soon?” Yoongi asks.

“A few days.” 

It’s decided that they’ll keep pushing through until they get there, stopping only to sleep. There’s a certain excitement that spreads throughout the pack along with the news. Hoseok in particular is excited to see the ocean, achieving their dream after all despite the fact that they had never made it south as planned. Maybe one day; they have time now, and plenty of it. 

It was Hoseok who had first brought up the subject of their mating, late into the night after their talk. They’d been sleeping under the same furs for the first time in too long, their fingers tangled together under the stars as the others slept on. Hoseok had returned all the gifts he’d received from other alphas, making a point to go to each one and let them know that he is not interested in being courted. The reason why is not a secret. 

“I wanted to be the one to ask you,” Yoongi pouted, closing those last few inches to kiss Hoseok’s cheek. There’s nothing between them now, all the words that needed saying have been said. Yoongi never thought himself capable of having a future before. “My mate.” 

“In a few weeks,” Hoseok says and kissed Yoongi’s scent gland, a promise for later. 

They’ll spend the rest of spring and all of summer on ancestral pack land, hunting and fishing and making a home there for the next few months. The closer they get, the more it seems like all anyone can talk about. There are pups who will be returning to the place they were born for the first time. Jungkook in particular can’t stop talking about the ocean. 

“We can start our life there together,” Yoongi whispers into Hoseok’s ear next to the fire, the smell of cooking venison in the air. 

“I think we started that a long time ago,” Hoseok says and he sounds so certain that Yoongi has no choice but to agree with him. 

It’s tradition to ask the pack alpha for permission to mate. Yoongi knows what the answer will be but he’s seen so many pairings denied that he can’t help but feel nervous. In his village, omegas were usually saved for the higher ranking alphas, treated as more of a commodity than anything else. There was no room for silly things like love when it came to mating. Many pairs tried to run away but just as many failed. 

Namjoon’s face, however, beams when they share the news of their mating. Seokjin is with him that day, sitting with Jungkook and teaching him how to weave baskets from the fibrous vines that grow around the forest. 

“Look who finally worked things out,” Namjoon cheers, clapping them each on the back and nearly sending them face first into the dirt. 

“I told you,” Seokjin tells his mate with a little note of victory in his voice. “I’m happy for you two and it really couldn’t have come at a better time. We can host the ceremony when we get to our lands and- oh! Hoseok, I think I might have some things you might like to wear-”

Yoongi couldn’t have wiped the smile from his face if he’d tried. He reaches out and hooks his pinkie around Hoseok’s, sharing that smile as Seokjin goes on and on about his ideas for their ceremony.

They smell it before they see it, a fresh, sharp scent that they’re promptly told is called sea brine. Some of the older pups are allowed to run ahead; a few moments later they can hear splashing and the laughter of children. 

“Go on,” Namjoon says when Hoseok looks at him pleadingly. “You’ve never seen it before.” 

They drop their packs and take off running, sky blue water appearing between the trees. The sand is white as snow and searing hot under their feet, not allowing them to stop and take it all in until they’re soaking in the cool blue water. It’s a lot bigger than either of them had been expecting, stretching out as far as the eye can see. It’s so blue that no one can tell where the sky ends and the ocean begins. 

“Are you happy?” Yoongi asks though the answer appears plain on Hoseok's face. 

“I love you,” Hoseok replies and takes Yoongi’s hand. 

The day of their mating, Yoongi isn’t allowed to lay his eyes on Hoseok until the time of the ceremony comes. Apparently, the handkerchief doused in his mate’s preheat scent is supposed to help but it only agitates his wolf even more and he takes to pacing around the small space of the cabin he’s in. 

Pack grounds are so ancient that they have their own settlements, little wooden cabins strategically placed around the woods to be as private as possible but still surrounding one common area where dinners are cooked and songs are sung. Yoongi finds himself in the cabin shared by Namjoon and his little family, other alphas currently milling around, talking excitedly about the festivities. 

The omegas had taken Hoseok for the day, tucked him away in the cabin that is to be theirs after the ceremony. Yoongi presses the handkerchief to his nose again, frustrated that the scent only seems to be fading, replaced by his own. 

“It’s time,” Namjoon says from the doorway, not a moment too soon. 

