Archive of Our Own

Intellectually, Yoongi knows that there's nothing remotely wrong with him because he's almost twenty-two and still unpresented while his eighteen-year-old bandmate is. It doesn't say anything about who he is as a person or that he isn't already an adult in every other way that matters. The only thing wrong with the situation is the burning jealousy that Yoongi feels over the fact that Taehyung has fucked Seokjin into a sobbing mess because he is an alpha.

Yoongi is only three months younger than Seokjin than three years, but he's more of a child than Taehyung just because Taehyung's ID has that little 'A' next to dynamic while Yoongi still has 'U.' He's not the only one struggling to deal with the fact that Taehyung has presented. While Seokjin presented years ago, the fact that he's an eldest and an omega meant he was treated virtually the same as everyone else in their group for good and bad. Jokes would fly around that he was their mom, which annoyed Yoongi because he was only three months younger, but it was almost expected.

But Taehyung's status as an alpha has thrown the entire group dynamic into the lurch. He's given more respect than Namjoon because he presented. He's joked as the dad to Seokjin's mom even though he's the second youngest. Seokjin touches one of them on stage, and their fans call him a good omega-hyung who just wants to make sure that his namdongsaengs are okay. Seokjin touches Taehyung, and fans will analyze their moments on stage to see if there are hints that they are secretly fucking (and it annoys Yoongi more than it should that they are correct).

Even when it comes to fanfiction, an aspect of being an idol that Yoongi has no idea how to deal with, he has to see the effects of Taehyung being an alpha. Before his presentation, their fandom seemed mainly concerned with cute fics that had no sex in them, and a lot of those featured Seokjin as actually their mother. No one wanted to write fics about unpresented men fucking, and no one wanted to breach the taboo of writing one of them fucking Seokjin. And no one wanted to write them as having presented because they had three guesses, and two of them would be wrong.

But in the absence of anything else, Yoongi's archenemy  'Taejin' has been allowed to flourish. And often, Taehyung is his father.

For fuck's sakes, he's nearly three years older than the man.

He tells himself that Seokjin will look at him in a way that isn't innocent once he presents. That even if he's a beta or an omega, he'll at least be presented, and he can tell Seokjin how he feels. He won't have to suffer through music videos like "Danger" and "War of Hormone." Where Taehyung is encouraged to wrap himself around Seokjin and sing how "It hurts so much because of you" and "Your front is the best, your back is the best" for their fans to watch over and over again on YouTube while Yoongi suffers.

Yoongi won't have to handle the man he loves telling him that he can't do anything for him because he's unpresented. He won't have the only thing he can do is get Seokjin food to come back to an alpha fucking his hyung. Yoongi has fucked omegas through their heats, omegas who haven't internalized as much of the bullshit that society pushes as Seokjin has.

He won't have to sit there with Seokjin's head in his lap as he begs Taehyung for harder. He won't have to watch Seokjin cling to Taehyung in quiet moments at the dorm, his nose buried into his neck as the omega recognizes the alpha as a protector. Yoongi wants to be the protector. He wants to be the one Seokjin curls around and whines for. He wants to be running his hand through Seokjin's hair and pressing light kisses into his neck, telling him that he's amazing.

Taehyung can do that. Yoongi can't. Taehyung can fuck Seokjin in their dorm despite the company's small attempts to give them separate rooms as if Jungkook doesn't sleep in Taehyung's bed and Hoseok sprawls on top of Namjoon while Yoongi stares at the ceiling, listening to the bitten off whines that Seokjin makes as Taehyung fucks him.

And Yoongi can hear that Taehyung is a good fuck. That makes it worse. He would be able to comfort himself with the fact that he could show Seokjin just how good sex could be if Taehyung were terrible as soon as he presented. But he's not. He's good. He can overhear everything that Taehyung does to Seokjin, and Taehyung does a lot to Seokjin.

They think that the new dorm walls are a lot thicker than they actually are, or at least Yoongi assumes so, but no one knows how to tell them. So no one does. And now Yoongi climbs up to the roof, so he doesn't have to hear Taehyung and Seokjin fuck. He attempts to write lyrics, but they all sound bad except for the ones about heartbreak, and he won't ever show them to Namjoon and Hoseok.

Because Yoongi knows he missed his chance. And it wasn't entirely because of his cowardliness, but because his biology hates him, refusing to present before Taehyung. Taehyung, with his stupidly huge dick and his beautiful smile and the only person who was able to make Seokjin feel better when he was in pain.

Since Taehyung's presentation, he has spent his time simmering with anger that doesn't have a suitable recipient. Everyone has realized Yoongi's feelings towards Seokjin but for Seokjin himself. Humiliatingly, Taehyung realized this when he was inside Seokjin and tried to pull out like that wouldn’t make things worse. Sure, Yoongi might have been dying inside, but nothing could have stopped his pain while at least Seokjin had a solution to his. His head hurts from the sympathetic stares his friends give him, and Taehyung spends his time avoiding him out of guilt. Seokjin keeps trying to talk to him about it, but Yoongi blew him off until he fucking stopped because Yoongi doesn't want to rehash that nightmare. He knows that Seokjin doesn't like him that way. He doesn't need to hear it from his mouth.

And he's going to ignore the voice in his head telling him how much it hurts the entire fucking time.

*

His presentation creeps up on him slowly. Everyone assumed that after Taehyung, they would recognize the signs of a presenting alpha, but no one notices how Yoongi is getting more headaches, how he's getting angrier, how he's getting more attached to Seokjin. He has a lot of headaches, he doesn't externalize his anger a lot, and Seokjin is the only person that can get Yoongi to cuddle without five minutes of complaining beforehand. There's nothing strange about his behavior, not even to himself.

He only realizes what's happening when they're in the middle of a movie night. He's trying to pay attention to the action on the screen, but for some reason, Seokjin's scent is powerful today. He can smell it for the first time outside of that heat. It smells delicious. Cherries and sea salt, and it's taking everything in Yoongi not to shove his legs apart and eat out Seokjin until he's wet and filthy and ready to be fucked full of Yoongi's babies. He tries to close his eyes to distract him, but he only sees a glowing and pregnant Seokjin imprinted on his eyelids, so he has to open them. What the fuck? He doesn't even have a breeding kink, but there's something about Seokjin that sparks the urge in one to impregnate.

Then something in his stomach tightens, and his dick hurts like a motherfucker, worse than what it was doing these past couple of weeks. He thinks that he's dying right now. He's bending over to groan in pain, his hands reaching out to pull Seokjin closer to him because all of his instincts are telling him that Seokjin will make things better. If he can just fuck Seokjin, he will be okay. He's kissing him somehow; his mouth finds the omega's, the omega that he has in his lap, and has an ass that fits perfectly in Yoongi's hands as he pulls him close.

In the back of his mind, he recognizes that he is presenting as an alpha, the others are yelling around him, and Seokjin is weakly squirming in his lap even as he kisses him back. However, he only begins to think straight when Seokjin is pulled away from him, and Taehyung is pinning him to the couch, yelling something at Yoongi that he doesn't want to listen to.

