Archive of Our Own

It all started with– goodwill, Hyejin would have said. Probably did say, at some point. Good intentions. She always had the ability to see things through someone else's eyes, part of the reason she was such a natural leader. Hoseok never had that ability. 

"Son," his father said, and Hoseok didn't tense, because it was the New Year's Festival. Because the fire was hot on his cheeks, because the sounds of people talking and laughing and celebrating around them, because the best food of the year filled his belly. Because forget civil, everyone around the Pack Alpha's table had been smiling and eating and spending one night forgetting the tensions and the arguments that filled the days and months before. So Hoseok didn't tense, and his father continued, "Son, I have a gift for you."

Hoseok laughed, because of all the reasons above again, because the wind felt cool and the fire was warm. His father and his aunt and uncle and his sister with Dohyun at her feet, Youngjae standing behind him. "We haven't exchanged gifts in years, Father."

"This one is special," his father said, and maybe it was then that Hoseok knew something was off. The glint in the old man's eye, despite the ruddiness of his face. Or maybe he still didn't notice, drunk not on festival wine but the atmosphere. "A once-in-a-lifetime gift. Sungho," he turned to his own attendant behind him, "bring him here."

If he hadn't known before, Hoseok knew now. He glanced at Hyejin, whose face was still impassive. Another reason she would lead well: her ability to control her expression down to the twitch of an eyelid. Damn her. 

Sungho returned, and Hoseok stared at possibly the angriest omega he'd ever seen that was being guided toward him. Small, but not slight, with shoulders back and head held high, looking ready to murder anyone who laid a hand on him. Even Sungho, a whole foot taller, seemed apprehensive, as he guided the omega towards Hoseok. Towards Hoseok . Oh. 

"I've found you an omega!" his father crowed, and Hoseok got to his feet– half a mind to yell at his father, half a mind to escape the furious pair of eyes that landed on him. Instead he stared between them, opening and closing his mouth until Hyejin nudged him with her shoulder. She raised her eyebrows at him expectantly.

Ah. That would be her cue to stay polite. To not escalate the situation. Like he always did. 

With gritted teeth, Hoseok bowed to his father. "Thank you for the–" His voice caught, and he cleared his throat. "Gift." 

Turning to the omega he bowed again– something small to piss off his father, to exasperate Hyejin, to make the omega drop the glare for a moment. "You are welcome to my hearth and to my home," he recited, the traditional opening remarks to a prospective courtship. He had thought it romantic when he was younger. Fool. 

The omega stared at him a beat too long before dropping down on the ground in front of Hoseok's seat, adjacent to Dohyun, who smiled at him. Hoseok couldn't see if he smiled back as he sat down behind the omega carefully, mind reeling. An omega. New Year's gifts were trinkets they exchanged when he and Hyejin were five, and now his father had gone and gotten him a fucking life partne r.

"Hyejin's been mated for three years now," his father said, looking terribly proud of the way the night was progressing. "It's high time you were settled down too."

"Noona has different responsibilities than me," Hoseok replied icily. "Namely, becoming Pack Alpha. I thought we reached an agreement that since I won't be leading, 'settling down' could happen later."

His father waved a hand. "You're getting older, it's not good for you to be alone." He nodded at the omega at Hoseok's feet. "Don't be so cycinal, son, this isn't a political maneuver. This one needs someone to protect him."

Hoseok was rather inclined to disagree after being on the receiving end of that glare. "How do you mean?" 

"Rescued him from traffickers," Sungho explained from the outer circle. Hoseok's father spat on the ground. 

"Dirty bastards. Don't know what they were thinking, coming so close to our territory. Well, they won't be running their foul business any longer, will they, Sungho?"

"No, sir." 

Finding it hard to swallow, Hoseok looked down. The omega's hands were shaking. 

"Youngjae."

His attendant leaned in so that Hoseok could speak softly. "Would you take him to my room? And make sure no one else goes in until I get back."

                               *   *   *

The feast seemed like it would never end, but finally the fires around them were dimming, murmuring voices moving back to their homes as Hoseok dragged himself up the hill towards his. 

"Hoseok-ah!"

It was his sister, pulling a half-asleep Dohyun behind her. He paused, letting them catch up. When they finally reached him, he let out what he'd miraculously kept inside all night. 

"He got me a goddamn person as a gift, noona–"

Dohyun groaned, tucking his head onto Hyejin's shoulder. "Hoseok-ah, calm down."

"No! I know I always complain about him, but this time even you have to admit–"

"Of course I think it's horrible!" Hyejin hissed. Even in the faint light of the moon, Hoseok could see the stern set of her shoulders. "But there's nothing you can do about it tonight. What you can do right now is forget about Father and go take care of the boy that is sitting inside your room as we speak."

Hoseok rolled his eyes, even though it was too dark to see. "He's not a boy."

"Sure seemed like one with how terrified he looked," Dohyun mumbled. Hoseok shifted uncomfortably on his feet. 

"Go," Hyejin whispered. "Make something good out of this, please."

Hoseok watched them walk slowly away towards Hyejin's wing of the house, dreading the thought of entering his own. Wishing Hyejin wasn't right about everything. Wishing he could walk into his room and find it empty. 

Youngjae was still waiting at the door when Hoseok finally dragged himself in. He straightened from where he'd been leaning against the wall, a forced expression of calm on his face. 

