Work Text:
🐣🐻
13 June 2013
Jimin was awestruck by the brown-haired boy with the voice of an angel in front of him. Kim Taehyung was introduced to him and his classmates as the new transfer student as they entered the final year of school. In the next couple of weeks, Jimin observed that the lanky boy was distant from everyone, brushed everyone off when they tried to befriend him, sat alone for lunch, and focused only on his studies. Jimin wanted to introduce himself to the taller boy but was scared of being told off by him.
As he waited for his brother Seojoon to pick him up after classes, he saw Taehyung enter the Mercedes that pulled up ahead of them. The honk from his brother’s car distracted him and he walked toward his brother’s car.
“Since when does Taehyung go to your school?” Seojoon asked and Jimin had no idea how his brother knew his classmate, so he voiced his questions.
“You know Abeoji’s rival, Kim Min Su?
“Of Kim Industries?” Jimin asked, his eyes widening.
“Yep, the same. He is their son. He has an elder brother as well, Kim Seokjin I think,”
Jimin processed the information. It made sense his hyung had more information as he was already working with their father in their company. Jimin on the other hand was an introvert and refused to attend social gatherings unless forced to. And his parents understood his plight and never forced him into uncomfortable situations.
“I suggest you stay away from him,” Seojoon commented, bringing Jimin back from his thoughts and Jimin silently nodded in response.
🐣🐻
His brother’s comment stayed with him throughout the year but wasn’t enough to stop him from developing a crush on the tall brunette boy. Taehyung was always distant, but still helped out people in need. He was always on his best behavior and the teachers adored him. Jimin obviously noticed when the tall boy was gone for two weeks. He’d presented as an alpha, he heard from the rumor mills. For a split second there, he wished he’d present as an omega so that he could be Taehyung’s mate. He dismissed the thought almost immediately. His dad wouldn’t be too impressed if he presented as an omega. He wouldn’t be too harsh on Jimin, he was sure, but still, his dad, if given a choice would want his second son to be an alpha as well.
At the same time, he knew there was no way Taehyung would want Jimin as his mate. Why would he, Jimin was a nobody, who always flew under the radar. Jimin wondered if he already had a special someone in his life.
🐣🐻
Jimin presented soon after graduation. Surprisingly everyone in his family was okay with the fact that he was an omega and not an all-powerful alpha like his father or brother. His mother told him that day that she was sure he’d be an omega like her from when he was seven. Lee Jang Mi was a brilliant omega and she told him that Jimin should be proud he presented as an omega. Alphas might look like the mighty ones, but at the end of the day they cannot be compassionate as an Omega and that was their strength.
🐣🐻
When Jimin’s dance group won a chance to travel the world for a competition, he did not hesitate. The group was led by his favorite hyung and best friend Jung Hoseok, who was also an omega. On the downside, it kept him away from his family for almost two years.
🐣🐻
12 August 2017
It’d been a year since Jimin enrolled in college. He kept a low profile, apart from his dance club activities. Being a chaebol was too much work. Since he usually stayed away from public events for business, keeping a low profile and hiding the fact that he was a 3rd generation chaebol was easy. No one knew him as Park Jae Ho’s son or Park Seojoon’s brother. He stuck to his friend Hobi and his alpha mate Jeon Jungkook, who was also a part of the dance club (it was a secret only Jimin was privy to since dating within the club was prohibited).
🐣🐻
The first time Jimin saw Taehyung after a gap of two years was when they were in the cafeteria. It was his loud laugh that caught Jimin’s attention. He was with Jungkook. Hobi had some work and couldn’t join them. Taehyung sat two tables over, from him, with a shorter man who had a cat-like expression on his face. From what he could see, Jimin was sure the duo was really close to each other. Taehyung was laughing out loud at something the other guy had said. His face remained neutral though, that is if Jimin was right.
“Shall we go to practice hyung?” Jungkook asked and Jimin focused back on his dongsaeng.
“Sure Kookah,” Jimin said as he gathered his things to leave.
As he walked closer to Taehyung’s table, he could easily say, the guy with him was an omega. Jimin’s stomach dropped. It was not like he had something going on with Taehyung. He had in fact never spoken to the guy outside of once when they were put together in the same group activity in school. He had not even seen him for two years. He had no right to feel that way, but he still did. He caught up with Jungkook as he passed by the table, he wasn’t sure if he had imagined Taehyung’s eyes on him or did the alpha really look at him. Well, he pushed the thoughts aside, he had a dance practice to focus on.
🐣🐻
The next four years passed uneventfully and faster than Jimin realized. And before he knew it, he was graduating from college. He had spent his years mostly with Hoseok and Jungkook, and sometimes his cousin, Kim Namjoon. Namjoon was friends with Taehyung’s brother Seokjin and Jimin used the opportunity to get closer to the older, as he hoped it would help him reach the younger. He had made zero progress over the years in university and Taehyung had graduated two years before Jimin did.
🐣🐻
13 October 2022
“Jiminah, happy birthday,” his dad said as he hugged him. His mother brother and sister-in-law were also present and he knew what was coming. The others wished him before his father broke the news. Arranged marriages were a common thing in his family.
“We found the perfect partner for you Jiminah,”
Jimin internally laughed. How would they find the perfect partner for him without knowing what his preferences were? They had never even met a single person he dated.
“Kim Taehyung would be the perfect alpha for you,” his father said and his eyes widened as he turned to face his father.
“Who?”
His father explained how the Parks and Kims were coming out of their rivalry and this was the perfect way to strengthen their relationship. They had discussed the possibility of an alliance and Kim Seokjin was considered first, but Jimin’s father felt Jimin would be happier with someone his age.
They would get engaged within a week and be married post-Taehyung’s birthday. They had in fact set up a meeting between the families two days later.
Jimin wasn’t sure how he lucked out to be arranged to be married to his teenage crush. But he was glad and he looked forward to finally talking to Taehyung. And he honest to God hoped Taehyung was okay with this arrangement
🐻🐣
Taehyung wasn’t okay with this arrangement. It came out of nowhere for him. Who even had arranged marriages anymore? And, he was supposed to be okay with it?