But Taehyung has been an alpha for longer than him, and in his subconscious, Yoongi recognizes him as a leader. It's some stupid fucking holdover from a thousand years ago that people still haven't evolved out of. It doesn't matter how much older you are than someone. If they've been an alpha longer, they can take charge in a situation. Yoongi is dying to touch Seokjin, but whiskey and lemons fill his mind, and he can't touch Seokjin because Taehyung won't allow it. He wants to fucking rip out Taehyung's throat, but he can't do it because the scent just gets stronger. Taehyung's eyes are wild and dark as Hoseok helps Seokjin stand up from where he fell on the ground, and he's growling for Yoongi to listen to him.

He growls back at the brat, but he is so new to this that he doesn't know how to make his throat move the right way. On the other hand, Taehyung knows exactly what to do. "Listen to me, hyung," Taehyung snaps at him, his hands on his shoulders. It's like he's being yelled at through water, and while Yoongi knows that what Taehyung is telling him is likely very important, he just can't bring himself to care. All he knows is that he wants to curl up with the pretty omega, and this stupid alpha is preventing him from achieving that desire, and Yoongi can't even figure out a way to fight back.

He can only listen to the vibrations crawling out of Taehyung's throat.

"Hyung, you're presenting," Taehyung tells him, his voice strict and steady. "I know you're feeling a lot right now. It is a lot right now. But you need to focus on the fact that Jin-hyung might go into an early heat because of you, and that could be bad."

"It's too late," Hoseok whispers in shock somewhere off to the side, and Yoongi digs inside him, throwing off Taehyung even though the way he growls makes Yoongi want to duck his head because he's pissing off the elder alpha.

(Three years younger. Taehyung is three years younger than him.)

"Hyung," Yoongi whispers, wobbling over to Seokjin. The omega is staring at him in shock, and he's so fucking pretty. Yoongi loves him so much. He wants to breed him. He wants to fill him with babies. He wants to bite the junction of his neck and shoulder and never let go. He's kissing Seokjin again, his lips melding into the soft plumpness that makes his heart thump with joy.

And Seokjin is kissing back . His hands are tight in Yoongi's shirt, his knees going weak as he struggles not to collapse, and Yoongi wraps his hands around his waist to keep him steady. He is the one doing this to Seokjin. Not Taehyung. Yoongi is the one who Seokjin is kissing back, who is the one making slick slide down his thighs and making the entire dorm smell like cherries and sea salt. Taehyung's whiskey and lemon are somewhere behind him, soft and edged with worry, but he's not stopping Yoongi now.

There's another scent, something like a bonfire and pine, and it confuses him for a moment before he realizes that it's his scent. He likes it. He thinks that Seokjin does too.

Yoongi doesn't know how long he spends kissing Seokjin, but he could do it forever. He would be okay dying from lack of air because Seokjin was swallowing every aspect of Yoongi. It's already his. But Seokjin needs air, and he pulls back. Yoongi's heart is thudding loudly, so hard that he can hear it in his ears, and he pants, gripping Seokjin's hips so tightly that he's going to have bruises there for days.

"Yoongichi," Seokjin whimpers, curling up into Yoongi's chest, allowing Yoongi to pick him up and sling his legs around Yoongi's waist. He feels light. He doesn't know if that's just how Seokjin feels or if it's his new alpha strength that just makes this pretty omega so light and soft in his hold. "Yoongi, we need to talk. I need to-"

Yoongi doesn't want to talk. Yoongi hasn't been able to speak to Seokjin since Taehyung's rut. He's been too upset, or Seokjin's been too nervous, or Taehyung has been around, an ever-present reminder that Yoongi had to hold Seokjin's hand while he was getting fucked. He knows they should talk about something, but Yoongi can't talk about it right now. Because once they begin talking about it, Yoongi doesn't know if he will be able to keep all his emotions inside him. He doesn't want to let them out. He just wants to focus on how Seokjin feels in his arms.

He just starts walking towards Seokjin's room, laying him down carefully on the bed while he mauls his neck, listening to the sweet sounds falling out of Seokjin's mouth and not the requests to talk.

As long as Seokjin is willing to let Yoongi fuck him, then Yoongi's going to fuck him.

He hears Taehyung behind him, but he's not stopping them. He can feel his sharp gaze on his back, and Yoongi knows that Taehyung will stop him from hurting Seokjin, from pushing him too far.

Taehyung is paying him back for what Yoongi had to do months ago. But, of course, Taehyung can fuck Seokjin on the regular, was the one who took their hyung's virginity, so he'll never actually know the pain that Yoongi had to go through.

Fucking Seokjin is everything that Yoongi thought it was going to be. He dreamed about it, especially before Taehyung presented. Sometimes he would imagine that he would be an alpha, sometimes a beta, other times an omega. It was rarely imagining Seokjin realizing that Yoongi being unpresented wasn't a big deal. That Yoongi was only three months younger, that he's had sex with a lot of people while Seokjin is still a virgin, that he knows Seokjin has issues, and Yoongi is here to guide him through it and make him feel so fucking good that he won't be able to think.

Seokjin looks like he did when Taehyung filled him up, but Yoongi prefers this position better. And he can't believe how tight Seokjin feels around him. How the crawling feeling beneath his skin disappears as soon as he slides into his hyung. How Seokjin clings to Yoongi while Yoongi fucks him slow and gentle, unwilling to be rough because Seokjin deserves to be worshipped. He deserves to be treasured. He deserves to be called an angel and have his tears kissed from his cheeks. Yoongi has never had such sweet sex, and he never thought he would like it.

But there's nothing that Seokjin deserves more.

He can feel the bed dipping as Taehyung sits down, observing them carefully. A hand lands on his back just as another threads through Seokjin's hair. "Beautiful hyungs," he hears Taehyung whisper, and it makes him blush. Seokjin is beautiful, but he's not. Seokjin is a gift to this world, and Yoongi is just a jealous asshole with a fucked up brain.

Taehyung is nicer than Yoongi would be because if he had Seokjin first, he wouldn't be able to share him with anyone.

He buries his face in Seokjin's neck as he continues to fuck him, deep and slow, feeling the way that Seokjin just makes himself small and delicate in Yoongi's arms, something that deserves all the care in the world. He can hear Taehyung's harsh panting next to them and is confident that Taehyung must be hard, but he's not doing anything yet. He's just letting Yoongi ride out the first fuck of his rut. It's a strange, almost painful feeling in his gut right now, but he wants to suffer through it. He knows that he can do it.

His orgasm hits him as a surprise, and Taehyung's hand is between him and Seokjin, stroking Seokjin to his own. Yoongi attempts to recover because he has never orgasmed before as an alpha. It takes him a second to realize that orgasming as an alpha equals knotting, at least when he isn't purposefully staving it off. When he feels it expand a moment later, it feels like a punch in the fucking gut.

It doesn't hurt. It just feels like pressure in his dick, pressure that would hurt but for Seokjin clamping down around him, whimpering as he keeps Yoongi's knot tight inside him. Yoongi wonders if it hurts too much. He wonders if Seokjin likes the pain. He knows that Taehyung knots him often. He hears him begging for it every other night.