"How was the rest of the festival?"

"I have no idea," Hoseok answered, shoulders drooping. "I couldn't pay attention to a word anyone said."

Younjae pursed his lips. "My dad didn't tell me anything about it, or I would have told you." 

"I know." Sungho had always been extremely loyal to Hoseok's father, even before his own son. It was something Hoseok respected, even if he didn't exactly agree with it. "Sorry for making you leave early."

"It's fine." Youngjae lowered his voice and leaned forward. "I haven't heard a single thing from in there," he said, nodding at the closed door. 

Hoseok sighed. "Yeah, I should– I should. You can go now, thank you." 

Youngjae nodded, and Hoseok was grateful it was him, someone he'd grown up with, someone who knew how much this made him feel sick. "Good luck."

With a derisive snort, Hoseok pushed open the door.

The omega was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the wall. He didn't move when Hoseok walked in, closing the door softly behind him. The window overlooking the gardens was open, cool air filling the room. 

Hoseok took a deep breath. Thought of what his sister and brother-in-law had said. 

"Hey."

The omega didn't turn. Didn't even flinch. I have no idea what I'm doing, Hoseok thought. 

"Look, I'm sorry about... tonight. Everything, really. Are you okay?"

When there was still no response, Hoseok rounded the bed. He did his best to move slowly, crouching down to rest on the flat of his feet and look up at the omega's face, which– oh. 

It was pale and tense, his jaw clenched, though his eyes were unfocused. From this angle Hoseok could see that he was breathing shallowly, hands squeezed so tightly into fists that the knuckles were white. 

Terrified , Dohyun had said. 

"Hey," Hoseok repeated, softer this time. "What's your name?"

Silence hung heavy in the air, and Hoseok was about to ask again when the omega opened his mouth. 

"Jimin."

His voice sounded hoarse from lack of use. Hoseok inhaled deeply, could smell the fear. 

"It's nice to meet you, Jimin. I'm Hoseok." He wanted to pry those fingers apart; the nails had probably bitten through skin. "Hey, can you look at me?"

He tapped Jimin's knee, and this time Jimin did flinch. He blinked rapidly, eyes finally focusing on Hoseok's face. 

"I know you're scared, so I'm telling you this right now," Hoseok said carefully. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. I'm not going to lay a hand on you unless you tell me it's okay. You're safe here."

Jimin continued to stare at him, eyes wide. 

"Can you nod if you understand me?"

A nod. "Good. Are you hungry?"

Jimin shook his head. Hoseok backed away and stood up slowly. "Are you sure? I've got food here, if you need something." 

Nothing. Hoseok sighed, figuring that this was going as well as it could be. He opened the trunk at the foot of the bed, pulling out a few thick blankets and dropping them on the ground. 

"What are you doing?"

Jimin was watching him. Hoseok noticed that his hands had unclenched. 

"Making a spot to sleep," he said. "I'd stay in another room, but I don't want to raise any questions." God, he didn't want to have this conversation right now, not while he was exhausted down to his bones. Not with how small Jimin looked. "My father– the Pack Alpha– he's going to expect this... union to be consummated, so. You take the bed, and hopefully by morning you'll smell enough like me that it's believable. Pass me a pillow, would you?"

Jimin stared at him, then at the pile of blankets on the floor, finally reaching for a pillow behind him without turning his back. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if trying to decide whether or not to speak, until–

"You're just going to go to sleep?" 

He looked mostly confused, a little hopeful– which made Hoseok want to be sick– and the tiniest bit angry, like at the festival. Interesting. 

"Yes." Hoseok leaned over to pull the pillow from Jimin's hands. "I'm exhausted, and you probably are too. Get some rest, we can talk things over more in the morning."

"I don't want to sleep in your bed," Jimin murmured. It sounded like it was supposed to have more bite, but came out somewhere between a statement and a whine. Hoseok stopped spreading blankets out on the floor to face him. 

"Jimin, look. I know none of this is fair. I don't want this, you definitely don't want this, and I'm sorry that it's all happening. But if my father thinks that you are an unfit match for me, he will get rid of you and find someone else. Do you understand?"

And that was why Hoseok hadn't wanted to talk about it, the way Jimin curled back up. He didn't answer, just crawled to the head of the bed and pulled a blanket over himself. 

Hoseok sighed, lying back on his makeshift bedding. Wonderful. In the course of a few hours he had acquired a mate who not only hated him but was terrified of him. It was going to be a horrible night.

                              *   *   *

It was a horrible night. Probably the worst sleep Hoseok had ever gotten, barring the time he'd been bitten by a spider when he was little and Hyejin told him it was poisonous. He'd kept waking up in the middle of the night crying because he'd thought his arm had shriveled up and fallen off. 

Hoseok woke up that morning with the feeling of someone who's had a terrible dream they'd forgotten, on the cusp of realizing none of it was real. Unfortunately, the hardwood floor digging into his back led to the unpleasant realization that his sense of dread was completely warranted. 

Right. Betrothal. A whole other person completely dependent on him. 

Hoseok sat up already wincing; he was going to be sore all day today, that was for sure. When he turned to look up over the bed frame he found Jimin already awake, leaning against the headboard and watching him with dark purple under his eyes. 