“Tae, son, I hope you understand. The Parks and us, we were rivals and now we have reached a truce since we have a common enemy. The Lee family threatens to take over our businesses and our packs and this alliance is how we can establish ourselves strongly against them. And we don’t want to fall back into our old ways once we get rid of our problems. Your brother worked hard to overcome the rivalry and make this partnership possible. The least you can do, since you choose to stay away from the business is marry this boy.”
Taehyung has never been one to be interested in business. He had his passions and was grateful he was not forced into something he wasn’t interested in. Until now that is.
“Then if hyung worked so much for it, why can’t he just get married? I am sure he is a qualified alpha for the Park’s son,” he said as he shot a glance at his brother who stood behind their father.
“Don’t be a brat Taehyungah, just listen to what abeoji says,” Jin said and Taehyung resented him a bit more.
It was not always like this. Jin and Tae used to be close. Until one day Jin decided to be the ideal son and focus on all things business. He shut Taehyung completely out and the sudden change made Taehyung miserable. He went through multiple stages of grief but he had reached a point where didn’t care anymore. That was before he was forced to marry the Parks’ younger son.
“Taehyung, please do this for the family. The Parks want you to marry their son Jimin. They chose you because you are both the same age,” his dad reasoned.
Jimin? Park Jimin? The dancer boy from his school and college days. He hadn’t thought about that boy in some time though he’d seen him around Jin. And he was from THE PARK FAMILY? How had he not known?
“And I’ve met Jimin multiple times. He’s a sweet boy. You guys will get along very well,” Jin added.
“Of course, you’d know that,” Tae said, not bothering to explain anything further on what he meant by that. Jin gave him a questioning look and he chose to ignore that.
🐣🐻
Jimin reached out to Seokjin for Taehyung’s number. He didn’t want his first proper interaction with Taehyung to be before his family or on their engagement day. He sent a couple of texts to the younger boy and hoped he’d respond.
🐻🐣
Taehyung was on his way to Daegu to meet with his favorite hyung. He met Yoongi in his first year in college while the music production major was in his third year. That was when he and Seokjin started drifting apart and Yoongi somehow became the shoulder he cried on. It was not like he could completely replace his brother, but Yoongi was the one who would come closest. So, when his family sprang the arranged marriage news at him, he ran to Yoongi’s apartment, only to find it locked. The older guy had gone to his hometown and Taehyung decided it was the best option for him as well. He didn’t want to stay home and face his family, nor meet with Jimin’s. He was supposed to get engaged in a week and wanted some sense of familiarity. So, he hopped on a train to Daegu without thinking twice. He could make it back before his Engagement ceremony.
Taehyung was looking out the window when his phone pinged alerting him of a couple of texts
Unknown Number:
Hi Taehyung
This is Jimin
I got your number from your brother
I just wanted to see if you’d be up to meet before the function on Saturday
“Oh,” Taehyung let out before he even realized it.
Was he ready to talk about it? To Jimin of all people? He definitely wasn’t. He saved the contact information and left the messages on read.
Taehyung wasn’t sure what he was expecting from Yoongi, but it definitely wasn’t the older one hitting him on the head with his music notebook.
“Hyung why?”
“I get it Taehyungah, you are mad at your family for putting you in this situation. But that doesn’t mean you get to act like a brat. This Jimin kid hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s in the same situation as you and he’s still reaching out. He deserves to be treated better than being left on read,” Yoongi said, as he folded his hands and stared Taehyung down.
“I understand what you are saying hyung, I will reply to his text.”
Maybe going to Yoongi was a bad idea. He had the habit of knocking sense into Taehyung. He hadn’t empathized with him as he hoped. But Yoongi did have a point. None of this was Jimin’s fault, maybe his parents’ fault, but definitely not his. But he was in the same boat as Taehyung.
So, Taehyung planned to say yes and meet up with Jimin before the function. Before he could do that, he got a call from the curator of the gallery he was planning an exhibition with and he had to go to Busan. So decided to let Jimin know the same.
Taehyung:
Hi Jimin, I’m glad you reached out
Unfortunately, I am not in Seoul right now
Can we keep texting each other here until we can meet up?
He hoped Jimin would say yes. Taehyung of course remembered Jimin from school and college and the fact that he liked to stay out of the spotlight. He even had a crush on the dancer, who wouldn’t? He had in fact stared at Jimin many times, but the latter never noticed (not that he should’ve, Taehyung didn’t have the courage to go talk to him anyway).
Taehyung had even seen a few performances of the boy and from what he remembered, Jimin was brilliant. He had seen Jimin with his brother multiple times and Jin was always secretive about whom he dated and it was after Jin and he had fallen apart. So, Taehyung decided it was best to stop thinking of Jimin. But now, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give him a chance. He shouldn’t let his issues with his brother affect something his older self would’ve been really happy about.
Jimin’s reply came almost immediately.
Jimin:
We can of course do that
So, where are you?
I hope I am not being too intrusive
Taehyung didn’t waste any time responding this time.
Taehyung:
I am in Busan – finalizing a few details for my exhibition here
Jimin:
Oh, can I come?
Taehyung was a bit taken aback by the forward nature of the omega and he was sure from the series of messages that came next that he realized that as well.
Jimin:
I am so sorry
I didn’t mean to impose
I should’ve asked you what it is about at least
I don’t even know that
I know you can’t be too comfortable with me
Really sorry
Taehyung:
It’s okay Jimin
I am a photographer
Jimin:
And I believe you are great at it
Taehyung:
Thank you
Tell me about you
I remember you used to dance
Jimin:
I still do
I run a dance studio with my friend
Do you remember Hoseok hyung?
He was in the dance club with me
Taehyung:
I don’t think I do, might recall if I see him maybe
How are your parents okay with running a dance studio?