"Hyung, are you okay?" Taehyung asks, and Yoongi's not sure which hyung is being spoken to right now. He doesn't see how it could be him, but he feels Taehyung's eyes on him all the same. He ends up opting not to say anything, just rolling Seokjin and himself over so that his head can land on a pillow. Seokjin instantly readjusts to keep himself curled around Yoongi, and he pretends that he doesn't hear the deep sigh that escapes Taehyung's lips.

He hears Taehyung undress, sliding underneath the covers with them, pressing himself into Seokjin's back and wrapping an arm around his body while a large hand lands on Yoongi's hip.

He decides not to buck it off. It's just because he's tired. It's because Seokjin smells so good. It's because Yoongi has been in so much pain these past few months. It's because he misses the way things used to be. It's because he feels guilty about how he's been pulling away from the both of them because of something they couldn't control and something they knew nothing about. It's just because he wants to know that he's loved.

He realizes that he's crying into Seokjin's neck, glad that his hyung is asleep and glad that Taehyung can't see his face right now. He doesn't want them to witness this, not until he knows what even happened.

He keeps his arms wrapped around Seokjin as he makes himself breathe evenly. Finally, he hears Taehyung fall asleep, and eventually, his knot deflates. He doesn't pull out of Seokjin, but the pressure is gone. He's glad while at the same time he misses it. He wonders if Seokjin would be willing to let him eat him out later. He knows he loves it when Taehyung goes down on him and feasts.

He wonders if there's anything he could do with Seokjin that Taehyung hasn't done first. He knows that it's ridiculous to care. Yoongi doubts there's anything he could do with Seokjin that he hasn't done with someone else first. If Seokjin had a longer sexual history, Yoongi doesn't think he would care. But because everything that Yoongi has wanted to do with Seokjin is something that one person and only one person has done with him, it's with the person lying in bed next to them.

He needs some air. The realization crashes on top of him because even though he would love to stay in this bed, he can't. He needs to take a deep breath and try to pretend that his entire world isn't reorganizing itself on top of him.

He stumbles out of bed, shrugging back on his t-shirt and pajama pants as he gets out of the dorm, races to the top of the building, and flings open the door to take in a deep breath, his heart thudding wildly in his head as he tries to figure out how to get out of this panic attack.

The Seoul skyline is pretty to look at, and he keeps his eyes focused on it, on the proof that even late at night, people are living. The night air is chilly, and he doesn't even know what time it is, just that the sky is as inky black as it can be in this era of light pollution. He thinks that it's probably really late. He sits down on the roof, allowing the cool air to slide over his skin and take the edge off of his rut. His body is begging him to go downstairs and fuck Seokjin again, but his mind needs this break.

He zones out, allowing himself to just exist at this moment. It's so rare when he gets times when his mind is just silent that he never wants to break the magic. He doesn't even notice that he's up here much longer than it takes to get some air until Jungkook plops down next to him, looking at him with worry and anger.

Yoongi slowly blinks at him. "Shit," he says, his voice hoarse. "How long has it been?"

"We've been looking for you for twenty minutes," Jungkook scolds. "So at least that long."

Yoongi nods. He'll feel guilty later. He can feel it being added to the emotional queue. But, right now, he just wants to stay in this delightful emptiness. "Tae and Jin-hyung?"

"Jin-hyung's crying," Jungkook hisses out, his eyes narrowing. "And V-hyung is calming him down while worrying about you. He's in heat, hyung. You know how emotional he gets, so why were you-"

"Jin-hyung isn't the only one who feels emotions," Yoongi snaps, and then the guilt slams into him at the look on Jungkook's face because he knows that Seokjin is worried about him and frustrated at his fluctuating emotions. No one likes to see anyone cry, but it's worse with Seokjin when he's in heat. Because he so clearly hates crying during it because he can never stop, and you just want to comfort him and tell him that it's okay to cry over the toast coming out slightly burnt, he isn't ridiculous. Because he isn't, and Yoongi will defend that because it's never just toast. And Jungkook is just a kid going through a lot like all of them are.

Seokjin being an omega is part of the status quo, but Taehyung being an alpha isn't. Yoongi might be the only one in love with Seokjin, but he was not the only one whose life got sucked into a whirlwind and told just to accept it because no one knew how to begin the conversation. At least Jungkook is the only one younger than Taehyung, but he's sure that the others are right where Yoongi is, wondering why Taehyung has presented and is seen as more mature than they are by society when they know it's not the case.

And just when it feels like maybe things have settled, Yoongi presents and throws everything up in the air again.

Jungkook looks down at the ground. "Sorry," he mumbles. "I know he's not. It was just really scary waking up to V-hyung asking us if we knew where you were, and then realizing that no one knew. You just left. And we knew you were still in rut, so we didn't know what would happen. Last time, V-hyung ended up sneaking all the way to the hotel, but at least he was trying to get to Jin-hyung. We had no idea where you could be."

Yoongi reaches out to rub Jungkook's back. "I know, Kook-ah. I just needed some air. It was just a lot."

"I thought you would be happy," Jungkook continues, the words falling out of his mouth faster than it looks like he expects them to. "You've wanted Jin-hyung for so long, and now you've presented and you shared your rut with him. I thought it would be your dream."

"Taehyung wasn't in my dreams," Yoongi forces out. "And I've already had to live out the nightmare of watching them fuck. Taehyung doing everything with Jin-hyung that I wanted to do. Listening to them fuck almost every night, and not asking them to quiet down because we can hear them because I was scared they would already know that and not care. And the only one of you I ever thought could present before me was Namjoon. Maybe Hoseok would be a dark horse, but it was never Taehyung." He pulls Jungkook close to him. "I know you don't realize this because he's almost two years older than you, but it's humiliating. We're all older than him, we're all his hyungs, but he's the only one that people will see as a complete adult because he can pop a knot. It's embarrassing to be expected to still be cute while Taehyung can be hot. I'm not allowed to be an adult when he's in the room because of this one stupid thing that everyone cares about but me. And sometimes I wish I cared about it too just so I wouldn't be so alone."

Jungkook blinks at him. "Are you sure you're the only one who cares? The other hyungs probably feel the same way."

Yoongi shrugs, not wanting to meet Jungkook's eyes but forcing himself all the same. "Because I'm scared they don't." It hurts to realize the truth. "I've been scared of a lot, and I didn't say anything about it. I was scared that no one else felt how I felt, so I didn't say anything because it was better to not be certain I was alone rather than know. I didn't say anything to Jin-hyung about my feelings for him because I was scared of him rejecting me, and I didn't tell him about how much it fucking hurt to hold him afterwards because I was afraid I would hear the words I was dreading."

"But he had sex with you," Jungkook whispers. "You just spent your rut together."

"I know!" Yoongi yells, wincing at how it carries and makes Jungkook flinch. He softens his voice. "I know. And maybe that means something. Or maybe it's because I sent him into heat and since fucking Taehyung through his first rut worked out, he just went along with it. He doesn't have any feelings for me. He just let it happen. It was nice for him, and he would do it for any of you, but it's Taehyung he wants and he'll just pity fuck us all throughout our presentation ruts. And I'm up here because I know that once I go downstairs, I'll have to find out the truth. I can't be scared anymore."