"Did you get any sleep?" Hoseok asked, joints popping as he stood up. 

Jimin shook his head. He looked less wary this morning, though his eyes still followed Hoseok's every move. 

"Me neither." Hoseok bunched the blankets on the floor in his arms and shoved them back into the trunk, pushing the lid down. "Well, nothing we can do about that now. Here, let's have something for breakfast."

Each wing of the Pack Alpha's house had its own connected bedroom and kitchen, along with a study, a room for entertaining guests, and an outside exit. Hoseok had always thought it dreadfully lonely, but for now the ability to make food without leaving the room had its perks. 

"Do you like porridge?" he asked, pulling open the cupboard and peering inside. "I have leftover rice from yesterday too, or I could make eggs."

"Anything's fine." Jimin's voice was much closer, and when Hoseok pulled his head out of the cupboard he found him sitting at the small round table. He was still wearing his clothes from the night before, ever so slightly too big for him. Hoseok would have to find something clean for him out of his own closet until they could get their hands on clothes that fit properly. 

"Porridge it is, then." He pulled out a pot and set it on the stove, letting the clatter of kitchen work fill the tense air. Neither of them said anything until there were two steaming bowls of porridge on the table. Jimin kept pushing his around with his spoon, repeatedly glancing at Hoseok, who pretended not to notice.

Finally, when he had finished his and Jimin had taken two bites (they'd work on that), Hoseok set his spoon down. 

"So."

"You didn't try anything last night," Jimin said immediately, as if he'd been waiting for the conversation to start. Hoseok blinked. 

"I told you I wouldn't."

"Yeah, well." Jimin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "When you get thrown at some alpha's feet it can be hard to imagine many alternatives." 

Hoseok stared at the bags under his eyes for a moment, imagining Jimin lying awake last night.

"That's not how this is going to go," he replied. "My pack has some... beliefs that I disagree with, and while my father is in power I can't get us both out of this and still protect you. But I meant what I said last night. You're safe with me."

Jimin stared at him, mouth open slightly. Hoseok wished he would say something, give some idea of what he was thinking, but all he did was stand up abruptly and turn to face the rest of the room. "So what exactly am I supposed to do now?"

"What is he doing now?" Youngjae asked, panting as he stood up. He held out a hand and pulled Hoseok to his feet, who didn't bother to dust the dirt off his clothes. 

"Reading, I think. I gave him a bunch of books from my study and told him not to leave."

"You're keeping him cooped up in your room?" Youngjae grabbed the jug of water they'd brought with them to the training field and took a sip. The weather was warming with the start of a new year, but it was still cool enough that most saved their outdoor activities until later in the day. For now, they had the field to themselves. 

"He's unmated and gorgeous, I'm not letting him wander around alone on his first day here." Hoseok picked up his knife from where Youngjae had knocked it out of his hand, reluctantly getting back into ready stance. He had loved rolling around and wrestling in the dirt with Youngjae when he was young, but spending time practicing defense tactics had long felt like a waste of time. 

"Gorgeous, huh?" Youngjae grinned, and Hoseok rolled his eyes. 

"Shut up, you know what I mean. Anyways, he seemed happy enough to stay inside today."

"You can't hide him away forever."

"I know," Hoseok huffed, wondering if his friend would understand it. The need to keep Jimin safe, even though they'd met less than 24 hours ago, the weight of someone to take care of. Fighting suddenly much more appealing than talking. "I'm just– we're just– figuring this out as we go."

That night, Hoseok pulled out a few shirts and a soft pair of pants that were meant for warm days, not reaching quite down to his ankles. 

"Here," he said, tossing them on the bed where Jimin was sitting. "You can change into these if you're tired of your old clothes. We'll go to the market sometime soon to get some that really fit you."

"You have a market here?" Jimin asked, sifting through the shirts and choosing the largest one.

"There's enough people here that we need it," explained Hoseok. "It's not huge, but its good for simple things. Does your– oh–"

Jimin had pulled off his shirt in one quick motion. Hoseok's first thought was to look away and give him privacy, until he noticed the faint greenish-yellow marks scattered across Jimin's sides. 

"What are those?" Hoseok stepped closer to the bed. Jimin, seemingly nonplussed, pulled the new shirt over his head. 

"Nothing."

"That was not nothing." The bruises must have been old if they were already fading. Hoseok resisted the urge to pull up the shirt and look closer. "Who did that to you? If it was someone from–"

"It wasn't anyone from here," Jimin said curtly, leaning away. 

And that was that. Hoseok spread the blankets out on the floor again, trying not to think about bruises, about shaking hands, about the rest of his life being filled with half-answers and failed eye-contact. 

                              *   *   *

"What are you working on?"

Hoseok looked up to see Jimin standing in the doorway to his study, hair askew and pillow marks still pressed into the side of his face. He had been sleeping when Hoseok got up that morning, eager for once to do something as dull and simple as paperwork. 

"Looking over some records," he explained, pulling his feet off the desk where they had been resting to sit up straight. "Who was in charge of planting what crops last season, weather reports, things like that."

"Is it interesting?"

"Hell, no."

The smallest of smiles pulled at the corners of Jimin's mouth as he settled down in an armchair next to the small fireplace. Hoseok watched him fold his limbs neatly until he was curled into a ball: less about making himself small, it seemed, and more for comfort. "Is this what you do all day, then? Paperwork?"

