Chapter Text
If you’d asked Namjoon long ago how he thought he’d be getting married later in his life, Namjoon would have answered “like a queen”.
Sitting across the table from a row of stone-faced lawyers while his hand shook around an onyx pen, Namjoon was sure this wasn't how royalty usually got married.
But Namjoon wasn't royalty, he was far from it actually.
So really, what did he know?
“Mr. Kim, are you sure you've thought this through?”
Mouth going dry as he nodded curtly, Namjoon sat straighter in his seat as he reached out and brought the papers closer to him.
“Yes….I have,” he muttered, his voice devoid of any fear or uncertainty as he looked over the thickly bound contract now sitting unmarked beneath his fingers. In black bold letters almost impossible to miss, Namjoon could see his name etched into the paper and next to it the terms and conditions of what would be a lifelong agreement.
Namjoon knew he didn't have to put any emphasis on what lifelong actually meant.
Fidgeted slightly in his seat as the words on the page jumped up at him, Namjoon glanced upward at the men sitting across from him; an older man, the one in the middle, surprising him slightly as he stared at him curiously before suddenly leaning forward to intertwine his hands over the smooth marble table top before him.
“And you’ve gone over the requirements? The terms that are being…asked of you?” The man hummed lowly, the tight corners of his lips pulling downward into a permanent frown as he eyed Namjoon closely from across the table.
Blinking slowly as he felt frustration start to brew inside him, Namjoon held his breath and nodded as he twisted his hand tighter around his pen. Of course he’d gone through the contract repeatedly, why else would he be here?
Leave it to a corporate Alpha to question every one of his intentions.
Silence filling every inch of the space between them as he gathered his thoughts, Namjoon cleared his throat once he finally met the lawyer's gaze directly.
This was no time to show weakness and Namjoon wasn't about to start now.
“....Yes, I've…consulted with my lawyers and we’ve agreed the terms are…quite adequate.” he hummed, his gaze set and determined as the men across from him turned to share a silent yet guarded look between each other.
Waiting patiently as his heart seemed to beat in his ears, Namjoon eyed the men closely as the room grew silent; not a sound or a word heard as the men nodded briskly before finally turning back to meet him.
Only when they did speak again, Namjoon had to fight to keep his scent from spilling through his blockers as his face twitched with barely contained anger.
“Then you believe you can go through with the task at hand, yes?..... That is, considering your…sud-gender and all it entails?” the man in the middle asked monotonously, the words tinged with barely contained condescendence as the men stared at Namjoon intensely.
Lips pulling into a taunt straight line, Namjoon felt his jaw clench as he answered with a sharp, curt nod. The inside of his cheek flaring with pain as he bit down hard enough to almost draw blood.
Even in the middle of negotiations, no matter how important they were, it seemed Namjoon's status would never go unquestioned. It's a fact that annoys Namjoon to no end and yet, he still keeps his composure as he fixes the men with a cool and collected glare.
“With all due respect sir, I know I can,” Namjoon spits out sternly, his voice sounding deep and rich as it carried quickly across the room and rang loudly in the group of huddled alpha’s ears.
Safe to say, as they sat back in their chairs to glance at each other one last time, the men were finally satisfied with Namjoon’s answer.
That is if their tone was anything to go by.
“Then there is nothing on our side left to discuss, Mr. Kim. If you, in your best interest, wish to accept these conditions then you are free to sign your name and we’ll announce this business officially closed,” the man from before uttered with finality as he gestured towards the stacks of paper sitting idly before Namjoon. The lawyers by his side wasted no time gathering their belongings while talking lowly amongst themselves as Namjoon felt his chest tighten and suddenly constrict.
And then, It was finally time.
The moment had come for Namjoon to sign his life away and everything that came with it.
Gulping hard as the room seemed to fade into nothing around him, Namjoon eyed the crisp black line where his name was waiting to be etched into the paper. The pen in his hand feeling heavier than the biggest cast iron sword in the world, Namjoon felt his skin prickle with heat and his brow grow damp with preparation.
And really, As Namjoon read over the contract while his hand reached forward to shakingly press the tip of his pen to the stark white paper, he began to wonder how exactly he’d come to find himself in such a predicament.
Truthfully, it was the oldest story known to omega kind.
You see, Kim Namjoon was an Omega, as simple as they came really.
Coming from a family of farmers, Namjoon had known nothing but hardships growing up; a life he thought he’d never be able to overcome once his sub-gender was revealed and the chaos that followed came with it.
But now, looking down at the contract that felt heavy in his grasp, Namjoon began to question his decision as the pen in his hand soon began to feel ten times heavier than the paper ever could.