Jimin:
I was never interested in the family business
And Appa has hyung for that
Being an omega helped
Our studio does have its fair share of younger-generation chaebols though
So, I guess that is good enough for Appa
Taehyung:
I can understand
I’ve never been interested in business as well
🐣🐻
Jimin hadn’t realized they’d been texting for more than two hours. It was only when his family asked him for dinner that he did. They texted about a lot of things and Jimin wondered if his brother hadn’t warned him to stay away from Taehyung when he was in school, they would’ve been good friends. It was easy texting Taehyung.
Jimin:
I have to go now Tae
Is it okay if I call you Tae?
Tae 💖💚:
You can 😊
Also, you should come to my exhibition
Jimin was blushing. He was absolutely loving the conversation with Taehyung. He couldn’t wait to meet him in person. Though the situation in which they met wasn’t ideal, he was glad they were both on the course of making it work.
The next couple of days they texted back and forth. Jimin felt closer to Taehyung and couldn’t wait to meet the younger guy. He was a little bit miffed that the first time they’d interact properly would be in front of a crowd on their engagement day.
🐣🐻
21 October 2022
Tae 💖💚 :
Can’t wait to meet you
The message brought a smile to Jimin’s face. He replied with his room number so he and Taehyung could meet in private before the function started. He had reached the hotel hours before the event was scheduled to start. He had a stylist for the event – of course, that was expected from his family. He was dressed in a Dior ensemble and really liked what he saw when the stylist was done with him. He kept fiddling with his phone, waiting for a text from Taehyung. From what he could see, Tae hadn’t seen the message yet.
There was a knock on the door and Jimin excitedly opened it hoping to see Taehyung on the other side. It wasn’t him. Namjoon and Seokjin stood on the other side.
“Hyungs, hi,”
“You look kind of disappointed to see us,” Namjoon commented with a laugh as the alphas walked in.
“You were waiting for my brother, weren’t you?” Jin asked as he hugged the omega and Jimin blushed.
Hobi and Jungkook showed up before the event started as well. No one knew of his age-old crush on Taehyung, not once in his life had he told anyone about it. So, there was no teasing involved.
Jimin couldn’t help but check his phone from time to time. Taehyung still hadn’t seen the message and he wondered if he’d reached, Jin didn’t appear to have any idea either. He didn’t ask though.
“I feel hungry hyung, should we go down and grab some pre-dinner snack?” Jungkook asked and Jimin knew how hungry the young alpha got. So Hobi and his alpha left to go find food first. Namjoon moved to the balcony as he talked on his phone and Jimin saw Jin’s eyes fixed on him.
“Something bothering you Jiminah?” he asked and Jimin just shook his head and offered him a small smile in response.
“Tae should’ve reached by now, don’t worry, I got you, let me check with Eomma,” Jin said as he gave Jimin a side hug. Jimin wasn’t sure how the older understood his anxiety when his cousin and closest friends failed to notice.
“Okay so, he’s reached. He’s probably getting ready. He came directly from Busan,” Jin said cupping Jimin’s cheeks and brushing away the tears that threatened to fall. Jimin hadn’t realized when his eyes welled up.
“Thanks, hyung,”
“You don’t need to thank hyung, I’m here for you guys always,” Jin said and Jimin gave him a tight hug.
“Okay, I also want to be included,” Namjoon said as he came in and joined the hug.
“What’s this about?” Namjoon asked and before Jimin could say anything, Jin answered him.
“Just welcoming him to my family,” and Jimin was glad Jin said that.
🐻🐣
“Taehyung, are you sure this is what you want,” Yoongi asked as Taehyung drowned his third drink in a row.
“Yes hyung, I know what I am doing. The joke’s on me. What was I even thinking,” he said with a dry laugh.
“This is the exact opposite of what you wanted an hour ago,” Yoongi reminded him.
“Things change hyung, people change,”
Taehyung was dressed to the nines, his crisp three-piece suit hung to his body as if it was made for him. It was indeed tailored for him. He removed a couple of rings from his fingers and pushed them to the ring fingers. He’d left them empty earlier, anticipating a ring exchange ceremony. Not that there won’t be any ring exchange now, there would be but he was not the same person who came into the hotel. He didn’t care anymore.
🐻🐣
As Taehyung stood next to his parents, he saw Jimin walk in with Jin and a friend of his. Jimin had a smile on his face but Taehyung turned his face before they could make eye contact. Taehyung tried his best to not look at Jimin until they were both called up on stage. He hated this for him. He hated that he was giving in to an arranged marriage just for his family. And he had no idea what Jimin was playing at. Jimin was the one who reached out to him, but why did he do that if he liked Jin?
‘Why did Jimin text and tell him to go to his room if he was going to be with Jin?’ Taehyung wondered as he stood next to Jimin. He still hadn’t made eye contact with the shorter boy. He realized he didn’t know what Jimin’s scent was like. He probably used suppressants. But, Jimin reeked of his brother’s alpha scent. The sandalwood odor used to comfort Taehyung once upon a time, but at that moment, he resented the scent more than anything.
🐣🐻
Jimin wasn’t sure what happened. One moment they were texting happily and now Taehyung wouldn’t make eye contact with him. When Tae didn’t show up at his room, he thought it could be due to the fact that he arrived late from Busan and barely had time to change – according to what Jin had said. But now he refused to look at Jimin. It couldn’t be the awkwardness of meeting for the first time properly after having texted and known more about each other so much.
And what really hurt was, Taehyung’s blank face when they finally were made to face each other for the ring exchange. Taehyung had rings on his ring finger and Jimin was reduced to tears.
“What’s wrong,” he heard his brother ask and he nodded with a tight smile indicating he was okay even though he wasn’t.
“Oops, sorry,” Taehyung’s voice was void of any emotions when he said that, and proceeded to remove the rings. He handed them over to his omega friend whom Jimin vaguely remembered from college. Jimin wasn’t sure why Taehyung wanted to hurt him like that, but he was successful.
They exchanged rings and smiled for the cameras. Everyone congratulated them left and right and they smiled politely and thanked every single one of them.
“Tae, did I do something wrong?” Jimin asked when they were left alone for a brief moment and Tae just stared at him.