"Depends on the day, I s'pose." Hoseok poked at the stack of papers on his desk. "Sometimes it's records, sometimes it's checking on stores– I'm in charge of managing the food supply and related things, Hyejin-noona does more of the diplomatic stuff." 

"Your sister?"

Hoseok nodded, mildly impressed; Jimin must have been paying more attention over the last few days than it had looked. "She'll be Pack Alpha someday, so she's taking more and more responsibility as time goes on. Thank god."

Jimin tilted his head in question, and Hoseok hesitated for a moment, thinking of how to explain. 

"Some of the packs out here, they're so secluded that there's no one to keep them in check. They get, I don't know, twisted? Without other societies and standards to compare themselves to." He fiddled with his hands, aware of Jimin watching him closely. "Noona says she remembers things being better, when our mother was here, but... when she left, my father was angry and upset, and then bitter. He's made this whole place bitter, too."

Hoseok shook his head, dispelling the gloom that threatened to settle in. "Hyejin-noona is the smartest person I know," he said. "She will– is– changing things. But it's slow going, and it's hard to wait." 

The look Jimin was giving him was impossible to decipher, maybe because Hoseok had only ever seen him angry or frightened. He held his gaze, letting Jimin decide whatever he wanted to about what had been said. 

"Can I borrow another book?" 

Growing accustomed to the rapid changes in subject that Jimin seemed fond of, Hoseok nodded. "Take your pick of anything on the bookshelf. And if you get bored of reading, let me know."

Jimin uncurled himself to stand in front of the rows of books, finger tracing along the spines as he read titles. He had to stand on is tip-toes to see on the upper shelf. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you to be bored." Hoseok frowned. "You're not a prisoner here, Jimin. If you want something, you can ask."

"Can I stay in here, then?"

Oh. That was not what Hoseok had been expecting. "Yeah, sure. Make yourself comfortable."

Jimin settled back into the armchair without another word, and Hoseok turned back to his work. The morning passed quickly that way, only the quiet crackle of the fire and the turning of pages. It was oddly comforting to have another presence in the room, even without conversation. Jimin made snuffling sounds and rearranged the way his legs were folded every now and then, distracting in an endearing way. 

A knock sounded at the door around midday and both of them jumped. Hyejin's head popped into the room a moment later. 

"Noona," Hoseok groaned as she dumped a stack of books on his desk. "The point of knocking is waiting for someone to invite you in."

"Bah, I've already seen you do just about every embarrassing thing out there." She pushed the stack towards him, disrupting the pile of papers he had just organized. "Can you– oh."

Hyejin's eyes fell on Jimin, who stared at her over the book in his hands. Hoseok cleared his throat. 

"Jimin is keeping me company while I work," he explained. "I don't think the two of you have been formally introduced?"

"I'm very happy to finally meet you." Hyejin bowed quickly, and Hoseok supressed a grin at the look of surprise on Jimin's face to be shown such respect from an alpha. "I hope my brother has been treating you well."

"He's boring," Jimin responded, and then immediately flushed pink. Hyejin just laughed. 

"See, Hoseok, Jimin's only known you for a few days and even he can see you work too hard."

"Says the person who just dumped ten more things to do on my desk," grumbled Hoseok, but Hyejin had already turned back to Jimin. 

"If you're ever in need of company, our wing of the house is always open. I'm sure Dohyun would be happy to have another omega around."

She was gone as quickly as she came, and Jimin immediately looked at Hoseok apprehensively. "I didn't mean it."

"It's alright." Hoseok waved a hand and pulled the stack of books Hyejin had left him across the desk towards himself. "I know I'm not all that exciting."

Jimin looked around the small study, all organized clutter. "I think..." He worried a page between his fingers and his lip between his teeth. "I think I've had enough excitement. I think I could use some boring."

Then he almost, almost smiled, and Hoseok smiled back. 

                               *   *   *

The days passed by as they always had, with Hoseok working and training and avoiding his father and working some more, except that now Jimin sat in his study each morning. Hoseok's back was starting to ache something terrible from sleeping on the floor so many nights in a row, but somehow it felt worth it to wake up and see the curled up form in the bed where he used to sleep. 

"Jimin," he asked one night, "do you have people at home you were close to? Parents or siblings?"

They were having dinner at the table, a routine quickly established after Hoseok realized Jimin wouldn’t eat unless someone was with him— a consequence of being half starved by the traffickers or something from his home, Hoseok wasn’t sure. Their rhythm had been unbroken in the three weeks since Jimin's arrival until last night, when Hoseok’s father invited (forced) everyone in the house to dinner. 

It had started out civil enough, mostly discussions of pack matters between Hyejin and Hoseok. It was when their father saw Jimin's unmarked neck and began to make increasingly uncomfortable comments that Jimin started squirming in his seat, subconsciously leaning towards Hoseok, who decided that a polite exit was in order for the both of them. 

In the safe confines of their room, however, Jimin had begun to let down his guard. He spoke without hesitating– loudly, and often– and was actually sleeping at night, judging by the amount of energy he had during the day and the lack of bags under his eyes. He had also begun mentioning things about his home, which made Hoseok wonder. 