The hesitation was a surprise to Namjoon. Why? Because He knew he could do this; knew he could sign his life away and do what was being asked of him without a single thought as he eyed the benefits of accepting a marriage he had never once thought of nor entertained.
And gods, Namjoon had come so far….Had come from nothing at all and made a name for himself all on his own and yet….his skin still prickled with trepidation.
But really, what could an alpha like the one Namjoon was yet to meet do to him? What could an alpha with everything at his disposal ever want with an omega like himself?
Brows furrowing as he shuffled forward in his seat, Namjoon frowned as he wondered what an Alpha like the one he was set to spend the rest of his life with could ever do to him that he himself hadn't already endured?
Thoughts swirling in his head without a single direction, Namjoon thought back to the moment he had first been approached with this offer. Skin bristling at the memory, Namjoon frowned as he remembered how his blood had rushed loudly through his ears; the head of his company one day sitting across from him as the Ceo had explained his current….crisis to Namjoon in confidence.
The fact that he was even hired in the first place was something Namjoon had never counted on, a miracle he owed to the very ceo sitting across from him who had seen something in him when Namjoon had come in for an interview oh-so-long ago.
Of course, their conversation had been brisk; a quick slew of words Namjoon had tried to understand and follow as the man in charge of one the biggest commercial conglomerates in south korea had sat in his office and tried not to burst at the seams after another one of his sons scandalizing decisions made headlines.
Having sat across from the alpha in an office much like the one he now found himself in, Namjoon had listened closely as his boss had vented. How the offer to marry his alpha son was soon on the table, Namjoon would never know but he had listened to his boss either way.
And by the time their conversation had finally come to an end, Namjoon was sure his life would never be quite the same after it.
Why?
Well for starters, Namjoon was an unmated, male omega; a pure rarity of his kind. And in a city like Seoul, it wasn't the norm to see a male omega walking around unmated and unmarked, much less one heading towards a job when most omegas were still unheard of in the workplace.
But Namjoon was not like other omegas nor was he what you'd call a “prized mate”.
No, Namjoon was something else entirely; a uniqueness all on his own as he had stood out from the crowd quite figuratively for what had been his entire life.
Standing tall and firm, Namjoon was more alpha than omega; his broad shoulders and chest giving him a form that was worth drooling over if not the type you’d work endlessly to achieve. Long legs seeming to stretch for miles, Namjoon had always been hard and thick where omegas were supposed to be supple and soft.
He’d always had the ability to blend in and fly under the radar of other people's perceived stereotypes and judgemental assumptions. He’d always been one to go against the norm, his lifestyle and ambition an early testament to his rebellion against what had always been expected of him or the lack thereof.
He was different and he wasn't afraid to show it.
Which was why Namjoon had been so surprised when his boss had come to him and offered him the deal of a lifetime.
And really, Namjoon would be a fool to reject a deal like the one sitting untouched before him.
“Mr. Kim? Is everything all right?”
Head snapping upward as he was torn from his thoughts, Namjoon sat upright in his chair as he faced the men standing in a group across the table between them. Blinking slowly as he cleared his throat, Namjoon felt his cheeks blush as he realized he’d forgotten the men were still in the same room with him.
Leave it to him to space out during an important meeting, Namjoon groaned as he brought his attention back to the matter at hand.
“Ah yes, everything’s alright. Just going over the fine print,” he hummed and this time, Namjoon wasted no time in pulling the contract closer to himself; his eyes narrowing to thin slits as he made sure the ink dried properly before signing his name.
Words waiting to be etched on the paper making dread flood his veins, Namjoon took a deep breath and slowly realigned his pen up to the dotted line once again.
And then finally….it was done.
The slight cursive font of his name etched neatly on the line screaming up at him as his signature now sealed his fate for what would be the rest of his life.
Only somehow Namjoon doesn’t find any comfort at the sight, not that he gets to look long enough to do so anyway.
The minute his pen leaves the paper, the contract is whisked away from him; the only letters Namjoon gets to read before the bundle disappears that of his own name and the one he was now contractually tied to.
Eyes blinking as he now stared at the empty table before him, Namjoon glanced upward to catch the gaze of the lone lawyer staring down at him tauntingly.
“Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Kim…or should I say, Mr. Jeon,” he drawled and this time Namjoon failed to hide his look of disdain; the frown blooming across his face making his thoughts known without him having to say them out loud.
But before he can say something he’ll regret, The lawyers don't give him any time to respond; their backs already to him as they moved in tandem to walk out through the meeting room door.
And as the door banged shut behind them, the sun filtering lazily through the air as the room fell into silence, Namjoon was finally left to his own devices.