“It’s Taehyung,” he said and Jimin was taken aback by the cold tone. Jimin didn’t see a point in trying again. He could wait for Taehyung to say what the problem was. Thankfully they were joined by his friends. Jungkook, the ever-so-confident alpha introduced himself and Hoseok to Taehyung who gave them a warm smile in return.
“We’ve heard a lot about you in the past week,” Hobi said with his signature smile and he saw Taehyung glance at him. Taehyung’s friend from earlier joined them as well.
“I’m Min Yoongi, this idiot’s best friend, you can reach me anytime you want me any dirt on him,” Jimin smiled as he thanked him while Taehyung didn’t look too impressed with the interaction.
“You can call me hyung too if you want to that is,”
“I will hyung, thank you,”
“I remember you, you were in music production,” Hobi recollected as he introduced himself to the older guy.
While their friends interacted with each other, Jimin thought back to the events of the week. He wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing by saying yes to the arranged marriage immediately. He knew he wouldn’t be able to pick the person he wanted to be with unless it added any benefit to his family. And Taehyung was a familiar name and a guy he had a crush on, but maybe he should’ve asked to get to know him better before saying yes. Also, why had Taehyung said yes if he was disinterested?
“You good?” Namjoon asked, Jimin hadn’t even realized when he had come up to him.
“Yes yes, just thinking about something,” Jimin said plastering a fake smile on his face.
He could see Jin look between him and Tae – no, Taehyung from the other side and he gave him a small smile to assure him as well. Jimin wasn’t sure why he was going ahead with this.
Jimin:
Can we talk before you leave?
Jimin saw Taehyung check his phone and put it back in his pocket without responding. That hurt. He looked at his family. His parents were happily talking to his brother’s in-laws. Seojoon was standing there smiling the entire time. He was happy for his brother, he and Ji Won noona made a cute couple, and arranged marriage worked out well for them. He feared it wasn’t the case for him.
🐣🐻
The event ended close to midnight and Jimin hoped he had a reply from Taehyung as he checked his phone. His fiancée was nowhere to be found. Jimin did have an unread message from him and eagerly opened it to be hit with disappointment.
Tae 💖💚 :
Let’s not do that.
Eomma will take care of all the choices we have to make regarding the wedding ceremony – or you can pick whatever you want, I don’t care
I am going to be busy with my exhibition, so please don’t text me unless it is very important
A teardrop fell on his phone screen and his vision was blurred. What did he do to be treated like this?
Until the previous week, he was just a happy man, content with his daily life. Now it had turned upside down and he had a fiancée who hated him but wouldn’t say why.
“Jiminah, what is wrong? Why are you crying?” It was Jin and Jimin couldn’t help but burst out crying.
“Come with me,” Jin said as he led him away to somewhere with more privacy.
“Tell hyung what is bothering you?” Jin asked and Jimin looked at him, still crying.
Though he had known Jin for over five years now, it didn’t feel right talking about Taehyung to Jin. It was between him and Tae. And so, he lied to Jin about being overwhelmed with a lot of things happening in the week. Jin hugged him and told him everything would be alright and somehow that helped.
🐣🐻
A week passed with no contact from Taehyung and Jimin let it slide. But he needed to know what happened, so he decided to text him again.
Jimin:
Tae, I know you asked not to text, but please tell me what happened
I am not sure how I offended you
He was left on read.
🐣🐻
15 November 2022
After a week of waiting, he decided it would be best if they called it off. His parents would be pissed at first, but maybe they would understand. Having a crush on the guy was not a good enough reason to get married. Especially if the other party wasn’t happy about it. He decided it was best to talk to his family. He decided he’d bring it up at their weekly family dinner on Sunday.
“Jiminah, so happy to see you,” his dad said as he entered the living room on Sunday.
Seojoon and Ji Won showed up soon after and the conversations were flowing well. He wasn’t sure how to bring up his predicament.
“You should have brought Taehyung,” his Eomma commented, gaining his attention.
“Eomma, you know he is busy with his exhibition; it is all over the papers,” Seojoon said and Jimin realized he hadn’t even looked up Taehyung’s exhibition.
“I know that, I intend to go when the Seoul show begins,” his mom commented and he hoped they wouldn’t ask why he hadn’t gone to meet Taehyung.
“I am glad we chose him for our Jimin. He’s a hardworking boy, really talented in what he does. Plus, the Lees have stepped down from whatever they were planning. Jiminah, thank you for agreeing to this without any objections. You made my life so much easier, things are looking bright,” his dad said and Jimin wasn’t sure if he should go ahead with what he planned to say.
Jimin wanted to say no. He wanted to tell them he didn’t want to go through with the wedding. But he thrived on making people happy. He didn’t want to cause issues for his father and brother. Whatever was going on with Taehyung, he would find the problem and fix it as much as he could.
🐣🐻
24 November 2022
Jimin met with Taehyung’s mother multiple times to plan the details for the wedding, Song Yu Na was a very soft-spoken lady with a keen eye for detail. He noticed the multiple moles on her face, which Taehyung seemed to have inherited. He had never spent time with Taehyung, so he had no idea how much he had in common with his mother. She had the same sharp gaze as Jin which could frighten people if needed.
“Jiminah, I am sorry I won’t be able to come with you for the cake tasting next week,” Yu Na informed him as they were done with choosing the floral arrangements.
She had another appointment and she said she’d arrange for someone else to accompany Jimin if needed. Jimin politely declined the offer and said he could go with one of his friends since Taehyung won’t be in Seoul by then. Jimin had no idea about Taehyung’s schedule, but he hoped he was right. Eommonim wouldn’t talk about alternative arrangements if Taehyung could make it.
🐣🐻
04 December 2022
Jungkook and Hoseok were out of town and they couldn’t join him. His mother was also unavailable and he checked with Namjoon.
“Jiminah, I would’ve loved to come with, but it’s Jin hyung’s birthday and I am going out with him for dinner,”
“I understand hyung, no worries.,” Jimin said before he ended the call. He could go to the tasting alone. He could pick a cake by himself - it wasn’t a big deal.