Jimin paused with chopsticks halfway to his mouth, as if the question required some consideration. "My pack is– was, was moderately sized, not as big as this one. Very communal. Kids were raised by anyone who had an extra hand or an empty place at the table." He shook his head, eyes far away. "I have biological parents, but it was more like one big family, I was never... I didn't get a chance to connect with them a lot. Besides, I told them all I was making my own way." He laughed, or maybe tried to, but it was wet-sounding and weak. "Great job I did of that. Got picked up by traffickers after a week."

Hoseok drummed his fingers on his thigh, debating whether or not to ask, but Jimin beat him to it. 

"I was heading for the city when they found me. Wanted to look for a job, maybe further education. I'd heard of traffickers before once or twice, but I never thought–" 

His voice wavered, and when Hoseok reached for his hand he held it tightly. 

"They didn't do anything, but, but they tied me up and I could hear everything they said, how much they were going to s-sell me for and I was so scared. And then I was mad and I talked back, which they didn't like so much."

Hoseok thought of the bruises on Jimin's sides, something hot and dark burning in his stomach. "How long did they have you?"

"A week?" Jimin frowned. "I lost track after the first few days. It was the same thing, just walking from sunrise to sunset, and I was too hungry to think towards the end. And then your father and some of the border patrol were there, and they– they killed the traffickers."

His eyes were wide and wild, and Hoseok wanted to wrap him up in his arms and squeeze. He didn't. "Trafficking is an offense punishable by death."

"They killed them," Jimin repeated. "I closed my eyes but I still heard it, I still–" He shook his head, as if it would shake out the sound. "And then the border patrol brought me with them, put me up in one of the houses down the hill. I think I slept for a few days, and then I was super disoriented. I didn't really know what was going on until the day of the festival."

"I'm sorry, Jimin-ah," Hoseok said softly. "I'm so sorry for all of this."

Jimin shook his head. "Not your fault. Stop apologizing, it's not– look, can we just go to bed?"

"Now?" Hoseok frowned. "It's barely evening." 

But Jimin was already moving both their plates to the sink and pulling him out of his chair towards the bed. "It's dark out, that's good enough, and I'm tired." He flopped face-first down on top of the mass of blankets– Jimin never made the bed, something that Hoseok had held back from scolding him about numerous times. 

"Well," he took a step back, "if you want to sleep, I'll just go finish up–"

"Don't," Jimin interrupted, rolling over to look at him. "Stay here."

Hoseok tilted his head. "I wouldn't want to keep you awake by working in here."

"No, you–" 

Looking exasperated and apprehensive at the same time seemed like something that required skill, but Jimin pulled it off easily. He reached for Hoseok's hand again and pulled him forward so that his knees bumped the edge of the bed. "I mean, stay here."

"Oh." Hoseok stared at the bed, which offered him no excuses; it was clearly big enough to fit two people. Jimin was watching him, waiting, and there was no discomfort on his face. 

"Please," he added quietly, and that was all it took. 

The bed felt like absolute heaven after so many nights on the floor, and Hoseok couldn't help but sigh as he sank back against the mattress. Jimin shuffled around until they were both under the covers, a careful distance still between them. Too much. Not enough. Not enough, after the conversation they'd just had, after Hoseok had wanted to hold Jimin tight and never let go, and now if he wasn't careful he was going to do something stupid and ruin whatever fragile relationship they had started to build–

"I just told you a traumatic life event, hyung. Spoon me, goddammit." 

Maybe, Hoseok thought as he draped an arm over Jimin's waist and buried his nose in Jimin's hair, maybe he thought things through a little too much. Maybe he made things more complicated than they had to be. 

                                   *   *   *

"Are you almost done?" Jimin groaned, flopping on top of the desk. Hoseok gently pried a piece of paper out from under his cheek. 

"I only started an hour or two ago."

"Yeah, and I just finished the last book on your bookshelf."

Sure enough, the empty space at the far end of the bookshelf had been filled. After picking a few books out at random, Jimin had started simply moving down the rows. He read quickly, or maybe they just spent too much time in Hoseok's office. 

"Dohyun-hyung told me the first spring market is today." Jimin cupped his chin in his hands, his elbows resting on the paper Hoseok had been trying to read. It was, Hoseok had to admit, a very successful distraction tactic. "You promised to take me ages ago, and here I am, still wearing your clothes."

Hoseok chose not to mention that he rather liked seeing Jimin in his clothes. He had promised, and even if he hadn't he couldn't say no. Not because he couldn't resist Jimin's puppy eyes, which were still staring at him, but because the more time they spent together the more it seemed like Jimin would pick Hoseok up and throw him over his shoulder if thats what it took to get what he wanted. 

"We should make a shopping list," he said by way of agreement, and Jimin immediately jumped in excitement. Hoseok watched him with a small grin. 

"Is it always this easy to please you?" he asked, and Jimin winked at him.

"No, so don't get used to it."

The day was warm, perfect weather for the first outdoor market. Children raced past them as they made their way between houses, the sound of voices growing louder as they drew nearer to the edge of town. Makeshift tents and booths stretched out in winding rows across the field, their owners already busy bartering and cooking and untangling purse strings. People pushed past them, some already laden with goods. Jimin slipped a hand into Hoseok's as they stepped into the bustle of it all. 

"Okay?" Hoseok asked, glancing down at their entwined fingers. 