Yoongi’s heart leaps into his throat as he takes those first few steps out of the cabin. The path down to the beach is strung with little jars filled with lightning bugs, lighting the way for them. There must be thousands more floating about freely, the little creatures drawing patterns in the air with their trailing lights. The procession of alphas down to the beach is quiet, taking in the wondrous sight. Yoongi can’t help but wonder if this rare display could be just for them, their lights not usually so bright. 

They’re the first to arrive on the sandy shore. Yoongi stands beside Namjoon in the cool water and stares at the path they had just come from, waiting. It’s not long until he can hear them, their laughter clear in the air. He knows his omega well enough to pick out the musical tones of his voice but his heart is beating so hard he can’t make out what they’re saying. 

Emerging from the trees, Hoseok is bathed in silver. They had chosen this night specifically for their mating because the moon would be full. It’s a symbol of good luck, the full moon representing new life, the beginning of a journey. Yoongi feels his chest swell with the ocean pushing against him, pulling him back. Is he even breathing? 

Hoseok’s face is veiled and he wears a light blue robe that drips off his body like water. There’s a line of omegas behind him but Seokjin walks beside him, an unshakable smile on his face. Hoseok’s robes float around him in the waters and when he’s finally standing in front of him, Yoongi takes a deep inhale of his omega’s scent, so strong now that he’s so close to his heat. 

“Welcome, family,” Namjoon speaks, his voice clear enough for all to hear. “Tonight, two souls seek to become one under the sacred oath of the mating ritual.” 

The pack cheers. Someone claps Yoongi on the back and he sways, just short of falling completely. His fingers itch to lift up that veil but tradition compels him to wait, even when his alpha is urging him forward. 

“As a pack,” Namjoon continues, “we bear witness to this blessing, standing together among all that gives us life-”

Yoongi’s breath catches when Hoseok takes his hand and he realizes he’d been standing frozen the entire time. Namjoon’s words fade out as he looks down at Hoseok’s pretty hands, smaller than Yoongi remembers them, poking out from the giant sleeves of his robe.

“You may lift the veil,” Namjoon says and Yoongi’s hands shake. 

Hoseok’s face underneath is stunning, the very sun itself smiling back at him. The tears streaming down his face catch and reflect the light, looking like little jewels on his face. Yoongi leans forward and kisses him chastely, strangely conscious of everyone watching them. 

“Do either of you wish to say anything?” 

“Yes,” Hoseok says shakily, warm hands cupping Yoongi’s face. “Yoongi, I want you to know that this is the happiest day of my life, though that’s an easy thing to say about every day I get to spend with you. I’m glad you found me that day. I guess you could say we found each other and there’s no other way it could have been. But all I really want to say is that I hope you know I meant it when I said I would always choose you.” 

“Yoongi?” 

Everyone is looking at him but Yoongi is busy memorizing the way Hoseok’s face looks at that very moment. He wants to remember it forever, in this world and the next. His beautiful Hoseok, swayed by the gentle sea on the night that they will finally, finally belong to each other. The start of the rest of their lives. 

“Hoseok,” Yoongi starts but his voice shakes so he clears his throat and starts again. “Hoseok, I promise to love you and care for you every day that I am blessed to have you as my mate. I promise that I will be the alpha you deserve and the friend you can lean your head on when things get tough. I promise to protect you with my life, I promise to never let you go without.” He cups Hoseok’s face, no longer caring about anyone else around them as he brings the omega in close. “I promise.” 

They kiss as the pack’s cheers ring out into the night. When Yoongi opens his eyes again, there’s a red petal in Hoseok’s hair. It’s raining petals all around them. When he pulls further away, the world comes back into perspective, the pack’s cheering making his ears ring. And there are petals, so many petals falling between them, around them, to land in the sea. They’ll be swept away in less than an hour but for now, Yoongi just kisses his mate again. 

Hoseok’s scent is heady as they’re led up the beach, to the cabin that they will call their home for the next few months, every summer for the rest of their lives. Lanterns light the entrance of the cabin, nestled between the trees. It had been built as a labor of love from the pack, a mating gift for them. 

Inside, a fire is lit in the hearth and it’s toasty warm, a big pile of furs waiting for them. A tub in the corner is filled with still steaming water. Yoongi feels like he’s dreaming as he and Hoseok hug Namjoon at the doorway, thanking him for everything. Hoseok is too close to going into heat for much more than that. 