🐣🐻
On Saturday, Jimin walked into the quaint little establishment. The patisserie had recently gained a lot of popularity and Taehyung’s Eomma had booked a private session with the pastry chef.
“Jiminah, you are here,” Jin commented as soon as he saw him.
“Hyung, what are you doing here?”
“Eomma mentioned you didn’t have anyone to go with you for this tasting and I love cake, so I decided I could come to help you out,”
“Happy birthday hyung,” he said as he hugged the older guy. Jimin thought he was okay with being alone, but now that Jin had shown up to help, he was glad.
The hours passed by in a blur. They tasted over thirty flavors and narrowed it down to three.
“You could give me a plain chocolate cake and I would be content with it hyung,”
“Add strawberries to it and you’ll have a happy Taehyung on your side,” Jin said and that was news to him.
“What?”
“That boy loves cakes, chocolates, and his strawberries, what are you doing Jiminah, you should know this by now.”
He should. Well, he couldn’t keep asking their mom for all this information when the fiancée refused to communicate with him, could he? And what were the chances his scent matched the things his fiancée loved? The fiancée who happened to hate him for some unknown reason.
“Hi,” Jimin heard someone speak and turned to face Taehyung.
“Oh, hey Taehyung, I didn’t know you were coming,” Jin said while Jimin just stared at him.
“Yeah, I just got back to Seoul and Eomma told me to come here. It is afterall the cake tasting for my wedding,” he said, as he stared back at Jimin.
“Alright then, I’ll get to my birthday dinner, you guys finalize the cake,” Jin said as he stood up from his seat.
Jimin found it weird that Taehyung didn’t even look at Jin properly once and neither did he wish him on his birthday.
“How are you?” Jimin asked, he was always a persistent person. He would get Taehyung to talk.
“I’m good, you?”
“Good too,”
🐻🐣
Taehyung wasn’t sure why he said yes when his mom asked him to go to the cake tasting.
“The poor boy must’ve gone alone, I know it,” that’s what she said and before he knew it, he was on his way to the bakery. Maybe his crush from long back was still there? Or the fondness that had made its way into his heart while they texted back and forth pushed him to go? The image of Jimin sitting alone in front of multiple cakes, overwhelmed by it all caused a pang in his heart.
And he wasn’t sure what he was expecting, the image of a lonely Jimin was what brought him there. But Jimin was with Jin, the duo was laughing and Jin was talking in his usual loud manner while Jimin seemed surprised by whatever Jin said. Was it too late to go back? If only the chef hadn’t let him in, he could’ve left with no one knowing. He didn’t want to leave and seem like a loser.
The awkwardness was very much there and Taehyung hoped it wasn’t evident to the chef. It obviously would’ve been, they were not even acting the part of a happily engaged couple. As he sat next to Jimin, he could smell his brother’s scent on the omega, and that angered his wolf. As much as he would like to not admit it, Taehyung’s alpha wolf was very much looking forward to his promised omega mate.
There were three cakes that Jin and Jimin had shortlisted, and as much as he wanted to be petty, his brother had chosen what he’d like. He took a bite of the first cake and the richness of the chocolate blended with the fresh strawberries made him let out a moan. Jimin’s eyes widened and Taehyung couldn’t help but blush and look away.
Jimin’s phone rang and Taehyung could see Jin’s picture flash on the screen before he answered it. Taehyung drank the water the chef offered while Jimin spoke on the phone.
“Hyung was asking if we could join him for dinner,” Jimin said as he ended the call and Taehyung couldn’t help but feel angry, why did Jin have to call Jimin and not him? Did he want to become a third wheel between his fiancée and brother, he hoped not.
“I have somewhere else to be, let’s finish up here quickly so I can leave,”
“Oh okay,” Jimin said and Taehyung felt Jimin would try to argue, but he seemed okay with it. Or probably he was happy with the fact that he would be alone with Jin without Tae to bother them.
They quickly chose the tiers and the designs for the cake and Taehyung left without even bothering to ask anything else.
🐣🐻
12 December 2022
A week later Jimin attended the Seoul opening of Taehyung’s photography exhibit. They stood next to each other, smiled for the cameras, and never spoke. Jimin interacted with the guests at the event and was mostly stuck next to his future mother-in-law since Jin was away on a work trip. He saw Taehyung speaking passionately about his craft and it brought a sense of pride to him, which he’d never felt before. Not that he shared that information with Taehyung.
🐣🐻
30 December 2022
On Taehyung’s birthday, Jimin couldn’t help but get him a gift. He had no idea what the alpha liked. Taehyung loved photography, but he was a professional, and cameras were out of the picture. Taehyung was passionate about art, but sadly Jimin was clueless when it came to paintings and stuff. He had seen Taehyung wearing multiple rings every time he met him. So, he decided to get him a ring. He knew he was being an idiot and setting himself up for rejection, but the families were going ahead with it and he would try his best to make the relationship work. He had no idea when he would give it to him, but well he still bought it.
Jimin:
Happy birthday Taehyung
Hope you have a wonderful year ahead
Tae 💖💚 :
Thank you
The reply came almost immediately. He wanted to ask him to meet but decided against it. He didn’t want to push his luck. Taehyung was bothered by something and Jimin intended to find and fix it.
🐣🐻
07 January 2023
Before he knew it, Jimin stood next to Taehyung, in matching black suits paired with white dress shirts, as they walked down the aisle holding hands. As they stood facing each other, Jimin realized it was the first time they gazed into each other’s eyes. And this time Taehyung didn’t break eye contact. When Taehyung bent to bite at his unbroken mating gland, a chill went up his spine. Taehyung slightly licked the spot before grazing the area with his teeth, placing a weak bite.
“Now kiss,” Jimin heard Jin shout loudly and his friends joined him on his quest. Jimin shyly looked at Tae to only see him gazing at his lips. And so Jimin gathered his courage and pressed his lips to the alpha’s. Jimin had his fair share of kisses before this, but the mere act of pressing his lips to his alpha’s brought butterflies in his stomach. And he craved more. His omega wanted to be closer to his alpha.