Jimin nodded, shifting closer as a cluster of middle-aged women passed by, talking loudly. "Fine. Just a lot of people."

"We can find somewhere more quiet, if you want."

"No, it's a nice change of pace." Jimin bounced on the balls of his feet, head turning to look at everything around them. "I've missed being out like this."

Thinking of all the days they'd spent sitting indoors, Hoseok opened his mouth to apologize, but Jimin nudged him with his shoulder. 

"I already know what you're going to say, so don't." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. "I smell sugar. Buy me something to eat?"

So Hoseok let Jimin pull him along from stand to stand, buying bits of candies and pastries and trinkets from here and there. They found the little omega woman who sold summer clothes, charmed immediately by Jimin's smile, and spent at least an hour sifting through piles of soft shirts and lightweight pants. The booth next-door was filled with different soaps, and Jimin made them smell each one. The sun rose high in the sky, children chased each other with sticks and shrieks, and Hoseok laughed despite being weighed down by a whole wardrobe's worth of outfits when he caught sight of Jimin with fresh strawberry juice staining the corners of his mouth. Jimin laughed back, offering him the last few drops in the paper cup. 

"You're different like this, you know that?"

Still smiling, Hoseok looked down at him. "What do you mean?"

"When you don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders." Jimin squeezed his hand, looking so soft. His hair was still ruffled from pulling shirts on and off over his head. "When you're not worrying about everyone and everything. You're different."

Hoseok breathed in deeply, the sounds of the market faded behind them. "Good different?"

Jimin grinned. "Yeah. Really good."

                                    *   *   * 

"Goddamnit." Hoseok kicked the leg of the desk, hissing when pain shot through his foot. "God damnit ."

"Calm down, Hoseok-ah," his sister said, slumped over in her own chair. 

"Calm down?" Hoseok scoffed. "He wants to implement an omega curfew and you want me to calm down?"

Hyejin sighed. "Nothing is set in stone yet. Father listens to my suggestions lately–"

"How are we supposed to tell people? Who's even going to enforce that?" Hoseok interrupted. Meetings with their father always had him on edge, but today had been nearly catastrophic. "He keeps making things worse, and everyone around here just accepts it." He grabbed a fistful of his hair in frustration. 

"I can't sit by and watch, noona," he murmured. Hyejin pried his fingers apart gently, the expression on her face unintelligible.

"Then don't," she said simply. 

Hoseok blinked. "What do you mean?"

Hands folded on top of the desk, Hyejin bit the inside of her cheek, contemplative. "Remember that hunting trip we went on, last year? When I was gone for a full three hours and came back with nothing to show for it?" 

"You mean the time you were tracking a deer until wolves got to it?" It wasn't entirely uncommon to lose half a kill to opportunistic animals in the surrounding woods.

Hyejin nodded. "Except there was never any deer. I was tracking prints, and I came across a lone pair, mated, traveling through."

"A lone pair?" Hoseok leaned forward, frowning. "From one of the nearby packs?"

"Somewhere far off, I think, and they were heading even further north. It was incredible, really, they'd both studied in the city. One of them even had some sort of legal job. Said they'd heard from a friend the state of some of the packs out here and wanted to start one of their own."

"Yah, stop being cryptic." Hoseok swatted his sister on the shoulder. "Get to the point."

Hyejin sighed, playful air lost on her. Hoseok was struck by how much older she looked now than that hunting trip only a year ago. His sister had always been made to lead, but lately the weight of the pack seemed to rest heavier on her shoulders.

"I think you should leave."

Hoseok gaped at her. "What?"

"You said it yourself, Hoseok, you can't sit by and watch what happens here. So don't. Take Jimin and get out of here. Go north, find where that pair settled down. Find something better than this."

"No, you don't–" Hoseok shook his head, staring at his sister in disbelief. "You don't mean that. How could I leave you here?"

"You're the one who gets so fired up about everything wrong in this place." Hyejin looked calm, much too calm for someone telling her only brother to abandon her and their home. "When I come into power I can make things better, and I have the patience to wait for it. You don't. You never did."

"It's not about patience!" Hoseok nearly shouted. "No one should have to wait for our stupid father to be too old to enforce decisions just to get treated with decency."

Hyejin raised an eyebrow at him. "These things don't change overnight, Hoseok-ah, as much as you want them to. You can stay here and be frustrated at the rate of change, or you can find a place where Jimin is already as respected as you are."

Hoseok bit his lip. He was fully aware that Hyejin was right; he couldn't stay here much longer without completely losing it someday and bringing consequences down on both Jimin and himself. But leaving his sister behind to run the pack and going into the complete unknown–

"Talk it over with him," Hyejin said softly. "Take a few days. But please consider it, Hoseok-ah." She stood, dropping his hand and moving towards the study door. "I want you to be somewhere you belong." 

Hoseok slipped into their room that night to see Jimin sitting at the table, rice and side dishes neatly arranged and still steaming. 

"I thought you'd be tired after your meeting, so I made dinner." He pushed out the chair across from him with his foot, and Hoseok collapsed into it, suddenly ravenous. 

"This looks amazing, Jimin-ah. Thank you."

Jimin preened, poking at a bowl of scrambled eggs. "I went for a walk with Dohyun-hyung in the gardens today."

"Mm?"

