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Taehyung had always been gentle and kind, sensitive. He would play with all the other pups, especially when he saw they had no other friends to play with. He shared his toys and snacks and he always had a smile on his face.
So it was no surprise that he started crying one day as one of the older kids took one of his toys and ran off with it, refusing to give it back when asked and keeping it out of reach whenever he tried to take it back himself.
He sat there on the floor, sniffling silently until an older boy came up to him. Crouching down, the boy asked him, “Everything okay?”
Taehyung looked up and shook his head. “They took my toy.”
The taller boy looked at the other children that were playing some ways away. He stood back up and before Taehyung knew what was happening he had his toy back. He looked at the taller for a moment, the tears having stopped as he said, “Thank you.”
“No problem,” the other said as he ruffled his hair. “My name is Seokjin. Yours?”
“My name is Taehyung.”
“Well, Taehyung when something like this happens again, come get me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“No more crying, okay?”
Slowly a smile formed on Taehyung’s face. “Okay.”
“Good.”
It was since that moment that Taehyung followed the older everywhere he went, following him like a pup would follow his owner.
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When Jin was seventeen he presented as an alpha. But it didn’t go smoothly.
He had been avoiding contact with everyone as much as he could. He was irritable and he would snap at whoever talked to him. The adults knew what is was about and understood, trying to stay out of his way and trying to keep the kids at a distance. But Taehyung just didn’t seem to understand.
It had been days since he had seen Seokjin and he wanted to spend time with his best friend, missing him. He made his way towards the older’s house and kept knocking until the door finally opened.
“What?!” Jin snapped.
Tae jumped back a little. The older had never spoken to him like that before. Looking down slightly, he said, “I wanna do something.”
“Then go do something.” It came out as a hiss and before the younger knew it the door was slammed shut in his face.
He went to Jimin, telling him what happened. There were tears slowly rolling down his cheeks but he refused to outright cry, remembering the promise he made to Seokjin when he was still so small.
“Shhh, it’ll be okay. I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way.”
And he hadn’t meant it that way but he was presenting and he couldn’t control himself anymore. It had been slamming the door shut or pinning the younger to the floor and almost ripping him to pieces.
When he apologized to the younger, Taehyung immediately hugged him, telling him that he was proud he got through his first rut and was now an alpha. He never brought up the tears he let fall.
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Taehyung and Jin were at the riverside, running in their wolf form. They were rolling around, barking and just enjoying themselves.
Taehyung would often nuzzle Jin’s neck. He was scenting him and they both knew it but they never really mentioned it when they turned back into their human form.
They were close, always had been. Some would think they were together and they didn’t mind but they never clarified anything, not for others nor themselves. When they were wolves they were as affectionate as they could be, letting their instincts take over most of the time. But once they turned back they just acted like their normal selves. Friends.
Even though Taehyung wanted to be so much more.
He loved the older. Had always loved the older. It started as admiration and then turned into friendship. However, over the years his feelings just kept growing and he had to do everything in his might to keep up the act of best friend.
He didn’t want to ruin the friendship he had. That didn’t mean he wasn’t planning to take action though. He had promised himself that once he presented and he’d be an omega he would ask the alpha out. It weren’t only the alpha’s and beta’s that were allowed to court someone you know.
But until that time he was happy to keep up the act and only let his affections overflow when they turned into wolves.
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His presentation didn’t go as planned.
He started feeling hot and dizzy, sweat covering his body. He knew exactly what was happening. He was presenting.
He stayed home for a few days but once the symptoms started subsiding he started feeling on edge. Something wasn’t right. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
He knew from Jimin that presenting as an omega was horrid. You felt like you were burning from the inside out and you didn’t have one coherent thought, sweat and slick covering your body as you wanted an alpha. But that didn’t happen with him.
He had felt ill for several days. And yes he had sweat but there was no slick, no burning feeling, no absolute want. Yet, there was also no knot, no rage, no irritation.
He was neither an alpha nor an omega.
He had presented as a beta.
He broke down. He didn’t care about his promise to Jin right then. He just let the tears fall, sobs getting passed his lips as his shoulders shook from the force.
What was he supposed to do now? He had promised to take action when he presented as an omega. Not if, when. He had always been so gentle and kind, everyone saying that there was no doubt that he’ll be an omega and then this.
He couldn’t go after Jin now. An alpha needed an omega. There were exceptions – just look at the arrangement between Namjoon and Jisoo – and the village didn’t really have rules about this but it was still the norm. Especially when alphas wanted pups.
Thinking about pups a new wave of sobs wrecked his body. He couldn’t give Seokjin pups, couldn’t get pups himself. Why?! Why did this have to happen to him?
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He started avoiding the alpha after he had presented, making up excuses. ‘Sorry hyung, I made plans with Jiminie’ or ‘Sorry, I need to help my dad with something’ it was always something like that.