🐣🐻
Jimin wasn’t sure what he expected to change in Taehyung’s behavior after the ceremony. After they retired to their room in the penthouse suite of the hotel they held the event. Taehyung just informed him that he’d sleep in the smaller room and Jimin could have the master bedroom.
As Jimin freshened up, he felt his body start to burn up a little. It wasn’t like he hadn’t anticipated it. The bite had probably triggered his heat. He could feel it approaching and took the suppressants he had carried.
🐣🐻
The next morning Jimin woke up early. It was difficult for him to sleep well in unfamiliar places. He ordered breakfast and hoped Taehyung liked the dishes he ordered. He made sure to order jasmine tea for his husband as he hated coffee with a passion. He’d mentioned that in one of his texts.
🐻🐣
Taehyung woke up feeling hungry. He thought of all the food he needed to order as he freshened up and exited his room. He and Jimin were supposed to move into their new apartment and Taehyung wasn’t really looking forward to it.
Jimin was already at the table eating when he showed up. His alpha wolf jumped at the sight of the omega, mouth fully stuffed with pancakes. Taehyung had to close his eyes and breathe to calm his wolf down. The wolf had become a bit stronger after the mating bite and he knew it would get worse until they completed the mating process. His wolf would be desperate to complete the bond, but Tae had no intention to do so.
“I ordered us food,” Jimin said after he finished chomping down the food in his mouth.
“I hope you like these,” he said pointing at the assortment of food from continental to traditional Korean breakfast.
“Thank you,”
“I also got you tea, I remember you prefer it over coffee,”
Taehyung offered a tight smile in return. Why did Jimin remember the small details he mentioned in passing in a text? He wasn’t sure how to feel about his husband anymore. He was failing in his resolve to stay away from Jimin.
“Can we leave in two hours?” Taehyung asked and Jimin nodded. He was yet to visit their new home. Jimin on the other hand had helped set up the entire thing. Taehyung’s things had been moved there by his mother.
Taehyung chose to wear a simple white shirt, half tucked into his dark pants, and pushed a few rings into his fingers. His gaze fell on his engagement and wedding bands and he pushed them onto his fingers as well. Before he could delve deep into his thoughts, there was a knock on the door. Jimin, in Taehyung’s opinion, was comfort personified in the fuzzy yellow sweater and loose pants he wore.
“The driver is here, shall we?”
“I’m done, let’s go,” Taehyung said as he exited the room.
🐻🐣
The driver dropped the newlyweds off at their new home and Taehyung was impressed by the cozy look the place carried.
“You can have the master bedroom,” Taehyung said again and Jimin looked like he wanted to protest. But he didn’t.
“Your clothes are in the walk-in closet inside though,” Jimin finally said.
“I will move it slowly, I guess when I have time,”
“I can help if you want,” Jimin offered and Taehyung wasn’t disappointed. Of course, Jimin didn’t want anything to do with him.
“I guess I’ll do it myself, thank you though,” Taehyung said before moving to his room.
🐻🐣
Taehyung jumped back into work the next day. He figured that was the easiest that way to keep his wolf under control. Sadly, there was a limit to the time he could spend working. He had to go back home at some point.
🐻🐣
15 January 2023
It’d been a week since the pattern started, Jimin would be in the living room when Taehyung reached. They’d eat their dinner together, neither of them saying a word. They’d retire to their respective rooms. Taehyung would leave early the next morning before even Jimin woke up.
Taehyung pressed the numbers on the keypad and let himself in. Unlike the other days, he had reached early and Jimin wasn’t in the living room. The place was eerily quiet and Taehyung wondered where Jimin was.
He freshened up and figured it would be the best time to move his stuff to his room. So, he made his way to the master bedroom. The sight in front of him was not something he expected. There were piles of clothes – his clothes stacked up on the bed. In between Jimin’s blankets and comforters. Jimin sat in the middle, arranging and rearranging the stuff, having no idea he was being observed.
Jimin was in pre-heat. He was obviously nesting. What confused him was the lack of a scent. With the omega approaching heat, the entire place should smell like Jimin by now. But it didn’t, and Taehyung still had no idea what Jimin smelled like. Jimin was probably on a load of suppressants. Taehyung was endeared by how Jimin pouted when one of Tae’s shirts didn’t sit well on top of the pile. He had no idea how nests worked. His mom preferred to nest in her room and only his dad was allowed inside during those days. Yoongi usually had a partner during his heats and Taehyung never saw him while he was nesting. Jimin nesting was a sight to behold.
‘Get yourself together,’ he told himself as he remembered why they weren’t a normal couple in the first place. Jimin obviously didn’t want him like that. Jimin wasn’t even comfortable with revealing his scent to him.
Taehyung knocked on the door before Jimin saw him staring.
“Oh,” Jimin said, glancing at the piles in front of him.
“I get it,”
“Your clothes smelled nice, I’m sorry I should’ve asked,” Jimin said, his eyes welling up almost immediately.
“It’s alright, I’ll just grab a few items and be out of your way, you can have the whole place to yourself,” Taehyung said and Jimin didn’t say anything. He grabbed a few pieces of clothing from the racks and rushed out. It was better to stay outside until Jimin was done with his heat. He didn’t want to risk doing something they’d both regret later.
As he started the car, he wondered where to go. He decided it was best to check into a hotel. Everywhere he would be bombarded with questions about why he wasn’t with his omega who was in heat. He didn’t want to explain to people that his omega liked his brother and not him.