He hears Jungkook swallow. "Can I stay up here with you, hyung? Until you're ready."

Yoongi tucks Jungkook's head underneath his chin. "Yeah. I'd like that."

*

Jungkook texted Namjoon that he found Yoongi and was with him so the others could stop worrying, and they'd come back to the dorm in a little bit. It wasn't until Jungkook couldn't hide his shivers anymore that Yoongi finally forced himself to stand up and take their asses back downstairs.

The others are scattered around the living room. Jimin and Seokjin are on the couch, Seokjin's head on Jimin's shoulder while the younger one plays with his hair. Namjoon is sitting next to them, anxiously scrolling through his phone. Hoseok is in a chair, Taehyung at his feet with his eyes closed. They snap open to look at Yoongi and Jungkook as soon as they get inside, just like everyone else.

No one says anything. They all stare at each other, anger and relief on their faces. Guilt flashes through Yoongi again because he's pretty sure if he woke up to the news that one of them went missing during their presentation rut, he would be screaming at them for being such a stupid idiot already.

It's Jungkook who breaks the ice, clearing his throat as he sits down on the floor next to Namjoon. Yoongi takes the other chair. He's exhausted, he realizes suddenly, but he wants to have this conversation more than he wants to sleep. He's pretty sure that if he goes to sleep, he'll lose his courage.

"We need to talk," Jungkook begins, not looking at anything other than the wall to gain his courage. "All of us. I think we haven't been honest about what's going on because it's scary and we don't want to hurt feelings. And we want to think that nothing's changed. But things have. And it's not good that we're pretending they haven't just because we don't want to talk about it."

Yoongi's proud of the kid. Jungkook shifts in his seat. "I'll go first, I guess. Um, V-hyung, Jin-hyung, we can hear you having sex." The way both of their faces drain of blood tells Yoongi that they had no idea they were being heard, and he doesn't know why it makes him feel worse. He should be glad that they know. That way, they can fucking stop now. "I know we should have said something earlier, but it was awkward, and then it just got more awkward the longer it went on, and no one said anything." 

He scratches the back of his neck and takes a deep breath, stumbling over his following words but still getting them out. "And it bothers me how I never know what room I'm going to be sleeping in at night because I don't know if Hobi-hyung is going to ask if you guys need the room cleared. And it bothers me how none of you ask for my opinion. Hobi-hyung, you ask, and you guys tell him yes or no, and you don't think about the fact that it's not just your room, but it's supposed to be mine too. And it doesn't feel like it. I don't mind staying in the other room occasionally, but I want it planned out. I want to be asked, not just told. So that's what's bothering me. Someone else can go now."

Yoongi looks at the others, wanting someone else to go. He wants to be last. He wants to hear what everyone else has to say. He wants just a little bit longer before his entire world could come crumbling down around him. But just when he thinks that he might have to bite the bullet, Hoseok comes through.

"Kookie," he breathes out, pain in his eyes. "I'm so sorry." Taehyung nods next to him. "I didn't think about how it would bother you. I was just . . . I was just trying to pretend like I was okay that Taehyung presented." He smiles bitterly. "People always talked about who would be the first to present. It was always Yoongi-hyung or Namjoon. And it felt like everyone kind of forgot that I existed. I'm older than Namjoon, and yeah, he's the leader, but what does that have to do with presentation order? If Yoongi wasn't the first one, logic would dictate that I was just as likely to be it than Namjoon, and it bothered me that no one considered it. So part of me was really fucking glad that Taehyung presented before either of them. Even though I really wish it had been me, it felt like everyone was being put in their place. That a maknae could present before either of his hyungs. But then another part of me was really bitter that Taehyung presented before I did because I really wanted it to be me."

He glances at both Yoongi and Namjoon but turns away just as quickly, blushing from embarrassment. "I sometimes feel like people only think there's three members of the hyung line. I'm not the eldest or close in age to it and I'm not the leader. But I'm older than Namjoon, so I can't be a maknae. I know people don't forget me , but I sometimes feel that people forget that I'm older than half of you. So I had this thought that if I presented first, people would finally realize that. But when Taehyung presented, it just felt like people finally believed there were four members of the hyung line, but I wasn't one of them."

Hoseok leans down, kissing the top of Taehyung's head. The younger man brings his hand up to squeeze Hoseok's knee. He takes a deep breath before he forces himself to continue. "Then I felt guilty because it isn't Taehyung's fault. He wasn't being an asshole and demanding that I treat him like he was my hyung just because he presented. It's just biology. So I offered the room because I wanted to pretend that I wasn't bitter. But I didn't think about the fact that it was your room too, Kookie. You had just as much of a right to offer or deny as I did. I should have made sure of that. I should have always asked you before I asked them. I'm sorry."

It's the most Yoongi's ever heard Hoseok talk about the things that bother him, the sunshine smile gone as he finally admits that he isn't always happy. He thinks that's the case for all of them as they stare at him, the man squirming under their gaze.

"I didn't know," Jungkook says, looking at Hoseok with sympathy. "I'm sorry you felt like that. And . . . thanks, for telling me why." He wipes his hands on his pants.

Two down, five to go, and Yoongi wonders who's going to be the brave one next.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to be left behind," Jimin admits. Seokjin's head tilts up, looking at him with gentle eyes. Jimin doesn't stop playing with his hair, but he refuses to look at him. "Tae's only a couple months younger than me, so I always knew that there was a good chance that he would present before I did, but I didn't expect him to present before everyone else. And I didn't expect how much it would hurt that suddenly you're an adult. Like an adult-adult. Because you're an alpha, and it's just weird . Before, Jin-hyung was the only one who presented and it made sense, but now you guys have both presented."

Jimin glances toward Taehyung, looking away quickly at the compassion in his soulmate's eyes. He hugs Seokjin to him tighter. "And it's also scary. Growing up. Knowing that you presented and I could present any day. I don't think I'm ready for that. And I know that everyone thinks I'm going to be an omega, and I know why they think that. I know why they want to believe it. And it makes me scared that I will present as an omega because I really don't want to be one and then I feel bad. I feel like I'm dreading my presentation while everyone else is looking forward to it, and I honestly just want to get it over with. Find out if I'm going to be an omega or not and rip the band-aid off."

"I was terrified too," Taehyung admits, his eyes watery with tears. "Fuck, I still am. It's scary being an adult-adult. Everyone treats me like I'm supposed to know what the fuck I'm doing. Like because I have a knot, I know more than the hyungs do. There's a part of me that still wants to be unpresented because I feel like I did all of this." He sobs, burrowing his head in his arms, and it hits Yoongi that Taehyung is three years younger . "It's all my fault that everything is awkward and Yoongi-hyung is upset. That I couldn't control myself from fucking Jin-hyung when I didn't even mean to. I was just scared and I woke up alone, and when I overheard Namjoon-hyung mention where he was, I had to go because everything hurt and everything was telling me that he would make it better. And then I see him and I kiss him and everything goes to hell."