"The cherry tree is blooming. So are the plantain lilies, the bumblebees love it. Reminds me of back home."

Hoseok looked up at him, a painful thought growing in his mind. His sister's proposal, mixed with the look on Jimin's face some mornings, disoriented and lost, like he didn't know where he was. Back home, back home, back home. “How so?"

"There were plantain lilies planted around every building, huge ones with these great big leaves. When we were younger we'd try and sew them into makeshift clothes for ourselves." Jimin smiled, his eyes far away. "When they were in full bloom you could always hear the bees buzzing around them."

Appetite suddenly lost, Hoseok set his chopsticks down. "Do you miss it? Your home?"

Jimin frowned, thinking. "I suppose. It's the little things, you know? Familiar faces, familiar food. The way the sheets smelled from the soap we used, the view from the dining room window– just." He shook his head. "Silly things."

"Do you want to go back?"

Jimin's head whipped to face Hoseok so quickly he heard it crack. "What do you mean?"

The words felt like stones as Hoseok said them, heavy and final. "Things are getting worse here, and noona..." He swallowed a lump in his throat, thinking of his sister's words. "She offered us a way out." 

"Go on." Jimin's shoulders were set, his face a mask. 

"We could get away from here, and I could– I could take you back. Where you belong. You could have all those familiar things again." 

Hoseok didn't know how exactly he had expected Jimin to react, but he had expected something; excitement, at that thought of going home, or relief at the thought of getting away from somewhere he'd never wanted to be. Instead Jimin stared at him impassively, save for a small frown. 

"And what about you?" he asked tersely. 

Hoseok shrugged, as if the thought of letting Jimin go didn't feel like a battering ram to the chest. "Noona says there's a mated pair up north that's starting a pack. I figured I'd find them, see if they'd have me."

"You figured," Jimin huffed under his breath. "You figured. So that would be it, huh? You'd go your way, I'd go mine?" 

"Isn't that what you want?" Hoseok tilted his head in confusion, leaned forward on the table. "After everything that's happened to you, don't you want to just forget all this and go home?"

Jimin stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the wooden floor. He had a horrible look on his face, twisted and bitter. "Yes," he spat, and Hoseok didn't understand where the venom came from. "Of course I want to forget everything. There's clearly nothing here worth remembering."

"Jimin-ah, what–"

"I'm tired," Jimin said resolutely, stomping towards the bed. Hoseok watched him yank back the covers and curl himself under them, trying desperately to figure out what had gone so wrong in the conversation.

"Okay, let me clean up the dishes and we can–"

"Don't." Jimin spoke to the wall, not looking at him. "Leave me alone, Hoseok. Go plan your escape from everything here that's holding you back." 

With nothing else to do, Hoseok trudged back to the study, cold now that the fire had nearly burned itself out. He didn't look at the empty armchair, or the bookshelf with three new books from the market. He stared down at weather records from the past fifty years and complaints from families neighboring the fields and thought about running through cornfields with Hyejin when he was young. He thought about his father, locked in his room for days, and the dreadfully careful tone of Sungho's voice when he explained to a five-year-old and a nine-year-old that their mother was gone. He thought of Jimin's clenched fists at the New Year's celebration and the way Jimin shook in his sleep sometimes and the look of delight on Jimin's face when Hyejin had mentioned the annual summer dance festival–

("You should see Hoseok after he's had a glass of wine." Hyejin wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Hoseok groaned. 

"Every omega has to have a dance with him," Dohyun added, forever able to spin the conversation in a positive light. "He'll be the talk of the town for days afterwards."

Jimin laughed, like he always did, light and far from condescending. "Well, they'll be disappointed this year, won't they?" He grinned at Hoseok and it felt as natural as if they'd done this every day, looked at each other and poked at each other and sprawled out together in fresh grass as the clouds passed slowly overhead. "He's already got a partner.") 

When Hoseok finally abandoned any pretense of work and slipped into bed, he found Jimin pressed as far as he could to the side of the mattress, one turn away from rolling off completely. Most nights Jimin was already asleep by the time Hoseok came to bed, but he always seemed to wake enough to scoot closer until he had wormed his way into Hoseok's arms. There was something wonderfully comforting about falling asleep to the rise and fall of another's breath. 

Tonight, however, Jimin stayed on his side, the space between them cold and empty. Hoseok did his best not to shift uncomfortably as he waited for sleep to quiet his restless mind. 

He woke what must have been a few hours later, with no light seeping into the room from the window. For a moment he wondered what woke him, until he registered a weight on his chest. 

"Jimin," he groaned, trying to push him off. "What are you... go back to sleep."

"Did you mean it?" Jimin whispered above him, hands splayed out over his sleep shirt. 

"What?" Hoseok rubbed at his eyes, trying to focus. 

Jimin's breath tickled his face as he spoke. "If I ask you a question, will you answer it honestly?"

It was too dark to make out his facial expression, and judging by his impassiveness at the dinner table that evening there would be nothing there to read, but somehow in the still of the night everything felt different. As if the answer would be written out on Jimin's face, if only Hoseok could see it.

"Yes," he finally said. The air seemed close, almost tense. Like the two of them were the only thing that existed at that moment. 

"Do you really want to send me back?" 

Damned honesty. "I want you to be happy," Hoseok replied, and it was the truth. It had been the truth since the New Year's celebration, even if he hadn't realized it back then. 