For as long as they stayed his anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Namjoon had first presented, it’d scared the living shit out of him.
The pain had been something he could never quite describe as it’d seemed to go on forever; the bright searing heat that had consumed him almost convincing him that the sun itself had burned deep inside of him.
Grunting and whimpering like a wild animal, Namjoon had twisted in agony on his bedroom floor for hours, his mother's scent the only calm he could smell through the thick haze of pheromones as she had burst into his room that day to a bewildering sight. Namjoon could still remember how the scent of roses and honey had filled the air in an almost intoxicating and overwhelming wave.
Somehow, after all these years, Namjoon swore he could still hear how his cries had echoed off the slightly worn walls; how his body had burned so hot that Namjoon had almost been convinced he’d die right then and there on the weathered and stained floorboards.
He’d been most grateful when his beta mother had been able to dull the pain in the slightest but even then it had all still been almost unbearable for him to endure.
If only his problems could have ended right there on that fateful day but Namjoon knew he’d never been that lucky.
If anything, after his presentation, it seemed Namjoon's life only seemed to get harder.
What had once been a peaceful and quiet home soon turned into one of tension and worry; his parents' fear growing with each day as Namjoon had tried his best to adjust to his new rare and uncommon sub-gender. And gods how his poor parents had tried their best to protect him; how they had tried tooth and nail to shield him from a world they knew wouldn't be as loving nor as accepting as they had always been.
But careful living could only do so much for so long and sometimes when he closes his eyes at night, Namjoon can still hear his beta parents whispering in their old kitchen; the sound of their hushed voices making him lose whatever ounce of sleep he’d managed to get the night before or any after.
“And when people find out?....when they make us give him away?”
“They won't….we won't let them. We just have to be careful… that's all we can do now.” his father had said and for a while, Namjoon had believed him to be telling the truth.
But sometimes parents could be wrong, no matter how hard you wanted them to be right.
And when his town finally found out about his sub-gender….When they could see the proof of Namjoon's status with their own eyes?
Namjoon knew then he’d have to leave if he ever wanted to survive.
And so Namjoon did. The minute the clock struck twelve on his eighteenth birthday, Namjoon kissed his parents and life goodbye as he swore to make a better life for himself without dragging down those around him.
And really for a while, despite how gut-wrenchingly hard it had been, Namjoon was proud to say it had worked. He had been able to support himself through school and soon, after working two jobs early in the morning and one late at night, Namjoon had been able to graduate college and start a name for himself in a world where his gender wouldn't and hadn’t been frowned upon.
And for a few years, Namjoon had known the satisfaction of succeeding on his own…but unfortunately, that didn't seem to last for long.
You see, one thing they never told young omegas was that the corporate world could be as, if not more, unforgiving than the real world that seemed to flow mindlessly outside it.
Only this was something Namjoon had come to learn the hard way.
How? Well for starters Namjoon was an up-and-coming accountant, assistant to the head of his department, and the best suited for his job and position….
And yet that never seemed to stop the snickering and teasing Namjoon could still hear following him down the halls whenever he had to call in a sick day or when his heat started to grow dangerously near.
No, it seemed no matter how good you were at your job, prejudice followed you everywhere.
So Namjoon had done the only thing he could do to succeed.
The omega simply ignored it; paid it no mind as he grew to ignore the people around him and throw himself headfirst into his work and his career. So much so that by the time he got promoted to head of his field, the CEO himself had finally taken notice.
And after that, well….they say the rest is history.
Only now, as Namjoon stood behind the cover of a pair of steel sliding doors, he began to wonder if this contract was even worth the trouble he’d already put himself through.
Glancing up as he watched the numbered floors flash by as his elevator descended, Namjoon figured…no…Maybe it really wasn't worth it after all.
Because really, how could it be?
How could a marriage survive when the man he was set to be married to was none other than THE Jeon Jungkook himself?
Sighing as he closed his eyes, Namjoon knew the deal was doomed the minute he’d heard the Alpha’s name and yet….the omega had still signed his name quicker than the ink could have dried on the page.
And maybe if it had been anyone else, any other alpha who had been the one written next to his name on that damned contract, then maybe Namjoon could have convinced himself enough that by some gods given miracle, an arranged marriage could actually work between them.
But a marriage with Jungkook? Jeon Jungkook???
Namjoon knew the Alpha was a different matter entirely.
And how could he not be?
A complete opposite to Namjoon’s life, Jungkook lived a life of endless luxury, and God would he never let the world forget it.
Whether it was lavish house parties or scandalous affairs of mystery meetings with idols stamped on almost every headline, Jeon Jungkook had never shied away from the spotlight his parents had grown to despise.