Alone, the door closed behind them and the raucous cheering from the pack a distant buzz, the room is filled with their scent. Yoongi stands by the door, his stomach twisting as he takes Hoseok in properly, lit by the light of the fire. None of it feels real enough; the ceremony; the cabin; Hoseok himself. He takes a step closer, the moment suspended in time. Is the room spinning, or is it just him? 

“Yoongi.” 

Hoseok saying his name grounds him and he realizes he’s been scenting the air. “I’m sorry.” 

“Help me undress?” Hoseok asks, his smile crooked.

Yoongi’s hands are shaking. He’s careful not to rip the fabric as he undoes the several knots, Hoseok’s scent growing stronger the looser they become. One good tug and the whole thing comes completely undone, sliding off him and pooling on the floor. Yoongi stifles a gasp, Hoseok’s body decorated with blue paint. Intricate designs are drawn along his arms, down his torso. There’s a circle of bare skin around his belly button and Yoongi can just imagine the other omegas getting him ready, reverently adding the paint and praying that he bears many children. 

“You look beautiful,” Yoongi says, watching the paint on Hoseok’s legs run with his slick. He can smell it, his mouth filling with spit. 

“Thank you,” Hoseok says. “I think tradition calls for you to wash this off.” 

Yoongi hadn’t noticed before, but upon closer inspection he notices the petals floating atop the water. He holds Hoseok’s hand and helps him step into the tub, the omega sighing at the water’s warmth. 

“How are you feeling?” Yoongi asks, undressing and stepping in behind Hoseok. The water bleeds blue around them. 

“Good,” Hoseok says, tilting his head back against Yoongi’s shoulder. “I love you.” 

Grabbing a rag that hangs from a hook above the tub, Yoongi says, “I love you, too.” He starts to gently wipe the paint from Hoseok’s skin, starting with his arms and working his way down. Hoseok’s nipples are particularly sensitive, the material of the rag making him gasp when Yoongi swipes over them too purposefully. “Do you always smell this good during your heats?” He presses his nose to the crook of Hoseok’s neck, where that delicious scent is strongest. 

“Don’t tease,” Hoseok says, his breathing harsher. 

The rag dips lower, over the soft skin of his belly and presses down. Hoseok gasps again, his hands covering Yoongi’s. 

“Almost done, baby,” Yoongi whispers, right next to his ear. 

Hoseok realaxes and Yoongi turns him over to rest against his chest so he can wash his back. The water gets progressively darker and Yoongi, finally feeling relaxed with Hoseok in his arms, takes a proper look around the room. Along with the cabin, they’d been gifted a finely crafted oak dresser and a little side table with a pitcher of water and a tray of fruits and smoked meats on top. Four walls, a roof, and the love of his life in his arms. Yoongi truly can’t ask for more. 

“What are you thinking about?” Hoseok asks. His scent is changing already, heady and strong. Yoongi’s groin tightens. 

“I’m thinking about how lucky I am.” Hoseok’s scent spikes and Yoongi grins when he sees Hoseok’s slick spilling out into the water. “I love you, my Seok.” 

Hoseok shifts, making a small noise as he presses closer. He’s hotter than the water, running a fever that makes even Yoongi start sweating. “It’s time. I’m burning up, please.” 

Yoongi quiets his pleading with a gentle kiss. “I know baby but I haven’t finished washing the paint off.” 

“I don’t care, I don’t care-” 

He’s too far gone to reason with and Yoongi knows he can’t keep him waiting for much longer. Their hands and legs stained a light blue, Yoongi helps Hoseok step out from the tub and lay out on the furs. He looks beautiful, his hard cock curving against his stomach, his legs parted wide. Yoongi settles between them and Hoseok arches up against him. 

“I love you, my alpha,” Hoseok pants, grinding his cock against Yoongi’s stomach. “Kiss me. Make me yours.”

To say Yoongi hasn’t dreamed about this very moment would be a lie. Except back then it had seemed like such an impossibility. Now, Hoseok's love is all encompassing and there’s no doubt about it. Even in the midst of his heat, he smells strongly like the two of them. He leans down and kisses Hoseok slowly, tenderly. He wants to drag out the moment, groaning at the gentle swipe of Hoseok’s tongue against his own. They kiss like that for a while, until the omega grows impatient and his scent grows so thick Yoongi feels like he could choke on it, his scent flaring in response. 