Hoseok slides down to the floor, wrapping Taehyung up in his arms, and it hurts Yoongi that he's so upset. He's spent so much time being angry at Taehyung for something he had no control over. Yeah, he could have done better about not shoving things in Yoongi's face over these past few months, but his actual rut was terrifying and a massive moment in his life, and Yoongi gave him no sympathy. Instead, he just got mad at him for hurting his feelings when he didn't even know those feelings existed.

"And I'm so sorry you guys hear us having sex, but I don't think you guys understand what it's like to be pulled into meetings with people who are telling who exactly how sexy you can and can't be on stage. During meets. On camera. Everywhere. Planning out moments for fanservice and debating what would play better to audiences, and you can't do anything about it because these people can make or break your career. It's just me and Jin-hyung in there, hearing how other people think we should be, and then we come back here and we don't have to hear them. I kiss Jin-hyung however I want, and I don't have to be nervous that some manager is going to yell at me because I didn't make it hot enough or I shouldn't have made it so sexy. I can just kiss him."

Taehyung wipes his face roughly with his hand, going straight back into his arms once he's cleaned himself up enough for the new tears to fall unchecked. "I know that I'm supposed to be an alpha. And I like being an alpha. And I like being with Jin-hyung. But sometimes, I still want to be Kim Taehyung, an unpresented kid, rather than Kim Taehyung, an adult alpha. And I know that's not possible."

His breathing is loud in the quiet room, his confession reverberating around the space. The look on Seokjin's face tells Yoongi that he never realized what Taehyung was bottling up either. He's sitting up now, his hands twitching like he wants to hug Taehyung, but for some reason, he's not moving. Yoongi hopes that it's not because of him.

"I, um," Namjoon begins, his eyes wide as he looks at them. "Just want to add that the loud sex is annoying and I don't like that Taehyung presented before me. I have no deeper psychological issue underpinning anything right now. Except that I would appreciate Hoseok sleeping in his own bed some more because he kicks. That's it." He nods towards Yoongi and then Seokjin. "So I guess continue on?"

They all stare at Namjoon except for Taehyung, but it's Taehyung who begins to giggle, his head still in his arms. It spreads around the room until they're all laughing at something that isn't even funny, because of course, Namjoon doesn't have a severe issue with anything right now. He's the first person to make them talk about their problems, and Yoongi is pretty sure that they all had these issues that he had no idea about is going to fuck him up more than anything that's happened since Taehyung presented.

He doesn't know how long they laugh. He doesn't know how Jungkook is rolling around on the floor or why Hoseok is red. He doesn't understand why he has tears falling down his cheeks as his mouth hurts from laughing. It just feels so fucking good. Eventually, they all manage to settle down. Namjoon just looks even more terrified and confused by them.

But Yoongi knows who is supposed to talk next. He knows that it might have to be him, opening his mouth to begin, but Seokjin beats him to the punch. Yoongi can't stop the sigh of relief that flows out of him. He knows that Seokjin hears it. He's glad he doesn't say anything about it.

"Sex has always been terrifying for me," he begins, his voice silted. "I presented young. You guys know that. Really young. And it fucks you up. I don't think I've ever told you guys why because I didn't want you to know how much I was afraid of it. It's one thing to know intellectually that the age of consent if you're presented is sixteen and twenty-one if you're not, but it's another to fucking live it. And I lived it."

A sob escapes him, one that hiccups full of pain, and it makes Yoongi want to claw his ears off. "I was sixteen, and people would proposition me, alphas in their twenties and thirties, and there was no one to help me because it was okay. It wasn't okay. I was terrified of walking outside if close enough to my heat. I believed that someone would rape me and make everyone think that I wanted it. And I couldn't explore sex with my peers because I was the only one who had presented so young, and despite being the same age, I was too mature for them to date. So everyone got to figure it out while I just had questions and terror. So I don't own sex toys not because I don't want them, but because I'm still so nervous about the thought of buying them that I want to cry."

He reaches his hand out towards Taehyung, who grabs it instantly. Yoongi's stomach shakes revulsion and fury because while he knew that Seokjin had issues with sex, he didn't realize that he had such fucking trauma. Seokjin's thumb swipes the back of Taehyung's knuckles, his head in Jimin's lap, who pets his hair. Jimin looks just as upset as Yoongi feels. They all do. The only one who doesn't look surprised is Taehyung, but he still looks ready to kill.

"Taehyung was the first alpha I've ever truly trusted. It's special and it's not. Special because when he kissed me in that hotel room, I wasn't aware of terror. I knew that he was never going to hurt me. It felt so good not to be scared. It was my first kiss and my first time, and I had been convinced for years that both of those things would be eventually taken from me by someone who scared me, and then it wasn't. But the first alpha I was always going to trust for the first time was always going to be whoever presented first. It just happened to be Tae." He smiles weakly at Taehyung. "Please don't think I don't love you, but-"

"It's okay, hyung," Taehyung whispers. "I know what you mean."

Seokjin closes his eyes, shaking his head. "God, Tae. There's nothing I would change about us." He still holds onto Taehyung's hand when he turns to look at Yoongi. "But I would change how I treated you."

"Hyung," Yoongi forces out. "It's okay. I understand."

"I'm glad you understand, but it's not okay ," Seokjin stresses. "It wasn't right. I didn't realize you could hear us have sex, but we didn't hide what we're doing which was still a shitty thing to do. I tried to talk to you, and instead of telling you that we needed to have this conversation, I accepted your blow offs and told myself that if you didn't want to talk, I shouldn't force you even though we needed to clear the air. We needed to talk. I still don't know what I should have said, but we needed to have that. We both deserved it. I should have told you my issues with sex. And I should have respected the fact that you're not a kid. That if presentation doesn't mean adulthood, then unpresentation doesn't equal childhood. You're an adult, and only three months younger than me."

He blushes, looking down at his lap. "And with a lot more sexual experience than I have," he whispers. "I won't lie. That scared me. I thought . . . I had these weird thing in my head that before I talked with you, I should get better at sex. That if something happened, you would realize that I wasn't very good and wondered why you wasted your time on me. And I was also worried that maybe you only wanted me because I was a virgin. People . . . people liked that fact growing up. A pretty omega whose never been fucked."

"God, no, hyung," Yoongi spits out, bile rising in his throat. He had been upset that Seokjin hadn't wanted to have sex with him. He had been angry in some strange way. Seokjin had been dealing with this sexual trauma for years, and Yoongi had acted enough like those fucking pieces of shit alphas that he was afraid that him no longer being a virgin was something that would make Yoongi mad. "It was never about you being a virgin. That wasn't what I cared about. It was. . . . It was the idea of you trusting me with something that you couldn't trust with anyone before." He squeezes his eyes tightly, but tears still manage to leak out of them. "I was upset that it was something that didn't happen with me and that Taehyung got that trust." He forces his eyes open, making himself look at Taehyung, who is staring at Seokjin in devastation, just like the others. "But I shouldn't have been because Tae is a great person to give that trust to. And it's my bullshit to deal with, not either of yours."