Every bit the postering alpha, Jungkook was known far and wide by his looks alone. Equally divine and dangerous to look at, Jungkook was a man so stunning and secure, he didn't care what others thought of him nor where or how people ever perceived him.
Tall and beautiful, the Alpha was the perfect Mate anyone could ever hope for but above all else, Jeon Jungkook was a fucking menace.
And he had the whirlwind reputation to prove it.
Only now Namjoon never thought he’d find himself caught in the middle of the storm that had Jungkook's name all over it.
Frown etched on his face once his elevator finally came to a stop, Namjoon waited patiently as his mind seemed to race without direction; the doors sliding open a few minutes later with a dull ‘bing!” as the hall finally opened up before him.
Taking a small step out onto the empty floor, Namjoon kept his gaze trained on the ground as he slowly made his way down to the end of the long, quiet hallway. Moving slowly but deliberately, Namjoon kept going until he came to a stop outside a pair of identical wooden doors; the dark hue of the wood smooth enough for Namjoon to catch his own troubled expression.
He was nervous and had been for a while now. Nerves a mess of tension, Namjoon could barely think as he hesitated to enter the room that smelled slightly of caramel and sea salt.
Gulping as his mouth suddenly went dry, Namjoon balked as he realized who was currently behind the set of doors. Feet almost frozen in place, Namjoon shivered as he knew exactly what was waiting for him as he struggled to keep his heartbeat in check before moving any closer.
Because really, there was only one Alpha that scent could belong to and Namjoon was sure he’d be marrying that Alpha in a few days' time.
So taking a deep breath as he reached to grab a hold of the doorknob in front of him, Namjoon summoned whatever courage he had left and without another second to doubt his nerve, threw the doors open and finally made his way inside.
And like they say, the rest was history.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Sitting across from each other in what was probably an empty meeting room, Namjoon sat silently in his chair as he avoided the gaze of the glaring alpha who now sat before him.
Minutes ticking by as he grew anxious, Namjoon shifted awkwardly in his seat as neither of them said a word; the air thick with tension as the men sat like statues in their seats waiting painfully for one or the other to grow bold enough to finally break the silence.
It’d been almost a half hour since Namjoon had first walked in, and still the Alpha had yet to say a single word to him.
Namjoon had to admit it was hard not to take it personally but the Omega soldered on either way.
Strong gaze never leaving his own, Namjoon fidgeted in his seat as he wondered if he should maybe introduce or excuse himself from the room since the Alpha very clearly didn't want him in it.
But before Namjoon can even think to excuse himself from the room, the alpha beats him to it; the sound of his deep voice catching Namjoon’s attention almost immediately as the scent of agitated alpha suddenly grew diluted.
But not enough to where Namjoon couldn't catch the briefest amount of pure annoyance lingering deep within the Alpha’s strong and bitter scent.
“So…you're the omega my parents dragged in to tame me huh? Mmmh got to say….thought I was worth a little more….effort to them, no offense,” Jungkook chuckled dryly as he finally broke the silence, his words deep and mocking as he threw his head back and closed his eyes briefly as if exhausted by the minute exchange.
Across from him, his hands digging into the meat of his thighs as his body suddenly grew tense, Namjoon fought every fiber in his body to control his scent from going out of control. The last thing he needed was to bring himself down to the alpha’s immature and impolite level.
But gods above was the Alpha making it extremely hard for Namjoon not to do so.
Deep sigh slipping past his lips after taking a much-needed breath, Namjoon counted to three before he set his gaze back onto the brooding and frowning man sitting before him; the only sound in the room echoing between them the small clicking of a clock mounted on the drab wall just a few feet away.
Paying the item no mind as his lips pulled into a taut line, Namjoon kept his tone leveled as he waited for the alpha's gaze to return back to his own; the timbre of his voice loud and clear as he answered the alpha back with the same attitude he’d been so easily given.
“I beg your pardon, but I wasn't bought by anyone. I was asked to show up today and I accepted, that doesn't mean I like it any better than you do, no offense.” Namjoon spat as his teeth bit the inside of his cheek roughly to contain his harsher words left unsaid, the tone of his voice evidence enough of what he was currently feeling.
And honestly, Namjoon couldn't believe this was how they were meeting each other for the first time; the alpha’s burning glare settling back over his own as they sat across each other in the tense and stifling silence.
So much for trying to make things work between them, Namjoon sighed. He knew after the way they had just talked to each other ( and for the first time mind you) there was no hope for the easy transition he’d originally hoped for.
Not Like Jungkook would have made it any easier on him anyway if the alpha's glare was anything to go off of.