“You’re impatient,” Yoongi says, nipping at Hoseok’s lower lip. 

“I’m in heat .” 

He really is now, a raging little inferno under Yoongi’s hands. He can’t stop moving, squirming atop the furs and spreading his slick everywhere. Yoongi watches him with half lidded eyes, trailing a hand down his chest and the taut muscle of his belly. He stops there, admiring and he treads further into his imagination, picturing the skin there stretching and rounding out so perfect. His mate with his pup. 

Lower. Yoongi’s hands slip over those supple thighs, sliding between them and pressing inside where Hoseok is wettest. The omega whines, shifting lower to try and get more fingers inside of him. It’s too cruel to tease him but the sight he makes is well worth it, flushed from the tips of his ears to his pretty chest. Sweat beats at Hoseok’s temples when Yoongi adds a third finger, knowing there’s no need to stretch him open, that he’s probably been ready for a while now, but he still likes the sight of it, the stretch of Hoseok’s hole around his fingers. 

“C’mon, alpha,” Hoseok whines, hooking a hand under his knee and holding his leg to his chest, his neck bared to the side. It’s a clear invitation, one Yoongi won’t deny any longer. He pulls his fingers out and makes sure Hoseok is watching as he licks them clean one by one. The taste is intoxicating, addicting, better than any food he’s ever had. He reaches down again and scoops up a glob of it, using it to slick his cock as he lines up just right. 

He doesn’t know who makes what noise when he slides inside. There’s a whimper, a groan, he thinks he hears Hoseok say his name as he clings to him tightly. That scent is choking him, removing all the air in his lungs and replacing it with just Hoseok . His hips move forward, almost involuntarily as if he’s trying to bury himself even deeper. 

“C’mon,” Hoseok slurs in his ear. “C’mon alpha, give me your knot. Mark me.” 

To Yoongi’s dismay, he can feel his knot start to swell at those words, tugging against Hoseok’s rim with every outward stroke. It won’t be long now, the moment closer than ever. Yoongi’s heat-addled mind chants my mate, my mate, my mate. 

He bends, nips at Hoseok’s scent gland and the omega comes between them almost immediately. He arches his back so hard Yoongi worries he might hurt himself, his hand soothing at the taut muscle as he coos at the omega. But in heat, there’s no such thing as coming down from an orgasm. A few moments later, Hoseok’s fire only burns hotter and he grinds down on Yoongi’s cock impatiently. 

“C’mon, fuck, alpha- ” 

Yoongi’s head is spinning by the time his knot grows too large to take out, his hips grinding forward hard as he spills inside and finally bites -

Hoseok screams, so, so loud as he comes a second time in less than a minute, clinging to his alpha. Yoongi pulls back to look at his handiwork, the bite mark deep and bleeding and beautiful. It will be there forever,  there will be no doubt of who the pretty omega shares his soul with. After it’s done, he bears his neck to Hoseok and doesn’t hold back the noise he makes as teeth sink into his skin. Surely the entire world heard it. 

“Mine,” Hoseok mumbles, licking at the wound. Yoongi can feel him in more ways than just physically. There is another presence in his mind now, a steady heart beating beside his. In his body there is no longer a single soul but two. They kiss like that, sloppy and bloody and wet. 

Yoongi breathes him in, knowing that he’s exactly where he belongs. 

Hoseok is walking along the beach when he sees it, the big black wolf headed his way, running hard and kicking up sand, growing steadily bigger from the small dot it had been only a few seconds before. He isn’t scared. Instead, he smiles wide, even when the wolf looks like it’s going to run right into him. But it stops just in time, silver eyes staring intently back at him. 

“Hello,” Hoseok says, running his finger through that soft, dark fur. The wolf is practically purring, a low rumbling from deep within it’s chest. Taking a step closer, a cold nose nuzzles against his stomach. 

It’s been four months since their mating and the bump is fairly obvious now. The pack had only found out a few days ago and they had all been practically vibrating with excitement. Yoongi, however, hasn’t spent more than a few moments away and that’s while still keeping Hoseok within his sights. 

The black wolf shifts and Yoongi takes him into his arms, breathing his scent in deeply. Hoseok doesn’t think he minds the attention so much anymore, hating to be away from his alpha. Even now, just the thought of it makes him take Yoongi’s face in his hands as if to reassure himself he’s still there. Kissing his mate deeply, Hoseok can only think about family and home.