🐣🐻
Jimin cried himself to sleep after Taehyung rushed out of the master bedroom. He knew Taehyung didn’t want anything to do with him, but he was planning on working on it. But now he felt rejected. Why did his heat have to get triggered by the mark? He wanted to tell Taehyung to stay. His wolf craved his alpha, but sadly for him, the feeling wasn’t mutual. He nuzzled deeper into his husband’s sweater to find comfort in his scent
🐣🐻
18 January 2023
It was difficult being an omega in heat alone. He couldn’t call anyone for help unless he explained why he was alpha-less a week after his marriage. So, he depended on his suppressants and whatever ready-to-cook meals he had left. His heat usually lasted about six days and with suppressants, if he was lucky, he would be good by the fourth day. And this time his wolf was aware of their mate and craved their presence. It’d been two days and he was starting to burn up. He knew his heat was close, maybe a day away at best. He had lost all hopes of Taehyung coming back. He had decided to forgo the suppressants, finding calm in his scent. He gorged down as much food as possible because he wouldn’t be able to eat any when the heat hit.
What surprised him was seeing Taehyung come in as he was cleaning up the leftover food from the previous day. Taehyung also looked surprised at the sight.
🐻🐣
Taehyung wasn’t sure how Yoongi figured out he was hiding away in the hotel during Jimin’s heat. The omega had found him and forced him back home. Jimin was cleaning up the living room when he entered. Jimin was glistening with sweat. Taehyung was taken aback by the scent that filled the room. It was the smell he loved of chocolate and strawberries. The very scent of their wedding cake. He could smell the slick from where he stood and he locked eyes with Jimin. That was the moment he lost the internal battle with his wolf. He rushed to the omega and captured his lips in a rough kiss. The omega in heat had triggered his rut. He knew he’d probably regret his actions at a later point. But he was physically incapable of tearing himself apart from Jimin and Jimin looked like he wanted it as much as he did. And the couple let their wolves take over. And they took care of each other for the next four days.
🐣🐻
22 January 2023
Jimin stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom, his fingers grazing the bite mark from Taehyung. He vividly remembered Taehyung asking him if it was okay to complete the mating bond and Jimin had said yes. He wondered how things would be, now that they’d completed their bond. They had things to discuss and Jimin saw this as a new chapter in their lives. They could take and get over whatever held Taehyung back until then.
By the time Jimin was back in their bedroom, Taehyung was nowhere to be found. He felt a pang in his chest. Things were supposed to get better. What happened?
🐻🐣
Taehyung saw Jimin asleep on the couch when he entered the house later that night. The last couple of days were a mistake. One he intended to forget. Maybe Jimin would be okay with that. It was both of their faults, right? He shouldn’t have listened to Yoongi. He should’ve stayed away like he planned to. He wasn’t ready to face Jimin yet. So, he decided it was best to avoid the omega.
🐻🐣
05 February 2023
It’d been over two weeks since Taehyung started avoiding him. He was back on his schedule at the dance studio. He avoided Hoseok and Jungkook’s questions about his happy married life and first heat experience with a bond. He couldn’t face his family without breaking down, so he avoided his brother’s phone calls. He avoided Namjoon and Seokjin as well. They knew him better than anyone else. It was suffocating for him to live like that. There was only one option left and that was to confront Taehyung and that was exactly what he planned to do.
🐻🐣
Taehyung wasn’t expecting Jimin in the living room when he switched on the lights at one in the morning.
“Jimin, hi,” he said as the omega stared him down.
“I need answers Taehyung, we need to talk,”
“I don’t want to Jimin, not now,” Taehyung said before heading to his room.
“We are doing this now Kim Taehyung,” Jimin had a hint of anger in his tone and that was valid, Taehyung knew that. He just didn’t have any answers to offer.
“I need to know Taehyung, I need to know what is going on. One moment we are happily chatting away and the next you start ignoring me without even giving me a reason. Why is this relationship hot for a moment and cold the next? What did I do wrong for you to be like this? Tell me so that I can fix it,”
Taehyung wanted to avoid this. He wasn’t too big on confrontations. But this had gone long enough and he needed to address it.
“Me? I am the only problem here huh Jimin? What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You come to our engagement reeking of my brother. You are always with him. Not to forget you’ve been with him way before our marriage got arranged. You were hugging him minutes before we were supposed to get engaged. I came by to see you and got that image instead. You ran to him moments after our engagement. You go to the cake tasting for our wedding with him. Admit it you are fucking in love with my brother. I just don’t understand why you’d marry me. Maybe because it’d be easy for you to push me away when you want, just like he did. I am sorry you had to help me with my rut, I am sure it’s not what you wanted, it’s definitely not what I wanted,”
“Oh,” Jimin said.
“So, what is it Jimin, what do you want from me? Why did you bring me in between?” Taehyung was trying his best to not let the tears fall.
“You think I am in love with your brother?” Jimin asked and Taehyung just stared at him in response.
“You think I like Seokjin hyung? Or maybe you don’t know me. Well, you didn’t fucking bother. You know what, you are right. This was a mistake. Now that you know, let’s forget this ever happened,” Jimin said before he exited Taehyung’s room.
🐣🐻
Jimin was hurt. How could Taehyung just assume he was in love with Jin? He made a few more points, but this hurt. Jimin wouldn’t have said yes to marrying someone else if he was in love with someone. Maybe some insecurities on Taehyung’s part led him to think that and in some other situation, Jimin would’ve focused on that. But, Jimin was hurt and he couldn’t think rationally.
And so, this time Jimin decided he would avoid Taehyung. It wouldn’t be too difficult as Taehyung was already doing that.
🐻🐣
20 February 2023
Taehyung was at his family home when his phone started blowing up with alerts. There had been some expose about his brother’s unconventional romantic relationship? Dis they know something about Jimin and Jin? His eyes widened as he read the articles that popped up.
“What the fuck Jin?” he asked as he barged into his brother’s room.
“What?” Jimin asked keeping the file he was reading down.
“You are dating Kim Namjoon?”
“What about it?”
“What about it?” Taehyung almost shouted back at his brother, grabbing him by his collar.
“What about you and Jimin then?”
“What about me and Jimin?”
“Aren’t the two of you in love?”
“Excuse me, what?” from Seokjin’s expression, Taehyung wasn’t sure what he believed anymore.
“Taehyungie, let go of me,” Jin said grabbing his hands. Taehyung was distracted by the nickname he hadn’t heard Jin use in years.