Seokjin sobs, nodding his head. "Thank you," he whispers. "I knew that, but . . . thank you." He wipes his face. "And then aside from all of that, I started thinking about if we were found out. Because it would be a scandal, but Taehyung’s presented. We would get through that. But if me and you started something and were found out. . . . Yoongi, you only just turned twenty-one. And even if it's legal and we have no issue, everything would be ruined for me. There would be no coming back from that."

"There wouldn't have been," Yoongi agrees, wiping his shaky, sweaty hands on his sweatpants. "It hurt so much to walk into that hotel room and see you underneath Taehyung. I had in my head this dream that as soon as I presented, I could tell you how I felt and you would accept it. Seeing you made me realize that it was just a dream. You had no idea how I felt. I shouldn't expect you to. I shouldn't have expected Taehyung to know either. And even if you both did, I shouldn't demand that you stop seeing each other because it hurts my feelings. But I still should have said something."

He stands up, stumbling over to the couch to pull Seokjin into his lap, breathing in his sweet scent because he's just so tired, but he finally feels like he can breathe again. "I had in my head that I needed to be selfless and just let you guys be together without talking about it because that would be easier, but all it did was make me resent you for not reading my mind and making you think that I was cool with things I wasn't. And I had it in my head that I was the only injured party here, that you two didn't have shit that you were dealing with. I didn't think about how having sex with me while I was unpresented could have terrifying consequences for you, hyung, and you had a right to decide that you didn't want to go through them."

He presses a kiss to his hair. "Or that your issues with sex aren't something I need to fix or something that I was the only one entitled to figuring out with you." He frowns, then shakes his head. "No, your fucking trauma with sex. Hyung, what you had to deal with. . . . You shouldn't have had to go through that. You should have been allowed to be a kid. You shouldn't have felt like so much of your worth was tied to your virginity and I fucking hate that you had to deal with all of that alone. And I'm so, so sorry that I couldn't be someone that you could count on to help you because of my issues. Because of what I felt I was due in some way. Maybe not from you, but from the universe, when . . . well, it probably doesn't make a difference in the scheme of things."

He fumbles a hand around until he clasps it on top of Taehyung's over Seokjin's. "And I didn't think about how you two having to be in these new roles would be fucking with you and that sex might be outlet that you guys needed, not the universe punishing me. And I didn't think about how scary it must have been for Tae to present, how me being mad at him for something he couldn't control or know about wasn't right just because I was upset. I told myself I was being selfless, but I made myself into a martyr I wasn't."

Seokjin reaches a hand up to wipe the tears from his cheeks, pressing his face into Yoongi's neck. "I understand. We both really fucked up." His big brown eyes look up at him, and Yoongi is vaguely aware that everyone but Taehyung has left the living room. "But we'll talk more in the future. At least I will. I promise."

"I promise too." Yoongi turns away from Seokjin to look at the younger boy. "Both of you." He takes a deep breath. "I don't want to ask you to break up. I can't promise that I won't be jealous, but I promise I'll talk about anything that's bothering me. But, um. . . . Give me some time to get used to the fact that this isn't exactly how I saw us getting together. Or that Taehyung is involved with us and I'm involved with you two. Nothing is like how you dream it, but this isn't anything close to how I imagined it."

Taehyung grins at that, and it hits Yoongi that it's been months since Taehyung has smiled at him. He's looked nervous and careful around him, never happy. "I can do that, hyung." He slides up on the couch next to them, tucking himself against Yoongi's body. "And being an alpha's fun! I think I'll enjoy it more now that you're one. It won't be just me that has to be the sex appeal of Bangtan." He laughs at that, a noise that sounds fake to both their ears. Yoongi and Seokjin share a look and then look back at Taehyung.

"Tae, if it's ever too much, if you ever feel overwhelmed, then come to us," Seokjin whispers. "I don't want you to get traumatized by sex too."

Taehyung shakes his head, upset at the mere mention. "No, it's okay! I do come to you. The days were it's overwhelming are the days were I ask if I can cockwarm you because you always feel so nice and it settles something in my brain." He smiles again. "I know what you're worried about, hyung, but sex is relaxing for me. It calms me down. Even when the problem's related to sex, it still solves it. Just in different ways on different days. I promise."

Yoongi believes him. Now that the emotional moment is over,  Taehyung is checking out Seokjin again, his eyes trailing his body even as it curls into Yoongi. He wonders if he needs the release.

"Hey," Taehyung drops his voice even deeper, glancing towards the rooms to make sure no one else is around. "I need to say that watching you two fuck was the hottest thing. Yoongi-hyung, you just destroyed Jinnie. It was so cute to get him so pink and to hear him making those little whimpering noises. It always is, but I could enjoy it more when I didn't have to do all the work."

" Tae ," Seokjin whispers, kicking his foot out as he hides his face. Yoongi sits still, his body reminding him very viciously that he is still in rut and it's been ignored long enough. "Shut up."

"No, kitty," Taehyung continues, staring at Seokjin's foot. "Daddy won't."

Taehyung calling himself daddy should be ridiculous because he's eighteen and still hasn't grown into his ears or his nose, but something about his grin sharpens, and his eyes darken. Yoongi catches glimpses of the alpha he's going to become. Strong and powerful because all seven of them need to sit around and talk about what it means that Taehyung is the first presented alpha of their group, and evolution is making them work to see Taehyung as the leader of the tribe. Months of their unpresented bodies, or it could even be years, recognizing Taehyung as an alpha that won't go away if and when they present as alphas. Jungkook is possibly the only one who isn't thinking about it.

He gulps as he holds Seokjin in his arms, forcing his gaze to meet Taehyung's. "Do you want to see it again?"

Taehyung's smile gets wider, darker, wilder. "Yeah, hyung. I do."

*

Seokjin is beautiful when Yoongi has two fingers inside of him, rubbing them against his prostate because he wants to see him come undone before he even sticks his dick inside him. He wants Seokjin to be gone before they begin. He wants to make every single fantasy of his as much of a reality as it can be with Taehyung sitting next to his bed, eating grapes.

They wanted to give Jungkook back his bed tonight, so he and Hoseok are back in their room. Jimin has claimed Seokjin's bed, and he thinks Namjoon has to suffer one more night of Hoseok's kicking. He doesn't care.

He only cares about Seokjin and figuring out why he likes being watched. At least watched by Taehyung. His sharp eyes aren't missing a thing as they take in how Yoongi fingerfucks Seokjin or how Seokjin kept wanting to hide his face until Taehyung tied him up with effortless expertise. Now it's easy to see his pink cheeks and his plumb lips, the way he fidgets in embarrassment. It's a lot like how he looked when Taehyung fucked him, and Yoongi wonders if this is only what Seokjin's like during heats, or if he's this adorable every time they get into bed.

Taehyung laughs when he asks, popping another grape into his mouth. "Every single time. You know I gagged him half the time? I thought he was so loud that you'd be able to hear. Of course, you guys heard way more than I thought, but if he was loud, know that was me making him quiet." He reaches over to pop a grape into Seokjin's mouth, then Yoongi's. The burst of flavor throughout his mouth reorients him. "Anyway, he's always squirming and whimpering, and your cock feels like it's always about to explode. You can choose to be nice about it, or you can torture him until he's begging whoever you want to fuck him."