The hands on his chest clenched, and Jimin huffed, sounding frustrated. "But do you want me to go back? Do you really– would you really–"

"Jimin-ah," murmured Hoseok, "what do you want?"

There was nothing but silence except for their breathing, and Hoseok wondered if it was difficult for Jimin too, speaking these terribly true things. 

"You promised you'd take care of me," Jimin said, and his voice was so small. "You said you wouldn't let anything happen to me and now you just want to dump me–"

"Hey," Hoseok sat up, hands on Jimin's shoulders, trying to look him in the eye even though they could barely see each other. "I don't want to dump you anywhere, I don't want to leave you behind."

"Then why would you ask?" 

"I told you, I want you to be happy." The ache that had started at dinner was still there, as he imagined Jimin returning to the life he'd had, before Hoseok. "That's all I want. I want you to see all the people you love and listen to the bees in the summer and eat your favorite foods and feel safe. Even if it means I never get to see you again, if you're happier at home, then..." 

Jimin made a choked noise, squeezing Hoseok's shirt in his hands before letting go. "Oh, you dummy." One of the hands on his chest slid up to his cheek, resting there. "You are my home."

The kiss that was pressed to his lips was quick, a little shaky, a little unsure, and Hoseok hadn't realized he'd been waiting for it until that moment. He sighed, leaned back in as Jimin pulled away, needing more, already wondering if he had imagined what had just happened. 

Jimin's hands were small as they cupped his face, and he tasted of the mint toothpaste they shared. He gasped softly as Hoseok kissed him deeper, trying to etch every detail into his memory. 

"I want you to come with me," he said when they broke apart, a little out of breath. He could feel Jimin's heart beat as quick as his own. "I want to keep the promise I made."

"I want that, too." Jimin tucked his face into Hoseok's neck, pushing them both back down onto the bed. "When you offered to take me home, I thought– I thought maybe I'd been reading this whole thing wrong." 

Hoseok planted a kiss in Jimin's hair, smelling the soap they'd bought from the market last week. Familiar smells, Jimin had said, and home, home, home . "You didn't read anything wrong," he said with a smile. "I think I was just too dumb to realize how happy we both were." 

"You were very dumb."

"Yes."

"I demand recompense." Jimin's voice slurred with sleep, and Hoseok ran a hand down his back. 

"How can I win back your favor, love?"

Jimin shivered. "You can call me that again, for one, and you have to give me ten kisses a day." 

Hoseok laughed quietly, easy now that all the tension in his chest had dissipated. "You drive a hard bargain. Are we starting today?" 

He didn't wait for a reply, just pressed more kisses to the top of Jimin's head. "One. Two. Three..."

*   *   *

"I added some dried fruit, dried meat, nuts, tea–"

"Tea?"

"The nights are still cold." Youngjae rubbed the back of his neck, looking flustered. "Tea is lightweight and invigorating." 

Despite the tense atmosphere, Jimin laughed quietly. The three of them were standing at the edge of the woods, just to the side of the road that led out and away from town. Hoseok and Jimin each had two layers of clothing on and lightweight packs on their backs. Youngjae ticked off the things he'd snuck from the stockroom in the Pack Alpha's house on his fingers. 

"There's a lightweight saucepan in your bag, Hoseok, make sure you boil all your water before you drink it."

Hoseok laughed too, the sound lost between the rustling of leaves in the breeze. They had been planning their departure for the past two weeks: quiet conversations in each others' rooms, strategic purchases from the market, items on lists scratched off one by one. It hadn't felt real until they bid their goodbyes to Hyejin and Dohyun. Hoseok had managed not to break down completely, knowing that he had to be focused for this night to go to plan. There would be time to grieve later. 

"We've double and triple checked, Youngjae, I think we've got everything," he said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "It's time."

Youngjae opened his mouth to protest, then sighed. Hoseok felt a rush of gratitude for his friend, pulling him into a firm embrace. 

"Thank you," he whispered as he felt Youngjae squeeze him back tightly. "Thank you for everything."

"Be safe," Youngjae whispered back. Pulling away, he pointed a stern finger at Jimin, his voice warbling ever so slightly. "Watch out for him, now. He doesn't know how to take care of himself properly."

Jimin hugged him quickly, a fond smile on his face. "You can count on me. Take care of yourself too, hyung."

Youngjae clasped Hoseok's hand one last time, then began the walk back towards the house. He vanished quickly, the sliver of moon in the sky offering no light. Hoseok stared after him until he felt Jimin's hand slip into his. 

"It's hard, isn't it?" he asked, and Hoseok breathed in deeply. It was as comforting as it was painful to know that Jimin had gone through the exact same thing a few months ago.

"Yeah," he agreed. "It's hard."

They stood still for a moment, hand in hand, and the night was peaceful around them. The breeze was cold, but carried the smell of damp earth and the promise of summer on the way. 

"I don't know exactly where we're going," said Hoseok.

"I know."

"I don't know what we'll find, if we find anything."

"Okay." 

"And you still want to do this?"

Jimin looked up at Hoseok, and Hoseok looked down at him, wondering if he had ever been as lucky as that night at the New Year's festival. 

"I trust you," Jimin said, pulling him forward, and together they took their first step into the unknown. "Let's go."