Seokjin let it slide the first couple of times. Hell, it was getting on his nerves after only a couple of days but he let the other be for weeks. That was until he just couldn’t take it anymore.
His alpha was getting more irritated and angrier with every time the beta said he “couldn’t” hang out. He knew, just like all their other friends, that the younger was lying, that he was avoiding him and he didn’t like it. He hated it, both him and his alpha.
He couldn’t take it anymore and after weeks he cornered the younger. He was at the river, it was one of Taehyung’s favourite places, of course he knew he would find him there. He was planning to just talk to the other, ask what he had done or what had happened for him to start avoiding him. However, the moment the Tae knew he was there – because he would recognize the older’s scent everywhere – he started to get up, ready to leave as fast as possible.
Jin had had it. He growled loudly, the younger stopping in his place, head low.
When he reached Taehyung, he softly grabbed his arm, turning him around so they were face to face. Except the younger didn’t look at him, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground.
“Tae, what happened?” He didn’t get an answer. And though Taehyung didn’t say anything the shift in his scent was hard to ignore. “Did I do something wrong?”
At this the beta looked up in a split second, almost yelling out, “No!”
“Then what? You’ve been avoiding me for weeks and I don’t know why. Please, talk to me. I – I can’t take this. Tae, please talk to me.”
He saw the tears forming in the younger’s eyes before they ran down his cheeks. Before he had the chance to reach out and wipe them away, the beta buried his head in the crook of his neck, holding onto him. His grip was almost suffocating it was so tight but he didn’t mind. He had missed him so much these past few weeks that he couldn’t get enough.
“Shhh, it’s okay.” He made soothing noises, trying to calm the distressed beta. When the sobs turned to sniffles, he asked, “What happened?”
Through hiccups, the younger managed to get out, “I’m a beta.”
Jin looked a little confused, before saying, “I know. What about it?” His voice was soft, not wanting to upset the younger any further.
“I’M A BETA!” Taehyung yelled as he pulled back from the embrace, so much hurt in his eyes as he looked at the older.
“Tae –“
“I’m a beta! I can’t have pups! And I can’t be with you!” Everything came rushing out, his voice frantic with grief. He fell to his knees, the strength leaving his legs. “I can’t,” he said softly, almost like a whisper.
Within seconds Seokjin had his arms wrapped around the other, holding him close. “What do you mean you can’t be with me?” His voice sounded worried yet challenging at the same time. Because like hell would he let the beta go so he could go back to avoiding him.
“I can’t,” came his broken voice.
“Hey, look at me.” He put his hands on Taehyung’s cheeks and made him look at him. “You can. Of course you can. Why wouldn’t you be able to?”
“I can’t because you need someone that can give you pups and I can’t do that.”
His brow furrowed, not liking what he was hearing. “And who said that?” He didn’t get an answer. “What if I don’t want anyone else?”
“But –“ before he could get another word out, Seokjin’s lips met his own. He was surprised for a moment before he kissed back, holding onto the older like he was a lifeline, desperate.
“I don’t care that you’re a beta and can’t have pups. You’re you. I want you, no one else. Never anyone else,” he told the younger as he pulled back. His voice was soft, filled with emotion.
Taehyung looked at the older in surprise, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He surged forwards clinging to him, tears leaving his eyes once again, not from hurt but from happiness.
Jin let out a chuckle. “Now what did you promise me?” He pulled back and wiped away the younger’s tears with his thumbs. “No more crying. Okay?”
“Okay.”
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Taehyung had just turned twenty when they mated.
They had talked about it at length, mostly to reassure the younger. The beta could get insecure about the fact that he wouldn’t be able to give Jin pups and every time the alpha would reassure him, telling him how much he loved him.
So after Taehyung turned twenty they only had to wait for one of the alpha’s ruts to come around. A couple of weeks was all it took.
It wasn’t easy. Normally an alpha spent his rut alone or with an omega, it was easier like that, omega’s bodies built to accommodate an alpha’s knot. A beta’s body wasn’t built for that. However, after years – because let’s be honest, it was not the first time they’d had sex and it wasn’t his first time taking a knot either – he was getting used to it. Of course, it still hurt but he didn’t feel like he was being split in two from the inside anymore. Every time it became a little more bearable.
When Jin’s rut was finally over, Tae left the house proudly showing of his mating mark. Their friends had to hear how happy he was for weeks and they didn’t mind one bit. They knew how gentle he was and how he had felt so to see the beta so happy and carefree was refreshing. And when he would act sickeningly sweet with his mate they would just smile fondly or tease him a little.
They were making their way back home from a pack run, holding hands, Tae burying his nose in the older’s neck. “I love you,” he told the alpha, his voice all dreamy.
“I love you too.” He gave the younger a kiss, nothing more than a peck. “My sweet, sweet beta.”
Taehyung hummed, his eyes closing before he said, “My very sweet alpha.” They hugged for a moment before resuming their walk back home, holding each other as close as was humanly possible while walking.