Taehyung is done sitting by the edge of the bed, choosing to settle next to Seokjin. He's the only one still fully dressed, even though it's just his sweats, and unlike earlier, it doesn't feel like it's because he's trying to keep up with Yoongi's rut. Now, it's all about power. "I remember you liked it when I had him call you oppa." He hooks his thumb over Seokjin's bottom lip, pulling it down and forcing it to stay open. "Do you want him to call you oppa again? I noticed you really seemed to enjoy that last time."

"Yeah," Yoongi whispers, achingly hard. "Yeah. Call me oppa, Jinnie. Can you do that, baby?"

Seokjin blinks up at him, blushing even more. Yoongi's heard what Taehyung does to him, and he still looks embarrassed about this. He wonders if he always looks embarrassed, every time, no matter what.

Yoongi never thought he would be into that concept as much as his dick tells him that he is.

"Oppa," Seokjin whispers, and Yoongi has to close his eyes before he comes.

"Be a good boy for your oppa," Taehyung whispers, popping another grape into Seokjin's mouth. "Just focus on making those pretty noises while Yoongi-oppa fucks you. I know you want his knot, baby. You want him to fuck you until there's no way you can't be pregnant, don't you? You just want to lie there and take what we want to give you, breeding you full of our babies, our good little omega who doesn't have to worry about anything because you know oppa and Daddy will take care of everything and you're always going to make us happy."

Yoongi pulls his fingers out of Seokjin, lining up and slamming his cock inside because Taehyung's voice will make him cum, and he would prefer to do it inside of Seokjin. He knows that he can't get pregnant, that the company has him on as much birth control as they can safely do. He knows that Seokjin getting pregnant now would be fucking terrible. And he also knows that the image of Seokjin round with his baby is going to make him stay hard throughout his entire rut.

Taehyung laughs at Yoongi's loss of control. "Look at what you did, baby. You made your oppa desperate for your sweet hole."

Seokjin whines at that, twisting his face to press against Taehyung's thigh. "Don't embarrass him," Yoongi hisses, guiding one of Seokjin's legs up to hook over his shoulder. "It isn't nice."

Taehyung cackles. "Hyung, you're going to learn really quickly that princess enjoys it when we're mean to him."

Yoongi shakes his head. "He's going to fucking learn to accept kindness then."

Seokjin groans. "You two are going to kill me. You need to stop talking."

"Nope," Taehyung informs him, bending down to press a kiss onto Seokjin's forehead. "You're just going to have to get used to this, princess."

Seokjin whimpers. It sends desire throughout Yoongi's body, his stomach tightening as he desperately chases that sound out of him again and again. He bends over, his forehead resting on Seokjin's shoulder as he continues to thrust into him. He doesn't think he will last long, not with how warm Seokjin feels around him and how fucking tight he is. Not with Taehyung groaning, pulling his cock out of his pants to stroke as he watches the two of them fuck. Not with how while this moment isn't anything like he thought it would be, it still ends up being strangely perfect in the long run of things. He can breathe in the delicious scent of Seokjin, revel in his body, and claim him again and again because he is desperate to prove to him what a good alpha he is.

"Mine," he whispers into Seokjin's skin. His eyes flick to Taehyung, at the emotions flickering in his eyes. Yoongi suddenly realizes what Taehyung fears now, what he is not voicing for not wanting to disrupt this moment. Yoongi can't let him think that. It's not on him to deal with Yoongi's shit. It's not for Yoongi to insist that Seokjin and Taehyung ruin what they have.

He makes sure to keep eye contact with Taehyung as he whispers, "Ours."

Taehyung blinks in shock. Seokjin whines in pleasure, and Yoongi knows that it's not just because of his dick.

"Yeah," Taehyung whispers, nodding his head eagerly. "Do you hear that, kitty? You're ours. Mine and Yoongi-oppa's. We're the only people that can touch you. Everyone else in this world has to fucking suffer because they can't have you, because we're the ones lucky enough to get you into our bed. And kitty, we're never going to let you leave." He groans. "Kitty, let me fuck your mouth, okay?"

Yoongi moves instinctively, grabbing Seokjin's hips and moving him onto his hands and knees. Seokjin gasps at the show of strength, clenching around his dick. Yoongi's not used to the alpha strength yet, but he's undoubtedly already figured out that he enjoys it. Taehyung pulls himself out of his sweatpants, guiding his cock to Seokjin's lips.

His hyung wraps his lips around Taehyung's dick, his throat taking far more of it than Yoongi thought was possible. Seokjin's hands curl into the sheets, struggling to keep his balance. Taehyung grips his hair, helping to keep him up. Yoongi keeps his grip on his hips, but he can feel Seokjin's legs trembling.

"You feel so good around my cock," Yoongi growls, bending over to whisper into Seokjin's ear. "Princess, I know Tae tells you all the time just how tight you are, but I'm not sure if you really know."

Seokjin sobs around Taehyung's cock, nodding his head frantically. He can't pull himself off to answer Yoongi's question, but he clenches around him, trying to signal that he does know. Yoongi laughs, even as the sensation has that laugh turn into panting. He has never felt stimulation like this before. He had thought sex was good when he was unpresented, but now he understands why Taehyung and Seokjin fuck so often.

This is a million times better, and he doesn't know how he will be able to keep his hands off Seokjin in the future.

"Fuck," he whispers, blinking down at Seokjin's back. "Fuck, I gotta come now."

He sets up a brutal pace, so hard that Taehyung can just lean back and let Yoongi fuck Seokjin's mouth onto his cock. Seokjin chokes and whines and drools, his face so blissed out on happiness that Yoongi seriously can't believe that he's the one who put it on him. He fucks him until he feels his knot swell, the sensation still strange and the feeling still incredible, wrapping his arms around Seokjin's chest as he falls to the side, the omega going with him.

Seokjin comes with one slow drag of the finger up his cock, shuddering into sobs as his orgasm overwhelms him. Taehyung kneels above his face, jerking his obscenely long cock off while he looks down at Seokjin through hooded eyes. Their omega opens his mouth and sticks out his tongue without prompting, taking every single bit of Taehyung's come without question or complaint when he forces his cock back in just before the orgasm hits.

It's one of the hottest things that Yoongi has ever seen.

Taehyung falls to the bed, removing his hand quickly off his cock.

"Fuck," he moans. Seokjin giggles. Yoongi is trying to process everything that just happened. Taehyung flops an arm over his eyes. "It's easier not to knot when I don't come inside Jin-hyung, but it's still a fucking bitch to fight off." He stretches his limbs out before he rolls off the bed. "I'm going to grab us something more than grapes and get some wet rags. Do you guys want anything?"

"Orange juice," Seokjin mumbles, already falling asleep. He would always get so tired during his heats, and Yoongi doubts that's changed with the added physical exertion. His legs feel weak, and if Taehyung has the energy to take care of things, Yoongi will not offer. He presses his face into the back of Seokjin's neck, taking another deep breath of his scent.