“Please sit down,” and Taehyung did as he was told. He drank the glass of water Jin offered while his brother sat in front of him, facing him.
“I guess we have a lot to catch up on, and I believe it is my fault,” Jin started and Taehyung was all ears.
“We drifted apart over five years ago, right? That was around the same time I met Namjoon. I really am sorry Taehyungie. When I fell in love with Namjoon, I prioritized myself and pushed you away without realizing I was doing it. You know how same-sub-gender relationships are frowned upon in our society. And well, as you know Namjoon is an alpha like us. And we fell in love. So, somehow, I made up my mind that I would work hard and prove my worth to Abeoji. I had to impress him before I could tell him about Namjoon. My younger self somehow cooked up that idea and I decided to work on it. While balancing the overworking and the new relationship, I ended up pushing you away. And I am really sorry about that Tae-yah. And by the time I realized it, you had already replaced me with Min Yoongi,”
“I did not replace you,” Taehyung started and that was true to some extent, but Yoongi had become his go-to person. It used to be Jin.
“I am really sorry though, I should’ve tried to fix things with you the moment I realized it. But then I thought you were better off without me,”
“I am never okay without you, I missed you so much,”
The brothers hug out their differences. They had let the misunderstanding run a long course already, but not anymore.
“And what was that about me and Jimin?” Jin asked and Taehyung felt ashamed of his concerns.
“Taehyungie, I met Jimin through Namjoon. Now that I think about it, he seemed to have a crush on you. He kept staring at your picture in my room every time he came over.” Jin said and Taehyung’s eyes wandered to the wall that held the said pictures.
“And about being in love with him, I’m not sure why you thought that. But if it was because of my scent on him, I used to scent him when he had to go alone late for practices and Namjoon wasn’t available. Maybe that’s what gave you the wrong idea,”
He was in a bad situation. He had royally fucked up with Jimin. All he knew was that he had to make it right somehow.
🐻🐣
Jimin wasn’t home when he reached. He sat on the couch, thinking about how to apologize. He hadn’t had a proper conversation with Jimin since the confrontation and he had no idea where to start.
🐣🐻
Jimin slowly climbed the stairs to their apartment. He had three classes that day of his own and had to cover one of Hoseok’s classes as well. All he wanted to do was have some spicy food and go to sleep. He punched in the numbers on the keypad and let himself in. he was taken aback by the figure who sat on the couch, face buried in his hands. Jimin hadn’t seen Taehyung properly since their fight and there he was. Home early, not avoiding Jimin.
He dropped his bag in his room and headed to the kitchen to fix himself a cup of coffee.
“Can we talk Jiminah?” Taehyung asked as he joined him in the kitchen.
This was the first time Taehyung referred to him as anything but Jimin. Well, not counting the intimate moments they shared when they were in their respective heat and rut.
“What is it, Taehyung?” he saw the younger wince at his cold tone.
“I wanted to apologize to you,”
“For what?”
“For our last conversation. For saying all those hurtful things. I didn’t mean it – no scratch that. I meant that, but it was because of a misunderstanding and I was an idiot. I am really sorry Jiminah, please give me another chance,”
“And how did you arrive at this conclusion,” he had a vague idea of what prompted this conversation.
“I spoke to Seokjin hyung,” and his suspicions were confirmed.
“Well,”
“You knew about Seokjin hyung and Namjoon hyung,” he pointed out and Jimin nodded.
“You would’ve too if you’d tried,” Jimin said and Taehyung looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t so Jimin continued.
🐻🐣
“Do you realize that you just assume and don’t try?” Jimin asked and Taehyung was lost on how well Jimin had understood him in such a short time.
“With Seokjin hyung, I believe when he stopped talking to you or pushed you away like you mentioned last time, did you try to reach out to him?” and Taehyung shook his head.
“And what about me, when you saw me with hyung, did you bother asking what was going on between us? No,” it wasn’t a question anymore.
“And even after we shared that bond, instead of asking me how I felt or being there for each other, you avoided me, and I’ll tell you honestly, it really hurt,”
🐣🐻
Jimin hadn’t realized when he had started crying, Taehyung was crying too.
“If something is bothering you, you should talk about it Tae, communication is really important. We are married now,”
“I am really sorry, I promise to do better, please give me another chance,” Tae asked and he couldn’t help but offer him a smile.
They were standing close enough for Jimin to cup the younger’s face in his hands. Taehyung brought his hands to cover Jimin’s.
“Of course, I will, I have crushed on you so long to let you go now,” he said and Taehyung’s round eyes widened.
“I’ve never told anyone this actually. I’ve had a crush on you since you transferred to my school way back in 2013.”
“That’s almost ten years,” Taehyung commented.
“Hyung asked me to stay away from you because you were from the Kim family,”
“And still you had a crush on me?” a small smile appeared on Taehyung’s face for the first time that day, Jimin noticed.
“Well, I never told anyone about it. You are the first person to know,”
“Then you can be the first person to know that I had a crush on you since school too,”
“No way,”
“I was disappointed when I didn’t see you in college the first year. But then you showed up two years later,”
“I agreed to the arranged marriage because it was you, I was planning on throwing a tantrum before they told me your name,”
“I was actually very confused by why you wanted to marry me when you used to hang out with Jin hyung, I thought you were being forced by your family. I was told your parents chose me,”
“Well, I hung out with Seokjin hyung in hopes of becoming your friend. I actually became closer to Namjoon hyung only when I realized he was friends with your brother,”
Jimin had revealed his old-time secrets. This was his husband and Jimin had a feeling things were only going to get better from then on.
“Please don’t tell them that,”
“Your secret is safe with me, but no more secrets between us,”
“I promise,”
“I do too,”
Taehyung squeezed Jimin’s hands that cupped his cheeks and Jimin pulled him in for a kiss. Their lips slot together perfectly. This kiss is nothing like their first kiss on their wedding day. It was far from the heated and rough kisses they shared during their mating. This was soft and slow, almost as if they wanted to absorb each other through the kiss. And that was exactly what they wanted and planned on doing.
🐻🐣