“Hmpf, if you say so, Omega. Anyway, did you meet with the lawyers today?” Jungkook tsked after a brief pause had passed between them, the tone of his voice deep and stern as he eyed Namjoon carefully from his seat across the room.
Feeling the others' gaze quickly bore into his own, Namjoon clenched his jaw as he moved to sit straighter in his seat. He didn't know why but there was something about being addressed by his status alone that made Namjoon's skin burn as he was insulted by the chaebol for what felt like the hundredth time.
Brows growing forward as he met the alpha's gaze head-on, Namjoon gestured towards the doors he had originally come in by; that morning’s meeting with their lawyers coming back to him quickly as he shrugged away his earlier frustrations.
“Yes, I met them not too long ago actually-,” Namjoon tired, but once again, the omega was interrupted as Jungkook's words cut him off mid-sentence; the alpha’s words echoing impatiently as he sighed and looked lazily his way.
“So is everything finally signed and accounted for?” he asked abruptly and Namjoon could barely keep his curse in check as he swallowed the words he had planned to say. To say the alpha was wearing his nerves thin would be an understatement.
To make matters worse, Namjoon could barely keep his scent at bay as Jungkook's own scent of blackberry and sage now quickly filled the room; his restraint weakened to the point of no return as the room grew louder with the mixture of their voices and agitated scents.
Biting the inside of his cheek, which was probably raw by now, Namjoon took a deep breath and tried his best to keep his composure.
Emphasis on tried.
“Yes, the papers were signed earlier when I-”
“Then why are we here then?” The alpha suddenly spat as he leaned forward, his lips twisting into a frown as Jungkook tsked loudly and moved to rise to his feet.
Eyes going wide as he stuttered, Namjoon felt his lips part as no words came to the surface; his train of thought lost as the alpha now loomed over him.
“W-what-?” He tried but the alpha was already talking; the sound of his voice bouncing off the walls making Namjoon shiver as he felt Jungkook's frustration grow with every passing minute.
“God, I told them this wasn't needed and now look, a whole morning spent waiting and for what? What are we even doing here?” Jungkook snapped and Namjoon couldn't help the frown from growing on his own face at the alpha's outburst; his eyes narrowing into slits as he too shuffled forward to match the chaebol's energy.
Quite frankly, Namjoon had finally had enough and he wasn't afraid to let the alpha know it.
“Maybe we're supposed to be getting to know each other? Or at least trying to pretend to?” Namjoon spat back and the look on Jungkook's face was enough to have Namjoon's mouth go dry and silent; the intensity in the alpha’s glare making him squirm as the room suddenly came to a tense standstill.
And really Namjoon doesn't know how they got to this point, the room filled with agitation in what had probably been only a matter of minutes. But whatever the cause or the explanation, Namjoon was sure of only one thing as the silence soon began to ring in his ears.
This man…this alpha who stared at him like the worst feature in the room, was meant to be his husband. And as Namjoon felt that realization sink deep inside him and a cold sense of dread quickly fill his veins, the omega came to wonder just how on earth was their marriage ever going to survive.
By the look suddenly dawning on his own features, Namjoon was sure Jungkook was thinking the same thing.
Lips pulled into a tight line, Namjoon watched as Jungkook's glare soon grew defeated; the alpha’s once looming demeanor now gone as the chaebol groaned and cursed before him.
“Well fuck….I guess there's no use in pretending now, is there?” he muttered, his words holding multiple meanings as Namjoon felt his own face twist into a look of resignation and doubt as he felt his own dread grow tenfold.
Sighing deeply as he sank back into his chair, Namjoon let his gaze fall to his lap as he too let his demeanor fall flat; the anger he had felt grow now simmering in his veins as he felt his temple throb at the overwhelming scents currently drifting throughout the room.
“Yeah….I guess so,” he huffed brokenly, Jungkook’s humorless chuckle making him wince as the Alpha slowly shook his head and let his features twist into a frown.
And with that, before Namjoon could even notice, the two men were rising to their feet; their bows short and curt as they all but stormed out of the room once their ‘meeting’ was finally over.
Moving down the hall towards the doors that would finally take him home, Namjoon thought it safe to say his first meeting with Jeon Jungkook had been a complete and total disaster.
But as he reached the doors of the elevator he had first arrived in, Namjoon knew he’d soon have other chances.
And maybe then, if the gods showed him mercy, Namjoon wouldn't feel the urge to call it quits just yet.
But of course that all depended on the Alpha now attached to Namjoon's name for the rest of forever.
Only now, Namjoon couldn't fathom forever lasting much longer.
Or at least not with Jeon Jungkook anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~ End of Chapter 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~