"I'm good," he mumbles. He only needs Seokjin. He only wants Seokjin. He grinds up into his hyung's heat, needing to chase the sensation. He's overstimulated, but his mind is begging him to make sure that Seokjin is well-bred. Even knowing that Seokjin cannot get pregnant right now can't stop his mind from needing to do its absolute best to try .

"I'll get you orange juice too," Taehyung whispers, and Yoongi nods once in vague understanding as he just focuses on Seokjin's body, the gasps that he's able to pull out of him. He wonders how many times he can make his hyung come before his knot deflates.

As he wraps his hand around Seokjin's cock, he decides that it's something he should find out right now.

*

The answer is three while conscious. He managed to pull the fourth one out of Seokjin when he passed out, giving Yoongi permission to use his body however he wanted while he slept. As long as he woke up clean, he didn't care.

Yoongi took those words to heart. Seokjin is still fast asleep in the bathtub as Yoongi gently scrubs the sweat and cum off while Taehyung changes the sheets. He hadn't joined in after the first orgasm, content to just let Yoongi have Seokjin and watch them fuck. It wasn't nearly as awkward as Yoongi thought it would be. The worst moment came when Jimin lost rock-paper-scissors and had to be the one to go into the room to announce that they were going to a hotel to escape the combination of rut and heat.

Yoongi hadn't been paying attention, more focused on making Seokjin cry with not only having Yoongi's knot in his ass but two fingers as well. Jimin had done some sort of weird squeak and then left while Taehyung cackled.

"You were so good, hyung." He presses a kiss on Seokjin's forehead. He moves in his sleep, a contented sound falling out of him, but he otherwise makes no other moment to move or wake up. "So pretty and sweet for us."

"He always is." Taehyung walks into the bathroom, and Yoongi assumes he's finished cleaning up the bedroom. He grimaces as he rolls his shoulders, knowing that he needs to take a shower. Taehyung had snuck a quick one in so that he would be clean as he made up the bed and to snuggle Seokjin in it while Yoongi cleaned himself up. He sits down on the toilet lid, crossing his legs as he stares at Seokjin, a soft smile blooming on his face. "He's always perfect."

Yoongi nods, carefully washing Seokjin's hair as he makes sure that no water or soap gets into his eyes. Seokjin just hums.

"Taehyung," Yoongi begins, wetting his lips as he tries to fight back his nerves, "Taehyung, I'm sorry for how I've treated you over these past few months. It was a really shitty thing for me to do. You didn't deserve my anger for something you couldn't control." He forces himself to glance at Taehyung. He makes himself look him in the eyes as he continues talking. "None of this was your fault. I just . . . assumed it was because it was better to make it someone's fault than no one's fault. Because if it was no one's fault, then how could I feel angry?"

Taehyung blinks at him, his eyes suspiciously wet. "Thanks, hyung." He looks down at his hands. "I just want you to know that I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable just because I've been an alpha for longer. You're still my hyung. I respect that, and I don't want you to think that I'm disrespecting you. So if you ever get uncomfortable, just . . . just let me know, okay?"

Yoongi sighs, glancing back at Seokjin to ensure he's clean. "Hand me the towel," he whispers. He begins to drain the water out of the bathtub and accepts the towel from Taehyung to wrap around their omega, still sound asleep. "Tae, it's okay if you take charge. It's been seven months. You know more about being an alpha at this stage than I do, and I want you to knock some sense into me if I act like a little shit. It wouldn't be disrespectful." The words rising feel like glass in his throat, but he knows that he'll feel so much better once he says them. "It's okay for you to be the pack alpha."

An old term. An archaic term. But Yoongi's read the sociology papers about how idol groups are recreating the pack dynamics of centuries ago, and it would be foolish not to see that happening here. He can feel in his body how much he's primed to do whatever Taehyung tells him because Taehyung is the pack alpha. The one in charge. The one they all recognize as a leader.

"But what if I don't want to be the pack alpha?" Taehyung's voice is so tiny, and when Yoongi looks back, he looks even younger than he should. He turns his head back to Seokjin before his own eyes fill with tears. "It's a lot of responsibility, hyung, and I don't think I'm prepared for it. It wasn't something I ever thought I would have to deal with." Yoongi hears him stand up and patter over to him, kneeling to lay his head on Yoongi's shoulder. "Can we split it? Can we both be the pack alphas? I don't mind! I just don't want to do this alone. I'm going to need help. Jin-hyung is amazing as the pack omega, but. . . . God, hyung, it's so fucking scary. The meetings. . . . What they expect from me. . . . I ask them to bring in you or Namjoon-hyung or Jin-hyung, and they just tell me that I'm the only alpha and I can handle this. But I can't. I don't know how to be the alpha they want me to be."

Fury clenches at Yoongi's heart. "What kind of alpha do they want you to be?"

"Scary. Tough. Mean. Not me. Someone else entirely. They think just because I can pop a knot, I'm supposed to suddenly be able to take charge of you guys. Yoongi-hyung, I can't even make Jungkook stop making me hit myself and he's the only one who's actually younger than me. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing." He wraps his long arms around Yoongi's waist. "I've done my research. Long ago, when packs actually were a thing, there was a system in place that if the presentation gap was shorter than the actual gap, then a pack would have two pack alphas to lead them. It was mainly used in cases like this! Where the first one who presented was one of the younger ones of the pack and there was trouble controlling the older alphas as they presented. Sometimes the other alpha would even take the place of the first one, but that involves combat and possibly mauling and I like my face too much. So . . . partners? Me and you? Taking care of everyone else and each other?" He nuzzles his head into Yoongi's shoulder. "Please?"

Yoongi can't say no to Taehyung. Not when he's asking so desperately, his fingers clinging to Yoongi's shirt, tears slowly starting to soak through. His heart breaks as he thinks about the stress that Taehyung has been under these past seven months. Stress that Yoongi will make sure he's never put under again.

He turns his head to kiss the top of Taehyung's head. "Partners. Me and you. I promise."

"Good," Seokjin murmurs, his eyes cracking open. He smiles when he sees them jump in surprise, stretching out his long limbs before he holds out his arms for one of them to pick him up. "I'm glad this is settled. Now please take me back to bed and cuddle me. My heat isn't over and I know your rut isn't either, so I want to get some rest before we begin the next round."

Taehyung giggles, standing up to pick Seokjin up. "Take your shower, hyung," he yells over his shoulder. "And take your time. I'm just going to get Jin-hyung into some clean clothes. And we'll be fast asleep by the time you come out."

Yoongi laughs, standing up and stretching his limbs out as he prepares to take a quick shower. He wants to wrap himself around Seokjin and Taehyung, breathe in their scents, and prepare himself for what's coming next.

He's looking forward to it.

(When he gets out of his shower, he's met by a flustered Taehyung fucking into an exasperated Seokjin.

"He's going into a rut," Seokjin informs him dryly or as much as he can with Taehyung's dick filling him. So it comes out as a high moan. "I'm not going to walk for three days between the two of you. I refuse to cook for a week. You’ll have to break it to the others."

Honestly, as Yoongi takes off the clothes he just put on so he can fuck Seokjin's mouth, he thinks that's a fair bargain.)